eNews for Thursday, March 23

3/23/2023

eNews for Thursday, March 23

A Weekend to Remember!

We celebrated the 20th Anniversary of our Charter with the UUA this weekend. It was a wonderful experience!

On Saturday, we had a party that was full of laughter, delicious food and drink, and above all an excellent program where members of the fellowship shared their talents and where everybody got involved in interactive games. A big thank you to the emcees, Laura McBride and David Macleod, our computer guru, David Allan, and Nancy White and Chris Bailey who created the slideshow, the Trivia game, and the program.

Our Sunday service was also very special. Rev. Lisa Presley from the MidAmerica Region of the UUA gave a moving and motivating sermon. Our choir featured the premiere of our UUFCM Celebration Anthem which we had commissioned Dr. David Wolfson to compose. A big thank you to the choir members, the choir director, Norma Bailey, and the pianist, Beth Macleod.

Many thanks to the Coordinating Committee, who worked for a year and a half to organize the weekend: Laura McBride, Gisela Moffit, Debbie Reid, Janis Shinn, Annette Pratt, Jennifer Prout, Amy Voege, and Nancy White.

Thanks, too, to the Social Justice Coordinating Team for organizing the Share Your Soles campaign, to the Building and Grounds Team which organized a workday where we spruced up the building, and to all the people who made special foods for the party and who helped with set-up and take-down.

Worship Matters

We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, March 26 to worship together with Dr. Guy Newland who will present “Playing with the Fire of Anger.” The Zoom call starts at 10:00 for social time, and the service starts at 10:30.

“Everyone gets angry; some are ashamed of it while others revel in their rage. Audre Lorde says anger proves that we care—about ourselves, about others, about justice—and energizes the fight for change. But Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior—and the whole of the Buddhist tradition—see anger as confused and harmful. Meanwhile, the Billionaire Lords of the Internet monetize our anger with hate clickbait. How should we think about this? How can we work with anger?”

Zoom Invitation for March 26

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 402489218

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,402489218#

Phone - audio only
+1 646 876 9923

Upcoming Services
April 2: What’s Love Got to Do with It?

If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out our website sermon archive for sermon video and/or text.

Minister’s Column

“I’ve had the pleasure of attending two student theatrical performances in the past two weeks: “Alice in Wonderland” at the Broadway Theatre, and “Mamma Mia!” at Mount Pleasant High School. For both shows I was there on opening night, in a nearly-full auditorium, (it’s still weird, three years after the pandemic started, to be in a crowded in-person space and most of us aren’t even wearing masks), and both of these experiences gave me a sense of community and joy…”

Read more here.

Upcoming Events

Most meetings and events are hybrid (in-person/Zoom). Please contact the event or meeting leader if you are not sure. Event and meeting details and links can be found on the UUFCM Calendar.

- Sunday Worship
- Welcome to UU Orientation - cancelled for March 26
- UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom
- Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm
- Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm
- UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am
- Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7pm
- First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm
- Movie Night - Saturday, March 25 at 7pm
- CUUPs Ostara Ritual - Sunday, March 26 at 6pm

All members and friends are welcome to attend our UUFCM Board meeting as well as the various team meetings that occur monthly. If you are interested in attending any specific team meeting, please contact the team leader for information.

If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form if you haven’t already.

Minister on Study Leave

Rev. Drew will be on study leave from Friday, March 24 through Thursday, March 30. During this time off from regular duties, Drew is still available for urgent business as needed. If you can’t reach him directly, please contact board president Stacey Pattison (989.330.1832; patti1s@cmich.edu).

Videos of the Choir Presentations Available

If you missed either of the worship services on March 12 or March 19 when the Joyful Noise Choir presented the “Seven Principles” and the “Celebration Anthem,” they are available to view at our Sermon Archive on our UUFCM website.

Stewardship Campaign

Our stewardship campaign with the theme of “Deepening Connections” has begun! You should have received your stewardship packets by now with explanations and directions about how to make your pledge as well as explain our interesting incentives - incentives to turn in your pledge form early, increase your pledge amount, and/or pledge for the first time! Please be sure to read the materials right away and take action. If you have questions, contact anyone on the Stewardship Committee – Mary Alsager, Norma Bailey, Drew Frantz, Gisela Moffit, Darlene Ritchie, and Amy Voege.

Movie Night - March 25

Gentrification is transforming less affluent neighborhoods at the expense of existing residents. Is there any way locals can protect themselves? Join us Saturday, March 25 at 7pm in the fellowship hall for The Milagro Beanfield War – to see how a small village, a Concertina angel/spirit, and a down-and-out lawyer take on the system.

Dinners for ICRH

We will be providing dinners for the homeless shelter guests at St. John’s on Sunday, March 26; Tuesday, March 28; and Saturday, April 1. If you are interested in helping, please contact Joyce Henricks. They are also looking for overnight volunteers.

You Can Still Donate Shoes

If you didn’t get a chance to bring your old shoes to the Fellowship for our Share Your Soles campaign, you can still donate them directly to Clothing, INC at 1114 W. High Street.

CUUPs Ostara Ritual - March 26

Covenant of UU Pagans

Ostara is a pagan celebration of the Spring Equinox. It is a ritual that welcomes the full promise of Spring and the turning of the wheel towards the Summer Solstice.

We will hold the ritual promptly at 6pm, via hybrid (in-person/Zoom), and there will be no potluck.

The 1619 Project Docu-Series

Everyone is invited to attend The 1619 Project Docu-Series on Fridays, April 14, 21, and 28 from 6:30-9:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Sponsored by Adult RE, the Social Justice Coordinating Team, and the Anti-Racist Task Force, the Hulu video series examines how the legacy of slavery shaped different aspects of contemporary American life. Each evening will feature two 60-minute videos and guided discussion of the ideas. Download the flyer for further details.

