Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,
with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.
~ Hal Borland
The worship theme for January 2015 is Faith. What does it mean when we Unitarian Universalists describe ourselves as a “community of faith?” How do we talk about it…and how do we live it? Our worship services this month will each explore varying aspects of faith and will hopefully provide myriad opportunities for challenge and a deepening of our understanding of what it means to be a person of faith - as well as a community of faith - in this world.
January 4: On Faith
“I want to invite a new use of the word faith, one that is not associated with a dogmatic religious interpretation or divisiveness. I want to encourage delight in the word, to help reclaim faith as fresh, vibrant, intelligent, and liberating. This is a faith that emphasizes a foundation of love and respect for ourselves. It is a faith that uncovers our connection to others, rather than designating anyone as separate and apart.”
~ Sharon Salzberg
First Friday Potluck
The potluck is cancelled for January, but we will see you all in February!
Infant Pantry Collection - January 4th
Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. Most needed items are diapers, creams, shampoos, lotions, and tissues. Baby food and formula are not needed a this time. Please contact Tom Moffit (moffi1tc@cmich.edu or 772-1602) with any questions you might have. Thank you in advance for your generous donations.
OWL for 8th-High School Students
Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a series of sexuality education curricula for six age groups that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
We are offering the curriculum for grades 8 through high school this winter. The required parent meeting will be on Sunday, January 4, from 2-4 p.m. at the Fellowship. Sessions will be led by Guy Newland and Niki Henry or Justin Henry and Roze Bentley. Classes will take place from 2-6 p.m. on Sundays from January 11-March 1.
More information will be provided at the required parent meeting. However, if you are interested and/or wish more information, please contact Norma Bailey (989-560-3952 or baile1nj@cmich.edu) or Roze Bentley (989-317-0072 or rozeofmanycolors@gmail.com).
Congregational Refreshment Schedule for January-April 2015!
The refreshment schedule for the first third of the year is now posted on our website. Please check to see if you are listed, and if you have a a date conflict, use the schedule list to find someone with whom you can trade or make arrangements. Instructions for amounts and types of food can be found at the top of the page. The complete schedule is also posted in the Social Hall.
Dhamma Talk at UUFCM
Central Michigan Sangha will host Ajahn Khemasanto, the Buddhist Abbott (head monk) at Dhammasala Forest Monastery in Perry, Michigan, on Wednesday, January 14th, at 7:00 p.m. Ajahn will give an hour long dhamma (dharma) talk, with time for question and answers. Ajahn Khemasanto practices in the lineage of the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravadin Bhuddhism. More information will follow. Everyone is welcome.
Cancellations in January
- Sewing Circle will not meet on January 5th, but will resume on Monday, January 19.
- Movie Night is cancelled for January 11. See you in February!
Service Cancellation Policy
In case of inclement weather, a decision to cancel the service will be made by 9 a.m. An announcement will be posted on our web site (uufcm.org) and on Facebook as well as sent directly via email. Those who are not online will be phoned. If you have questions, call Dawn Daniels (989-763-6315) or 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!
CLF Offers Online Poetry and Therapy Course
The Church of the Larger Fellowship (UU) is offering Whispering Winds, a twice-monthly writing course over 3 months with a professional poetry therapist, Nessa McCasey (who is also a Unitarian Universalist). Nessa gently coaxes our writing selves to reveal the wisdom we each inherently harbor within. Because she builds community through positive feedback of each person’s writing, the group feels comfortable sharing meaningful and often insightful comments with each other. We do not analyze writings as one might do in a college course. Instead, we explore, ponder, play with words, and spiritually wander through wonder. Any level of writer is welcome to join this creative exploration that nurtures the soul. Poetic prompts and creative starters will be offered to help face the blank page each session and writers are able to veer in their own direction as desired.
Two course sessions are being offered:
- Sunday sessions, starting January 4; or,
- Wednesday sessions, starting January 7
• • • Community News • • •
Woodland Hospice Adult Grief Group
Meets first Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Meditation Room at the Woodland Hospice House. Call Valerie at 989-773-6137 for information on how to join the group. See flyer for dates/topics.
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Please send all submissions to admin@uufcm.org
UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2014-2015
President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; lmcbride010@gmail.com)
President Elect: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; ampratt@cybersingerscafe.com)
Past-President: Gisela Moffit (989.772.1602; gbmoffit@gmail.com)
Treasurer: David Macleod (989.772.0595; macle1d@cmich.edu)
Secretary: Vicki Chessin (989.463.3076; vechessin@aol.com)
Trustee: Scott Daigle (989.506.5750; sndaigle@gmail.com)
Trustee: Capalene Howse (989.488.8714; capalene.howse@gmail.com)
Trustee: Jennifer Prout (989.400.3130; poutyprouty66@yahoo.com)