Weekly E-News February 14, 2019

Worship with us in February!

Trust

In the 5 Smooth Stones of liberal religion, the late, white theologian James Luther Adams reminds us that we are a people of Trust. Yes, skepticism and doubt and questioning are a deep and proud of our Unitarian Universalist heritage. Those behaviors are resulting from a deeper sense of trust that Love prevails in all things, underneath it all. A greater Love calls more powerfully than any dogma supposedly set in stone. And this trust extends to any theology or life philosophy theistic or not. The deeply thoughtful atheist writer James Baldwin writes, “Trust life, and it will teach you, in joy and sorrow, all you need to know.” This trust of Life and Love extends beyond the ebb and flow of our day to day lives, and when we worship together we can access that depth together. So come, trusting that your presence matters, and that you might experience something you needed.

Community Sharing in February- ACT, or Abuse Counseling Treatment

For the past 38 years, ACT's mission is to protect, support and educate victims of domestic violence and their children and survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking in Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties. They provide 3 emergency shelters, 24-hour hotline, individual and group counseling and therapy, advocacy, rape crisis center, children's program, education, and professional trainings and information and referrals. Please remember our community sharing partner at each Sunday's offerting time. All unmarked donations go to our partner each week! Thank you!

The Humanist Forum

The Humanist Forum meets every Sunday at 9:15 am in Hobart Hall. All are welcome to attend.

Sunday Social Hour

Sunday's Social Hour happens after the service every week. It is volunteer run- by the Women's Circle on the first Sunday, Humanist Forum on the second, CUUPs on the third, Men's Group on the fourth, and if there is a fifth Sunday, it is All Church. Any donations of food, snacks or cash are welcome.

Youth Groups

If you have questions about our youth groups or Children's Religious Education program, please contact Jenn Blosser [email protected].

BURN , our High School Youth Group meets on Sundays at noon in Room 4. All youth, ages 14-18, are welcome!

IGNITE , our junior youth group for ages 10-13, meets weekly from 12-1 pm in Room 3. (or 7) Come join us for community, conversation, and finding your call to action!

S PARK, exclusively for children ages 5-9, Spark meets weekly from 12-1pm in Room 2 to explore Unitarian Universalism and learn more about our church and each other.

Music News

The UUCFM Choir rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:45-8:15 pm, and on Sunday mornings from 9-10 am in the sanctuary. It's free and there are no auditions. Come join us in singing!

The UUCFM Band rehearses most Wednesday nights from 6:00-6:45 pm, and on Sunday mornings from 9-10 am 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!

Suellen Kipp, Director of Music

email Suellen

Membership

If you or a friend has been thinking about joining our faith community, you are cordially invited to pick up a Membership Enrollment Kit at our “Welcome Tables” in the Narthex and Hobart Hall on Sunday, or come by the Office and grab a Kit. (Or I can email you an Enrollment Kit [email protected] .) Complete the forms in the kit and drop in the mail or bring the completed forms with you Sunday morning. It’s that simple! Wherever you are on your journey, we bid you Welcome!

Meet Our New Members!

MARY FAEGRE joined us in April last year and has been a UU since1976. She was a member here in 2000 and has now returned. Mary was a licensed psychologist for over 35 years. She volunteers at the Womens Shelter and works against Human Trafficking. She values her 3 daughters and their families. Mary enjoys reading , traveling, biking, and swimming, her long-time UU friends, and walking her dog at

Shell Point. Thank you Mary, for your return.

DEBRA LEIGH is a 3rd generation Floridian. She was born at home in Ft. Myers, delivered by her maternal grandmother. Debra left for graduate school in 1973 in California and stayed until recently when she returned to help care for her parents. A professional dancer and choreographer, Debra also taught K-12 and Psychology and Dance at the college level. She was a child birth educator, assistant midwife and a doula. Debra is a certified Dreamwork facilitator and her mentor was the popular and beloved UU minister, Jeremy Taylor. She also learned Soul Collage from founder and neighbor Seena Frost. Debra has one son who lives with his family in the south of France. Some of Debra's interests are gardening, photography, hiking, travel and genealogy.

The Membership team needs a few more Ambassador Volunteers

This past fall the Membership Team began the process of helping newcomers on the pathway to membership by assigning volunteers (we call them Ambassadors) to the newcomer once they submit a Connection Card. Six volunteers have formed our current Ambassador Corps but we need a few more. In the past 3 months we are averaging 16 newcomers/month, that’s a healthy increase over previous months. That’s the good news! To help our newcomers with the journey to membership, we need a few more Ambassadors, representing a cross-section of our membership.

