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Congregational
Mission
Statement
We are a Congregation creating a better world by nurturing the heart and expanding the mind.
We provide a safe, caring community where all can freely explore diverse religious thought.
We work for justice and equality with the power of compassion and compassionate power.
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UUCGT Quicklinks
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If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter
the Beacon
please contact
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THE FLASH OF THURSDAY, 13 MAY 2021:
BURSTING AT THE SEAMS, AS USUAL
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For some time now I've been imagining this Flash as a brief, concise, "placeholder" Flash. Isn't that cute? I think it's kind of cute. That level of naïvete, I mean.
We're nearing the end of Candidate Week, after which we'll run full-tilt into preparations for the Annual Congregational Meeting. Jump aboard, hang on, and have fun!
Speaking of the Annual Meeting: If your Committee hasn't yet submitted your Annual Report for the Meeting, may I ask that you take time, please, to title your Word .doc or .docx document or your .pdf file in this format?
[Name of Comm] EOY Report 2021.[file extension]
Examples:
"Sunday Svcs EOY Report 2021.pdf"
"Leadership Dev EOY Report 2021.docx"
I'm getting documents entitled "End of Year" and/or "Report" and before long they're going to wind up going into the wrong folders. Please help me keep this organized?
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THIS SUNDAY:
For the Service, the Zoom link is here.
The Service begins at 10:30 AM; you can
sign in at 10:00 AM to visit! We welcome
Candidate Alex Jensen
for the second of two Sundays!
FOLLOWING SUNDAY'S SERVICE THE CONGREGATION WILL VOTE ON WHETHER TO CALL ALEX AS THE NEW SETTLED MINISTER.
One Zoom interface = one vote! If there are two Members in the household, one of you will need to contact Guy in the office
BY END OF DAY FRIDAY MAY 14TH.
Further instructions below.
Sunday's Service
5.16.2021
"BELOVED COMMUNITY"
Sunday's Service is coordinated by Margaret Wozniak and led by the Candidate for Settled Minister, Alex Jensen.
"What do you envision when you think about 'Beloved Community'? When have you experienced a sense of Beloved Community? In this service, we'll discuss this potent UU theology as we imagine who we want to be in the wider Traverse City community and world."
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Again, the Zoom link for SUNDAY SERVICE is
You can view Alex's first Service of Sunday May 9th here. You will need the passcode +T391YS0
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MINISTERIAL SEARCH TEAM NEWS
and
CALENDAR
The week we've all been waiting for IS HERE! The schedule has been painstakingly crafted to give everyone a chance to meet with our candidate, Alex Jensen. It is vitally important for every voter to be well informed and ready for the vote to call on (or before) May 16.
Let's UU THE VOTE!
Schedule for the Remainder of Candidate Week
May 13-16, 2021
Green: Open to all. Blue: For specific committees.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ZOOM OR CANNOT BE PRESENT SUNDAY THE 16TH, INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOTING HAVE ALSO BEEN MAILED AND ARE REPEATED IN THIS FLASH.
CALL THE OFFICE AT 231-947-3117. If you wish to have a paper ballot call the office TODAY, please.
Zoom links for this evening's meetings are included below; Zoom links for all meetings
on a given day arrive in your inbox each morning!
(In other words, you've already received todays!)
Thursday, May 13th
9:30 - 10:30AM Dharma Study group. (Shantideva Fan
Club)
10:30-11:00 AM Zoom with Peacemaker's Quilt Group
1-2:00 PM Zoom with Congregational Care Team
2:30 -3:30 PM Meet Alex: socially distanced, at the
Labyrinth at Botanic Gardens (this is a change);
contact Chris Walter to RSVP!
5:30-7:00 PM Zoom Pizza Party for RE Families with Alex
Friday. May 14th
1-2:00 PM Zoom Service Practice w Sunday Services
Committee and Coordinators
2-3:00 PM Meet with Renée Russell.
3-4:00 PM Zoom with Program Council
5-7:00 PM Zoom"Friday Night Live at UU": Dinner,
entertainment
Sunday, May 16th
10:30-11:30 AM Service.
11:30 AM-12:00 PM The Call Vote, and
Announcement
1-1:30 PM Debrief with MST and Alex
2:30- 3:00 PM DRIVE BY CELEBRATION AT UU
PARKING LOT
3:00 PM MST takes Alex to Airport
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CURRENT FINANCIAL SUMMARY
from Mike McDonald & the Finance Committee
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As of April 30 2021 (83.3% of fiscal year)
Curr. Yr. 2020-21 Prior Yr. 2019-20
Budgeted Inc Rec'd YTD $225,862* 83.3% $259,945* 98.7%
Budgeted Exp's Pd YTD $220,392 79.8% $210,534 79.9%
For Those in Need YTD $ 11,446 $ 10,249
*Income for 2020-2021 is less than 2019-2020 due to an accounting change that recognized prepaid pledges for 2020-2021 in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Approximately $32,000 in excess income for 2019-2020 is on the balance sheet in our operating account and can be used to offset future losses, should they occur.
Budgeted income includes the totalf all pledged and unpledged donations and miscellaneous income including building rent, etc. "For Those in Need" collections are in addition to Budgeted Income Received and are disbursed quarterly to worthy causes, including Congregational Care, Tuesday Community Lunch and other Community needs outside our congregation. The percentage reflects the portion of the total amount of income or expense budgeted for the fiscal year.
