eNews December 11, 2025

Keep up with what's happening at UUFCM!

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, December 11, 2025 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, December 14, to worship with Rev. Drew on "A UU Hanukkah." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "'Anticipating the first night of Hanukkah, this Sunday morning we will light a menorah in our sanctuary and reflect on this Jewish holiday. Our Unitarian Universalist way of engaging with religious holidays is to be respectful of tradition; to give the widest possible interpretation of the meanings of the holiday; and to connect it to our UU values. Hanukkah connects us all–Jew and gentile–to hope, justice and interdependence."   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   December 13: Saturday at 4:00pm - Blue Holidays December 14: A UU Hanukkah December 21: Ritual and Tradition December 24: 7:00pm - Christmas Eve Service 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: "Human Rights Day" I learned that December 10 is Human Rights Day as proclaimed by the United Nations. Their theme for 2025 is “Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials.” and on their website I found the following:   Human rights are POSITIVE They not only protect, they also bring joy, happiness and safety into daily life. Human rights are lived realities. They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the words we speak, the opportunities we pursue or the protections that keep us safe. Human rights are ESSENTIAL They are the essentials we all share, the common ground that unites us across differences of race, gender, belief, or background. In a world of uncertainty, human rights remain our everyday constants. When everything feels unstable, your right to safety, to speak freely and to participate in decisions that affect us, become the bedrock of our lives. Human rights are ATTAINABLE They begin with us, with the small, everyday choices we make from treating others with respect, speaking up against unfairness, and listening to those whose voices are often ignored. Everyday choices and voices matter more than you may realize; they build a culture of dignity and fairness around us. But human rights also depend on collective action, when communities, movements, and nations come together to demand justice and equality. 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 This Tuesday First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm Sleepy Time Yoga - 3rd Mondays at 6pm - resuming in January Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm This Monday Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm - resuming in January Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm  Soul Matters Discussion Group - next meeting to be announced 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 -  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 Board Meeting: Sunday, December 14 at 1pm Worship Team Meeting: Thursday, December 18 at 4:30pm   Fellowship News December 13, 2025 (Saturday at 4:00) Special Worship Service: "Blue Holidays" The winter holiday season is supposed to be fun–but what if you’re not feeling that way? The expectation to be joyful can be stressful in itself, while family gatherings can also bring up challenges and traumas large and small. Please join us for a special service that allows time to acknowledge the difficult feelings that are present in the holiday season. You may find serenity and acceptance here; you may find comfort in the companionship of others. All are welcome. Game Night - Monday, December 15 at 7:00pm We meet on 3rd Mondays from 7-9pm in the UUFCM social hall and have fun with a variety of games decided by consensus. It is a great opportunity to learn new games and meet people with similar interests!  The Crafty U’s - Tuesday, December 16 at 10:30am Group meets in our fellowship hall on the third Tuesday of the month at 10:30am. It is an informal, drop-in group for anyone working on craft projects, especially fabric arts. Stay Informed for UUFCM Cancellations   When we decide to cancel or postpone a UUFCM event due to weather--as we did due to last Sunday's snowstorm--we use a cell phone app called Remind to make these announcements. In the case of Sunday morning worship, we make our decision by 8:30 am.  Downloading the Remind app to your phone and signing up just takes a few minutes. Stay informed and prepared this winter! View our full cancellation policy along with instructions for signing up on the Remind app here. Although the Remind app is the best way to stay informed, we also try to send an email and post an announcement on the website and social media. Choosing Where to Give: End-of-Year Donations 2025     What can each of us do in response to the injustices that the Trump administration is perpetrating?  Your Social Justice Coordinating Team would like to suggest that your donations in the holiday and end-of-year giving season this year support the efforts of state and national organizations which are responding to the many challenges that we are facing. As a result of the administration’s actions, many of the organizations working for justice will continue to need additional support to combat the efforts that have been made to undo some of the protections that have been in place for many years.   