Sunday Services
Our Sunday Services are held at our beautiful UU Center, at the corner of Pomona Road and Liebig Street in Galloway, near the North entrance to Stockton University.
Sunday Services start at 10:30 am and last until about 11:30 pm.
Child care for infants and toddlers and programs for pre-K and school-aged children are provided.
A coffee hour for socializing follows the service, with coffee, bagels and other refreshments including dairy-free, gluten-free, and peanut-free options.
YouTube recordings of services can be found at our YouTube channel.
Sunday Services Archive – 2022 through 2015
2023 Services
This Month and Upcoming…
December Theme: MYSTERY
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Noah and the Ark
Dr. Marcia Fiedler
The not-so-hidden secrets. Why not just tell the story like it is written?
Bio: Dr. Marcia Fiedler is Coordinator of Jewish Studies at Stockton University.
Sunday, December 10, 2023
Covenant and Kintsugi
Rev. Sana Saeed
Join Rev. Sana to explore why covenantal relationships are important using the Japanese art of kintsugi as a metaphor.
Bio: Rev. Sana Saeed is the Congregational Life Staff for the Central East Region of the UUA. Previously, she was an Intern Minister for UU Ministers Association (UUMA) and was the President of Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM). She’s a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. She lives with her partner and beloved puppy Rumi in Ardmore, PA.
Sunday, December 17, 2023
In This Very Moment
Pauline Nijander
We live in a world that causes us to think about the future constantly and the past continues to haunt us. In response to the hecticness that is our lives, we are often told the old saying that we need to “stop and smell the roses.” But how many of us actually make the time to do so? Join us on this Sunday as we explore what being present in the moment would look like for us and the busy lives that we lead.
Bio: Pauline E. Nijander is in her final year as a Master of Divinity student at the Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ where she is studying for the Unitarian Universalist ministry, and where she was awarded the Dorr Diefendorf Award for excellence in homiletics in the 2021-2022 academic year. Pauline has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton since 2013 where she has served in various leadership roles, and is now one of their two Seminarians. As a proud transwoman and lesbian, Pauline has spoken often to different community and student groups about her perspective and life in hopes of educating people through honest and engaging conversation about trans* life and issues. For this work, she was awarded the 2017 Triad House LGBTQ+ Champion Award from LifeTies. Along with her wife, Michelle, and their sweet pitbull, Ingrid, Pauline resides in Ewing, NJ.
Sunday, December 24, 2023
CHRISTMAS EVE MUSICAL CELEBRATION!
Gina Roche
Come to UUCSJS’s afternoon ALL MUSIC CHRISTMAS EVE MUSICAL CELEBRATION! Featuring the UUCSJS choir, Music Director Gina Roche, and some very special surprise musical guests. Come get your holiday spirit on with us! Hold the date! Exact time for the service will be announced.
Bio: Gina ROCHÉ (vocalist/guitarist/songwriter/uke player/vocal coach/tap dancer and most recently music director for UUCSJS and loving it!) Gina studied voice with opera singer and teacher Frank Capelli in Philadelphia. Gina is known for her exciting live performances and imbues a Brazilian twist into her unique blend of pop, jazz, blues and original compositions. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she has toured with her band, The Gina Roché Group in Grand Cayman, Aruba, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Philly, the West Coast, UK and Japan and has also performed on Good Morning America and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. An original member of the all-female Latin group “Ellas,” Gina sings in 4 languages; English, Portuguese, Spanish and French….ok she knows a few songs in French! *smile* The most beloved part of Gina’s bio is that she married her best friend John Rosenberg 21 years ago. Together they are raising two daughters and continually learning how to “go with the flow.”
December 31, 2023
No Service Today
Previously…
November Theme: GENEROSITY
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Being Jesus
Theresa McReynolds
Jesus Christ has influenced the world more than any other person in human history. Though his feet trod the green hills of Galilee two millennia ago, to this day, countless devotees recount his teachings, pray to him, heal by his power, emulate his life, build churches to his glory, sacrifice for him, and kill in his name. Others revile, deny, and mock him. If ever a person has rocked the world and redirected the course of life on Earth, it is the lone Nazarene.
Bio: Rev. Dr. Theresa McReynolds, D.C., has spent the last 50 years of her life in the healing profession as a chiropractor, energy healer, wellness coach, crystal healer, spiritual counselor, ritual facilitator, and motivational speaker. She has dedicated her life to uplifting others. After many years of study, she was ordained a New Thought Christian minister in California at the Home of Truth Spiritual Center. She then went on to study with several teachers in the Goddess Tradition and was initiated as a High Priestess. Theresa has spent most of her life as an activist. She was one of the founding mothers of the Atlantic County Women’s Center, now named Avansar, as well as the Rape Crisis Center. She was inducted into the Atlantic County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018 for social service and volunteerism. She is a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, gardener, farmer, a lover of this mother earth, and a forever student of the mysteries.
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Reverend Clarence Skinner: The Out-of-the-Box Skinner
Rev Charlie Dieterich
A century ago “Behaviorism” proposed all actions come from reinforced behaviors. What is religion then? Our subject is Universalist Minister Clarence Skinner’s understanding of the purpose of faith.
