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Weekly Communicator
April 28, 2022
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Sunday Service
Join us this Sunday at 10:30am in the Sanctuary* or via Zoom at
https://zoom.us/j/5264858673
or listen to audio only at UUCFM.org
*Please remember that masking and social distancing indoors remains in effect
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During the month of May we are exploring the theme of Nurturing Beauty. What is beauty and how does it affect our lives?
Please join us this Sunday May 1st, as we begin our exploration of this theme by Noticing the Beauty all around us and looking at how beauty can inspire us to action. The Service will be led by Lay Minister Mary Cline Golbitz, Worship Associate Gary Robbins and Karen Brown, Board member and member of Ministry for the Earth. We look forward to connecting with you this Sunday May 1st.
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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**
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Dance Around the Maypole!
May 1 - May Day!
Wear your flowery best to join the fun and celebrate the holiday that celebrates the rites of Spring.
Gather at 12:30 in the screen room. We will then process to the Maypole and dance the ribbons ‘round the pole, sing, dance and be merry!
Bring chairs, bug spray (always), and flowers from your home garden or yard if you have them.
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Earth Day celebration
We had a wonderful turn out for our Earth Day celebration last Friday! Thank you to all who attended.
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Ministry For Earth
Field Trip to Lee County Waste To Energy Facility
Several UU members took a trip to Lee County Waste to Energy Facility. It was exciting!!! Yes, exciting because it is an awesome reminder that Lee County’s Waste and Energy facility has “provided a safe and economical disposal of the garbage generated in unincorporated Lee County, its municipalities, and the garbage generated in neighboring Hendry County.” In one huge building, all the recycled items are sorted - paper, metal, cardboard, plastic and glass. They are separated by type, baled and sent to secondary markets. In another huge building the waste to energy happens. “They burn more than 1,8000 tons per day of garbage while producing enough electricity to supply approximately 36,000 homes.” How this happens is fascinating. Ministry For Earth will be setting up another Field Trip to this facility in the future. If you would like to take the tour, you can email Pat Linhoff so she knows you are interested. Pat can be reached at freckles345@comcast.net.
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WELCOME NEW MEMBER
BONNIE JEAN CLANCY
We are fortunate to have Bonnie as Garden Manager of our Bill Brewer Family Gardens. She joined us on Nov. 20, 2020, after attending a plant sale and winning a garden bed in a raffle. Bonnie comes to gardening naturally being raised as an organic farm girl. American Baptist was her childhood church home. She says, "I was a vagabond hippie and after many adventures and occupations I settled on being an occupational therapist and am now retired. I remain committed to being a civil rights activist and organic grower." She chose UUCFM for our focus on social justice and care for the most marginalized.
She hopes our emphasis on protecting and sustaining our environment through action and words stays strong.
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Reflection From a Snowbird Who Has Flown But Will Return
Here at UUCFM we are being led by the duo, Alberita Johnson and Mary Golbitz, our Lay Ministers. We are fortunate to have these caring and concerned women who are providing an environment that is both empowering and supportive for each one of us who comes in contact with them. They are focusing their efforts on social action issues, growing our membership, and serving as the glue that holds our Sunday services together and keeps them meaningful. They are making UUCFM feel
like our HOME now that we're together in person and also continuing on Zoom. Please salute their efforts for making us a caring congregation for each other and a welcoming place for others. Thank you, Mary and Albie.
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Community Sharing
The Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) is the vibrant, diverse ally network of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the internationally-acclaimed farmworker organization transforming human rights in the U.S. agricultural industry. The principal focus of the Alliance for Fair Food is the Campaign for Fair Food, a farmworker-led, community-powered movement that successfully holds major food retailers accountable to the highest human rights standards in their produce supply chains.
www.allianceforfairfood.org
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Tech team volunteers needed
Tech team volunteers are needed every Sunday. Please come see Walter Peterson in the sound room after service if you would like to volunteer.
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Self Compassion Workshop
The Pastoral Care Team invites you to join us for a self-care workshop offered by Mary Tracy Sigman via zoom on 4/29 from 1-2:30 pm. Please contact Mary Tracy at marytracysigman115@gmail.com for more information including the zoom link.
The workshop will include gentle seated movement, meditation and the opportunity for group sharing. We hope to offer these workshops on a monthly basis.
Mary Tracy Sigman is Dharma Teacher/Leader of Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Group of Fort Myers. She and her group have been with UUCFM since September 2010. Mary Tracy also has been serving on the Pastoral Care Committee since its inception, and she volunteers with local organizations, such as HOPE Hospice, United Way, Calusa Waterkeepers, Citizens Climate Lobby, and RTCW. She believes we cannot heal others unless we first heal ourselves, so Self Compassion is important for us all.
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Search Committee Update
Your Search Committee has been working towards finding the Interim Minister who will partner with us for the next one or two years, beginning in August.
Our application was posted to the UUA ministry website in mid-April. Ministers interested in interim ministry are looking at our's and other's applications now. On May 2, we will receive the names of those whom express interest. We will review their applications, conduct Zoom interviews and check references. This will all occur over less than 3 weeks. After that, if we make a mutual match, an official offer will be made and the Board will negotiate a contract.
There will not be an opportunity for the congregation to meet the candidates and we, the Search Committee, will not be able to discuss who we are considering or other particulars. Once a decision is made, we will share with the congregation as soon as we are able to.
In addition to working through the UUA, we are reaching out to 16 Divinity Schools to post our Interim Minister position directly with their seminarians and alumni. Those postings are going out this week.
We appreciate the congregation's input and support.
