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Weekly E-News August 10, 2017
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Worship in August: Commitment
The theme of commitment this month calls to mind the important relationships of our lives- how we relate to loved ones as well as to our highest values. This month we acknowledge different levels of commitment in our lives.
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Sunday Coffee Hour
Sunday's Coffee Hour is provided by volunteers from the Women's Circle on the first Sunday, CUUPS on the second Sunday, Humanist Forum on the third Sunday, Men's Group on the fourth Sunday and if there is a fifth Sunday, it is All Church.
Any donations of food, snacks or cash are welcome.
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Community Sharing in August: LIFE
Lee Interfaith for Empowerment Inc. is a group of Lee County Florida congregations coming together based upon our shared value of social justice.
More than 1,000 people of faith will look into an issue impacting Lee County, seek information and work to make improvements for everyone. Past issues include implementing and increasing the use of juvenile civil citations, improving children's mental health services, anti-bullying in public schools and changing protocol for alternative learning centers and behavioral conduct issues.
LIFE for Justice, Justice for LIFE!
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Humanist Forum
The Humanist Forum regularly meets every Sunday at 9:15a in Hobart Hall. All are welcome to attend.
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Welcome Baby Joseph!
Joseph James Crossen was born in water at Allison and Andy's
home in the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday, August 8th. Baby and Mom are both doing well- resting and bonding. Please remember that Rev. Allison is on maternity leave, but cards are welcome!
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Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network (UUMN) Conference 2017
Thank you so much for your generosity in sending me to Arlington, VA for this year's UUMN conference. We met from July 26-30 for five immersive days of worship services, plenary sessions, workshops, and networking activities that ran from 7am to 10pm. This year, the conference culminated in a powerful interfaith singing demonstration with a 300-person choir in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Aside from being personally and professionally enriching for me, this conference benefits our choir and congregation. Every year it provides 3 sessions consisting entirely of reading new music, and provides vocal pedagogy, conducting classes, and worship ideas from internationally acclaimed music professors and composers. The lunchtime roundtables are a useful opportunity for me to discuss successes and challenges with other Directors of Music in mid-sized congregations like ours. This year the conference also included cutting-edge education about music's role in dismantling racism. I'm excited to incorporate what I've learned in the upcoming year here at UUCFM!
Amy Laursen, Director of Music
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Music Notes
August 13: Alexandra Carlson, classical pianist,
plays Mendelssohn's
Song without Words
, a Bach
Sarabande
, and a beautiful arrangement of the Shaker hymn
Simple Gifts
.
August 20: The Choir sings the UU ballad
Let This Be a House of Peace, and singer/guitarist Angela Melton shares her gifts.
August 27: Viola day! Come hear Amy Laursen play selections from Bach's
Cello Suites on her principal instrument, the viola.
The next
Music Committee
is
Wednesday, August 16th at 3:00p
in Room 7.
The UUCFM Choir rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:45-8:15p, and on Sunday mornings from 9-10a in the Sanctuary. It's free and there are no auditions. Please email me in advance so that a music folder can be prepared for you. Come join us in singing!
The UUCFM Band rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:00-6:45p, and on Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:00a in the Sanctuary. If you would like to play your instrument during a Sunday service, please email me to coordinate the details. Come join us in making music together!
Amy Laursen, Director of Music [email protected]
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The Women's Circle
The Women's Circle luncheons are taking a break in the Summer. But we don't want to lose touch with each other, so for those who are still around, we are meeting for lunch at restaurants in Lee County each month.
For August we will gather at The Shrimp Shack in Ft Myers on Metro just North of Daniels at noon, Monday, August 14th. For more information, contact Susan Forsyth
239-424-8442 or
[email protected].
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UU Dance
Calling everyone interested in joining in a UU Dance experience! UU Dance is about joy, celebration and expression through movement. Come and have fun with us. Debra Leigh leads us through an enjoyable creative movement activity and a few short and simple movement sequences. You do not need to be athletic and the movement is not technically challenging.
We'll meet Wednesday, August 16, at 6:45p in the Narthex (lobby of sanctuary). Students ages 11+ may participate with parental permission slip.
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FUUn BUUnch
Join the FUUn BUUnch Dinner Gang Friday, August 18th at 7:00p for an exotic or traditional dinner at the world famous Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant in the Bass Pro Shops at Gulf Coast Town Center.
Please RSVP John or Bob by Tuesday, August 15, 2017.
