An Update from the UUFCM Ministerial Transition Team

11/29/2018

eNews for Thursday, November 29

11/29/2018

eNews for Wednesday, November 21

11/21/2018

A Memo from the UUFCM Ministerial Leadership Transition Team

11/20/2018

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November 20, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions – Issue #1

This list represents what we expect to be the most frequent initial questions you may have about our minister’s departure and what comes next. We want to reassure you that our Fellowship has been through a number of these transitions in the past and that we have considerable resources and experience to draw on. Please remember that the loss of a minister, while difficult, gives us as a faith community the opportunity to re-assess our ministerial needs, reflect on who we are and where we wish to go. Also remember that decisions in our faith tradition are made democratically by all of us, so please put Saturday, January 26, 2019 on your calendar and plan to attend our all-congregation retreat.

How long will it be before we have another minister in place?

We don’t know the answer to that question at this point. The Transition Team has met and is exploring multiple possibilities for how to move forward. Next week we are meeting with a consultant from the MidAmerica Region of the UUA which will give us more information to share with you in terms of process and possibilities.

What will our services be like until we have new ministerial leadership - will we continue to have quality worship services?

Our services will continue to be as they have been whenever Dawn has been away on vacation or attending a conference – our services will be lay-led with some of our own members and sometimes guest speakers presenting the sermon.

During her time with us, Dawn has provided an excellent model of quality worship which will help guide us during this interim period. We have access to the resources that Dawn uses to help create her services – sermons and other materials from our Soul Matters Sharing Circle subscription, the Church of the Larger Fellowship’s (CLF) Quest for Meaning website, and the UUA’s Worship Web collection of resources. We are also fortunate to have a good number of skilled people in our congregation who are able to serve as highly capable lay leaders, readers, and sermon presenters.

Who will develop the calendar of worship services?

We have reconstituted the Worship Team which will meet monthly to develop a calendar of meaningful worship services. The team is comprised of Norma Bailey, Jim Dealing, Aaron Jones, and Guy Newland.

Will we still have all our rituals and special services?

We will continue to include all the rituals Dawn has helped us establish for use in worship as well as the ongoing scheduling of our special worship services – multigenerational worship, the Fall Water Ingathering, our Flower Communion in the Spring, etc.

Will Dawn be able to attend services here…
can we still be friends with her?

This is one of the more difficult aspects of ministerial transition – and please know that some form of this process is common to most faith traditions, not just Unitarian Universalism. While the Unitarian Universalist Ministerial Association (UUMA) guidelines don’t strictly apply to Dawn because she is not an officially fellowshipped member of the UUMA, she intends to follow the dictates of their recommendations as she believes to do so is necessary to ensure the healthy transition of ministerial leadership here.

The UUMA guidelines – as interpreted for our purposes - are as follows: Whenever there is a ministerial change - in order not to interfere or inhibit the process of successful transition to a new ministry - the departing minister should have no intentional or ministerial contact with her former congregation and/or individual congregants for at minimum the length of the interim period (of transition to a new minister) plus the first full year of that newly settled ministry. Any re-engagement with a congregation after that period of time would have to be negotiated via a covenant established between the new and former minister.

Our understanding is that Dawn will still be living in the area possibly for some time after she leaves us –
what if we run into her somewhere out in public?

If you happen to bump into Dawn around town or at an event, it is perfectly acceptable to greet her as you would normally. She will, however, refuse to discuss anything about our Fellowship with you (including your feelings about whatever is happening) and won't be able to go home with you to share a meal. In other words, extended contact and/or any discussion about the Fellowship during the above-stated timeframe will not be engaged in. It is also requested that you honor her boundaries in this and not reach out to her via phone, email, or social media.

Who do we contact if we have other questions?

If other additional questions arise for you, please contact any member of the Transition Team so we can address them as fully as possible…and also include your queries in future FAQ publications.

