Out of abundance, they took abundance, and still abundance remained.
~ Upanishads
Welcome New Members! In case you missed it - this past Sunday we officially welcomed four shiny new members into fellowship: Sarah O'Bryan, Carla Jensen, Joelle Casteel, and Carolyn Hancock. We are delighted you have joined us and look forward to getting to know and grow with each of you. We thank you for your commitment to this holy endeavour. May our journey together be blessed. Gratitudes
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What does it mean to be a people of abundance? Please join us this Sunday, November 12, as we dive deeper into this question and welcome guest speaker (and beloved colleague of our minister), Jon Berry, who will be sharing a message titled “No Scarcity of Welcome: A UU’s Year in the Mosque.”
Religious tradition is full of references to being a good host. But what happens when the shoe is on the other foot and we are the guests? Last year, Earlham School of Religion student Jon Berry decided to find out. He began a spiritual pilgrimage of New York, focusing on traditions different from his own. Increasingly that led him into the city’s Muslim community. Join us as Jon talks about what he discovered; the encouragement he found in the experience; and the abundance available to us in the cities in which we live.
Jon Berry is a member of the Fourth Universalist Society in New York City’s Upper West Side. After a career in journalism and business, he earned a Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) in May 2017 from Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. He plans to begin training for chaplaincy and to write about religion.
You can read more about our monthly theme as well as explore some supplemental resources here.
And if you happen to miss being in worship on any given Sunday, the texts to previous sermon messages
(and some of the readings as well) can be found in our website sermon archive.
Upcoming Services
November Worship Theme: What Does It Mean to Be a People of Abundance?
November 19: “On Being a Stone Soup Community” ~ Annual Multigenerational Harvest Feast Service
November 26: “To Embody Abundance”
December Worship Theme: What Does It Mean to Be a People of Hope?
Isabella County Restoration House News
The ICRH homeless shelter is open for the season! We are scheduled to partner with St. John’s Episcopal Church the two weeks from November 5-18. However the dates for which we have to provide food are:
Monday, November 6
Wednesday, November 8
Friday, November 10
Sunday, November 12
Wednesday, November 15
Friday, November 17
If you are willing, and able, to provide food on these days, please contact Joyce Henricks (joyce.henricks@cmich.edu or 989-400- 9743). When we have a list of who is willing to help out on what days, committees will be formed to coordinate the dinners. What we want are: one or two main dishes, side dishes (e.g., veggies) that go with the main dishes, salads, desserts, and breads.
Christmas Outreach - 2017
Once again the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is collecting new children’s books for Christmas Outreach.
Starting in November there will be a box for donations located in the Social Hall. Please bring new
books; we especially need books for young adults, but any new children’s books are welcome.
Distribution will be at Finch Fieldhouse on December 8th and 9th. There will be a need for volunteers for
2-hour shifts on those days, to help parents choose the books and hand them out. To volunteer, please contact Beth Macleod (macle1e@cmich.edu or 989-772-0595) and save the date(s). Thanks in advance!
Upcoming RE Events
November 18: We will be doing a Stone Soup Overnight! 3rd graders and up are invited to come at 5:30 for pizza, then we will be making homemade soup, bread, and butter for the Harvest Feast the next day. This will be followed by snacks and a movie. Cynthia, Norma, and Anna will be chaperones. If you would like to volunteer let us know!
December 17: We will go caroling after service. Let us know if you would like to volunteer to help drive/come sing with us!
Please contact Anna VanArsdaleHoot (vanar1ae@cmich.edu; 517.930.6927) to RSVP or volunteer for an event, or with any questions.
Annual Harvest Feast - Sunday, November 19
We will celebrate our annual Harvest Feast tradition Sunday, November 19 following the worship service.
Our youth will be presenting a musical program during the feast as well as collecting our annual donations to the UUSC Guest at Your Table Program, so please come prepared to generously participate in this ritual of giving as well as receiving the blessings of wonderful food and fellowship.
Sign up sheets are on the side table in the Social Hall for the Harvest Feast. There are items needed in almost every category except for maybe breads. Please add your name and food to the list or ask Laura McBride to do it for you (Lmcbride010@gmail.com or 989.772.5512). There are foil pans for you to use for hot dishes. Remember, we do not have electrical outlets to support crockpots, so bring your warmed cooked food in a foil pan with plastic wrap over the top and covered with foil. It will be put into a chafing dish to keep it warm and be served. Thank you for you contributions and presence at this longstanding fellowship tradition!
Support CMU Public Radio and the UUFCM!
Please consider making a donation to CMU Public Media. UUFCM annually pools our donations to purchase air time on CMU Public Radio. We typically collect ~$1500 to get 2 radio spots weekly for 8-9 months. Just write a check to CMU Public Media and give it to Mary Alsager (989.773.2595).
Native American Heritage Month at CMU - November 2-30
Please be aware of the various events for NAHM at CMU.
Tellabration! A Tapestry of Stories - Friday, November 17 at 7 p.m.
Want to Hear Great Storytellers?
On Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in our Sanctuary, there will be an evening of entertaining, well-told, crafted stories for adults and families with teens. The Tapestry of Stories will be presented by the Mid-Michigan Area Storytellers: Joe Remenar, Jennifer Otto, Eileen DeLorenzo; Guest Teller Jean Bolley, and Emcee Phillip Lewis. In addition, they will also feature the talents of CMU's After Hours Improv! Admission at the door -
$5 includes refreshments and door prizes. For more details, find us on Facebook, or download our flyer.
I have the world’s largest collection of sea shells.
I keep it scattered on the beaches of the world.
Have you seen it?
~ Steven Wright, comedian
Let us be mindful to leave the parking spaces directly across from our Wisconsin entrance open
for our friends who have mobility issues. Thank you for your consideration.
Got News?
The deadline for submissions to the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly e-News is
Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Please send all submissions to admin@uufcm.org.
Service Cancellation Policy
In case of inclement weather, a decision to cancel the service will be made by 9 a.m. There are multiple ways to learn the status of a Sunday service in our snowy months. Members and friends may request to join the
Remind app and receive cancellation news via a text or email. In addition, an announcement will be posted on Facebook as well as sent directly via email. Those who are not online will be phoned. If you have questions, call Laura McBride (989-772-5512). We hope we won't have to resort to this very often, but we live in Michigan after all, so we need to be prepared!
UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2017-2018
President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; baile1nj@cmich.edu)
Past-President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; lmcbride010@gmail.com)
President Elect: Mary Alsager (989.773.2595; malsager@yahoo.com)
Treasurer: Chris Bailey (989.775.8257)
Assistant Treasurer: Ricky Courlander (989.772.4457; magicwalnut@charter.net)
Secretary: Brigitte Bechtold (989.954.1123; becht1bh@cmich.edu)
Trustee: Janis Shinn (989.400.3724; janis_shinn@yahoo.com)
Trustee: Joyce Henricks (989.400.9743; joyce.henricks@cmich.edu)
Trustee: Ethan Kolek (413.387.7321; ethank3535@gmail.com)