eNews for Thursday, March 27

3/27/2025

eNews for Thursday, March 27

Worship Matters

We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, March 30, to worship with Norma Bailey, who will present "Radical Love." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.

"Rev. Drew occasionally uses the phrase 'radical love' in his worship services. Several members of the Adult Religious Education Team discussed this at a recent meeting and suggested the topic for a worship service. How do we understand this phrase? What does it mean in terms of how we respond as individuals, as Unitarian Universalists, as citizens in this 2025 environment? Sierra Burke, Matt Collins, Jim Dealing, and Jodi Fisher will share their thoughts for our consideration."

Zoom Invitation for Sunday Service:
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 402489218

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,402489218#
Phone - audio only
+1 646 876 9923

Upcoming Services

March 30: Radical Love

In Case You Missed It...

Many past sermons are available on our website under Sermon Videos and Archives.

In order to access any services 2024 on, go to the website and click on Worship, then Sunday Services.

Minister’s Column

There is no column this week because Rev. Drew is on leave. He will return on Monday, March 31.

Read previous columns here.

Minister on Bereavement and Study Leave

Rev. Drew will be on bereavement and study leave through Sunday, 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 president-elect Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected]).

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.

A Joyful Noise Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7pm
Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm
Crafty U - 3rd Tuesdays at 10:30am
First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm
Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm
Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm
Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm
Soul Matters Discussion Group - 4th Thursdays at 6:30pm
UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am
UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom
UUFCM Women's Circle - 3rd Thursdays at 7pm
Welcome to UU Orientation - 4th Sundays at 12:00pm

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.

Team Meetings
No meetings this week!

2025-2026 UUFCM Board of Trustees Candidates & Proposed Bylaws Changes

Our fellowship’s Bylaws outline the process for selecting the slate of candidates for next year’s Board. If you’re unfamiliar with the nominating procedures, please refer to Articles 9.2, 9.2.1, and 9.2.2 in the current UUFCM Bylaws.

This year’s Nominating Committee consists of Annette Pratt (chair), Aaron Jones, and Jim Moreno. The committee is pleased to present the following slate of candidates for the open Board positions:

• President-Elect: Guy Newland

• Secretary: Jennifer Davis

• Trustee At Large (Two-Year Term): Jennifer Prout

• Trustee At Large (One-Year Term): Marco Muñoz-Fortino

We sincerely thank these individuals for their willingness to serve and encourage all members to consider future opportunities to join the Board.

Alternative Nominating Procedure
If you or another member would like to add a nominee for any of these positions, you may do so through the Alternative Nominating Procedure (see Bylaws section 9.2.1). To submit a nomination, send a petition signed (electronically or handwritten) by three members supporting the nominee to Annette Pratt ([email protected]) and CC President Aaron Jones ([email protected]) no later than Sunday, April 13. Please ensure the nominee has given their consent before submission.

Please note: All elected candidates will begin their terms on July 1 and serve through June 30 of the appropriate term length, as outlined in the Bylaws. Additionally, nominations from the floor will not be accepted at the annual meeting. If you wish to nominate someone not listed above, please follow the Alternative Nominating Procedure.

Bylaws Amendments
In addition to Board elections, we will discuss proposed Bylaws changes at the annual meeting. Please review the proposed amendments here before the meeting.

This year’s annual meeting will be held after service on Sunday, May 18. Elections for Board officers and Bylaws amendments will take place electronically in the days following the annual meeting.

Thank you for your engagement in this very important process!

Aaron Jones
UUFCM Board President
[email protected]

Ostara Ritual - THIS Sunday, March 30

Contact: Annette Pratt
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.

“We Believe…” Yard Signs for Sale

At the all-congregations retreat in January, it was suggested that we be able to offer yard signs for people to purchase with “We believe..” on them. The Social Justice Coordinating Team has ordered 20 signs (with metal stands) to sell for $12 each. They are available until all are sold. If you wish to purchase one, please give Norma Bailey $12 in cash or a check written out to UUFCM, with yard sign in the memo line.

