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October 4, 2022

Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana
  Congregation founded 1949 | LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation since 1995 | Green Sanctuary since 2007
Seeking the Spirit | Building Community | Changing the World

Join us on Sunday mornings

One service each Sunday, at 10:15 a.m.

in person in our Meeting Room

also on Livestream:

On our website | On Facebook

All are welcome.

Hearing assistive devices are now available at the AV Tech booth in the rear of the sanctuary for use during Sunday worship services.

Pandemic Guidelines

Masks Are Optional


The Next Steps in Transition Working Group has issued new guidelines for UUCB activities. 

  • Masks are now optional at all church activities and events, including worship services.
  • Food and drinks may now be served at church events regardless of the size of the group.
  • Coffee hour has returned to Fellowship Hall. We will continue to offer space in the courtyard during Coffee Hour as weather permits.
  • We encourage our UUCB members and friends to make decisions about wearing masks that are right for you based on your personal level of comfort and risk assessment.


The NEST working group will continue to monitor the status of COVID in our local community and adjust guidelines in accordance with the community risk level. Questions about the NEST guidelines can be directed to Jane McLeod at jmcleod (at) indiana . edu.


We will continue to live stream services for those who prefer to participate in services virtually.

As always, each individual must decide what is right for them and whether or not to attend activities in person. We reserve the right to revise these guidelines in response to changes in COVID risk levels.


Warmest regards,

The NEST Working Group: Jane McLeod, Abby Gitlitz, Stephanie Kimball, Judy Klein, 

Dan Lodge-Rigal, Sarah Sanchez, Melinda Swenson, and Rev. Connie Grant

Sunday, October 9, 2022

10:15 a.m.

In person and Livestreamed


"You Just Never Know: Epistles from Chautauqua"

Reverend Barbara Child, guest speaker

Reverend Connie Grant, Interim Lead Minister



When I chose which weeks to spend at Chautauqua this past summer, I chose mainly based on the program theme for each week, not on who the speakers would be. But there was one speaker, scheduled for Friday of Week 7, whom I truly wanted to hear – Salman Rushdie. I saw him walk out onto the Amphitheater stage that morning, and from that moment on, the plans for that day of everybody there did not come to pass. Ironically, the theme for the following Chautauqua week was “New Profiles in Courage.” By the time that week began, we had already seen a demonstration of incredible courage from several people in the Amphitheater in the seconds after Rushdie was attacked. My Facebook posts from Chautauqua, which had started out light and full of happy surprises, took a turn and became nothing short of a spiritual practice for me. My “Epistles from Chautauqua” have brought me to reflect on what we might learn about a very different understanding of courage from the life and thought of Salman Rushdie, not simply from the moment somebody tried to kill him on the stage of the Chautauqua Amphitheater.

October 9 is Final Sunday for Voter Registration during Community Hour

Stop by the table in Fellowship Hall to register, check your voting status, identify your polling place, or see a sample ballot. If you live in Bloomington, you may have a new (contested) district for Indiana State Representative, so be sure to check in!

Sunday, October 16, 2022

10:15 a.m.

In person and Livestreamed


"TBD"

Reverend Connie Grant, Interim Lead Minister


TBD seems to be an apt description for the condition of our lives. We're living with uncertainty in so many ways. Can we find comfort with uncertainty?

Of what can we be certain? And what can be "determined"?

Connie's Column

Perspectives on UUCB History


During our worship service on Sunday, October 23 we’ll hear from some members who joined the congregation over the past seven decades about their memories of the church during the decade in which they joined. 


Of course you each have your own experiences and perspectives (on this and every other topic)! Following the service on October 23 (and for several weeks thereafter), there will be an opportunity for all congregants to jot down your recollection of (and feelings about) congregational events significant to you, and to post your notes on a timeline of congregational history. Feel free to write about events that may have been challenging or difficult, as well as those that were happy.


Please write as much as you want on as many post-it notes as you wish. (We’ll have lots of post-its!) As you look at the notes that others have posted, you may wish to comment on something someone else wrote. The more perspectives expressed, the better!! Please express your thoughts and feelings as freely as you wish, as long as you do so with respect for others’ thoughts and feelings. You need not sign your notes (although it would be helpful to me to know your name in order to be able to follow up with you).


