eNews for October 19

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View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, October 19 Potato Harvest a Success! Last Sunday, Charles Emerick and Isla Heumann, supported by our two youth leaders Katherine Stillson and Jolie Damer-Daigle, harvested the potatoes from our garden to deliver to the Soup Kitchen. Almost a half bushel! Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, October 22, to worship together with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Heritage." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. "The new statement of values and covenant for Unitarian Universalism, debated and approved at last year’s national business meeting, includes this sentence: "We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love." How do we understand the heritage of Unitarian Universalism? How does that heritage inform who we are and what we do today? In addition to our shared heritage, we each carry individual religious heritages, which make our faith movement rich and varied." 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 October 22: Heritage October 29: Dia de los Muertos​ If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out our website sermon archive for sermon video and/or text. Minister’s Column I am writing from the Lindenwood retreat center in Indiana, where I have spent two days with fellow ministers from the Heartland chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association. The chapter includes Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. I serve as chapter president. On our retreat we have our annual business meeting, discussions of trends in ministry, and a workshop totaling eight hours over two days. Our workshop this year has been Exploring Spiritual Self Care through Restorative Art, presented by JeKaren Olaoya. 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 - Cancelled October 24 - First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm - Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm  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. Vigil for Peace for the Peoples of the World - October 20 Everyone is invited to attend a Vigil for Peace for the Peoples of the World in our UUFCM sanctuary on Friday, October 20, at 5:30 pm. Join with community members as we gather to share our hopes and fears for peace in the world. Outdoor Cleanup – October 21 Saturday, October 21 - 10:00am-12:00pm We’re planning to trim the evergreen bushes, clip off the dead lilac flowers, bring in the hoses, empty the rain barrel, pick up sticks, rake, weed, etc. Please come and help out as many hands make the work much lighter! Bring your yard tools if possible. Or if you want to tackle one of these tasks on a different day, contact Norma Bailey ([email protected]) and she will get you situated! Harvest Feast - October 22  Sunday, October 22 - after the service. Hello all and welcome to fall! Our annual Harvest Feast will be held on October 22 shortly after service. We made the change from November to October to separate it a bit from the busy holiday season. We're doing things a bit simpler this time. Your social fun trio will be doing turkey breasts and chicken thighs for the main meat options. We will need salads, side dishes, bread, and butter, etc. Food should be brought in to the Annex on Sunday between 9:00am and 11:00am please. This is a great volunteer opportunity! We need help with setup on Saturday, October 21, 3:00-5:00pm. We'll also need help with clean up after the meal on Sunday. There will be sign-up sheets  for volunteers as well as for RSVP's in the Fellowship Hall. You can also RSVP and sign up to help by calling or texting Jen Prout at 989-400-3130. If you have questions you can call or text as well. We will also be collecting items to benefit the CMU student food pantry at the church as well as the Annex. Their greatest need is cleaning and hygiene products. Much love and appreciation in advance. Your Social Fun Trio  Jen Prout, Annette Pratt and Kris Los Welcome to UU Orientation - October 29 This orientation is geared to newcomers, visitors, and those seeking to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and this UU fellowship. It is offered monthly, both in person in the fellowship hall and via Zoom, typically on the last Sunday at 12:30 pm. Sessions run approximately an hour and a half. For more info or to register for Welcome to UU, contact: Laura McBride:989.772.5512 [email protected] Please let Laura know whether you will be attending via Zoom or in-person by the Friday prior to the orientation. Adult RE Committee Meeting - October 30 The Adult RE Committee is meeting on Monday, October 30 at 7:00pm at the Fellowship. All are welcome. Please feel free to attend.  