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The Share the Love Auction is open!
The Fellowship’s Share the Love online auction is open and you can bid on some fabulous items and services. The auction will close this Sunday, April 28th at 6:00 pm central time.
Dozens of people have come together to make this auction an all-community event. There are small items, large items, services, events, experiences, and more! Opening bid amounts range from $2—$300.
Everyone can participate - being involved in the Fellowship is not a requirement to bid in this auction. If you know a friend or family member who might be interested in any of these items, please share the auction link with that person. Share it on your social media so your friends can be part of the fun as well. If you don’t want to bid, you can still participate by making a direct donation. Please see the link below for donation payment options.
Here are some notes about what to expect when you go to the auction site, including what happens when the auction ends, HERE.
A VERY LARGE thanks to all the folks who donated items for this auction. You truly are Sharing the Love, sharing the joy, sharing the fun! Thank you so very much!
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Sunday, April 289:00 am Central Time - In-Person
Sunday Coffeehouse
10:45 am Central Time - In-Person and Livestream
Traditional Service with Sermon
Intertwined with the Ancestors: On Passover & Possibility by Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave
Click HERE for Worship Service Zoom Information & the Order of Service
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Pop-Up Choir This Sunday!
This Sunday, April 28, all are invited to be a part of our POP-UP CHOIR at both the 9:00 AM and 10:45 AM services! We'll be singing "We Are" by Ysaye Barnwell. It's a great song and very easy to learn! Please come as you are - you don't need to prepare anything!
If you're coming to the 9:00 AM service, please meet in the Fellowship Hall (up by the piano) at 8:20 AM. If you're coming to the 10:45 AM service, please meet in the Sanctuary (up by the piano) at 10:15 AM.
For more information, please contact John Popke (john@fvuuf.org). See you Sunday!
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| | Religious Exploration - Children & Youth
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Look out Madison- Here we come!
The youth in our Being a Teen program will leave on Friday afternoon to spend the weekend exploring our UU Connections in our state capital. Highlights include attending a service at the First Unitarian Society and touring the historically protected building it is housed in which was created by Frank Lloyd Wright, stopping by Representative Lee Snodgrass’ office in the capital building, attending a Pow wow, and hitting some of the other fun attractions that MadTown has to offer.
Our BATs leaders David Dodd, Angie Miller, and religious education director Kim Hartman are looking forward to experiencing our UU roots with our young people!
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Youth-Led Credo Service- May 5, 2024
Join us for our annual Youth Led Credo Service on May 5. All the young people who participated in our Being A Teen (BATs) program this year will host their entirely self-created service entitled, “Same Values, Different Paths.” 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, “To what do I give my heart?” Please join them and their families for a cake celebration following both services.
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Would you like to grow in your own spiritual path while deepening your understanding of our UU faith and history?
Our team of non-professional teachers says that this is just one of the many gifts they have received by teaching for 45 minutes one time per month. Contact director of religious education Kim Hartman at kim@fvuuf.org to find out if teaching is right for you!
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Join us in our 2023-2024 Religious Exploration Program Year!
Come join us in fun and friendship to explore ourselves and our values through enriching lessons and activities that are designed to nurture our student’s spiritual, ethical, and intellectual growth
Click here for information about our Sunday programs. For information about our teen programs; Crossing Paths, Being a Teen, and Our Whole Lives, click here.
Please register your children today! Click on the button below.
Coffee House Service Childcare
Children are highly encouraged to attend the 9:00 am Coffee House service; childcare is available for young people in grades 4K-5 who are better served in a self-directed play environment. Contact Kim Hartman, director of religious education, for more information.
*Regular RE classes will continue to be offered at 10:45 am.
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Are We There Yet?
During services at the Fellowship the last couple of months we have been thinking about how to best navigate continuous change. We’ve said that we need different kinds of ideas to bring about what we seek for our world and the many ways of being in it. We want to learn more about your reflections on these themes. We are hoping you will join our ministers and some of our member leaders for a conversation about what you see as possible for our beloved Fellowship community now and in the future.
Help us explore these topics in this small-group discussion:
• What are your dreams about ways the Fellowship could be a force for good in the future?
• Are there any community-facing programs you think the Fellowship is uniquely suited to create and sustain?
• How can we sustain the Fellowship’s future?
Join us on Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Fellowship.
