eNews 3-26-26

Keep up with what's happening at UUFCM!

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, March 26, 2026 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, March 29, to worship with Guy Newland on “Islam: the Power of Unity." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "Unitarian Universalism draws inspiration from many sources, including the world’s religions. But perhaps––seeking peace and understanding as well as inspiration––we should learn more about the world’s second largest religion: Islam."   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 29: Islam: The Power of Unity April 5: The Meaning of Life: What’s It All About? 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:  “Loyal to Spring”   This is the first week of spring. Signs of spring on the calendar include spring break – coming up for school children here, recently passed for college students – and Easter, Ramadan, and Passover. We also see signs of spring in the natural world: some warmer days; the very earliest of spring flowers; the return of birdsong; and the longer daylight.   Which leads me to reflect on the spiritual significance of spring. In last Sunday’s worship service we sang “Lo, the Earth Awakes Again,” which includes the lyric How our spirits soar and sing! How our hearts leap with the spring! This certainly reflects my own joy in the season. For me the Michigan winter is challengingly long, cold and dark. The same hymn also includes this line: Now the dark cold days are o’er; Spring and gladness are before. In my spirit, I do lean into the hopeful thought that the beauty of May and the long days of the summer are before us. More...   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 7:00pm Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm Crafty U - 3rd Tuesdays at 10:30am  First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm  Sleepy Time Yoga - 3rd Sundays at 6:30pm  Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm - Resumes in April at 6:00 pm Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm  Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm Returning April 14 UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom Welcome to UU Orientation - last Sunday of the month at 12:00pm unless otherwise indicated - This Sunday! 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 None this week!   Fellowship News Rev. Drew on Spring Break Our minister Drew will be out of town for the next two Sundays, March 29 and April 5. There will be no minister's column during that week. Although not available for regular Fellowship business, Rev. Drew can be contacted by cell phone with anything urgent. He will be back in the office April 7 and back leading worship on April 12. April Birthdays! Sandra Wickstrom Isla Heumann (Jensen) J Main Rick Messick Chris Bauerle Drew Frantz Katie Fisher Kurt Roeder Eliana Daum Brigitte Bechtold Roman Damer-Daigle For the year to come, we wish them much joy, good health for body and mind, and new (ad)ventures. May it be so. Movie Night March 28 Ernest Hemingway’s book  “Old Man and the Sea” comes to the screen in this movie starring Spencer Tracey from 1958. Stewardship Campaign 2026 Our stewardship campaign began with our Spring into Joy…Together! karaoke party on Saturday, March 21! Thirteen pledges have already been turned in, so we have gotten off to a great start! We mailed the other stewardship packets on Monday, March 23, so you should have received yours 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 and/or pledge for the first time! There is also a new volunteer form to let us know ways in which you would like to share your time and talents. 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, Kelly Lawson, Darlene Ritchie, Don Socha and Victoria Sladek. UUFCM Banner a Great Success!    Our paint and pizza party to paint our UUFCM banner to hang in downtown Mt. Pleasant was a great success! We painted, finishing our masterpiece in record time and then shared pizza and conversation! Great thanks to Lou Ann Ashley for designing our banner, to Darlene Ritchie for leading the paint party, and to everyone who painted! Our Kick-off to This Year’s Stewardship Drive Also a Great Success!   On Saturday, March 21, we gathered to kick off our stewardship drive titled “Guided by Joy.”  Led by our karaoke DJ Guy Newland, we sang, laughed and cheered our way through our chosen songs during our “Spring into Joy…Together!” karaoke party.  After receiving our stewardship packets and hearing an explanation of the contents, we moved to the Fellowship Hall for sweet and savory snacks and good conversation.  We think this is good for a repeat next year!!! Important Announcement on Sunday, March 15 There was an important announcement regarding implementation of the Policy Regarding Safer Inclusion of Potential Sex Offenders on Sunday, March 15 during the Fellowship Life meeting.  If you weren’t in attendance at that service, please feel free to contact Rev. Drew or any member of the Safer Congregation Committee (Katie Zapoluch, Mel Bailey, Kirsten King, Norma Bailey and Guy Newland). 