After several weeks, your Transition Team (Andrew Appel, Ruth Aydt, Alan Backler, Debbie Fish, Sarah Kopper, Kelly Rockhill, and Kathleen Sideli) will take down the timeline, and we will reflect back to you some gleanings from your perspectives.


One of the areas of our work together during this transitional time is for you to claim and honor your history as a congregation.  As described in our Letter of Agreement, this includes “reviewing how the congregation has been shaped and formed; encouraging and hearing all of the stories about the congregation’s past, as the foundation upon with the present rests; and embracing the rich variety that makes up the congregation.” In upcoming months, there will be further opportunities for you to reflect on where you are now as a congregation and where you want to go.


I welcome the opportunity to talk with you about anything of concern to you. Please email me at Constance.L.Grant@gmail.com to make an appointment and I’ll be glad to meet with you!


Connie


Rev. Connie Grant

Interim Lead Minister

Emily's Post


Dear Friends,


I have been reading This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared by Rabbi Alan Lew during the Jewish High Holidays this year. He writes, “Sometimes we can’t inhabit our lives because there’s simply no room for us there. We might find our lives so clogged with dead weight—dead feelings, extraneous objects and concerns—that there’s no room for the next live moment to occur.”


His words remind me of autumn. Of trees releasing their leaves, letting go of the old so that, in time, there will be space for the new. AND I’m realizing that this is not a natural practice for me! I don’t know about you, but I find it more energizing to collect new ideas, experiences and practices rather than exploring what could be released.


So for this season, I’m letting the trees and the words of Rabbi Lew invite these questions: What dead weight am I carrying? What beliefs, feelings and practices need to be reinvigorated, reimagined, refreshed, or removed? What am I doing out of long habit rather than present yearning? What is preventing me from fully inhabiting my life in this moment?


It feels like an invitation to a new year, and a renewed life.


Wishing a sweet new year for each of you,


Emily


Reverend Emily Manvel Leite

Minister of Story and Ritual

leite (at) uubloomington . org

From Our Board of Directors


IU’s homecoming is not for another week, but this last Sunday felt like a long-awaited homecoming celebration at UUCB. The joy in the space was palpable as we moved from two services to one, and the whole UUCB family came together. For those who have been coming to this church for a long time, the ebb and flow from two services to one, and sometimes back again feels familiar. We are not a church set in our ways, but a dynamic one, changing again and again to meet the needs of the congregation. Will we go back to two services again in the future? Maybe someday. But for now we will celebrate the fellowship of all being together at one time.


One sign that we are a robust and healthy church is the number of people from our congregation who decide to enter seminary to become UU ministers. Madison Colquette, a member of UUCB, entered Meadville Lombard school this fall. The board has unanimously agreed that our congregation will sponsor her as she sets out on this path. Sponsorship, in this case, signifies that we have confidence in her potential and suitability for UU ministry. This does not indicate a financial commitment, but it does involve a commitment from our lead minister to serve as a mentor. Rev. Grant has met with Madison to create a “Covenant between applicant for Ministerial Aspirant status and Interim Lead Minister,” which details mutual expectations and outlines their working relationship.


In Madison’s own words, “I am thrilled and grateful to be sponsored by our beloved congregation. I am moving into ministry from a career in theatre and performance studies, currently at IU, and I see many similarities between the two. I feel called to the ministry necessary in times of transition and I hope to pursue chaplaincy and end of life care.” 

 

We look forward to seeing how Madison will grow with our UUCB family and we journey onwards together. 


Abby Gitlitz (she/her)

Congregational President

pres (at) uubloomington . org

Lifespan Religious Education Updates


Sign up now for the following programs:


Pursuit of Happiness, beginning on October 19 at 4:30 pm on Zoom

The right to pursue happiness is a foundational right of the United States. This reading and discussion group will focus on the experience and causes of happiness and its flip side, suffering. Should we place pleasure or happiness as a central concern of existence, or try to maintain equanimity in the face of both pleasant and painful experiences? Led by Brian O'Donnell.


Evensong for Families, meeting in person on October 19 at 6 p.m.

Sing, listen, and share with other families in the congregation.


Religious Education for Religious Educators, meeting next on October 23, in person or on Zoom at 12:00 noon.