Bio: a first career as a television system designer, Charlie Dieterich changed directions, attended Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley California, and then interned for two years in New Orleans. He was ordained by UUCSJS on September 30, 2012, serving the congregation for three years. He then moved to Norfolk, VA and Erie, PA, then retired home to Kingston in central NJ. Although no longer a parish minister, Charlie remains active in the UU Trauma Response Ministry, uutrm.org.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Stone Soup
Jessica Dunn Safonof
When it feels as though we’re living in a time of scarcity, how can we act from a place of generosity? We will hear the story “Stone Soup” and learn how a stranger taught an entire village the mighty power of sharing and giving. Generosity is one of the most important qualities we can possess and one that helps our communities function and grow. We will look at opportunities to notice grace and practice random acts of kindness and generosity in our everyday lives. And… we will make soup!
Attendees of this service are asked to bring a vegetarian soup ingredient – carrots, celery, potatoes, beans, rice, pasta, tomatoes, herbs, spices, etc. Ingredients can be fresh, frozen, or canned but they must be precut into bite sized pieces.
What happens when we all give just a little bit? Hopefully a delicious soup we can all eat together in fellowship!
Bio: Jessica Dunn-Safonof has been a member of UUCSJS for over ten years and has served our congregation in many ways, including as an RE volunteer, RE Committee Chair, and as Secretary of the Board. She worked as a mental health case manager in children’s residential treatment facilities before leaving that field to homeschool her children. She has been the Director of Religious Education at UUCSJS since 2018.
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Ukraine: A Cause Worth Fighting For
John J. Zarych
John Zarych will discuss his experience supporting Ukraine and provide insight into the world’s response to Russia’s criminal aggression.
Bio: John J. Zarych is a criminal defense attorney whose main office is located in Northfield, NJ. He is a cum laude graduate of University of Maryland School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Maryland Law Review. He honorably served in the US Army Reserve for six years, where he received the Outstanding Trainee Leader award for service as the Trainee Commander of a basic training company of 160 soldiers during wartime. He is a member of the Mainland Branch of the NAACP and has volunteered to represent and advise members targeted for arrest while peacefully protesting racial discrimination. He has volunteered on the Ukraine/Poland border assisting some of the millions of Ukrainian refugees, primarily women and children, escaping the Russian onslaught in the spring of 2022, and has done humanitarian work throughout eastern Ukraine. He personally provided humanitarian support to the Ukrainian Army at the Bakhmut battleground. He formed Ukraine Humanitarian Inc., a nonprofit 501c3 charitable corporation, which receives donations to support humanitarian work in Ukraine. He volunteered on the personal security detail for John McCain and his family during the 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns. He maintained personal contact with Senator McCain until his death.
October Theme: HERITAGE
Sunday, October 1, 2023
From Munkács to Millville: The Story of Holocaust Survivor Elizabeth Roth
Irvin Moreno Rodriguez
This presentation will be on the new memoir published by the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, From Munkács to Millville: The Story of Holocaust Survivor Elizabeth Roth. The book focuses on Holocaust survivor Elizabeth Roth’s story of survival and resilience during and after World War II.
Bio: Irvin Moreno-Rodriguez is Assistant Director of the Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center. He graduated Stockton University’s Honors Program with a BA in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Holocaust & Genocide Studies. After working in the Criminal Justice field, he returned to Stockton for a position in the Holocaust Resource Center. While employed in the Center, in 2022, he earned a Master of Arts in Holocaust & Genocide Studies. Irvin Moreno Rodriguez was appointed by Governor Murphy to be a member of the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education. He is the youngest individual to be appointed to the NJ Commission on Holocaust Education since its inception.
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Look Out! It’s a Moral Panic!
Michael Cluff
From Mods versus Rockers to Political Correctness to Critical Race Theory, our society leapfrogs from one moral panic to another. How can we identify the difference between a manufactured moral panic and a legitimate concern?
Bio: Michael Cluff has worn many hats in this congregation, including serving on the sound crew, playing guitar, teaching RE and more. He’s also president of the South Jersey Humanists.
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Gray Panthers and Raging Grannies
Rev Bob Murphy
Organizing for Health Equity is an Action of Immediate Witness that was endorsed by the 2023 General Assembly. The statement developed because of the Gray Panthers, the Raging Grannies, and other folks who are past the age of sixty-five. Rev. Robert (Bob) Murphy is a minister emeritus in Florida who will explain the new world of senior citizen radicalism and what it means for the Unitarian Universalists.
Bio: Rev. Robert (Bob) Murphy is a Unitarian Universalist minister emeritus in Florida. Bob describes himself as being “a circuit rider in the American South.” During the 1990s, Bob was the minister who helped to develop the Green Sanctuary program. In 2011, he was the first person to receive a national Sierra Club award because of religious work. In recent years, Bob’s attention has focused on aging during an era of pandemics and climate change. Bob graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1995. He studied public health at Boston University.
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Creating Joy, Relieving Stress, and Letting Go
Gina Roché
Join our music director Gina Roche and friends for an interesting take on how to enjoy life and mitigate stress through the creative process.
Bio: Gina ROCHÉ (vocalist/guitarist/songwriter/uke player/vocal coach/tap dancer and most recently music director for UUCSJS and loving it!) studied voice with opera singer and teacher Frank Capelli in Philadelphia. Gina is known for her exciting live performances and imbues a Brazilian twist into her unique blend of pop, jazz, blues and original compositions. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she has toured with her band, The Gina Roché Group in Grand Cayman, Aruba, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Philly, the West Coast, UK and Japan and has also performed on Good Morning America and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. An original member of the all-female Latin group “Ellas,” Gina sings in 4 languages; English, Portuguese, Spanish and French….ok she knows a few songs in French! *smile* The most beloved part of Gina’s bio is that she married her best friend John Rosenberg 21 years ago. Together they are raising two daughters and continually learning how to “go with the flow.”
