February 18 at 2pm in the Fellowship Hall

Ricky Courlander and Steve Lifson will present this Adult RE program on February 18 at 3pm in the fellowship hall. A selection of Jewish food will be served to nosh on during the presentation.

The Adult Religious Education Committee is soliciting new members to join the committee! The committee only meets a few times per year in its new format, so join us with your energy and ideas! We also are looking for ideas for an early Spring program and another for the Fall. Please contact Jodi Fisher ([email protected]; 989-560-5135) about committee membership interest or program ideas.

Several of us attended the presentation about the Old Settlers of Michigan on Friday evening and then went on the guided walking tour of the Morgan West Wheatland Cemetery in Remus on Saturday. As cold and blustery as it was, we were fascinated by the information provided by the Old Settlers ancestors – well worth our efforts.

Thursdays, October 6 - November 3 @ 7pm
This program is intended for people with white privilege to confront and dismantle the (often unconscious) racism within themselves, opening the way to reducing harm and increasing harmony everywhere in their lives. We will use the workbook “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla Saad which guides us through 28 days of daily reflection and journaling. In our weekly small group meetings, we will strive to create a safe space to share and reflect with each other. The workbook will be provided, and participants are invited to make a donation to offset the cost. Please contact Drew to sign up or to ask any questions.

Featuring Justin, Roxanne, Matt C., and Stacey
Wednesday, February 16 from 7:00-8:30 pm
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Mental health disorders, including substance use disorders, are often misunderstood in society, communities, families, and even our own congregation. In this panel discussion, four UU members will discuss their personal journey, inform us about their specific disorder, and give us ideas for advocacy and action. All are welcome to this one-hour panel followed by a question and answer period. This panel discussion will be virtual (Zoom) and no signup is necessary.

A number of our UUFCM members and friends have been reading two books – Widening the Circle of Concern and Used to Be UU – and the discussion will occur on Zoom on Friday, December 3, 7-9 pm. All are welcome to attend. Those who have read the books will be participating in guided breakout discussions, and those who haven’t read the books are invited to sit in as listeners. The Zoom link is on the UUFCM calendar.

In 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), our national organization, published “Widening the Circle of Concern: Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change” analyzing structural and systemic racism and white supremacy culture within Unitarian Universalism and making recommendations to advance long-term cultural and institutional change.
 
In 2021, the Fifth Principle Project, a grassroots initiative of Unitarian Universalists who want to reinvigorate the right of conscience and renew the democratic process in the governing of the denomination, published “Used to Be UU:  The Systemic Attack on UU Liberalism – What You Need to Know and What You Need to Do,” contending that the UUA leadership has lost touch with the spirit of its mission to serve the member congregations of the Association and is no longer listening to the voices of everyday UUs.
 
Both of these books, directly and indirectly, speak to the proposal to have an eighth principle and to re-examine the current seven principles. 
 
Since our congregation will have our annual congregational retreat in January to discuss, and ultimately vote to either approve or not approve an eighth principle for our congregational vote at the next General Assembly, we would like to propose an Adult RE offering which would involve participants reading both of these books independently and then meeting once, at most twice, to share responses to the ideas. This would afford more of us to be knowledgeable to better discuss the question of the eighth principle at the retreat.
 
If you are interested in participating in this offering, please contact Stacey Pattison ([email protected]) by Sunday, October 24, so that we can order the books right away, giving time to read and with the intent of having the conversation in November (just before Thanksgiving) or the first week of December, at a time agreed upon by participants. The cost of the books is $16.00 and $12.50 respectively, shipping to be paid by UUFCM, with scholarships available for those congregants for whom this could be a financial burden. If you prefer not to buy the books but are interested in listening to the discussion, you are welcome to join us when we meet.