We join together to create a nurturing, inclusive environment for the
exploration of ideas and the informed search for spiritual truth.

Recent Events
The UUA Fellowship of Tupelo would like to express its sorrow for the loss
of T.O. Sheffield's mother.
.
We enjoyed the pleasure of hearing Representative Steve Holland speak about
"Current Events in Mississippi" on Sunday, October 19. Steve gave his
perspectives on a number of wide-ranging issues, from the current special
legislative session to his experiences from many years as a funeral home
director in Tupelo. We were very fortunate indeed to have this "citizen
legislator" speak to our group.

Upcoming Events
November 3 11 AM David Rumbarger, Director of Community Development
Foundation, will speak
November 17 10 AM Adult Discussion led by Denise Backstrom
11 AM "Why I am a UU" led by Briggs Massey, Louise Plodinec, and Al Kirk

From the Mid-South District Office:
General Assembly 2003 -- in Boston next June 26-30, 2003 -- promises to be
the largest and most inspiring ever. In anticipation of a sizable turnout,
a special "early bird" registration offer is in place until November 15,
2002. Early registration can save $25 - $50 per person. To check out the
details, visit www.uua.org/ga, or go to the links on the Mid-South web
site at www.uua.org/msd. Don't miss this opportunity to connect your
congregation with the wider Unitarian Universalist movement at the best
rate ever!

Members' News

From Denise Backstrom:

On the 5th Sunday of September, 2 carloads from our congregation went to
Oxford to offer fellowship and "sweat equity" to the congregation there.
The Oxford congregation recently bought a building requiring a lot of work.
We cleaned and lined cabinet shelves, scraped old paint, mowed the grass,
and even supplied excellent nursing care (Barbara Fournie tended to
someone's nasty cut)! It was inspiring to help with the Oxford project;
someday we may have a project like that! Work was followed by a lunch. It
was a good day.

From Gwen Wages:

From Sept. 27 - 29, 2002, I attended the Renaissance Module on
Multicultural Religious Education (R.E.) in Oklahoma City. Several goals
were given for the module.

Goals for Religious Education

To stimulate a sense of worth and dignity of self and others and cultivate
a feeling of belonging and fellowship in a liberal religious community.
To offer a community that will provide the stimulus enabling children to
develop and express their own religious beliefs in an atmosphere of
appreciation, reverence, wonder, responsibility, and good will.
To provide opportunities that will direct children toward an appreciation
of their own and others' cultural heritages and religions.
To provide an environment that encourages clear and independent thinking,
and courageous action, on religious and moral issues.
To teach facts and concepts that will strengthen the child's own
development of values.
To reaffirm that our religion can enrich our personal lives on a daily
basis.

For me as a new UU, this was an enlightening experience. The majority of
R.E. directors were from large congregations and taught diverse groups of
children, a circumstance I hope to see one day in our own growing
fellowship. All the directors, as is common in UU churches, have taught
religious traditions from other cultures. This module taught me that using
and changing another cultural tradition is disrespectful when you
incorporate that tradition as though it were your own.

Researching a tradition, using an expert, and teaching a tradition only as
an example of that culture will help show diversity and respect. UU's do
not hesitate to change words in our own music and stories that show bias for
sex, age, gender, race, or class. But when faced with another tradition,
it is better to approach that tradition as a learning experience. We can
highlight the cultural tradition but engage in critical reflection and
teach the inclusive UU perspective.

With the approach of the winter holiday season, I hope my multicultural
training will enable me to teach the Christmas tradition with the same
respect and multicultural perspective that I would Hanukah, Diwali, and
Kwanzaa.

From T.O. Sheffield:

As a way to introduce ourselves, we are including brief biographies of
members who contribute them. This month's bio. is from
T.O. Sheffield (DOB 1/14/45):

First born child of Maxine Hughey Sheffield and the late Corporal Orman
Lynn Sheffield--born in Tupelo MS. Besides brief stays in other cities, I
have lived all my life in Itawamba and Lee counties. I was raised in the
Dorsey community of Itawamba county, where my Daddy was a Rural Mail
Carrier and my Mother was a Postal Clerk. Two other children were born to
this union, a sister Betty and a brother Larry "Eagle". I attended Dorsey
grammar school and was valedictorian of my 8th grade class (not a big
class). I was a guard on the junior basketball team and we were county
champions in '58 & '59. I continued my education at Fulton jr. hi, IAHS,
and (our IAHS baseball team won the old Tombigbee Conference Baseball
Championship in '62 & '63--1st time in school history-I was the starting
2nd baseman on both of these teams), manager of the football team one yr.,
vice president of the Beta club and sports editor of the annual. At ICC,
where I attended 3 semesters. I played one year of baseball. After one >
semester at the George Washington University in 1965, I returned to
Mississippi to attend MSU, where I graduated in 1967. From '67 to '70 I
wandered aimlessly<lol. Got married in '70, in '74 we had a Son that gave
me purpose in life. No Daddy could be
prouder of a Son than I am of him. He, too, graduated from MSU in '97 with
you guessed it, better grades, more honors, more of everything than me and
he deserved it more than me too. Even though the marriage ended in divorce
after 25 years, my son Alex was the greatest product of those 25 years.

Well me, I've worked at Super Sagless 31 years and I've made many friends
there. When time permits, I like bowling, golf, fishing, swimming and pool
(snooker). I like watching most sports.

I was an Eagle Scout at troop 49 in Fulton under 2 great scout masters,
R.L. Woods and H.D. McGee. I am active in local Democratic politics, a
member of the ACLU, a Mason (Blue lodge and 32nd degree) and have found my
spiritual center in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Tupelo. It
has been so great to be associated with people of ethics, conscience and
people who are truly seekers of truth.

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity...