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Having trouble viewing this message? Scroll to the bottom & click the link to view this email online. The newsletter is long and may get clipped. Please scroll down to the bottom and check for a "view entire message" notice to make sure you see all of the content.
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Rally & Vigil - Friday, January 9
Our partners at ESTHER are co-sponsors of a rally and vigil TOMORROW (Friday) night at 6:00 pm at Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton to honor Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis on Wednesday, January 7th, and to show our solidarity with our immigrant neighbors. If you have questions, you can email Rev. Hannah at hannah@fvuuf.org.
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You Are Not Alone - Dinner & Event
Wednesday, January 21, 6:00 pm
Support for all of life’s chaos: addiction, illness, transition, grief, political angst, caregiving, and more. We will gather for dinner and then have time for discussion, support, and some practical skill-building around resilience and self-care. Depending on the response to this event, we will hopefully host a gathering like this on an ongoing basis. Join us!
Please RSVP to Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy at christina@fvuuf.org by January 18 so we can plan appropriately for dinner. Let her know how many people will join you and any dietary restrictions.
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Rising Together 2026: Investing in Liberation
Saturday, January 24th, 2026
9:00 am – 3:00 pm at Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Are you rethinking your understanding of what freedom and safety mean in our world today? Are you wondering how to imagine a liberated future where we invest in each other rather than policing, prisons, and immigration enforcement? Are you curious about how abolition movements are grounded in spiritual work? Join us for Rising Together 2026: Investing in Liberation!
The event is free, open to the community, and includes a light breakfast, snacks, lunch, and childcare. We are also hoping to offer home hospitality connections for anyone who is traveling from out of state. Please register by January 8th if you’d like to buy a t-shirt, or at least by January 20th to help us plan for food and other logistics!
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Sunday, January 11
• 9:00 am Central Time in-person
informal coffeehouse-style service with conversation
• 11:00 am Central Time in-person & livestream traditional service with sermon
Becoming an Abolitionist: Personal Pathways to Breaking Up with Policing and Prisons
by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy and Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave
• Watch past sermons on our YouTube channel.
• Services details HERE
• See our website HERE for information about religious exploration programs for children and youth.
• Share the Plate: In January, we share the plate between the Fellowship and ESTHER Interfaith Social Justice.
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January Banner in the Sanctuary
Three volcanoes stand in the background. To the left, an active one. In the center, a newly dormant one with lava hardening, and a 'greening' one on the right. A prison stands in front of the active one, fueled by the prison-industrial complex (dollars flowing in). The hot lava descending is arrested by the spiritually based hardening lava, which impedes and ultimately breaks down prison bars. Orange prison guards attempt to hold prisoners in, but as the bars break, people (green) escape, to be met by people with outstretched arms coming from the greening volcano.
You may need to approach the banner to take in all the details. The banner for January is created by Margaret Alexander.
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Music Ministry
Hello friends, old and new! Our music programs are rolling, and we hope you'll join us! If you have questions or want to see the schedule of rehearsals, you can look at our Music Ministry page HERE or contact Tam Masters at tam@fvuuf.org - they'll point you in the right direction. If you want to be involved, let us know, HERE.
- January 11 - 10:00 am, Fellowship Choir Rehearsal
- January 18 - 10:00 am, mUUse Rehearsal, 11:00 am mUUse performance
For information about our Music Ministries and the upcoming schedule, click the button:
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Middle Hour
Learning, Connection & Fun for All Ages at 10:10 am on Sunday Mornings.
Sunday, January 11:
- Addiction sUUport Group (Interest Session) – This Middle Hour session will help gauge interest in creating a support group for anyone currently (or interested in) experiencing sobriety. Addiction can affect anyone at any time and in many ways. You are not alone! No matter your addiction or how long or short your recovery, this group will be a respectful, confidential, judgment-free space. If the group forms, we will support and educate one another as we continue our journeys. We will share our struggles, strengths, and strategies, and seek a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other. It will not be a 12-step or counseling program. Hosted by Richard Harrington & Ben Hendrickson.
- Follow Up from “Interacting with Family at the Holidays” session – If you attended the Middle Hour session on Nov. 23, open to anyone who needed to prepare for interacting with your family, you committed to reconnecting and following up later! Now’s your chance. Others are also welcome to attend. Hosted by the Care Team.
