Weekly E-News, March 11, 2021

Weekly E-News

March 11, 2021

Join us this Sunday!

Turn your clock ahead Saturday night so you don't miss the service on Sunday! Please join us on Zoom this Sunday, March 14th at 10:30 AM for our service titled Sugar and Spice. Join lay minister, Albie Johnson, Worship Associate, Holley Rauen, and Musical Guests, Shelley Graff and Womyn Singing in Sacred Circle.

Join Zoom Meeting Sunday at 10:30am

https://zoom.us/j/98733916229

No password needed

Or follow the link on our webpage for audio only: uucfm.org

Thank you to Sunday's Participants:

Alberita Johnson, Lay Minister

Suellen Kipp, Director of Music

Holley Rauen, Worship Associate

Peter Golbitz, Musician

Shelley Graff, Musical Guest

Womyn Singing in Sacred Circle

Lesley Peterson, Musician and Tech Team Member

Mark Brandon, Tech Team Member

Walter Peterson, Tech Team Member

Allie Carville, Tech Team Member

Carole Latino, Dialogues Host

Kathy Ford, Dialogues Host

UU Dialogues & Breakout Rooms

~ After the Service

To participate in UU Dialogues, stay in the main zoom meeting after the service ends and do not accept the breakout room invitation that pops up. All are welcome to attend this intentional dialogue session, especially newcomers.

If you'd rather join a breakout room for casual conversation, please accept the pop-up invitation.

Community Sharing in March- South Fort Myers Food Pantry

The pantry continues to evolve to provide food for those in need in the safest possible environment for patrons and volunteers. As the pandemic continues and food insecurity increases, they are exploring different ways to expand our reach and help feed even more neighbors.

The Pantry’s current service area includes certain zip codes in South Fort Myers. However, for those in the congregation in need of food, they waive the residence requirement so they can access the Pantry regardless of where they reside in the local area. They would just ask you to provide these folks with a note on your letterhead confirming they are members of the church. They can present that note on their first visit to the Pantry. Another way they are considering expanding services is through outreach to provide food for seniors who are homebound and/or reluctant to visit the Pantry because they are concerned about possible exposure to COVID. They plan to develop a program that would allow volunteers from our church to pick up food at the Pantry for those senior members that we have identified. Food pickup would be available during normal service hours or could be arranged at a different time by appointment. If you have an interest in this program, please let them know and they will provide you with information needed to get started. Call us at 239-628-3191.

Thank you for supporting the Food Pantry as this month's Community Sharing Partner!

Vespers Service this Evening

Join Albie and Mary via Zoom bi-weekly Thursdays from 6:30PM-7:00PM. The next Vespers Service will be today, March 11th.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/91800250314?pwd=MmRRenNOUjNUdjcvU1Y3VTIxNFBTQT09

Meeting ID: 918 0025 0314

Passcode: 743236

Next week all members will receive a packet of Annual Meeting information and a ballot. Please read the enclosed materials and return the ballot by March 25th. We will be holding an online Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 28th on Zoom after the service at 12:30 PM. The link is https://zoom.us/j/91560876633

Starting Point, A Journey Group of Who We Are

Mary and Albie will begin offering Starting Point, a Journey Group of Who We Are as UUs and members of UUCFM. We will be offering weekly classes effective Monday, March 22, 2021, 6PM-7PM, via Zoom. It is 6 weeks. All are welcome, however we encourage new members and those new to UUism to come. Contact: albiestalk@gmail.com or marycline@gmail.com.

Charitable Contributions

If you would like a receipt for donations made to UUCFM in calendar year 2020, please email your name(s) to: uuchurch@uucfm.org

Community Sharing Partners 2021-2022

The following partners have been approved by the Board and Social Justice for the next fiscal year:

Planned Parenthood—April 2021 and October 2021

Alliance for Fair Food—May 2021 and November 2021

Pachamama Alliance, Inc—June 2021 and February 2022

Early Learning Coalition of SWFL—July 2021 and March 2022

Quality Life Center—September 2021 and December 2021

GRACE Project—August 2021 and January 2022

1st Sunday in August – Blessing of the Animals service- Gulf Coast Humane Society

Hardy Volunteers Needed

We need people to help place bricks along the walkway to the Sanctuary. We have the "know-how" and materials. We have a new sign for our Eco-Preserve which precipitated us having to move the 2011 50th Anniversary commemorative bricks. We will be adding more personal commemorative bricks next month for our 60th Anniversary PAVE-THE-WAY Fundraiser which will be launched March 28th. If you can help install these bricks please contact Project Manager Suzanne Ziemer, 239-463-9020, or suzanneziemer@gmail.com.

The UUCFM Book Group

The UUCFM Book Club will begin its consideration of The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous by Joseph Henrich on March 15th via Zoom. This discussion will include the Prelude through Ch.1, "WEIRD Psychology." If you’re joining for the first time, please email Mary Studer. She will send you the link. mstuder929@gmail.com

UUCFM/Caloosahatchee Mindfulness

The Caloosahatchee Mindfulness and UUCFM Meditation Book Group is reading The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness by Rhonda V. Magee.

The author "reveals that the work of racial justice begins with ourselves. The practice of embodied mindfulness--paying attention through our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations in an open, nonjudgmental way--increases our emotional resilience, helps us to recognize our unconscious bias, and give us the space to become less reactive and to choose how we respond to injustice."

The group meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Contact Helen Leddy at helen.leddy@gmail.com or Mary Robinson at mindfulness579@gmail.com for more information.