Would You Like to Attend General Assembly This Year?

General Assembly, the annual gathering of our Unitarian Universalist faith, this year will be June 21-25 in person in Pittsburgh or virtually. We have some donated leadership funds that can support attendance, so if you are interested in attending, either in person or virtually, contact Stacey Pattison (staceyp555@gmail.com).

Excellence in Teaching Award to Jodi Fisher

Congratulations to Jodi Fisher who received an Excellence in Teaching Award from Central Michigan University! These awards recognize outstanding teaching efforts by faculty. Good for you, Jodi!

COVID Policy and Information

We continue with hybrid services (in-person/Zoom). Our current policy is that everyone entering the building must be vaccinated (unless exempt), which applies to children also. Masks are optional for worship services and small group meetings.
Singing by the congregation and the choir is allowed with masks optional.
Small groups can meet in person if they wish, meet on Zoom – or do a mixture. This includes all of our teams and the Board itself. We will do our best to publish how meetings are going to be held, and please check with the leader of each meeting if you’re not sure.
Indoor eating events are allowed – coffee hour, Friday night potlucks, and our annual Harvest Feast, etc.

Please be aware that the situation is fluid. We are monitoring the situation frequently, so stay tuned for update

The current list of UUFCM COVID policies may be found on our website.

Extension of COVID Test Expiration Dates

Learn about the extended COVID test expiration dates of your at-home tests. Scroll to the bottom for the paragraph with two bullet points!

Free COVID Tests

The US government is again offering free COVID home tests. They also provide an explanation of how to secure additional tests through your insurance.

• • • Community News • • •

Conversations That Matter:
Is Womanhood a Right?

Today - 5-7pm
CMU UC Rotunda

Please join us for a robust dialogue on “Is Womanhood a Right?” There are multiple perspectives on this topic; however, there is no clear answer.

Women Leading the Way

Thursday, March 30 at 6pm
CMU Park Library, Opperman Auditorium

Join us for a panel discussion on “Women Leading the Way: Indigenous Education."

Panelists include:

Christina Sharp, Education Director, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Dr. Suzanne Cross, Associate Emeritus, Michigan State University
Michelle Simms, PK-12 Education Specialist, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi
Eva Menefee, Lead Faculty Advisor, Lansing Community College

This event is sponsored by Native American Programs and the Olga J. and G. Roland Denison Visiting Professorship of Native American Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

Dr. JoEllen DeLucia, English professor and the current chair of the Women and Gender Studies program, will provide the foundation for the dialogue. Dinner will be provided. Registration is required. Click here to rsvp.

Party for a Purpose!

Everyone is invited to the Party for a Purpose, the Isabella County Restoration House’s (ICRH) major fundraising event, on Saturday evening, April 15, doors open at 5pm. It’s a paddle auction, dinner, cash bar, and fun! Tickets are available by check or cash or online with a credit card at ICRHFundaising@icrhouse.org. Download the flyer for more details. If you’re not sure what a paddle auction is, ask Norma Bailey or Joyce Henricks.

8^th Annual Diversity Symposium

Wednesday & Thursday, April 26 and 27
9am-4pm each day in CMU’s
UC Terrace Rooms and Rotunda

Wednesday:
• Cost of Poverty Experience
• Lunch Keynote: Dr. Jonathan Metzl

Thursday:
• Brunch with “Real Dialogue”

Both days include research-based presentations by students, faculty, and staff. Lunch and a continental breakfast will be served.
Register here. Contact ode@cmich.edu or (989) 774-7318 with any questions.

Donate Now!

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan is funded solely by its members and friends.

For your convenience, you can make a donation electronically with the button below, or via the GivePlus Church App. Please consider the option of offsetting the cost to the Fellowship for providing the convenience of making an online donation.

If you prefer not to donate electronically, you may also write a check payable to UUFCM and send it to: UUFCM, P.O. Box 41, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804-0041

Got News?
The deadline for submissions to
the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly eNews
is Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.
Please send all submissions to admin@uufcm.org.

Drew’s Contact Information

Please contact Drew via email, phone, or text.
minister@uufcm.org
Phone/text: 440-935-0129
Office Hours (in person and/or Zoom):
Tuesdays 10am-noon
Wednesdays 1-3pm and 8-9pm
Office Hours Zoom Link

UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2022-2023
President: Stacey Pattison (989.330.1832; staceyp555@gmail.com)
Past-President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; normabailey.uufcm@gmail.com)
President Elect: Cynthia Damer (989.506.5750; ckdamer@gmail.com)
Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; tlrobbie1@gmail.com)
Secretary: Elaine Emerick (989.621.6063; ebundy84@gmail.com)
Trustee: Victoria Sladek (989.506.7039; victoriasladek@gmail.com)
Trustee: Mary Alsager (989.3302226; malsager@yahoo.com)
Trustee: Penny Swart (989.330.3587; ps.unicm@gmail.com)

Team and Committee Leaders

Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher
Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey
Communications Coordinating Team - Amy Voege
Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit
Membership - Laura McBride
Arms Around - Gisela Moffit
Welcome & Hospitality - Gisela Moffit
Social Fun - Jen Prout
Social Justice Coordinating Team - Norma Bailey
Worship Team - Drew Frantz
Youth Religious Education (RE) Team - Cynthia Damer
Anti-Racism Task Force - Norma Bailey
Coronavirus Task Force - Drew Frantz

We are a
religious community
guided by love,
transforming our lives
and our world.

Copyright © 2023 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. All rights reserved.

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eNews for Thursday, March 16

3/16/2023

eNews for Thursday, March 9

3/9/2023

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