Sometimes the urgency of our hunger blinds us to the fact that we are already
at the feast. To accept this can change everything; we are always home, never exiled.
~ John O’Donohue
In Worship
What does it mean to be a people of welcome? That is the central guiding question for our worship services in September. Welcoming is most often associated with “bigness.” We speak about “expanding the circle” and making more room. We talk about make ourselves larger through the practice of welcoming in new experiences and new ideas. But there is also the work of becoming smaller. And sometimes that is the even more important work. Please read more about our worship theme for September here.
Join us for worship and fellowship this coming Sunday, September 3, as we begin exploring the question of what it means to be a people of welcome with a message titled “The Welcome Table: On Creating Brave Space.”
“My question for us is this: what does it mean to be a people of the welcome table in an age of the wall? This is the question we will all face again and again in the years to come… In our resistance, we must not succumb to the temptations of self-righteousness. We must not succumb to the false belief that threats to the welcome table are solely external to us. Let us once and for all confess that the cultures of racism, patriarchy, xenophobia, and transphobia shape our souls too, even as we seek to resist them… The welcome table calls us now not only to ministries of resistance but also ministries of reconciliation...beginning with the people that are closest to us…and begin the conversation with your story…and invite their story with openness…”
~ Rob Hardies
And if you happened to miss worship the past two Sundays, you will find the texts in our sermon archive.
Upcoming Services
September 10: “Welcome Home” - The Annual Water Service
September 17: “On Being a Guest House”
September 24: “Learning to Welcome Conversations about Race”
October Worship Theme: “What Does It Mean to Be a People of Courage?”
A Request from the Flint UU Congregation
From the minister of the UU congregation in Flint, the Rev. Theresa Ines Soto:
Would you be willing to send a postcard to UU Congregation Flint for ingathering? Please write words of encouragement for dealing with the Flint Water Crisis and supporting community working for a way forward. Soon, we will also be able to offer a way for people to contribute to helping pay water bills and related expenses of which people living here are in need. Our address is: UUCF 2474 S. Ballenger Hwy, Flint, MI 48507
RE News
We are trying something new this year for children’s RE. We plan to hire two RE teachers, so that each of our three Sunday morning RE children’s groups (infant- 4 yrs old, K to 2nd grade, 3rd- 6th grade) has a regular lead teacher. This significantly reduces our dependence on volunteer teachers from the congregation for RE during worship service. However, we need to have an additional adult to assist the lead teacher. Therefore, we will need three adults (one in each classroom) each Sunday to volunteer to help with RE. If each of our members and friends volunteers for just two Sunday mornings between September and May, we will have enough volunteers. Because our hired teachers will do all the lesson planning, setting up, and teaching, our members and friends will only need to show up and be present for our kids. Please see RE Director Anna vanArsdalehoot to sign-up for the privilege of helping our RE programs and interacting with our youth!
First Friday Potluck - September 1
Join us for our September First Friday communal nosh! We will also be celebrating the September birthdays of Alecia Genia, Carol Messick and Gisela Moffit. The potluck begins at 6:30 p.m. - helping hands are welcome at 6:15 p.m. to assist with set-up preparations.
We need hosts for upcoming potlucks! If you are willing to host a potluck, please contact Jen Prout
(989-400-3130 or [email protected]) or George Lentz (248-346-4039 or [email protected]). Upcoming dates include: September 1, October 6, November 3 and December 1. If you enjoy the potlucks, please consider hosting - it is fun and easy!
Infant Pantry Collection - Sunday, September 3
Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. Most needed items are things for baby care - diapers (especially sizes 5 and 6), creams, shampoos, lotions, and baby food in jars. Formula is not needed a this time. If you want to donate money, then the check should be made out to CCN (Community Compassionate Network) with memo “Infant Pantry.” Please contact Tom Moffit ([email protected] or 772-1602) with any questions.
Calendar Updates
Sewing Circle will not meet on Monday, September 4. Men's Group Game Night may meet that evening, depending on response from members - contact Jim Dealing (989.772.0269; [email protected]) if you are interested in attending.
