eNews for Thursday, April 16

4/16/2020

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eNews for Thursday, April 16

Worship Matters

We will gather online via Zoom this Sunday, April 19 to worship together with our minister Drew Frantz, who will present “Earth Day Celebration.” The Zoom call starts at 10:00 for social time, and the service starts at 10:30.

At the end of the call we will break you into small groups for a virtual “coffee hour” as part of the Zoom video conference. Please join us!

“Earth Day (April 22) is a holiday perfectly suited to those who view all of nature as the Divine. Let’s reflect on how the natural world sustains us and gives us hope and on our responsibility to care for the Earth and her ecosystems.”

Zoom Invitation for This Sunday, April 19

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 402489218

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,402489218# US (New York - Eastern DST)
+13126266799,,402489218# US (Chicago - Central DST)

If you happen to miss being in worship, the texts to previous sermon messages (and some of the readings as well) can be found in our website sermon archive.

Upcoming Services

April 26: Liberated by a Pandemic

Minister's Column

Read the Minister's Column at uufcm.org/andrew-frantz.

Online Pledging and Giving to UUFCM

For the convenience of our UUFCM members and friends, we now offer you the capacity to securely pledge and donate online at our website.

Pledging for the 2020-2021 Year

You may fill out your pledge card or volunteer form online, and download the Stewardship Packet for complete information about our budgetary planning. So as to plan for next year, we need all pledges by April 19.

Donating Online

You may now make secure online contributions to UUFCM. When you do so, there is a small percentage fee/cost to the church, depending upon whether you use your checking/savings account or a credit card. Please consider offsetting this cost when you donate. Two hints to minimizing this cost: donate from your checking/savings account rather than from your credit card (higher percentage) and donate monthly rather than weekly. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our treasurer Terrie Robbie at [email protected].

Calendar and Scheduling Updates

The Fellowship is following the governor’s order, which calls for no public or private gatherings of any size through April 30.

Moved to Online:
- Sunday worship April 19 and 26
*Please, no one else allowed in the sanctuary during online worship.
- UU discussion group - Wednesday at 10 am
- all committee/team meetings
- Check-In Circle with Drew on Wednesdays at 4pm
- Game Night - Wednesday at 7pm
- Choir Music Night - Wednesday at 7pm
- Women’s Circle - 2nd and 4th Thursdays at pm

Cancelled: Circle suppers, Sunday Discussion/Support Group, Buddhist sangha, minister’s office hours, Path to Membership workshop, and Welcome to UU orientation.

RE Online!

The RE Program is providing religious education over Facebook on the group called UUFCM RE Program (Click here to go to the RE Facebook group). Guardians and children who are not already members in the group can request to join by clicking the link or searching for the group in Facebook. People who are not already members in the group will be prompted to answer a couple quick screening questions before joining. Virtual RE lessons will be posted to the group every week. These lessons will include a theme reflection, a story, a mindfulness exercise, and an activity. Other parent/family resources will be posted to the group page throughout the week as well. If families have any requests for crafts, activities, resources, or religious education materials designed for family participation, please reach out to Kendra over Facebook or through email at [email protected]. A Story for All Ages will also be part of our Sunday worship Zoom call every week. In addition, right after the worship ends, families and children are invited to a special RE call on Webex for a Kids' Coffee Hour every Sunday (Click here on Sundays to join the Kids' Coffee Hour).

Special Plate Collection this Sunday

As this is the third Sunday of the month, a special plate collection will be taken, this month to again supplement the minister’s discretionary fund. This fund is used by our minister to help people in the community who might need gas money, money to pay an electric bill, a night in a hotel, etc., and the needs in our community are even greater now. If you wish to donate to the discretionary fund, you can do so on our website.

Fellowship Life Meeting - This Sunday

On the third Sunday of every month – immediately following our worship service – the UUFCM Board holds a brief Fellowship Life meeting to update the congregation on current happenings, plans and/or concerns within the congregation. Please plan to stay on the call after service to attend.

Are You in Need of Assistance?

At this time of social distancing, it is important that we keep in close contact via technology. Drew has encouraged you to reach out to him if you want to talk to him via email or phone/text ([email protected]; 440.935.0129). Please do so if you need emotional support or to share your concerns. If you are experiencing financial hardship, the minister's discretionary fund may be able to help. Please contact Drew for more information. Assistance from this fund is strictly confidential.

For those of you who are shut in and can’t get groceries or your meds, let Gisela know ([email protected]; 989.772.1602). We now have 6 volunteers who are willing to pick up your orders for you. Many thanks in advance to those willing to help out.

