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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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Join us for online services
Livestreamed on Sunday mornings at 10:15 am
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Sunday, May 9, 2021
10:15 am Livestream
Care for the Mothership, Part 2
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Reverend Dave Clements
In this service which falls on Mother’s Day, Reverend Macklin will continue the theme from Reverend Breeden's sermon last Sunday, “Care for the Mothership”. We may explore some sailing terms such as the keel, which is the long, heavy fin on the bottom of the boat that sticks down into the water. It provides stability and is the reason why modern sailboats are nearly impossible to capsize. Reverend Macklin learned to sail with her three brothers on a small, very old sailboat, during which capsizing was part of the “sport”. A mothership, on the other hand, is a ship that sends out smaller boats or crafts to explore the surrounding unknown area.
As part of our worship service, we will honor graduates from POST-high school explorations---graduates from universities, community college, trade school and other educational endeavors beyond high school. If you know of such a graduate in our congregation, please contact Reverend Emily Manvel Leite, mre (at) uubloomington.org
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Sunday, May 16, 2021
10:15 am Livestream
Celebrating Our Congregational Story:
A Flower Communion
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Reverend Dave Clements
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
All ages are invited to enjoy stories, singing, and a lively celebration of our community this morning as we celebrate the beauty of each and all of us, near and far. The service will also provide time to acknowledge the many transitions still happening in the lives of community members though we are apart, to make room for both the grief and joyfulness of those changes, and to show up in support for one another as our hearts are broken or uplifted.
**We request that you share a photo of yourself with a flower for this service (send to Ned at media (at) uubloomington.org). We are also gathering memories of wonderful times within our UU Community. See Reverend Emily's column below for further details.**
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Pledge Drive Encouragement--
Please Make Your Pledge Today!
Our new pledge total is $484,000 so we are about 72% of the way to our goal of $675,000 for pledges for 2021-22. We hope everyone will participate at whatever level feels comfortable to them. Please be sure to make your pledge today, so we can finish our budgeting for the coming year! Click here for the online pledge form. Alternatively, y ou can text or call Church Administrator Carol Marks on her church mobile at 812-287-9615 and let her know your pledge amount, or send it to her in an email to admin (at) uubloomington.org, or mail in the pledge card we sent you last month!
Thank you!
Your Pledge Committee:
Rev. Dave Clements, Mary Boutain, Joan Caulton, Abby Gitlitz, Jackie Hall, Julia Lawson, Jason Michalek
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Early Bird Coffee Hour
Bring your coffee and join us at 9:15 am to relax with friends on Zoom before the service. Everyone is welcome! Click on this link to register for the early bird coffee hour and receive the Zoom link.
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Connect with our UU Community during Virtual Coffee Hour!
Everyone is welcome to join us after the worship service, until 12:30 pm, for engaging conversation in Virtual Coffee Hour.
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Our Building is Closed, but Our Hearts are Still Open.
To do our part to disrupt the spread of coronavirus and COVID-19 in our community, our building is likely to remain closed for some months to come. Our Board of Directors will review this decision at each monthly board meeting.
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Emily's Post
Dear Ones,
It has been so long since we have been together for in-person worship. Last Sunday, Reverend Mary Ann named that those of us in the sanctuary on Sundays need to know that you are still out there--still a part of this community, though we're not sitting side-by-side each Sunday. And it IS important that those of us creating the service know you are present. It is also important that each of you know that your companions on this journey are still there--tuning in for worship, singing in the UU car choir, attending the youth group gatherings, enjoying the religious education materials brought to your home, or showing up for the walks or hikes, the coffee hour conversations, the recent auction, and so many other things.
Many of our current in person or online gatherings are invisible to the rest of the congregation. So for this Flower Communion Sunday, May 16, we ask that you become visible by sharing a photograph of yourself with a flower by May 14--symbolizing your willingness to show up for others in this community. We really hope both long-time members and newcomers will participate. Please send your photos to Ned at media (at) uubloomington.org .
Also in this service, we will tell some of the story of our congregation by remembering together what we have loved about this community. Please send a favorite memory or two of your time with UUCB by May 14--either as a brief video (text to me at 812-333-9822) or a short note (email to mre (at) uubloomington.org). Some of these memories will be woven into the service, and all will be collected into a shared online memory book as we continue to create and to tell our story together.
Sending you love for the journey, wherever it is taking you in these days,
Emily
Reverend Emily Manvel Leite
Minister of Congregational Life and Religious Education
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Messages from MAM
1) Graduating from a POST High School Education Experience?
