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Congregational
Mission
Statement
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
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If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter
the Beacon
please contact
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This Sunday, September 27, 2020
#VOTE LOVE, #DEFEAT HATE
Dear Ones,
You won't want to miss this Sunday's Service! #VoteLove, #NotHate: A National UU the Vote Worship Service is grounded in our Unitarian Universalist Values. From our work for marriage equality, women's suffrage, the abolition of slavery, for civil and voting rights, to advocating for a path to citizenship for immigrants, to taking on the 'New Jim Crow' and white supremacy today, Unitarian Universalists have a long legacy to carry onward.
Join UU's all over the country for this wonderfully inspiring service this Sunday. Our UUA president, Susan Frederick-Gray, will share a homily, and many other UU's from our own Congregation and from around the country will share music, words of inspiration, and music. We will have an opportunity for discussion following the service. Find out how you can take part in UU the Vote and make a difference!
In faith and love,
Cathy
The Rev. Dr. Cathy Harrington Interim MInister Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse revharrington@mac.com
Sunday morning's Order of Service is here.
Click on the link below to join the service; the password is longhaul
Sunday Services are automatically recorded and posted to our Zoom account. We post a link to the most recent service in case you missed it and/or would like to re-view! Click here to view the Service of Sunday September 20. A password is required, that code is 6QhJe^#5
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MINISTERIAL SEARCH TEAM NEWS
Your Ministerial Search Team tackled a packed agenda Monday, Sept. 21
 *Negotiating Team formed - Mary Van Valin was chosen as the MST member to complete the team. She brings experience and historical knowledge of UUCGT and a woman's presence to this important group. She joins Tom Darnton, Board member, and Mike McDonald, chosen by the Board. (See the Oct. Beacon - coming soon - for details about their work.)
*Congregational Record - Upon its completion in the next few weeks, it will go to Rev. Cathy for review after which any necessary changes will be made before sending it to Christine Purcell, our UUA Transitions Coach, for her review and, again, potential changes made.
*Survey - Temporary technical glitches were fixed and we have now had 74 online  respondents and half a dozen paper surveys returned. Many thanks for your perseverance and and participation! Chris and Jim will continue to monitor survey results, which will eventually be shared with you and become an important factor in Cottage Conversations. WE STILL NEED MANY MORE! Please, if you haven't responded to the survey, do it now. Team members will review (anonymous) responses in preparation for Sept. 28 meeting topic, "Lessons learned the last 50 years".
[Link to completing the survey online is HERE.
Link to a downloadable and printable pdf here.]
*Website improvement - The video Charles created to tell the personal story of who we are, has been placed on the About Us Page. Check it out! Other improvements are still in progress.
*Document Packet - All components of the packet, including updated financial documents and videos and photos will be linked and placed by our tech guru, Geoff, in Google Drive.
*Neutral Pulpit Plans - (Here's where the excitement really mounts!!) All MST members committed to three weekends to be selected between Feb. 5 and Mar.28, 2021, for preview of potential candidates in neutral pulpits. We plan to schedule with Midland, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor UU Congregations for these pre-candidating weekends.
YOUR TEAM - Mary, Geoff, Charles, Dusty, Jim, Chris, Jan
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MUSIC: "Just A Note"
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Our Music Director Renee Russell will be taking some time
off in the coming week. She asked me to share with you that
she'll check in with you at the regular rehearsal time for
Virtual Ensemble this evening!
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 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ________________________________
- from RE Teacher Claire Crandell -
"A circle of friends is a blessed thing."
Sunday and Every Day, My Little Blue Book of Unitarian Universalism
On Sunday, September 20th, we gathered together to celebrate a beautiful sun, blue sky and sharing time with one another. Each shared briefly how our past week was and also something that made us especially happy. Everyone had received the new RE Envelopes mailed and we briefly went over some of the items which were included. We then remembered two techniques in the past we have learned to relax. We shared directions for a silent meditation and for a "rain movement" based on T'ai C'hi. We all did a silent meditation for 5 minutes. We then learned a few words in Sign (ASL) language: "Happy to see you", "I'm sorry", "yes", and "no". Our discussion focused on mistakes we may have made (accidents or hurting someone's feeling) and how we "repaired" or Renewed the situation. Everyone does something they are sorry for doing whether accidentally breaking something or speaking unkind words. Everyone shared some incidents from their lives and how they had renewed the situation. Next we played a "Never have I ever" game (from the Renewal section in Soul Matters RE Resources book) and used the ASL signs for "Yes" or "No" to answer. A technical difficulty prevented us from seeing a video of today's closing song. You can see and hear this beautiful song here:
[Ed.'s note: PLEASE click on the link and watch and listen. So beautiful!]
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UUCGT Calendar - Stay Up to Date!
Sunday Services, meetings and classes are hosted on Zoom until further notice. Need help with Zoom? Click on Zoom links below.
To request a Zoom meeting setup and link for your group or committee meeting, please call or e-mail Guy at the office.
Requests must be made by Wednesday at noon for the next day's FLASH, please, if you want your meeting or event included - especially if you are requesting a Zoom set-up!
