eNews for Thursday, January 14

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Keep up with all that’s going on at the UUFCM!

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, January 14 Hello UUFCM, my name is Jakobe Neal, and I am the incoming Director of Religious Education at this fellowship. My pronouns are he/him/his, and I identify as African-American. I am from Eastpointe, Michigan, in the metro Detroit area. Near my home town, I graduated from Fraser High School in 2020. In high school, I performed and took on leadership in Color Guard and was involved in the Future Teacher Program as a teacher’s assistant and student teacher. Currently, I attend Central Michigan University, studying Secondary Education in History, Social Studies, and Political Science, with a Minor in American Sign Language. I am incredibly humbled and excited to serve as Director of Religious Education for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. If you need to contact me, I am best reached at 586.438.4008 or [email protected]. Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom this Sunday, January 17 to worship together with our minister Andrew Frantz who will present “Celebrating Diversity.” The Zoom call starts at 10:00 for social time, and the service starts at 10:30. This is a multigenerational service.   “On the eve of Martin Luther King Day, we reflect on how we are different and the same—in certain ways we are like all others; in certain ways we are like some others; in certain ways we are like no others. Dr. King’s work reminds us that differences of identity should not be differences in rights or dignity. In this all-ages service, we celebrate our diversity and our common humanity.”    Zoom Invitation for Sunday, January 17 Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 402489218   One tap mobile +16468769923,,5527667326# Phone - audio only +1 646 876 9923 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 January 24: Imagine No Poverty January 31: Shared Ministry   Minister’s Column Read the Minister’s column at uufcm.org/andrew-frantz.  President’s Comments: Science, Joy, and Church Size  We believe in science. And there are scientific studies of how churches change as they grow or shrink. The work of Arlin Rothauge and Alice Mann (both Episcopalian) gives us a framework for understanding these dynamics in UUFCM. This is something Drew and the Board began discussing this week.     Churches are classified into four types according to size: family congregations, pastoral congregations, large program congregations, and very large corporate congregations. When average service attendance is 50 or less, churches function as extended family systems. Almost everyone knows almost everyone else’s name. There may be no full-time clergy. Instead, family church life depends on key persons, matriarchs and patriarchs, to undertake and to persist in leadership roles.     In a pastoral church, a single full-time minister serves a congregation where attendance averages between 50 and 150. It is no longer the case that everyone knows everyone, but most people recognize the faces of other regulars and the names of many. There may be two or three distinct family-style networks. The minister knows everyone and, along with the elected board, becomes the center. Pastoral churches move away from dependence on extended periods of service by critical individuals, the matriarchs and patriarchs.     Our fellowship is in transition from family congregation to pastoral congregation. This brings strain: we lose some of the intimacy of a family-like group, we need to identify and develop leaders beyond the matriarchs and patriarchs, and we must adjust to the central role of a clerical professional.     Resistance to change explains why churches tend to plateau around the upper limit of each church size. It is not easy to break through; we were stable for quite a while. But we know—we have seen–– that UU has been, for many, a saving faith. So our new growth spurt, even with the growing pains, is cause for deep joy and celebration.     I feel this joy. It brings tears to my eyes. ~ Guy Newland Upcoming Events - with Zoom Links Click the link to join in! - Sunday worship - RE Lesson & Kids’s Coffee Hour - Sundays at 10:45am - Welcome to UU Orientation - 4th Sundays at 12:30pm - Choir Rehearsal - Sundays at 7pm - UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am  - Check-In Circle with Drew - Wednesdays at 4pm - Game Night - Wednesdays at 7pm - Soulful Sundown - 1st Thursdays at 7pm - Women’s Circle - 4th Thursdays at 7pm - Coffee House Open Mic - 1st Fridays at 7pm Event links can also be found on the UUFCM Calendar. Team Meetings - with Zoom Links Click the link to join in! 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. Links for the various team meetings will be posted in the eNews and on the UUFCM calendar. If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form 2020-2021 if you haven’t already. Stewardship - Friday, January 15 at 10am Communications - Monday, January 18 at 7:30pm Meeting links can also be found on the UUFCM Calendar. Special Offering Collection for ICRH - Sunday, January 17 The January special collection on Sunday, January 17 is for the Isabella County Restoration House, the agency providing temporary shelter for their guests - the homeless population in Isabella County. This year, because of the COVID pandemic, ICRH has, in essence, been serving the homeless 24/7, with the help of a few volunteer churches. You can donate online to the Social Justice fund at our website or checks can be sent to our treasurer made out to UUFCM with “ICRH” indicated in the memo line. Fellowship Life Meeting - Sunday, January 17 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. The intention is for the meetings to be kept brief; the hope is for extended conversation to take place following the meeting during the coffee hour time. Please plan to attend. All-Congregation Retreat - January 23 You are all invited to our vitally important all-congregation retreat on Saturday, January 23, from 10-12 via Zoom. At the retreat, we will discuss in small groups what is working well in our religious community, what is not working well, and what our fellowship needs going forward. This discussion will help us each make an informed vote about whether a person recommended by the Search Committee is a good fit for our needs - to be our called/settled minister. We will then conduct a secret, members-only email ballot, similar to what we did for the general business meeting in May, with the results to be announced on Sunday, January 31. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact any member of the Search Committee: Norma Bailey ([email protected]), Jim Dealing ([email protected]),  Laura McBride ([email protected]), Guy Newland ([email protected]), and Katie Zapoluch ([email protected]). UUFCM Board of Trustees Open Positions  In May we will have elections for four positions on the UUFCM Board of Trustees. Those positions are: President-Elect, Secretary, and two Trustees. The President-Elect automatically becomes President for the following year and Past-President for the year after, so will serve for three years in leadership.  The Secretary has a two-year term on the Board. One Trustee position has a two-year term. One Trustee position has a one-year term. If you would like the Nominating Committee to consider you as a possible candidate for one of these four positions, or if you have related questions, please contact Carol Rard (989.561.2969) or Guy Newland ([email protected]) during January. Has Your Contact Information Changed? We are in the process of updating our Directory. If you made any changes since August 2020 (postal address, phone number, email, your name, or added children),  please check our online version to see if it needs updating. If so, contact Gisela at [email protected] or Kirsten at [email protected] before January 23. Since it is a new year, the password has changed – contact Gisela for the new one if necessary. Thank you very much for helping us to keep the Directory current. Remind App - Stay Informed! We use an app called Remind to send out urgent notices such as service cancellations, special announcements, and fraud alerts. Please send Laura McBride your phone number and/or email address so you can receive these notices. You may add the Remind app to your smartphone, or once your info is added to the app, you will get an invitation from Remind explaining how to add the app to your phone. If you have questions, contact Laura McBride ([email protected]; 989.772.5512). She is adding names and info as they come in. If you received a notification, please respond to it! Unto Us a Babe Is Born - Let’s Celebrate! Cameron J.’s best Christmas present was his sister Harlem Moriah! We want to join him and his mom, Brittany, to welcome Harlem into our world with a baby shower. Though we won’t have our regular format due to Covid-19, we plan to give them a baby bouncy chair and lots of diapers. Kris Los has volunteered to purchase the items and we are inviting you to participate by sending a contribution. Please make checks out to Kris Los, and send them to her address: 8995 One Mile Rd., Clare, MI 48617. Harlem is the 4th child born in our congregation in the last two and a half years (Felix J., Charles E., Cameron J., Harlem J.). With gratitude, we acknowledge becoming a younger congregation. Blessed be!  Women’s Circle - January 28 We gather to provide a safe and supportive place to explore joys and issues of being a woman, to learn about women’s history, to get to know one another better, and  to have fun! We meet on 4th Thursdays at 7pm. Join us via Zoom! Environmental Issues News Want to do something good for you and the climate? The Environmental Issues Committee encourages you to check out the Sierra Club’s New Year 1.5 Challenge to commit to 1.5 miles or a 15-minute workout of your choosing each day. Let us know if you choose to participate! Why 1.5? The UN's 2018 report stated that temperature increases must be kept under 1.5°C to avert the most devastating effects of the climate crisis. Save the Date - February 14 Our annual Holiday Tea will have a new theme this year: Mardi Gras! Please plan to join us (virtually) after service on February 14. Details coming soon! New Day Rising Conference Saturday, February 27 from 12-9pm The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is offering a virtual national conference: “New Day Rising Conference: Identifying Your Congregation’s Next Steps in the Struggle with White Supremacy Culture.” The Board of Trustees is willing to pay for members and friends who wish to participate in this one-day conference. If you are interested, please contact Norma Bailey at [email protected] by February 7 so that we can register and participate as a group. Find more information here. 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. • • • Community News • • • COVID Vaccinations The Central Michigan Health department announced recently that they think they will be done vaccinating medical workers (group 1a) by the end of this week. They are taking sign-ups for group 1b (aged 75 and over and essential workers). Fill out the 2-minute sign-up form. See the explanation of the essential worker groups here. Scroll and click version 4.0. MLK Week Monday, January 18 – Friday, January 22 Central Michigan University is holding its Martin Luther King, Jr. Week activities virtually this year. Community members are invited to join in the celebration. For complete information, visit the event page, and see the flyer. 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   Take all that you need; give all that you can! 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 2020-2021 President: Guy Newland (989.944.0534; [email protected]) Past-President: Carol Rard (989.561.2969; [email protected]) President Elect: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected]) Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; [email protected]) Co-Treasurer: Jen Prout (989.400.3130; [email protected]) Secretary: Elaine Emerick (989.621.6063; [email protected]) Trustee: Jennifer Davis (989.280.7010; [email protected]) Trustee: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; [email protected]) Trustee: Mel Bailey (989.600.6460; [email protected]) Team and Committee Leaders Worship Team - Drew Frantz Religious Education (RE) Team - Mel Bailey Social Justice Coordinating Team - Norma Bailey Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit Building, Grounds & Safety committee - Norma Bailey Voting Rights committee - David Wagstaff Environmental Issues committee - Daniel Davis Communications committee - Sally Armstrong Membership - Laura McBride Arms Around - Gisela Moffit Welcome & Hospitality - Gisela Moffit Coronavirus task force - Drew Frantz   We are a religious community guided by love, transforming our lives and our world. Copyright © 2021 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.