Sunday, October 29, 2023
The Martyred Heretic
Rev Dr Richard Speck
Have you ever heard of Michael Servetus? He was a theologian who dared to think and write books in the face of the Spanish Inquisition and Calvinist Geneva of the Protestant Reformation. He was hated by both for his radical words about God and Jesus. He was one of the first Unitarian and Universalist proponents and helped lay the foundation for our modern faith. Come and learn about our rich history of following the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
Bio: The Reverend Doctor Richard Speck is the retired District Executive for the Joseph Priestley District (JPD) of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. He was named Minister Emeritus in 2019. Previously, he served nine years as minister to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, FL, before coming to the JPD in 2000 as Acting District Executive. In his last two years in Florida he also served as the music director for the church. He graduated from Meadville/Lombard Theological School with a Doctorate in Ministry in 1990. He was hired as the regular District Executive in 2001. He served fourteen years as DE before retiring from full time ministry in 2014. Richard continues to be active in social justice programs like the Black Lives Matters and The Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow in Delaware. He is married to Janet Tillman and resides in Wilmington, DE. He enjoys making music, flying his own airplane, and creating stained glass art. Janet and Richard have two cats.
September Theme: WELCOME
Sunday, September 3, 2023
Who Turned Up the Heat? A Worker’s Analysis
Kit Marlowe
Protecting workers from heat stress was part of Kit Marlowe’s profession. He worked hard at that part because heat causes many worker deaths. On Labor Sunday, Kit will share practical and political steps that control excess heat in your life. He will share advice about keeping family members, workers, cars, houses, neighborhoods, and the world cool. Where individual efforts cannot control the risk, Kit will share his perceptions about what society should do, and who blocks those protective steps.
Bio: Kit Marlowe is a chemist and engineer who has been have been involved in Peace and Justice issues for more than fifty years. He is a member of both the Teamsters Union and the American Federation of Government Employees. He is also the secretary of the Unitarian Universalists for Just Economic Community.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Water Communion Ceremony
Minister Dana Moore
Join us for our annual Water Ceremnony.
Bio: When not nurturing her two beautiful children, Dana Moore is committed to being a social justice warrior through her ministry work with youth and young adults. Dana is a member of the UU Congregation at Montclair and Professional Religious Educator at Beacon UU Congregation in Summit. In her daily work, Dana journeys with visionary leaders and business owners helping them to overcome leadership challenges, building strong teams and systems for success. As a second-year seminary student at Starr King School for the Ministry, one of only two UU theological schools across the globe, Dana is the recipient of the John Buehrens and St. Lawrence Scholarships. She delights in studying feminine leadership and world religion. After serving as the 2022 Summer Camp Director and Coordinator for their Annual UU Women’s Retreat, Dana has been invited into the role of Program Lead at Murray Grove. Dana is thrilled to develop and support robust programming that aligns with UU values and Murray Grove’s mission of Radical Hospitality. You can contact Dana at Programs@MurrayGrove.org.
Sunday, September 17, 2023
The Great Turning, and Allies In Caring’s Role in Creating Life-Sustaining Communities
Ivette Guillermo McGahee
If you look for it, you can find evidence that our civilization is being reinvented all around us. Previously accepted approaches to healthcare, business, education, agriculture, transport, communication, psychology, economics, and so many other areas are being questioned and transformed. This is the second strand of the Great Turning, and it involves a rethinking of the way we do things, as well as a creative redesign of the structures and systems that make up our society.
Members of Allies In Caring will share the different ways this non-profit organization providing behavioral health services is participating in these emerging strands of a life-sustaining culture in South Jersey.
Bio: Ivette is the founder and CEO of Allies In Caring, a New Jersey nonprofit offering behavioral health services for under-resourced individuals living in poverty, immigrants and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, Ivette serves as a consultant in the design team for the NJ Public Health Institute, The Elevating Equity in NJ program, and currently, the “Jenga Council”, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s advisory council that promotes health equity in NJ. Ivette’s experience as a Mexican-born child of deaf parents (CODA) and sister of two deaf siblings, has provided profound understanding of the potential for growth that lies within the hardships that are a part of the human experience.
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Loss, Grief, and Healing
Cynthia Grzywinski
Many if not most of us have experienced deep feelings of grief and pain when a loved one has died. Oftentimes these include not only sadness, but darker emotions such as anger, regret, loneliness, disconnection, and fear that we may never feel joy, or be wholly alive again. In our Western culture, the topic of death is often taboo. Many hold an almost macho attitude toward those who are perceived as grieving too much, for too long, or not long enough. But is there ever a right way to grieve? By exploring the wisdom of religious traditions, psychological and philosophical insights, folklore and personal experience, and finding our shared interconnectedness, we may discover our own path through grief, leading us into the light of healing, and the joy of living.
Bio: Cynthia, a UUCSJS member, has been affiliated with this community since 2005 and has and still serves on a number of committees. She is a retired FAA Engineering Research Psychologist, with a Master’s degree in Aviation Science – Human Factors. A lover of music, Cynthia is a member of the UUCSJS choir who from time to time you’ll see at the piano or playing flute. As a lay speaker, she has contributed several sermons. A devotee and practitioner of Buddhism and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn, she also belongs to the UUCSJS Buddhist Sangha. Cynthia currently resides in Galloway Township with her rescue dog, Jazzy.
