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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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This Sunday, November 15th, 2020 at 10:30 AM
Awakening
"Real Stories Take Time"
Dear Ones -
This Sunday the theme is awakening and the title is "Real Stories Take Time" borrowed from Rachel Naomi Remen's wonderful book, Kitchen Table Wisdom. As we are forced to celebrate the holidays differently this year due to the pandemic, we can use this pause in the usual holiday busyness to listen, remember and discern. Rachel Naomi Remen writes, "Real stories take time. Hidden in all stories is the One story. The more we listen, the clearer that story becomes. Our true identity, who we are, why we are here, what sustains us, is in this story."
See you in church!
L, Cathy
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse
Rev. Cathy Harrington, Interim Minister
Sunday morning's Order of Service
and the lyrics to songs
will be in Sunday morning's "Reminder" Flash.
Click on the link below to join the Service:
The Meeting ID is 817 7744 8560
FINANCIAL REPORT AND MORE...
Please, if you able, help those less fortunate...
Two categories of donations are well below what we need to provide much-needed help in the community.
As you'll see from the Financial Summary below our year-to-date support of "Those in Need" is less than half what we had provided at this point in our previous fiscal year. In addition to your pledge, would you please consider a gift, even a small one, designated "For Those in Need"?
We ask as well that you consider donating to provide turkeys to seven immigrant families being served by the Peace and Justice Advocacy group. Because we cannot gather together this year for our annual feast, the Program Council and Sunday Services committees have organized this small fundraiser. Please make checks out to the congregation, with "Turkeys for all" or "Thanksgiving" on the memo line of your check. If there is extra, the funds will go to Safe Harbor.
That said, at the moment there is not "extra." We need at least $230-250,
and as of this morning we are short at least $75 or more, depending on where we apportion a few other small donations we received this week. Please consider a gift of $25?
Thank you, thank you!
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Financial Summary
As of October 31, 2020
(33.3% of fiscal year)
Curr Yr (2020-21) Prev Yr (2019-2020)
Budget Inc Rec'd YTD $ 63,282* 23.3% $106,253*. 40.4%
Budget Exp's Pd YTD $ 83,786 30.3% $ 78,765 29.9%
"Those in Need" YTD $ 1,622 $ 3,501
*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.
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Ministerial Search Team Report
It was a big week in America when presidential election results came in. Saturday evening was a vision of people dancing in the streets around the country and the world. Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris and President-Elect Joe Biden spoke to us all about America as a land of opportunity.
Fittingly, your MST met with a renewed sense of opportunity this week. We felt the optimism and enthusiasm you expressed in Cottage Conversations when asked to envision what UUCGT could look like three years from now. You propelled us forward in our goals, making us feel better prepared for the opportunity of a successful search.
Our UUA Transitions Coach added to the excitement by sharing that we were the first search team to submit a Congregational Record for the 2021 search season. Our Documents Packet will be turned in next week, bringing us enticingly closer to the opportunity of seeing the list of ministerial candidates in January.
What an exciting time of opportunity this has become!
In Gratitude,
Your team - Mary, Geoff, Charles, Dusty, Jim, Chris, Jan
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- from Renée Russell -
As the leaves have dropped and the election is passed, I turn to the heart warming season before us. Instead of an All Music Service this year, we will have loads of special music created for us by our wonderful UU musicians, and some special guests, throughout the months of November and December. I want to send a sincere invitation to all of you to join in on some of the upcoming music with our ongoing "Virtual Ensemble". I have created a new dedicated part of my website that clearly explains the whole process through informational videos, guide tracks and more. I encourage you to take a visit and let me know if you would like to join in with anything or have any ideas for upcoming music. Click HERE to learn all about the Virtual Ensemble.
We'll also begin posting our special created videos on the UUCGT website so you can listen and enjoy them whenever you like. To enjoy last week's Virtual Ensemble performance of Like a Mighty Stream, click HERE!
- from Claire Crandell -
Sunday's lesson or theme was "Let Gratitude Heal You". Again we had a small group of happy, thankful people. We began with remembering the quote from last week by Meister Eckhart who said: "If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough."
We shared how our week went and how saying "thank you" as we go throughout our day can become a habit. And, that when we are thankful we are basically trusting that good things will come to us and this may help us deal with any difficult things that might come our way.
We then listened to a few minutes of a BEAUTIFUL youtube video song called the "Spirit of Life" sung by the All Souls Virtual Choir. (Click on the link to watch & listen!)
Before we meditated we read the words:
- "May you have happiness.
- "May you be free from suffering."
- "May you experience joy and ease."
Then we meditated on peace and love for a few minutes.
Next we played an alphabet game where we each would share things we were thankful for that started with A, then B, then C and so on. We laughed as we shared and got as far as F!
Thinking of the things we had shared we were thankful for (from foods, to animals, to the beach, and so on) we then took a few fun moments to draw and color something for which we are grateful.
We had a drawing of colorful sea creatures, drawings of family members, drawing of the beach, sun and water. And we laughed so much as we were drawing. It was fun!
We were then asked to find a short poem on the internet or write our own little poem about things we were thankful for and bring it next week to share with one another.
We closed saying thank you, thank you for our time together!
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Once again the creative writing explorers from UUCGT share some of their work. See the announcement above from Adult RE Director Alison Ernst about signing up to be part of the second session of workshops with her and Rev. Cathy Harrington; the next session begins November 10th.
Volume 2 of UU ORIGINAL VOICES may be found here.
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UUCGT Calendar - Stay Up to Date!
Sunday Services, meetings and classes are hosted on Zoom until further notice. Note that as of September 30 2020 Zoom requires a passcode and/or an enabled "Waiting Room" for ALL newly scheduled meetings.
Requests should be made by Wednesday at noon for the next day's FLASH, please, if you want your meeting or event included - especially if you are requesting a Zoom set-up!
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Tonight, Thursday, November 12
7:00 PM
Friday, November 13
1:00 PM
Zoom rehearsal for Sunday Service
3:00 PM
8:00 PM
Sunday, November 15
10:30 AM
You can sign in beginning at 10:00 AM to visit!
Monday, November 16
11:15 AM
Stretch & Strengthen
2:30 PM
Ministerial SearchTeam
Zoom link is here; mtg ID: 839 8133 9396. Passcode is required and available to
Search Team members.
Tuesday, November 17
10:30 AM
Volunteer Comm. Lunch, Friends Church. For info contact Mary Kiner.
1:30 PM
Sunday Service Comm/Coord's via Zoom here.
3:00 PM
Leadership Development Committee (not a public meeting)
6:30 PM
Reading & Writing Workshop
Wednesday, November 18
11:15 AM
Stretch & Strengthen Class
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
4:00 PM
Membership Committee
Also at 4:00 PM: Transition Team
5:30 PM
BYO Dinner together, NOW VIRTUAL!
Thursday, November 19
2:30 PM
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End Note:
"If you have built castles in the air; your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
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Most of the UUCGT building is closed until further notice;
however the office will generally be staffed* Tuesday-Friday.
with any questions or concerns.
*With thanks to Alison Ernst for suggesting
the gender-neutral language here!
Stay up to date on the UUCGT website
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