Weekly E-News

October 24, 2019

Rev. Keith Kron Coming to UUCFM October 27th

This Weekend!

Our Sunday service this week is entitled What a T-Rex named Penelope, Pittsburgh, and a Theologian can teach us about the Future of Religion and our Commitment to the Values of Unitarian Universalism.   The sermon will be given by Rev. Keith Kron.

This Sunday we will be holding our Naming of the Beloved Dead ritual. You are invited to bring photos and mementos of your beloved dead to place on our altar in the Sanctuary. Please remember to collect these items following the service.

An Integral part of the Interim Ministry is the Interim Startup. The Startup will be kicking off October 25, 26 and 27. Leading the kickoff will be the Rev. Keith Kron, Director of the UUA Transitions Office. Twelve Transition Team Candidates, Staff and Board members will be participating. Also, Rev. Kron will be preaching on Sunday, October 27 and will stay after the Social Hour to lead a conversation on the unique advantages of Developmental Ministry.

His public schedule is as follows:

Sunday: Oct. 27 at 10.30 am: Rev. Keith Kron on "What a T-Rex named Penelope, Pittsburgh, and a theologian Can teach us about The Future of Religion and our Commitment to the Values of Unitarian Universalism."  Religion, including Unitarian Universalism is at a moment in time. Can it survive? And what must it do in order to survive? What must we do? We’ll explore our place in today’s world, and why it’s metaphorical meteorites and not a comet that could wipe us out. We’ll honor those who’ve come before us, see where we are, as we look toward the future for both our faith and this congregation.

Sunday: Oct. 27 at 12.15 p.m. in the Sanctuary: Rev. Kron leads a 45 min conversation on the benefits of Developmental Ministry. Your attendance is essential.

Many Windows

This Sunday, we will have a single multi-generational service for all. Our next Many Windows Sunday will be on November 10th.

Meet the Minister

Rev. Carlos will be holding Meet the Minister sessions in October and November. This is an opportunity to share your hopes and dreams for the future of UUCFM. The sessions will happen on Sundays and Wednesdays in the Minister's office. Please choose one session from the following dates:

Wednesdays 6:00-7:30 PM: October 30

Sundays 12 noon-1:30 PM: November 3, November 10, December 8

Space is limited. Sign up with the Office Manager to reserve your spot. [email protected] or 239-561-2700.

The UUCFM Choir  rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:00 pm, and on Sunday mornings at 9:30 in the sanctuary. It's free and there are no auditions. Come join us in singing!

The UUCFM Band  rehearses most Wednesday nights from 5:45-6:15 pm, and on Sunday mornings at 9:10 in the Sanctuary. Do you play an instrument? Are you interested in playing with the UUCFM band for worship? If so, please schedule an audition time with me by email.Come join us in making music together!

Suellen Kipp, Director of Music

[email protected]

What:  Deeper Than The Skin: Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway

in a musical presentation on Race in America

When:  Saturday November 16, 2019 6:30pm

Where:  Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers

How:  For information: (508) 896-6225

Tickets available from the office, any music team member, or at the door. Suggested donation $10.

www.DeeperThanTheSkin.com

On Saturday November 16th, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers will present  Deeper Than The Skin , a musical presentation on Race in America by Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway. Reggie and Greg have a unique story. Born three days apart, ancestry flowing through the same portal of history, Richmond, VA. They are on a pilgrimage together - one that began three decades ago. The racial divisions that are the reality of America started them in two different worlds, but the amazing bonds of music, mutual respect, sheer admiration, and shared vision have brought them together as friends and colleagues.

Their stories together form the quintessential American story. The music that flowed from these experiences is powered by unadorned truth, raw and riveting, beautiful and uplifting.Echoing Gandhi, they believe that in telling our truths, we are able to rise up from the past and build bridges to the each other and the future. The presentation will be interactive and there will be time at the end for discussion.

