eNews for November 23

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View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, November 23 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, November 26, to worship together with Norma Bailey and Laura McBride, who will present rev. emilie boggis' "On Wealth." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. "Henry David Thoreau once said, 'Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.' In her sermon, rev. emilie boggis asks us to reflect on how our relationship with money affects our ability to experience the gifts of life." 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 November 26: On Wealth December 3: Separation of Church and State - YES! December 10: Hope for Our Children December 16 at 4:00pm: Blue Holidays December 17: Mystery December 24: TBD December 24 at 7:00pm: Christmas Eve December 31: The Burning Bowl   If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out our website sermon archive for sermon video and/or text. Minister’s Column Last night we commemorated the Transgender Day of Remembrance in our sanctuary, with a small group from our congregation and some guests from other liberal religious groups in town. The event is somber because it is built around naming and honoring victims of violence who are transgender—a group that suffers death by murder and by suicide at a much higher rate than the general population. In addition to lament and grief, we strove last night for the solidarity of community and for the naming of hope. Read more here. 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. - Welcome to UU Orientation - Last Sundays at 12:30pm - UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom - Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm  - Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm - UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am - Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7pm - Drawing Workshop - 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 10am  - First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm - Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm (3rd Saturday at 7pm in December) - Monthly Soul Matters Small Group Discussion      "November: Generosity" Thursday, November 30 at 6:30pm 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. If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form if you haven’t already. Welcome Marhea Fay - Youth Coordinator! UUFCM is pleased to announce we have hired Marhea Fay as our new Youth Coordinator. She will primarily work Sundays at the Fellowship. She can be reached at [email protected]. She will begin to lead on December 17. Welcome! Marhea recently moved to the area with son Logan (11) and daughter Avarie (8). She has a background in education and taught social/emotional development to elementary school-aged children through the Clare/Gladwin RESD's Character Counts program. She worked with adults at MidMichigan College's Lifelong Learning service program teaching permaculture, sustainability, plant identification, and naturopathic medicine. Marhea runs a small business called Fays Holistic Ways, whose motto is "a natural path from a naturopath" where she develops personal programs for preventative healthcare. She is also a firefighter for the Shepherd Tri-Township Fire Department and plans to become an EMT medic. Her goal is to finish her degree in Psychology with a double minor in Health Science and Dietetics to eventually become a doctor. Marhea's life-long creed is, "Love yourself, Love each other, and Love our world." To her children she teaches them, "make good friends and make good choices." She is looking forward to building and expanding the religious education program to bring a safe learning environment where children can flourish in their spirituality. Marhea is grateful for this opportunity and looks forward to meeting everyone. Sharing the Results of Our Intentions Program This Sunday! In September, the Social Justice Coordinating Team presented a program for each of us toset intentions to learn and/or take action based on Hispanic Heritage Month and Indigenous Peoples Day. We encouraged each of you to make an intention and then, preferably, make it public by writing it on our Intention Posters in the Fellowship Hall. Now at the end of November, we invite you to share what you accomplished to meet your intention during the service this Sunday, November 26, in a 1-minute “testimonial.”  Even if you didn’t accomplish your intention entirely, could you share one thought that really grabbed? See you Sunday! Guest At Your Table Donations - This Sunday! If you did not have a chance to donate to the UUSC Guest at Your Table Program which supports human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world, we will again accept donations at the November 26 worship service. You can also donate online to the  Social Justice Special Plate Collection Fund at our website or checks can be sent to our treasurer made out to UUFCM with “Guest at Your Table” indicated in the memo line. Welcome to UU Orientation – November 26 This Sunday! Sunday, November 26, at 12:30pm This orientation is geared to newcomers, visitors, and those seeking to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and this UU fellowship. Sessions run approximately an hour and a half. For more info or to register for Welcome to UU, contact Laura McBride at 989.772.5512 or [email protected]. Please let Laura know whether you will be attending via Zoom or in person by November 24. Chalice Lighter Donation Call  The Wheelchair Accessibility Task Force is working on a project to make our sanctuary welcoming to persons in all types of wheelchairs. To help fund this project, we are planning to apply for a Chalice Lighter grant in February and we need your help. Chalice Lighter grants help congregations across the MidAmerica Region of the UUA with specific growth projects and are funded by small donations from individuals that are pooled together. To be eligible to apply for the grant, we need members of our congregation to become Chalice Lighters. To become a member, you have to commit to donating at least $20 three times a year ($60 for the year). You can donate online here: https://www.uua.org/midamerica/giving/chalice-lighters   Please make sure to write in the name of our fellowship in the online comment field.  You can also give a check or cash to Cynthia Damer and she will mail in the donations. Brochures about the Chalice Lighter Program are available in the hallway outside the sanctuary and online here: https://www.uua.org/files/2022-01/MidAmerica%20Region%20Chalice-Lighters-brochure-2022.pdf CMU Public Media Annual Drive It's time to once again consider donating to CMU Public Media. We gather our funds, writing checks to UUFCM, and then purchase air time on WCMU. We typically amass $1,000 to $1,500 and purchase all the air time we can. Please write "WCMU" on the memo line of your check. Mary Alsager will deliver the combined check. Let's wrap this up by Sunday, December 10, please. The Creativity of Our Youth RE Artists! Youth Religious Education Events for December Youth RE Cookie Decorating Party - Sunday, December 10 On Sunday, December 10, the Youth RE Team will be hosting a cookie decorating party for youth of all ages during their RE class during service and continue into the coffee hour with a cake to celebrate and say goodbye to Katherine Stillson as she moves on in her studies to do her student teaching. Christmas Caroling - Sunday, December 17 On December 17, the Youth RE Team will be caroling to local congregants. We will gather at the Fellowship on Sunday at 1pm to go caroling and then return to the church to have some hot chocolate.  Families are encouraged to come along and bring their youth and their friends! First Friday Potluck – December 1 Please join us in the UUFCM Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm (doors open at 6:15) for food, conversation, and games! Coffee, hot tea, and water will be provided. If you are able, please bring a dish to pass. • • • Community News • • • Holidays Around the World – November 29 Different countries celebrate the end of the year holidays in many different ways – music, dance, games and food. CMU invites community members to its Holidays Around the World celebration on Wednesday, November 29, 4:00-7:00pm in the Bovee UC Center on campus. A great event for families and the young at heart! Native American Heritage Month - November 27, 28, and 30 Central Michigan University is celebrating Native American Heritage Month and invites community members to its various events.  Please see a list of the events at https://www.cmich.edu/offices-departments/indigenous-affairs/programs/native-american-heritage-month Native American Heritage Month Activities - November 29 The Native Justice Coalition (NJC) is presenting Wednesday night speakers series beginning November 1 and continuing through the month. The virtual speakers series is free and on Zoom, and you can register at Native American Heritage Month Speaker Series registration.   Free COVID Tests Available Again The US government is making four free COVID home tests available again upon the asking.  Log onto COVID.gov/tests to order the tests. Also check on the same website to find if there are extended expiration dates for the test kits you already have. 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 2023-2024 President: Cynthia Damer (989.506.5750; [email protected]) President Elect: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; [email protected]) Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; [email protected]) Secretary: Laurie Meadows (989.317.8299; [email protected]) Trustee: Victoria Sladek (989.506.7039; [email protected]) Trustee: Monica Jean (616.443.8782; [email protected]) Trustee: Kevin Daum (989.546.7701; [email protected]) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey Communications Coordinating Team Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit   Membership - Laura McBride   Arms Around - 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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