We warmly welcome Rev. Dr. Sydney Morris as our short term Caretaking Minister while Rev. Christina is on medical leave. 
Rev. Dr. Sydney Amara Morris was raised in the Unitarian Universalist First Church of Chicago. After working in social services, counseling and organizing, she received her ministerial education at Harvard Divinity and Meadville Lombard Theological schools.
She has served UU congregations since 1981 and has been a hospice chaplain. Sydney has two grown sons and two granddaughters who are 4 and 6 years old. She enjoys her cockerpoodle, hiking, canoeing, and reading.

Engagement at the Fellowship
By Marie Luna, Director of Congregational Life


What first brought you to the Fellowship? Many people come because of recommendations from a friend, because they are seeking spiritual connection, or to find a spiritual home for their family.
What helped you connect and stay? It might have been Sunday messages, music, or the friendships you have made. 
This pandemic has impacted many of the reasons people come, and many reasons people stay. All faith communities are experiencing less attendance and engagement, and that includes our Fellowship community. One of the hardest parts of being virtual for so long is that we lost touch with so many members and friends. We didn’t know if people were waiting until we were “back to normal,” or if they had moved on. Last fall I tried reaching out to over 200 people who we haven’t seen to ask that question. I had many meetings, emails, and responses to an engagement survey. Karen Iverson Riggers and Marti Wheeler also led some small group discussions.
Many people who responded said that even though they are not engaged right now, there isn’t anything more we can do. Like one person said, “I know you [all] are doing your best. I'm just at a weird time in my life. I may return to participate more, but just not feeling it right now.” That one hit me, as I think many of us feel the same way! What I prioritize in my life, and what I have energy for feels so different today than it did pre-pandemic.
For those who feel this way, it is understandable. Maybe thinking about what brought you here for the first time and what made you feel part of this community would help you decide if this is a good time to reconnect. For those of you whose involvement is meaningful and helps nourish you, that is what we are here for! For those of you who want to find a place within the Fellowship community to make connections or help out in meaningful ways, contact me at marie@fvuuf.org before May 27 so we can explore what that means for you. 

Sunday Services

9:00 am Central In Person
10:45 am In Person and Livestream

Reflections of Past Journeys
by "Being a Teen" (BATS) Youth & Kim Hartman, Director of Religious Education
Our annual tradition of celebrating our teens who have completed their mentorship year of coming of age continues! We will hear from our second-year BATs (Being a Teen) students as they share their wisdom through their credo statements.
Click HERE for Worship Service Zoom Information and the Order of Service
  • Listen to past sermons, HERE.
  • Watch some of our past services on our Youtube channel.
  • See the religious education section below for details about online and in-person classes. See our website HERE for information about all our religious education classes for children and youth.

Last Monthly Evening Service with Ali 

Wednesday, May 25 at 7:00 pm CT on Zoom
Join us for a Zoom worship service led by our Assistant Minister, Ali Peters. On the last Wednesday of each month, we will hold an informal evening service to re-center ourselves during the week, connect more deeply with one another, and hold each other in community. All are welcome! If you have questions, please reach out to Ali at ali@fvuuf.org. Log-in information is available on the services page of our website HERE. We hope to see you there!

A Message from the Care Team

To Our Beloved Fellowship:
 
As we navigate so much change it is important to know you are not alone. From Fellowship transitions to global, national, statewide, and local events, it may seem overwhelming with much to process. Our Care Team is here to provide connection and support through conversation and/or a listening presence. We understand this can be a difficult time for many of our members and we are grateful for the opportunity to help in a way that is meaningful for you. One of the many gifts of being a Fellowship member is knowing that we can lean on each other through times of joy and concern. To connect with a member of our Care Team, please send a message to Careteam@fvuuf.org.

Your Fellowship Care Team:
Chris Wales
Dana Johnson
Deb Andrews
Debbie Wagner
Merrisa Touray
Mary K Knox

Mike Yonkers

Upcoming Events

Annual Partner Church Plant Sale

This Sunday, May 22, 8:00 am-Noon

In honor and support of our partners in Deva, Romania, and Banaybanay, The Philippines, the Partner Church Committee will be hosting our annual Plant Sale on Sunday, May 22. We invite you to shop for vegetables, native plants, perennials, and houseplants at the Fellowship. We also welcome pre-orders, so if you would like to pre-order plants or have questions, contact Vickie Milde at 920.730.0596 or vicmilde@hotmail.com.
To see our Plant Sale offerings, please click HERE.

Pre-Annual Meeting Q & A and Candidate Meet and Greet

Please join us in person or via Zoom (no registration required) at 6:00 pm CT, Wednesday, June 1. This informational session will review the proposed 2022-23 annual budget, outline a proposed bylaw change to terms of office, and introduce candidates for election. Members of the Executive Team and Governing Board will be on hand to answer your questions.