(The restaurant requires firm numbers by this date.)
John E. Fischer 267 992 6566 or [email protected] or
Bob Nies 239 466 7933 or [email protected]
DIRECTIONS:
Take Rte 75 to Exit 128, Alico Rd.
Turn EAST onto Alico Rd. to THE GULF COAST TOWN CENTER.
Turn RIGHT onto ROYAL QUEEN BVD.
Turn RIGHT onto GULF CENTER DRIVE.
Keep RIGHT on GULF CENTER DRIVE to the
BASS PRO SHOPS.
The ISLAMORADA FISH COMPANY RESTAURANT is to your left
IN THE BASS PRO SHOPS.
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eBINGO Comes to UUCFM
Remember the fun of playing BINGO with friends? Well, it’s here at UUCFM in a new way. Join the eBINGO fun starting in September! Here’s how it works:
For the first 2 Sundays in September, after service in Hobart, you can buy eBINGO playcards, 2 for $10. Look for the eBINGO table. Sign-up with your email address. Buy playcards for your neighbors and members of your family. The more who play, the bigger the Jackpot, the more fun! You’ll be helping the church as well.
Starting Monday, September. 11, each day we will email one bingo number to those who bought a playcard. Mark your playcards accordingly. In the first email we will also announce the Jackpot amount (minimum of $100).
Whoever gets a bingo and has the first email received at the eBINGO email address [email protected] will be the winner (provided they have a valid playcard). Bring in your playcard to the church office for validation. Once it’s validated, you will receive the Jackpot moneys. (A “win” is 5 squares horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.)
Once there’s a winner, we’ll start selling the playcards for the next round of eBINGO the following Sunday. Good luck!
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UU Book Study
The UU Book Study meets Wednesdays at 1:00p in the Library. As a bonus, bring your lunch and join us at 12 Noon to view a video of Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers' T.V. program by the same name. The book is Joseph Campbell's
The Power of Myth. Here is the remaining schedule: August 16, chapters 2,3; August 23, chapters 4,5; Aug. 30, chapters 6,7; September 6th, chapter 8 plus wrap-up and planning.
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Optimal Living Group
The Optimal Living Group is open to all and does not require attending every session. We meet in the Sanctuary on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 4:00-5:30p. We discuss how to live optimally, including practical ways to cope with life's challenges and issues. Helping others and developing maturity in ourselves is part of our quest. We explore many paths and techniques for enriching our lives and making a difference for others. For more information, fill out a blue card found in the pews or email Neil Yesu:
[email protected].
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Mindfulness Meditation
Join us on Monday evenings to explore the very simple and satisfying practices of mindfulness and meditation. You don’t need experience with meditation, nor do you have to be a Buddhist. Do please bring an intention to quiet the mind and the 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 6:30-8:00p in the Sanctuary. If you have any questions, please contact Gary Robbins at
[email protected]
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The Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist group meets Sundays at 1:45p in Room 1.
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Community Wednesday
Community Wednesday is held in Hobart Hall. Bring friends and neighbors, too. Join us each Wednesday for a delicious meal prepared by Chef Joy for a small donation. After the fellowship and fine fare from 6:00- 6:45p, join your favorite programming event, committee meeting, or social activity. Child care is provided until 8:30p.
Regular Activitie
s for August:
4:00-5:30 Optimal Living Group (1st & 3rd Wed)
6:00-6:45 Community Meal
6:00-6:45 Band Rehearsal in Sanctuary (no rehearsal Aug 23)
6:45-8:00 Choir Rehearsal in Sanctuary (no rehearsal Aug 23)
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UUCFM Historical Martial Arts Club
The UUCFM Historical Martial Arts Club is dedicated to preserving and practicing a variety of historical martial arts for entertainment and fitness purposes. We meet at various times (determined by interest) most often at 12:30p after service on Sundays to practice Archery and Tomahawk/Axe throwing. Other activities and times can be found on our Facebook page of the same name. All are welcome to join us!
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Bill Ziemer
Member Bill Ziemer, beloved husband of Suzanne Ziemer, passed away on August 5th in his Wisconsin home. Suzanne would love to receive cards. She is planning to return to UUCFM this fall. The Wisconsin address is:
Suzanne Ziemer
W4986 S Long Lake Rd
Waupaca, WI 54981
Contact info:
[email protected]
812-332-3450
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Paula Copestick's Birthday
Our good friend and devoted Unitarian Universalist, Paula Copestick, is celebrating the Big 75th birthday on the Monday, August14th. She is still managing to walk around her apartment. Therapy workers are wonderful but she misses being with her UUCFM community.
