Weekly Communicator

Weekly Communicator

October 13, 2022

Sunday Service

Join us this Sunday at 10:30am via Zoom only

https://zoom.us/j/5264858673

Minister's Musings

Our worship this Sunday is entitled “Living from the Heart”. We will gather via ZOOM ONLY. The campus still does not have a working fire alarm or suppression system, and there are some problems with water sometimes. SO, we will wait until the following week and we will all gather in person!

Ulises and I are looking forward to being with you next week and for the service on the 23rd. We would like to invite you to a dinner on Thursday night at 5:00pm and a congregational breakfast on on Saturday morning at 8:30am (look for more details in next week’s notices). We would also love folks to bring food (as you are able) to have a pot luck lunch after our service on the 23rd.

Please continue to be in touch if you have needs or know of others who do!

Campus closed until further notice

Due to Hurricane Ian, the campus will remain closed until further notice. No programs will be held.

If you do need to come to campus, please call first, to ensure that someone will be here.

There will be another work party this weekend. See below.

Saturday Work Party

Our UUCFM grounds need cleaning after Hurricane Ian. This will consist mostly of raking. Please join us on Saturday the 15th from 9am-12pm. Thank you. Dorothy Van Howe 239-560-7238.

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**

Hurricane Ian donations

All of us have been affected by Ian in many different degrees of loss and trauma. If you are able, I ask you to donate to the Minister Discretionary Fund to aid Rev. Sue in helping others recover from their losses. You can mail a check or use the Donate button on the lower right side on our website. You'll be able to designate your donation to the Fund by clicking on the + sign next to "Please let us know about this donation".

Thanks for your generosity in helping us all get through this.

Mary Studer

President, Board of Trustees

Housing Needed

If you or anyone you know has an apartment or house to rent, please contact the Pastoral Care Associates via Mary Cline Golbitz by phone/text 207 479-4082 or email.

We have members and friends who need a new home after theirs were destroyed and we appreciate any help you can give.

Thank you so much.

Links from the UUTRM

During last Sunday's service, the ministers from the UUTRM mentioned a couple of resources to help those of us here in SWFL during our recovery from Hurricane Ian. Here are the links to those resources:

One Page Handout

Guide for Parents

COME SHARE TOGETHER AT A THANKFUL PARTY

WHEN: Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24th

WHERE: Hobart Hall

Dinner at 1pm. Food provided. (Donation for cost)

Afternoon of sharing, music, singing, dancing and other activities.

Contact Dorothy Van Howe by Tuesday, Nov. 22nd to RSVP.

We need to know how many dinners to prepare.

COME AND ENJOY!

Email or call 239-560-7238

Community Sharing

Our Community Sharing partner this month is Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. The mission of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, an affiliate of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., is to provide affordable access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care and accurate health information through patient care, education and advocacy. This affiliate began operations in 1966 and presently provides vital sexual and reproductive health services, as well as comprehensive sexuality education to women, men and teens throughout southwest and central Florida.

A THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE STEWARDSHIP TEAM

APPRECIATION FOR YOUR ANNUAL PLEDGE OR GIFT

We are at the half-way point in our budget year, and we THANK YOU for your GENEROSITY and your faithful support of UUCFM. You can expect a report on the status of your pledge around mid October. Because of the nature of our software, it can only reaffirm what your pledge for FYE 2022-23 is and will let you know what remains to be donated by March 31, 2023. If you have any questions about the report or about any donations you may have made, please contact Denise at the UUCFM office 239-561-2700.

AND HOORAY FOR YOUR REACH CAMPAIGN DONATIONS!

Committed members of this congregation made 41 pledges or made additional gifts to the REACH Campaign totaling $51,840 last fall. We cannot thank you enough! These funds have

enabled us to search for a minister this year. We are so pleased that Rev. Sue and UUCFM have found each other. Most of the REACH donations have already been received—91%. We

hope for 100% by the end of this calendar year. Again, if you have any questions about the status of your REACH gift or donation, please contact the UUCFM office.

In gratitude, Your Stewardship team

UUCFM Choir

We will be rehearsing in preparation for singing on Sunday, October 23 when Rev. Sue will be in-person with us for Sunday worship service.

We will meet at 5:30pm on Wednesday, October 19th

And then on Sunday, October 23 at 9:30am in the Sanctuary prior to the service.

When arriving for Rehearsals, please use the CENTER Sanctuary Doors.

If you have questions, please reach out to Suellen at music@uucfm.org.

CUUPS New Moon Thursdays

CUUPS Annual Meeting

The CUUPs Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, October 20 at 5:00PM in the Narthax at the UUCFM. This Meeting will take place before the Potluck dinner and the New Moon Ritual scheduled for that evening.

According to the CUUPs Bylaws:

"Members will be notified of the meeting at least thirty days in advance by Chapter Coordinators.

The right to vote shall be reserved to those CUUPS members who have been involved more than 60 days and paid annual dues for current membership no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date of voting."

CONNECTION CIRCLE

Would you like to connect with others at UUCFM? Connection Circles are a great way for new UUs and guests as well as long term members to get to know others. These circles have a long standing history in our congregation and have been well received by those who participate.

Each session begins with a chalice lighting and reading, followed by a check-in and guided discussion. The topic is sent out several days in advance of each session with quotes and possible questions for discussion. Mary Cline Golbitz and Leslie Gatto co-facilitate.

The next six session circle will be held on the first and third Thursdays at 1:30 via Zoom beginning in October. The dates are 10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 12/1, and 12/15. We ask that you make a commitment to attend all sessions, but exceptions can be made.

Please contact Leslie Gatto at 239.850.9664 or gatto.leslie@gmail.com to sign up.

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday Nov 26, 10:00am-3:00pm

Save your seeds and starts too!

Hurricane Update

We have had remarkably little damage to our garden beds. We did have a tool cupboard and a chest broken apart. Sweet potato plants look fine. The irrigation system is not currently working, so we don’t know if our season will start on October 15 or not. We did harvest three Seminole pumpkins.

We will start seeding flats for our food bank beds in partnership with Hope Clubhouse and Community Cooperative. We may also have some starts available for our bed renters. Please be patient.

Revised Covid Protocol

The efficacy of vaccines and treatments has significantly reduced Covid’s danger for most of us. As a result, the protocols for campus events have been revised:

MASKS ARE OPTIONAL BUT ENCOURAGED in the sanctuary during worship services.
Masks are optional for coffee and other functions in Hobart Hall.
In classrooms, the library and other small spaces, masks are still required UNLESS everyone present agrees otherwise. We’ll continue to be respectful and protective of those of us whose immunity is impaired.
Worship services will continue to be available via Zoom.

Although the Covid risk level will continue to fluctuate, I’m sure all of us hope the worst of the pandemic is behind us. We’ll continue to monitor the risk and change the guidelines as needed to protect our congregation.

Please reach out to me with any questions at UUCFMPresident@UUCFM.org

Namaste,

Mary Studer

President, UUCFM Board of Trustees