If you are graduating from university, trade school, community college OR know of someone who is graduating from such a POST high school educational experience, please let us know. You can contact Reverend Emily at mre (at) uubloomington.org. We hope to celebrate our graduates this Sunday. We will celebrate high school graduates next month.
2) Dance. Dance. Dance. ----Video referenced in Sunday's Service---
Whether from your chair or on your feet, we invite you to learn the choreography of this dance from our friends Darrelyn Valdez and Crystal White. We will have numerous opportunities over the summer for participating in a congregational movement video. The first opportunity will be on one of the weekend evenings (May 21 or May 22 or May 23), depending on weather and cicadas. We will video-tape a masked socially distanced dance in the UU parking lot. Stay tuned for exact date and time.
3) Insightful Video.
One more time, due to continued positive response:
4) 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge: June 1 through June 21st
As part of the work of this congregation to live into our 8th Principle, we hope many of our church members and friends will begin on June 1 and complete the 21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge which is outlined on this website:
After June 21st, we will invite those who have completed the 21-day challenge to gather in groups, led by ministers and lay leaders, to hear your reflections of this experience. Watch the Prologue and Friday Update for 21-Day Challenge information.
Our 8th Principle:
We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana,
covenant to affirm and promote:
journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working
to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community
by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions
in ourselves and our institutions.
May the Fourth be with You, MAM
Reverend Mary Ann Macklin
Senior Minister
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The Glorious Ray of Sunshine CD --
Order Online!
Bring the light and warmth of Spring and Summer into your homes with a brand new CD called "RAY OF SUNSHINE," 21 solo piano tracks recorded last summer in our sanctuary on our piano. These are beautiful selections played by our pianist Ray Fellman, from our services over the years. See the April 16 Update for a list of tracks.
The CD can be ordered by clicking here. Choose "Ray of Sunshine CD" in the dropdown, and enter the total of $25 times the number of CDs you would like. (1 CD $25, 2 CDs $50, 3 CDs $75, 10 CDs $250, etc.) The extra $5 per CD is for postage and packaging. If you are not associated with our congregation, please email me your mailing address separately after completing the payment. We will mail you your CDs via the U.S. Postal Service.
Questions? Carol Marks, Church Administrator
admin (at) uubloomington.org 812-287-9615 (M-F 10-4)
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Welcome to our Newest Members!
On April 18 we welcomed two new members to the church, Betty Laird and Laresa Lund. Please give them a warm welcome! Below are their bios to help you get to know them.
-- Ann LeDuc, Connections Coordinator
Betty Laird. My name is Betty Laird. I moved to Bloomington from northern Indiana, as I felt at home here after visiting my daughter who is an IU grad. I was born in Gary, Indiana, delivered by a doctor who was a former Chicago Bears football player. I am a licensed clinical social worker and am currently working on setting up my own telehealth practice. I have been a political activist most of my adult life. I have 3 children and 3 grandchildren, ages 6, 3 and 4 months. My youngest was a preemie, born 6 weeks early at 4 1/2 pounds, who spent a month in the NICU. Now she is a happy, healthy 11 1/2 pound feisty little girl. I’m planning a trip to Montana to see her in September. I am currently doing genealogical research so she will know her ancestry.
Laresa Lund (pronounced like Theresa) began attending the UU in the summer of 2018 and has (finally!) officially become a member. She graduated from IU a few years ago and now works for the university. Laresa likes to cycle, hike, listen to podcasts, play board games and cook with her partner. She loves the UU community and spirit and looks forward to meeting more members!
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Women's Alliance Meets Online Thursday, May 6
Steve Arnold Speaking on RESULTS
How do we get results? Please join UU Steve Arnold and your Women's Alliance friends to find out about the founding and continuing actions of RESULTS, an organization which seeks to influence public policy to help those in need. RESULTS is a model of citizen advocacy which has been adopted by a number of other groups working on various crucial social and public issues. Steve will discuss his frustration in trying to use his status as a citizen in a democracy to inform public policy. Out of that frustration, Steve took action in founding the Bloomington chapter of RESULTS. He will talk about how RESULTS works and tell us about some of his experiences and successes. The presentation will take place at 11:30 on Thursday, May 6, on ZOOM where we hope to see you! Contact Doris Wittenburg at dwittenb (at) indiana.edu for the Zoom link.