UUFCM Ministerial Leadership Transition Team

UUFCM Ministerial Leadership Transition Team
Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; baile1nj@cmich.edu)
Jim Dealing (989.772.0269 Email: j.dealing@cmich.edu)
Laura McBride (989.772.5512; lmcbride010@gmail.com)
Guy Newland (989.944.0534; newla1gm@cmich.edu)
Katie Zapoluch (989.501.6600; katie.zapoluch@gmail.com)

UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2018-2019
President: Mary Alsager (989.773.2595; malsager@yahoo.com)
Past-President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; baile1nj@cmich.edu)
President Elect: Carol Rard (989.561.2969; cprard@gmail.com)
Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; tlrobbie1@gmail.com)
Co-Treasurer: Jen Prout (989.400.3130; poutyprouty66@yahoo.com)
Secretary: Brigitte Bechtold (989.954.1123; becht1bh@cmich.edu)
Trustee: Janis Shinn (989.400.3724; janis_shinn@yahoo.com)
Trustee: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; jones3aj@cmich.edu)
Trustee: Carolyn Hancock (517.881.6006; hancock60@yahoo.com)

Copyright © 2018 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, All rights reserved.

319 S. University Ave., Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
P.O. Box 41, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
989.400.4933 www.uufcm.org

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Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan · 319 S University Ave · P.O. Box 41 · Mount Pleasant, Mi 48858 · USA

eNews for Thursday, November 15

11/15/2018

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eNews for Thursday, November 15

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

~ French proverb

Worship Matters

Please join us as we gather for worship this coming Sunday, November 18 with a message from our minister titled “A Harvest of Gratitude.” Our service will be followed immediately by the opportunity to break bread together at our annual Harvest Feast in the library annex (please see below for more info on the Feasting). All are welcome!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
~ Melody Beattie

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 Memory?
November 25: “To Remember Well”
December 2: “To Have Without Holding”

New Member Ingathering – This Sunday

Our worship service this Sunday, November 18 will also include the celebration and welcome of our newest UUFCM member, Matt Cavalieri. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of Matt’s official welcome as a member of this beloved community!

RE Overnight - This Saturday, November 17

Our RE Overnight is this month at UUFCM from Saturday, November 17, 5:30 p.m. - Sunday, November 18, 12:00 p.m.! This event is for kiddos 3rd-6th grade and will include homemade dinner/dessert, games, and a movie before bed! We will also be making stone soup for the congregation to enjoy at the Harvest Feast on Sunday. If your child(ren) will be able to make it, please contact Kendra Peffers at re.uufcm@gmail.com with your child(ren)'s name and whether you would like to contribute an ingredient to the stone soup.

Annual Harvest Feast - This Sunday, November 18

It’s finally here - our annual Harvest Feast will take place this Sunday immediately following the worship service. There is a short musical program planned during the feast, and the kids will be explaining and accepting
donations to the UUSC Guest at Your Table Program. This program supports human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world. Please consider donating to this very effective program – cash, check or credit card.

Jen Prout will be contacting those who have signed up to help and to bring food to the Harvest Feast. There will not be 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. If you need help carrying your dish to the Annex, there will be people on had to bring it from your vehicle to the serving table. Thank you for your contributions and presence at this longstanding fellowship tradition!

Transgender Day of Remembrance – November 20

Tuesday, November 20 is the national observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance,” an annual observance brought into being following the murder of Rita Hester on November 28, 1998. More information can be found here as to the history of this event and observances planned in our region. Here also is a prayer for this day of remembrance: “Transgender Remembrance Prayer” - Transforming Hearts Collective

Please Lock the Door Behind You!

If you are the ever the last person to leave the building, please be sure that the door is locked. We’ve had two instances this past week when the building was left open. Thanks.

Christmas Outreach

Once again the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is collecting new children's books for Christmas Outreach. 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–board books, picture books, graphic novels and young adult books–are welcome. Distribution will be at Finch Fieldhouse on Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8. If everyone could just contribute just one or two books, that would be great!

Volunteers are needed for 2-hour shifts on the distribution dates to help parents choose the books and hand them out. If you think you will be able to do that, save the date(s). Please contact Beth Macleod with any questions. Thanks in advance!

Fellowship Life Meeting - Sunday, November 25

On the third Sunday of every month (but fourth Sunday this month, so as not to delay any feasting!), immediately following our worship service, the UUFCM Board holds a brief Fellowship Life meeting to update the congregation on current happenings, plans and/or concerns within the congregation. The intention is for the meetings to be kept brief; the hope is for extended conversation to take place following the meeting during the coffee hour time. Please plan to attend.

