Weekly Communicator

Weekly Communicator

February 16, 2022

Sunday Service

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

https://zoom.us/j/5264858673

Minister's Musings

This week... Have you heard of Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras? What do these have to do with Unitarian Universalism? And how might pretzels fit into this story. Come find out this Sunday when Rev. Sue and Lesley Gatto explore Lent during worship. February is a short visit, but I am looking forward to spending more time with you beginning in March. Please keep your eyes on the Communicator for more information. Also, if you have not turned in your pledge card yet, please do so as soon as possible so that we can plan in earnest for next year. Every contribution, large or small is important! See you on Sunday. Rev. Sue

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 February

The SWFL RESET Center was founded in 2020 by UUCFM members and committed community activists seeking to be a positive force for change in SWFL. The RESET office is located on the UUCFM Campus. RESET contributes to the Community Gardens and will continue to partner with other organizations seeking to teach and practice regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and community leadership.

SWFL RESET Center offers ongoing free programs and online RESET Conversations educating the public about real solutions for Clean Water, and Environmental Justice in our bioregion. Check out our positive daily messaging called Earth Moments and help us spread the word by sharing, reflecting, and commenting on social media. Stay tuned for our upcoming programming called Being a Good Relative, a UUSC, UUFJ, RESET partnership about working with our Indigenous neighbors in the Everglades on Climate Justice.

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".

BOT Announcement

The Board of Trustees is delighted to announce that Rev. Sue has agreed to renew her contract with us this August. While she's currently half-time, she'll then be our minister at 3/4 time. Rev. Sue will continue to travel from her home in Costa Rica, but expects to be with us in person two Sundays most months.

Scout Sunday

The Scouts joined us on February 12 to recognize the contributions of young people and adults to Scouting. During the service, they gave us a wonderful picture that we can display. After service, they provided a lunch of chicken or falafel sandwiches. It was great to see so many new faces in the pews!

ROOTS AND WINGS

STEWARDSHIP PROGRESS

A Big THANK YOU to all who have participated in our Annual Generosity Campaign. We appreciate the timely sermon from Rev. Sue, the testimonials from members, the beautiful brochure designed by Bill Petrarca, and all of you who participated in our Listening Sessions last month. We have a core of very committed and interested congregants. However, there are many people we have not yet heard from, and our current level of 2023-2024 pledges is much less than what we need to maintain our current operations.

Though the “formal campaign” officially ended last Sunday, we are still hopeful we will hear from others in the near future. If you waited until the last minute to think about your commitment to UUCFM, the time is now. Members of the Stewardship Committee will be contacting members who have not either indicated their support for UUCFM or let us know that they are –very sadly—leaving us. Remember if there is financial hardship, you can apply for a confidential waiver from the Membership Committee.

If you have not yet let us know your intentions for supporting UUCFM for the coming fiscal year, here is a link you can use for a digital pledge card. If you prefer a paper commitment card, you can pick one up at the Welcome Table on Sunday. All pledges are confidential. You can also call

or email Denise at the UUCFM office for help in making a pledge or to learn the status of your present commitment. It is important that we hear from EVERYONE, even if your current contributions are automatically paid.

NEW MEMBER CELEBRATION SERVICE FEBRUARY 19

With great rejoicing, a New Member Celebration service on February 19 will recognize new Members and celebrate all those who joined last year. Nineteen new members were welcomed into our Congregation in 2022! And ten have joined since Rev. Sue Gabrielson became our new minister in August!

BTW: For returning visitors, your inquiries about becoming a member are very welcome - Contact us or our Minister, or in person on Sunday mornings at the Welcome table.

Potluck

We are having one of our fabulous Pot Luck lunches on Sunday the 19th. Please bring a food dish to share, either store bought or home made , it will be enjoyed by all. Thank you from Dorothy.