If you’re interested, please let the Membership team know by emailing [email protected] or just corner one of us and let us know of your interest. The time involved is not significant, no more than an hour a week.

What are Gratitude Gatherings?

Last year, the Board of Trustees, at the recommendation of the Finance Council, chose to re-invent the way we manage our traditional pledge campaigns. Recent years’ experiences, although successful in terms of contributions pledged, became overburdensome on just a few volunteers and somewhat intrusive for many members, cramming all solicitation meetings within a short amount of time in order to complete the grueling budgeting process for the church. Furthermore, the weeks-long, energy-

draining effort necessarily put an unbalanced focus and stress on financial expectations with very little focus on the overall sense of the mutual appreciation for the connectedness between the church and each member. Furthermore, we understand that many of our members have busy lives, filled with urgent demands on their time.

Our new stewardship approach is a year-round series of hour-long Gratitude Gatherings where a twelfth of our members voluntarily come together each month in small groups with the minister and church leaders. In these sessions, members learn about the “state of the Church,” share our proudest moments of being a member of UUCFM, express concerns and satisfactions about our progress toward our Vision,

and celebrate our commitments to our faith community. The goal is that members will leave feeling uplifted and more engaged as a member of our congregation!

So, when you receive an invitation to attend a future Gratitude Gathering, you now know a little bit more about why you are being invited and what you can expect.

Special Events at UUCFM

FUUn BUUnch

FUUN BUUNCH DINNER, February 16th at 6:30 PM at Monarca's Mexican Restaurant, just north of the main entrance to the Edison Mall on Rt 41.

Please call or text John E. FISCHER, 267 992 6566 OR email [email protected] by February 14th to make reservations.

Our next FUUN BUUNCH DINNER will be at CANTINA 109 in the GULF COAST MALL, the last Saturday in March.

Service Auction

Venetian Masquerade Ball!

Saturday, February 23rd, 5:00 pm

While the guests will be disguised, there is nothing secret about the cause.

The UUCFM annual Service Auction is an important fundraising event for the church (and always a fun party), but it is also a great way to bring people together. Do you have a special talent or skill or a unique item to donate? Ideas for services to donate: Host a brunch, dinner or dessert party; Host a ping-pong or pool tournament; Take a few people on a nature hike or bird-watching tour of a local preserve; Set up a poker run or scavenger hunt; Offer a few hours of babysitting or handyman services. Other popular items are homemade scones, pizzas or lasagna, handmade quilts and paintings and gift cards! Everyone can participate and help expand our mission to Love, Grow and Serve.

Questions about the auction? Contact Helen Dixon or Sheila Jaskie, or you can reach us at [email protected] .

UUCFM Classes & Groups

15+ Group

The UUCFM 15+ Group is comprised of UUCFM members who have belonged to UUCFM for at least 15 years. Some churches call this type of group Church Elders -- but this group of "elders" chose to be called the 15+ Group! We will be meeting at noon in the Narthex at noon on Sunday, March 10th. If you would like to have an item put on the agenda, please contact Ellen Erickson [email protected] or 239-694-6833.

CUUPs Healing Drum Circle

Cuups is now hosting a monthly healing drumming circle. We'll meet by the fire circle at 6:30pm every 2nd Saturday. It is open to all. We will have a facilitator who is accomplished in healing sound and drumming. We welcome our larger community as well as our diverse church community. May healing begin with drums of passion. Love and blessings, Joy Purcell

Women's Circle & Potluck

Every 4th Tuesday there will be a noon potluck in Hobart Hall. Bring a dish to share and your own beverage.

UUCFM will grow stronger as we do things together: connecting one-on-one, sharing food, and joining for common causes. That's what we do at Womens Group. Next meeting: Tuesday, Febriaru 26th at noon in Hobart Hall. Bring the youngest photo you have for a "Memory Lane and Who's Who" activity. We will vote on a nickname: Wonder Women, Sisters in Spirit, and what is your nominee? Sign up for set up or clean up with Dorothy Van Howe.

Next meeting: March 26th with Sharing Our Travels, Dorothy in Egypt...Suggestions for April 23rd? Reiki Demonstration, Ancester Story,...