Welcome to UU Orientation - Sunday, November 25

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 on the last Sunday at noon. Sessions run approximately 90 minutes.
For more information, contact Laura McBride (989-772-55512; Lmcbride010@gmail.com) or Gisela Mofit (989-772-1602; gbmoffit@gmail.com)

Thank You!

This year UUFCM members and friends together donated $1145 to CMU Public Media. Mary Alsager will soon take this money over and get a new contract for (hopefully!) a little more air time on WCMU. Thank you to all who donated.

Nosh and Nibbles Needed!

Are you looking for a small but valuable way to make a contribution to UUFCM? The new sign up sheet for refreshments is in the Social Hall on bright fall orange paper and needs folks who are willing to sign up to bring treats for Sunday mornings. We are nut free due to some with that allergy, and try to offer gluten free options, too. Consider baked goods, popcorn, veggies/fruit, hummus/crackers, and/or pretzels. You could freeze them and bring them ahead of time with a note on them to be put out on a particular day, if you cannot make the Sunday you signed up for. The goodies make the visits around the tables after service even sweeter! Thank you!

Ready for Your Close-Up?

On Sundays after the service, we will be taking your pictures for the directory. You can opt out or submit electronically a photo of your own choice, but our photographers have cameras with the best pixels for printing :-) If you and your spouse or partner are listed at the same address in the dictionary, please take a photo of you two together (due to space considerations). Photos will be taken all through November after the services. We hope to have this project done by the end of the year. Thank you in advance for helping us accomplish this. For questions or comments, contact Gisela.

• • • Community News • • •

Tellabration! 2018
Friday November 16, 7:00-9:00pm. at the UUFCM
An evening of delightful, crafted stories for adults and families with teens. We are excited to also feature the talents of CMU's After Hours Impov! Presented by Mid- Michigan Area Storytellers: Joe Remenar, Jennifer Otto, Eileen DeLorenzo, Guest Teller, and Jean Bolley.
$5 admission at the door includes refreshments and door prizes.

Native American Heritage Month

Be sure to check the various events on CMU’s campus for Native American Heritage Month.

Memory is never a precise duplicate of the original…
it is a continuing act of creation.

~ Rosalind Cartwright

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

Mindfulness in Parking Requested
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.

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

Copyright © 2018 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, All rights reserved.

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Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan · 319 S University Ave · P.O. Box 41 · Mount Pleasant, Mi 48858 · USA

eNews for Thursday, November 8

11/8/2018

eNews for Thursday, November 1

11/1/2018

An Update from the UUFCM Ministerial Transition Team

eNews for Thursday, November 29

eNews for Wednesday, November 21

A Memo from the UUFCM Ministerial Leadership Transition Team

November 20, 2018

Frequently Asked Questions – Issue #1

How long will it be before we have another minister in place?

What will our services be like until we have new ministerial leadership - will we continue to have quality worship services?

Who will develop the calendar of worship services?

Will we still have all our rituals and special services?

Will Dawn be able to attend services here… can we still be friends with her?

Our understanding is that Dawn will still be living in the area possibly for some time after she leaves us – what if we run into her somewhere out in public?

Who do we contact if we have other questions?

UUFCM Ministerial Leadership Transition Team

eNews for Thursday, November 15

eNews for Thursday, November 15

Worship Matters

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” ~ Melody Beattie

Upcoming Services

New Member Ingathering – This Sunday

RE Overnight - This Saturday, November 17

Annual Harvest Feast - This Sunday, November 18

Transgender Day of Remembrance – November 20

Please Lock the Door Behind You!

Christmas Outreach

Fellowship Life Meeting - Sunday, November 25

Welcome to UU Orientation - Sunday, November 25

Thank You!

Nosh and Nibbles Needed!

Ready for Your Close-Up?

• • • Community News • • •

Native American Heritage Month

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

eNews for Thursday, November 8

eNews for Thursday, November 1

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Will Dawn be able to attend services here…
can we still be friends with her?

Our understanding is that Dawn will still be living in the area possibly for some time after she leaves us –
what if we run into her somewhere out in public?

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
~ Melody Beattie

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