Paint and Pizza! – Saturday, April 5

Once again, UUFCM will paint and have a banner hung in the Mt. Pleasant downtown area this year. Please join us in a paint and pizza party on Saturday, April 5, at 2:30pm in the Fellowship Hall to paint our banner. Children and adults are welcome, but do wear paint clothes! See Norma Bailey ([email protected]) or Darlene Ritchie ([email protected]) for more information.

Stewardship Luncheon: Eat, Pledge, Love

You are all invited to our Stewardship Luncheon – Eat, Pledge, Love – right after the worship service on Sunday, April 6. Each of you, whether you choose to pledge or not, will be contacted by one of the ten groups leaders to invite you to join us. Our plan is to eat lunch and visit in small groups about our theme “Courageous Love, Bold Generosity” and learn about how to pledge and/or volunteer to support our Fellowship. We will also do some brainstorming ideas about what we could do if UUFCM had more money or more time. For those who are unable to attend, we will send out your pledge packets (budget, pledge guidance, forms, etc.) on April 7. We hope you are able to join us for this important function in our church year!

Town Hall and Spring Clean-up Information - Saturday, April 26

Town Hall (10:00am-12:00pm in the Sanctuary)
Recently, Drew was approached by someone interested in joining our Fellowship who disclosed that they are on the sex offender registry. Drew immediately reached out to our President, Aaron Jones, and President Elect, Norma Bailey, to discuss the situation. After careful consideration, it was decided that this person should not attend the Fellowship until we have a formal policy in place.

At the next Board meeting, the issue was addressed, and a path forward was established. Recognizing that children’s safety is a priority for us all, Drew reached out to parents to keep them informed. The Board formed a special Safe Congregation Team to develop a policy framework on this matter. To ensure we are handling this responsibly, both Drew and the Board have sought guidance from Lisa Presley of the UUA Mid-America Region.

As part of this process, it was recommended that we hold a special town hall event to present the proposed policy and invite input from the congregation. This event will take place on Saturday, April 26th, at 10:00 AM in the Sanctuary. We encourage everyone to attend, share their thoughts, and be part of this important conversation.

Please contact Rev. Drew with any questions about this matter. He will share what he can within the bounds of confidentiality.

Lunch (12:00-1:00pm in the Fellowship Hall)

Spring Clean-Up (1:00pm-3:00pm Outdoors)
Every year in the spring we have a spring clean-up where we spruce up the outside of our building! We’ll pick up sticks, rake, weed, edge sidewalks, trim bushes, get the hoses out, and wash windows, so please bring rakes, gloves, weeding tools, and clippers; we’ll provide the other materials.

Save the Date – Live Concert Coming to UUFCM!

Live music is coming to the UUFCM sanctuary on Saturday, April 19, at 7:00 pm! The concert features “A Simple Thing,” a local indie folk-Americana trio made up of Daniel Davis, Claire Lester, and Chris Olson playing a mix of original songs and favorite covers. This event is a fundraiser to benefit the UU Fellowship, so come out and support a great cause!

General Assembly Funds Available

General Assembly (GA), the annual national gathering of our Unitarian Universalist Association, will be held in Baltimore, June 18-22 this year, as well as held virtually (www.uua.org/ga). We have some leadership development funds available to help support attendance at the General Assembly. If you are interested, contact our Board president Aaron Jones ([email protected]).

Do Something MORE!

In the February 23 sermon “Protest and Persist: Giving Up Hope Is Not an Option,” Norma Bailey mentioned several actions that each of us could take to help make a difference. Here are some repeats and additional ones in blue:

