 |
|
|
Having trouble viewing this message? Scroll to the bottom & click the link to view this email online.
| |
A Thrilling New Program Year for Religious Education
by Kim Hartman, Director of Religious EducationThere are many exciting things happening in our new 2022-2023 religious education program year!
New Religious Education Staff
I am thrilled to announce that we have welcomed aboard three new Religious Education Program employees for the 2022-2023 program year!
Becca Linekin began teaching in our newly created 4K-1st grade Lead Teacher position this past Sunday. She is a passionate, long-time Fellowship teacher who shared that she finds working with our young people to be a central part of her spiritual practice. Becca will lead our young people in the classroom three times per month.
Jill Williams has stepped into the RE Admin Assistant position. Her first day on duty was this past Sunday. She presents a wonderful “Face of the Fellowship” for newcomers and families, and has already proven to take on her new role like a pro! Jill will be found fulfilling her role three Sundays per month.
Prerna Kvalvik has returned to our nursery to share her expertise as a lead childcare provider one Sunday per month. It is wonderful to have her beloved presence working with our youngest ones again!
Please feel free to pop down into the RE hallway and welcome these beautiful souls! Each of these individuals has at least one Sunday away from their work to attend services. Please respect their need to hold healthy boundaries; when you see them off duty, they are here to focus on worship. If you have work-related questions for them, please email me at kim@fvuuf.org and I can help you connect.
RE Program News
We are also excited to share that we are on our way to realizing our dream of rolling out our new 2-5th grade class format. Currently, students are able to continue their exploration of the topics of the lessons by choosing one of two (or more) activities to participate in via breakout rooms one time per month. We are in need of a few more teaching assistants to achieve this dream each time our children meet.
Crossing Paths
Crossing Paths (World Religions) class for youth in 6th-8th grade is meeting each Sunday this year to explore a number of faiths that are practiced in the Fox Valley. We are very excited about the program this year because we are finally returning to the most exciting part of the class; we will go on field trips to local houses of worship this year!
The faiths we will be exploring the basics of this year are…
• UUism- a review of UU basics and we will participate in/attend our own Fellowship service(s) in April
• Judaism- we will visit Moses Montifiore Congregation https://www.mmcappleton.com/
• Christianity
• Buddhism
• Islam- we will visit Fox Valley Islamic Society https://fvis.org/
• Native American Spirituality
Wish you could come along? Well- YOU CAN!
Not only are we strongly encouraging parents of our Crossing Paths students to come along on our visits, we also would love anyone from our Fellowship community who is interested in joining us to contact me at kim@fvuuf.org for more information. What better way to meet in a multigenerational community to role model acceptance of our Fox Valley community members, educate ourselves a bit, and participate in some good old-fashioned interfaith goodwill?
In gratitude to those who make our programs possible.
On behalf of our entire community, I extend deep gratitude to the many volunteers who place priority on the education and care of our young people!
| |
| I am an Acorn . . . Theresa Hannah
| |
I am an acorn because I am aware of, and so grateful for, the people who started this Fellowship and nurtured it through years of growth before I arrived. A group of about 100 people agreed to take on a mortgage to purchase a building; then another group agreed to build another building and hire staff; all so that this wonderful organization would be here when I looked for it. And, I sorely needed this place when I finally realized it is here. I want to help the Fellowship continue to be here for future seekers.
I am an acorn because I have named the Fellowship’s endowment as a co-beneficiary of a life insurance policy. This gift doesn’t stop me from giving generously to support our annual operating budget; which is necessary to keep our organization running today. My legacy gift will be added with other funds to generate interest that will support future operating budgets; future expansions; future programs – perhaps things I can’t even dream of today. I love that idea!
| |
Sunday, September 259:00 & 10:45 am CT In Person and Livestream
Belonging As a Spiritual Practice
by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
Click HERE for Worship Service Zoom Information and the Order of Service
- Watch clips of our services on our Youtube channel.