If you are interested in supporting any of these organizations, a list from your Social Justice Coordinating Team of organizations that support justice can be found here. Drop Off Free Calendars   Do you have extra 2026 calendars? Your Social Justice Coordinating Team (SJCT) will collect them to distribute to the residents of local nursing homes for the new year! You can drop them off in the box located by the nursery. Care Request Form for UUFCM Community The UUFCM Caring Team supports members and friends of the congregation in practical ways such as offering rides to medical appointments, meals for those temporarily unable to cook for themselves, and help with moving. Our ability to help, of course, is limited to the capacity of our volunteers. To facilitate delivery of these helping services, you are invited to fill out this online form on behalf of yourself or others if you want to request such assistance. Cynthia Damer coordinates this effort; others members of the Caring Team are Phoenix Thompson, Lou Ann Ashley, Laura McBride, Victoria Sladek, and Rev. Drew Frantz. Click Here Path to Membership - Coming in January A Path to Membership opportunity will be held in January on a Saturday afternoon; more to come in a few weeks. If you are interested in learning more about how UUFCM is organized, volunteer opportunities, benefits and responsibilities of membership, and more, please contact Laura McBride or Rev. Drew Frantz.  Contacts: Laura McBride 989.772.5512 [email protected] Rev. Drew 440.935.0129  [email protected] Give to CMU Public Media, Help the UUFCM! We are once again collecting for CMU Public Media. In the late fall, we pool our resources together in order to purchase airtime on CMU Public Radio. Depending on the amount gathered, we get 1-2 ads per week for a good part of the year. Please make your check to “UUFCM,” include in the memo line “for CMU Public Media” and give it to Mary Alsager at church by January 11. If you have any questions, contact Mary Alsager at 989-330-2226. A single check for the total collected will be sent to CMU Public Media. Thank you in advance for contributing to this worthy effort – you are appreciated! Save the Date for our Community Justice Party on February 21     You are all invited to our fifth bi-annual Community Justice Party on Saturday, February 21, 7-9 pm.  There will be a program in the sanctuary of music, skits, poetry, and a “Guess the Activist” contest highlighting several social justice issues, and then we will meet in the Fellowship Hall for light refreshments and a rousing cake walk! If you have a song or reading or anything else that you would like to contribute to the program, contact any member of the Social Justice Coordinating Team – Norma Bailey, Joyce Henricks, Kelly Lawson, Gisela Moffit, Lou Ann Ashley, Jim Moreno, or Katie Zapoluch.  This was a highlight event in 2024, so be sure to have it on your calendar!  Community News Feed the Need      Our local food pantries are navigating an unexpected challenge: eggs and bread.  These most basic staples have become difficult to source through their usual channels. United Way has a Feed the Need fund program that is raising money to cover the cost of eggs and bread until the pantries can regain a reliable supply.  If you wish to support this ongoing effort, you can donate directly through United Way’s Feed the Need fund by using the QR code in the flyer or on the poster in the Fellowship Hall, or you can send money directly to the United Way Isabella Office at 524 E. Mosher Street, Mt. Pleasant, MI  48858. Flyer!   Volunteers and Items Needed for Christmas Outreach    Christmas Outreach, an effort to coordinate the community for Christmas giving, is in need of financial support and gently used items to serve the 2787 individuals, 828 households, and 1220 children registered this year, about a 43% increase in numbers this year. There are multiple ways to help:   Financial:  Mail checks to Christmas Outreach of Isabella County, PO Box 1227, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804.   Donations:  Any gently used coats, snow pants, boots, linens, hats, gloves, scarves, children’s books in good shape, large deodorant, and full-size toothpaste.  Drop off donation at Morey Courts, December 10 and 11 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm   Volunteer:  Need to escort and to help people take the items they have received to their cars.  Volunteers are especially needed Friday, December 12 in the afternoon and Saturday, December 13 between 12:00pm and 4:00pm.   To sign up HERE!           Indivisible 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. Facts on Petitions 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 President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected]) President-Elect: Guy Newland (989.944.0534; newla1g[email protected]) Treasurer: David Allan (989.941.7349; [email protected]) Secretary: Jennifer Davis (989.280.7010; [email protected]) Trustee: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; [email protected]) Trustee: Jennifer Prout (989.400.3130; [email protected]) Trustee:  Matt Collins (616-617-2274; colli2mr@gmail.com) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Joyce Henricks 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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