Online Petition to Expand Protections for LGBTQ People

For years, there have been efforts to expand Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act protections to be inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Because face-to-face petition signing is not possible given the social distancing policies in place, the Fair & Equal Ballot Campaign is collecting signatures electronically. The Social Justice Coordinating Team and the Michigan UU Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) encourage you to sign the petition if you haven’t already done so. For further information, read the Bridge Magazine article or contact Norma Bailey at [email protected].

Two New UUFCM Website Pages – Voting Rights and Environmental Issues

At the January 25 all-congregation retreat, two new committees were formed to engage our members and friends in efforts to support voting rights and environmental issues. Each issue now has a dedicated page on our UUFCM website. The committees encourage you to check them regularly for updated information.

Voting Rights - Job Opportunity

Both the City of Mt. Pleasant and Union Township are hiring election inspectors. You can find more information about the positions and download applications on our website.

Environmental Issues –
Citizen’s Climate Lobby Meeting

Mt. Pleasant Citizen’s Climate Lobby Meeting - Thursday, April 16, 7-8pm
Join the Zoom meeting Meeting ID: 284 118 2727 (video)

One tap mobile +13126266799,,2841182727# (audio)
Toll free: 855-880-1246 (audio)

Agenda:
- hear Nathaniel Stinnett of Environmental Voter Project.
- learn how to join CCL’s Earth Day virtual event UnitingFromHome on April 25 from 1-4pm with keynote speaker Dr. Katherine Hayhoe and workshops.
- choose actions to take for the climate in this disrupted time.

Earth Day Events

Earth Day Live - strike, divest, and vote for our future! Show the youth climate movement that science has their back, and so do we – RSVP for Earth Day Live.

Side With Love joins Unitarian Universalists Ministry for Earth to present a live streaming of The Condor & The Eagle on Earth Day, April 22, 2020 at 9:00 pm. This is a great way to close out Earth Day 2020. Register today!

Fill Out Our Social Justice Interest Survey

Because much social justice work is being done on-line during the coronavirus pandemic, the Social Justice Coordinating Team encourages those of you who have not filled out our Social Justice Interest Survey to do so. The survey allows us to directly alert members and friends, who might have an interest in a specific issue, to act on that issue – sign a letter or petition, write to a Congressperson, attend a webinar, etc. To this end, we ask that you fill out our short online survey. If you’re not sure if you are already on a specific list, just fill out another survey or contact Norma to check.

Take the US Census!

The US Census is occurring now, and there are multiple ways for you to respond (by mail, phone or online). There are only nine questions, and your responses help determine how much money Michigan receives, and specifically funding and resources throughout our community – for example, public transportation and roads, shelters, National School Lunch Program, foster care, and MIChild. This is fast, easy, and important!

A Suggestion of a Way to Help People

Here’s an idea of something we might be able to do to help some of our more vulnerable citizens who are struggling with the loss of work because of the shelter in place order. If you have someone who normally cuts your hair, or comes in to clean your house, or gives you a massage, and if you have that money available to send, how about sending those people a check for those services on a recurring basis until these people are back to work. There may be other services that you can think of too; please share them with Norma Bailey ([email protected] or 989-560-3952) who will add them to the e-News next time.

Two MUUSJN Job Opportunities

MUUSJN has two part time job opportunities: a Northern Michigan Justice Organizer ($600/month) and a LGBTQ Justice Organizer ($600/month), and the two positions could be combined. Both positions are ones what can be fulfilled by working at home, using phone and email communications for maximum safety during our current crisis. Click the links above for job descriptions. If you are interested or have questions, call Randy Block, MUUSJN Director, at 248-224-5572.

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 Office Hours and Contact Information

Please contact Drew via email, phone, or text.

[email protected]
Phone/text:
440-935-0129

UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2019-2020
President: Carol Rard (989.561.2969; [email protected])
Past-President: Mary Alsager (989.773.2595; [email protected])
President Elect: Guy Newland (989.944.0534; [email protected])
Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; [email protected])
Co-Treasurer: Jen Prout (989.400.3130; [email protected])
Secretary: Brigitte Bechtold (989.954.1123; [email protected])
Trustee: Janis Shinn (989.400.3724; [email protected])
Trustee: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; [email protected])
Trustee: Daniel Davis (616.540.4759; [email protected])

We are a
religious community
guided by love,
transforming our lives
and our world.

Copyright © 2020 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. All rights reserved.

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