The Congregation will begin Thanksgiving week with a bread communion service, giving and receiving together in joyful celebration.

The Children's Choir will sing the Introit, and guest musician Alan Biggs will perform with youth. The Bell Choir, organ, and Adult Choir will add their music to the sound festival.

Worship Associate John McCoy will share stories of gratitude. Ministerial intern Jeremy Nickel and Linda Harris will introduce the Society's holiday celebration of sharing, the Guest at Your Table program. The morning's plate collection will be for our Partner Church in Kolozsvar (Cluj, Romania).

Come break bread together and break though to closer connections with your community during this season of gratitude.

You are invited to bring bread of your choice -- ethnic and family recipes are encouraged -- pre-cut into small pieces to the kitchen starting at 10 am.

Melvin Dickson, editor of "The Commemorator", the newspaper of the Commemoration Committee for the Black Panther Party (CCBPP), will discuss with Melvin Johnson, CCBPP Administrative Assistant, the continued persecution of the Black Panthers in the Bay Area and San Francisco.

The CCBPP was formed to honor Bobby Hutton, who was killed in Oakland by police nearly forty years ago.

Forum member Charlie Freas will introduce these distinguished speakers for Sunday's Forum in the Martin Luther King Room. Discover where the Black Panther movement is heading in the 21st century. Learn what hopes we may nourish and actions we make take for racial justice and social equality.

The free program will start at 9:45. Come at 9:30 for conversation, coffee, and (for a slight charge) a light breakfast.

from Betty Skwarek, Acting Director of Religious Education

Children and youth will attend the 11 am Worship Service with their families to celebrate the Thanksgiving season. Young people will be helping with the bread communion, distributing the Guest at Your Table Boxes, singing in the youth choir, and playing in the Bell Choir.

Children will also be involved in an optional drawing activity that they can take with them into the Sanctuary. During the service they can draw their thoughts. With their parent's permission, children artists will return their work to Betty Skwarek for future sharing with the community.

Children 5 and younger can join the infant or preschool classes instead of accompanying their families into the pews. The art, parent group, and Children's Choir will welcome participants at their normal 10 am start time.

Religious Education's "Angel Child" is an 8-year-old boy named Anthony who wants arts and crafts supplies for Christmas. Students will be collecting these supplies for the next four Sundays and wrapping them on December 9.

More information about the Society's programs for children and youth is shared regularly in the UUSF-CRE Google Group. Anyone interested in programs for children and youth may join. It is a moderated group so call (776-4580) or email Betty Skwarek to receive an invitation to participate.

New students are welcome throughout the year, and parents are invited to phone Acting Director of Religious Education Betty Skwarek at 776-4580 for more information.

All members of the community are invited to participate in this open celebration hosted by Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, the Congregation of the Golden Gate, at their synagogue at the corner of Dolores Street and 16th Street in San Francisco.

Look for the elfin table in the Thomas Starr King Room on Sunday to sign-up for wreath-making, bringing gift-ables, and baking sweets to sell in the Tea Room at the Faire!

The Holiday Faire is just around the corner. It will fill the church on Sunday, December 9 from 12:30 to 3:30pm.

The elves could use your help for this annual party and fund-raiser for the Society. There are no prerequisites! Stop by the table and tell where your talents will create the most holiday joy.

All seats were taken last week in the Thomas Starr King Room as the Congregation celebrated the Summer, 2007 tour of Transylvania taken by many of its members.

Music and pictures from the journey highlighted the program. But, it was the Hungarian luncheon prepared by Maria Solis, Reiko Lane (pictured), and other volunteers that drew the crowds in!