NOVEMBER 2023

SECTIONS INCLUDED THIS MONTH:

Staff Notes

Children & Youth Religious Enrichment

Adult Religious Education

Small Group Ministry

Around the Fellowship

Pagan Events

Volunteer Spotlight

Onsite Activities

Showing Up for Social Justice

CYRE CALENDAR

NOVEMBER

5th CYRE Classes; Nursery

12th CYRE Classes; Nursery

19th Worship For All Ages; Nursery Only

26th No Classes or Nursery (Service is Zoom-only)

DECEMBER

3rd Worship For All Ages: Wassail; Nursery Only

10th CYRE Classes; Nursery

17th childcare available for kids up to 12 years old (no service; congregational meeting instead)

24th TBD (more info soon) (service is at 7:00 PM)

31st No Classes or Nursery (no Service today)

JANUARY

7th Pajama Worship For All Ages; Nursery Only

GET INVOLVED WITH OUR

CHILDREN and YOUTH

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

PROGRAM

Our Children and Youth Religious Education Program is open to EVERYONE, whether you have children in the CYRE program or not. Would you like to help the teachers with their classes? Would you like to help plan family-oriented events? Would you like to know more about our program, and what we have to offer children, youth, and their families?

If you have any questions about our Children and Youth Religious Education Program, please contact our Lifespan Religious Education Representative, Shannon Harper, at lre.rep@mvuuf.org, or our Director of Religious Education, Somaya Bernard, at re@mvuuf.org.

FAMILY AREA IN THE SANCTUARY

We have added some activity supplies to a table at the back of the Sanctuary (just inside the doors at the west end of the room). When you are entering the Sanctuary, feel free to pause a moment and find something to keep you little one(s) occupied during the service, if you'd like to do so.

After service, please make sure to return the supplies so that we can continue to enjoy them during future services. And if you make any "creations" with the wiki stix, feel free to keep them, or leave them behind to inspire other artists!

SCRIPTURE STUDY

Sunday Mornings, 9:00 AM, on Zoom

If you are interested in learning about different religions, and especially in the writings from those different religions, then you should consider attending our weekly Scripture Study. They meet every Sunday morning, beginning at 9:00 AM on Zoom; you can contact John Bierman if you have any questions at johnbierman78@gmail.com.

To join their Zoom meeting, use the information posted below:

To join the gathering online, click the link below---

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/424304843?pwd=RFcyeTlpR2J5bVRoZlk3TElEU3UzUT09

Passcode: 720015 Meeting ID: 424 304 843

If joining by phone:

Dial 1 312 626 6799 or 1 646 876 9923 and at the prompts enter

Passcode: 720015 and Meeting ID: 424 304 843

DAYTIME BOOK CLUB

Fourth Wednesday Each Month

Wednesday, NOV 15th, 10:30 AM, on Zoom

Our Daytime Book Club is now usually meeting on the 4th Wednesday of the month---on Zoom--- to discuss a featured book. Please note that for the months of November & December, the group will be meeting on the third Wednesday of each month, due to the holidays.

On November 15th, they will discuss:

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro; this book was originally scheduled for October, but choices were moved back a month because the September gathering was cancelled.

After that, they will discuss:

December 20th---The River by Peter Heller

January 24th---Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

February 28th---A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

If you'd like to join them online, please click the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83229588801?pwd=RHlBM2Z4WnBXZzJyWnc3WmpRN3VuUT09

Meeting ID: 832 2958 8801 Passcode: 224361

If joining by phone:

Dial 1 312 626 6799 or 1 646 876 9923 and at the prompts enter

Meeting ID: 832 2958 8801 and Passcode: 224361

WOMEN'S GROUP

Sunday Mornings, 9:00 AM, on Zoom

Each Sunday morning, six to nine women gather via Zoom from 9-10:00 AM for an hour of UU fellowship. During the past year, we have been using the Touchstones journal as our resource, along with an additional source called Exploration. There is a different topic each month, and our use of Touchstones will continue for another year.