Join 5 Calls (www.5calls.org), either in your email or in an app on your phone. Enter your zip code; then you are given a list of current issues to choose from about which you may wish to contact your representatives. For each, you get an explanation about the current status of the issues, a script to use to speak to your representative, and contact information for each person to contact. Several of our local UUs are using this very successfully.
Participate in the March 21-28 Nestle boycott. More information is in the Community News.
Participate in the Stop the SAVE ACT! Town Hall virtually on Thursday, March 27, at 6:00pm. More information is in the Community News.
Sign up for our Social Justice Interest Survey if you haven’t already – to receive alerts about petitions to sign, members of Congress to call or email, both federal and state.
Put these people into your phone contacts and make at least one phone call or text every day. They keep track of how many calls/messages they receive.
- Senator Gary Peters (202-224-6221)
- Senator Elissa Slotkin (202-224-4822)
- US House Representative John Moolenaar (202-225-3561)
- Michigan Senator Roger Hauck (517-373-1760)
- Michigan State House Representative Jerry Neyer (517-373-2646)
Particularly speak up against the SAVE Act (federal) and HJR B (state) which are being debated and ultimately voted on in the US Congress and in our state legislature. These would require documentary proof in person to register (or reregister if you move) to vote!

• • • Community News • • •

Stop the SAVE ACT! Town Hall - Thursday, March 27 TONIGHT!

Anti-voter lawmakers in both the Michigan House and the US House have introduced legislation to restrict the ability of eligible American citizens to register to vote by introducing oppressive new identification requirements.

HJR B (Michigan) and SAVE Act/H.R. 22 (Federal) would require documentary proof of citizenship, creating chaos in Michigan elections while blocking eligible Michigan voters from voting.

Millions of Michiganders voted to make voter registration and elections more accessible for eligible Michigan citizens in 2018 and 2022. We cannot allow Washington D.C. politics and intentional election fearmongering to take over our state’s elections and disenfranchise Michigan voters.

Join us to learn more about what's in these voter suppression bills and what you can do to fight back to keep Michigan elections accessible for every eligible voter.

Boycott Nestle

Continue to boycott Nestle from March 21-28. See
https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2025/03/18/why-boycott-nestle-latest-dei-blackout-targets-purina-gerber-kitkat-nestle-brand-list-products/82502243007/ for explanation and a full list of products.

2025 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Calendar of Events

Annual "Celebrating Life" Pow Wow

March 29 and 30, 2025
John G. Kulhavi Events Center | McGuirk Arena
Join us for a cultural experience of singing, dance, arts & crafts, and food!

Grand entries

·  Saturday 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm
·  Sunday 12:00 pm
·  Doors open at 11:00 a.m.

Trans Day of Visibility Rally – Sunday, March 30

Sunday, March 30, at 2pm
Lansing Capital Building, 100 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933

Join us as we come together in love and celebration for Trans Day of Visibility! This rally is a powerful gathering of community, allies, and advocates to uplift trans lives, amplify trans voices, and celebrate the beauty of trans joy. This event will also utilize the Methodist church on the corner near the capital as a warming station, and a place to hear more speakers and enjoy community solidarity.

UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary Monthly Virtual Gathering Space

Click here for more information - https://www.uua.org/lgbtq/transnb.

PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region

A local chapter of the LGBTQ+ support group Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meets monthly in Saginaw. Their mission is "to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them." The meetings are at 4790 ½ Gratiot Road on the third Sunday of the month from 2:00-3:00. Please see Rev. Drew for more information including possible ride sharing from Mount Pleasant.

Scam Alert

Several congregants have received emails and texts purportedly from UUFCM leadership. If you receive a message that seems suspicious, please remember that we would never solicit money or ask for help in this way, and do not respond to the message.
Read more here.

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 [email protected].

Drew’s Contact Information

Please contact Drew via email, phone, or text.
[email protected]
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 2024-2025
President: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; [email protected])
President-Elect: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected])
Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; [email protected])
Secretary: Laurie Meadows (989.317.8299; [email protected])
Trustee: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; [email protected])
Trustee: Monica Jean (616.443.8782; [email protected])
Trustee: David Allan (989.941.7349; [email protected])

Team and Committee Leaders

Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher
Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey
Caring Team - Laura McBride
Communications Coordinating Team - Jessica Jernigan and M onica Jean
Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit
Membership - Laura McBride
Welcome & Hospitality - Gisela Moffit
Social Fun - Jen Prout
Social Justice Coordinating Team - Norma Bailey
Worship Team - Drew Frantz
Youth Religious Education (RE) Team - Norma Bailey

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

Copyright © 2024 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. All rights reserved.