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Today, Thursday, September 24
1:30 PM
Creative Writing with Alison Ernst
7:00 PM
Friday, September 25
Sunday, September 27
10:30 AM
Sunday Service - UU the Vote!
You can sign in beginning at 10:00 AM to visit!
Monday, September 28
10:00 AM
Stretch & Strengthen
4:00 PM
Ministerial Search Team
Zoom link is here; mtg ID: 839 8133 9396. Passcode is required and available to Search Team members. 7:00 PM
Tuesday, September 29
10:00 AM
Small Group Facilitators
Zoom meeting info here; Passcode is 809547 10:30 AM
Volunteer Comm. Lunch, Friends Church For info contact Mary Kiner1:30 PM
Sunday Service Coordinators Zoom meeting: here.
Sunday Services Committee meets every other Tuesday at 1:30, with the Service
Coordinators meeting following at 2:30 on the Tuesdays both groups
meet, at 1:30 when there is no Committee meeting.
7:00 PM
Wednesday, September 30
11:00 AM
Stretch & Strengthen Class
4:00 PM
Healthy Congregations Committee
5:30 PM
Wednesday "Bring-Your-Own" Picnic Supper -
Thursday, October (!!!) 1
~ 12:00 PM...
New to Zoom?
Check out these Zoom introductory videos & FAQ's
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UUCGT Bulletin Board
You can now leave a voicemail message on the office phone! Many apologies to those of you who have tried to do so lately. Multiple attempts to resolve this have come (obviously) to nought; all I can tell you is that when a technician from AscomNorth came to the office yesterday to try to resolve the issue, it took him half a dozen tries! (Translation: It wasn't just me!) You still have to hear a brief prompt, press '0' and then wait to hear another message, but it's an improvement. I'll work on making it more efficient as soon as I'm able.
PS: Fall colors are beginning to express themselves; in places they are already magnificent. Consider taking a walk on our campus? I took this photograph just this morning:
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Misty Sheehan and Linda Woods share this invitation...
"Once more, with feeling..."
PLEASE COMPLETE THE CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY!!!!
In case you missed it in Jan Zerbel's Search Team Report above,
the link to the online Congregational Survey is
If for any reasons you're unable to complete the survey online,
or prefer to fill out a paper survey, a link to a
downloadable and printable .pdf document is
If you'd like a paper copy mailed to you, or if you would like a self-addressed, stamped envelope in which to return your completed survey, call or e-mail Guy at the office: (231) 947-3117, office@uucgt.org.
No matter how you complete the survey, PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY! And we'd be grateful to have your responses returned by tomorrow, Friday, September 25.
Take Action! Opportunities to Work for Social Justice:
The M U U S J N
The Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network
GET OUT THE VOTE PAGE
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And our redoubtable Emmy Lou Cholak calls this to our attention;
even though this week's Flash is already jam-packed I thought it worth including,
especially after the ACLU informed us (in response to our query) that
the bills are likely to be voted on in about a week...
The MidAmerica Nominating Committee Needs Your Help!
Co-chairs Helen Dwyer - All Souls Unitarian Church in Indianapolis IN - and Mel Priese - Eliot Unitarian Chapel in Kirkwood MO - write seeking people to serve in leadership positions:
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We are seeking fresh voices for leadership positions to strengthen the future of the MidAmerica Region! We have open positions for The Board of Trustees, Camp UniStar Foundation Board of Directors, Midwest Unitarian Universalist Conference (MUUC), and The MidAmerican Nominating Committee itself. Our region needs energetic people with diverse perspectives to fill these leadership positions. We are working to dismantle the legacy of white supremacy in our faith in order to create a collaborative environment with people from historically marginalized communities.
Some traits we value in candidates...
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Willingness to collaborate with others
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Ability to provide a unique perspective
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Strong communication skills
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Interest in leadership and stewardship
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Dedication to radical inclusion
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Personal investment in the future of our region and Unitarian Universalism
as a faith
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The rest of their letter shares some details about each of the Boards and Committees listed above, along with contact information and requirements. You can access all of that here!
Please don't forget this request from Mary Kiner!
As Tuesday Lunch approaches colder weather and we need to let people eat indoors, we need some men to volunteer for crowd supervision. (No cooking involved!) Call Mary Kiner 935-3050, or e-mail her at marykiner@charter.net. Thank you!
Finally: A new Directory will be created later in the fall.
Thanks for sending in updates and corrections; we haven't forgotten them. We may be shifting some of the ways in which we maintain our database and it may turn out that it'll be much, much easier to wait and create a directory within the new system.
Not only that, we'll have a more attractive and helpful directory!
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End Note:
"We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate."
- Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826 , 3rd president of the United States and primary author of the Declaration of Independence
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Most of the UUCGT building is closed until further notice;
however the office will generally be staffed* Tuesday-Friday.
with any questions or concerns.
*With thanks to Alison Ernst for suggesting
the gender-neutral language here!
Stay up to date on the UUCGT website
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