Is your Prologue getting clipped short in your email inbox? Follow the above link, or make sure you click "View entire message" at the bottom of your email, to read the whole newsletter.
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
Congregation founded 1949 | LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation since 1995 | Green Sanctuary since 2007
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Seeking the Spirit | Building Community | Changing the World |
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Giving Tree Opportunity
This week marks the beginning of our three-week Giving Tree opportunity to support local children, teens, and folx living with HIV. Please sign up here to help! (and see more details in Dr. Michele Grove's column below)
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Join us for online services
Livestreamed on Sunday mornings at 10:15 am
Limited In-Person Attendance
Advance Registration Required Each Week
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Hearing assistive devices are now available at the AV Tech booth in the rear of the sanctuary for use during Sunday worship services.
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Sunday, November 21, 2021
10:15 am Livestream
Apocalyptic Living
Reverend Bill Breeden
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Suggestions for surviving perilous times with grace and dignity.
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Sunday, November 28, 2021
10:15 am Livestream
2021: A Spaciousness Odyssey
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
The Gift formerly known as Ray Fellman, piano
Join us for this post-Thanksgiving worship service in which we will invite and honor space and spaciousness in our lives. With the help of pianist and flight director, Ray Fellman, we will enter our solar system and cruise by some of Gustav Holst’s planets as we search for a pod bay door to open or depart into stellar space, allowing us to rest in the vastness of our universe. We will dance with the stars utilizing poetry, silence and spiritual reflection. If you want to ensure that you catch some of the popular cultural references, you may want to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey and maybe some Classic Trek in prep for this worship service. And Remember: Space-Is-Odd-I-See.
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Sunday, December 5, 2021
10:15 am Livestream
Annual Procession of Giving Service:
A Celebration of Generosity, Light, and Joy
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Reverend Bill Breeden
Join us for our annual celebration of our congregational community and generosity. We will be lighting the menorah and sharing a winter tale or two. This year, our procession of giving will feature humming! Gifts may be brought to the service if you sign up to attend in person, or brought on Friday, December 3, from 5:30-7:30PM, at our drive through Procession of Giving and Sing-Along (see article below).
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Greeters are Great!
Whether you have been a Greeter in the past, or are looking for a new volunteer opportunity, you are invited to sign up to greet on Sunday mornings, in person, at the church. Sign up to greet today!
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From Our Interim Religious Education Consultant
My presence with this community is two-fold. I am working with staff and lay leadership to create, implement and evaluate current lifespan religious education programming while also working with leadership in an intentional religious education interim process. It is a constant balance between everyday details with big picture religious education visioning. Three of the five focus points of an interim process are Heritage, Mission (Core Values), and Future. Starting in January, there will be opportunities for you to participate in our lifespan religious education discernment process. I am sure that all of you have stories to share and memories of how learning has been integrated into the life of this congregation. I am also sure you have ideas of how you would like to see religious education integrated in the future. Watch for these opportunities and remember that when I say ‘you’…… I mean all of YOU! Thank you for your dedication to this congregation.
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The Giving Tree & Procession of Giving
November 14 to December 3, 2021
The Giving Tree and our Procession of Giving is one way to support families in the Bloomington community. Sign up here for one or more of the 145 gifts on this list. You may also use the QR code below. The list is still being updated as information arrives. You can check back to see new items needed.
Here are the instructions:
1. Choose an item.
2. Obtain the items(s). For the Positive Link requests( #121-145), choose one or more, no need to do them all.
3. Gift wrap or bag the item(s).
4. Very Important: write the item number on your bag and include names, ages for Head Start items (#1-20), and any number/gender codes for Stepping Stones (#21-30) and Positive Link (#121-145).
5. Bring your gift to our drive-through sing-along and Procession of Giving on Friday, December 3rd between 5:30 and 7:30 PM.
Thank you for sharing in the joy of the winter season by sharing gifts of love with the Bloomington community. --Dr. Michele Grove, Interim Religious Education Consultant
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Emily's Post
Dear Friends,
It is a beautiful autumnal day and I am filled with gratitude for YOU. It was wonderful to be with so many of you both in person and online for our Thanksgiving service on Sunday. Thank you for the sharing of gratitudes with one another--it is clear that this congregation has hearts open to this world, despite abundant challenges.