The aim of this program is to support people in their roles as religious educators. This includes parents, guardians, and all teachers, past, present, and future.


For more information on lifespan religious education, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Education Matters.


Questions? Contact our Director of Religious Education, Stephanie Kimball, kimball (at) uubloomington . org


“Writing as a Spiritual Practice”

A Drop-in Group with Rev. Barbara Child

Tuesdays through Oct 25, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

You are invited to join me on a journey of personal exploration through autobiographical writing in community on Zoom. Season 8 of this gathering will happen Tuesday afternoons 1:00-2:00, September 6 through October 25. You are welcome at any or all sessions with no commitment in advance.

 

Even if you took part in one or more sessions in the past, you need to register for Season 8 by clicking on the following linkClick here to register on Church Center and receive the Zoom link.


You need to register only once and will then be able to attend as many Season 8 sessions as you choose, using the same Zoom link each time. You may register up to a few minutes before a session begins.

 

Here is a description of “Writing as a Spiritual Practice” and what happens in our Zoom room on Tuesday afternoons at 1:00.  

Building Community

Women's Alliance Welcomes Liza Black on October 6

Join the Women's Alliance via Zoom on Thursday, October 6 at 11:30 a.m. as they welcome Lisa Black as their guest speaker. This Alliance meeting will be held at the church (bring a brown bag lunch!) in Fellowship Hall, with a Zoom option. For the Zoom link, contact Doris Wittenburg at dwittenb (at) indiana . edu.


Liza Black is a citizen of Cherokee Nation, meaning Cherokee Nation claims her as a citizen. Black is currently a Visiting Scholar at UCLA where she is at work on How to Get Away with Murder: A Transnational History of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Black is also an Assistant Professor of History and Native American and Indigenous Studies at Indiana University and the author of Picturing Indians: Native Americans in Film (2020). Black has received several research grants including the Ford pre-doc, doc and post-doc fellowships; the Institute of American Cultures at UCLA fellowship; and the Cherokee Nation Higher Education Grant.

Membership Book Signing Rescheduled to

Sunday, October 9

Church membership indicates your kinship and affinity with this church

and the larger Unitarian Universalist religious community. The next

membership book signing is rescheduled to Sunday, October 9 at 9:30

a.m. before the service, in the church Library. If you are new to Unitarian Universalism, we ask that you complete the Exploring Unitarian Universalism class before becoming a member. Let the Connections Coordinator know if you would like to attend the membership book signing and become a member of the UU Church of Bloomington. For more information, please email Anabel at connect(at)uubloomington.org.

Are you new to UU Bloomington? 

Join us on Sunday, October 9 for a short introduction

If you are new to our congregation, a very warm welcome to you! On Sunday, October 9 from ~11:30 to 12:15 p.m. you are invited to join in a brief introduction to Unitarian Universalism and this congregation. This short "New to UU" introduction will take place after the worship service in the church library upstairs. For more information or to request virtual participation, please email Anabel at connect(at)uubloomington.org.


Where did I put that little piece of paper with their phone number/email?... What was their partner's name, do you remember?... Has their address changed?...

Do you ever find yourself wishing for an easy way to connect with people in the congregation? Did you misplace the contact information that you got from someone last Sunday? Well, never fear! Our new, improved, online Church Directory is here for you! Rest assured, your personal information in our church database is always private unless you choose to share it - and when you opt-in to sharing your profile info in our Directory, you choose exactly what info you want to share. You'll receive an email from Planning Center in the next few days inviting you to join the Directory. Please do! Your information will only be available online to other members and friends of our congregation.

The Fourth Trimester Team Meets October 23

The Fourth Trimester Team, our group that offers services to help support families of new babies in our congregation, will have a meeting for the volunteers that provide this support on Sunday, 10/23 at 12:00-1:30 pm in Room 112. We will have a bite to eat as we review our goals and talk about our processes to achieve them and welcome new ideas. If you are already a volunteer, or if you are someone who thinks you may be interested in volunteering and would like to learn more, please join us.