- Upcoming Services HERE
- See the religious education section below for details about Sunday RE classes. See our website HERE for information about all our religious education classes for children and youth.
| |
September Focus: You Are Not Alone (Journey Group and RE focus: Belonging)
You matter, exactly as you are, and without each and every one of us, our community would not be what we are. When we know that we belong to one another, we feel both supported by and responsible for one another. “Come, come, whoever you are,” and gather together for this series as we explore the power of community in forming and transforming our lives.
| |
|
| Religious Education - Children and Youth
| |
Religious Education Program Year InformationSunday Religious Education programs are offered at 10:45 am September through May. Summer options are different.
Registration is open. Click HERE to register your children.
Sunday Programs
Sunday School classes meet at 10:45 am only
Nursery (9:00 and 10:45 am): Ages 6 months–3 years
Children will be supervised in a safe and nurturing environment that encourages creativity and sharing.
Pre-K through First Grade: Ages 4-7
Students are introduced to the rituals and classroom structure of religious education. These include chalice lighting, joys and concerns, and UU values. Our goal is to build an environment of safety and curiosity that begins the path to individual UU and spiritual development.
2nd through 5th Grade: Ages 7-11
Students in this group will gather for the chalice lighting and sharing of joys and concerns before being introduced to a lesson based on our monthly themes. After the lesson introduction, they will continue their exploration of the topic by choosing one of two (or more) activities to participate in via breakout rooms.
Crossing Paths - Grades 6-8: Ages 11-13
This course leads students through an exploration of various contemporary religions. Each unit culminates in a visit to local houses of worship alongside of non-UU members of our community, and to experience different expressions of faith.
| |
Help Us Offer Full Programs and Childcare
In order to fun full childcare and programs, we need to fill the following volunteer positions:
• Childcare in the nursery:
9:00- One opening
10:45- Two openings
• 2nd-5th 10:45 grade classroom: Three assistant openings
• Crossing Paths: Three assistant openings
• Twilight Zone High School Youth Hour: Four lead openings
• Wellspring Childcare: We are financially unable to provide childcare for Wellspring this year. However, we have a volunteer who has offered to provide this service if we can find a second adult or teen over the age of 13 to join them.
Contact Kim Hartman, Director of Religious Education, at kim@fvuuf.og if you can help one time per month.
| |
Robot and Refreshments with the Revs - this Wednesday, September 28
Youth! Join our ministers for a laid-back monthly evening of food and conversation. We will use the book “Psalm for the Wild Built” (A Monk and Robot Book) by Becky Chambers, which explores themes of life, humanity, and society in a far-future setting where the world is actually pretty great. The main characters are a gender nonbinary monk whose God emphasizes comfort, and a robot who has never encountered a human. Get the book and follow along (only one chapter a month!) or we’ll provide a short explanation of the chapter before we begin chatting. Contact Rev. Christina at christina@fvuuf.org with questions.
6:00 pm Wednesdays: September 28, November 30, January 25, February 22, March 22, April 26, May 24
| |
 | Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
|
| Emergency Evacuation Drill This Sunday!We will be having an Emergency Evacuation Drill on Sunday, September 25 after each service. There will be detailed written instructions handed out that day, but here are the three main things you need to know:
1. You may want to bring your jacket into the sanctuary or classroom with you because, when the fire alarm is rung, you will need to get up and immediately head to the exits; if you are sitting in the front of the sanctuary, you will exit out one of the side exit doors. Those in the rear of the sanctuary will exit out the main doors and proceed through the side door near the Legacy Room. Adults with mobility limitations will have the option of sitting in chairs outside near those exits. All other adults will gather in the overflow parking lot in the office building next to the Fellowship. This might involve walking on unpaved ground, so please wear sensible shoes!
2. All RE children and youth will also participate in the evacuation drill. Nursery kids will leave early to avoid the loud alarm, but all children and youth will gather by the little free library on Philip Lane.
3. Once the All-Clear is sounded, parents/ guardians MUST sign their children and youth out from the RE volunteer. Once signed out, families can return to the building or to their cars. Everyone is welcome to return to the building for coffee, cookies, and conversation!