This group keeps us connected to each other, and to MVUUF. The group is open to women of all ages, and to all who identify as women. We would like to grow in size, too.

To join the Sunday morning gathering online, click on the link below---

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/339923301?pwd=eFJVNWZaSTRPdHQ5NkM4REt2WTg3QT09

Passcode: 042027 Meeting ID: 339 923 301

If joining by phone:

Dial 1 312 626 6799 or 1 646 876 9923 and at the prompts enter

Passcode: 042027 and Meeting ID: 339 923 301

AROUND THE FELLOWSHIP

What's Ahead:

Listening Sessions, Community Discussion Group,

Pastoral Care Associates, Board Meeting, Special Board Meeting, Production Team

The Community Discussion Group has decided to meet onsite more often! Here's their new schedule:

First Sundays: meeting on Zoom

Second Thru 5th Sundays: meeting in the Founders' Room at MVUUF

They don't have an agenda, or set topics, and they welcome ALL people who want to find a place to meet, talk, and find community. For more information, please contact Ken Schory at 937-748-4874 or ken@kenschory.com.

PASTORAL CARE ASSOCIATES

The Pastoral Care Team at MVUUF is a group of lay leaders who volunteer their time to tend to the heart of our community. Led & guided by Rev. Kellie, this group reaches out to or works with individuals who reach out to the Team who are in need—for many different reasons. You can reach out to anyone on the Team at any time, using the contacts below, or pastoralcare@mvuuf.org; rest assured all info is kept confidential.

BOARD MEETING

Sunday, NOV 19th,

3:00 PM, on Zoom

Our Board meetings are open to EVERYONE, and time is set aside at the beginning of the meeting to answer any questions our members and friends may have for Board members.

In November, the Board will meet on Sunday, November 19th, on Zoom, using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81521323250?pwd=YWgxKzlWRnJXZDFiTG9pT1ZYbWIrdz09

Meeting ID: 815 2132 3250 Passcode: 003493

If joining by phone:

Dial 1 312 626 6799 or 1 646 876 9923 and at the prompts enter

Meeting ID: 815 2132 3250 and Passcode: 003493

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

PLEASE NOTE: SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30th, 7:00 PM, on Zoom



At this special board meeting we will be discussing the "next steps" in our discernment process. ALL are welcome to attend. To do so, please use the Zoom link provided above.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Thursday, NOV 28th,

7:00 PM, on Zoom

The Production team typically meets on the 4th Tuesday each month at 7:00 PM on Zoom. This team includes Zoom host and co-host roles as well as on-site AV Booth and Mevo roles. Those interested in learning more about what we do and potentially volunteering on this team are invited to join us.

You can do so by using the Zoom link below:

https://uuma.zoom.us/j/95267921276?pwd=aFdkK1VuY1BZd0NWZllEcHdPUHJKUT09 

Meeting ID: 952 6792 1276 Passcode: 051561

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

This Month: Jen Linck

This month, we're putting member & volunteer Jen Linck in the spotlight!

The list of Jen Linck's volunteering activities is quite lengthy, and here's something to keep in mind while reading through her list: she's a full time Speech Therapist for Mad River Local Schools. I mean, when is the last time you've heard of a teacher having extra time to spend volunteering? We aren't sure how she gets it all done, but she does!

She's been a Peace Hero Captain, a co-leader of the 2023-2024 Pledge Drive, an MVUUF Ambassador, a Greeter at Sunday service, and helped to start the Dayton Immigration Transportation Support Network. She has served 4 terms on MVUUF's Board as a Trustee, Secretary, and Program Council Chair. And she is also a member of the Sunday Worship Production Team, and enjoys attending Game Nights and bringing yummy things to potluck meals, too.

That's a lot, right? Now consider that she became a member of MVUUF in 2017, and it's even more inspiring to know that she accomplished all of this in just the past 6 years!

We are so thankful for ALL Jen does, with her helpful heart & smiling face, helping to keep MVUUF doing what it does best--caring for others, and having fun!

The next time you see Jen, please thanks her!

