eNews for Thursday, January 18

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View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, January 18 MLK Day Activity Although the Martin Luther King Peace March was canceled because of the cold weather, the Youth RE Team craft activity went on!  Several children and adults gathered to think about how they can change the world using an activity titled “How Can YOU Change the World?”  Everyone enjoyed the time together with lots of conversation, hot chocolate and cookies! Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, January 21, to worship together with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Covenant." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "Why do we make promises to one another? What is it that holds us together as a community? Connecting to our Saturday retreat about covenant, this Sunday morning worship service continues to lean into what covenant is, how a covenant serves a religious congregation, and where else in our lives the idea or practice of covenant might be useful." 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 21 Recipes of Love Learn about the secrets of "Stone Soup" and how it helped a village in the far mountains. We will discuss how our faith reminds us that love is the thing that holds us together and pulls us back to the table, even when things get hard. Create the magical recipe of yourself. What unique ingredients make up the person you are? What are you made of? What do you LVE about yourself? Join us in Liberating Love. Upcoming Services 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 I was away from the congregation on New Year’s Eve, when we held the traditional “burning bowl” ceremony letting go of the old year and welcoming in the new. Therefore I was excited to hear that my men’s group in Lansing was doing a version of the burning bowl at our meeting this week. Our leader instructed us to write on a piece of paper what we are letting go of from the past year, and mine came to me quite readily: I want to let go of self-doubt and any negative self-talk that can sometimes be in my head. Any version of “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not OK” (for whatever reason) does not serve me. When my turn came, I lit my piece of paper on fire and tossed it in the bowl with the others. 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 Youth RE - Sunday, January 21, at 3:30pm Adult RE - Monday, January 22, at 7:00pm If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form if you haven’t already. UUFCM Retreat - This Saturday! Logistics & RSVP: Saturday, January 20 8:00 am - Breakfast 9:00 am - 12:00 noon Retreat All are welcome: any members and friends of UUFCM whether brand-new or a long-time member. For planning, we ask that you RSVP if you can--including whether or not you're coming for breakfast and whether you need child care. (You can still show up if you don't RSVP). Use this link to RVSP yes or no and let us know if you need childcare:  https://forms.gle/hrx6a5orZg8kuH1e6 This Year's Topic: Covenant What are the sacred agreements that define how we treat each other in this UUFCM community? This is what we mean by covenant in the context of a religious congregation. The covenant is not a set of rules and punishments, but a statement of promises. A little bit like marriage vows, covenant is a sacred agreement among people. During our three-hour retreat we will go deeper into the meaning of covenant and spend considerable time in small groups discussing, brainstorming, and ultimately drafting a covenant. For context, below are the current UUFCM covenant which has been in place for several years, as well as example covenants from other UU congregations as provided on the Unitarian Universalist Association website. UUFCM Covenant (Current): Granting each other freedom of mind and spirit, we commit to this community of mutual care. In that spirit of caring, we pledge to be mindful when speaking of and to one another. We will walk in the ways of truth and loving-kindness that we and our children may always be fulfilled. So that the world may be fulfilled, we dedicate ourselves to the work of justice and peace, seeking always to soothe sorrow and to inspire joy. Sample Covenant: Atkinson Memorial Church Sample Covenant: All Souls Church Unitarian Universalist Rev. Drew will be facilitating the retreat along with the Shared Ministry Team and with the support of the Board of Trustees. We are all looking forward to seeing you there! Facilitated Book Discussion Group - Sundays at Noon - Begins This Sunday! 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 in the Sanctuary after Sunday services until  February 11.  Click here for detailed information. Special Plate Collection this Sunday – ICRH The January special collection on Sunday, January 21 is for the Isabella County Restoration House (ICRH), the agency providing temporary shelter for their guests - the homeless population in Isabella County – which at this time includes three families with children. Now that winter has really hit, the need is especially great. You can donate online to the  Social Justice Special Plate Collection Fund at our website, or checks can be sent to our treasurer made out to UUFCM with “ICRH” indicated in the memo line. Movie Night – Saturday, January 27 Saturday, January 27, at 7:00pm Denzel Washington directs and stars with Forest Whitaker in “The Great Debaters,” inspired by a true story from 1935 Texas when a group of underdog Black college students took on the elite Harvard debate team. This story is an “important and deeply inspiring page from the not-so-distant past.”  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! POSTPONED: Interested in Becoming a Hospitality Team Member? 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 will offer a brief "workshop" (about an hour) for all who are interested in any of these activities at a future date. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about hospitality tasks, but you do not have to make a commitment. Watch this space for more details! Directory Update - Last Weekend to 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.  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 • • • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week CMU Calendar of Events  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.  Forging Equality: LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Legislation 2024 Update - January 22 Webinar: Monday, January 22, 5:00-6:00pm Many states are trying to restrict LGBTQ+ rights, especially targeting the transgender community. What challenges does Michigan face as it braces for an influx of "refugees" from restrictive states, seeking affirmative health care? What do we need to know about proposed legislation in Michigan? What can religious and community leaders do to support LGBTQ+ people in the face of growing opposition and oppression? We are invited to participate in a webinar with leaders Jay Kaplan, LGBTQ+ Rights Project Staff Attorney, ACLU-Michigan, and Emme Zanotti, Advocacy & Outreach Director, Equality Michigan. This webinar is being presented by Inclusive Justice of Michigan, Jews for a Secular Democracy, and Michigan UU Social Justice Network. Register at this link: https://bit.ly/milgbtq. If you register, then you will receive the link to the recording a few days later. So if you are interested, but unable to attend, please register. Soup & Substance: Modern Antisemitism on College Campuses - January 22 CMU invites the community to a Soup and Substance as part of Jewish Heritage Week on Monday, January 22 at 7:00pm in the Bovee Center Rotunda.  The presentation is titled “Modern Antisemitism on College Campusus.” Decolonize Your Mind - January 30 Presented by MUUSJN, on Tuesday January 30, 7:00-8:30pm, Jaike Spotted Wolf and Bronson Herman will share personal and historical stories of how white settler colonialism has impacted Native Americans and continues to impact us all today. Part of the intention of this event is to provide information to non-Natives who are interested in going beyond Land Acknowledgement statements and begin to touch on Truth and Reconciliation. Register at bit.ly/decolyourmind. 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]) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey Caring Committee - Laura McBride Communications Coordinating Team  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. 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.