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Why Our Gatherings Matter
roddy bell-shelton biggs
As Unitarian Universalists, we gather each week. Some get dressed and come in person, while others join from home. But why do we gather? Could it be that we do so for change and need one another to create change? With change ever on the horizon, who are called to be Unitarian Universalists, and why does it matter?
Bio: roddy bell-shelton biggs (lowercase preferred) is a Queer, BIPOC, Nonbinary (they/them pronouns) seminarian and aspiring Public Theologian. As of Fall 2022, roddy is serving as a two-year part-time intern minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg, VA, while they continue and seek to complete their seminary education at Meadville Lombard Theological School. Owning both the Christian faith and the African spiritualities of their ancestors, roddy is grounded in Unitarian Universalist faith communities by choice. roddy is called to lead radical love, care, and sanctuary movements, simultaneously disrupting patriarchy and all systems of oppression plaguing our world. They genuinely believe that we must “Do everything in love” – 1 Corinthians 16:14 as we “Do justice, love mercy and tread humbly” – Micah 6:8: When roddy is not working or studying, they love being out in nature, traveling, eating good vegan/ vegetarian food, and all things theater.
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Dragonflies and Damselflies, There’s More to Them Than Most People See
Mike Hannisian and Nancy Watson
Nancy and Mike are avid wildlife enthusiasts and photographers. They met at the 2007 Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in Harlingen, TX. Since then, they have expanded their interests to include butterflies, and for the past decade, dragonflies. Both share their records with multiple citizen science projects. In 2019, Mike was appointed to serve as the New Jersey Editor for the Dragonfly Society of the Americas’ Regional Diversity project.
Sunday, August 20, 2023
The Case Against Gratitude
Mark Bernstein
Poets, novelists, and self-help gurus tell us to count our blessings…to be grateful for what we have. But sometimes, gratitude doesn’t work, especially when life is hard, or things aren’t going our way. If we can’t draw on gratitude when we’re not feeling grateful, what other options do we have?
Bio: Mark Bernstein is a former staff member with the Central East Region of the UUA and currently serves as Adjunct Staff for the Region. He has been a grateful member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County in Media, Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years.
Sunday, August 27, 2023
The Trade-off of a Free Faith
Rev. Kim Wilson
One of the foundational elements of Unitarian Universalism is our commitment to the individual freedom of belief. Being a UU gives each of us the opportunity to participate in developing a faith that is personally meaningful. Yet it is not always an easy path. In making the choice to embrace this freedom, what are we sacrificing or giving up? And what responsibilities are we taking on?
Bio: A life-long Unitarian Universalist, Rev. Kim received her Master of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2001. Rev. Kim currently serves the UUs of Central Delaware in Dover. When she’s not engaged in ministry, Rev. Kim enjoys gardening, nature, yoga and spending time with family.
Sunday, July 2, 2023
The Experiences of Sergeant Leon Bass During World War II in Nazi-Occupied Europe
Irvin Moreno Rodriguez
The presentation will focus on the life story of Dr. Leon Bass. Dr. Leon Bass joined the U.S. Army during World War II and was a liberator of the Buchenwald concentration camp. As an 18 year old African American soldier, he encountered the brutal realities of racism in the United States Armed Forces. Decades later, Dr. Bass used his experiences to teach high school students about the consequences of racism.
Sunday, July 9, 2023
The Gift of Our Longings
Ivette Guillermo-McGahee
Our longings make us feel needy and vulnerable. Surprisingly, though, they contain seeds of transformation and can be an entry door to the sacred.
During this service you’ll be invited to get in touch with the vulnerability of your yearnings, cravings, desires, and perhaps your grief. For what purpose? To discover in the restlessness of your heart, what matters most, what you love, and what brings you joy. Let your longings draw you forth so that you may live in soul-rooted belonging and service to the world.
Bio: Ivette Guillermo-McGahee is the founder and CEO of Allies In Caring, a New Jersey nonprofit offering behavioral health services for under-resourced individuals living in poverty, immigrants and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, Ivette serves as a consultant in the design team for the NJ Public Health Institute, The Elevating Equity in NJ program, and currently, the “Jenga Council,” a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s advisory council that promotes health equity in NJ. Ivette’s experience as a Mexican-born child of deaf parents (CODA) and sister of two deaf siblings, has provided profound understanding of the potential for growth that lies within the hardships that are a part of the human experience.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
Critical Race Theory
Dr. Linda Nelson
Critical Race Theory is both a concept and a distinct political and intellectual concept and pursuit. As the former, we can find its roots and impetus in the works of legal scholar Derrick Bell, as well as those of feminist cultural critics Kimberle Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins. However, one might begin with scholars, such as W.E.B. DuBois, who wrote about the intersections of art and propaganda at the turn of the 20th century. The theoretical underpinnings of critical race theory are drawn broadly from scholarship across disciplines that focuses on the importance of our understanding the complexity of population heterogeneity and what that suggests for educational policies, political mandates and other authorizations. CRT was initially regarded as an outgrowth of the issues and initiatives associated with radical feminism and critical legal studies. As noted by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, critical race theory has its foundation in the works of philosophers and theorists that share a radical disposition toward difference in human populations.
Bio: Dr. Linda Williamson Nelson, Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Africana Studies at Stockton University of NJ, retired in 2014 after 35 years of service. She holds a BA in literature from Long Island U., a master’s degree in literature from NYU, and a PhD in linguistic anthropology from Rutgers. She was recruited to Richard Stockton’s Writing Program. Her research on African American Dialectal codeswitching in narrative discourse has contributed to a unique body of research concerned with the interaction of language form, content, and identities in long segments of talk, both oral and literary. She has shared her research at numerous conferences across the US, France, and Jamaica, West Indies. She co-authored the book, Telling our Lives, Conversations on Solidarity and Difference, with Frida Furman and Elizabeth Kelly, which resulted in many readings, across the country, including two plenaries. Her current project, based on fieldwork in Jamaica, W.I. considers narrative constructions of agency in the lives of Jamaican women.