Today, I am feeling lucky that we are able to fill bird feeders again, after the summer of the ultimately disproven theory that feeders were spreading infections among our feathered friends. It is so good to be visited by woodpeckers, finches, titmice, thrashers, flickers, and chickadees once again.
What are you grateful for today?
Sending love and blessings your way, wherever and however you are,
Emily
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite (she/her)
Minister of Story and Ritual
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From the Reverend Bill
Hello to the good folks at UUCB (the qualifier is unnecessary because I know of no bad folks here). It is an honor to be once again serving with the staff and the ministry team of this phenomenal congregation. Please know that retirement is nice, and highly recommended, but the opportunity to share in this ministry again is a gift too good to resist. I look forward to the coming months.
It goes without saying, (evidently not) that we live in perilous times. However, they are perhaps no more so than those our predecessors endured, and endure they did. We are the beneficiaries of their commitment to a faith that says yes to life, and demands a commitment to love and justice. As we move into a year of yet more change and challenge, I believe that faith will sustain us, and our community will continue to grow and be a voice for the voiceless, and a place where all are welcome to join in the effort to create a sustainable environment for our grandchildren for many generations.
Thank you for your faith in me, and know that my faith in you is unshakable. Love one another, and love the world. That is the best we can do.
peace—bill
Reverend Bill Breeden
Minister Emeritus and Support Minister
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Covid Memorial: Story Project
As part of the Covid Memorial, we invite you to share your stories of your experience of the pandemic. Simply make a 2-3 minute video recording of yourself telling about your experience, and upload it to our folder. Complete instructions, along with prompts, can be found here. If you prefer to have somebody else record you telling your story, please contact Stephanie Kimball to arrange an appointment at the church or at your residence. Stephanie can be reached at kimball(at)uubloomington.org.
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Covid Memorial Installation Update
Thank you so much to Carol McCord and Melinda Swenson and to all those who have been co-creating our Covid Memorial. Everyone is invited to join in, and to invite your friends and neighbors to join in, too. To join in helping with this project, sign up here or contact Reverend Emily (leite(at)uubloomington.org) to request 1 or more number rolls to record some of the numbers of people who have died of Covid in the US. We are creating a beautiful place of memory together. We are about to begin adding names and photographs of some of those who have died of Covid. If you have lost a loved one whom you would like us to remember together, please send their names or images to Rev. Emily, leite (at) uubloomington.org
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HOLD THE DATE:
Procession of Giving and Sing Along
Friday, December 3rd, 5:30-7:30PM
- We hope you'll join us for our second annual drive-through Procession of Giving and Sing-along. The ministers will welcome you and pianists and our UU choir will be offering familiar carols of the season. Everyone can sing along as we drive through and drop off:
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Giving Tree Gifts (Click on the link at left to sign up and buy some gifts)
- Donations of non-perishable food and winter wear for local non-profits
- Golden Gifts of cash in any amount to support the work of the UU Service Committee in our nation and world.
Come celebrate our generous community as we enter the darkest season together.
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Updated Guidelines for Gatherings in the Church Building from NEST
The NEST (Next Steps in Transition to Reopening) Committee has updated the guidelines pertaining to gatherings in our church building.
The Nest Committee: Abby Gitlitz, Judy Klein, Rich LeDuc, Dan Lodge-Rigal, Jane McLeod, Sarah Sanchez, Melinda Swenson, Ann LeDuc, and Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
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There is Room for You at In-person Sunday worship!
All the details and safety information are on the sign up. Please read the details carefully, because a lot has changed.
When deciding whether or not to attend in-person services, please take into account your health risk factors and that we cannot ensure that all participants are vaccinated. Childcare and Children's Religious Education (RE) will not be available every Sunday; watch the Prologue for information about occasional outdoor RE. If you have questions or difficulty registering, please email office(at)uubloomington.org.
