We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Worship Matters
We have set our intention for worship this coming Sunday, January 14, to invoke the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we examine together how the legacy of his vision is carried forward today…how we carry it forward. Our minister’s message is titled “What They Dreamed Be Ours to Do.” Please plan to join us.
Prophecy, a vision of the future to come, cannot belong to an individual. When we even think of our personal goals and visions for the year ahead and our lives ahead, we know the things that are ours to do cannot happen in isolation. We need voices of support and encouragement. We need visible and less visible labor to make any dream come true. With big dreams, we often need another generation or two or three to continue the work ahead, to pick up where we left off and reap the seeds sown by those who came before.
~ Lane Campbell
You can read more about our monthly theme as well as explore some supplemental resources here.
And if you happen to miss being in worship on any given Sunday, the texts to previous sermon messages
(and some of the readings as well) can be found in our website sermon archive.
Upcoming Services
January 2018 Worship Theme: What Does It Mean to Be a People of Intention?
January 21: “The Intentional Act of Going to Church”
January 28: TBA
OWL for 4th-6th Graders - Required Parent Meeting Sunday, January 14
We are offering the “Our Whole Lives” (OWL) Sexuality Education for grades 4-6 mid-January through March. Our trained OWL facilitators Norma Bailey and Mary Alsager will lead the required parent meeting on January 14 at 3:30 p.m., and the ten sessions starting on January 21. If you have a 4th-6th grader (4th-6th grade friends welcome too), you can find general information about the program at www.uua.org/re/owl; contact Norma Bailey (989-560-3952 or [email protected]) for specific information.
Don’t Miss This: MLK Celebration Keynote Speaker – Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
On Wednesday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. in Plachta Auditorium, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will present the keynote address for CMU’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week. Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, author, contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, a MSNBC political analyst, a contributing editor at New Republic, and an ordained Baptist minister – Dyson’s most recent book is Tears We Cannot Stop – A Sermon to White America. You can read more about Michael Eric Dyson here.
Here’s a sermon that’s as fierce as it is lucid. It shook me up, but in a good way. This is how it works if you’re black in America, this is what happens, and this is how it feels. If you’re black, you’ll feel a spark of recognition in every paragraph. If you’re white, Dyson tells you what you need to know―what this white man needed to know, at least. This is a major achievement. I read it and said amen. ~ Stephen King
Alma College Hillel Presents…
On Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Alma College’s Heritage Center for the Performing Arts, Vanderbilt Divinity School Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, will present a lecture titled “Jesus the Jewish Storyteller: Hearing the Parables Anew.” Levine’s numerous publications include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus and Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi. This event is free and open to the public. You can read more here.
January 20 All-Congregation Retreat – “Is UUFCM Your Basecamp?”
We’ve been asking you to save the date for months so now’s the time to share what we have planned. Saturday, January 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will be our all-congregation retreat – our annual opportunity to gather and spend a portion of a day together focused on some issue of importance to this community. This year our time will be dedicated to varying aspects of the issue of community itself, centering on the question “Is UUFCM Your Basecamp?” This retreat experience is an opportunity to get to know one another better and to dive more deeply into what church means to each of us as individuals and as citizens of the world in this time and place.
We will start our retreat together at 8:30 a.m. with a delicious hot breakfast and the retreat activities facilitated by our minister will conclude at 1:00 p.m. In preparation, we ask that everyone read the UU World article titled “Religious Community Is Not Enough” by Thomas Schade. It can be read online and we will also have hard copies of the article available at the fellowship as well.
In addition to this notice, all members and friends will be contacted by a UUFCM board member with a personal invitation to attend. Please don’t miss this opportunity!
Path to Membership Workshop - January 27
This workshop is designed for those who are ready to make the membership commitment to UUFCM. In this interactive session we explore the deeper meanings and expectations of membership and shared ministry; it is a three-hour session, depending on the size of the group. Childcare can be made available, if needed. Please contact Laura McBride ([email protected]; 989.772.5512;) or Gisela Moffit ([email protected]; 989.772.1602) to reserve your place in the workshop!
We have set our intention for worship this coming Sunday, January 14, to invoke the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as we examine together how the legacy of his vision is carried forward today…how we carry it forward. Our minister’s message is titled “What They Dreamed Be Ours to Do.” Please plan to join us.
Prophecy, a vision of the future to come, cannot belong to an individual. When we even think of our personal goals and visions for the year ahead and our lives ahead, we know the things that are ours to do cannot happen in isolation. We need voices of support and encouragement. We need visible and less visible labor to make any dream come true. With big dreams, we often need another generation or two or three to continue the work ahead, to pick up where we left off and reap the seeds sown by those who came before.
~ Lane Campbell
You can read more about our monthly theme as well as explore some supplemental resources here.
And if you happen to miss being in worship on any given Sunday, the texts to previous sermon messages
(and some of the readings as well) can be found in our website sermon archive.
Upcoming Services
January 2018 Worship Theme: What Does It Mean to Be a People of Intention?
