eNews for Thursday, October 8

10/8/2020

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eNews for Thursday, October 8

Clearing the Path to UU

Thanks to Daniel Davis, Jen Prout, George Lentz and Norma Bailey for trimming up the outside of our building in preparation for winter.

Worship Matters

We will gather online via Zoom this Sunday, October 11 to worship together with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present “Faith and Action: Indigenous Rights,” together with Candi Tomlinson and Carol Rard. The Zoom call starts at 10:00 for social time, and the service starts at 10:30.

“Indigenous rights is one of the primary issues that Unitarian Universalists addressed at our General Assembly in June. We will share some of our reflections from GA and how this topic is fundamental to UU values and principles.”

Zoom Invitation for Sunday, October 11
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 402489218

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,402489218#

Phone - audio only
+1 646 876 9923

If you happen to miss being in worship, the texts to previous sermon messages (and some of the readings as well) can be found in our website sermon archive.

Upcoming Services

October 18: Faith and Action: Voting Rights
October 25: Deep Listening

Minister’s Column

Read the Minister’s column at uufcm.org/andrew-frantz.

Upcoming Events - with Zoom Links

Click the link to join in!

- Sunday worship
- RE Lesson & Kids’s Coffee Hour - Sundays at 10:45am
- Welcome to UU Orientation - last Sundays at 12:30pm
- Choir R ehearsal - Sundays at 7pm
- “Good Trouble” Discussion - Monday, October12 at 7:30pm
- UU discussion group - Wednesdays at 10am
- Check-In Circle with Drew - Wednesdays at 4pm
- Game Night - Wednesdays at 7pm
- Soulful Sundown - 1st Thursdays at 7pm
- Women’s Circle - 4th Thursdays at 7pm
- Coffee House Open Mic - 1st Fridays at 7pm
- Path to Membership Workshop - Saturday, October 17 at 1pm
Event links can also be found on the UUFCM Calendar.

Team Meetings - with Zoom Links

Click the link to join in!

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. Links for the various team meetings will be posted in the eNews and on the UUFCM calendar.

If you are interested in helping any of these teams or committees, please fill out the Volunteer Opportunity Form 2020-2021 if you haven’t already.

- Board Meeting - October 11 at 1pm
- Worship Team - October 12 at 6pm at the UUFCM
- Environmental Issues - October 12 at 7pm
- Social Justice Coordinating Team - October 13 at 6:30pm
Meeting links can also be found on the UUFCM Calendar.

Worship Arts Workshop: Saturday October 10, 12:30-2pm

Are you interested in being part of our worship services? This might involve lighting the chalice, offering readings, prayers, and more. This workshop gives you a chance to practice and to talk about how these elements of worship can go from good to great. Please contact Drew if you’re interested in joining. If this time isn’t good for you, contact Drew to get individual training.

“Good Trouble” Film Series - October 12

The second film of our “Good Trouble” Film Series about the importance of voting rights is “Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote”(~40 minutes). It is available here on YouTube at no cost. This is an incredibly timely film given what Texas has done to limit dropbox availability. Watch the film sometime before Monday, October 12, then join us at 7:30pm on Monday for a facilitated discussion about the content of the film. The Zoom link to access the discussion is in the UUFCM calendar. We hope you will join us!

Path to Membership Workshop - October 17 at 1pm

This workshop is designed for those who want to understand the membership commitment to UUFCM. In this one and a half hour interactive session, we explore the deeper meanings and expectations of membership and shared ministry. Please contact Laura McBride (989.772.5512 or Lmcbride010@gmail.com) by Friday, October 16 if you will attend so we may plan accordingly. Join us via Zoom.

Voting Rights News

Early In-Person Absentee Voting

To avoid long lines voting on November 3, early in-person absentee voting is available at your clerk’s office from Monday, September 28 until Monday, November 2, 2020 at 4 p.m. You don’t even have to request an absentee ballot ahead of time. You can go to your clerk’s office, request the absentee ballot application, fill it out, hand it in, receive your absentee ballot, fill it out, and hand it in, thus having voting in the 2020 general election. For your convenience, the City Clerk's office of Mt. Pleasant will also be open for in-person absentee voting on Saturday, October 31, 2020 from 8 am-4 pm. Check your clerk’s office for their weekend-ahead-of-November 3 in-person absentee voting hours at www.mi.gov/vote (click on the “My Clerk” tab, and enter your address to find information for your city/township clerk).

Mailing in Your Absentee Ballot

If you are mailing in your absentee ballot, it is recommended that it be mailed no later than October 20 to assure its arrival before November 3. Also remember that it requires more than one stamp, either a 71¢ stamp or two 55¢ stamps.

Tracking Your Ballot

If you are choosing to vote via an absentee ballot and mail it in, be sure to track your ballot – when your application was received, when your ballot was sent to you, and when your ballot was received at your clerk’s office. This tracking appears on your voter registration page (www.michigan.gov/vote). If you don’t see this information in a timely manner, be sure to call your clerk’s office to check. You can find your clerk’s office and phone number, also at www.michigan.gov/vote.

