eNews for Thursday, June 12

Keep up with what's happening at UUFCM!

View this email in your browser Thank you! Thank you to Darlene Ritchie for keeping our grounds so beautiful! eNews for Thursday, June 12 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, June 15, to worship with Rev. Drew Frantz who will present "Flower Communion." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. "The special ritual of Flower Communion is celebrated by Unitarian Universalists everywhere. All are invited to bring a flower to the service if you can (we will have extras to share). Each person places a flower in the common vase to represent what you bring to the congregation; at the end, each person takes home a different flower to represent what you receive from the congregation. Please join us!" 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 June 15 - Flower Communion June 22 - UUA General Assembly (virtual only - 11:00am)  June 29 - Summer Worship Series June 22: General Assembly Livestream Virtual at 11:00am. UUFCM will be closed. Embrace the electrifying spirit of the year's largest UU gathering, where we come together in unity for an awe-inspiring Sunday worship celebration like no other! It's a vibrant, communal worship experience that promises to uplift your soul and ignite your passion. Don't miss out on this extraordinary gathering of hearts and minds! The Office of the President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, is thrilled to announce that Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk will lead the 2025 GA Sunday Service.  Order of Service More information  Link to Livestream (Link will be live on Sunday, June 22, at 11:00am) In Case You Missed It... Many past sermons are available on our website under Sermon Videos and Archives.  In order to access any services 2024 on, go to the website and click on Worship, then Sunday Services.  Minister’s Column: Peaceful Protest As I write this on Tuesday, the protests in Los Angeles and the response of the federal government are ongoing. Aggressive raids against immigrants triggered community protest, which in turn led to the calling out of the national guard. This deployment is unlawful because it is against the wishes of the governor of California, and I fear it will lead to further escalation. 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 - On summer hiatus Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm Crafty U - 3rd Thursdays 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 - next meeting to be announced  UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom UUFCM Women's Circle - On hiatus until further notice 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. Joyful Noise Choir on Vacation until Fall The Joyful Noise Choir will be on vacation from mid-June through early August.  The choir will sing on June 15 (for the flower communion service) and resume rehearsals on August 6. Team Meetings Worship Team - Thursday, June 12, at 7:00pm Youth RE Team - Sunday, June 22, at 3:30pm No Kings Day Rally & Social Picnic - June 14 (A Big One!) If you haven’t already heard, June 14th is both Flag Day and DT’s birthday - and he is spending $45 million on a parade honoring......himself. National resistance groups have mobilized across the nation to draw attention away from Washington D.C. and to oppose the march towards authoritarianism - NO KINGS! - being the theme. Indivisible Mt. Pleasant is hosting an event here in Mt. Pleasant on Saturday, June 14! Marchers are meeting at the parking area between Meijers and Mission at 11:00, then lining the sidewalks on Mission and Pickard for a rally, ending at 1:00. We very much encourage everyone to be there if you can!  And bring friends!   This short PowerPoint explains the theme of NO KINGS Day, who the partners are, and important information about what the plans are in Mt. Pleasant.  Click HERE! Immediately following the event we are going to host a social/picnic at Chipp-A-Waters park. This will be a bring-your-own lunch and non-alcoholic beverage - families welcome! The picnic pavilion holds 175 people, so there may be overflow - if you can, bring folding chairs and/or picnic blankets. The admin team will be providing some sweet treats to celebrate standing up for democracy! Please use this link to register if you plan on attending so that we have an idea of numbers. Hope to see you there! https://mobilize.us/s/Myuf7j Special Offering Collection – THIS Sunday, June 15 This Sunday a collection will be taken to supplement the minister’s discretionary fund which is used to respond to requests from people in the community who might need gas money, money to pay an electric bill, a night in a hotel, etc. You can donate online to this fund at our website or checks can be made out to UUFCM with “Discretionary Fund” indicated in the memo line, and sent to UUFCM Treasurer, P.O. Box 41, Mt. Pleasant, MI, 48804-0041. Your Presence Needed Monday, June 16! The final vote on the recommended grades 4-6 curriculum “Puberty the Wonder Years,” which has been updated to include gender identity, will be on Monday, June 16, at 6:30 pm in the Mt. Pleasant High School cafeteria, and our presence at this school board meeting is vital so that the Board sees that there is significant community support for the revised curriculum, not just those who may attend in opposition to the adoption of the curriculum. Please attend!! Simply attending the school board meeting is important to show support, but if you feel comfortable, speaking up in favor of the curriculum (or writing a brief email/letter to the school board) is even better!  What might you say – at the Board meeting or in a written communication?  If you reviewed the curriculum at the public hearing, you could comment about how you, as a community member (or parent), feel very comfortable with the material in the updated version.  You could state how you believe that complete and accurate information about human diversity is important for all our students. You might talk about how inclusive curriculum is important so that all our students can feel respected, safe and that they belong.  You decide what you would like to say; it doesn’t have to be long, just affirming and supportive.   If you wish to write the school board members, here are the addresses of the members. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]   Please pass this information on to others in your circle of family and friends who might also like to show their support with their presence and/or voice. Wedding Announcement & Celebration - July 4 Abdou Chalal and David Wagstaff are delighted to announce their upcoming marriage on July 2nd at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, officiated by Rev. Drew. The couple will exchange their vows and commitment to one another in a small private ceremony in the sanctuary.   While the wedding ceremony itself is private, everyone is warmly invited to the open house and celebration on Thursday, July 4 from 9:00am to 11:00am at: 631 N Rock Lake Dr, Vestaburg, MI (Please stay on Vestaburg Road until you see the mailbox marked 631—Rock Lake Drive is little more than a driveway.) No gifts, please.   An RSVP is appreciated (though not required). Text RSVP to 610-220-3359 if you plan to attend. • • • Community News • • • Juneteenth Celebrations!  Community and Joy! CMU invites all community members to its three Juneteenth events this year.   Tuesday, June 17, at 6:00pm Virtual Keynote with Stacy Robinson - RSVP for link Wednesday, June 18, at 11:00am-1:00pm Documentary and lunch at CMU - RSVP Here Thursday, June 19, at 4:00-8:00pm Juneteenth Celebration at Island Park in Mount Pleasant Community Organizations Food Lemonade and Kettle Corn Community Speakers Entertainment and Music Arts & Crafts Please RSVP for each event. Urge Congress: Save Public Media Public media is facing multiple serious threats. The White House proposed eliminating federal funding in its annual budget request, issued an Executive Order to block support for PBS and NPR, and plans to claw back funding approved by Congress. Federal funding ensures that local public radio and TV stations can continue to give access to essential educational, local, and cultural programming; trustworthy, in-depth news; and emergency and community-based services.  Our local PBS and NPR affiliate, WCMU Public Media, utilizes four television and eight radio stations to reach over 2 million people across 42 counties within Central and Northern Michigan. Community Service Grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provide just over 19% of WCMU's annual budget. HOW WE CAN HELP: Please take a moment to visit https://protectmypublicmedia.org and tell Congress to reject the rescissions package and stop the dismantling of public media! 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    Tuesdays 10am-noon   Wednesdays 1-3pm and 8-9pm   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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