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Weekly News
August 19, 2021
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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
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Yours in Growth,
Lane Cook
President
UUCFM Board of Trustees
[email protected], or 239-222-9406.
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Message from the Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees would like to share this report on the first quarter of the current fiscal year. This report shows the first quarter actual compared to 25% of the annual budget. As you can see, revenue is just above the projected level, and expenditures are in excess of the budget. However, over $30,000 in Building and Grounds expenses will be covered by the capital improvement loan and we expect expenses to come into line with the budget when that adjustment is made.
The Board appreciates your continued support and generosity.
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
~ Pati Maier, Treasurer
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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.
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A Note from the Music Director, Suellen Kipp
Building A New Way:
As your worship staff, Mary, Albie, and I have been having many discussions on how Sunday services can build community, strengthen relationships, inspire and lift spirits, and how music can play a role in each of those goals.
Together, as a worship team, we decided to begin Sunday morning worship by using an Opening Hymn for a month at a time. Our thinking in this decision is that using one song for a month at a time will help to build community, a sense of familiarity and comfort, and by the end of the month everyone will no longer be looking at the words and music but will be singing from the heart and experiencing the music, and we feel that is how we can move, lift, and elevate our church to the next level of worship. The original plan was to return to worship in the Sanctuary by rejoicing with hymn #361-Enter, Rejoice, and Come In, but since COVID-19 has once again changed our plans we are going to hold on to that very special song and use that hymn once we are able to safely rejoin together in person and rejoice in being together in the Sanctuary space. So, even though we will continue meeting together online, we are going to continue Building A New Way by using an Opening Hymn for a month at a time. We are going to kick it off with Hymn #346 - Come, Sing A Song With Me, as Albie mentioned it felt like “our song” and it recognizes some of the disappointment we all are feeling at not returning to the Sanctuary, yet also embraces that we will bring joy and hope for each other in difficult times. Let It Be So.
~ Suellen
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Volunteer of the Month for August is...
Helen Dixon!
The August 2021 Volunteer of the Month was awarded to Helen Dixon. VP Programming, Karen J. Brown, writes of Helen: “When I started attending UUCFM 3 years ago, the first member I saw doing a great deal of volunteer work was Helen Dixon. And she continues to be active.” While the list of volunteer activities might not be complete, the following are all the ways Helen volunteers tirelessly for all of us.
In our office manager’s absence, Helen has been scheduling and supporting volunteers to keep the office open, opening mail and making sure it’s routed to the appropriate person, scanning bills and deposits and forwarding them to the treasurer, filing and organizing paperwork, and making sure the office continues to operate smoothly.
Helen was a choir member for many years, is an active CUUPS member, and has made several trips to Guatemala for the GRACE Project. She headed up the auction for several years, very vigorously and with a lot of enthusiasm. Helen is also the treasurer of the GRACE Project and spent every day helping with the Maya Culture Camp. Thank you Helen for ‘all’ you do - and it’s a LOT.
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Sunday's Worship Service, 8/22
Will You Be Whole?
The relationship of love unabashed is all around us. Join us Sunday, Aug. 22, 10:30am, via Zoom as we explore the Completeness and Wholeness found only in love.
Join us online 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!
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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 .
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Dreamworks Group Postponed Until Further Notice
The Dreamworks Group will not meet until we re-open the UUCFM Campus. Please contact Debra Leigh with any questions. [email protected]
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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].)
The UUCFM and Caloosahatchee Mindfulness Book Group's next reading is Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer. The group meets on Wednesday from 10-11:30 a.m. For more information contact Helen Leddy ([email protected].)
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Monday Book Group
The UUCFM Monday Book Club will meet via Zoom to discuss Owls of the Eastern Ice. We’ll use the remainder of the time to discuss options and vote for our next book. If you’re joining for the first time, please email Mary Studer. She will send you the link to zoom. mstud[email protected]
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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.
59 bricks have been donated. 39 other bricks have been moved from the Eco-Preserve that were the 2011 50th Anniversary Fundraisers. Thus, 98 engraved bricks grace the pathways into our Sanctuary. They are a blessing to read.
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.
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Amazon Smile donates to UUCFM when you do your online shopping by following this special link
smile.amazon.com/ch/59-1160337
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Want to Become a Member?
If you are interested in becoming a new member of UUCFM, please email
[email protected].
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Please send all newsletter articles by Wednesday at noon for publication in Thursday's newsletter. Send articles to [email protected]. | | | | |