Please note that we have had a slight fall off of current year pledge payments and essentially zero rental income for the past year due primarily to the Coronavirus pandemic. We need your continued help. If you can, send your pledge payments and "for those in need" contributions to the office or contribute on-line at uucgt.org.
If you want more detailed information, you can look at our website, click on the "About Us" drop-down menu, then on Our Governance, then on the Board Packet for the month, then on Financials/Monthly Comparison. The Committee meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month and we try to include this summary in that week's Flash two days later.
Questions can be directed to your Finance Committee which includes...
Dusty Culton, Nancy Doughty, Karl Keinath,
Mike McDonald and Jim Walworth
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INSTRUCTIONS for VOTING
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The Ministerial Search Team and the Board of Trustees are pleased to be working together to get the news out on how to vote for our new minister. Meeting by Zoom for the special congregational meeting to call our new minister has some complexities! Here is how to vote:
1. If you, alone, are zooming into the service and special meeting to vote, your life is easy. You will simply be asked to participate in a poll on zoom, voting yes, no, or abstain. That vote will be taken immediately after the service on May 16th. This vote will be taken on the honor system, with only members voting. This works for two, as long as you are each on a different device. One device, one vote.
2. If you attend the meeting Zoom with a spouse or partner on one computer, one of you will call the UUCGT office at 947-3117 and give your vote to Guy, our office administrator. The Zoom poll will only allow one vote per computer, so one of you will need to plan ahead and call Guy by Friday, May 14th.
3. If you cannot attend on May 16th and you are a member, you may call Guy at 947-3117 before May 14th, and cast your vote by phone.
4. If email and zoom are not in your comfort zone, we will contact you and you will be mailed a ballot with a stamped envelope to return by Friday, May 14th. An important thing for Unitarian Universalists is we run our congregations democratically, so please exercise your right to vote, and engage in the future of UUCGT! The future looks bright!
Note from Guy: I will likely be here in the office all weekend May 15-16. If necessary feel free to call the office for help, but non-Zoom votes should get to me via mail or phone by end of day FRIDAY MAY 14 if at all possible.
Please DO NOT call the office DURING THE SERVICE!
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SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTION!
SUPPORT PEOPLE OF VARYING FAITH TRADITIONS:
LEELANAU COUNTY PRAYER RESOLUTION
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Marian Kromkowski, a resident of Leelanau County and a previous UU Congregant elsewhere, contacted the office today asking for assistance. The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners is considering a policy that would institute prayer prior to meetings - the draft policy can be read and/or downloaded here. Marian is concerned that language requiring any participating clergy be from Leelanau County excludes people of Jewish, Muslim, UU, or other faiths, as those congregations exist outside Leelanau. Marian has made the following request:
"I am interested in knowing approximately how many members of UUCGT live in Leelanau County. As discussed, the current wording of the BOC Opening Prayer resolution refers to reaching out to Leelanau Clergy and 'religious congregations with an established presence in Leelanau County.' That could very well not include Unitarians, Jews or other faiths whose places of worship are not in Leelanau County. Your help is appreciated. The next BOC meeting is May 18 at 7pm. Would UUCGT Congregants be willing to speak? Or would you be able/willing to contact UU members who live in Leelanau who could speak out on this issue, either individually or as a group? I have also contacted Gary Jonas from Temple Beth Shalom."
If you live in Leelanau County, would you reach out to her, please?
TAKE ACTION AGAINST VOTER SUPPRESSION
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MUUSJN is working in coordination with the "Promote the Vote Coalition", ACLU People Power and the ACLU of Michigan, Voters Not Politicians, the NAACP and other groups that are working to oppose voter suppression in Michigan. Anti-democracy legislators introduced 39 bills this spring and are expected to review and take action on these bills through the Senate Elections Committee each Wednesday up until they break for summer recess during June, 2021. Jessica Ayoub, Public Engagement Specialist with the Michigan ACLU is offering to send an action alert each Monday before these hearings. To get on her list, email Jessica at
jayoub@aclumich.org For more information on MUUSJN efforts to promote the vote and oppose voter suppression, contact randyblock@yahoo.com. We've just begun to fight!
Submit a card to the Senate Elections Committee, in opposition to Senate Bills 273 and 286
1. Subject line Suggestion: Card Opposing SB 273 and 286
2. Your Name
3. The Bill number you are taking a position on (SB 273 and 286)
4. Whether you oppose, support, or are neutral on the bill (we
oppose)
5. Phone, email address, city of residence (all optional)
- Call your legislator using the ACLU-MI Constituent connector line: 517.760.6214When you call, you will be prompted to enter you zip code and will then be routed to your Senator. Whether you reach a person or a voicemail, please let them know you're a constituent and that you oppose Senate Bills 273 and 286 because putting restrictions on the use of ballot boxes will burden Michigan voters. Instead of putting up deliberate barriers, our elected officials should be working to ensure every Michigander has a voice in the future of our state.
- Email your legislator using this LINK:This email is editable - so tell your legislator that you oppose Senate Bills 273 and 286 because putting restrictions on the use of ballot boxes will burden Michigan voters. Instead of putting up deliberate barriers, our elected officials should be working to ensure every Michigander has a voice in the future of our state.
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Please continue to give to
For Those in Need
in our virtual "collection baskets".
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End Note:
"Leap, and the net
will appear."
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The UUCGT building is closed until further notice;
however the office is again staffed (at least) Tuesday-Friday, 9am-3pm.
Stay up to date on the UUCGT website
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