Ease Into Transitions

Listening and Conversation Sessions with Dana Johnson, Mike Yonkers, & members of the Healthy Congregation Team
May 31, 6:00 pm CT, Zoom
June 5, immediately following the Annual Meeting, in person
June 8, 6:00 pm CT, Zoom
June 12, 11:30 am, in person
Zoom log information is available on the newsletter page of our website HERE.
As we enter into yet another season of transition here at our Fellowship, we acknowledge the many feelings we are all having, including a sense of unease. Dana Johnson and Mike Yonkers from our Care Team will be offering several “Ease Into Transition” listening sessions in the coming weeks so we can support each other through this time.

Religious Education - Children and Youth

Sunday Religious Education Programs: Virtual and In-Person Offerings

Check out our website for class information for nursery through 6th grade HERE and 7th through 12th grades HERE. Programs are offered from mid-September through late May.
Nursery 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM
Childcare for children between 6 months and 3 years is available in the nursery during both the 9:00 and 10:45 services.
9:00 AM- Children’s RE (grades 4K-6) Zoom only
Children’s RE on Zoom only. The Zoom link is accessible to parents of registered children.
10:45 AM- In-person Children’s RE (grades 4K-6) 
Children in this class meet in the Anthony Room. Teachers and students in the elementary RE class will need to continue masking and practice social distancing as much as possible.
Summer Religious Exploration begins this month!
We are very excited to announce that our summer religious exploration classes for 4K-6th grade children will kick off on Sunday, May 29th. Children will gather each Sunday in the Anthony Room at 10:00. We hope to spend as much time outside as possible, so please remember to put sunscreen on your child before dropping them off. 
Youth-Led Credo Service this Sunday
Join us this Sunday for our annual Youth-Led Credo Service. All of the young people who participated in our Being A Teen (BATs) program will host this special service. The youth who completed the Coming of Age track of the program spent the past year working with a mentor towards creating a personal credo, a Latin word that means “a set of fundamental beliefs or a guiding principle.” They will share their personal statements that address the question, “What do I believe?” as the centerpiece of this popular and inspiring service.
Bridging Ceremony
We will honor our graduating high school seniors as they take the symbolic step from childhood into adulthood in our Bridging ceremony amid our annual Flower Communion service on Sunday, June 5. During this service, we will honor the growth and transition of these young people, hear from them about how they plan to carry their Unitarian Universalist values into the world, and welcome them into our community as adults.

2022 Summer Religious Exploration Experience for Kids!

We are very excited to announce that our summer religious exploration classes for 4K-5th grade children will kick off on Sunday, June 12 during our 10:00 am service. We will revel in the joy of being together in community again by engaging minds and bodies in less formal learning, and connecting more deeply to nature and the outdoors. Our focus is on providing our children and their families with rich opportunities to connect to their deepest inner lives, their community, and to the joy of life around them by engaging in the three Magic “S’s” of 
•  Service to Others
•  Silence and Mindfulness
•  Sunshine and Movement
Fall Registrations carry through the summer - no need to register your child(ren) if they are registered for the 2021-2022 program year. If your family is just joining us, our registration form is located on our website’s Children and Youth page at this link HERE.
We would love to offer middle and high school summer classes but need a handful of volunteer teachers to pull it off. If you are interested in deepening your own faith by engaging with our young people, or know someone who is, please contact Kim Hartman as soon as possible.
Please contact Kim Hartman with questions.

Notable

UU Women's Connection Spring Retreat

"Let Our Souls Sing"
Join us at Pilgrim Park, June 3-5
These past two years we’ve had to cope with social isolation and loneliness. Now we can meet face to face, spending time together on the deck of Pilgrim’s Park conference center. We will take time to explore, relax, drum, sing, and commune with nature and each other. Click HERE for more information and registration.
click the image for an update

Justice Action Ministry

Our Justice Action Ministry (JAM) Teams Invite You to Write Letters for Bread for the World: Soup dinner this Saturday.

Hand in letters or send your emails by May 22.


Our soup dinner and letter writing event is this Saturday, May 21 at 4:30 pm. Kids are welcome. Here is a link to a one-page resource that provides an overview, instructions, and sample letters for this campaign to use whether or not you can attend. If you wish to send emails, bring your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. (We can also share). Letters can be dropped off in the basket located outside of the sanctuary through May 22. We can tally emails sent if you let us know at justicehub@fvuuf.org. Thanks to all who are providing food. Soups provided by Mark & Suzanne Marnocha, Julie Putnam & Mike Younkers, Matt Demers, Penny Robinson, and Tom Hannah. Bread by David Powling. Email questions to Connie at connie.kanitz@gmail.com.

Justice Hub Webpage

The Justice Hub webpage has information about our JAMs, justice events, and opportunities here at our Fellowship and out in the community right at your fingertips any time you need it.
This week: Read more about each of these on the Justice Hub webpage
•  June 9: UU Service Committee's Human Rights Leadership Celebration featuring Isabel Wilkerson
•  Ways to get involved with the Fellowship's Justice Action Ministries teams
•  Ways to support the work of ESTHER community organizing
•  Side with Love's Action Center
If you want to share something on the Justice Hub webpage, please do so by completing this form by Thursday to be posted when the page is updated each week. Submissions may be subject to staff approval and editing.
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