eNews for Thursday, September 12

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

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, September 12 Welcome Seally Busch! New Youth Program Facilitator starts Sunday UUFCM is excited to welcome Seally Busch as our new Youth Program Facilitator. She will teach the religious education classes every Sunday and participate in other events of the youth religious education program.   Seally grew up attending UUFCM, so it is especially exciting to welcome her back. She comes with a knowledge of Unitarian Universalism and our values. Seally is a 2022 graduate of Mount Pleasant High School and is now studying at Central Michigan University. Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, September 15, to worship with with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "Offering the Invitation." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "When we have something special, we want to share it. What are you part of that you would invite others to join? What have you experienced that you would like to share with others? Invitation includes the risk of rejection as well as the hope of growth. May we be courageous enough to take the risk." 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 September 15 - Offering the Invitation September 22 - Banned Books 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 One area where I need the wisdom of the Tao te Ching these days is the presidential election. As I reflected recently in my “election stress and self-care” sermon, I am seeking a balance in accepting things the way they are versus acting to change things. This ancient text reminds me to be who I am, grounded. This brings a sense of calm and belonging. When I read the last three lines of this excerpt, I understand it to mean that I accept and celebrate all of life (“the wonder of the Tao”)—and this gives me the calmness to accept whatever is happening. The ultimate acceptance, of course, is knowing that I am going to die. I don’t know when. I’m sure of the outcome but unsure of the timing. If I can strive for such a state of equanimity that I am not troubled by my own death, then surely the outcome of a presidential election is also something I can take in stride. 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 (starting September 20) 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 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 Worship Team - Thursday, September 12, at 7:00pm Screening of Movie “Bad Faith” - THIS Friday, September 13 You all are invited to a screening on Friday, September 13,  of the documentary "Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism's Unholy War on Democracy." The documentary discusses how Christian nationalism became a dominant political force in our society, closely associated with Project 2025. Your Social Justice Coordinating Team is co-sponsoring this screening with the Mount Pleasant Area Diversity Group.   The screening of "Bad Faith" is on Friday, September 13, at 6:30 pm in the Library Annex. Please see the flyer below for additional information. 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. Come Join Us in Writing Letters! Come join us in our letter-writing campaign to citizens in underrepresented populations in Michigan encouraging them to vote in this important election!  Your Social Justice Coordinating Team provides materials; all you need to do is write a brief statement about why you vote!  Come help any (see schedule here): Tuesday at 1pm Wednesday at 3pm Thursday at 6:30pm Saturday at 11am We’ve already completed 400! 350 more to go!  Join us! Hospitality Training Session - THIS Saturday, September 14 There's still time to sign up! Are you looking to participate more in our faith community but have limited time? The Hospitality Team is a great place to start! There are no meetings to attend—just a commitment on Sundays to be among the first to welcome our visitors, friends, and members. Interested in learning more about becoming a greeter, pre-service host, post-service host, or refreshment provider? Join us for a training session on Saturday, September 14, at 10:00am at the church. Please let Gisela know or sign up here so we can plan accordingly. Special Plate Collection This Sunday – The Mt. Pleasant Pride Center This Sunday, a collection will be taken to support Mt. Pleasant Pride Center, a volunteer-based community center for LGBTQ+ members and their allies in Mount Pleasant. You can put a donation into the passed plate on Sunday, donate online to the Social Justice Special Plate Collections Fund at our website, or checks can be sent to our treasurer made out to UUFCM with Mt. Pleasant Pride Center in the memo.   Game Night! - Monday, September 16 We meet on 3rd Mondays from 7-9pm in the UUFCM social hall and have fun with a variety of games decided by consensus. It is a great opportunity to learn new games and meet people with similar interests! Questions? Contact James Scott ([email protected]). Soul Matters Small Group Returning "Invitation" Thursday September 26 at 6:30pm Every month from September through June we explore a different theme provided by Soul Matters. In September the theme is Invitation. Participants in the small group can download the packet here which contains spiritual practices, songs, quotations, questions and more related to the theme. When the group meets (on the fourth Thursday of the month, facilitated by Rev. Drew), everyone is encouraged to share which parts of the packet they explored and engaged with. All are welcome! Please let Rev. Drew know if you are coming or if you have any questions. Save the Date for Outdoor Cleanup – October 19 Saturday, October 19 – 9:30am-12:30pm (lunch provided) We’re planning to trim the evergreen bushes, clip off the dead lilac flowers, bring in the hoses, pick up sticks, rake, weed, etc. Please come and help out as many hands make the work much lighter! Bring your yard tools if possible. Or if you want to tackle one of these tasks on a different day, contact Norma Bailey ([email protected]) and she will get you situated! Michigan UUs Unite: Fifty for Justice! UUs are known to be justice-seeking people. It takes many of us working together to achieve the goal of freedom and equity for all. The Michigan UU Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) leverages expertise and resources to support this work for member congregations and fellowships across our state and gives UUs a larger voice among partners, allies, and justice-makers. Become a supporting member today and help foster this collaboration. We need 50 of you (or more!) to reach our new member goal. Go to uujustice.org; click “Become a Member” and make a donation today. • • • Community News • • • Conversations That Matter The CMU Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invites community members to attend their first “Conversations That Matter: Policing and Politics in 2024” on September 16, 5:00-7:00pm, in the University Center. Dinner provided. See the attached flyer for registration. Meet the Candidates! Thursday, September 26  The Mt. Pleasant Area League of Women Voters and the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce invite everyone to a Meet the Candidates! Night on Thursday, September 26, 6:30-8:00pm at the Commission on Aging on Lincoln Road. You’ll have a chance to meet multiple candidates from both parties to learn more about their platforms and visions for our community. Michigan Needs Poll Workers for November Can you help? Get trained, get paid, and help your community by serving as an election worker in Michigan! Sign up or recruit more poll workers by sharing the need with your community. Over 15,000 Michiganders have already signed up! Join the team today by signing up here. UU Fellowship of Midland's CUUPs Upcoming Events UU Fellowship of Midland's CUUPs leader, Scott Malusi, has invited UUFCM to upcoming CUUPs events. For questions on these events, or anything Midland CUUPs related, please contact Scott Malusi at [email protected]. Come join the fun and BUILD COMMUNITY with us. Spiritual Swap and Autumnal Equinox Celebration UU Fellowship of Midland Grounds Sunday September 22, 12:00-2:00 PM CUUPs is hosting their annual sharing and swap- expanded this year to celebrate inclusion and the change of season. Please bring anything that no longer serves you to give away/swap/or sell. Some examples: books, herbs, stones/crystals, card decks, meditation or magical tools, nature items, artistic creations, extra produce from your harvest…or anything you wish to share that has or supports meaning in your life (spiritual, secular or otherwise). We will also celebrate the equinox with some autumn themed crafts to do (fun for kids and adults). Bring a table on which to place your items (we will have extra, if needed) and a chair or blanket to sit. 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 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. 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