Obviously, we can not celebrate this event with her in Hobart Hall. However, we can lift her spirits by sending a birthday card or note to let her know how much we love her. She will enjoy this act of kindness. Please note: For her peace of mind (and body), her computer is inactive. Her address is:
Paula Copestick
26852 South Bay Dr, Room 105
Bonita Springs FL 34134
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South Fort Myers Food Pantry
The Food Pantry Newsletter for the second quarter of 2017 (April through June) is posted in Hobart Hall, next to the kitchen. I will summarize for those who may not have time to stop by and read it. During the second quarter of 2017 our pantry served 1670 clients, totaling 5,466 family members actually fed. The pantry volunteers distributed over 172,226 pounds of food.
The annual meeting of the food pantry coalition was held on June 17, 2017. The directors of the current board were elected to serve another year. The names of the directors are available in the food pantry flyer which you can get either at the social justice table or from the rack of brochures near the water fountains in Hobart Hall. The meeting was followed by a luncheon to honor the volunteers, a time to enjoy fellowship with each other.
There is an appeal for more food donations during the summer months, which you are already doing and is appreciated. There are also instructions for anyone wanting to volunteer this summer.
If you have questions or are interested in volunteering, email Fran Rose at [email protected]. Put "Food Pantry" on the subject line of your email.
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Sanctuary Air Conditioner Update
The Operations Council has been working this past few months on finding a supplier to replace the 22-year-old air conditioning units in the Sanctuary. We have narrowed the bidding to 2 companies and will be making our final decision in the next few days.
This work will cost us about $130,000. We have been diligent and generous as a congregation to have built-up a Reserve Fund which will cover most of this cost without a Capital Campaign. We can thank all the members who stretched a little more on their pledges, past members who remembered the Church in memorial bequests, and the past few Boards of Trustees for their financial discipline in helping us build such a Reserve Fund. It is at times like this when we can appreciate why including a gift to the Church in your estate planning is so important to the survival of our Vision.
Any shortfalls from our Reserve Fund and the eventual replacement costs may be met through a small loan from our Endowment Fund or accessing our bank line of credit. Any comments about this process are welcome at [email protected] or come to any Board meeting.
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Cell Tower Lease Sale?
A few years ago, the leadership of the Church realized the value of leasing a small unused part of our property for a cell tower. The monthly proceedings from that lease have gone to bolster the Church’s Reserve Account. Recently, the Church has been approached to consider selling the lease to an investment firm. This would mean an upfront lump payment for future lease proceeds. The Board of Trustees will be evaluating several options to the Church over the next few months. If we were to find this transaction attractive, the Board will use such fund to increase our Reserve Fund. Comments appreciated at
[email protected] .
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2018 Women's Retreat
It's time to start planning to attend the 2018 Florida UU Women's Retreat. Flyers will be available in the Narthex. This year, we are again sending this information to all the Florida UU congregations at the same time that this mailing is going out to you allowing more UU women to learn about the retreat.
DaySpring has raised the room rates for 2018, but we are not changing the rates for attendance at the Retreat. We are also again offering a $5 discount to all those who register before
September 15, 2017.
So, secure your place for the April gala and remind others that there's a special deal for signing up early. It's going to be another grand weekend.
We are looking for volunteers to participate in the program planning. If you are interested and we hope you are, please contact us. Program planning can take place from anywhere in the state, so don't be reluctant to sign up to help.
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Lost & Found
Whale Maiden reports that she has lost some Tree Identification books and Earthways Shamanic Path class notes, and a small woven basket. These items have been missing for a few months, but If you have any leads, please email her at
[email protected]
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If you are a UUCFM Community Sharing Partner, a regular Facility User, or have UU related news to share, you are welcome to submit announcements for publication in our Greater Community section of the newsletter. Please send announcements in by each Wednesday for publication in the Thursday E-news.
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Aug 12 Peg Lancioni
Aug 12 Carole Latino
Aug 13 Shirley Blumenfeld
Aug 14 Paula Copestick
Aug 21 Suzanne Fast
Aug 22 Carol Barclay
Aug 22 Marge Gonzalez
Aug 24 Patricia Vivier-Naidl
Aug 25 John Swank
Aug 28 Ellen Kelly
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Newsletter Editor: Jill Carville
(239) 561-2700
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