Friday UU Update 
April 10, 2020
Unitarian Universalist Church  of Bloomington, Indiana
Please send photos of what you've been up to!
Hi from the Schraders!
We would love to see photos of what you are doing during this time, and I am sure you would love to see one another's faces, too. We will create an occasional slideshow  of what is happening in the lives of people in our congregation and will show it for a few minutes before Sunday morning worship.   Please send your photos to me and to Ned Joyner, one of our media staff members. Text to 812-333-9822 and 812-344-7635 or email to mre (at) uubloomington.org and media (at) uubloomington.org.   --  Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Sunday, April 12, 2020
10:15 am (one online service only)
The Wisdom of Easter, The Sanctuary of Passover
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Reverend Emily Manvel Leite,  and other Ministers
      
     What is the wisdom waiting for us within this time of year? How do we understand sanctuary in this new era of living in lockdown? We will explore the stories of Passover and Easter within the framework of the wisdom and sanctuary offered to each of us and the world.  We will be blessed with special music from Carrie    Newcomer, from a remote location. Blessed are we all. Blessed are we all.

     Join us via livestream for this week's service  via  our  Facebook page  or our  website livestream page . In case you miss the livestream,  archived videos  are always available on our website.   

     Our Building is Closed, but Our Hearts are Still Open. To help disrupt the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 in our community, our building is closed for the time being. All in-person events and meetings have been cancelled. We urge everyone to stay home. 

Join us for Virtual Coffee Hour!
     Join us via this link  on Sunday after the service, until 12:15 pm. When you click on the link on Sunday, you will enter a waiting room before being admitted to the main meeting. Once in the main meeting you will be asked to choose a breakout room.  Breakout rooms are spaces for small group conversations. There will be breakout rooms for various topics, such as showing off your face masks and discussing how to make them, families with young children, and more. Email me before Sunday if you would like to request a new breakout room topic and be a host for that room. 
     If you haven't participated in a Zoom meeting in the past,  please take a moment to read these instructions first.  If you prefer to use your phone for audio, here's the phone number to call in: +1 646 558 8656, use meeting ID: 601 601 156 
-- Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator, connect(at) uubloomington.org
PayPal Available for Donations  
We now have a PayPal page where you can make a Sunday Plate contribution and other donations to the church using a major credit card. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use this page.  It's also not required to use the PayPal page. You can still mail in your pledge contributions using paper checks.

Thank you for your 2020-21 Pledges! Keep 'em rolling in!
Here's the link again to that easy online pledge form. We very much appreciate all the responses we've gotten! And thanks to our at-large board members who have been doing extra outreach. Our leaders are in the process of creating our budget for the coming fiscal year that starts in July, so it's important for us to know how much you are planning to give.
Bookmark this Page for Religious Education Information 
Packets for Religious Education at home, an April Calendar with fun ideas of simple things to do for all ages, Storytimes with Adrienne and information on our Virtual Dance Party on Fridays... Interested in any of these things?
Adrienne on Facebook Live, Weekdays at 1 pm 
Our Director of Religious Education, Adrienne Summerlot, will be holding space for children and those young at heart each weekday. We start with a chalice lighting and show and tell (via comments) and then she features a story. The schedule is as follows: Mindful Mondays, Time Turner Tuesdays, Weird, Wild and Wonderful Wednesdays, Tales from Around the World Thursdays and Fun Fridays.  Can't join us live? The videos are posted to her page, along with some wondering questions and links to activities and other stories for you to go to when it is convenient. Her professional Facebook profile is Dre Bloomington Summerlot.
Our Folks...
      Our hearts are with Reverend Bill Breeden and family. Reverend Bill's sister, Ginger, died this past Tuesday afternoon.
      A note from the Breedens:  Glenda and I want to say thanks to all those who hold us in their  hearts in response to the death of my oldest sister Ginger. She died  of Covid-19. She was born on a new moon and died on the brightest full  moon of 2020. She was a force of nature, and nature responded with a  powerful storm on the night of her death. In times like these, we are  comforted by the presence of a loving community. Be well, and love one  another. It is the only thing that makes sense.  peace--Rev. Bill
Caring for Our Community Questionnaire
Thank you to everyone who completed our Caring for Our Community questionnaire last week. It is so important at this time that we stay connected with each other to ensure each other's health and well-being. If you have not yet completed our online Caring for Our Community questionnaire to let us know how you are doing,  please do so here. We sincerely hope all of you are safe and well. We will be following up with everyone who has not completed the questionnaire, unless you've otherwise been in contact with us.    --Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
Exploring Unitarian Universalism Online, April 19 and 26
     The Exploring Unitarian Universalism (UU) class will be offered online on April 19 and April 26, from 2-4 pm. To register for the class  please use this link and register before April 15. This class is a great opportunity to learn about the UU Principles, our ministers, our history, all the ways to get involved here, and what it means to be a member of our congregation. 
     Plan to attend both dates, since different material will be covered in each session. We request completion of this class before you become a member of the church. Everyone ages 14 to 100+ is welcome! Questions? Email Ann LeDuc at  connect(at)uubloomington.org
Scammers are busy -- BEWARE!
Again this week, on April 7, an imposter posing as Reverend Macklin with an @ gmail address sent a fraudulent begging email to many of our members asking them to email back (so they could then ask for money). Don't do it. Please use caution and just delete any email that seems to be from the church asking for your credit card information or that asks you for help or gift cards or music downloads or whatnot.
Now Accepting Nominations for the 25% Sunday Plate Fund for '20-'21,  Due April 15
Each year our congregation gives 25% of undesignated/non-pledge Sunday Plate donations to a local project or service agency. In the spring the Social Justice Funds Committee accepts nominees for the upcoming fiscal year. This year's nominations are due by April 15. The members gathered at the June 7, 2020 Congregational Meeting will vote to choose the organization that will received these funds in 2020-21.  Contact Denise Ogren, SJFC Chair, at  uucbsjfunds@uubloomington.org  with any questions.  
     The Social Justice Funds Committee:  Denise Ogren, Anna Beauchamp,  Steve Mascari. Advisor: Jackie Hall
The 2020 Auction is Online May 3!
Donation Forms Due April 19
This year's totally online auction will begin on Sunday, May 3, 2020, and may possibly continue over a few days. Please consider donating talents and/or services that can be provided at a distance. Previous donations that could be delivered online or at a distance are welcome and include: voice lessons, pie crust making lessons, poet and author readings, and yard work.  New ideas are encouraged!  Click on this link  to start filling out your donation forms, which are due Sunday, April 19th.
From our Reproductive Justice Task Force: 
Because of COVID-19, the number of families seeking support from diaper bank programs throughout the country has skyrocketed. Help the Reproductive Justice Task Force address the increased community need with the April Diaper Drive for All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center. It's simple to donate from the above link, allowing All-Options to buy diapers in bulk in the sizes they need. Their shelves are bare! Help keep our families strong! 
Now more than ever, the need is there to support women in their ability to access safe abortion care. The  Hoosier Abortion Fund is the only statewide abortion fund in Indiana. Join the Reproductive Justice Task Force in the April community-wide fundraiser to show up for Hoosier women. 
BChild
"Writing as a Spiritual Practice"
with Rev. Barbara Child
A Drop-in Group on Zoom
Tuesdays 1:00-2:00, April 14 through May 26
 
