Ministry

“We must knit together in this work as one . . . We must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of other’s necessities . . . We must delight in each other, make each other’s conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our community as members of the same body.”

~ John Winthrop, 1630

To meet our needs as a young, growing fellowship, the UUFCM has created a somewhat unique ministerial design that is an effective combination of ordained clergy and professional lay leadership. We utilize a worship team approach for the design, planning and coordination of our worship services. Our Consulting Minister, the Rev. Dr. Nana’ Kratochvil, is responsible for one worship service each month and the remainder of our services are facilitated by our professional lay Worship Director, Dawn Daniels. The pastoral care needs of the congregation are also met via a coordinated effort of clergy and lay leadership. If you are in need of pastoral care or want guidance toward other services to meet your needs, please contact Dawn Daniels or Ricky Courlander.

See also:

• Caring Committee program
• Worship Team
  Consulting Minister Rev. Nana' Kratochvil, Worship Director Dawn Daniels, Beth Macleod, and Chris Bailey
  
  

Worship Director Dawn Daniels “Worship (“worth-ship”) is where we hold up what we most value. My approach to worship – planning, design and implementation - is holistic to the core. The intention is to create worship in community that is at once artful, transformative, and transcendent; compelling not only to the intellect, but to the heart, soul and senses as well.” ~ D.D. Dawn Daniels has been a member of the UUFCM since March 2007 and began her work here as Worship Director in July 2008. She views her roles as worship leader/music and lay minister as a “blessed melding” of her personal qualities/skills with her training, education and life experiences in the arts and human services. A professional storyteller and performance artist since 1997, Dawn is at present carefully discerning her options toward a future as an ordained minister. Dawn is a single mother of two sons (Joshua, age 11 & Tyler, age 19) and currently lives in Alma, Michigan . . . along with her beloved mother and four (yes, four!) rather strange but much loved felines. “The gifts demanded of me here are the very gifts I’ve been seeking my whole life long.” ~ Victoria Safford Contact Dawn directly at 989-763-6315 or at worshipdirector@uufcm.org. You can read more about Dawn at her website.

Consulting Minister Rev. Dr. Nana' Kratochvil Since the summer of 2007, the Reverend Dr. Nana' Kratochvil has served as our quarter-time minister. She comes to us after thirteen years of service to the Harbor UU Church in Muskegon. She is the past President of the Heartland District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, and now serves as their Ministerial Settlement Representative, and on the UUA commission on appraisal. Nana' Kratochvil discovered the Unitarian Universalist Church in Jackson, Misissippi in 1977, and soon joined. While a member she served in several capacities, including president and chair of the worship committee. She also served the Mid-South district on committees, then as president. Nana' was called to the ministry, and entered Meadville/Lombard in 1991, graduating in 1994. The extension ministry program then asked her to go to Muskegon, Michigan. She retired after serving them for 13 years, and is currently their Minister Emerita, as well as serving as a consulting minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant. Contact Rev. Nana' directly at home at 231-759-0522 or mobile at 231-740-5817, or email her at consultminister@uufcm.org.