For contact information: Dorothy Van Howe, 239-560-7238,

[email protected]

Men's Social Group

We want you to join the UUCFM Men's Social Group. We meet on the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 11:45 am at the Cross Creek Country Club Clubhouse/Restaurant off Daniel's Parkway. For 2019, we are planning fun social activities as well as action sessions on what the Men's Group can do to help UUCFM. For information, contact Denis Jensen at 215-436-5748 or email Denis .

Spirituality Discussion Group

The Spirituality Discussion Group meets Wednesdays at 6:45 pm in Room 2 after the Community Dinner. Our Spirituality has to do with the way one connects to ourselves, others, nature, and the unknowns. Contact Suzanne Ziemer at [email protected] with any questions.

Book Club

The Book Club meets Wednesdays at 1:00 pm in the Conference Room. Our new book is American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard. Upon completion, the following book chosen is How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence by Michael Pollan.

Mindfulness Meditation

Join us on Monday evenings to explore the simple and satisfying practices of mindfulness and 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 6:30-8:00p in the Sanctuary. If you have any questions, please call or text Gary Robbins at 302-540-5899.

Rissho Kosei-kai

The Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhist group meets Sundays in Room 1. All are welcome to join us. We have a new meeting time- 2:00-4:00 pm.

UUCFM Weekly Activities

Community Wednesday

Please join us for Chef Joy's Community Wednesday Dinners at 6:00 pm each Wednesday. She will be serving salad, soup and entree. The price is $5.00. The meal is vegetarian, but every other week will feature a meat item alternate.

Community Activities for February:

6:00-6:45 Band Rehearsal in Sanctuary

6:45-8:00 Choir Rehearsal in Sanctuary

6:45-8:00 Spiritual Discussion group thru May 2019 in Room 2.

Social Justice

South Fort Myers Food Pantry

The support that UUCFM has shown to our pantry over the years is appreciated. Along with other coalition members, the combined effort fed 26,646 people from the South Fort Myers area in 2018. There is still a tremendous need in Southwest Florida and consequently the Harry Chapin Food Bank sometimes runs low on food. When this happens, your donations of food each Sunday become so important, even if it’s just one item. Remember “Fran’s plan, just one can”? Look around church this Sunday and just imagine the amount of food, if everyone brought just one can. Protein items are always a good choice, canned ham, chicken , tuna or hearty prepared meals or soups.

Prefer to donate money? You can make out checks and send to the South Fort Myers Food Pantry. 8260 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL. 33919. Be sure to write Food Pantry in the memo line. Looking for a satisfying volunteer experience? See Fran Rose or email [email protected] .

Caring News

Caring Network

If you have any caring concerns, please contact our Caring Network coordinator, Neil Yesu at [email protected]

Shop and Help UUCFM!

Did you know your purchases can make a difference? AmazonSmile donates to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers when you do your Valentine's Day shopping. Follow this link: smile.amazon.com/ch/59-1160337

Member to Member

Do you have something to offer, trade, or sell? Are you looking for something? Free ad space here for personal items only. Will run ad for 4 weeks. Email [email protected] .

*Laptop/Convertible 15” $425.00

A generous congregation member has donated a laptop to the church for sale. This HP laptop is practically brand new. It's a good buy for someone who can use it for personal or business. Description: HP Pavilion X360 15.6 Convertible 2-in-1 FHD IPS Micro-Edge Narrow Border Touchscreen Laptop Intel Core i5-8250U 8GB RAM 1TB SSD WiFi B&O Type-C Win 10. This laptop retails for over $600.

Send inquiries to [email protected]

Our Greater Community

Identify Risk Factors For Stroke & Heart Disease

1. Stroke Screening/Carotid Artery

Ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries to detect fatty plaque buildup—the leading cause of strokes.

2. Heart Rhythm Screening (Atrial Fibrillation)

EKG electrodes placed on the arms and legs to detect an irregular heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke 5 times

3. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Ultrasound scan of the aorta to detect an enlargement.

4. Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening

Screen of the leg arteries to detect fatty plaque buildup. It is 4-5 times more likely you will die from heart disease if you have peripheral arterial disease.

5. Osteoporosis Screening

An ultrasound scan of the shin bone to determine bone mass density. Osteoporosis is painless and silent in its early stages.

Life Line Screening’s mission is to make people aware of an undetected health problem and encourage them to seek follow-up care with their physician. Our painless, vascular screenings use advanced color flow ultrasound technology. All tests are reviewed by a board certified physician and the results are sent to you.

When: Friday, March 8, 2019

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers