Friday UU Update                           Friday, May 11, 2018
Unitarian Universalist Church 
of Bloomington, Indiana
                                                                         Blue Phlox, photo by Linda Mjolsnes

Help Us Keep Moving Forward and Growing Strong!
Pledge Drive Update
     THANK YOU to those of you who have already pledged!  To those who haven't yet, we need your help-- we are $67,636 away from meeting our financial goal for the next year of ministry! This is exciting news! We need your help to get us across the finish line. 
     In the past year, we have welcomed more than 50 new individuals and families to our congregation largely because of our vibrant worship, fun and engaging religious education, committed social justice work, and our welcoming community. We want to keep that momentum going by strengthening our online worship experience (more than 100 people watch our online worship each week), supporting our ministers and staff by providing fair compensation (our church has worked towards this for years, and will reach it if we make this year's goal), and reaching the broader Bloomington community in partnership with our first Affiliated Community Minister.
     Your generosity makes a major difference in the lives of many people who need our diverse and welcoming community!   Click here to make your pledge for 2018-19 --choose "I want to make a Pledge Commitment" or contact the office staff. Next week, our Board of Directors will discuss next year's budget based on the progress of our pledge drive--so, please consider making, or increasing, your pledge as soon as possible. Thank you for all of the ways you support our congregation! 
This Sunday, May 13 is Our Twice-Annual
MEGA Bounty Full Sunday Food Drive! 
     The Help Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force will collect non-perishable food and toiletries for Monroe County United Ministries' Client Choice Pantry on  Sunday, May 13 . Don't forget to bring an item or two with you to  Sunday  service. (No expired food, please!) Current needs: cereal, peanut butter, granola bars, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, canned pasta (Chef Boyardee, etc.), canned fruit, dry beans, deodorant, razors, bar soap for sensitive skin, dish soap, trash bags, laundry soap, Size 4/5 diapers, baby wipes, all-purpose cleaners.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
9:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Awakening: Mother Earth, Mother's Day
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
     "Arise, all women who have hearts,"  Julia Ward Howe wrote in her 1870's Mother's Day Proclamation to establish Mother's Peace Day, an anti-war declaration. How do we awaken to the calls for peace and ecological justice in the 21st century? How do we arise in mind, body, and spirit?
     Our c hoir, with a 16-piece orchestra and guest soloist Amanda Russo Stante, will perform Cary Boyce's Dies irae, a movement of his Flower of Departure Requiem we premiered a few years ago. The piece cleverly turns the 14th century "Day of Wrath" text into a powerful (and entertaining) indictment of war and ecological destruction by interpolating a text by Leonardo da Vinci. 
This Week in Religious Education:  
This is the last Sunday of Spring Religious Education. World of Wonder (Preschool) prepares for next week's intergenerational service with The Flower Communion lesson. Roots and Wings (K-2) continues to explore diversity with the story You Be You . Curiosity Club (3rd grade+) will learn about the Wonder and Awe of birds in nature. Our 11:15 am Harry Potter and UU (6th-8th grade) class will delve into the world of fantastic beasts. Our High School Youth are meeting in Room 210 then going canoeing on Lake Griffy.
No Parking on Jordan Avenue this Weekend
Bloomington Police Department is asking us not to park on Jordan Avenue south of the church from May 9 through May 13, so please consider carpooling, biking, or parking at the old Church of God north of the Bypass this Sunday.
Our Folks . . .
     Best wishes for quick healing to our Custodian, Jeff Stone, who had hernia surgery this week. He is recuperating at home.
Annual Reports from Committees and Task Forces Due May 15
Each year, we compile an annual report for our spring annual congregational meeting. It contains reports from ministers, staff, and task forces and groups within the church who would like to be included. It is a fine historical record of the work of our congregation. Send your reports to Carol Marks by May 15 atadmin@uubloomington.org.
Book Drive for Pages to Prisoners through May 29th
Our 6th-8th graders are collecting like-new paperback books. See below for the most requested books. Drop off donations in the Commons.
Trades : welding, HVAC, car repair, small engine repair, electrical
Career and Livelihood : starting your own small business, how-to sustainable farming and how-to living off grid
Art : drawing and tattoo art instruction, crochet
Religion : Wicca, Magic/witchcraft, Bible atlases, Bible concordances   
Self-Help : non-religious addiction recovery, anger management, communication skills, meditation, yoga, exercise
Law : legal Writing, legal dictionaries, Indiana criminal code (2017 or later)
African American Resources : urban fiction, revolutionary black leaders
And, most requested: Paperback like-new dictionaries!
Ramadan Iftaar Dinner, Friday, June 1
Sundown (approx. 9:15-9:30 p.m.) - 11:00 p.m.
Join with us and the Bloomington Islamic community in celebrating a Ramadan Iftaar dinner on Friday, June 1. We'll need lots of helping hands! If you would like to help, please click here to sign up.  Childcare is provided for this event, but please contact Kitty at rea@uubloomington.org if you will need childcare.
For More Information see the May 1 edition   of our newsletter, The Prologue. (Next Prologue deadline is May 15 at 10 a.m.)
Unitarian Universalist Church