eNews for Thursday, October 24

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

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, October 24 A Successful Outdoor Clean-Up Much gratitude to Daniel Davis, Kirsten King, Darlene Ritchie, Jim Dealing, Gisela Moffit, Kurt Roeder, Mary Alsager, Drew Frantz, and James Scott for their efforts to clean up our grounds on Saturday! Thanks, too, to Norma Bailey for edging the sidewalks last week!  We raked (this will need to be done again), cleaned out flower beds, trimmed the lilacs, edged the sidewalks, trimmed the evergreen bushes, and put the hose to bed for the winter. Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, October 27, to worship with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Deep Listening." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. . "Listening to other people is an important practice. Another form of listening is how we listen to Life–or some would say “to God.” What do the flowing river and the autumn trees tell us? What does the flow of energy and vitality within us say? What does the voice of this nation with its many peoples say? In order to listen this deeply we must be still and we must open ourselves in new ways." 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 October 27 - Deep Listening​ November 3 - Día de Los Muertos In Case You Missed It... Many past sermons are available on our website under Sermon Archives. Here are links to more recent sermons.  "Bad Grammar" - October 6, by Rev. Drew Frantz "Win, Loss, or Tie" - October 20, by Rev. Drew Frantz Minister’s Column Just now I filled out my absentee ballot. Sitting with my wife at the dining room table, we made sure we were following the directions; we double-checked our research for the obscure down-ballot races and the non-partisan section. The ballots are sealed and will be dropped off tomorrow. As I write this, election day is two weeks away. 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 Fridays at 10:30am  First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm Soul Matters Discussion Group - 4th Thursdays at 6:30pm (Sept-Jun) 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 - Last Sundays at 12pm October orientation is canceled. Will resume in November. 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 Adult RE Team - Monday, October 28, at 7:00pm No More Open Cups in the Sanctuary We are asking everyone to help us abide by a policy that we haven’t been enforcing recently. “Drink is permitted in the sanctuary during worship services as long as it is in closed containers.” Starting this Sunday, if you get coffee, tea or water in a cup from the Fellowship Hall prior to the worship service and wish to take it into the sanctuary, please use the hot cups with a cover that we will provide.  Thanks for your help with this matter. Movie Night - Saturday, October 26 In the spirit of Halloween, we’re screening Coco! Miguel dreams of becoming a musician, but his mother forbids it and even destroys his guitar. Determined to follow his passion, he sneaks into a museum and takes a famous guitar belonging to a legendary musician. Suddenly, Miguel is transported to the Land of the Dead. Will he make it back to the world of the living, or will he be stuck there forever? Join us at 7:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall to find out! UUFCM Annual Harvest Feast - October 27 It's Harvest time! Join us after the church service in the Library Annex on Sunday, October 27, for our Annual Harvest Feast. Let's come together to share delicious food and warm conversation. Want to help? There are plenty of opportunities to lend a hand, and sign-up sheets are available in the fellowship hall. Here's how you can contribute: Set-up (Saturday, October 26, at 4:00pm in the Annex): Help us arrange tables and chairs, decorate, and bring supplies over from the church. Clean-up (after the feast): Pitch in to wash dishes, put away chairs and tables, and return items to the church. Meat, mashed potatoes and gravy will be provided. Bring a dish to pass: Casseroles: Bring your favorite hearty dish! Side dishes Desserts: Yes, please—sweets are always welcome! If you attend via Zoom and can’t sign up in person, feel free to call or text Jennifer Prout at 989-400-3130 with how you'd like to assist. Thank you! Many hands make light work! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B48ACA622A6FE3-51955596-harvest Ordination of Brigitte Bechtold Brigitte is a longstanding member of UUFCM who has now become a UU minister. After earning her Master of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School, Brigitte is now serving the Beacon UU Congregation in Troy. She still lives in Mount Pleasant and continues to be a member of our Buddhist sangha. Having completed all the requirements of ministry in our tradition, Brigitte Bechtold will be ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry by the Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation on October 27, 2024.   Brigitte, the whole UUFCM rejoices in your call to ministry and wishes you the best in your ministerial journey. Congratulations! First Friday Potluck – Friday, November 1 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. CUUPs Samhain Ritual – November 3 CUUPs - Covenant of UU Pagans Contact: Annette Pratt  Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) is a holiday known by another name - Halloween. The ancients believed this was the time of year when the veil between the living and those passed was the thinnest. It is a time to remember those who have passed before us and listen to their stories that still live on inside us. It is also the Pagan “new year” with death and birth being two sides of the same coin. We will hold the ritual promptly at 6:00pm. Sleepy Time Yoga - Monday, November 4 Kelly Lawson is offering an evening of Yoga Nidra on Monday, November 4, 7:00-8:00pm in the UU sanctuary. Bring a yoga mat, blankets, pillows, or anything to get cozy. The evening is donation-based, and all donations will go to the renovations of the homeless shelter (ICRH).   Join Kelly for this gentle and restful practice of Yoga Nidra! The evening will begin with gentle movement before finding rest in Savasana (final resting pose) for a guided meditation. Boot Drive for Kids! - October 15-November 15 The Social Justice Coordinating Team (SJCT) is leading a Boot Drive for Kids to collect new and very gently used boots, any size, for school children and teens. The drive goes October 15-November 15, and the boots will be donated to Clothing, INC, in time for parents to get boots before winter hits. Please place them in the box provided in the Fellowship Hall by November 15. If you’re not a shopper, any member of the SJCT will be glad to shop for you! Sign Up for Remind for Cancellations and Announcements We use an app called Remind to send urgent notices like service cancellations, special announcements, and fraud alerts. Here’s how to sign up: Open a new text message. In the "To:" field, enter the number 81010. In the message field, type @uufcm and send the text. That’s it! This is the easiest way to stay informed. You can also download the Remind app on your smartphone to receive notifications directly through the app. Hiring Youth Religious Education Assistant As Seally is starting her employment, Jolie Damer-Daigle is moving on. This leaves an opening for Youth Religious Education Assistant, to be filled as soon as possible.   The position pays $15 per hour for 2-3 hours per week, and we are looking for someone at least 15 years old with experience working with children. The full job posting is HERE. Applicants should contact Rev. Drew. • • • Community News • • • Central Sustainability Central Sustainability, a CMU registered student organization, shares information (click here) about its sustainability month activities which are open to the community. Free COVID 19 Tests Available The program for ordering free at-home COVID-19 tests are available. Check this link https://special.usps.com/testkits for further information. 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  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 © 2024 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.