eNews for Thursday, January 11

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View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, January 11 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, January 14, to worship together with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Martin Luther King." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "The work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. centered on love. He reminds us that love is not weak, passive, or sentimental: it is powerfully rooted in morality and in the divine. Unitarian Universalism likewise affirms that love is every person’s birthright, and that acting through love is the path to transforming human society. In this worship service we honor a great American hero, and a champion of love and justice." Zoom Invitation for Sunday Service: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 402489218 One tap mobile +16468769923,,402489218# Phone - audio only +1 646 876 9923 Youth Religious Education - January 14 Letters of Love We have gathered lots of blank letters, cards, and papers to send out our message of thanks, appreciation and care! Come join the UU kids as we write letters to places in the Mount Pleasant community! In the liberation of love, we are teaching our children how love can impact and create positive change. We would like everyone to join in on the fun of spreading joy, appreciation, connection, and love. Children are writing letters in their class, and if you write a letter, please give those to Marhea by next Sunday, January 21. Here is a list of places and people you can write to: Nursing Homes Police Stations Animal Shelters Fire Stations Veterans Hospitals IRIDE   Colleges Art Programs Libraries Nurses Doctors CNAs Teachers All of these places make up our home, they keep our community safe. Everyone works hard here in Mount Pleasant to make our future bright! Upcoming Services January 14 - Martin Luther King January 21 - Covenant January 28 - Liberating Love If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out our website sermon archive for sermon video and/or text. Minister’s Column Recently I stood on the path by the river and saw an amazing sight: geese flying low overhead in formation. First I heard the sound of the geese calling to one another with their honking, then I saw them coming toward me in the classic V-formation. The formation is both fluid and precise, a beautiful choreography. This is what a river would look like flying in the air. The honking is their communication: the birds form and re-form; they take their places in order to conserve energy. Coming down the river, they pass right over my head. I pause a moment. The air is quiet and the winter sky is moving toward nightfall. Read the column 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 1:00pm - 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 - Monthly Soul Matters Small Group Discussion - Thursday, January 25 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. Team Meetings Board Meeting - Sunday, January 14 at 1:00pm If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form if you haven’t already. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace March and Multi-Age Activity - January 15 - This Monday! The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace March will be held on Monday, January 15, and it will be great for us to have a large number of UUs marching behind our UUFCM banner!  The march starts at 3:00pm at the Bovee UC Rotunda and ends up at the downtown center.  We will meet in front of the art gallery next to the UC at 2:50pm to line up behind our banner.   In addition, the Youth RE Team is inviting the children and everyone else to a multigenerational gathering at the Fellowship Hall after the march for hot chocolate, snacks and a “How Would You Change the World?" craft activity. If you're unable to attend the march, feel free to join us for the craft activity and snacks at 4:15pm. Please let any member of the Youth RE Team know if you are attending – Norma Bailey, Carla Jensen, Jennifer Davis and Monica Jean. Game Night! - This Monday! Monday, January 15, at 7:00pm We meet on 3rd Mondays from 7-9pm in the UUFCM social hall and have fun with a variety of games decided by consensus. It is a great opportunity to learn new games and meet people with similar interests! Questions? Contact James Scott at 989.854.0044.  UUFCM Retreat - January 20 Saturday, January 20 8:00am - Breakfast 9:00am - 12:00pm Retreat Please plan to join us for our annual congregational retreat. This year the topic will be covenant. What are the sacred agreements that define how we treat each other in this UUFCM community? Join us to reflect, discuss, and draft our covenant. We need to know who's coming. Use this link to RVSP yes or no and let us know if you need childcare:  https://forms.gle/hrx6a5orZg8kuH1e6 Save the Date: Community Justice Party - February 17 You are all invited to our fourth bi-annual Community Justice Party on Saturday, February 17, 700-9:00 pm.  There will be a program in the sanctuary of music, skits, poetry, and a “Guess the Activist” contest highlighting several social justice issues, and then we will meet in the Fellowship Hall for light refreshments and a rousing cake walk! This was a highlight event in 2019, so be sure to have it on your calendar! Facilitated Book Discussion Group - Sundays at Noon A facilitated discussion of "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End," by Atul Gawunde will be held from 12:00pm to 1:00pm after Sunday services from January 21 to February 11.  