Faith is how we behave.
~ Matt Tittle (Unitarian Universalist, educator, clergy)
Taking Back Faith: Heretical Thoughts for A New Century
Come, come, whoever you are...our 2015-2016 choir season is underway, and we’ve begun our new weekly schedule of Wednesday evening rehearsals, from 7:30-8:30 p.m.! We also rehearse on Sunday mornings prior to worship from 9:30-10:15 a.m. The Joyful Noise Choir will be co-directed this year by Chris Bauerle and Dawn Daniels. If you have ever been in a choir, or have always wanted to be in a choir…or just enjoy singing, please join us. If you are interested and/or have questions, please contact Dawn Daniels: [email protected] or 763-6315.
In Worship
At the heart of the UUFCM mission is the love-guided work towards a transformation of our lives and our world. Join us for worship this Sunday, September 20, for a service themed around the interconnectedness found in “being and doing” and explores answers to the question “What kind of a person should I be in order to lead a ‘good life’?” Dawn Daniels will provide service leadership with our sermon message, “Unitarian Universalism, Buddhism...and Aristotle?” to be presented by its author, Joyce Henriks. Please join us!
“Changing hearts and changing social structures go hand in hand – or else they falter.” ~ Guy Newland
Fellowship Life Meeting – This Sunday!
Our monthly Fellowship Life meeting will be held this Sunday, September 20, immediately following the service in the sanctuary. The purpose of these meetings is to provide members and friends an update from the governing board on important work taking place within the fellowship. The meetings will be efficient and brief…10-15 minutes tops. This Sunday the board and our minister will be sharing an overview of our ministry vision and goals for the coming year. Please plan to attend!
RE Kickoff This Sunday
This Sunday, September 20th is our RE kickoff event. We will be hosting a picnic on our new lawn. Hot dogs and the fixings will be provided. Please bring a picnic side to share, as well as your enthusiasm and questions. Call Roze Bentley (989-400-7674) with questions. Hope to see you there!
Calling All Jedi Masters! RE NEEDS YOU… …for a critical mission: instructing our younglings in mindfulness and the ways of the Force behind all life. The 2015-2016 RE program year is gearing up for launch and we are still in need of volunteer teachers for Sunday mornings. We are also looking for folks to help with various behind-the-scenes tasks for our program, such as light sewing or those handy with tools. And for those Star Wars buffs among you, we could use donations of decor for our room. |
We will be offering Our Whole Lives, a comprehensive human sexuality program for grades 7th-high school, otherwise known as OWL, in October. Any parent with a child in this age range is highly encouraged to attend an informational meeting with our teaching staff on Thursday, October 1st at 7 p.m.
RE Trip to Uncle John's Cider Mill
We are going as a group to Uncle John's Cider Mill for seasonal fun at their kids fest on Saturday, September 26th. We will meet at the Fellowship at 1 p.m. to carpool to Uncle John's (http://www.ujcidermill.com/hours-map/).
Uncle John's uses a token system for pricing their attractions. You can get an idea of their pricing here: http://www.ujcidermill.com/activities/
Please contact the RE Director, Roze Bentley (989-400-7674) with any concerns.
Getting Peckish After Service?
As you may have noticed, refreshments were missing at church this past Sunday. The Hospitality branch of the Congregational Life Ministry Team is trying out some different ideas for Sunday coffee hour after the service. Many churches have coffee/tea only following services. We have generally had some treats available. This takes much planning and participation. The treats are provided/made by members and friends. The church only provides the beverages.
We will be trying a couple of things over the next several weeks including leaving a money collection can for those who would like a small snack provided at the tables such as nuts or cookies or brownie/cake or crackers that could be purchased with the donations from GFS. Please make a contribution so goodies may be purchased if you wish. Additionally, a sign up schedule will be hung for folks to sign up to bring a snack when it works for their schedule.
Additionally, there is much planning that occurs for us to have a well orchestrated Sunday service from set up, greeting, and clean up. We have September-November scheduled already. Watch for opportunities to sign up to help out in these Sunday jobs in the next month or two.
Please share your reactions to these snack and hospitality ideas we are implementing. Talk to Laura McBride, Chris Bauerle, Kris Los, or Dawn Daniels. Thank you for being a caring part of our little church community!
Covenant of UU Pagans Celebrates Mabon - This Sunday
The second of the harvest festivals, Mabon is the second time of the year to specifically commune with nature. The autumn equinox focuses on cooler aspects than summer solstice does. The festival is represented by the harvest of corn, along with the other products in your garden that are ready to be harvested.
We invite those of you who are interested in participating in this ritual to bring an item of food or drink to share at the potluck that follows the ceremony. We will gather at 6:30 pm and begin our ceremony promptly at 7:00 pm.
Pathway to Membership
The Pathway to Membership in the UUFCM is a three-step process – an introduction/orientation to Unitarian Universalism* as a faith tradition as well as our particular fellowship history and journey; a session devoted to exploring more deeply the expectations and blessings of membership and participation in “shared ministry”; and finally the “signing of the book” as part of a new member welcome celebration in a worship service. *Even if you have a lot of knowledge about UUism, our first session provides background on the history and culture of this congregation which would be important for an aspiring member.
Welcome to UU
This class is geared to newcomers, visitors, and those seeking to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and this UU fellowship. Welcome to UU classes will be offered every month on the fourth Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Sessions will run approximately ninety minutes. Our next Welcome to UU class is scheduled for Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Committing to UUFCM
The Committing to UUFCM class is designed for those who are ready to make the membership commitment. This class explores the deeper meanings and expectations of membership and shared ministry; it is a three-hour* session (*depending on the size of the group – may be a shorter timeframe if a small group). Two upcoming Committing to UUFCM class options are scheduled for Saturday, September 19 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. and again on Saturday, October 3, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
New Member Celebration
New members will be welcomed and recognized by the congregation on Sunday, October 11, 2015 during our 10:30 a.m. worship service. We hope you will participate in this celebration!
To sign up for a Pathway to Membership class or participate in the New Member Celebration, please contact Kirsten at [email protected] or speak with UUFCM Minister Dawn Daniels.
September Schedule Changes
- Sewing Circle will not meet Monday, September 21.
- Readers’ Theatre has moved to Tuesday, September 22.
- Ladies Who Lunch will move from Tuesday, September 22 to Tuesday, September 29.
September 16: Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off
Meet & Greet, Center for Inclusion & Diversity, UC 108 at 4 p.m.
September 21: Speak Up, Speak Out: CMU Student Forums
7-9 p.m. at the Park Library Auditorium
#MoreThanMarriage: Civil Rights and the LGBTQ+ Community
Upcoming Social Justice Events
October 11: Crop Walk (details to come)
“I have no creative use for guilt, yours or my own.
Guilt is only another way of avoiding informed action,
of buying time out of the pressing need to make clear choices,
out of the approaching storm that can feed the earth as well as bend the trees.
~ Audre Lorde
The deadline for submissions to the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly e-News is
Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Please send all submissions to [email protected]
UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2015-2016
President: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; [email protected])
President Elect/Past-President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; [email protected])
Treasurer: David Macleod (989.772.0595; [email protected])
Secretary: Vicki Chessin (989.463.3076; [email protected])
Trustee: Scott Daigle (989.506.5750; [email protected])
Trustee: Capalene Howse (989.488.8714; [email protected])
Trustee: Carol Rard (989.561.2969; [email protected])