2022 Holiday Art Fair and Bazaar:  December 2-3 

The Bazaar is BACK IN PERSON this year December 3-4! If you would like to help with donations, please contact the people listed below. More information about volunteering to help during the event will be available next month. DONATIONS CONTACTS:


COOKIE CRUISE - bulk cookies of all kinds

   Lynn Struve  lynn.struve (at) gmail . com

GOURMET GALAXY - breads, cakes, pies & other delectables

   Ann Kamman 812-325-0767  Aok719 (at) yahoo . com

BOOK SALE - gently used or just worth reading again, all ages

   Glee Noble  gleenoble (at) yahoo . com

WHITE ELEPHANT SALE - new or used items (see below)

   Doris Wittenburg  dwittenb (at) indiana . edu


The White Elephant includes items such as dishes, kitchen wares, holiday decorations, children's toys, exotic collectibles, or truly (but not actual) white elephants. We are not accepting electronics, such as PCs, TVs, stereos, etc. No clothing unless specialty items. If you have shelving units we can borrow to display items, please let us know. We can receive donations starting Sunday, November 27 after church. Want to help organize and price items? Contact Doris.


Used Books to the Bazaar

Dear Book-Lover, After you read or discard all the books you buy to support the Hoosier Hills Food Bank this October, bag 'em up for the UU Bazaar! These items may be brought to the church beginning at 12 noon on Sunday, November 27. --Glee Noble, Bazaar Used Books


Call for Cookies!

The Bazaar Cookie Cruise is under sail! It's not too early to climb aboard to bank and freeze the confections that our Bazaar customers love. All types are welcome, from chocolate chip to fancy-dress. Questions? Contact Lynn Struve.


***

Please contact Ruellen Fessenbecker for general Bazaar questions, rfessenb(at)indiana.edu.

Join a Sunday Volunteer Mailing List!

Are you looking to get involved, help create a welcoming environment, and meet fellow congregants? We are in need of volunteers for Sunday mornings! Join a mailing list for Java CrewGreeters, or Flame Keepers to stay up-to-date on how you can support our church on Sunday mornings. Questions? Email Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator, at  connect(at)uubloomington.org


Seeking the Spirit

UU Freethinkers Meet Sunday, October 9, 12:45 pm in person and on Zoom

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 in person in the Library or on Zoom at 12:45 pm. To join the discussion on Zoom, contact Ann Watzel or Harold Ogren.

UU Humanists Meet Sunday, October 16, 12:45 p.m.

in person and on Zoom

The UU Humanists will meet on Sunday, October 16,  at 12:45 p.m. in person in the Library and online via Zoom. Rich Janda will facilitate a discussion on "Unwrapping the Russian Enigma." To join the discussion please contact Ann Watzel or Harold Ogren.

Open Mind Zen at Friends Meeting House  
Open Mind Zen with UU member Sensei Frank Seisho Diaz meets weekly at the Bloomington Friends Meeting House. If you'd like to participate, visit openmindzenbloomington.org and click on the "Welcome" tab for more information.
Changing the World

Green Sanctuary Task Force -

The Fall Clothing Swap on October 29

The Green Sanctuary Task Force encourages all of us to examine our habits of consumption. What do we buy? Where does it come from? What happens to it when we're finished with it? What impact does our consumption have on the earth and its inhabitants?


Renew your wardrobe while caring for the Earth at this fall's Swap, in Fellowship Hall on Saturday, October 29 from 10 am until 12 noon. 

   

Please contact Stephanie Kimball (kimball (at)  uubloomington . org) for more information or to volunteer. 

Fall Social Justice Grant Applications

Due October 30

Each fall, our Social Justice Funds Committee welcomes proposals for grants from the Leonard Lundin Social Justice Fund in support of local social justice projects. Projects must be based in Southern Indiana and be consistent with the mission of our congregation. Applications are due October 30. Please click here for additional information and an application form. Questions? Contact Denise Ogren, dogrenbloomington (at) gmail . com

Successful Habitat Women Build!

Our 39-member team of women and friends of UU and the Bloomington Creative Glass Center raised/donated $20,086 to help finance construction costs and worked to build the last two houses in Habitat’s Trail View neighborhood on the southwest side. On a hot Sept. 20th, we hung siding and painted interior walls.


Our fundraising efforts were aided by numerous UU women who contributed $950, so others could reach their $300 minimum financial commitment. We also earned funds by sponsoring a suncatcher fundraiser at the glass center, selling baked goods, and selling jewelry made by a UU member Judy Allensworth.