Candidate Forums

The League of Women Voters Mt. Pleasant Area hosted and recorded virtual candidate forums for the Mt. Pleasant School Board (on September 16) and for the Mt. Pleasant City Commission (on September 17). Use these links to view each forum.

Another opportunity to participate in a Zoom meeting with the candidates for City Commission is today, October 8 at 6:30pm. This event is organized by the South West Association of Neighbors and is open to anybody who is interested and wants to ask the candidates questions and hear their answers. Join the Zoom meeting here. Meeting ID: 813 6230 2176 Passcode: 586785

Three Things You Can Do to Help with the Election

1. Engage in Phone and Text Banking

The Michigan Interfaith Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Campaign has organized phone banking and/or text banking on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and/or Saturdays. This is part of the UU the Vote campaign to engage our neighbors, educate our communities, mobilize voters, and rally around ballot initiatives, with values based on our theology and principles. A brief training is provided, and then you spend time with other concerned people in Michigan either calling or texting. To join in these efforts, see this flyer.

2. Encourage Family and Friends to Become Election Workers

The State of Michigan needs election workers throughout the state. Election workers are needed to serve at the polling stations and to assist clerks and count ballots. Serving as an election worker is a paid position, and all election workers are trained on proper protocols. Contact your family members and friends wherever they are in Michigan and encourage them to become an election worker; they simply need to go to www.Michigan.gov/democracyMVP.

3. One More Easy Way to Get Out the Vote

Make a phone call to every adult niece, nephew, and grandchild you have across the United States and engage them in a conversation about voting. Have they registered? What’s their plan to vote? Do they know how to vote by absentee ballot? For those living in Michigan, see the this 2020 Voter Information Sheet for what they will need to know. For those living outside of Michigan, direct them to either https://www.campusvoteproject.org/state-student-voting-guides if they are a college/university student, or https://www.nbcnews.com/specials/plan-your-vote-state-by-state-guide-voting-by-mail-early-in-person-voting-election/index.html?cid=bc_npd_nn_ms_np-1_200816 if they are not, and help them make sense of the information. You can also share how your values help you make your decisions about your votes.

Environmental Issues

When the Earth Moves Film

When the Earth Moves reclaims the authentic story and original vision of Earth Day as a bipartisan and socially just environmental movement and highlights the need for people across generations and on both sides of the political aisle to play an active part. It also calls attention to the urgent need for Americans to unite around a common goal and purpose. Learn how you can get involved: https://outrider.org/earthday

Are You in Need of Assistance?

At this time of social distancing, it is important that we keep in close contact via technology. Drew has encouraged you to reach out to him if you want to talk to him via email or phone/text (minister@uufcm.org; 440.935.0129). Please do so if you need emotional support or to share your concerns. If you are experiencing financial hardship, the minister's discretionary fund may be able to help. Please contact Drew for more information. Assistance from this fund is strictly confidential.

For those of you who are shut in and can’t get groceries or your meds, let Gisela know (gbmoffit@gmail.com; 989.772.1602). We now have 6 volunteers who are willing to pick up your orders for you. Many thanks in advance to those willing to help out.

• • • Community News • • •

Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15-October 15
The Multicultural Academic Student Services office at CMU invites the community to participate in the celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 – October 15. See the events listing 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

Take all that you need; give all that you can!

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 admin@uufcm.org.

Drew's Office Hours and Contact Information

Please contact Drew via email, phone, or text.
minister@uufcm.org
Phone/text:
440-935-0129

UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2020-2021
President: Guy Newland (989.944.0534; president@uufcm.org)
Past-President: Carol Rard (989.561.2969; carol4uufcm@gmail.com)
President Elect: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; baile1nj@cmich.edu)
Treasurer: Terrie Robbie (989.400.2495; tlrobbie1@gmail.com)
Co-Treasurer: Jen Prout (989.400.3130; poutyprouty66@yahoo.com)
Secretary: Brigitte Bechtold (989.954.1123; becht1bh@cmich.edu)
Trustee: Jennifer Davis (989.280.7010; jenmarsh40@gmail.com)
Trustee: Aaron Jones (989.501.0672; jones3aj@cmich.edu)
Trustee: Mel Bailey (989.600.6460; babycatching@gmail.com)

Team and Committee Leaders

Social Justice Coordinating Team - Norma Bailey
Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey
Environmental Issues committee - Daniel Davis
Voting Rights committee - David Wagstaff
Religious Education (RE) Team - Mel Bailey
Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit
Worship Team - Drew Frantz
Corona Virus task force - Drew Frantz
Membership - Laura McBride
Arms Around - Gisela Moffit
Welcome & Hospitality - Gisela Moffit

We are a
religious community
guided by love,
transforming our lives
and our world.

Copyright © 2020 Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. All rights reserved.

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