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Why Pronouns Matter - Let's Talk on May 9
What's all this singular "they" business? And why do We feel ruffled when we hear it? Of course, I mean the plural "We" and not the roundabout you, y'all follow? Or... "yous guys"? "Yinz"? If these linguistic things frustrate or intrigue you, take a glance at Why Pronouns Matter and join the revivified Rainbow Rights crew to share a prism of perspectives this Sunday, May 9 during virtual coffee hour following the service. Click here to join us: https://bit.ly/uucoffee. Also, if you're interested in becoming more involved in the efforts of Rainbow Rights or simply want to remain informed, please complete our survey so we can include you in the ways that nurture our journeying.
--Rainbow Jason Michálek
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NEST Second Sunday Listening Session May 9
The Next Steps in Transition (NEST) working group will offer monthly listening sessions in Virtual Coffee Hour on the second Sunday of each month. We invite everyone to join us this coming Sunday in Virtual Coffee Hour to share your thoughts and ideas regarding the transition to in-person gatherings at the church. Just click on this link after the worship service to join us!
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UU Singles May 11 and 20
We are a group of single adults within the UU Bloomington community who meet occasionally for various kinds of connection and fellowship. We'd love to have you join us! We'll be meeting over Zoom Tuesday evening, May 11th, and Thursday evening, the 20th. Please see below for details!
- Tuesday evening, May 11:
* 6 to 6:30 p.m., hellos, intros, check-ins
* 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., game night
- Thursday evening, May 20:
* 6 to 7 p.m., conversation night
Please join us!
If you have questions, or are not already on the UU singles e-mail list (where the Zoom link is published), please email Marie Deer or call her at 812-391-0900.
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Writing as a Spiritual Practice (Season 4)
A Drop-in Group with Rev. Barbara Child
Beginning May 11
You are invited to join me on a journey of personal exploration through autobiographical writing in community on Zoom.
We will meet every Tuesday afternoon 1:00-2:00, May 11 through June 29.
[Please note – there will be no session on May 4.]
To begin with, even if you took part in Season 1, 2, or 3, you need to register for Season 4 by clicking here.
You need to register only once and can then attend as many Season 4sessions after that as you choose. 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.
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An Invitation to UU History
with Stuart Yoak
Sunday, May 16 and Sunday, May 23
2:00pm – 3:00pm.
Ever wonder how the Unitarian Universalist church evolved? Where this way of doing church came from and who were the leaders and founders of the Unitarian and Universalist movements in Europe and North America? If so, please join our tour guide Stuart Yoak for a romp through 1600 years of UU history, Sunday, May 16 and Sunday, May 23 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm on Zoom.
We’ll go wheeling through Bithynia in 325 CE, Spain in 1531, Hungary in 1544, and find out why the early modern English Parliament’s Anti-Trinitarian law (1648), with the penalty of death, caused Unitarians and Universalists to flee to a new world across the ocean.
We are the beneficiaries of amazing women and men who, because of their courage, determination and a commitment to the inherent dignity and worth of all people, handed down the traditions that make it possible today for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana, to exist.
If you have any questions or wish to know more about this class, please contact Stuart Yoak, Email: sdyoak (at) iu.edu or Cell: 314-566-9059.
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Committee and Task Force Leaders:
Annual Reports Due May 15
Each year we invite our committee and task force leaders to submit a report of their activities in the past year. This document will be published online in time for the Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 13 at 4:00 p.m. (on Zoom). Committee leaders should send their annual reports (100-200 words is a nice length) to office (at) uubloomington.org by May 15. Social Justice Task Force leaders should send their reports to Social Justice Circle leader Jackie Hall at jmhall (at) indiana.edu by May 15. Jackie will compile the Social Justice reports and forward them to the office to include in the big report. If you would like to read past Annual Reports to our congregation, click here. --Carol Marks, Church Administrator
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What's On the Church Administrator's Mind?
PayPal and Planning Center’s Giving Page –
What’s Up with These?
We have two main places now where folks can make online contributions: Paypal and Planning Center’s Giving Page. This article is intended to clarify how to use these resources.
Q: Should I use PayPal or our new database giving page to make a contribution to my 2021-22 pledge?
A: The Giving page in our new database Planning Center is best, https://uucb.churchcenter.com/giving to make electronic payments on your 2021-22 pledge or Sunday Plate contributions.
Q: Is it okay to still use Paypal for paying my 20-21 pledge and Sunday Plate contributions?
A: Yes, indeed. If you like to pay with a credit card, http://bit.ly/UUCBdonate is the right place to pay 20-21 and Sunday Plate contributions through June 30.
And yes, it is still okay to send your pledge payments and other contributions via paper check, to UU Church, PO Box 1158, Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158. --Carol Marks, Church Administrator
admin (at) uubloomington.org 812-287-9615 (church ofc mobile)
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Collecting Used Copies of
"Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents"
to Share with Others
Other groups in our community would appreciate having access to copies of "Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson. If you would like to donate your copy so others can learn from it too, there is now a bin to receive these books under the north porch roof near the Portico Entrance. It's the grey bin on the left. Thanks for sharing!
