Weekly Communicator

Weekly Communicator

March 23, 2023

Sunday Service

Join us this Sunday at 10:30am in the Sanctuary or via Zoom

https://zoom.us/j/5264858673

Minister's Musings

Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." — Warren Bennis

This Sunday we will explore leadership in UU churches as we spiritually prepare for our annual meeting, which will be held right after worship. You can look forward to a wonderful reflection by Jennifer Grant and a message by Rev. Sue that both talk about the value of "yes".

revsue@uucfm.org

WhatsApp call or message: +506 8891 2847

Facebook Messenger: Sue Gabrielson

Skype: suegabes

Please send all newsletter articles by

12pm Wednesday for publication in Thursday's newsletter.

Send articles to newsletter@uucfm.org

**Please do not send requests to the office manager email**

Community Sharing for March

The Southwest Florida Gay & Lesbian Chorus was formed in 1993, at the initiative of Doug Gathers and a small group of founders, despite the problems that would undeniably come with his "coming out" publicly. Since their founding in 1993, they have been a LGBTQ-friendly and all-inclusive 5013c non-profit organization. This group participates in local, regional, and national performances.

Their mission is to provide educational, cultural, and social enrichment for our audience and ourselves through excellence in the choral arts.

The group's name was changed in 2019 from Southwest Florida Gay & Lesbian Chorus to Southwest Florida Voices, to be more inclusive to the LGBTQ-Community and Allies.

If you cannot attend in person, you can still donate by mailing a check to the office with "community sharing" in the subject line, or by using the "donate" button on the website and marking it "community sharing".

Annual Meeting

Our Annual Meeting will be held immediately following Worship Service March 26 in the Sanctuary, as well as on Zoom. This allows the greatest number of members to attend. The link for the meeting will be the same one we use for the Service, found in the Order of Worship emailed that morning.

The tally results will be announced during the meeting, which will also include the customary non-voting elements. We hope that you attend either in person or via Zoom because this event is when we can all begin our future together.

Thank you,

Mary Studer, President

UUCFM Board of Trustees

Coffee Hour

This Sunday there will be no Coffee Hour. Easter is to be determined. April 16th the Quakers will be joining us for a potluck lunch. Someone is needed to handle the cold drinks table every Sunday. Please contact Dorothy Van Howe 239-560-7238.

OUR UU SPOTLIGHT ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

What are we doing and what should we be doing?

March 28, TUUsdays Together, 11am-1pm

Join us in the Screen Room with your lunch and beverage for a meaningful look at what is and isn't happening here at UUCFM with our Social Justice program.

Your input is vital to keep Social Justice meaningful and rewarding to others. Let's not miss another MLKing march, for example. We had been marching every year since 1986. Who is in charge? How can we be of help? Come share on the 28th. Actions are needed more than ever.

Janice Gould

Chrystos

June Jordan

Snarky, Angry, Sad

Work by Queer Indigenous Poets

Poetry Circle, Tuesday March 28

This Tuesday we’ll look at poems by teachers, poets, and activists, who wrote sometimes with humor, sometimes with rage, and sometimes with grief. Their poetry gives powerful voice to Indigenous, Mixed-race, and Queer experience of oppression.

Their work, much of it written decades ago, is sadly relevant at this moment.

The Poetry Circle meets on alternate Tuesdays from 1:00-3:00.

Newcomers are welcome. Contact Judi Dettorre or Cat Pivetti for details, including this week’s poetry and the Zoom link.

New Dream Work Group

"All dreams speak a universal language of metaphor and symbol. The language of the dream is our original native tongue, a common language shared by all human beings." - Jeremy Taylor

New six week long session begins April 15th - May 20th. We meet on Saturday mornings, 10:45am-12:15pm in Room 2. $15.00 fee covers materials and donation to UUCFM and Caloosahatchee Mindfulness. Full scholarships available. Contact Debra Leigh or call her at (831) 818-1418.

Connection Circle

A new six-week-long Connection Circle will begin Sunday May 7th through Sunday June 18th. We will meet from 12:00pm-1:30pm in Room 2. Co-leaders are Helen Leddy and Debra Leigh. Email Debra to let us know you are coming or with any questions.

Passing the Chalice, Once More

As we have done for the past 60+ years, inspired by love we set out to transform ourselves through an inclusive democratic process of electing our congregational leaders each year, reaffirming our faith’s congregational polity of self-governance. Facing many challenges and opportunities, our volunteer

leadership passes the chalice to a new slate of volunteer leaders as determined by all of us. We are grateful for those who have the talent and time to dedicate to the servant leadership of our

Congregation.

As prescribed in our bylaws, this April, after a year of trying to impart wisdom to him, Mary passes the chalice to Bill. So, we both thought it would be valuable to use this transition period to take pride in what we have accomplished in our strategic focus areas and to clarify that to which we aspire for the coming fiscal year.