January 21: “The Intentional Act of Going to Church”
January 28: TBA
OWL for 4th-6th Graders - Required Parent Meeting Sunday, January 14
We are offering the “Our Whole Lives” (OWL) Sexuality Education for grades 4-6 mid-January through March. Our trained OWL facilitators Norma Bailey and Mary Alsager will lead the required parent meeting on January 14 at 3:30 p.m., and the ten sessions starting on January 21. If you have a 4th-6th grader (4th-6th grade friends welcome too), you can find general information about the program at www.uua.org/re/owl; contact Norma Bailey (989-560-3952 or [email protected]) for specific information.
Don’t Miss This: MLK Celebration Keynote Speaker – Dr. Michael Eric Dyson
On Wednesday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. in Plachta Auditorium, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will present the keynote address for CMU’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week. Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, author, contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, a MSNBC political analyst, a contributing editor at New Republic, and an ordained Baptist minister – Dyson’s most recent book is Tears We Cannot Stop – A Sermon to White America. You can read more about Michael Eric Dyson here.
Here’s a sermon that’s as fierce as it is lucid. It shook me up, but in a good way. This is how it works if you’re black in America, this is what happens, and this is how it feels. If you’re black, you’ll feel a spark of recognition in every paragraph. If you’re white, Dyson tells you what you need to know―what this white man needed to know, at least. This is a major achievement. I read it and said amen. ~ Stephen King
Alma College Hillel Presents…
On Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Alma College’s Heritage Center for the Performing Arts, Vanderbilt Divinity School Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, will present a lecture titled “Jesus the Jewish Storyteller: Hearing the Parables Anew.” Levine’s numerous publications include The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus and Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi. This event is free and open to the public. You can read more here.
January 20 All-Congregation Retreat – “Is UUFCM Your Basecamp?”
We’ve been asking you to save the date for months so now’s the time to share what we have planned. Saturday, January 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. will be our all-congregation retreat – our annual opportunity to gather and spend a portion of a day together focused on some issue of importance to this community. This year our time will be dedicated to varying aspects of the issue of community itself, centering on the question “Is UUFCM Your Basecamp?” This retreat experience is an opportunity to get to know one another better and to dive more deeply into what church means to each of us as individuals and as citizens of the world in this time and place.
We will start our retreat together at 8:30 a.m. with a delicious hot breakfast and the retreat activities facilitated by our minister will conclude at 1:00 p.m. In preparation, we ask that everyone read the UU World article titled “Religious Community Is Not Enough” by Thomas Schade. It can be read online and we will also have hard copies of the article available at the fellowship as well.
In addition to this notice, all members and friends will be contacted by a UUFCM board member with a personal invitation to attend. Please don’t miss this opportunity!
Path to Membership Workshop - January 27
This workshop is designed for those who are ready to make the membership commitment to UUFCM. In this interactive session we explore the deeper meanings and expectations of membership and shared ministry; it is a three-hour session, depending on the size of the group. Childcare can be made available, if needed. Please contact Laura McBride ([email protected]; 989.772.5512;) or Gisela Moffit ([email protected]; 989.772.1602) to reserve your place in the workshop!
• • • Community Events • • •
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week at CMU - January 14-19, 2018
Download the events calendar.
Screening of Walk With Me - Monday, March 5 at 7pm, Reserve by February 23
at Celebration Cinema in Mt. Pleasant
Walk With Me takes place inside the world-famous monastery of Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, and captures the life of a monastic community who have given up all their possessions for one common purpose – to practice the art of mindfulness. This screening will only happen if enough people reserve tickets by February 23. You're only charged for tickets if we’re successful in getting the minimum (or more) reservations. If you plan on attending, please reserve your ticket at https://gathr.us/screening/22302.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week at CMU - January 14-19, 2018
Download the events calendar.
Screening of Walk With Me - Monday, March 5 at 7pm, Reserve by February 23
at Celebration Cinema in Mt. Pleasant
Walk With Me takes place inside the world-famous monastery of Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, and captures the life of a monastic community who have given up all their possessions for one common purpose – to practice the art of mindfulness. This screening will only happen if enough people reserve tickets by February 23. You're only charged for tickets if we’re successful in getting the minimum (or more) reservations. If you plan on attending, please reserve your ticket at https://gathr.us/screening/22302.
Great minds have purpose, others have wishes.
~ Washington Irving
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].
Service Cancellation Policy
In case of inclement weather, a decision to cancel the service will be made by 9 a.m. There are multiple ways to learn the status of a Sunday service in our snowy months. Members and friends may request to join the
Remind app and receive cancellation news via a text or email. In addition, an announcement will be posted on Facebook as well as sent directly via email. Those who are not online will be phoned. If you have questions, call Laura McBride (989-772-5512). We hope we won't have to resort to this very often, but we live in Michigan after all, so we need to be prepared!
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)
Assistant 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].
Service Cancellation Policy
In case of inclement weather, a decision to cancel the service will be made by 9 a.m. There are multiple ways to learn the status of a Sunday service in our snowy months. Members and friends may request to join the
Remind app and receive cancellation news via a text or email. In addition, an announcement will be posted on Facebook as well as sent directly via email. Those who are not online will be phoned. If you have questions, call Laura McBride (989-772-5512). We hope we won't have to resort to this very often, but we live in Michigan after all, so we need to be prepared!
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)
Assistant 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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