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UU Choir Rehearses Thursdays
The UU Choir continues to rehearse at the church, indoors and distanced, with singing masks on, on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Public health conditions may continue to change quickly. If you would like to participate in Choir, it is important for you to be on the Choir email list to get the latest news on rehearsals. To be included, please contact Dr. Susan Swaney, our Music Director: music(at)uubloomington.org. photo credit: Sandra Freund
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION UPDATES |
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Outdoor Spirit Play
Sunday, November 21, 10:00 -11:30 am
Right now the weather looks good for our last outdoor Spirit Play of this year! Please register by midnight Wednesday November 17, so we can ensure adequate staffing. If rain or colder temperatures look likely as the date approaches, we may need to cancel or move inside; all registrants will be notified.
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Please subscribe now to receive a new monthly newsletter from Religious Education!
While we hope that all children and their families will continue to be actively engaged with religious education, we also hope that in the near future every member of our community will find programs that help them learn and grow in their UU faith, throughout their lifespans. Our Interim Religious Education Consultant, Michele Grove, is leading a process of discernment this year to help us determine what these programs will look like.
Why subscribe? Each month, this newsletter will highlight events and program offerings happening during the month, along with links for registration and more information. There will also be highlights from recent events, updates from Michele and Stephanie on our emerging programs, and announcements of changes due to COVID and other factors.
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Our Folks...
Housesitter wanted: A responsible single person or couple is wanted to housesit and take care of a variety of indoor plants from Dec. 23 to March 24 at a house in walking distance of the UU Church. References required. Contact Denise and Harold: dogrenbloomington@gmail.com
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THANK YOU from the Homelessness Task Force
Winter Clothing Drive Report
Greetings! On behalf of the Homelessness Task Force, we want to thank you for your involvement in the Winter Clothing Drive, 2021.
The purpose of the Drive was to collect winter clothing from religious and other organizations and to distribute it to men, women, and children in need in Monroe County. Donations of winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, sweatshirts, sweaters, shirts, pants, thermal underwear, shoes, and boots were made by eleven religious congregations, one IU organization, and a retirement community. Donations were also gathered at the five Bloomington Fire Stations.
The donations were sorted, folded, and hung on racks by volunteers, at the former Bloomington Fire Department Headquarters on 4th Street and Lincoln during October and early November.
The distribution of clothing, overseen by volunteers, took place on November 6. About 130 men, women, and children made their way through the stacks of clothing, which included nearly 200 winter coats, to make their selections. One little boy was ecstatic about the “perfect” winter coat he found. An elderly gentleman kept saying, “All I have is summer clothes, now I am ready for winter.”
When the distribution event ended, the members of the outreach group from City Church arrived to collect the clothing that was left. They will distribute these clothes to Shalom Community Center, Wheeler Mission, New Hope Family Shelter, The Rise/Middle Way House, and New Leaf/New Life.
So thank you again for your involvement in a successful winter clothing drive.
Sincerely,
Alan Backler and Marlin Howard
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Helping with a Voice & Gender Study
Are you willing to help with a research study and you identify as either Transmaculine or FtM Transgender OR are cis-gendered and want to help with a Voice & Gender study? If so, Rainbow Rights has an opportunity for you to participate in such research for small monetary compensation. If you’d like more information, contact rainbowrights (at) uubloomington.org to get connected.
In Kin(d),
RainbowJason (Jason Michalek)
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UU Freethinkers meet Sunday, November 21, 12:45 pm
The UU Freethinkers bi-weekly meeting creates the opportunity for participants to raise questions and engage in open and non-structured discussion of issues of social, political, and theological/religious concern. Every other Sunday via Zoom at 12:45 pm. To join, contact Harold Ogren or Ann Watzel.
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UU Humanist Forum Meets Sunday, November 28,
12:45 pm
Every other Sunday at 12:45 pm, our UU Humanists meet together online on Zoom for discussion. Harold Ogren will lead a discussion on "Thoughts on Cyber Warfare." Email Harold Ogren or Ann Watzel if you would like to join the discussion.
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Shambhala Meditation Online on Mondays
Every Monday at noon online, or anytime it's easy, since there are saved sessions, you can join Sarah Flint in this 2500-year-old practice of cultivating peace and inner wisdom. Contact Sarah Flint to join the group in real time. On Facebook at UU Bloomington Meditation.
