eNews September 4, 2025

Keep up with what's happening at UUFCM!

View this email in your browser eNews for Thursday, September 4 Worship Matters We will gather online via Zoom and in person this Sunday, September 7th, to worship with Rev. Drew Frantz who will present  "Who I Want to Be I Am." The Zoom call starts at 10:00am for social time, and the service starts at 10:30am.   "This is the fourth and final sermon in a series inspired by the lyrics of India.Arie Simpson: What I seek I have / What I want to know I understand / All I wish I could I can / Who I want to be I am.  Each line of the song lands as an affirmation: of having, of knowing, of doing…and ultimately of being. There is no greater achievement in life than being truly at home in one’s identity and person-hood. For many of us this is elusive, as we must do the work of transcending the false or incomplete versions of ourself that we have embodied. May every person find comfort and confidence in being exactly who they are." Zoom Invitation for Sunday Service: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 402489218 One tap mobile +16468769923,,402489218# Phone - audio only +1 646 876 9923 In Case You Missed It... Many past sermons are available on our website under Sermon Videos and Archives.  In order to access any services 2024 on, go to the website and click on Worship, then Sunday Services.  Minister’s Column: "Ecstatic Dance Lansing"   The group on Facebook is called Ecstatic Dance Lansing, and that’s how I found out about the event Friday night. I found my way to the address they advertised, a park by the river, adjacent to an industrial area, not far from REO Town. They said there would be a drum circle and a dance, so I had brought a drum and some rhythm instruments. As I walked across the grass and over a small rise I saw the group set up in a wide circle, most sitting on blankets, and Megan and Sara greeted me. More...   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 7:00pm Central Michigan Sangha - Tuesdays at 6:45pm Crafty U - 3rd Tuesdays at 10:30am - Cancelled for September First Friday Potluck - First Fridays at 6:30pm - Tomorrow, September 5 Sleepy Time Yoga - 3rd Mondays at 6pm - Starting on September 15 Game Night - 3rd Mondays at 7pm  Movie Night - 4th Saturdays at 7pm  Readers Theater - 2nd Tuesdays at 7pm  Soul Matters Discussion Group - next meeting to be announced UU Discussion Group - Wednesdays at 10am UUFCM Men’s Group - 1st Mondays at 7pm on Zoom UUFCM Women's Circle - On hiatus until further notice Welcome to UU Orientation - last Sunday of the month at 12:00pm unless otherwise indicated  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 Fellowship Life Coordinating Team: Sunday, September 7 at 12:00pm Building and Grounds Team: Monday, September 8 at 5:30pm Social Justice Coordinating Team: Monday, September 8 at 6:30pm Worship Team: Thursday, September 11 at 7:00pm Fellowship News Scam Alert Several congregants have recently 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. First Friday Potuck this Friday September 5th  Please join us in the UUFCM Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm (doors open at 6:15) for food, conversation, and games! Coffee, hot tea, and water will be provided. If you are able, please bring a dish to pass. Infant Pantry This Sunday September 7   Donations for the Infant Pantry are collected on the first Sunday of each month. You can donate online to the Monthly Donations for Infant Pantry on our website, or checks can be sent to our treasurer made out to UUFCM with Infant Pantry in the memo. Questions? Contact Tom Moffit (989-772-1602; [email protected]). Thank you in advance for your generosity Any Changes in Your Life? We are in the process of updating the Directory by printing an Addendum with any changes since February. Do you have a new phone number? new email address? new postal address? new pronouns?  Please send any updates to Gisela ([email protected]) no later than Saturday, September 14, 2025.  Thanks in advance for your help !   Sleepy Time Yoga - Monday, September 15 Kelly Lawson is offering an evening of Yoga Nidra on Monday, September 15, 6:00-7:00 pm in the UU sanctuary. Bring a yoga mat, blankets, pillows, or anything to get cozy. The evening is donation-based, and all donations will go to the homeless shelter (ICRH).   Join Kelly for this gentle and restful practice of Yoga Nidra! The evening will begin with gentle movement before finding rest in Savasana (final resting pose) for a guided meditation. Invitation to a Letter Writing Party The Social Justice Coordinating Team (SJCT) is announcing a letter-writing event on Friday, September 26, 5:30-7:00pm to support a Pennsylvania Supreme Court election coming up on November 5.  Put the date on your calendar to engage in positive action!   