This will be timed, so let's see how quickly and calmly we can evacuate the building. Thank you in advance for your participation!
| |
Fellowship Re-Start Weekend with UUA Staff: October 1
As fall is upon us, it feels like a fresh start here at the Fellowship in many ways-- fully returning from the pandemic, Rev. Christina returning from medical leave, and Rev. Hannah's new ministry with us.
Join us for an important Re-Start Weekend on October 1! The Rev. David Pyle, executive director of our UUA Mid-America Region, will join us to facilitate conversations and activities that will support our fellowship as we restart in so many ways, and will help us move forward into a healthy future. He will work with our staff and governing board on Thursday and Friday (September 29-30), but Saturday, October 1 will be open to everyone. This will be a success if as many people as possible make it a priority to come, so please mark your calendars!
Saturday, October 1:
9:00 am to noon - Gathering for EVERYONE at the Fellowship – Come one, come all!
Rev. David Pyle will lead us in a gathering and centering time, followed by a chance to collectively tell our story through the lens of collective joys and concerns.
1:00-4:00 pm - Gathering for Fellowship Leaders - If you feel like a Fellowship leader -- a lay minister, a group or committee leader, participating in Leadership Path, or if you serve in some other leadership capacity, this time is for you. Others are also welcome if they want to participate. Rev. David will lead us in an exploration of covenant, relationship, myths, and norms around our congregation, lessons from our history, and roles and responsibilities.
Sunday, October 2 - Rev. David will attend services and stick around after for conversation.
We hope to see you there!
| |
Fellowship Book “Sale” Coming Soon!The Fellowship has accumulated a lot of books over the years. Now you will be the beneficiaries of our need to clean out our staff office shelves!
On Saturday, October 1, and Sunday, October 2, we will have tables set up in the entry lobby with books for you to take. If you are able, we ask for a free-will donation of any amount. Cash, checks, and online donation will all be available. The proceeds will help us recoup the cost of re-stocking our bookstore.
| |
Thank You Worship Artists!A special thank-you to our fabric artists who collaborated with the service-planning team to create a beautiful work of art in our sanctuary. Margaret Alexander, Nan Middleton, Marie Rohrer, and Dawn Shaw did an excellent job including congregation members to trace and cut out our hands-on fabric, and then they assembled the hands to display the spirit of our September theme: You Are Not Alone. You can see more beautiful visual art in the coming months as we strive to incorporate all of our senses into our Sunday morning experience.
| |
“Share the Plate” – An Exciting New Way to Share Your Generosity!Generosity outside our walls has been and continues to be, important to the members of the Fellowship. This year we are changing how we manage the outside-our-walls collections.
Beginning in October the Generosity Ministries Team (GMT), in cooperation with the Fellowship Justice Action Ministries (JAMs) and Executive Team, will select a local or UU-specific organization to receive half of that month’s collection. Each Sunday during that calendar month funds received through the collection plate, or through online giving will be shared, with half of the funds used to support the Fellowship budget and the other half sent to support the organization of the month.
We hope this system will allow more people to participate in the outside-our-walls collections. This is one of the many ways the Fellowship supports those within and beyond our walls.
Watch an upcoming newsletter for an announcement of the October recipient organization.
Your Generosity Ministries Team,
Ann Fisher (Chair), Wendy Bolm, Theresa Hannah, Suzanne Marnocha, Patrick Mitchell, Julie Putman, and Aaron Sherer
| |
Ali Peters OrdinationPlease plan to join us as we ordain Ali Peters, our first intern minister from the Roger Bertschausen Teaching Fund. There will be a reception/party to celebrate!
If you would like to help offset the cost of this reception you may do so online by selecting reception/party, or by dropping off or mailing a check payable to FVUUF with Reception in the memo field, to 2600 E Philip Lane, Appleton, WI 54915. To help us plan we appreciate your payments no later than October 15.
There will also be other non-monetary ways for you to provide support for the reception. Please watch for a special email with more details.
| |
Empty to Full Pan Collection - Reminder
A friendly reminder from the Essentials JAM team to please bring frozen pans back to the Fellowship this Sunday, September 25. The filled pans will be taken to Pillars Adult and Family Shelter to be used for their evening meals. If you have questions contact Deb Muench (debmuench@icloud.com or 920-422-1852).
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
