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New UU Principles!? Do you want to vote for these at General Assembly? Let Rev. Hannah know if you'd like to be a voting delegate!
Have you heard? The 7 Principles might be changing!
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA, which is made up of all UU member congregations including our Fellowship), has bylaws that govern our organization just like we have bylaws at our own Fellowship. Article II of the UUA bylaws includes our 7 Principles and 6 Sources, and these have not changed substantially for over 30 years, despite the fact that the bylaws say updates should happen every 10 years.
In the last couple of years, a committee of UUs from around the country was formed to determine if changes are needed. They have been seeking feedback on whether our existing Principles and Sources are continuing to reflect our modern UU tradition and our aspirations. They have created a new format to reflect our values. The new covenants are depicted in a "web" with love at the center. The other 6 values are around it -- pluralism, interdependence, equity, generosity, justice, and transformation. The bylaws describe each of those values with more detail following the web image. Additionally, the 6 sources are no longer named as a list of each possible source of inspiration, rather the new version simply explains that UUs are inspired by a wide range and depth of sacred understandings. Details about this draft is included in this report.
This is all a draft, and nothing is yet official. It will need to be approved by the UUA Governing Board at an upcoming meeting, and if it passes their vote it will go on to General Assembly, which is the big meeting of UU's June 21-25 (held this year both online and in Pittsburgh, PA) where delegates from each congregation will vote on whether or not to approve the new Article II of the bylaws -- the new Principles.
If you are a Fellowship member and interested in being a voting delegate from our Fellowship to General Assembly (GA), please let Rev. Hannah know! To serve only as a voting delegate and not attend any GA programs or events, there is NO COST!
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Sunday, January 229:00 & 10:45 am CT In Person and Livestream
What's In a Name?
by Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave
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 our website HERE for information about all our religious education classes for children and youth.
- Share the Plate: The January Share the Plate organization is the UUA Disaster Relief Fund! Learn about Share the Plate on our website HERE. Learn about the Disaster Relief Fund HERE.
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Service SeriesWhat could God possibly be? The five Sundays from Jan. 15 to Feb. 12 will cross two focus areas -- Being Calm in the Storm & Drawing the Circle Wide, but they will also go deeper into an exploration of the many ways people understand God -- or have different names, metaphors, and practices to connect with that Mystery beyond all understanding. UUs sometimes think they must accept or reject the idea of God or Gods -- but there are so many more options available to us!
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January – Peace in the StormStorms rage throughout the world, throughout our lives, and sometimes within our own hearts. As we begin the year with new resolutions and hopes, we seek to center ourselves amidst the storms. This month in our Fellowship we will turn toward each other, and to the many ways we can name and experience the divine, to find and make spaces of peace.
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The Territory Film ScreeningBitaté, the 19 year old leader, uses high tech technology to fight the crimes against his people.
Listen to the Indigenous voices of the Ure-eu-wau people tell their story of their fight to save their ancestral lands in the rainforests of Brazil. Gather at the Fellowship with Green Sanctuary on January 29 at 12:30 pm to view the documentary film The Territory. Join the discussion to follow.
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Click the image to read the Justice Hub
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Justice HubCheck out our Fellowship’s Justice Hub for the most up-to-date information about how to get involved in social justice in our community!
This Week:
· Screening of The Territory on 1/29 with Green Sanctuary
· Upcoming events from our statewide partners WISDOM and WUUSAN
· Resources on the 30 Days of Love from the UUA
· And more!
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Tell Me More! (UU Edition) – with Rev. ChristinaSunday, January 22, 12:30-2:00 pm, in-person (no Zoom option)
Join Rev. Christina for an informal introduction to Unitarian Universalism, our Fellowship, and a chance to get your questions answered! This is a wonderful session for newcomers, or long-timers who need a refresher.
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Upcoming Open Meeting on January 24thJoin us for the second of our series of congregational Open Meetings this year to help encourage conversation and the flow of information here at the Fellowship. Tuesday, January 24, 6:30-8:00 pm in the Fellowship hall (unfortunately this meeting will not be offered on Zoom).
Prior to the meeting, our Justice Action Ministries (JAMs) will be hosting a light dinner! Come enjoy dinner and conversation starting at 5:30 pm. The meeting will have three areas of focus:
1. Justice Action Ministries and the future of justice work here at the Fellowship. We want to find out your ideas and how you want to get involved in our justice efforts.
2. Update from Generosity Ministries Team on how stewardship looks these days.
3. Hear about our new Human Resources Committee and an update on our staff team.
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Robot and Refreshments with the RevsYouth! Join our ministers for the next monthly evening of food and conversation. We are reading 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.
