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We're almost there... Donate Today to Help Us Shine Together!
The Solar Project is finished (hurrah!) and we will have our final payment due soon. While the mini-capital campaign is going well, we’ve had some wonderful large pledges to the campaign that can’t be paid until December. If you can help us make our upcoming payment with a gift, please consider donating today. Thanks for helping to make this dream a reality for our beloved community!
For details about the solar project, click the button below.
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Sunday, September 20
All Will Be Well
by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
• 9:00 am informal coffeehouse-style service with conversation
• 11:00 am traditional service with sermon, livestream available
(all times are Central Time)
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Fox Cities Marathon - Plan Accordingly!
This Sunday, September 20, over 4,000 athletes participating in the Community First Fox Cities Marathon, Half Marathon, and Relay Marathon will be passing through the Fox Cities! The races start at 7:00 a.m. at 1478 Midway Road in Menasha, and will finish at Riverside Park in Neenah. A course can be found online HERE.
It may take longer to get to services this Sunday. Please be cautious of runners and walkers in the road while driving or walking as you get to and from services.
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Sunday Helpers Needed!
Interested in volunteering as a Sunday helper or already serving? Sign-ups are now live on Church Center!
Here are our Sunday helper roles:
- Usher
- Welcomer
- Coffee Server
- Service Host
- Laundry
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Music Ministry
Our music program is back!
Please send healing wishes to our Music Coordinator, Tam Masters, who is recovering from illness.
If you are interested in participating in music ministry on Sunday mornings, please contact Mary Gerlach (gerlachmz@gmail.com), who is supporting our music ministries in Tam's absence.
For information about music at the Fellowship, click the button:
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| | Religious Exploration - Children & Youth
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We need YOU to support our Religious Exploration progams!
As we plan our upcoming program year (beginning September 20!), we are still in need of several people to support our Sunday morning Children's Religious Exploration programs. Here are some details:
- Approximately once a month, flexible scheduling available.
- Very little prep work: the program structure will "frame" the activities which will be provided to you in advance.
- Most R.E. roles are now during Middle Hour (10:00-10:50 AM). Help our programs and you can still attend your service of choice!
- Connect with a great team of adults, and learn from & have fun with our amazing kids.
- Learn more about our Fellowship and UU faith while supporting learning and connection for our young people.
- We also need helpers for our elementary program "UU in Action" which will be during the 11 AM service after the Time for All Ages. We need regular, monthly helpers as well as "Action Heroes" who bring their skills and passions to our kids. Do you carve wood? Do mime? Sew? Celebrate a unique holiday? ... Come share it with our kids on ONE Sunday--that's all!).
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Starting September 20, BLAST OFF with Middle Hour All-Fellowship R.E.
The past two years we have introduced the opportunity for learning and connection during Middle Hour, our 10 AM time between the Sunday services (9 AM and 11 AM during the program year). Starting this fall, we will continue the experiment by expanding Middle Hour to include all ages at the Fellowship.
The biggest change is that our age-segmented Religious Exploration (R.E.) programs for children will happen during Middle Hour, from 10:00-10:50 AM.
Option A) Coffeehouse Service + Middle Hour - If parents want to bring children to the 9 AM Coffeehouse Service, kids are welcome to join the service and conversation. Then, stay for Middle Hour – there will be programs for everyone, young and old.
Option B) Middle Hour + Traditional Service - Come first to Middle Hour then stick around for the 11 AM Traditional Service. After about 15 minutes and the Time for All Ages, elementary-age kids will be invited to a program for the remainder of the hour. Older children and youth are invited to stay in the service, or help out in a variety of roles in the sanctuary or in RE.
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Register Now for Religious Exploration!
Our 2026-27 program year is here, and our updated RE registration form is live! Every child or youth, ages 6 months to 18 years, should be registered regardless of which program(s) they plan to attend.
You will be prompted to log in to Church Center and then choose which children to complete the form for. If you have no children connected to your household, please add them first.
Step 1) CHILD & YOUTH ENGAGEMENT FORM: CLICK HERE to complete this information form for each child, which requests specific safety, behavior, and support needs.
Step 2) R.E. REGISTRATION FORM: CLICK HERE to register your child(ren) for the RE programs they will participate in this year. Fee is $30/ child, max $75/ family. If this cost is prohibitive, use the discount codes in the form.
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UU the Vote
Did you know that this fall voters will be asked to consider voting Yes or No on three Wisconsin Constitutional Amendments? You can learn more about these controversial amendments during the Middle Hour on September 20 at 10:00 AM. Representatives of the League of Women Voters will review these amendments and will focus on the Anti Equity Amendment AJR102. It is the opinion of many Wisconsin social justice groups that this amendment will have detrimental impacts on efforts to promote economic and social justice. These groups recommend that you vote NO.
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Building a New Way
A Gathering of Our Social Justice Ministries
Saturday, October 3rd 3pm-5pm at the Fellowship
Facilitated by Rev. Allison Farnum, Sabbatical Support Minister, register HERE.
The world is asking hard questions of us right now — and we believe our congregation has something powerful to offer in response.
Join us for Building a New Way, a conversation and community-planning gathering where we come together not to return to what didn't serve us, but to imagine — and start building — what comes next. This is a space to dream boldly about our shared work for justice, to talk honestly about the crises unfolding around us, and to ask: how do we want to show up? Not just for ourselves, but alongside our community partners and, most importantly, alongside those most impacted by systemic oppression in our own backyard. Come with your questions. Come with your hopes. Come ready to listen, to imagine, and to help chart the path forward.