PAGAN EVENTS

What's Ahead: Chalice of the Willow Discussion Group,

CUUPS Events for October

CHALICE OF THE WILLOW (CUUPS)

DISCUSSION GROUP

Second Sunday Each Month

Sunday, NOV 12th, 12:30 PM,

in the Founders' Room



Our pagan group, Chalice of the Willow (CUUPS) has a discussion group on the second Sunday of each month, beginning at 12:30 PM. It's a great way to find out a little bit more about pagan beliefs & traditions, and to converse with others in a comfortable, non-judgmental atmosphere.

This group will be meeting (in-person only) at MVUUF; you can find out more by contacting Tina Porter at ladyosun@yahoo.com.

CUUPS' EVENTS for NOVEMBER

ONSITE ACTIVITIES

What's Ahead: Matt Meyer Workshops, Joining Session, Smart Choices, Men's Group, Gelato FUNdraiser, Welcome Session, Acoustic Folk Jam, Thanksgiving Dinner, Sewing Circus,

JOINING SESSION

Saturday, NOV 4th, 2-4:00 PM, in the Founders' Room

Are you ready to become an MVUUF member?

If so, please join Rev. Kellie for a Joining Session Saturday, November 4th from 2-4:00 PM in the Founders' Room. We will explore the covenantal nature of Unitarian Universalism and discuss what our fellowship's membership means. Our New Member Recognition service will be Sunday, DEC 10th during the regular worship service.

SMART CHOICES

Second Thursday Each Month

Thursday, NOV 9th, 11:30 PM, at MCL Cafeteria in Kettering

This group of ladies has been getting together for quite a few years, celebrating birthdays & enjoying each other's company. They have a GREAT time, and would like you to know that you're invited to join them!

They get together on the second Thursday of each month, at 11:30 AM, at MCL Cafeteria, in Kettering. If you'd like more information, please feel free to give Allie Petersen a call at 937-672-5301.

INTERESTED IN FORMING A MEN'S GROUP?

Info Gathering Meeting on Sunday, NOV 12th, 12:30 PM at MVUUF

Do you identify as a man? Would you be interested in forming a Men's Group?

If so, please connect with Ian Hogan after the service on Sunday, NOV 12th; if you won't be at MVUUF at that time, you can also share your thoughts directly with an email to him:

hoganmathematics@gmail.com



We've included a picture of Ian (at left) in case you haven't yet met him!

GELATO FUNDRAISER FOR MVUUF!

Thursday, NOV 16th, 4-8:00 PM,

Tom & Dot's Gelato Shop (36 S. Main Street, Miamisburg)



Here's something fun to do: enjoy delicious gelato at one of Rev. Kellie's favorite places for sweet treats, and earn some money for MVUUF!

Click on the picture below to print the flyer (flyers will also be available at MVUUF, as well)---make sure to bring it with you!

We can't wait to see you there!

WELCOME SESSION

Sunday, NOV 19th, 12:15 PM,

in the Library following the Worship Service



Are you new to MVUUF? Would you like to know more about the Fellowship and what we have to offer?

We offer a Welcome Session monthly where you'll have the opportunity to find out more about our Fellowship and meet members of MVUUF.

We hope to see you there!

ACOUSTIC FOLK JAM SESSION

Third Tuesday Each Month

Tuesday, NOV 21st, 7:00 PM, in the Gathering Space

We gather on the third Tuesday of each month, starting at 7:00 PM at the Fellowship. Please feel free to bring any music/lead sheets or just lyrics you'd like to share. Instrumentalists, singers and just "listeners" are all welcome!

No need to RSVP... the more the merrier! Hope to see you there.

THANKSGIVING DINNER AT MVUUF

Thursday, NOV 23rd, 1:00 PM, at MVUUF

Start planning NOW to join us at MVUUF on Thanksgiving Day, beginning at 1:00 PM, for our annual holiday dinner!