Directory Update
Thanks to all of you who updated your directory entry. The new Addendum (on yellow paper) is now available and is located on the ledge near the name tag display case. For those who did not get a full directory (red cover) in February, there will be a complete directory available (in yellow) also on the ledge. The next update will be in February. For the most up-to-date information, always check the directory here on our website.
Emma’s Revolution Concert
Several of us are planning on attending the Emma’s Revolution Concert at the UU Congregation of Flint on Saturday, October 7, 8-11 pm. Often described as Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart with guitars, Emma's Revolution is the duo of award-winning, activist musicians, Pat Humphries & Sandy O, with sounds ranging from folk to jazz to funk. This concert will celebrate their new release “Revolution Now”, with powerful observations on everything from reproductive justice to refugees, from the Black Lives Matter movement to the radical notion of love to counter white nationalism and hatred. Tickets are $12-15 in advance and $15-20 at the door. Please contact Norma Bailey ([email protected]) or Laura McBride ([email protected]) if you are interested in joining them for dinner and the concert no later than Friday, September 1 so that they can purchase the tickets (the venue is small so we don’t want to miss out).
Isabella County Restoration House Fundraiser - September 7
Isabella County Restoration House (ICRH - the rotating homeless shelter) has a fundraiser at Texas Roadhouse on Thursday, September 7. Download and print the flyer for the coupon to participate.
Attention Veggie Lovers
George Lentz has a garden bursting with produce to share. If you have any interest in driving to his farm and bringing some home, please call him at 248-346-4039. His home is located at 5565 Madison Road south of Shepherd and north of Alma. He would appreciate a call so he can show all the areas of his garden that are ready for picking. Currently he has hot peppers, bell peppers, eggplant, squash, and tomatoes. He doesn't want the produce to go to waste, so please call!
Walk with Us!
We need walkers! UUFCM will be participating in the CROP Hunger Walk again this year! CROP Hunger Walk is not only a way to help end hunger around the world, 25% of the money raised in the Mount Pleasant community will help to end hunger here! The two local beneficiary organizations are the Community Compassion Network Nutrition Club for children and The Storehouse Food Pantry in Weidman. You may choose to walk to raise money or you may choose to give to someone who is walking. There is also an online giving option. The actual walk will take place: Sunday, October 1, at Millpond Park, registration beginning at 1 PM. Mari Potter will have envelopes and more information at Sunday services through September. Call her for more information 989-944-4202.
Let's change lives here and around the world.
Save the Date for our Community Justice Party
The Social Justice Coordinating Team is announcing the date for this year’s Community Justice Party –Saturday evening, October 21! Put it on your calendar! More information to follow! And if you have a song or reading or anything else that you would like to contribute to the program, contact any member of the Social Justice Coordinating Team – Norma Bailey (989-560-3952; [email protected]), Joyce Henricks (989-400-9743; [email protected]), Jen Prout (989-400-3130; [email protected]) or Katie Zapoluch (989.501.0672).
What does it mean to be a people of welcome? That is the central guiding question for our worship services in September. Welcoming is most often associated with “bigness.” We speak about “expanding the circle” and making more room. We talk about make ourselves larger through the practice of welcoming in new experiences and new ideas. But there is also the work of becoming smaller. And sometimes that is the even more important work. Please read more about our worship theme for September here.
Join us for worship and fellowship this coming Sunday, September 3, as we begin exploring the question of what it means to be a people of welcome with a message titled “The Welcome Table: On Creating Brave Space.”
“My question for us is this: what does it mean to be a people of the welcome table in an age of the wall? This is the question we will all face again and again in the years to come… In our resistance, we must not succumb to the temptations of self-righteousness. We must not succumb to the false belief that threats to the welcome table are solely external to us. Let us once and for all confess that the cultures of racism, patriarchy, xenophobia, and transphobia shape our souls too, even as we seek to resist them… The welcome table calls us now not only to ministries of resistance but also ministries of reconciliation...beginning with the people that are closest to us…and begin the conversation with your story…and invite their story with openness…”
~ Rob Hardies
And if you happened to miss worship the past two Sundays, you will find the texts in our sermon archive.