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Green Sanctuary Task Force - Spring Clothing Swap Returns May 22
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 spring's Swap at the Woodlawn Shelter in Bryan Park on Saturday, May 22 in the morning. More detailed information will be available in upcoming Prologues, including the exact hours. All participants are expected to wear masks and maintain appropriate physical distancing.
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In Harmony with Habitat
Online Fundraiser Concert
May 22 -- Get Your Tickets Now!
Enjoy talented musicians from the comfort of your home on May 22 and help raise funds for sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity home in Bloomington. The UU Habitat Task Force is hosting a livestreamed, online concert with a group of talented performers from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 22. The concert will be emceed from our sanctuary by Rev. Bill Breeden and UU Angela Lexmond, with most performances recorded and a live band. Artists will be Bloomington’s Jenn Cristy, who has performed her piano-driven rock nationally; King Bee and The Stingers, a well-known contemporary blues band; UU Sylvia McNair, two-time Grammy Award winning singer; classical pianist and composer Keaton Springfield; musicians Teddy Gonyea on piano and Ben Lopilato on bass; and the Radical Moderates, with David Sharp, Dan Lodge-Rigal and Pat McNaughton. Viewers will also hear about the need for decent, affordable housing from Habitat’s CEO Wendi Goodlett, a Habitat homeowner and a volunteer.
The concert can be viewed online for 48 hours after it is livestreamed.
Barb Berggoetz, Habitat Task Force chairperson
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It Takes a Village to Feed a Village!
So a Little Free Pantry has been set up by the UU Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Task Force, in cooperation with Needmore Coffee and the Center for Sustainable Living and others. The location is the south side of Needmore Coffee Roasters at the intersection of Longview Avenue and Pete Ellis Drive. Small-to-medium-size hygiene items and non-perishable foods are most useful for the pantry. Protein foods such as peanut butter and canned tuna, chicken, or ham, and hygiene items like toothpaste and bar soap are especially popular. You may deposit any of these items directly in the Little Free Pantry, or drop them in the collection bins at the church.
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UU Freethinkers Meet Sunday, May 9, 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 p.m. To join, contact Harold Ogren or Ann Watzel.
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UU Humanist Forum Meets
Sunday, May 16, 12:45 pm
Every other Sunday at 12:45 p.m., our UU Humanists meet together online on Zoom for discussion. Elof Carlson will lead a discussion on "Genetics, eugenics and responding to human gene mutation." Email Ann Watzel or Harold Ogren 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 all meetings online. If you'd like to participate, visit openmindzenbloomington.org and reach out via their contact page for more information.
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Community Connections
Our Faith in Action in the Community
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Ways to Help
Shalom Community Center
If you would like to donate food to Shalom Community Center, click here for a list. Collection bins are on the north side of our building, near the Portico entrance.
(Beacon Inc. is the parent organization for Shalom Community Center.)
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COVID-19 Vaccination News -
Vaccines for Age 16 and Older!
Vaccinations available for those age 16 and older!
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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! And never in the form of gift cards.
How to Recognize an Email Phishing Scam:
Is the email impersonating Rev. Macklin or another 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 (office closed at church, but staff working from home)
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 May 18. Deadline is 10 am on date of publication, admin (at) uubloomington.org
Mailing Address
During the COVID emergency, and yes, it is still an emergency:
UU Church, PO Box 1158, Nashville, Indiana 47448-1158.
(Items mailed to 2120 N. Fee take 3-4 weeks on average to be forwarded by the Postal Service! So please use the PO Box instead of the street address!)
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Membership and Attendance
Membership: 574 certified members as of 2/1/2021;
575 current members.
Attendance
Attendance data is missing, due to recent changes made by our livestreaming service.
Non-Pledge Offering:
April 18: $536 April 25: $315
To make a contribution for the Non-Pledge Offering (Sunday Plate), or to make a payment towards your pledge or the Minister's Discretionary Fund, click on this link to get to our PayPal page: bit.ly/UUCBdonate
Total to be donated (25%) to Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM) Compass Early Learning Center and Self-Sufficiency Center: $212.75
Grocery Card Sales: (Bloomingfoods or Fresh Thyme) -- $500; Total income to UUCB: $25.00
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. We received $432.88 from Kroger for the months January through March from this program.
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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 a SASE.
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Masthead photo by Marcia Hart. |
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Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, IN
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