eNews for Thursday, February 27

Kepp up with what's happening at UUFCM!

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, February 27 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, March 2, to worship with co-worship leaders Norma Bailey and Laura McBride, who will present "Trusting Yourself," by the Rev. Dr. Sandra Fees. The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. "The Rev. Dr. Fees contends that the belief that you can be okay no matter what is the very essence of trusting yourself. What is the nature of the trust she is describing? Does trusting yourself come naturally? Can it be cultivated in our lives? Join us to explore these questions." 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 March 2: Trusting Yourself March 9: TBD March 16: Generosity March 23: Loneliness March 30: Trust In Case You Missed It... Many past sermons are available on our website under Sermon Videos and Archives. Here are links to more recent sermons.  "Edict of Torda" - February 16, by Rev. Drew Frantz "Preemptive Radical Inclusion" - February 9, by Rev. Drew Frantz "Lessons from the Allagash" - February 2, by Rev. Drew Frantz In order to access any services 2024 on, go to the website and click on Worship, then Sunday Services.  Minister’s Column Rev. Drew Frantz is currently on bereavement leave. He will return on Monday, March 3, with normal office hours. Please hold Rev. Drew, his family, and friends in your hearts with love.  Read previous columns 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. A Joyful Noise Choir Rehearsal - Wednesdays at 7pm  Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm Crafty U - 3rd Tuesdays at 10:30am  First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm  Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm Soul Matters Discussion Group - February Meeting CANCELED  UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom UUFCM Women's Circle - 3rd Thursdays at 7pm Welcome to UU Orientation - 4th Sundays at 12:00pm  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 Building Team - Monday, March 3, at 6:00pm Happy Birthday! In March, we celebrate the birthdays of Charles Emerick, Leslie Hildebrandt, Beth Macleod, Victoria Sladek, Daniel Davis, and Kevin Daum. For the year to come, we wish them much joy, good health for body and mind, and new (ad)ventures. May it be so.   Proposed 2025-2026 Budget If you didn’t have a chance to attend the budget hearing after the worship service on February 16, feel free to review it here.  If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact any Board member. No New Member Ceremony This Sunday Because Drew is on bereavement leave this week, Laura McBride will reach out to those people who have indicated interest in becoming new members to establish a date for a new member ceremony. Do Something! In last Sunday’s sermon “Protest and Persist: Giving Up Hope Is Not an Option,” Norma Bailey mentioned several actions that each of us could take to help make a difference. They are listed here: Participate in the February 28 Economic Blackout. See Community News for more information.  Sign up for our Social Justice Interest Survey if you haven’t already – to receive alerts about petitions to sign, members of Congress to call or email, both federal and state.  Sign up for Dial for Democracy. Receive email alerts when it's time to call your lawmakers on legislation or decisions that impact Michigan's democracy. See Community News for how to join. Put these people into your phone contacts and make at least one phone call or text every day.  They keep track of how many calls/messages they receive. Senator Gary Peters (202-224-6221) Senator Elissa Slotkin (202-224-4822) US House Representative John Moolenaar (202-225-3561) Michigan Senator Roger Hauck (517-373-1760) Michigan State House Representative Jerry Neyer (517-373-2646) Infant Pantry Collection – THIS Sunday, March 2 Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. You can donate online to the Monthly Donations for Infant Pantry on our website, or checks can be sent to our treasurer made out to UUFCM with Infant Pantry in the memo. Questions? Contact Tom Moffit (989-772-1602; [email protected]). Thank you in advance for your generosity. First Friday Potluck – Friday, March 7 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. Stay Informed for UUFCM Cancellations Don’t risk driving to UUFCM when we’re closed—sign up for urgent alerts now! When weather forces us to cancel or postpone events—like the February 15 snowstorm—we use Remind to send instant notifications. If we cancel Sunday worship, we decide by 8:30 AM, and you need to know before heading out! □ Sign up now—it’s essential! Open a new text message. In the To: field, enter 81010. In the message field, type @uufcm and send. That’s it! You’ll get urgent alerts directly to your phone. Don’t miss an important announcement—sign up today! • • • Community News • • • February 28 Economic Blackout – Let’s Join In! A group called The People's Union USA, a self-described grassroots organization led by Founder John Schwartz, is urging consumers to halt all purchases, both online and in stores, from starting at 12 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 through 11:59 p.m. that same day.  “The goal is to buy nothing.  No major corporations/retailers, gas, fast food. If you must spend for absolute necessities (food, medicine, emergency supplies), only spend at small, local businesses,” said Schwartz. Join Voters Not Politician's "Dial for Democracy" List! Activists across the political spectrum can all agree that picking up the phone and calling your elected officials is the most effective way to make your voice heard. In fact, many elected officials and their staff members have stated that a phone call from a constituent holds more weight than an email, tweet, or a fax. By joining VNP's "Dial for Democracy" list, you will receive exclusive alerts when it's time to call your lawmakers on legislation or decisions that impact Michigan's democracy. These alerts will contain info and tips to help you have an easy and productive call to your local lawmaker! If you aren't receiving exclusive Dial for Democracy alerts yet, sign up here. You'll receive alerts when critical legislation is introduced along with your state legislators' contact information and a script to use during your call. ICRH Requests for Household Donations for Party for a Purpose   ICRH is holding its annual fundraiser on May 3 and is looking for items for prizes for their paddle auction.  If you have any new or unused item to donate (see list in Fellowship Hall or click here), please see Norma Bailey for delivery.   UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary Monthly Virtual Gathering Space Click here for more information - https://www.uua.org/lgbtq/transnb. PFLAG Great Lakes Bay Region A local chapter of the LGBTQ+ support group Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) meets monthly in Saginaw. Their mission is "to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them." The meetings are at 4790 ½ Gratiot Road on the third Sunday of the month from 2:00-3:00. Please see Rev. Drew for more information including possible ride sharing from Mount Pleasant. Scam Alert Several congregants have received emails and texts purportedly from UUFCM leadership. If you receive a message that seems suspicious, please remember that we would never solicit money or ask for help in this way, and do not respond to the message. Read more here. 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 2024-2025 President: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; [email protected]) President-Elect: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected]) Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; [email protected]) Secretary: Laurie Meadows (989.317.8299; [email protected]) Trustee: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; [email protected]) Trustee: Monica Jean (616.443.8782; [email protected]) Trustee: David Allan (989.941.7349; [email protected]) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey Caring Team - Laura McBride Communications Coordinating Team - Jessica Jernigan and Monica Jean Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit   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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