Weekly Communicator

Weekly Communicator

March 16, 2023

Sunday Service

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

https://zoom.us/j/5264858673

Minister's Musings

“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

This Sunday we will officially welcome spring through word, song and ritual. Our service is co-led by Rev. Sue (in person), Mary Cline-Golbitz and members of CUUPS. Join us afterward for a potluck lunch.

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".

Potluck

Once again, there will be a potluck after the service on Sunday. Please bring a dish to share.

Budget Discussion

Want to know how your pledge helps UUCFM? Our Treasurer, Pati Maier, will host a Zoom meeting to discuss the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The meeting is at 2 o’clock this Sunday, March 19. Here’s the link to join and ask questions: https://zoom.us/j/94151664764

TUUSDAYS Together

CUUPS 101 WITH JOY PURCELL,

MARCH 21st. 11 am-1 pm

A long-time member since our first official meeting of the Covenant of UU Pagans chapter was begun in 1994, Joy will answer questions you might have about CUUPS on our campus and explain many of the ancient holidays we celebrate together. CUUPS membership is open to all, and members have been our steady volunteers and financial supporters as well. Joy will answer any questions about how the labyrinth was laid and how the meditation wheel circle behind the pond was formed, as both are in use today. Join Joy in the Screen Room at 11 am, break for lunch, bring your own and a beverage, and close at 1 pm. This is a program of our ongoing TUUsdays Together for March 21st. It continues to be a time for discussion among us.

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 Service emailed that morning.

The ballot is being emailed to you so you can continue the convenience of voting on-line. Your vote is important, so please take a few minutes as soon as you receive it to fill it in and submit it.

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.

Please submit your ballot by March 22, 2023 to allow enough time to ensure your vote is counted.

Thank you,

Mary Studer, President

UUCFM Board of Trustees

Social Justice Emergency:

Legislation Targeting Transgender Children, Adults, & Their Families

Florida Senate Bill 254 is more intense than you can imagine unless you read it. A family visiting Florida on vacation might be unaware of the risk to their family and their child, who would be here only briefly. They could lose custody of their child.

Florida House Bill 1421 eliminates insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, which means that it disproportionately affects the poor.

You can find links to the PDF versions of both bills at ACLU.org.

First They Came

By Pastor Martin Niemoller

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out