The book provides important perspectives on a subject most of us would prefer not to deal with, including a series of cautionary case studies and some useful practical alternatives. Oliver Sacks described it as "not only wise and deeply moving, it is an essential and insightful book for our times."  It also offers help to younger people concerned about their parents. Contact Jim Dealing or Nancy Roeder for further information. Interested in Becoming a Hospitality Team Member? - January 20 We are a welcoming congregation not only in the abstract, but even more so in our practices. Our hospitality team, consisting of greeters, pre- and post-service hosts in the fellowship hall and sweet and savory treats providers, is the first in line to welcome members, friends and new visitors every Sunday. Want to know what is involved in all of these tasks?  We are offering a brief "workshop" (about an hour) for all who are interested in any of these activities on Saturday, January 20 at 12:30pm after the Retreat. A light lunch and child care will be provided. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about hospitality tasks, but you do not have to make a commitment.  Sign up here if you are interested so that we will have enough food, handouts and childcare providers. Deadline to sign up is Wednesday, Jan. 17. Directory Update Every February we publish a hard copy of ourFellowship Directory, and we need your help to make sure that the information is accurate. Please go online and see if your information in the directory is current. If you forgot the password or never had it, contact Gisela Moffit as the directory is password-protected. Did you move, did you have another child, did you change your phone, email or text number?  We need to know by January 21. Name Tags and Birthdays As you know, we have started to add pronouns to our name tags if people request them. You can also add them to the Fellowship Directory. Please let David Allan know your preferred pronouns. If we don't have your birthday (just month and day, not year,), let David know as well so that we can include you in the monthly celebration at the First Friday potlucks. January 2024 - Twelve Months to a More Climate Conscious YOU! The Adult RE Team would like to remind you to sign up for the 12 Months to a More Climate Conscious You program. The January theme is "Packaging and Plastics Reduction." Contact Jodi Fisher at [email protected] or text 989-560-5135 for program instructions and the month's themes. You can do as much or as little as you want!!! Prizes at the end of the year! We also have a collection box in the Fellowship Hall to give away or pick up reusable bags. Thanks to Gisela for the idea!!!! Click here to read more about the Adult RE Initiative and to access January's toolkit. Setting Intentions - January/February 2024 This year, your Social Justice Coordinating Team (SJCT) is asking each of us individually to set an intention – and follow through! – to involve ourselves more and/or to learn more about our neighbors and issues. Last Sunday we kicked off our second “season” for January and February, commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day & Black History Month. Read more about Setting Intentions here. • • • Community News • • • The Power of Your Vote Webinar - Tonight! Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and two election clerks are presenting a free webinar titled “The Power of Your Vote” on Thursday, January 11, at 7:00 pm via Zoom. Click here to register. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week CMU Calendar of Events  Monday, January 15, 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. CommUNITY Peace Service at 9:30am in Plachta Auditorium. Doors open at 9am.  Day of Service with the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center at noon in the Bovee UC Rotunda. CommUNITY Peace March and Vigil will begin in the Bovee UC Rotunda at 3:00pm to march through the residential area and proceed downtown. Wednesday, January 17, 2024 Keynote Speaker: Donzaleigh Abernathy at 6:30pm. in the Bovee UC Rotunda Thursday, January 18, 2024 It Starts with Me: A Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Showcase at 6:00pm in Biosciences Building, Room 1010  Friday, January 19, 2024 Charity Basketball Game at 6:00pm in the Student Activity Center, Small Court, Forum, court 5 and 6.  Election/Poll Workers Needed Many communities throughout Michigan, including Mt. Pleasant and Union Township, still need more poll workers to help run the February 2024 election. Hiring and training of poll workers is happening now! Visit Michigan.gov/PollWorker to learn more and complete the Election Worker Interest Form. Free COVID Tests  Get free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests this fall on COVIDTests.gov Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order an additional 4 free at-⁠home tests beginning November 20. If you did not order tests this fall, you may place two orders for a total of 8 tests. Your order of COVID tests is completely free – you won’t even pay for shipping. You can order your test kits 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 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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