UUCGT FLASH NEWSLETTER

UUCGT Flash

March 14, 2019

Vol. 13, Issue 577

In This Issue

Reflection

Sunday Service

Save the Date!

Temporary UU Minister

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Congregational Vision

We are a Congregation creating a better world by nurturing the heart and expanding the mind.

We provide a safe, caring community where all can freely explore diverse religious thought.

We work for justice and equality with the power of compassion and compassionate power.

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UUCGT Quicklinks

Website

Calendar

Who We Are

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UUCGT

Beacon

If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter

the Beacon

please contact

office@uucgt.org

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Reflection...

We choose to be the weavers...

of kindness,

of compassion,

of caring -

creating a tapestry of connection,

a tapestry of love

Sunday Service

Sunday, March 17 - Max Old Bear, coordinator

10:30 AM: "Our American Tapestry"

All immigrants, including the Irish are a part of our nation's rich and

colorful fabric. All provide strength, color, and contributions to our national

tapestry. They contribute to our government, our law, and our medicine.

They also contribute greatly to our rich musical and artistic heritage.

Children and Youth Programs

PreK-5th grade and Youth (5th-8th grade) programs are available, as well as Nursery c hild care for infants through age 4.

Celebrate the "Green"!

Sunday, March 17

Join the Congregation for a

Potluck Lunch
to celebrate the close of our 2019-2020 Pledge Drive!

Bring a place setting & a dish to pass

All are Welcome!

UUCGT Stewardship Team

UUCGT Welcomes Temporary UU Minister

Rev. Beth Marshall

Dear Members and Friends,

I'm looking forward to the beginning of a ministry with you in Traverse City. As with any new endeavor or adventure, it is a mix of hopes, dreams and expectations. One predictable challenge with a part-time ministry is how to get to know families and individuals within the congregation. Such things take time, and our time is limited to just five months. One thing that would help me get to know each of you better is pretty old school, but I have a hunch it could work well. Would you consider writing me a letter, focusing on a couple of "getting to know you" questions?

"What are the one or two most important things or events I need to know about you or your family?"

"What do you treasure most about this congregation?"

"What challenges do you see facing UUCGT?"

And, "What dreams do you have for UUCGT, or for Unitarian Universalism?"

If the younger ones would rather draw me a picture, I would love to see what they cherish about their church community. All this will help immeasurably. I can't promise that I will get them all answered in the first month, but I'll do my best to respond to them in a timely manner.

There will be a clearly marked box at church on Sunday, March 24th, ready to accept letters and pictures.

In hope and faith,

Rev. Beth

Please note tentative schedule as follows:

March 22 - 31

April 19 - 28

May 10 - 19

June 14 - 23

July 12 - 21

Stewardship Moment

A big Thank You! to all who have turned in your 2019-2010 pledges!

Together, We Are Building Momentum!

Hello, I'm David Hassing, and my wife, Alison Kadlec, and I are new members of the congregation, having just joined in the fall.

We really appreciate the warm welcome we've received and appreciate the chance to say a few words about what stewardship means to us.

I grew up Catholic (baptized, first communion, confirmation), and when people ask me what my religious orientation is I used to just say, "I'm a recovering Catholic" - while I appreciated the role Catholicism played in my mother's social justice orientation to the world, I never felt at home in that faith tradition and knew even as a kid that I wouldn't continue to identify as Catholic or raise my own children in that tradition.

But it's a lot easier to say what you don't believe in than what you do believe in, and as our kids have gotten a little older Alison and I have felt growing urgency to find a place for our family to grow spiritually as individuals and as a family. The principles of Unitarian Universalism are remarkably aligned with our family's values, and we feel truly lucky to make this faith tradition and this particular congregation our family's spiritual home.

As members, we feel responsible to contribute in various ways to the health of the congregation and the community it serves and we look forward not only to doing our part but to doing our best to draw more families with young kids into the congregation.

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Hello, I'm Alison Kadlec. As David said, we feel very lucky to be a part of this community and congregation, and we're delighted to have a place for our kids and ourselves to grow spiritually and to reflect on the larger questions and our larger responsibilities to each other and our planet. You have all been so nice to us, inviting us to participate in lay-led services, showing up at our kids' art shows, etc. We're grateful to be a newer part of this wonderful congregation.

We know that stewardship is about time, talent, and treasure. We're stepping up in various ways to volunteer our time, and our talents, but we're also committed to doing our part financially. After running a program at a non-profit in NY for 13 years, I started a small mission-driven business just over a year ago. David, who since our move up here has been primarily a stay-at-home parent to give our kids the presentness and support they need while my work puts me on planes every week, is just beginning to build his business. We have no family wealth behind us, but are undaunted by hard work and know how to live lean, and we're proud to make a go of creating a life of self-employment/entrepreneurship. But these are also tight times for us, because new business need careful tending in order to thrive. I'm telling you all of this because as we were putting together our pledge, we had to make some hard choices about our budget and our charitable giving.

Last week, we heard about the power of geese flying in formation, the way in which through mutual support and collaboration, geese are able to be 70% more efficient in their flight than if they flew solo, and we decided that for us it's time to consolidate our giving to focus on this congregation and the work it does in our broader community.

So, we're proud to contribute our time, talent and our treasure - and we encourage others to do the same to ensure a strong future for this congregation.

Thank you from the UUCGT Stewardship Team members

Dave Halsted, Karl Keinath, Penny Ort, Rick Walter, Jan Zerbel

UUCGT Bulletin Board

Link to March Beacon here

Icy Parking Lot Alert! P lease be aware the driveway and parking lot are icy and slippery! We are doing what we can to remedy the problem. Please be extremely cautious. We suggest having someone drop you off at the front sidewalk entrance if possible. Please be safe!

UUCGT Financial Summary as of February 28, 2019 - click here

Seeking BEACON Editor for April Issue and beyond: If you enjoy newsletter design and editing, contact the office to volunteer!

UUCGT Music Director, John Bailey, is retiring: J ohn has informed us that he will retire at the end of his contract on June 30. John has done an excellent job with our music program for the past two and a half years and we will miss his leadership. John and his wife, Elisabeth Treefon, look forward to the greater freedom for travel opportunities and adventures that come with retirement - Congratulations, John!

A search process for a Music Director will begin soon with the intent to hold final interviews in August to allow our new Interim Minister a chance to participate in the selection process. Donna Stein-Harris and Karl Love of our Staff Resources Committee will lead the search process. We will keep you updated as the search progresses.

Mike McDonald, President, Board of Trustees

SAFE HARBOR Food Needed: Y ogurt cups and breakfast bars! Just bring them to UU on Sunday. Also, bring any food on Sunday that you signed up to donate. Thank you for your donations in support of our neighbors experiencing homelessness. For more information contact Mike or Sandra McDonald at 231-935-3759 or m_mcdonald@charter.net .

Spring! (housekeeping) is in the air: Several items in the back coat room are available for the taking: 6-disk CD player; DVD player; 2 speakers; TV; cart; box of VHS videos

Also, please check the Lost & Found near the name tag tower for your lost items.

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