Reggie Harris is a Woodrow Wilson Scholar and the Co-Chair of the  Living Legacy  Project of the Unitarian Universalist Association, co-leading tours through the historic sites of the Civil Rights movement in the South. Solo, and in the duo, Kim and Reggie Harris, he has led hundreds of programs on Race and Social Justice. Greg Greenway has been heard on NPR’s  All Things Considered, Mountain Stage,  and  Car Talk.  He’s played Carnegie Hall and had the honor for two years of having his song, “Rosa Parks,” play when  rosaparks.com  was opened. For eight years , he was one third of the successful Folk Trio,  Brother Sun.  Together and individually, Reggie and Greg have brought the issue of race before audiences around the world.

FUUn BUUnch!



The FUUn BUUnch is back, so bring your appetites to Mimi's (at Bell Tower) on Saturday night, 6:00 PM on November 9th. All of you old-timers who've participated before know that this is a great way to meet others from UUCFM, so newcomers, please join us so we can all get acquainted. Those attending will be able to order from Mimi's menu, and everyone will pick up his/her own tab.   Please RSVP by November 3rd to Linda Jensen,   [email protected]  or 215.880-1433. I must give Mimi's a definite number by then. 

Covenant of UU Pagans

Blessings community,



Time is again moving quickly. We just honored Equinox as Samhain comes soon. The coming months will be busy time with lots of community projects.

Saturdays- crafting days for ancestor tree- each week we will work on our family ancestor tree of life. Work with old jewelry, recycled paper and then some. (See Art Class article below.)

Saturday, November 9: Samhain ritual, 6:30 gathering. Deep honoring to our ancestors, welcome the new year. This is an adult event- some themes are not appropriate for children unless parents are in supervision. More to come.

Yule celebration, Saturday, December 21, 7pm gathering. Welcome to all, community sharing feast with open mic for music and mirth. No charge for this. Bring a dish to share and sing, dance, play or perform. We will call in the sun.

Mark calendars for the new year, January 31-feb 2, will be an Imbolc gathering. Fire and Ice, camping, workshops, ritual to honor Bridget, lady of poetry, hearth and forge. More information soon. This is also open to all. There will be child friendly activities.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Love and peace,

Joy Purcell

Pachamama of SWFL

Be there Thursday, November 7th from 6:30-8:00 PM in Hobart Hall for an eye-and heart-opening Game Changer gathering that will stimulate our senses.

What a beautiful relationship we can share in nature, and what an amazing connection we all share...like this lion and this dandelion, we are innately connected.

Come learn about the stimulating precepts of Project Nature!

Dr. Janet R Weisberg, whose doctorate is in Philosophy of Applied Ecopsychology, is our presenter. As she says, “Our collective journey to rediscover and reclaim our original state of wholeness is the single most important cooperative action for our future. We’re being challenged to remember, connect and reclaim our innate biological 54 senses. These senses are the window to the world and our intelligence in relationship with all life."

Dr. Weisberg has had 15 years of personal engagement living in cooperation with all living systems, first as a student, now as a guide. She will show us how to apply the mind, body, and spirit to reconnect with nature, and all who are ready to engage their communities by joining together into our next evolutionary paradigm. As she says, “Reconnecting is pure pleasure.”

Snacks are welcome. We have coffee, tea, and water   on hand. 

Dinners Go Round for 2020

Dinners Go Round are now forming!

Denis & Linda Jensen are organizing Dinners Go Round for January through April of 2020. These monthly potluck dinners offer you a chance to get to know your fellow UUCFM Members on an informal basis. One dinner is held each month at a host UUCFM member’s home on a date determined by the host and participants. If you didn’t participate last year and would like to do so this year, please Email Denis Jensen by December 15th at  [email protected]   and let him know.  Please include your names, telephone numbers, addresses and email addresses in your Email to Denis and also let him know if you would consider being a host for one of the four monthly dinners or if there is one or more of the four months where you would not be able to participate.  Also advise Denis if you will require wheelchair accessible dinner sites.

Good News from South Fort Myers Food Pantry

As many of you know, the South Fort Myers Food Pantry began a fund drive in June to replace the aging box truck used to transport food from the Harry Chapin Food Bank and area stores to stock the pantry. The goal is to raise $45,000 of the estimated cost of $75,000. $30,000 was set aside from the pantry's reserves for the needed equipment replacement.

As of the end of September donations totaling $30,900 have been received from Coalition Members and Supporting Partners, many present volunteers, as well as former volunteers and friends of the pantry. They are very close to reaching their goal.

We at UUCFM have moved up the month for the Pantry to be the recipient of our Community Sharing to October so that this donation might be credited to the Truck Replacement Fund. Those individuals who would rather make a direct donation can mail checks directly to the Pantry. These can be made out and mailed to the South Fort Myers Food Pantry Coalition, Inc. 8360 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL. 33919. Write "Truck Fund" in the memo line.

Any donation you can afford to help deliver food safely and efficiently to our neighbors in South Fort Myers will be greatly appreciated.

The Caring Network



The mission of the Caring Network is to be the embodiment of hope and caring so that no member of our congregation feels alone.  How does one bring this forth?  If there is a need for pastoral care, simply fill out a  ‘blue card’  or ask someone to do that or email Neil Yesu at dbny79@aol. com .

In Loving Memory

Nancy B. Beecher peacefully left this world on Thursday, October 17th. She died happy, finding still so much to be grateful for in her fortunate life journey, especially a recent visit west to Colorado and Montana to visit her daughters, Catharine and Carolyn. Her 2 daughters, 2 sons (Bucky and Ned), 5 grandchildren (Gordon, Wilson and Steve, Jesse and Juliana) and 2 great grandchildren (Elsa and Faye) survive her.

Nancy was born in West Virginia in 1927, lived 55 years in Concord, Massachusetts and started coming to Florida in the early 2000’s. While residents of Shell Point, she and her husband Norman discovered the UU Church in 2009. They liked speaking words and singing songs that were true to their hearts. They enthusiastically participated in the community forums before Sunday services.

Nancy Beecher valued being of service to others, and considered herself a politician, but, as she worked for League of Women Voters, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission and the Board of Select of Concord Massachusetts, she was a politician who served the common good rather than her own best interests.

Nancy loved music and singing and the incredible beauty of the natural world. She lived by the motto, “You don’t quit walking because you get old; you get old because you quit walking” and she walked to the end of her days. 

We miss her deeply, but know that the depth of our grief corresponds to the immense joy we have felt in knowing her. We appreciate all of you at UU who continued to make her and us welcome whenever we could make it there.

Services will be held in Concord, Massachusetts. If anyone would like to contact her family with memories, condolences or questions, Carolyn Beecher will receive and respond to letters, calls or emails at  [email protected]  or 406-396-2990, 33112 North Crow Road, Ronan, MT 59864.

Mindfulness Meditation

Come explore the simple and satisfying practices of   Mindfulness Meditation. You don’t need experience with meditation, nor do you have to be a Buddhist. Please bring intention to quiet the mind and body in a supportive group of UU members and friends with a similar intention - people who want to carry mindfulness into their daily lives. We meet Mondays from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Sanctuary. Contact Gary Robbins at 302-540-5899.

Wednesday Connection Circle



Lilibeth Grimes will be facilitating a once monthly Wednesday evening circle called  Principles of Joy . The goal for this connection circle is to serve as a bridge between UUCFM and the broader community. This is open each month to all members, family, and friends. Please email by the Monday before each circle to let her know you will be there that month. We'll meet the second Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM. You don't have to attend all sessions. Here is the schedule:

November 13:  Fifth   Principle: The Right of  Conscience  and the Use of the Democratic Process within our Congregations and in Society at Large

 

December 11:  Sixth   Principle: The Goal of World  Community  with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All

 

January 8:  Seventh Principle:  Respect  for the Interdependent Web of all Existence of Which we are a Part.

[email protected]

Fall Connection Circle beginning November 10th!



Want to connect on a deep level with other UUCFM members, visitors, and friends? Come to the next 6-session Connection Circle beginning after church on November 10th and continuing every other Sunday ( Nov. 10 and 24; Dec. 8 and 22; and Jan. 5 and 19). Small group Connection Circles promote bonding in a supportive atmosphere through facilitated discussions on spiritual topics as they pertain to you and your life. Discover more about each other...and maybe yourself!

For more information and to register for this popular event, please contact Nancy Letts at  [email protected]  or call 401-741-2712.

Women's Circle

The Women's Circle will start again on the 4th Tuesday of November. Join us in Hobart Hall on Tuesday, November 26th at noon for a potluck lunch. What interesting tidbit do you have to share with us? See you then!

UUCFM Men's Social Group



T  he Men's Social Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month starting Tuesday, November 12th at 11:45 AM at Cross Creek Country Club (off Daniels on Cross Creek Blvd ). The second Tuesday of the month in November is coming up and it’s time for UUCFM males to get together for fun, conversation, socialization and lunch at Cross Creek. Put this one on your calendar and bring a friend. If you haven’t already done so, please RSVP to Denis Jensen at  [email protected]  to let him know that you’ll be there.

UUCFM-Caloosahatchee Mindfulness



UUCFM and Caloosahatchee Mindfulness invite participants to join our weekly meditation book group. The group meets weekly on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 AM in Room 3. Please contact Helen Leddy to make sure the group is meeting each week or if you want to join. All are invited to attend. For more information contact [email protected]

Book Club



The UUCFM Book Club   meets Wednesdays from 1:00-2:30 PM in the Library. All are welcome to join in facilitated discussion and group bonding. Our current book is The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace Wells. This is an important book about climate change.

CUUPs Class for October

Create an Ancestral Jewelry Tree 

If you have costume jewelry passed down to you or your own - bring it out! Inspired by Christmas Trees like this beauty (and a velvet box of my mother’s costume jewelry sitting in the bottom of my closet), we are offering Ancestral Jewelry Tree making every Saturday during the month of October. It may take you one time or all month but it will be fun! 

We’ll cut foam core in the shape of a Christmas Tree or Tree of Life (or whatever shape fits your style) and cover in material. Then using your own costume jewelry, plus if you like, add sequins, buttons and baubles to create beautiful memories that can be seasonal delights or displayed all year long. 

We'll meet Saturdays in October from 1-4 PM in Room 1. Join us. All welcome!

Art Fair Returns in December

December 1st and 8th will see the return of our Member Art Fair after the Sunday service. To sign up for a booth, contact Patricia Linhoff 612-382-5927 or email  [email protected] . There's no fee required and it's open to UUCFM members and friends. To help with Bake Sale and Lunches, contact Suzanne Ziemer, 812-332-3450 , email: [email protected] . Save your Christmas shopping for our Fundraiser. It is a good time to invite neighbors and friends to share these festive Sundays.

10th Annual Florida Unitarian Universalist Women’s Retreat

April 3-5, 2020

DaySpring Episcopal Conference Center

A Weekend Gathering of UU Women 

• Friday evening we will get to know one another and create community 

• Saturday one-hour workshops offer choices 

• Sunday we share a UU Service bringing it all together 

DaySpring Conference Center is conveniently located off I-75 just north of Sarasota on Florida’s West Coast. The beautiful campus nestled under ancient oaks and located on a cove of the Manatee River offers a serene setting for our annual retreat. Take a look.  http://Dayspring.dioswfl.org . 

$220 per person covers expenses for a semi-private room and meals. 8 women share a cozy cottage with 4 bedrooms and 4 baths, a screened porch and common area. A limited number of single rooms are available at $292 each. 

A non-refundable deposit of $20 for a semi-private room or $30 for a private room will reserve your place. Final payment is due January 15, 2020. Scholarships are available. 

Come join us for an enriching and memorable weekend. To register or for more information contact Helen Leddy  [email protected]

Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist Group



The Rissho Kosei-kai group meets Sundays at 2:00 PM in Room Number 1. We do not meet on 5th Sundays. Contact Mary Tracy Sigman for more info  [email protected]

Member to Member



Nancy Willis, who lives in the Tortuga Development (Off Gladiolus between Bass Rd & A & W Blvd.) would like to find an occasional ride to church. If you can help, please call Nancy at 239-288-5079 or email [email protected]

UUCFM Staff



Senior Interim Minister Rev. Carlos R. Martinez  [email protected]

Director of Music    Suellen Kipp  [email protected]

Director of RE    Jenn Blosser  [email protected]

Office Manager   Jill Carville  [email protected]

Building Supervisor    Mickey Kellam  [email protected]

Nursery Supervisor   Liza Kellam