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Poetry and Spirituality
Elinor Mattern
“Words that enlighten the soul are more precious than jewels.” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan
In this interactive dialogue with poet Elinor Mattern, we will discuss ways in which the ineffable “jewels” of poems and prayers, prayers and poems, can awaken the the soul and the heart, and bring comfort, solace, peace, joy, connection, faith, and hope.
Bio: Elinor Mattern is a poet, artist, and educator who has spent much of her life seeking out the spiritual threads in the realm of art. Her twin joys of poetry and the spiritual path come together in her own writing and in her teaching and speaking. She currently teaches many aspects of writing and poetry on a freelance basis, after retiring from teaching English at Atlantic Cape Community College. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her poems and non-fiction have appeared in numerous journals and newspapers, including the The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Paterson Literary Review, and Tiferet, A Journal of Spiritual Poetry.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Letting Go and Finding the Peace Within
Laura Kushner
Releasing negative emotions that hold you back will bring you inner peace.
Bio: Laura Kushner is a recent graduate of Drew Theological School where she earned her Masters of Divinity, with a focus on Social Justice Advocacy. She is a long time member of UU Montclair. Before seminary she wore many hats in her congregational life and found the work quite fulfilling. For the better part of the past 30 years she has taught at the same nursery school, which is also the school she attended as a child.
Although she has some more work to do before applying for ordination, Laura is looking forward to having more time to spend in her garden and doing more physical activities. At the beginning of September she will participate in her first triathlon in 11 years.
June Theme: DELIGHT
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Always Use Your Best China…
Rev Charlie Dieterich
This is not a tale of magical bowls and enchanted chalices. This is a story about awareness, and subways. Come join the party.
Bio: After a first career as a television system designer, Charlie Dieterich changed directions, attended Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley California, and then interned for two years in New Orleans. He was ordained by UUCSJS on September 30, 2012, serving the congregation for three years. He then moved to Norfolk, VA and Erie, PA, then retired home to Kingston in central NJ. Although no longer a parish minister, Charlie remains active in the UU Trauma Response Ministry, uutrm.org.
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Unsung Story
Rev. Carol Haag
We tend to celebrate a person who speaks long and loudly, who makes waves, who causes visible change. However, often it is another who has plowed the ground and prepared the way for the well-known person to become famous. Together we’ll explore the story of a man named Thomas and see if there is anything we can learn from him.
Bio: Carol retired after 13 years as the religious educator (DRE and MRE) with The Unitarian Church (now Beacon) in Summit, NJ. Since then, she has served on the Murray Grove board, as member, President, and currently chairs its Development Committee. She is a strong advocate for Universalism as the central, vital force in our Unitarian Universalist movement. She believes that Universalism embodies the critical message of inclusion for our time.
Sunday, June 18, 2023
Love is Love No Matter What
Interweave
Interweave will give insights into the LGBTQIA world. Part educational, informative and also entertaining. Here it from the people who have interacted with all the letters (the letters will be defined and explained) which adds diversity to all our lives. The music will be great!
Bio: Interweave is an organization dedicated to ending oppression based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Sunday, June 25, 2023
A Poetry Fete
Organized by Deb Dagavarian
Join members of UUCSJS as we come together and share poetry that provides us with meaning in our lives. Poems and readings will be both original and previously published.
May Theme: CREATIVITY
Sunday, May 7, 2023
Creativity and Connection
All-Ages Service
“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need those who can dream of things that never were.” (John Keats) Bring your doubts, your worries, and your insecurities to this all-ages makerspace service. Creativity can be difficult when done alone and the world’s problems look so big. The secret to creative self-expression? Staying connected to each other! So join us for a service of problem-solving, creativity, and community building.
Bio: Jessica Dunn-Safonof has been a member of UUCSJS for 10 years and has served our congregation in many ways, including as an RE volunteer, RE Committee Chair, and as Secretary of the Board. She worked as a mental health case manager in children’s residential treatment facilities before leaving that field to homeschool her children. She has been the Director of Religious Education at UUCSJS since 2018.
Sunday, May 14, 2023
The Dangers of a Static Faith
Pauline Nijander
One thing that remains constant in our world is change. What happens when we, or our faith traditions, don’t change with an ever changing world? What are the dangers that a static faith can pose to those inside and outside of a faith tradition?
Bio: Pauline E. Nijander just began her fifth year as a Master of Divinity student at the Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ where she is studying for the Unitarian Universalist ministry, and where she was recently awarded the Dorr Diefendorf Award for excellence in homiletics. Pauline has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton since 2013, where she has served in various leadership roles, including being the ministerial intern in the 2019-2020 academic year, and now, as the Seminarian. As a proud transwoman and lesbian, Pauline has spoken often to different community and student groups about her perspective and life in hopes of educating people through honest and engaging conversation about trans* life and issues. For this work, she was awarded the 2017 Triad House LGBTQ+ Champion Award from LifeTies. Along with her wife, Michelle, and their sweet pitbull, Ingrid, Pauline resides in Ewing, NJ.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
Andy Cowgill and John Sherfey
In 2015, all nations agreed on a goal statement for sustainable development. By 2030, the goals the world would have achieved include ending poverty and hunger, gender equality, affordable and clean energy, climate action, and more. Unfortunately, our federal government, across multiple administrations, has done little to publicize the goals, and even less to implement the recommended targets. To take a single example: our commitment was to END poverty in the U.S. by 2030, but the gap between rich and poor has reached an unprecedented level! Eastern Service Workers Association’s organizing efforts — in which many UUCSJS members play an important part — are uniting people across south Jersey to build a groundswell of involvement and action demanding full implementation of the goals. Learn additional steps you can take to fight for our collective future. If we don’t do it, who will?