Upcoming Services
September 10: “Welcome Home” - The Annual Water Service
September 17: “On Being a Guest House”
September 24: “Learning to Welcome Conversations about Race”
October Worship Theme: “What Does It Mean to Be a People of Courage?”
A Request from the Flint UU Congregation
From the minister of the UU congregation in Flint, the Rev. Theresa Ines Soto:
Would you be willing to send a postcard to UU Congregation Flint for ingathering? Please write words of encouragement for dealing with the Flint Water Crisis and supporting community working for a way forward. Soon, we will also be able to offer a way for people to contribute to helping pay water bills and related expenses of which people living here are in need. Our address is: UUCF 2474 S. Ballenger Hwy, Flint, MI 48507
RE News
We are trying something new this year for children’s RE. We plan to hire two RE teachers, so that each of our three Sunday morning RE children’s groups (infant- 4 yrs old, K to 2nd grade, 3rd- 6th grade) has a regular lead teacher. This significantly reduces our dependence on volunteer teachers from the congregation for RE during worship service. However, we need to have an additional adult to assist the lead teacher. Therefore, we will need three adults (one in each classroom) each Sunday to volunteer to help with RE. If each of our members and friends volunteers for just two Sunday mornings between September and May, we will have enough volunteers. Because our hired teachers will do all the lesson planning, setting up, and teaching, our members and friends will only need to show up and be present for our kids. Please see RE Director Anna vanArsdalehoot to sign-up for the privilege of helping our RE programs and interacting with our youth!
First Friday Potluck - September 1
Join us for our September First Friday communal nosh! We will also be celebrating the September birthdays of Alecia Genia, Carol Messick and Gisela Moffit. The potluck begins at 6:30 p.m. - helping hands are welcome at 6:15 p.m. to assist with set-up preparations.
We need hosts for upcoming potlucks! If you are willing to host a potluck, please contact Jen Prout
(989-400-3130 or [email protected]) or George Lentz (248-346-4039 or [email protected]). Upcoming dates include: September 1, October 6, November 3 and December 1. If you enjoy the potlucks, please consider hosting - it is fun and easy!
Infant Pantry Collection - Sunday, September 3
Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. Most needed items are things for baby care - diapers (especially sizes 5 and 6), creams, shampoos, lotions, and baby food in jars. Formula is not needed a this time. If you want to donate money, then the check should be made out to CCN (Community Compassionate Network) with memo “Infant Pantry.” Please contact Tom Moffit ([email protected] or 772-1602) with any questions.
Calendar Updates
Sewing Circle will not meet on Monday, September 4. Men's Group Game Night may meet that evening, depending on response from members - contact Jim Dealing (989.772.0269; [email protected]) if you are interested in attending.
Directory Update
Thanks to all of you who updated your directory entry. The new Addendum (on yellow paper) is now available and is located on the ledge near the name tag display case. For those who did not get a full directory (red cover) in February, there will be a complete directory available (in yellow) also on the ledge. The next update will be in February. For the most up-to-date information, always check the directory here on our website.
Emma’s Revolution Concert
Several of us are planning on attending the Emma’s Revolution Concert at the UU Congregation of Flint on Saturday, October 7, 8-11 pm. Often described as Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart with guitars, Emma's Revolution is the duo of award-winning, activist musicians, Pat Humphries & Sandy O, with sounds ranging from folk to jazz to funk. This concert will celebrate their new release “Revolution Now”, with powerful observations on everything from reproductive justice to refugees, from the Black Lives Matter movement to the radical notion of love to counter white nationalism and hatred. Tickets are $12-15 in advance and $15-20 at the door. Please contact Norma Bailey ([email protected]) or Laura McBride ([email protected]) if you are interested in joining them for dinner and the concert no later than Friday, September 1 so that they can purchase the tickets (the venue is small so we don’t want to miss out).
Isabella County Restoration House Fundraiser - September 7
Isabella County Restoration House (ICRH - the rotating homeless shelter) has a fundraiser at Texas Roadhouse on Thursday, September 7. Download and print the flyer for the coupon to participate.