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Plant Sale is coming soon!
Happy Spring! The Partner Churches committee will sponsor the annual plant sale from 8 AM to noon on May 12th, with a variety of offerings, including perennials, native plants, herbs, veggie seedlings, ornamentals, houseplants, and garden accessories. Volunteers are needed to donate plants for the sale and to help with set up and clean up. Please contact Vickie Milde with questions or to volunteer... vicmilde@hotmail.com or call or text 920-268-5527. Donations of accessories and labeled plants can be dropped off at the Fellowship 7-8 AM on Sunday, May 12th. Thanks for helping to make the sale a success!
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Calling Commercial Building Engineers
As part of the Fellowship’s strategic plan, we are putting together a task force to help us prepare a building maintenance repair and replacement plan.
This is an opportunity to use your unique knowledge and skills about commercial building systems and design to ensure that we are good stewards of our assets and provide a safe and comfortable space to worship and gather as a community.
If you have a Commercial Mechanical Engineering background in the following areas, we could use your help:
• Architectural
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Plumbing
• General Commercial Contractor
• Landscape Architect
A focus on sustainability and renewable energy would also be a plus to help us continue and improve our presence as a certified Green Sanctuary congregation.
The commitment for this activity would be highly focused during the initial assessment phase and development of the final plan; then taper off to a lower more occasional need to help support the implementation of the plan.
Please contact director of finance and operations Phyllis Schmitt, at phyllis@fvuuf.org, or (920)731-0849 if you are interested or have questions.
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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, Assistant Minister, at hannah@fvuuf.org or 920-731-0849. For pastoral emergencies call 920-383-1565.
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 | Click the image to view the Justice Hub
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Justice HubCheck out our revamped Justice Hub, now featuring an easy-to-use calendar! Each event on the calendar includes time, location, and program details to help you learn more about how to get engaged with our community.
PS – When you click on an event, at the bottom of the description you can click “Copy to my calendar” to add the event to your calendar and never miss a chance to act courageously for justice in our world.
• April 30, 6 pm, Memorial Presbyterian Church, 803 E. College Ave. Appleton: a free showing of the documentary 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture, origins of the anti-gay movement
• May 4, 9 am - 9 pm, Warch Campus Center, Lawrence University, 5th annual Wisconsin Grassroots Festival, environmental focus, speakers and entertainment, more info and registration HERE.
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| | "Reach Our Goal" Campaigns
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Reach Our Goal
During the annual meeting in June members approved a 2023-2024 budget with a shortfall of $40,000. In a quest to cover this budget gap, the Generosity Engagement Ministries team is hosting “Reach Our Goal” campaigns, each designed to highlight areas of the Fellowship's budget that need additional support. Watch this space for a series of articles on each of the monthly highlight areas.
Click HERE for details about the Reach Our Goal campaigns.
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Reach Our Goal April Focus: Religious Exploration
Being a Teen/BATs
Over the 15 years as members, we have been involved with the Fellowship often through RE (Religious Exploration program). Julie has taught in RE and led a youth choir, while Aaron volunteered in the nursery. Our three children have grown up in the RE programs and they’ve participated in services as well. Two of our kids are currently in the BATs program. A few ways we support the Fellowship are with an annual pledge, participating in silent auctions, and purchasing pies from the BATs fundraiser. Music being an integral part of Fellowship services is something we both enjoy.
The Fellowship supports the youth by allowing them to grow, explore, and find their own voice. The RE program is a safe and friendly place for our youth. Kim and the RE staff do a wonderful job bringing joy to the exploring. The OWLS program for 8-9 grades is outstanding and we recommend it to any parent/guardian. The BATs program gives teenagers a chance to grow independently and explore who they are in their spiritual journey.
Julie and Aaron Handwerker
The time, energy, and support that our young people receive from their experiences in our RE program are priceless! But they do have an associated cost.
Please give generously to our Reach Our Goal Campaign this month to support our wonderful Religious Exploration program.
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To make or increase your financial contribution in support of the Fellowship and help us "Reach our Goal", you may give a one-time gift by:
- Mailing a check with "Reach" in the memo field, or enclosing cash or check in one of the pre-printed envelopes found in the Fellowship Lobby (please do not mail cash).
- Contribute online here.
- Or tell us of your intention to increase your annual giving by completing our giving intention form.
Thank you!
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