I invite you to join me on a journey of personal exploration through writing in community. Over the years I have led a variety of retreats and workshops that I have called "Writing as a Spiritual Practice." I discovered early on that something both powerful and healing happened when people wrote in the company of others, all writing at once and then sharing what we had written. When we wrote in each other's presence, there was a great release of energy in being able to look around and see others bent over their writing. The energy gave way to exhilaration at wanting to hear what the others had written and then rejoicing that they would share our revelations. We discovered that we could respond genuinely to what others had written without slipping into critique of either the writer's experience or the writing itself. If you would like to participate, register by clicking here.
And click here to get a full description of the way the group will work.
Notice from the UU Homelessness Task Force and Hunger Task Force
Monthly Food Drives (and other needs)
     Through April 30, we are collecting items for Shalom Community Center and The Nest. Our building is closed, but we have placed collection bins outside the building, under the northside porch near the Portico Entrance. Simply drive up and drop off - we are collecting donations from these bins daily. 
Attend MidAmerica Regional Assembly online this year
Saturday, April 18
MidAmerica Regional Assembly has moved online this year, which means it may be more accessible to you to attend. Gather together virtually with Unitarian Universalists across our region to learn about what is going on in our region, living into our shared values and how to build beloved community. Cost is $50 to attend via Zoom and you can register here
For more information about Taquiena Boston's keynote address click here.
No Meetings at Church -- Our Building is Closed
In an effort to disrupt the community spread of coronavirus Covid-19, our building is closed and all meetings are canceled. This decision will be updated as we go forward.

Church Office Closed, Staff Working from Home
Our offices are closed, but staff members are working from home and checking email frequently during their regularly scheduled work hours.
  Carol Marks, Church Administrator, admin (at) uubloomington.org
  Monica Overman and Mandy Skinner, office (at) uubloomington.org
  Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator, connect (at) uubloomington.org
  Adrienne Summerlot, Dir. of Religious Education, dre (at) uubloomington.org
More Ways We Can Help
Face masks are needed
If you would like to help, Bloomington Quilters Guild members have provided a  website with links related to the face mask effort coordinated by Bloomington Quilters Guild members and the Bloomington Indiana Fabric Mask Drive. Click here for complete information.
Want to help and don't know where to start?
Bloomington Volunteer Network has compiled a page of links of immediate needs and how to donate to local non-profits during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Voting by Mail
The primary election day for Indiana has been changed to June 2, and the Indiana Election Commission has decided that all registered voters will be able to vote by mail, for the June 2 election only.  You must be registered to vote in order to receive an absentee ballot. You can check your registration at  www.indianavoters.in.gov  - "Check Voting Status." More info here:  Application to Vote by Mail.
Deadline for Order of service and Friday UU Update
Thursday, 9 am, to  office@uubloomington.org

Friday Update is for Events Happening in the Next 10 Days
The Friday UU Update is designed to remind the members of the congregation about events and services that are coming up within the next 10 days. For events that are further in the future, please consult our twice-monthly Prologue newsletter.

For More Information
See the March 17  edition  of our newsletter, The Prologue, published on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Past issues for quite awhile back can be found here
(Next Prologue deadline is Tuesday, April 7, at 10 am.) 
Carol Marks   has editorial responsibility for our congregation's publications.

How to Subscribe
If you are not already regularly receiving emails like this from us, you can subscribe by sending an email to  office (at) uubloomington.org.
Masthead photo by John Woodcock.
Unitarian Universalist Church