Bio: Andy Cowgill grew up in Minnesota. After gaining a variety of experiences in community service, political organizing and activism in Ecuador, San Jose (CA), Boston and elsewhere, he became a full-time volunteer organizer in 1999. For the last 13 years, Andy has been the Operations Manager of Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA) in Pleasantville.
John Sherfey grew up in Williamstown in a family with deep roots in the South Jersey agricultural industry. John graduated from Stockton University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. John began organizing full-time in 2021, after working as a chemist and running a small business. He now serves as ESWA’s Administrative Assistant and Educational Coordinator.
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Wholly Music Service
Gina Roche
Featuring our music director Gina Roche and her wonderful band. Get ready for an all music service, complete with a few singalongs, new compositions and well loved favorites. This “wholly music service” will lift you up, leave you feeling connected, wholly contented and inspired.
Bio: Gina ROCHÉ (vocalist/guitarist/songwriter/uke player/vocal coach/tap dancer and most recently music director for UUCSJS and loving it!) Gina studied voice with opera singer and teacher Frank Capelli in Philadelphia. Gina is known for her exciting live performances and imbues a Brazilian twist into her unique blend of pop, jazz, blues and original compositions. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she has toured with her band, The Gina Roché Group in Grand Cayman, Aruba, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Philly, the West Coast, UK and Japan and has also performed on Good Morning America and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. An original member of the all-female Latin group “Ellas,” Gina sings in 4 languages; English, Portuguese, Spanish and French….ok she knows a few songs in French! *smile* The most beloved part of Gina’s bio is that she married her best friend John Rosenberg 21 years ago. Together they are raising two daughters and continually learning how to “”go with the flow.”
April Theme: RESISTANCE
Sunday, April 2, 2023
The Path of Resistance: An All Ages Pickup Service
Jess Dunn-Safonof
As we discover what it means to be on the path of resistance this month, we will explore the ideas of joining together, speaking truth to power, and the radical idea of self care as an act of resistance. In this all ages pickup service, you get to craft the service. What songs will we sing? What readings will we hear? What stories will we learn from together? The decisions are in your hands as you work with your group to put together all the worship elements.
Bio: Jessica Dunn-Safonof has been a member of UUCSJS for 10 years and has served our congregation in many ways, including as an RE volunteer, RE Committee Chair, and as Secretary of the Board. She worked as a mental health case manager in children’s residential treatment and mental health care facilities before leaving that field to homeschool her children. She has been the Director of Religious Education at UUCSJS since 2018.
Sunday, April 9, 2023
Art as Prayer/Poetry as Meditation
Elinor Mattern
Poet Elinor Mattern will invite those gathered into an experience with poems that touch on the spiritual realm, looking at the fine, or non-existent line, between poems and prayers, experiencing moments when poems cross over into mystery. “Journey far enough into the terrain of language, it seems, and the heart will begin to speak.” – Jane Hirshfield
Bio: Elinor Mattern is a poet, artist, and educator, whose twin joys of poetry and the spiritual path come together in her own writing and in her teaching and speaking. She currently teaches many aspects of writing and poetry on a freelance basis, after retiring from teaching English at Atlantic Cape Community College. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her poems and non-fiction have appeared in numerous journals and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe, Paterson Literary Review, and Tiferet, A Journal of Spiritual Poetry.
Sunday, April 16, 2023
Love and Universalism
Dana N. Moore
This homily celebrates the diversity of our spiritual lives as “Organic Multi-Religiosity,” acknowledges our heritage of Universalism and calls us to consider our commitment to inclusivity as an act of welcome and love. Corresponds with Principles 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8.
Bio: When not nurturing her two beautiful children, Dana Moore is committed to being a social justice warrior through her ministry work with youth and young adults. Dana is a member of the UU Congregation at Montclair and Professional Religious Educator at Beacon UU Congregation in Summit. In her daily work, Dana journeys with visionary leaders and business owners helping them to overcome leadership challenges, building strong teams and systems for success. As a second-year seminary student at Starr King School for the Ministry, one of only two UU theological schools across the globe, Dana is the recipient of the John Buehrens and St. Lawrence Scholarships. She delights in studying feminine leadership and world religion. After serving as the 2022 Summer Camp Director and Coordinator for their Annual UU Women’s Retreat, Dana has been invited into the role of Program Lead at Murray Grove. Dana is thrilled to develop and support robust programming that aligns with UU values and Murray Grove’s mission of Radical Hospitality. You can contact Dana at Programs@MurrayGrove.org.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
A Renewable Universalism for the 21st Century
Rev Dr Richard Speck
The Soul Matters theme for April is resistance. Our Universalist forebearers resisted the tragic conflicts of their days with ways of serving humanity in a loving way. Given our world today, what can we learn and apply in our lives the lessons from the past. We’ll have a little history as well as a call to new efforts to make the world more fair.