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Open Mind Zen Online
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Open Mind Zen with Frank Seisho Diaz is currently holding meetings away from our building. If you'd like to participate, visit openmindzenbloomington.org and use their contact page for more information.
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Monthly Life Stories Writing Group
Welcomes New Members --
Next Meeting Thursday, December 9
Thinking about writing a story from your life? We invite you to join the monthly life writers, a supportive group that meets on the second Thursday of every month from 3 to 5, on Zoom. Attendees usually read short excerpts from work in progress. If you are new, it’s fine to just listen and ask a few questions. To get your Zoom invitation for December 9, email John Woodcock at woodcock(at)indiana.edu.
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Holiday Bazaar Update: The online Bazaar is now live!
You can search the bazaar catalog site for many offerings of gourmet treats, cookies, quality Collectables, and a whole variety of goods including jewelry, handmade puppets, hats, scarves, soup and more.
The congregation has done an amazing job at setting up the best bazaar for you. You'll be inspired by the outpouring of talents.
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Time for Tea
Please join us on December 2 at 11:30 and be a Queen of the Tea!! Since the Women's Alliance can't have an in-person tea this year we will gather on Zoom and share a cup of tea, a scone, a little chocolate, and some warming tea stories. Sharon Wiseman and Michele McCaffrey will fill 36 treat bags which will be available for pick-up at the Church Portico on Tuesday, November 30 from 4-5 and on Wednesday, December 1 from 1-2. Please email Michele mmccaffrey (at) smcvt.edu to reserve your tea treat bag by November 22. You can still join us, of course, even if you don't obtain a treat bag. (We can deliver treat bags if you don't have transportation. You can also pick up a bag for someone else when you pick up your own). You will receive one herbal teabag and one black tea bag, a scone and other treats!!
Martha Foster and Kathy Gilbert have again generously volunteered to bake their delicious scones. Kathy has offered to make gluten free scones so be sure to let Michele know if you would like that option.
Sharon will talk a little about the history and culture of teas and other members will share tales of their experiences of teas in various places around the world. While we converse, we will enjoy our treat bag contents together. Feel free to dress like a Queen of the Tea and/or in Christmas-festive garb!
This is Sharon's and Michele's Christmas gift to all of you!! We miss seeing you all and look forward to that day when we can gather in person!!
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Welcome to Our Newest Members
Welcome to Our Newest Members
This past Sunday, November 14, we welcomed four new members into the congregation. They are Debbie Brown, Dexter Edge, Heather Glass, and Mary Stalcup. Please give them a warm welcome when you see them. Below are two bios to help you get to know them better.
Debbie Brown grew up in Knox County, Indiana, but lived in San Francisco and Colorado for 40 years. She’s a former Language Arts teacher turned wine and spirits professional, both collecting and selling wine. Debbie with her 3 cats moved to Bloomington during Covid and has found it challenging to meet new friends during the pandemic. Happily, she now belongs to 3 choirs, and she loves fine dining, exploring new restaurants, live music, IU sports and enjoying her new home. She is enthusiastic about UU and wants to make a difference in the community.
Dexter Edge grew up in western Washington State. He has lived in Los Angeles, Vienna, Cardiff, London, Baton Rouge, Memphis, Boston, and Ypsilanti. He received a PhD in Music History from the University of Southern California and writes widely about Mozart and his contexts. His current projects include a website for the publication of new Mozart documents and an analysis of Billie Holiday’s vocal style. From 2006 to 2013 he was a member of Theodore Parker UU Church in West Roxbury, MA. He enjoys biking and hiking, and he has far, far too many books.
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UU Online Book Club reads...
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
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Free on-line Course on Using Google Drive
The Leadership Cultivation Committee encourages everyone to utilize the free online Google Drive training available through the Monroe County Public Library (MCPL).