Hugs, Leslie Gatto, for the Search Committee searchcommittee@uucfm.org
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Campus Sharing Update: Fort Myers Friends (Quakers)
In the last ENews article in November about our discussions regarding a Fort Myers Quakers meeting hall on our campus, we discussed investigating a north property alternative. As of this writing, that area has been found to be unavailable due to environmental and setback zoning restrictions.
We are revisiting the original property site just east of the east parking lot, in the Paul Holton Eco-Preserve. Our last update (November) also mentioned that the UUCFM Board of Trustees had agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding and a Covenant with the Fort Myers Quakers. Since then, the Board has approved in principle a Land Lease Agreement for the meeting house arrangement. Prior to any official action on the Lease, the Board is conducting two Congregational Zoom Forums to apprise the Congregation of the proposed relationship and to receive feedback from the Congregation.
Please plan to attend one or both Zoom Forums to learn about the tentative plans and to offer your thoughts.
Monday, May 2 @ 2:00p, Zoom Meeting ID: 934 5193 6317, Passcode: 075061
Friday, May 6 @ 4:00p, Zoom meeting ID: 997 3361 3327, Passcode: 992358
Representatives from the Fort Myers Friends will be present to answer any questions you might have for them.
Board of Trustees
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Widowhood Sistership Circle
Widowhood is the club that nobody wants to join. Whether you’ve been widowed for a day or many years, please join us for our new monthly Widowhood Sistership Circle. We will support each other, and discuss the unique challenges that being a widow brings. Open to womyn of all ages who have lost a spouse or a partner. Remarried/re-partnered widows are welcome. We will meet the first Tuesday of every month, beginning May 3rd, from 3-4:30pm. Contact our Office Manager, Denise Greenwood, for more information.
Denise became a widow at the age of 39, when her husband Erik died unexpectedly from a heart attack. She decided that she wanted to help other widows after attending grief support groups with her daughter. She became a certified Widow Coach, and facilitated widow support groups through The W Connection.
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SMALL GROUP MINISTRY
beginning May 5
UUCFM has a long history of Small Group Ministries. One of these is the Connection Circle. It's a way for newer and long-term members, those thinking of membership and guests to get to know each other and themselves in deep and meaningful ways. Participants are provided with Quotes and Questions prior to each session, then led in discussion of the topic by co-facilitators, Mary Cline Golbitz and Leslie Gatto.
The next 6 week session will be held on the first and third Thursdays of May, June and July from 1:30-3:00 by Zoom. The dates are May 5, 19, June 2, 16, July 7, 21. Participants are asked to make a commitment to attend each session.
Please contact Leslie Gatto to secure your place in the group or if you have questions gatto.leslie@gmail.com or 239.850.9664.
We look forward to our time together. Leslie & Mary
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Monday Book Group
On May 2, we’ll begin our discussion of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. For more info, click here to contact Mary Studer.
Mindfulness Opportunities
We have two online sitting practices each week for you. We practice mindfulness and discuss a reading. If you don’t have the books, you're still welcome to sit with us.
The Monday sangha meets at 6:30-7:45 p.m. and is discussing Beyond Mindfulness by Stephan Bodian. Contact Mary Studer for details.
The Wednesday sangha meets between 10:00-11:30 a.m. in coordination with Caloosahatchee Mindfulness. It’s discussing Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer. Contact Helen Leddy for more information.
Social Issues Book Group
NEW DATE AND TIME: MEETING EVERY OTHER WEEK STARTING FRIDAY 3/25 FROM 3-4:30 P.M.
Contact Helen Leddy helen.leddy@gmail.com or Helen Dixon helendixon9@gmail.com for more information.
Poetry Circle
We read and discuss in detail a variety of poems, often related to our UU experience, usually centered around a weekly theme. Members share their own work for discussion as well, if they want to, but you do not need to be a writer to join. We offer weekly prompts, although there is no obligation to follow them.
This is an ongoing Zoom group. New members can join at any time, and we really hope you will. Contact Judi Dettorre judidet84@gmail.com or Cat Pivetti joypivet@aol.com for more information.
We meet every other Tuesday. We will meet from 1pm to 3pm. This a change from the original time.
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The Bill Brewer Family Gardens | |
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UPDATE
As people leave to go back north, or just to avoid the summer heat, we will be planting available beds with cover crops to enrich the soils as well as some red amaranth, a high protein green, and sweet potatoes. We welcome any volunteer that would like to help with a summer project, which includes a chance to learn about vegetable gardening, cover crops, composting and soils, and also an opportunity to grow some of your own summer vegetables. Contact familygardens@uucfm.org
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60 Years - Holding Strong
Writing is underway for our 60th anniversary play, "Over 60 Years Holding Strong". It's been 60 years since June 20, 1961 when UUCFM received its Charter from the UUA. Your reflections and ideas are needed to make this updated play as complete as possible. The more ideas and reflections the better. We are building on the 40th Anniversary Play produced in 2002. To be part of this effort, contact 60th Play Coordinator, Suzanne Ziemer, suzanneziemer@gmail.com, 812-332-3450.
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Volunteers of the Month
Carrying on the tradition of heaping attention on our newer members by highlighting them in many ways, the Board has selected Len Cohen, Chair of the Stewardship Committee, with the able assistance of his wife Sue Roth, as the Volunteer of the month. Len stepped into the role to support the existing committee and was a great addition. Len has led the Stewardship meetings, stayed hopeful and practical, and provided leadership to the Committee responsible for raising the funds to keep UUCFM operating and to bring in extra funds for a minister through the REACH Campaign. Len and Sue were very enthusiastic about our in-person events, and Len served as a relaxed and able Master of Ceremonies for them. Thank you, Len and Sue, for bringing your enthusiasm to this work at UUCFM.
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