Co-team leaders Barb Berggoetz, Abby Gitlitz and Anne Brahaum recruited the largest of the 12 teams and raised the third highest amount of funds. Thanks to all the builders and to the UU congregation who supported us yet again!


The overall build, however, is still more than $20,000 short of its $210,000 goal, so if you’d like to contribute, visit our team page:  https://www.classy.org/team/430670 to get us to the finish line.

 

Community Connections

Our Faith in Action in the Community

Help with All Options Diaper Program

to Celebrate Reproductive Justice Month

Help our Reproductive Justice task force support All Options' Diaper program. A shortage of diapers leads to families missing work because their children can't go to daycare, having to make diapers last too long which leads to skin conditions and discomfort and also leads to avoiding social situations. All Options diaper program enrollment is growing rapidly. They have added a mobile supply van service. To donate, follow the link here or mail them a check, noting Diapers on the memo line.

https://all-options.networkforgood.com

Mail checks made payable to "All Options" to All Options, 1014 S Walnut, Bloomington IN 47401.

Grocery Gift Cards Now Available for Sale on Sundays

Office Assistants Monica Overman or Mandy Skinner are available to sell grocery gift cards on Sundays between 11:15 and 12:00 noon in the church office, Room 204. To check on the availability of cards, click here. Proceeds from the sale of grocery gift cards for Bloomingfoods and Fresh Thyme support our operating budget.

How to Reach the Administrative Staff


Church Administrator Carol Marks can be reached at 812-287-9615, 812-332-3695, or admin (at) uubloomington . org, M-F 10-4. She is in the building several days a week; if you would like to stop by the church office, please call ahead, 812-332-3695.

Office Assistants Monica Overman or Mandy Skinner are in the church office Room 204 on Sundays, 10-1. They can also be reached at other times, below.

Office Assistant Monica Overman, T, Th, 10-1, Friday 12:30-3:30, 812-322-5546, office (at) uubloomington . org. Working from home.

Office Assistant Mandy Skinner, M, W, F, 10:30-1:30, 812-340-9981, office (at) uubloomington . org. Working from home.

COVID-19 Vaccination News 
Some Details

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 a member of our staff or one of our 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.

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.


Calendar: For our full calendar of events, visit uucb.churchcenter.com/calendar.



The Prologue is published on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month.

Next issue: October 18. Deadline is 10 am on date of publication, to admin (at) uubloomington.org


Church Mailing Address: UU Church,

PO Box 8132, Bloomington IN 47407

Details on Membership & Offering


Membership: 561 certified members as of 2/1/2022;

558 current members.

Attendance (online and in person):

September 18: 178


Non-Pledge Offering:

September 18: $454

September 25: $487


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 Bloomington Refugee Support Network: $253.17


Free Money from Kroger!

Fresh Thyme and Bloomingfoods

Grocery Cards Available by Mail or In Person on Sundays 

  

  • Did you know that Kroger sends our congregation 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.
  • We are also still selling grocery cards for Bloomingfoods and Fresh Thyme by mail. Click here to see what kind of cards and how many are available. Send your check to the church (UU Church, PO Box 8132, Bloomington, IN 47407) 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 a return envelope. We also have grocery cards available on Sunday mornings between services, in Room 204 from 11:15 to 12 noon.

Our Ministers & Staff


Reverend Connie Grant, our Interim Lead Minister

  • Email grant (at) uubloomington . org, 847-840-8542


Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, our Minister of Story and Ritual

  • Email leite (at) uubloomington . org



Carol Marks, Church Administrator: admin (at) uubloomington . org

Anabel Watson, Connections Coordinator: connect (at) uubloomington . org

Monica Overman and Mandy Skinner, Office Assistants:

office (at) uubloomington . org

Stephanie Kimball, Director of Religious Education: kimball (at) uubloomington . org  

Susan Swaney, Music Director: music (at) uubloomington . org

Andy Beargie, Hans Kelson, and Brady Egan, Multimedia Managers:

mediateam (at) uubloomington . org

Masthead photo from our archives.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana

Mailing address:  PO Box 8132 Bloomington, IN 47407

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