eNews for Thursday, January 30

Keep up with all that’s happening at the UUFCM!

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, January 30 All-Congregation Retreat a Success! Our all-congregation retreat held on Saturday, January 25, was a great success, with many people participating and lots of ideas shared regarding our theme “Responding in Love to a Threatening World.” The list of ideas generated for individual actions can be found here, and the ideas generated for collective actions for UUFCM were presented and will be shared with various teams.   Many thanks go to the Board of Trustees members who organized the retreat and provided a hot breakfast – Aaron Jones, Annette Pratt, Norma Bailey, Monica Jean, David Allan, Terrie Robbie, and Laurie Meadows – as well as to AliciA Genia and Rev. Drew for breakfast items and to Sierra Burke for creating the video that was shared. Additionally, thanks go to Janet Olson, Darlene Ritchie, and Gisela Moffit for their very-welcomed kitchen clean-up efforts.  Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, February 2, to worship with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Lessons from the Allagash." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. "As a young adult, I took a canoe trip in the Maine wilderness. That experience taught me lessons that I carry with me—and are remarkably relevant to today. What is your story of resilience that informs and empowers you?" 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 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.  "Responding in Love" - January 26, by Rev. Drew Franz "Martin Luther King" - January 19, by Rev. Drew Frantz "Winter Solstice" - December 22, by Rev. Drew Frantz Minister’s Column The “Crafty U’s” group meets in our fellowship hall on the third Tuesday of the month at 10:30am. It is an informal, drop-in group for anyone working on craft projects, especially fabric arts. This time coincides with my office hours, so I usually see the crafty UU’s who show up. Last week it was the day after the inauguration, and the group reminded me of the subtle and quiet power of community. 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. 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  NEW: Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm Soul Matters Discussion Group - 4th Thursdays at 6:30pm 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 Coordinating Team - Sunday, February 2, at 12:00pm Building Team - Monday, February 3, at 6:00pm NEW: Infant Pantry Collection – THIS Sunday, February 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. NEW: CUUPs Imbolc Ritual - THIS Sunday, February 2 Imbolc, also known as Candlemas and Groundhog's Day, marks the middle of Winter and holds the promise of Spring. It is a festival of spiritual purification and dedication. We will hold the ritual promptly at 6pm.   NEW: First Friday Potluck – Friday, February 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. NEW: You Are Invited to a Valentine's Party The Fellowship Life Coordinating Team welcomes you to the Many Shades of Love Valentine's Party! Enjoy an evening of treats and entertainment to share and enjoy! When: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 6:00–9:00pm Where: UUFCM Sanctuary and Social Hall Who: Everyone! How to Participate: Bring a dish: Sign up to bring a dessert or appetizer to share. Sign-up sheets will be available on February 2 and 9. Share your talent: Showcase your special skills, such as singing, telling jokes, playing an instrument, performing a skit or poem, juggling, or anything else! Sign-up sheets for talent performances will also be available on February 2 and 9. Questions? Contact: Annette Pratt: 989-400-0173 Gisela Moffit: 989-513-7827 Laura McBride: 989-772-5512 Jen Prout: 989-400-3130 Stay tuned for more to come!!! NEW: Happy Birthday! In February, we celebrate the birthdays of Annette Pratt, George Lentz, Jerry Cavalieri, David Allan, Katie Zapoluch, Kris Los, Laura McBride, and Glenn Lewandos. For the year to come, we wish them much joy, good health for body and mind, and new (ad)ventures. May it be so. UUFCM's Path to Membership Class - February 8 UUFCM's Path to Membership class will be held on Saturday, February 8, at 1:00pm. This workshop is designed for those who want to understand the membership commitment to UUFCM. In this one-and-a-half to two-hour interactive hybrid session, we explore the deeper meanings and expectations of membership and shared ministry. Please contact Laura McBride to sign up. "Building Your Own Theology" Course Sundays at noon - beginning February 9 (Note new dates below!) Jim Dealing and Rev. Drew will jointly lead a six-week exploration of personal values and beliefs that culminates in creating your own personal statement of belief. Along the way we address our individual religious histories; thoughts about God; life and death; and the purpose of living. We use a modified version of the course laid out in Building Your Own Theology by Richard Gilbert. The book is out of print, so we will provide copies of key passages and exercises. Each of the six meetings includes large and small group discussion, with recommended readings and reflections. Please let Rev. Drew or Jim Dealing know if you are interested in attending by Sunday, February 2. We will meet on six Sundays:  February 9 February 16 March 9 March 16 April 13 April 20 Readers Theater Resumes! Each second Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm, we meet in the fellowship hall and read a play aloud. Roles are assigned and scripts are available about ten days before meeting. No memorization required, but reading play prior to “performance” is strongly advised. Come and satisfy your inner actor! Contact Jim Dealing for more information (989-772-0269). Budget Hearing - Sunday, February 16 At the Fellowship Life meeting after the worship service on Sunday, February 16, the Board will hold our annual budget hearing where congregants can give initial feedback to the proposed budget for 2025-2026.  Please plan on attending. The Communications Team Wants Your Data! (But not in a scary way.) The Communications Team has been hard at work creating a strategy for navigating the fast-moving universe of social media and electronic information. Before we make any drastic changes, we’d like to have a better understanding of how UUFCM members and friends use the digital channels we have now, such as the eNews you’re reading right now and the UUFCM Connections group on Facebook. You can help us serve the congregation better by taking a minute or two to complete this quick survey. That’s really how long it should take, and we truly value your input. Thank you!  New Food Policy for UUFCM Because we have a number of children who have significant food allergies, on January 12, the Board of Trustees approved a food policy that basically makes the nursery and the green room food-free. See the attached policy.  If you have questions about the policy, contact any member of the Board. Stay Informed for UUFCM Cancellations When we decide to cancel or postpone a UUFCM event due to weather--as we did on December 15 for the ice storm--we use a cell phone app called Remind to make these announcements. In the case of Sunday morning worship, we make our decision by 8:30 am. Downloading the Remind app to your phone and signing up just takes a few minutes. Stay informed and prepared this winter! View our full cancellation policy along with instructions for signing up on the Remind app here. • • • Community News • • • Ways to Donate for CA Wildfires The most impactful way to support disaster response is through financial donation, according to Bishop Wash, director of public relations for the Salvation Army. “Your donation helps meet both immediate and long-term needs. It also enables the purchase of supplies from local vendors, which supports community businesses. During emergencies, 100% of designated gifts are directed toward specific relief efforts.” Monetary donations allow organizations to purchase exactly what is needed in real time, whether it’s blankets, medical supplies, food, or temporary housing. This ensures that the support goes directly where it is most needed.   The following charities have been vetted by NBC News: California Community Foundation California Fire Foundation L.A. Fire Department Foundation Pasadena Humane Society Ventura County Community Foundation American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles Center for Disaster Philanthropy Direct Relief World Central Kitchen UPLIFT Trans/Nonbinary Monthly Virtual Gathering Space Uplift meets virtually on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Their Pastoral Group meets virtually on the 2nd Friday of each month. Click here for more information - https://www.uua.org/lgbtq/transnb. What do we do? Gatherings are a cozy community space where we connect with each other with games and breakout groups, share ideas and stories on all kinds of topics, listen to music and poetry (often by trans/nonbinary+ creators), and much more! 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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