2026-2027 UUFCM Board of Trustees Candidates & Proposed Bylaws Change 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 Guy Newland (chair), Jennifer Davis, and Joyce Henricks. The committee is pleased to present the following slate of candidates for the open Board positions: • President-Elect: Laura McBride • Treasurer: David Allan • Trustee At Large (Two-Year Term): Katie Zapoluch • Trustee At Large (One-Year Term): Kurt Roeder 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 Guy Newland ([email protected]) and cc President Norma Bailey ([email protected]) no later than Sunday, April 12. 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 Amendment In addition to Board elections, we will discuss a proposed Bylaws change at the annual meeting. Please review the proposed change before the meeting. This year’s annual meeting will be held after service on Sunday, May 17. Elections for Board officers and the Bylaws amendment will take place electronically in the days following the annual meeting. Thank you for your engagement in this very important process! Norma Bailey UUFCM Board President [email protected] Book Discussion Hosted by UUFCM Member "The Sacred Awakening" by Sami Awad “What if Jesus didn’t start a religion, but sparked a revolution of consciousness? The Sacred Awakening invites us to embody Christ’s radical path - not worship him. Through history, scripture, and lived experience, Sami Awad reveals a hidden power of love and presence that can heal, transform and awaken our true humanity.”     This invitation is from Cathryn Young. Please contact her directly if you're interested: I have begun reading “The Sacred Awakening: Reclaiming Christ Consciousness by Sami Awad. Sami is a Palestinian activist who I came to know in Bethlehem. Sami is “committed to nonviolence, healing and transformation….and living life through radical love.” He comes from a prominent Christian family, and created quite a stir when he stepped away from Christianity, and found Jesus outside of organized religion.  He says, "When I stepped away from Christianity, it was not to abandon Jesus but to seek him beyond the institutional filters placed over his life and message. I found a figure far more disruptive, radical, and liberating than anything the Church had ever presented."   In “The Sacred Awakening” Sami explores the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, as a framework for transformation, not of belief or dogma, but a way of embodying radical love, transforming not only ourselves, but the world. I am super excited about this book, and would love to find several others who would like to explore it together. Identifying as a “Christian” is not necessary to exploring the themes and ideas in the book. Meetings would need to be at my home due to my caregiving responsibilities. Days and times could be determined together if there is interest. The book is available on Amazon and Reverend Drew has ordered several copies. Save the Date! - Saturday, April 25 We’ll have our annual spring clean-up on Saturday, April 25, 10:00 am - noon. Lots of outside work will need many hands! Please put the date on your calendar!    Attend General Assembly Virtually General Assembly (GA) is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct business, explore our faith’s theological foundations, and fully embrace our mission and principles. This year, GA will be held virtually.  Would you like to participate or serve as a UUFCM delegate? We have a Leadership Fund that can cover the costs for you. If you're interested in attending, see www.uua.org/ga for information. If you need more details, contact Norma Bailey ([email protected] or 989-560-3952). 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. Community News No Kings Day in Mt. Pleasant 11:00 am - 1:00 pm - Between Broomfield and Bluegrass ICRH Fundraiser – Party for a Purpose       ICRH Requests for Household Donations for Party for a Purpose   ICRH is holding its annual fundraiser on May 2 and is looking for items for prizes for their paddle auction.  If you have any new or unused item to donate (see list in Fellowship Hall or click here), please see Norma Bailey for delivery. Indivisible Meetings & Protests Continue! Indivisible Central Michigan plans on continuing their weekly Saturday protests at the usual location (corner of Mission and Broadway). The time is 11:00-1:00.  In case of extreme weather, a cancellation email will be sent out by 10:00.  Email [email protected] to get on the email list. 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. 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    Tuesdays 10am-noon   Wednesdays 1-3pm and 8-9pm   UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2025-2026 *Phone numbers available in our UUFCM Directory President: Norma Bailey ([email protected]) President-Elect: Guy Newland (newla1g[email protected]) Treasurer: David Allan ([email protected]) Secretary: Jennifer Davis ([email protected]) Trustee: Annette Pratt ([email protected]) Trustee: Jennifer Prout ([email protected]) Trustee:  Matt Collins (colli2mr@gmail.com) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Aaron Jones Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey Caring Team - Laura McBride Communications Coordinating Team Annie Peters  Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Laura McBride   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. 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