The dinner is FREE and ALL are welcome to attend, with or without contributions. We hope donations will be roast turkey & stuffing, spiral ham, cranberry sauce, potatoes & gravy, sweet potatoes, salads, vegetables, rolls & butter, plus apple cider, soft drinks, desserts. Set-up and clean-up volunteers will also be needed.

As we did last year, we are asking that everyone bring their own tableware so that no one gets stuck washing A LOT of dishes/we end up throwing away A LOT of paper plates; in other words, let's be environmentally-friendly!

Please use the link below to access SignUp Genius:

 SignUp Genius

SEWING CIRCUS

On Break for NOV & DEC

Sewing Circus will be on a short break for the months of November and December; look for us to continue meeting to work on crafty projects on Saturday, January 24th.

For now, let's take a look at the beautiful quilt made by Joyce Hite!

SHOWING UP FOR

SOCIAL JUSTICE

What's Ahead: Guest At Your Table, Social Justice Committee, Taproot, The Castle, An Invitation to Reflect on Thanksgiving,

The Uplift

GUEST AT YOUR TABLE NOV 2023:

PURSUING LIBERATION

Guest at Your Table (GAYT) is the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s annual intergenerational program to raise support for and awareness about key human rights issues. Since UUSC works in more than 20 countries, with over 50 grassroots partners, there are thousands of individuals involved in and who benefit from the work that our members make possible. The program is an opportunity to celebrate grassroots partnership, support human rights, and learn about just four of these individuals—the “guests” in Guest at Your Table.

Featured "guests" this year are: The Foundation for Justice and the Democratic Rule of Law; The National Temporary Protected Status Alliance; The Alliance for Black Justice in Poland; and The Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change. Each "guest" will be featured in eBlasts during the month so that we all have a chance to learn more about them.

Donations to Guest at Your Table help advance community-led human rights initiatives around the world. Donations of $150 or more are eligible to be matched by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY.

To donate online, please use this secure donation page which can also be accessed via the shortcut uusc.org/givetoguest. To donate by mail, please make checks out to “UUSC” with “Guest” or “GAYT” in the memo field, and send to: UUSC • PO Box 808 • Newark, NJ 07101-0808.

(please note that the donations should go directly to the UUSC; MVUUF does NOT collect these funds)

SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE

NOW the Second Thursday of Each Month

Thursday, NOV 9th, 6:00 PM, on Zoom

NEW TIME THIS MONTH ONLY!!!

Our Social Justice Committee offers many different ways for you to "be the change" you'd like to see in the world: immigration action, improving conditions in west Dayton, literacy & tutoring projects, and the list goes on.

Feel free to join their next meeting by using the info below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85022429356?pwd=dmhiKzIzZzhvTTdwbTBpQ1JzWVlpdz09

Passcode: 613674 Meeting ID: 850 2242 9356

To join by phone:

Dial 1 312 626 6799 or 1 646 876 9923 and at the prompts enter

Passcode: 613674 and Meeting ID: 850 2242 9356

TAPROOT: A NATIONAL BIPOC SPACE

Second Thursday Each Month

Thursday, NOV 9th, 9:00 PM, online

The work of spiritual community is complicated in the 21st century. The need for faithful leadership that is grounded and resilient is imperative. This is all the more true for leaders within our communities and congregations who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC).

All too aware of this need, Congregational Life is excited to explore and co-create a network with congregational leaders that support them in this time in emergent ways through Taproot: A National BIPOC Space. BIPoC Leaders rooted in the Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in this monthly, virtual gathering.

To register online, please visit:

https://uua.wufoo.com/forms/m1w669841ox9xn1/

AN INVITATION TO THE CASTLE

Third Monday Each Month

Monday, NOV 20th, 11:30 AM

The Social Justice Committee invites YOU to join other members who are sharing their time and talents with The Castle!

The lunch team needs more volunteers. Each month, it designs a new menu and prepares a meal for the third Monday, dropping items off at The Castle by 11:30 AM. Lunch is then served by the staff. If you would like to join the team, please call Mary Lou Heitkamp at 937-291-1831 (home) or 937-615-7295 (mobile) early in the month. She will then call you when they have set the menu, to determine which item you can provide for 15-35 people. Try it for a month; hopefully, some of you will decide to make a regular habit of it! 

