Weekly E-News - August 26, 2021

Weekly E-News

August 26, 2021

Our Sunday Service

What does it mean to be a people of charity, a people of Grace? I believe the highest form of charity is love, that thing within us that drives us to give, and to share.

Join us online Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at uucfm.org to listen or join us on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/98733916229

Stay after service to join in UU Dialogues or in conversations in breakout rooms!

Reopening Considerations

The Board thanks you all for the support you have shown for our difficult decision to postpone the return of in-person worship services. While we have no particular date in mind for a future reopening, we have agreed to monitor the following "risk level" for Lee County. We are currently at "Severe," and will consider in-person worship when we reach "Medium."

Here is a link to the methodology:

https://covidactnow.org/us/florida-fl/county/lee_county/?s=21711097

Yours in Growth,

Lane Cook

President

UUCFM Board of Trustees

[email protected], or 239-222-9406.

Message from the Board of Trustees

Please note that the next board meeting will be held on September 14 at

5 p.m. via Zoom. Here is the Zoom link:

Sep 14, 2021 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/92925862711

Operations Opportunities

Morning volunteers needed: Wednesday and Thursday, September 1st and 2nd, 8 a.m. until 11a.m. Please bring your work gloves, water bottle, and masks. We will be weeding out the Garden areas and the walkways.

Muchas gracias!

Connection Circle forming by Zoom

Whether you are new to UU or a long-termer, whether you are in Florida or far away, you are invited to participate in a Connection Circle by Zoom. Now is your chance to experience this way to connect with others on a deep and meaningful level. Trained facilitators, Mary Cline Golbitz, Lay Minister and Leslie Gatto will co-lead this covenanted group, where confidentiality is protected to promote compassionate dialogue. Participants are asked to attend all six sessions.

THURSDAYS from 1:00 to 2:30 pm

September 23, October 7 & 21, November 4 & 18, December 2

Please contact Leslie by phone or text at 239.850.9664 or email at [email protected] to join or for more information.

A NOTE FROM THE OFFICE:

The office of UUCFM will be staffed from 9a-12p noon on Tuesdays through Thursdays for the month of August.

The office will be closed on Mondays (as usual)

and Fridays.

GRACE Project is our Community Sharing Partner for August 2021!

The Guatemalan Rural Adult and Children’s Education (GRACE) Project designs and delivers family and reproductive health, music and art, and teacher training programs for indigenous, Latina, and farm worker women, youth, community leaders, and educators in Southwest Florida and in Central America.

More information can be found at thegraceproject.org .

Community Partner Organization Opportunity!

The Early Learning Coalition invites you or your organization to become a Literacy Buddy volunteer again this year. The program is easy to do, does not require a big-time commitment and has lasting results in the community. Again this year, we will be offering the program as no-contact so that you and your buddy both stay safe.

The Literacy Buddy Program aims to inspire a love of reading and writing at an early age. The program pairs adult volunteers with 3, 4 or 5-year-old children in preschool programs overseen by our coalition. The program works like this:

· You are paired with a little buddy and agree to receive letters from that child.

· When a child writes you of his interests, you respond with a note and a new, high-quality book based on those interests.

· These exchanges of letters and books happen three times during the school year.

The books that you or your organization provide go home with that child. Often it is the first book they can call their own and is tailored to their interests. It can inspire a lifetime love of reading and writing…and it can all begin with YOU.

I invite you to visit our website at www.elcofswfl.org -- and click on the Big Buddy Button!

Please apply by clicking on the link below:

https://elcofswfl.org/elc-literacy-buddy-program/

Here you will find a fillable application in English and Spanish. When you click submit, the application comes to us directly.

We look forward to your participation this year!

Social Issues Book Group

We will be reading the book: Begin Again by Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. The group meets on Wednesday from 1:30-3 p.m. For more information contact Helen Leddy ([email protected].)

Mindfulness Opportunities

We welcome you to join either of our two online sitting practices each week. We practice mindfulness and discuss a reading. If you don’t have the books, you're still welcome to sit with us.

The Monday Sangha meets at 6:30-7:45 p.m. and is discussing Standing at the Edge by Joan Halifax. Contact Jane Strathman for details.

The Wednesday sangha meets between 10:00-11:30 a.m. in coordination with Caloosahatchee Mindfulness. It’s discussing Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer. Contact Helen Leddy for more information.

Monday Book Group

The UUCFM Monday Book Club will meet via Zoom on August 30th to begin its discussion of Humankind:A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman. Please read the Prologue through chapter 2. If you’re joining for the first time, please email Mary Studer. She will send you the link to zoom. mstud [email protected]

60th Anniversary Pave the Way Fundraiser

Our goal is 100 commemorative bricks at $100 per brick for $10,000 for our General Budget. Our Endowment Fund will pay production costs so each $100 goes right to the Budget.

Each 4" X 8" brick can be engraved with up to 3 lines of 13 characters/spaces on each line. Examples of donated bricks are UU quotes, memorials, names & sayings, such as:

She loved and was loved. Nancy Letts

Service is our Law. Go Forth!

Remembering (name, birth-death)

Albie & Mary, Lay Ministers, Thank You

To donate a brick: Contact [email protected], 812-332-3450 or

[email protected], 239-633-4989.