Teen Movie Night - November 4 The Youth RE Team is inviting all teens and their friends (grade 8 and above) to a teen movie night – pizza, snacks, movie and discussion – on Saturday, November 4, 4:00-7:30 in the Fellowship Hall. The movie is Iron-Jawed Angels, starring Hilary Swank, and it depicts what it really took for women to win the right to vote. Updating Our Nametags and Our Directory “My Name Is _____ and My Pronouns Are _____” In order to be more welcoming to everyone, we are encouraging everyone to put their preferred pronouns on their name tag (actually we will print it for you). We have a form for you to fill out here that asks your pronouns and your birthday, and asks whether you want the pronouns on your nametag, in the directory, both, or neither. This is voluntary. Why pronouns? Here are the words of Sinclair Sexsmith, a queer nonbinary blogger, on the subject:   Dear cis people who put your pronouns on your “hello my name is” name tags: Thank you. When you do that, I feel more comfortable putting my pronouns — they/them. I feel more comfortable being visibly out as nonbinary. I feel more comfortable asking people to use the pronouns that feel most like me, that make me feel most seen and whole, instead of just resolving to be mis-gendered and mis-represented and whatever who cares anyway. (Maybe I do, somewhere, a little.) When we’re doing the socializing part of whatever event we’re at, and we are introduced, I automatically feel warmer toward you — regardless of your gender or presentation. I feel much more comfortable talking to you, because you already tell me you know a little about gender. Thank you.   Again, the link brings you to the form that asks you to update your pronouns and your birthday (if you want to). The UUFCM directory is for members and friends only; it is password-protected on our website. Paper copies of the form are also available.   Drawing Workshop on October 24 – Cancelled Our Drawing Workship on October 24 will be cancelled. Nancy Roeder will be on vacation at this time. Our next Drawing Workshop will be November 14. October Soul Matters Small Group: Heritage - October 27 Friday, October 27 at 5:30pm Our monthly small group meeting continues in October, where we explore the theme of Heritage. If you are interested in participating, please download this packet of materials and activities related to Heritage: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lqJCnV1wqwU5S4MVzLd-AIJE50j9t8FM/view?usp=sharing The idea of the small group is that we take some time to consider the questions, readings, and spiritual activities suggested in the packet before the meeting – the meeting time is spent sharing our thoughts and experiences. This packet, published by Soul Matters, is a robust collection of ideas related to the monthly theme that will challenge and inspire you. In the small group we create a safe space for sharing. Please contact Rev. Drew with any questions. CUUPs Samhain Ritual - October 29 Sunday, October 29 at 6:00pm Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) is a holiday known by another name - Halloween. The ancients believed this was the time of year when the veil between the living and those passed was the thinnest. It is a time to remember those who have passed before us and listen to their stories that still live on inside us. It is also the Pagan “new year” with death and birth being two sides of the same coin. We will hold the ritual promptly at 6:00pm. Boot Drive for Kids!  - October 2023  Through October 31 The Social Justice Coordinating Team (SJCT), in coordination with several other local churches, is leading a Boot Drive for Kids to collect new and very gently used boots, any size, for school children and teens. The drive goes for the month of October, and the boots will be donated to Clothing, INC, in time for parents to get boots before winter hits. Please place them in the box provided in the Fellowship Hall by October 31. If you’re not a shopper, any member of the SJCT will be glad to shop for you! Social Justice – Setting Intentions!  October, November – Hispanics (Hispanic Heritage Month) & Native Americans (Indigenous Peoples Day) We encourage each of you to make an intention and then, preferably, make it public by writing it on our Intention Posters in the Fellowship Hall. Throughout this “season,” we will hopefully be able to share what each of us is accomplishing to meet our intention!  Please join in our efforts! 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Materials 2023 Indigenous People Day Materials UUFCM is Hiring! UUFCM is looking to hire a Youth Program Coordinator. If you know anyone interested and qualified, please encourage them to apply, as the best employees sometimes are recruited by word of mouth. UUFCM policy states that we usually do not hire members of the congregation to be employees. Applications and inquiries should go to Rev. Drew.  Youth Program Coordinator (6-10 hours per week) • • • Community News • • • Emma's Revolution - October 28 Hosted by the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor. Presented in person and virtually. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here. 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. Copyright © 2023 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.