Bio: The Reverend Doctor Richard Speck is the retired District Executive for the Joseph Priestley District (JPD) of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. He was named Minister Emeritus in 2019. Previously, he served nine years as minister to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, FL, before coming to the JPD in 2000 as Acting District Executive. In his last two years in Florida he also served as the music director for the church. He graduated from Meadville/Lombard Theological School with a Doctorate in Ministry in 1990. He was hired as the regular District Executive in 2001. He served fourteen years as DE before retiring from full time ministry in 2014.
Richard continues to be active in social justice programs like the Black Lives Matters and The Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow in Delaware. He is married to Janet Tillman and resides in Wilmington, DE. He enjoys making music, flying his own airplane, and creating stained glass art. Janet and Richard have two cats.
Sunday, April 30, 2023
A Pandemic of the Spirit
Rev Cynthia Cain
It’s been nearly seven years since I was last at UUCSJS! Trump hadn’t yet been elected and covid was four years away. So much has happened: wars, mass shootings, climate disasters. How do you keep the spirit of love and hope alive? How do you practice compassion for the world, for one another, and for yourself? I look forward to sharing time and a few reflections with you.
Bio: Rev. Cain attended Pacific School of Religion and ministered in California, Virginia, and Lexington KY before completing a two year interim at UUCSJS. From 2019-2021 she was a developmental minister with Greater Nashville UU Congregation where she often bragged about UUCSJS. A native of Burlington County, she also has an MFA in Fiction and is finally publishing some of her stories!
March Theme: VULNERABILITY
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Building Our New Way
Paul Utts
As with many religious denominations, the pandemic has affected our community. As the pandemic ends, we see our community starting to grow again. As we adjust to our new reality, what have we learned that will help us going forward? How can we each contribute our time, talent, and treasure to insure that a strong center for religious learning, social justice, and community support continue to not just survive, but thrive? How can a strong community here help support each of us as individuals? Charter member Paul Utts will discuss how an investment in this community has paid dividends for him and his family, and how we can share this blessing while enriching our own lives.
Sunday, March 12, 2023
What Does it Mean to be a Living Tradition?
Jess and Marty
Unlike creedal religions, our faith is a living tradition; it changes and grows over time. We covenant to support and assist one another in our ministries and to hold each other accountable for doing the work of living our shared values. But how do we define and describe those shared values? The seven principles? The six sources? Or maybe something totally new? Join us as we explore our UU values and learn about the work of the UUA Article II Study Commission and the possible upcoming changes to the stated values and covenant of Unitarian Universalism.
Bio: Jessica Dunn-Safonof has been a member of UUCSJS for 10 years and has served our congregation in many ways, including as an RE volunteer, RE Committee Chair, and as Secretary of the Board. She worked as a mental health case manager in children’s residential treatment and mental health care facilities before leaving that field to homeschool her children. She has been the Director of Religious Education at UUCSJS since 2018.
Martin Quish was born and raised in Hartford CT, attended Central Connecticut State University, and worked in the financial/insurance industry. He wore many hats in his 42 year career with AFCO Credit Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Truist Bank. Marty started out in Marketing in the late 70s and early 80s, switched to operations, where he oversaw a standalone office and managed over 50 employees in the 90s. Then he spent almost twenty years in the sales office on Wall Street in NYC. He retired in 2020 from the company as a Vice President/Senior Business Development Officer. He lives in Galloway with his husband, Tony, and their 18-month-old Kerry Blue Terrier, Sadie.
Sunday, March 19, 2023
The Earth is Coming Alive Again!
Theresa McReynolds
The Earth is coming alive again. The Spring Equinox is a festival of awakening, and rebirth. The dark months are now over & we are moving into the warmth of the light. Now is a time of celebrating the freshness of life and of taking the time to raise our energy to regenerate abundance and manifest our dreams.
Bio: Rev. Dr. Theresa McReynolds, D.C. has spent the last 50 years of her life in the healing profession as a chiropractor, energy healer, wellness coach, crystal Healer, spiritual counselor, ritual facilitator and motivational speaker. She has dedicated her life to uplifting others. After many years of study, she was ordained a New Thought Christian minister in California at the Home of Truth Spiritual Center. She then went on to study with several teachers in the Goddess tradition and was ordained a High Priestess. Theresa has spent most of her life as an activist, she was one of the founding mothers of the Atlantic County Women’s Center, now known as AVANSAR, and the Rape Crisis Center. She is a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, gardener, farmer, a lover of this motherearth and a forever student of the mysteries.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Vulnerability and Defensiveness
Michael Cluff
Last time, we discussed how “failure is always an option,” and how accepting our mistakes allows us to be fully human. This time, we explore the importance of vulnerability and how defensiveness prevents us from growing.
Bio: Michael Cluff has worn many hats in this congregation, including serving on the sound crew, playing guitar, teaching RE and more. He is also president of the South Jersey Humanists.
February Theme: LOVE
Sunday, February 5, 2023
The Act of Self Care
Laura Kushner
How do we truly care for ourselves, a personal journey. We are in the beginning part of the new year; how can a little grace help create healthier expectations for ourselves.
Bio: Laura Kushner currently attends Drew Theological School. She will be graduating in May earning her Masters of Divinity, with a focus on Social Justice Advocacy. This is her second year as intern minister at UU Faith Action NJ, which has been a rich and fulfilling experience. She is a long time member of UU Montclair where before seminary she wore many hats in her congregational life. Laura is also a nursery school teacher. For the better part of the past 29 years she has worked at the same school that she attended as a child.