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The Wisconsin UU State Action Network (WUUSAN) and Minnesota UU Social Justice Alliance (MUUSJA) announce the Northland Solidarity Summit! This one-day event will bring together UU’s, faith leaders and community leaders for a day of relationship building and idea exchange so we can reimagine the democracy we live. We are all motivated to bring the election to a successful conclusion in November. But, rather than call it a day and go about our other business, WUUSAN and MUUSJA will be continuing to build relationships that can sustain through this election cycle and into the next several cycles.
The Solidarity Summit will be held on October 3, 2026 at the Our Savior Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN. Leading speakers will include Shenai Mattson, and Cultural and Art Organizer in northern Minnesota, and Matt Kendziera of Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice. The agenda also includes the Side With Love curriculum entitled “We Are Builders”, designed to help everyone gain more skills in building networks across cultural, political, economic, and ethnic boundaries.
There is no fee to attend and a light breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. Lodging information will be available soon. More details HERE.
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 | Click the image to view the Justice Hub
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Justice Hub
Check out the Justice Hub, 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.
Wider Community Justice Event
• Sept 19, 11 am to 5 pm Latino Fest, Pierce Park, Appleton
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| | Thriving Together Auction
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Thriving Together: Community Fun Night & Auction
The Fellowship is excited to offer both an online and in-person auction in November. Help us reach our goal of $25,000 by either donating items to the auction or attending the in-person auction.
Sponsors Needed: We are looking for businesses to partner with us as a sponsor. Financial sponsorship helps cover our event hosting costs, ensuring every dollar raised goes directly into our core work. Partnering with us as an event sponsor shows your commitment to a vibrant local community. A sponsoring business will be recognized at the event, in event materials, through our online auction, and via social media both before and after the event.
Donations are being accepted now through September 27th. Looking for ideas on what to donate? Do you have a special skill? How about a vacation home? Would you like to donate a basket for a coffee lover, date night, or spa day? This year the Fellowship Auction team has a goal of 75 basket or silent auction items with an average value of $150-$200. The team will combine items in order to create fun and interesting baskets or groups of items.
Please use this link to donate items. Submissions must be completed online. We plan to host a laptop station to help anyone submit their items in person.
Note: We are not ready to collect and store items at the Fellowship at this time. Someone from the Auction Team will contact donors when it is time to drop off items at the Fellowship.
The online auction site will be live starting October 31st at 3:00 pm and will close on November 7 at 7:50 pm. Get ready to bid on items. The in-person auction items will also be available for preview.
The in-person auction will be on Saturday, November 7th, 3:00 - 8:30 pm. Ticket sales will begin on September 17. The community fun night and auction will include carnival games provided by TCT Concessions with Christman Amusements, food from Osorio's Latin Cuisine and desserts from Sweet Jules Bakes. More information will be coming, so please watch the newsletter or check the Auction Page of our website for details.
If there are questions, please feel free to contact Angie Miller at auction@fvuuf.org.
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Want to see what is coming up at the Fellowship? Check out our events and news page.
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Unitarian Universalist Association President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt shares gratitude and care for all Unitarian Universalists as we move into this new congregational year, as well as details about some exciting new programs now available from your UUA.
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Bakers NEEDED!
Do you have a knack for making delicious cakes, cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, or other desserts? We need desserts for our Bring-a-Friend Sunday Fun Day dessert walk on Sept. 27th. If you'd like to donate an item, fill out the form at the following link: https://fvuufellowship.churchcenter.com/people/forms/1297253
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Last call for updates before Directory is live!
We need your help!
One of the features of our new Fellowship Portal (Church Center) that we are so excited about, is the ability to opt in to an online directory. We know the ability to contact people within the Fellowship is a high priority for many of you!
We plan to open the directory feature ASAP, but we need you to ensure your information is correct, and that you have a picture on your profile. When we unlock and begin to share the directory, you will have the chance to opt in or set your security preferences. Don't worry, we won't share anything you add without your permission.
To create, or update, your profile, VISIT CHURCH CENTER, HERE.
Be sure to always use the same phone number and email address for your login to avoid creating duplicate accounts. If your other family members or children need to be added, you can add them there. A super-easy way to update a lot of information at once is by completing THIS FORM.
Finally, please add a photo to your profile-- we need it to be clear, with your face visible (no emojis or animals, please). That way we will be able to find each other easily.
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Rev. Hannah Roberts Villnave's Sabbatical
Rev. Hannah is on sabbatical through November 14, 2026. Please click the button below for more information.
Don't forget to pick up a sabbatical BINGO card in the entry lobby (adults & kids) to play for a chance to win some great prizes. Click HERE to see the cards online.
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Care and Support
When you share your Joy or Concern, you can choose to share privately with the ministers or care team, request contact, or share with the wider congregation.
For pastoral emergencies, call 920-268-4512.
Thank you to Care Team chair, Megan McLachlan, for "staffing" the emergency line and supporting the Care Team from now until the end of November to support Rev. Christina during Rev. Hannah's sabbatical.
Did you know? An email is sent each week to subscribers to share about our congregation's joys and concerns. Fellowship members who want to be included on our weekly joys and concerns email list may contact Cyndi at cyndi@fvuuf.org.
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Fellowship Office Hours
Fellowship Office Hours:
8:00 am - 1:00 pm Sun., Mon., Tues., Thurs.
Office closed Wed., Fri., Sat.
If you have a group meeting or event that occurs outside of office hours, those will continue as scheduled.
To meet with individual staff members, please contact them directly to schedule an appointment. Contact information can be found at https://fvuuf.org/contact/.
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