Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you.
~ Parker J. Palmer
This coming first Sunday of the new year, January 7, we will begin our month-long exploration of the question “What does it mean to be a people of intention?” The message for the morning is titled “Intention vs. Resolution” – we hope you will join us!
“Coming from the Latin word, intentionem, intention literally means a stretching out, a stretching out of mind, of heart, of body, of spirit. When we set an intention, we are turning our attention toward something, or someone, or some idea, and stretching out to meet it.”
~ First Universalist Church of Minneapolis order of service
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 14: “What They Dreamed Be Ours to Do”
January 21: “The Intentional Act of Going to Church”
January 28: TBA
First Friday Potluck - January 5
Join us for our January First Friday communal nosh! Jen Prout will be hosting, and the theme is Dare to Be Daring! Bring something you've never tried before. We will also be celebrating the January birthdays of Janis Shinn, Elizabeth Dealing, Mel Bailey, Stacey Pattison, Doris Hall, and Dawn Daniels. 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: February 2, March 2, April 6, and May 4. If you enjoy the potlucks, please consider hosting - it is fun and easy!
Infant Pantry Collection - This Sunday
Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. Most needed items are things for baby care - diapers and pull-ups in sizes 4, 5 or 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]; 989-772-1602) with questions.
OWL for 4th-6th Graders - Required Parent Meeting on 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 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.
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!
UU World Recommended Read
The winter quarter edition of UU World Magazine is full of wonderful articles, but it contains one piece that resonates well with much of our December worship theme, and just life in winter – it is titled “Grateful for the Dark” – check it out!
Poor People’s Campaign – Justice Warriors Needed
A nationwide effort has been initiated to continue the work begun by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Led in our time by the Rev. Dr. William Barber and the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, the Poor People’s Campaign – A National Call for Moral Revival – was officially launched on December 4 at the National Press Club.
Brought to our attention by recently-retired CMU professor, Dr. Joyce Baugh, there are several ways for us to participate in the PPC in the coming months. Our minister has information to share that will be made available this coming Sunday, but the most efficient way is to visit the website and explore there the various ways to participate and complete the provided sign-up form. https://poorpeoplescampaign.org/
Habits eat good intentions for breakfast.
~ John Ortberg
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])