Our congregation uses Google Drive to share many documents within our committees and task forces. Your learning not only benefits you, but may also benefit the church. Access the free online training by going to this website: https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/go/account/95231457. Sign in with your MCPL library card number and password. Then, search for "Google Drive" in the search box at the top of the webpage. You will see an extensive list of Google Drive training topics covering everything you will ever need to know in order to successfully use Google Drive and its components. You may also want to check out the other free eLearning opportunities from MCPL here: https://mcpl.info/categories/elearning
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Bloomington Chamber Singers Present St. Nicolas and Ceremony of Carols
Sunday, December 5 at 3:00 pm
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
Music Director Gerald Sousa and the Bloomington Chamber Singers will present a program of seasonal works by English composer, Benjamin Britten. Culminating with Britten’s dramatic oratorio, Saint Nicolas, the program will also feature one of Britten’s best-known and most-performed works, A Ceremony of Carols, a work composed at the height of World War II. Both of these works offer musical reflection on transformed hope and healing in a world marked by suffering and pain.
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COVID-19 Vaccination News
Vaccines for Ages 5 and Older!
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Change of Address Back to 2120 N. Fee Lane
Since April of 2020, we have had our church mail forwarded to our PO Box in Nashville, Indiana, so that our church administrator who lives there could manage our bank deposits and bill paying, as she was exclusively working from home until fairly recently. Now that our staff is in the church building more often, and for other reasons related to the rigidity of U.S. Postal Service rules, we will now once again be receiving all church mail at 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington, IN 47408. Mail sent to the PO Box in Nashville will be forwarded back to our address on Fee Lane for the next 18 months, so no worries if you forget and send your pledge checks to Nashville for a while. We will get them. Thanks for your patience during these unusual times, and thank you as always for your generous support.
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Your Church Office Staff is Available
by Phone and Email
(Away over Thanksgiving)
Here is how to be in touch with the church administrative staff during their office hours as they continue to work from home.
Church Administrator Carol Marks, M-F, 10-4, 812-287-9615, admin@uubloomington.org
Office Assistant Monica Overman, T, Th, 10-1, Friday 12:30-3:30, 812-322-5546, office@uubloomington.org
Office Assistant Mandy Skinner, M, W, F, 10:30-1:30, 812-340-9981, office@uubloomington.org
The land line at the church 812-332-3695 is checked for messages twice weekly.
Church office will be closed November 25-27 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Email SCAM Alert
Our ministers, staff, and board members or other members will never send you email asking you for any money besides your pledge payment!
How to Recognize an Email Phishing Scam:
Is the email impersonating Rev. Macklin or another of our staff or ministers? Are they asking you to purchase gift cards? Wait! Don't do it! We will never send you emails like that. To double check, look at the email address of the sender. Is it from an address at uubloomington.org? If not, that's the second good reason to delete it!
Office Hours, Calendar, Deadlines
Office hours: M-F, 10 am-4 pm. Our building is on Limited Access right now, so staff is mostly working from home and for a few hours from time to time in the building. Most of us are in the building on Thursday afternoons for staff meeting.
The Church Office can be reached via text or voicemail during office hours at 812-287-9615. Email: admin (at) uubloomington.org or office (at) uubloomington.org
The Prologue is published on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Next issue is
December 7. Deadline is 10 am on date of publication, admin (at) uubloomington.org
Church Mailing Address is once again 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington, IN 47408.
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Details on Membership & Offering
Membership: 574 certified members as of 2/1/2021;
566 current members.
Non-Pledge Offering:
October 17 $151
October 24 $1,744
To make a contribution for the Non-Pledge Offering (Sunday Plate), or to make a payment towards your pledge, click on this link to get to our new Giving page: uucb.churchcenter.com/giving
Total to be donated (25%) to The Net childcare center at New Hope Family Shelter: $435.98
Grocery Card Sales: (Bloomingfoods or Fresh Thyme) $500; Total income to UUCB: $25
Free Money from Kroger!
Fresh Thyme and Bloomingfoods
Grocery Cards Available by Mail
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Did you know that Kroger sends us over $1,600 each year? This is made possible by those of you who participate in Kroger's Community Rewards program. Register your Kroger Plus card online at this link.
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We are also still selling grocery cards for Bloomingfoods and Fresh Thyme. Click here to see what kind of cards and how many are available. Send your check to the church (UU Church, P. O. Box 1158, Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158) with a note to let us know the type and value of card(s) you want, and we will mail them to you. You do not need to send an envelope. Orders are received in Nashville, but fulfilled in Bloomington. (smiley face)
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Masthead photo by John Woodcock. |
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, IN
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