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Rehumanizing the Other
Pauline Nijander
It can seem pretty difficult to build Community in a world where society tends to dehumanize the “other.” Is this particular pattern of dehumanization new, or has it been around for a while? Join us this Sunday as we explore the rehumanization of those who are different from us.
Bio: Pauline E. Nijander just began her fifth year as a Master of Divinity student at the Drew University Theological School in Madison, NJ where she is studying for the Unitarian Universalist ministry, and where she was recently awarded the Dorr Diefendorf Award for excellence in homiletics. Pauline has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton since 2013, where she has served in various leadership roles, including being the ministerial intern in the 2019-2020 academic year, and now, as the Seminarian. As a proud transwoman and lesbian, Pauline has spoken often to different community and student groups about her perspective and life in hopes of educating people through honest and engaging conversation about trans* life and issues. For this work, she was awarded the 2017 Triad House LGBTQ+ Champion Award from LifeTies. Along with her wife, Michelle, and their sweet pitbull, Ingrid, Pauline resides in Ewing, NJ.
Sunday, February 19, 2023
How to L.O.V.E.
Alison Maxfield
Alison Maxfield, LCSW is presenting, “How to L.O.V.E.,” a sermon on how to enrich your loving relationship with yourself and others. L.O.V.E. stands for Laughter, Openness, Veritas (Truth), and Enlightenment, which will be joyfully explored through multimedia. Please bring a picture of yourself to share. Why? ‘Cause if you don’t love your selfie, who can you love? xoxo
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Abraham and Sarah
Dr. Marcia Fiedler
Join Marcia Fiedler, Coordinator of Jewish Studies at Stockton University as we discuss the very first episode of “The Real Housewives” starring the patriarch Abram, his first wife Sarai, and his second wife Hagar, also known the first biblical baby momma. How could a relationship that was so right, go so wrong?
Bio: Dr. Marcia Fiedler is Coordinator of Jewish Studies at Stockton University.
January Theme: FINDING OUR CENTER
Sunday, January 1, 2023
CLOSED FOR HOLIDAYS
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Breakfast Church: Potatoes, Eggs, & Coffee Beans
All Ages Service
In life, things happen around us and things happen to us. Finding your center during these experiences means understanding your choices about how you react and what you make of it. Will you learn, adapt, and choose to make the best of each experience?
Join us for this all ages service when we will gather together around one of the oldest and most important places of human connection – the table. Breakfast Church will include eating together as a central element, alongside music, stories, and learning how to find your center.
Bio: Jessica Dunn-Safonof has been a member of UUCSJS for 10 years and has served our congregation in many ways, including as an RE volunteer, RE Committee Chair, and as Secretary of the Board. She worked as a mental health case manager and behavior analyst in children’s residential treatment and mental health care facilities before leaving that field to homeschool her children. She has been the Director of Religious Education at UUCSJS since 2018.
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Practicing your Presence: East Coast Meditation
Teddy Costa
East Coast Meditation is all about the practice of being present in our own individual lives. The various forms and understanding of meditation are derived from Yoga, Buddhism, Kabbalah, and other spiritual traditions. The idea of utilizing an assortment of practices is to best find what is right for you, the individual practitioner, in working within the present moment. Some practices will resonate with one individual, such as a mindfulness exercise, while other persons may resonate with physical and/or emotional insight practices. You find what best serves you, and leave the rest for another day, if ever.
It is a great privilege, honor, and joy to be in the position of sharing these methods for being present for the purpose of living meaningful, integrated lives – all while being the hard working, peace loving individuals that we all have the power to be in this lifetime.
Bio: Ted Costa has been involved with mind-body-spirit integration work since 2017. He’s a Nondual Healer by way of training in a 500 hour nondual Kabbalistic healing school, and a meditation teacher by way of training in a 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Ted is still involved with ongoing healer education and yogic studies, and now teaches dozens of individuals throughout the week in personal meditation classes and other outlets. Where he practices his own personal presence can be found within his family with his wife, dog, and baby boy on the way, his co-owned coffee company “Keep It Real Coffee Company,” and also within his personal meditation circles. You can find him online at East Coast Meditation.com and on instagram with the same name.
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Let it Be a Dance
Rev Charlie Dieterich
A wise analyst once noted that there are only three fundamental stories: Someone went on a journey, a stranger came to town, and Godzilla vs. MegaShark. How is “Finding our center” like “Finding our story?” Retired Minister Rev. Charlie Dieterich has some ideas.
Bio: After a first career as a television system designer, Charlie Dieterich changed directions, attended Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley California, and then interned for two years in New Orleans. He was ordained by UUCSJS on September 30, 2012, serving the congregation for three years. He then moved to Norfolk, VA and Erie, PA, then retired home to Kingston in central NJ. Although no longer a parish minister, Charlie remains active in the UU Trauma Response Ministry, uutrm.org.
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Living the Twelve Steps
Tracey Catino
Growing up, Tracey Catino was surrounded by alcoholics and other kinds of addicts. She spent over twenty-five years in Al-Anon, recovering from the effects of addiction in her family members. Tracey will share her experience, strength and hope through the lens of the 12 steps of recovery.
Bio: Tracey Catino has been a member of UUCSJS for over 13 years. She grew up in Philadelphia in a working class Irish Catholic neighborhood in the 1970’s where there was a church on every other corner and a bar across the street. She went to college in Lancaster, PA, where she became a single mother of her son, Nick. Tracey moved to south Jersey to be close to family while she raised her son. Tracey has been a high school English teacher for over twenty years and a principal for five years. She currently lives in Linwood with her husband, Bill, and daughter, Kassidy.