Community News “Choose Your Topic” Protest    Saturday, September 6, 10-12, on the corner of Mission and Broadway. Indivisible Central Michigan invites everyone to join to protest any and all issues.  There are plenty to choose from! You can drop in and stay as long as you are able, or plan on driving by in support – honking horns are always welcome! Extra signs are available.  UUA Announces Online Trans Support Groups The UUA is thrilled to announce the launch of The Woodlands, a new all-ages virtual pastoral care program for trans people and their families, beginning this fall. The Woodlands is a monthly online gathering designed for trans children, youth, and adults—as well as the parents and caregivers of trans people. Each session will begin with a shared message and grounding ritual, followed by breakout rooms tailored to different communities within our circle, and we come back together for a release. Sessions will be about an hour and a half. Each breakout room—co-facilitated by two chaplains—will offer space for meaningful check-ins where we can honor our grief, celebrate our joy, and support one another. The spirit of each room will reflect the people within it. For example: The Sequoias Room: for parents and caregivers of trans people The Saplings Room: for trans children and youth The Sycamores Room: for trans adults Our first gathering will be on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at: 4:00 PM Eastern 3:00 PM Central 2:00 PM Mountain 1:00 PM Pacific The sessions will be on the first Sunday of the month thereafter. Register Online This pilot season will run from September 2025 through May 2026—a time for grace, growth, and connection. All of us on the UUA staff who helped bring The Woodlands to life hope you’ll find meaningful community and support in this shared space. Household Waste Collection Let Peace Reign          In recognition of International Day of Peace, there will be an annual event titled “Let Peace Reign” in the Town Center from 3-6 pm on Saturday, September 20.  There will be a peace walk, local speakers on peace, a moment of silence, and other peace-promoting activities.   All are welcome. Learn about the Petitions: What to Know before You Sign    At least six petition drives are underway or could be soon by groups seeking a spot on Michigan’s 2026 ballot for proposals to change laws or the state Constitution. Each will have a title and a summary approved by the Board of State Canvassers. Be sure to read any petition put in front of you before you sign as Michigan law does not require circulators to provide an accurate verbal description of the petitions they're asking you to sign.  Bridge Magazine, an independent non-profit daily newsletter covering Michigan news, has provided an article which highlights the current petitions being circulated in Michigan this summer.  Click HERE to read the complete article.  As well, a copy is posted on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. There are two petitions being circulated concerning rules about voting in Michigan, both of which are trying to make it harder for eligible citizens to register to vote, vote at a precinct, and/or vote absentee. In essence, these petitions, if they garner enough signatures, will go on the ballot in the 2026 midterm election requiring people to prove that they are citizens with documents such as birth certificates or passports. Unfortunately, if on the ballot, they will probably pass because many people will not read the complete language but simply vote “yes” because, of course, we want to make sure that only citizens can vote (already a requirement to vote). The action needed by all of us to keep these two issues off the ballot in November 2026 is to educate everyone we know – family, friends, neighbors – to NOT sign these two petitions. If you are asked to sign a petition having anything to do with voting, we urge you to NOT sign. If you would like to do more, please contact Norma Bailey ([email protected]) who can share more information with you and/or give you “decline to sign” flyers to hand out to people. Click HERE for flyer. 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. 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    Tuesdays 10am-noon   Wednesdays 1-3pm and 8-9pm   UUFCM Board of Trustees for 2025-2026 President: Norma Bailey (989.560.3952; [email protected]) President-Elect: Guy Newland (989.944.0534; newla1g[email protected]) Treasurer: David Allan (989.941.7349; [email protected]) Secretary: Jennifer Davis (989.280.7010; [email protected]) Trustee: Annette Pratt (989.400.0173; [email protected]) Trustee: Jennifer Prout (989.400.3130; [email protected]) Trustee: Marco Muñoz-Fortino (989-600-6738; [email protected]) Team and Committee Leaders Adult Religious Education Team - Jodi Fisher Building, Grounds & Safety Team - Norma Bailey Caring Team - 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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