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eNews for Thursday, March 20

3/22/2025

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eNews for Thursday, March 20

Worship Matters

We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, March 23, to worship with worship leader Stacey Pattison and sermon Guy Newland, who will present "How to Fight Loneliness." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.

"Half of Americans told investigators they were lonely––and that was before the pandemic engrained even deeper habits of isolation. We are more and more alone––and it is killing us. The Surgeon General reports that social disconnection damages our health as much fifteen cigarettes per day. What steps can we take to help?"

Zoom Invitation for Sunday Service:
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 402489218

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,402489218#
Phone - audio only
+1 646 876 9923

Upcoming Services

March 23: How to Fight Loneliness
March 30: Radical Love

In Case You Missed It...

Many past sermons are available on our website under Sermon Videos and Archives. Here are links to more recent sermons.

"Edict of Torda" - February 16, by Rev. Drew Frantz

In order to access any services 2024 on, go to the website and click on Worship, then Sunday Services.

"Generosity" - March 16, by Rev. Drew Frantz

"Lessons From Grief" - March 9, by Rev. Drew Frantz

Minister’s Column

I attended the school board meeting last night, which featured a deep discussion of transgender rights and policies in the age of MAGA. Here’s the background: Mount Pleasant Public School District has in place, since 2023, a robust policy affirming gender identity.

Read the column here.

Minister on Bereavement and Study Leave

Rev. Drew will be on bereavement and study leave from Thursday, March 20 through Sunday, 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 president-elect Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected]).

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.

A Joyful Noise Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7pm
Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm
Crafty U - 3rd Tuesdays at 10:30am
First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm
Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm
Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm
Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm
Soul Matters Discussion Group - 4th Thursdays at 6:30pm
UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am
UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom
UUFCM Women's Circle - 3rd Thursdays at 7pm
Welcome to UU Orientation - 4th Sundays at 12:00pm

Team Meetings
No meetings this week!

“We Believe…” Yard Signs for Sale

At the all-congregations retreat in January, it was suggested that we be able to offer yard signs for people to purchase with “We believe..” on them. The Social Justice Coordinating Team has ordered 20 signs (with metal stands) to sell for $12 each. They will be available starting this Sunday, March 23, until all are sold. If you wish to purchase one, please give Norma Bailey $12 in cash or a check written out to UUFCM, with yard sign in the memo line.

Movie Night - THIS Saturday, March 22

Weatherman Phil finds himself trapped, reliving February 2nd over and over again. No matter what he does, every morning at 6:00 AM, the day resets. How can he break free from this endless cycle?

Join us on February 22 at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall when we watch Groundhog Day to find out!

Welcome to UU Orientation – THIS Sunday, March 23

This orientation is geared to newcomers, visitors, and those seeking to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and this UU fellowship. It is offered every month both in person in the fellowship hall and via Zoom, at 12:00pm. Sessions run approximately an hour and a half.

For more info or to register for Welcome to UU, contact:
Laura McBride: 989.772.5512 [email protected]

Please let Laura know whether you will be attending via Zoom or in person by the Friday prior to the orientation.

Paint and Pizza! – Rescheduled for April 5

Stewardship Luncheon: Eat, Pledge, Love

Town Hall and Spring Clean-up Information - Saturday, April 26

Refreshments Anyone?

Exciting news—our community is growing! We’ve recently welcomed many new visitors searching for a spiritual home, and we’re thrilled that word is spreading about our warm and welcoming fellowship. With more attendees, we need a few extra refreshments after the service—a great challenge to have!

Can you help? Please reach out to Gisela Moffit ([email protected]) to sign up for a Sunday in March or April to bring a small treat, such as cookies, fruit, cheese and crackers, or muffins. Your generosity makes our hospitality even more inviting. Thank you!

Save the Date – Live Concert Coming to UUFCM!

General Assembly Funds Available