eNews for Thursday, May 9

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View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, May 9 A big thank you to Darlene Ritchie for planting flowers around our wayfair sign! Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, May 12, to worship with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Mother's Day Blessings." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "Mother’s Day means different things to different people. We make space in this worship service for those whose connections to their mother are joyful, troubled, nonexistent, and everything in between. We also honor abstract versions of mothering including human and divine nurturing. Each of us has the power to bless and to be blessed as we explore motherhood’s many facets." 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 May 12 - Mother's Day Blessings May 19 - The Jewish Wisdom of Repairing Harm If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out Sunday Services on our website for sermon video and/or text. 2023 and prior year sermon video and/or text are located under Sermon Archives. Minister’s Column On Friday I went to a concert: performing at the Soaring Eagle Casino was a band called Styx that I had listened to all through my teenage years. This band was popular in the 70’s and 80’s, and almost all of the music they played in concert was from that era. Only one song was a more recent one that singer Tommy Shaw explained was composed during the pandemic.  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 12:30pm - 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, May 30, 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 of Trustees - Sunday, May 12, at 1:00pm Social Justice Team - Monday, May 13, at 7:00pm Worship Team - Tuesday, May 14, 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. General Assembly Delegates Needed - June 20-23 If you are interested in witnessing and participating in the workings of Unitarian Universalism, our Fellowship needs two delegates to attend the virtual meetings of General Assembly. These sessions will be broadcast in the UUFCM sanctuary for anyone who is interested on the following dates--anyone can attend; only delegates can vote. Thursday, June 20, 1:00pm - 2:00pm; 4:00pm - 6:00pm Friday, June 21, 2:30pm - 6:00pm Saturday, June 22, 2:30pm - 6:00pm Sunday, June 23, 3:00pm - 5:00pm If you are interested in being an attendee, but not a delegate, we have some donated leadership funds that can support attendance. Please contact a member of the Board of Trustees if you are interested in attending or being a UUFCM delegate.   Special Meeting and Vote: Revised Principles and Values - Sunday, June 2 The seven principles that UU's have used for decades have been revised, with a new statement of values and principles centered around Love. To make this change official, a final vote will be taken at General Assembly in June. We will have a special meeting to discuss these changes and then vote electronically to express our support and/or concerns. All are welcome to discuss; only members may vote. Stewardship Campaign Update Although the Stewardship Campaign officially ended on April 21, please turn in your pledge by mail, online, or in the Sunday offering plate as soon as possible. The UUFCM Board will make possible adjustments to the proposed budget very soon.   UUFCM Notice of Annual Meeting This is your official notice of the Annual Meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan (UUFCM), which will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024, right after the worship service. This meeting, while open to all members and friends, is the time when the members of the Fellowship will vote on the business of the Fellowship. During the meeting, we will entertain motions regarding the slate of nominees for next year’s Board of Trustees, the proposed 2024-2025 Budget, and a proposal for revising the Bylaws. After the meeting, electronic ballots will be sent to all members and will be due a few days later. Members and friends are welcome at the business meeting, but only members will vote.   Inasmuch as no names were submitted through the alternative nominating process for board member nominations, there will no nominations from the floor.   There is one proposed change to the Bylaws, which is to add the Caring Team to the list of standing teams. Please download and review the document below before the meeting, including the agenda for the annual meeting. At the meeting, you will also have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have. Agenda, Slate of Nominees, Proposed Budget, and Proposed Bylaw Changes Please come prepared to participate in this most important democratic process of our Fellowship. Since we are a self-governing body, and each member’s vote is important, we will be voting via email, and the specific process will be explained to you at the meeting. Book Discussion Group - This Sunday! May 12 The Adult RE Team and Reverend Drew are offering a book discussion group using the UUA Common Read “On Repentance and Repair.” The final session is May 12, at noon in the sanctuary.  Path to Membership Workshop - This Saturday! Contact: Laura McBride Saturday, May 11, 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 and request childcare if needed for our next workshop on Saturday, May 11, at 1:00pm.  Movie Night - Saturday, May 25 All Katharine Graham wanted to be was a housewife. With the death of her husband and father, suddenly she finds herself as the owner of the Post. Her goal is to make it a reputable newspaper reporting high-quality stories. When she is given Daniel Ellsberg's Pentagon Papers, it is an upward battle between her board, President Nixon, and the lawyers to print them. What happens next? Join us Saturday, May 25, at 7:00pm at the Fellowship Hall to watch "The Post." • • • Community News • • • Pop Up Pride in the Park Saturday, June 1 2:00pm – 5:00pm Broadway Park, 2451 Nish Na Be Anong Rd, Mt Pleasant Join us in celebrating, uplifting, and advocating for our regional 2SLGBTQIA+ community at the 2nd Pop Up Pride in the Park at Broadway Park in Mount Pleasant. Food, games, music, and vendors. Free to attend and all are welcome.  Dial for Democracy Join Voters Not Politician's "Dial for Democracy" List! Activists across the political spectrum can all agree that picking up the phone and calling your elected officials is the most effective way to make your voice heard. In fact, many elected officials and their staff members have stated that a phone call from a constituent holds more weight than an email, tweet, or a fax. By joining VNP's "Dial for Democracy" list, you will receive exclusive alerts when it's time to call your lawmakers on legislation or decisions that impact Michigan's democracy. These alerts will contain info and tips to help you have an easy and productive call to your local lawmaker! If you aren't receiving exclusive Dial for Democracy alerts yet, sign up here. You'll receive alerts when critical legislation is introduced along with your state legislators' contact information and a script to use during your call. Become an Election Worker If you are interested in becoming an election worker in the Mt. Pleasant area, fill out the application and submit it to the appropriate location.  At this time, the City of Mt. Pleasant has enough election workers, but Union Township and the surrounding townships do not.  See Norma Bailey for further information ([email protected]). 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: Mary Alsagar (989.330.2226; [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.