- Coming February 22 - Poverty by America book discussion. Click the button for details.
Click the button to see what's coming up:
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Blood Drive - February 1
Our Fellowship is sponsoring a blood drive! On Sunday, February 1st, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, The Community Blood Center (CBC) will bring its bloodmobile to our parking lot. CBC employees and Fellowship members Rafe School and Willow Gallagher are also offering tiered incentives to fill all 24 of our appointments. Rafe will dye their hair whatever color the RE kids pick for 10 donations. Willow will take a whipped cream pie to the face for 20 donations. If all 24 appointments are filled, Rafe and Willow will write and sing a song about blood donation for the congregation. To sign up, you can use the QR code on our posters, speak to either Rafe or Willow, or call CBC at 800-280-4102 and ask to be scheduled for our drive.
There is no substitute for human blood--your donation saves lives.
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Immigration Response: How to Help
After listening to Rev. Christina’s very powerful sermon last Sunday, I would like to share a little about what our Fellowship has been able to do in helping people seeking a safer life here in the United States. This work is done without much public notice for obvious reasons of keeping our friends as safe as possible. While we have declared our Fellowship as a sanctuary church, we have also done much more. READ MORE
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**Thank You for Your Generosity: A Heartfelt Reflection on the Mountain of Food Drive**
As we reflect on the spirit of giving this holiday season, Essentials JAM would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all Fellowship members and friends who contributed to the Mountain of Food drive, which aimed to collect non-perishable food and hygiene items, which are crucial for families trying to make ends meet. Each week of the collection, we witnessed countless Fellowship members and friends stepping forward to donate items that would help stock the shelves of the Double Portion Food Pantry in Menasha and the Kaukauna Library Little Free Pantry. During the holiday season, the demand for these services typically surges, and your contributions provided a lifeline for many families.
We express our sincere appreciation to every member and friend who participated in the Mountain of Food drive. Your empathy, generosity, and commitment to helping our community have created a lasting impact. Let us carry this spirit of giving into the new year, ensuring that compassion and support remain at the forefront of our Fellowship. Together, we can build a stronger, more caring community where no one has to worry about where their next meal will come from. On behalf of the Essentials JAM, thank you for making a difference this holiday season! - Angie Miller
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 | Click the image to view the Justice Hub
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Justice Hub
Check out the Justice Hub, 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 wider community.
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.
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Check out the Events & News website page for all of our upcoming events:
- January 18 - Tell Me More
- January 21- You Are Not Alone, Dinner & Event
- January 24 - Rising Together 2026
- February 1 - Blood Drive
- February 7 - SoUUper Bowl II
- March 1 - Tell Me More
- March 7 - Soup Saturday
- March 14-15 - Spring Weekend Camp - "Blue Boat Home"
- April 19 - "Pop-Up" Membership Ceremony
- April 19 - Community Art Event
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| | Religious Exploration - Children & Youth
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Discovery and Friendship Happen Every Week! Join us in our Religious Exploration Classes
Our Religious Exploration programs spark curiosity, friendship, and spiritual growth. Each week, kids and teens explore big ideas, make friends, and practice living with compassion and purpose as they grow into our UU values — together.
There’s a place for every young seeker to connect and grow! Click here for information about each of our programs, including nursery, children’s Sunday Religious Exploration, and our teen programs: Crossing Paths, Being a Teen, and Our Whole Lives.
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The Engagement Hub team wants to feature your team or group on a Sunday morning so you can get the word out to the Fellowship community about who you are, what you do, and how to get involved. Use the form link below to choose a Sunday, and then have at least one person from your group or team available to light the chalice at each service (9 & 11 am, no speaking required! We'll just call you up to light the flame). You'll also host the Connection Corner table in the Fellowship Hall during Middle Hour (10 am) that same day, giving you a chance to share information, activities, or just talk to people!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN YOUR TEAM OR GROUP UP FOR A SUNDAY!
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Inclement Weather Policy
Wisconsin winter is upon us, and it is never easy to predict when weather conditions will be severe enough to warrant closing the Fellowship or cancelling Sunday services. Please click the button below for details about our inclement weather procedures.
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Care and Support
To submit a Joy or Concern, fill out the form on our website or contact Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy, Co-Minister, at christina@fvuuf.org or 920-731-0849. For pastoral emergencies, call 920-383-1565.
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