TUUSDAYS Together

PLAY READING, Feb. 21st and Feb. 28th -COME AND ENJOY

Readers are needed and welcomed for fun and fellowship. Our UUCFM celebratory play, VOICES FROM OUR PAST, presented for our 40th year, February 22, 2002, is being reread on Tuesday, February 21st and February 28th to celebrate our over 60 years. Play readers will gather in Hobart Hall from 10am-2pm with a break for lunch. Bring your own lunch and beverage. This 26 page play has a large cast, written by members Bill and Dee West. It has 2 Acts, a Prologue and Musical Finale. You will find it heartwarming and a tribute to our first 40 years when we built our present Shire Lane. Contact Suzanne Ziemer.

The Green Amendment

Dr. Maya Van Rossum is a force of nature! She will present key concepts and examples of Green Amendments from her new book, The Green Amendment: The People's Fight for a Clean, Safe, and Healthy Environment. She will discuss how we arrived at our current climate and environmental status as a nation, what needs to happen, why constitutional amendments are the only viable way forward from a systemic perspective, and ways to empower environment advocates wanting real change.

POETRY: Indigenous Two-Spirit Poets

The UUCFM Poetry Circle will meet next on Tuesday, February 28, from 1:00-3:00pm, via Zoom. We will continue discussions of poetry by Queer/Two-Spirit Indigenous poets, especially in relationship to oppression, racism, faith, and politics. Deborah Miranda, a professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, and Qwo-Li Driskill, a professor at Oregon State University, were two of the co- editors of Sovereign Erotics. Deborah is the author of Bad Indians, and Qwo-Li is the author of Asegi Stories. This month our readings include poems each of

them, from their Indigenous perspectives, wrote about the 2018 conflicts, murder, and white supremacist displays during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, as well as some of their other work. We’ll read some of Qwo-Li’s unpublished poems, including “Charlottesville.” Please join us as we honor Black History Month and discuss work by these activist writers and teachers, and maybe some of our own poetry as well, remembering that our struggles are not separate.

Newcomers are always welcome. Contact Cat Pivetti or Judi Dettore for more information and links.

The Southwest Florida 2023 Solar Co-op is open!

Dear Friends,

Have you ever thought about putting solar panels on your roof?

This is a great time to do it! Together with other local organizations, All Faiths is teaming up with nonprofit group Solar United Neighbors (SUN) to bring you the Southwest Florida 2023 Solar Co-op — a free group to help you go solar. The solar co-op will help area homeowners and small business owners learn about solar together and purchase solar panels at a group rate from a single installer.

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Attend a Free Information Session

March 14 th 6:00-7:30 p.m.

All Faiths Unitarian Congregation

2756 McGregor Blvd.

Ft. Myers, FL 33901

March Hare's Tea Party

March 18, Sat at 4pm you are invited to join us for the March Hare's Tea Party. We will have various teas with yummy finger food and tarts. This is sponsored by CUUPS and we are asking for a $10 donation to cover food costs. This is part of the spring equinox celebration and it is open to all. If you are coming please contact CUUPSFM, so we have a bit of a headcount. If one so desires you can dress for the occasion although it is not mandatory.

Recent Campus Work

Rev. Sue's husband, Ulises, made some beautiful lattice for us.

Guardians of the Gardens did some work in the gardens.

FLORIDA VOTERS: Renew your Vote By Mail Status

Under Florida law, all Vote-by-Mail requests expired at the end of 2022. That means everyone who wants to Vote by Mail must update their Vote by Mail status. (Your request will be effective until after the Nov. 2024 elections, then must again be requested.) You can do this by phone! People who have tried this report that it was VERY EASY and VERY QUICK; and, the clerk who answered the phone at the Supervisor of Elections' (SOE) Office was VERY NICE. Do it ASAP and beat the rush!!! Call 239-LEE-VOTE (533-8683).

Allergic to the telephone? You can also re-up on-line at the Supervisor of Elections' (SOE) website.