eNews for Thursday, September 7

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View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, September 7 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, September 3, to worship together with Rev. Drew Frantz, who will present "The Gift of Welcome." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am. "In our interactions with others, we both give and receive welcome. What does it feel like to receive a total and sincere welcome? How can we cultivate the offering of that welcome to others? The practice of welcome may be an action, but may be a mind-set as well. As we commit to a stance of welcoming to others, we become more welcoming of parts of ourselves and of the experiences of our lives." 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 10: The Gift of Welcome September 17: Honoring Rosh Hashanah If you happen to miss being in worship, please check out our website sermon archive for sermon video and/or text. Minister’s Column A few years ago, when I would hear a Muslim pray to Allah or a Christian pray to God (or Jesus) I was acutely aware of the difference between that person and myself. They were religious and I was not–or they were religious in a way (and to a degree) that I was not. As part of my journey in Unitarian Universalism, I have learned to think of myself as religious and to translate the language of other religions into language and concepts that work for me. In this way I can connect to other religious people with a sense of same-ness instead of being stuck in an awareness of difference. Read more 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 (September Date Change - September 16) 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 Meeting - Sunday, September 10 at 1:00pm Social Justice Team - Monday, September 11 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. Youth RE Program This Fall   While we are searching for  a Director of Religious Education, our Youth RE program for this fall will be a combination of childcare and planned activity and/or craft for our children from preschool through grade 5. Every first and third Sunday starting September 17, Katherine Stillson, supported by Jolie Damer-Daigle, will plan an activity and/or craft either related to the monthly church theme or to a holiday.  The other Sundays Katherine and Jolie will provide childcare. Movie Night - September 16 *New Date - September Only* Academy Award-winning director Francis Ford Coppola presents My Family (Mi Familia), a powerful, three-generation saga of the Sanchez family, as told by the oldest son.  From his father’s journey to California in the 1920s, to his brother’s tragic rebellion in the 1950s, to the stark realities of modern day, his family struggles to live the American dream. Come join us in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, September 16, at 7:00 pm to view this generational epic. Harvest Feast - October 22 Our Harvest Feast will be on Sunday, October 22 after the service (setting up on Saturday from 3 - 5:00pm) This is a new date!  More information to follow. When is Your Birthday? We noticed that we don't have the birthdays of several adults and children on our birthday calendar. Can you help us bring it up to date? Please check the calendar to see if you and your children are listed. If you want to add your birthdays, please send them to Gisela by Sunday, September 17th. Then we can sing to you on the First Friday Potluck of your month. Small Group Starting in September Monthly meeting based on themes from Soul Matters As announced from the pulpit last Sunday, Rev. Drew will be leading a monthly small group starting in September. The small group will meet for two hours toward the end of the month. At the beginning of the month, participants will get a packet of activities and questions related to the monthly theme. These themes are published by a UU group called Soul Matters and are the same themes that we often follow in Sunday worship and in the children’s classes. For example, the theme for September is “Welcome” and some of the questions that the small group will consider include: Who welcomed you in when you needed it most? How has that gift changed you? What would you say to the person if you had the chance? What would you tell someone younger than yourself about welcoming in grief? Have you ever welcomed in a moment so fully that you suddenly felt one with it?  What part of you do you wish your family of origin would have welcomed more enthusiastically? Do you know what it’s like to encounter a welcome that requires you to remove parts of yourself to belong?  What part of yourself is hardest to welcome in and embrace with compassion: Your vulnerable self? Your flawed self? Your easily frightened self? Your angry self? If you’re interested in joining the small group…. Download the Soul Matters small group packet for September here. It is 11 pages and contains all the activities and questions for the month. Let Rev. Drew know that you are interested and what times of the week are good for you–the meeting time will be decided based upon who is attending. Chris Bailey's Memorial Service - September 23 Chris Bailey's Memorial Service will be Saturday, September 23 at 2pm at the Fellowship. After the service, everyone is invited to Cops and Donuts in Mt. Pleasant for snacks and sandwiches.  We hold his wife, Nancy, and everyone who loves Chris in support and love. His full obituary can be found at Clark Funeral Home. UUFCM is Hiring! UUFCM is looking to hire a new Director of Religious Education. If you know anyone interested and qualified, please encourage them to apply, as the best employees sometimes are recruited by word of mouth. UUFCM policy states that we usually do not hire members of the congregation to be employees. Applications and inquiries should go to Rev. Drew. The job posting is here and on our website: Job posting for Director of Religious Education (6-10 hours per week) • • • Community News • • • Punk Theology: Spirituality As Resistance Webinar - Today! Webinar presented by Inclusive Justice and MUUSJN on September 7, 2023. Register here!                              Hazardous Waste and Electronic Devices Collection - September 9 Saturday, September 9, from 8:00am - 12:00pm at Isabella County Fairgrounds.  Solarizing Mt. Pleasant - September 13 Are you interested in finding out more about solar panels for your home? Right now is the time to consider solar panels as there are many federal and state incentives available. This meeting, on September 13, will provide information on many aspects of solar panels and can answer your questions. Included is also information on group buy-ins which would reduce the cost even more.  Come and check it out (click on poster for more information.) MI Response To Hate (MIR2H) Conference - September 14 The MI Response to Hate Conference, presented by the Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes MIAAHC, is an annual statewide conference focused on anti-hate and anti-bias programming. The all-day conference will be held in East Lansing on Thursday, September 14.  For further information:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mi-response-to-hate-mir2h-conference-tickets-639420833927 Volunteers Needed! Open House - September 15 The agencies housed in the Non-Profit Strickler Center, 1114 W. High Street, are hosting an open house for potential volunteers on Friday, September 15, 10am-11am.  Come learn about the Care Store, Clothing, INC, and Community Compassion Network and the part you could play in helping in our community! Let Peace Reign! - September 23 Save the Date! On September 23, 2023, Isabella County Human Rights Committee will be doing its annual "Let Peace Reign" event. The event starts at approximately 3pm and will last until approximately 6pm. There are going to be a few local artists, musicians, speakers, a drum band, a Peace walk, and other various activities. Come out to Island Park Performance Arts Pavilion and enjoy an afternoon of peace and harmony! 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. “Deepening Connections” 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: Kevin Daum (989.546.7701; [email protected]) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey Communications Coordinating Team - Amy Voege Fellowship Life Coordinating Team - Gisela Moffit   Membership - Laura McBride   Arms Around - Gisela Moffit   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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