Attention Veggie Lovers
George Lentz has a garden bursting with produce to share. If you have any interest in driving to his farm and bringing some home, please call him at 248-346-4039. His home is located at 5565 Madison Road south of Shepherd and north of Alma. He would appreciate a call so he can show all the areas of his garden that are ready for picking. Currently he has hot peppers, bell peppers, eggplant, squash, and tomatoes. He doesn't want the produce to go to waste, so please call!
Walk with Us!
We need walkers! UUFCM will be participating in the CROP Hunger Walk again this year! CROP Hunger Walk is not only a way to help end hunger around the world, 25% of the money raised in the Mount Pleasant community will help to end hunger here! The two local beneficiary organizations are the Community Compassion Network Nutrition Club for children and The Storehouse Food Pantry in Weidman. You may choose to walk to raise money or you may choose to give to someone who is walking. There is also an online giving option. The actual walk will take place: Sunday, October 1, at Millpond Park, registration beginning at 1 PM. Mari Potter will have envelopes and more information at Sunday services through September. Call her for more information 989-944-4202.
Let's change lives here and around the world.
Save the Date for our Community Justice Party
The Social Justice Coordinating Team is announcing the date for this year’s Community Justice Party –Saturday evening, October 21! Put it on your calendar! More information to follow! And if you have a song or reading or anything else that you would like to contribute to the program, contact any member of the Social Justice Coordinating Team – Norma Bailey (989-560-3952; [email protected]), Joyce Henricks (989-400-9743; [email protected]), Jen Prout (989-400-3130; [email protected]) or Katie Zapoluch (989.501.0672).
| • • • Community News • • • 3rd Annual Pipe Out Paddle Protest - Saturday, September 2, 2017 Calling all kayaktivists! Be seen and heard in Mackinaw and everywhere protesting the Enbridge Line! Kayakers needed to create a flotilla, carry signs, and float under and around the Mackinac Bridge pipeline. Where: Meet at Nicolet and Huron Streets, Mackinaw City, MI 49701 When: 9:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m. Bring: your own kayak and life vest, and any extra if you have them RSVP & Contact: Kimberly; or join our Facebook group Help Needed: On land first aid trained support and protesters to fill the shoreline of the Mackinaw Straits. |  Valerie Jean Photography |
All human beings have experienced the impasse and anguish of violated trust.
We all know the pain… of being told that we are not welcome…
~Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker
Mindfulness in Parking Requested
Let us be mindful to leave the parking spaces directly across from our Wisconsin entrance open
for our friends who have mobility issues. Thank you for your consideration.
Got News?
The deadline for submissions to the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly e-News is
Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Please send all submissions to [email protected].
UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2017-2018
President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected])
Past-President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; [email protected])
President Elect: Mary Alsager (989.773.2595; [email protected])
Treasurer: Chris Bailey (989.775.8257; [email protected])
Co-Treasurer: Ricky Courlander (989.772.4457; [email protected])
Secretary: Brigitte Bechtold (989.954.1123; [email protected])
Trustee: Janis Shinn (989.400.3724; [email protected])
Trustee: Joyce Henricks (989.400.9743; [email protected])
Trustee: Ethan Kolek (413.387.7321; [email protected])
Let us be mindful to leave the parking spaces directly across from our Wisconsin entrance open
for our friends who have mobility issues. Thank you for your consideration.
Got News?
The deadline for submissions to the Order of Service Insert and the UUFCM weekly e-News is
Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. Please send all submissions to [email protected].
UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2017-2018
President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected])
Past-President: Laura McBride (989.772.5512; [email protected])
President Elect: Mary Alsager (989.773.2595; [email protected])
Treasurer: Chris Bailey (989.775.8257; [email protected])
Co-Treasurer: Ricky Courlander (989.772.4457; [email protected])
Secretary: Brigitte Bechtold (989.954.1123; [email protected])
Trustee: Janis Shinn (989.400.3724; [email protected])
Trustee: Joyce Henricks (989.400.9743; [email protected])
Trustee: Ethan Kolek (413.387.7321; [email protected])
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