6:00 pm Wednesdays: January 25, February 22, March 22, April 26, May 24
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Wellspring: Nourishing Spiritual Practices SeriesFebruary 8, 6:30 pm, in person
The Benefits of Taking a Spiritual Retreat, by Heather Westley
I believe that there is much value in experiencing a retreat, whether solo or with a group. With a retreat experience, you spend time exploring meaningful topics that are mind and soul expanding. These experiences expand your vision of self usually resulting in a transforming experience for your self, often in the community of others. In this 90 minute workshop, we will explore what a retreat is and how it might benefit you as well as others. I will also cover how a retreat relates to nourishing spiritual practices while on retreat and afterwards. Specifically, we will explore:
- What does it mean to “retreat”
- How does a “spiritual retreat” differ from other types of “retreats”
- What to expect when on a group retreat
- Comparing and contrasting “group retreats” vs “solo retreats”
- Overcoming challenges of attending or leading a retreat, including finding time to participate or even lead a retreat
- Discussing how a retreat can refresh and reinvigorate your thoughts on spirituality and your spiritual practices
- Retreat opportunities
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CABARET is Back!Saturday, February 18 we will again have our winter “fun-raiser” but with a twist. Due to legal and insurance red tape, this will be a dry cabaret, so our theme is “Let’s make the desert bloom”. We’ll still plan on an evening of music and fun with munchies and NA drinks, so please sign up to help make it happen. We'll need performers, setup and kitchen crews, and people to donate food and drinks and loan us coolers and card tables. The signup sheets are in the Fellowship Hall. Thanks for helping to make the desert bloom! Contact Mary Gerlach at gerlachmz@gmail.com with questions.
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Generosity MinistryLast spring, the Generosity Ministries Team (GMT) asked you to fill out and turn in your "last pledge form ever." This is because we've moved away from pledge drives and are moving towards a model where we all have a deeper, ongoing relationship with the financial health of the Fellowship. As we move forward into the new calendar year, we're offering more ways to check in on how much you're giving, how your dollars keep the Fellowship going, and how even small increases to your giving can have a positive impact, so keep an eye out for information in your inbox on how to take part.
As always, we rely on your input to help us plan our operating budget for the fiscal year, July 1 – June 30. If you are new to giving at the Fellowship or if you intend to increase your annual support for the Fellowship’s operating budget, you can do so HERE by completing the Giving Intention Form.
Your Generosity Ministries Team,
Ann Fisher (Chair), Wendy Bolm, Theresa Hannah, Hilary Haskell, Suzanne Marnocha, Julie Putman, and Aaron Sherer
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Annual Giving Statements for Tax year 2022
Tax year 2022 contribution statements will be mailed on or before January 31, 2023.
Reminder: You must receive a written acknowledgment dated prior to the filing date of your tax return to claim a tax deduction.
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Eliminating Medical Debt with Our Abundance!
At the Fellowship we practice building a world in which everyone's worth and dignity are upheld. We are guided by a love that we know holds everyone, and we strive to be that love for each other and for the wider world.
Our Fellowship's Ministers' Discretionary Fund (MDF) is set aside to assist people in our circle of concern who are in need of tangible care. During the pandemic, our congregation members and friends were overwhelmingly generous, and the MDF currently has an abundance of funds. We plan to keep $10,000 in that fund to cover the ongoing needs of those nearest to us. But on January 31, 2023, anything above and beyond that amount will be donated to RIP Medical Debt. Medical debt is a crushing weight for so many people in our nation, given the for-profit insurance systems which force people to make impossible choices between food, medicine, life-saving procedures, housing, and other essentials. If we can help relieve that debt for some people and help them feel loved in the process, then we are living our values. RIP Medical Debt buys unpaid debt for pennies on the dollar, allowing each dollar donated to eliminate $100 of medical debt.
To donate to our Ministers' Discretionary Fund, visit fvuuf.org/give, choose Online Giving and select Ministers Discretionary Fund, or text the amount you want to give, space, MDF ($50 MDF) to 833-278-1690 and follow the prompts. On January 31, anything in our MDF above $10,000 will be donated to RIP Medical Debt. Our goal is to donate $10,000 to eliminate $1 million in debt. Thank you for your abundant, generous love!
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UU Buddhist Fellowship Holds Convo in Racine, April 27-30The national Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship holds regular Convos, and in April of 2023 the UUBF Convo will be held in the Midwest for the first time, with the distinguished Buddhist teacher and climate change activist David Loy, author of Ecodharma: Buddhist Perspectives on the Ecological Crisis. The Convocation will be April 27-30 at the beautiful DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin. There are opportunities for both in-person and online attendance, as well as a public talk on Saturday, April 29. To learn more and to register (early bird discount closing soon) please visit https://uubf.org/wp/convocation-2023/.
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Care and SupportTo submit a Joy or Concern, fill out the form on our website or contact Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave at hannah@fvuuf.org or 920-731-0849. For pastoral emergencies call 920-383-1565.
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| | Religious Education - Children and Youth
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| Youth Twilight Zone HourTwilight Zone will not meet this Sunday.
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