AN INVITATION TO REFLECT ON THANKSGIVING

---from The Social Justice Committee

Each Sunday, MVUUF's worship service begins with a land acknowledgement including the following words: "This acknowledgement is neither a beginning, nor an end--it sits in a history overflowing with broken promises, lies, and violence [toward the United States' indigenous peoples.] Our shared faith calls us to name this truth as one small effort toward healing the wounds of our past and building a shared future marked by true equality, equity, and peace." The Social Justice Committee believes that "Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning" reveals important information to help UUs understand the truth of our nation's early history with the indigenous and its impact today.

Our committee also supports and appreciates Rev. Kellie's ongoing development of connections between MVUUF and local Native Elder Guy Jones and, more recently, the local indigenous organization WETU (Women, Earth, Truth, Unity).

Thanksgiving As a Day of Mourning

(This reading, from the UUA Worship Web, is excerpted from Rev. Myke Johnson's essay, "Stolen Lands, Stolen Children" published in her book Finding Our Way Home.

In 1617, a few years before English settlers landed, an epidemic began to spread through the area that became southern New England. It likely came from British fishermen, who had been fishing off the coast for decades. By 1620, ninety to ninety-six percent of the population had died. It decimated the tribes, and left many of their villages empty.

One of the villages was Patuxet. When the English settlers arrived in Plymouth Harbor they found a cleared village with fields recently planted in corn. This was a big part of the reason they chose it for their settlement. All of the village's people had died from the epidemic, except for Tisquantum, whom we know as Squanto. We never really hear the whole story about Squanto. We hear he taught the settlers how to plant corn and fish and hunt the local area. But how was it that he spoke English? Here's the story as told by James W. Loewen:

As a boy, along with four Penobscots, he was probably stolen by a British captain in about 1605 and taken to England. There he probably spent nine years, two in the employ of a Plymouth merchant who later...helped him arrange a passage back to Massachusetts.

He was to enjoy home life for less than a year...in 1614, a British slave raider seized him and two dozen fellow Indians and sold them into slavery in Malaga, Spain. Squanto escaped from slavery...made his way back to England, and in 1619 talked a ship captain into taking him along (as a guide) on his next trip to Cape Cod.

Squanto walked home to his village, only to make the horrifying discovery that he was the sole member of his village still alive. All the others had perished in the epidemic two years before.

Perhaps this was why Tisquantum was willing to help the Plymouth Colony, which had settled in his people's village. Or perhaps he was there to keep an eye on them.

The settlers, too, lost half their people during the first hard winter. There were only fifty-three settlers who survived until the harvest festival that was later declared to be the first Thanksgiving.

It was a brief moment of tentative peace. One generation later, the English settlers and the Wampanoag were at war. For many Native people in our time, the day called Thanksgiving has become a Day of Mourning, for the hundreds of years of losses suffered by their people.

To learn more about the observance of this National Day of Mourning since 1970, watch the video created by the Native American marketing agency, Smoke Sygnals, posted on the 1620-2020 Mayflower 400 UK site

UPLIFT: UUA TRANSGENDER/NON-BINARY MONTHLY GATHERING

Fourth Tuesday Each Month

Tuesday, NOV 28th, 8-9:30 PM, online



Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings focused on trans, non-binary, and other not (completely or at all) cis UUs. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. All you need to bring is yourself (and other trans/nonbinary friends, if you’d like)!

These gatherings focus on getting to know each other and on sharing our collective dreams, ideas, and talents for this space. Expansive definitions of trans, nonbinary, and UU all apply. If you are interested in this space, and you aren’t cisgender, it’s a space for you.

NOTE: This space is intentionally multi-generational. It is open to and welcoming of trans/nonbinary elders as well as children, youth, and young adults. Standard UUA online safety measures apply to ensure all people under 18 are able to attend. We're glad to have you here!

To join them online, use the link below:

online at https://www.uua.org/lgbtq/transnb