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Having trouble viewing this message? Scroll to the bottom & click the link to view this email online.
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A Message from the Governing Board
Dear Beloved Community,
The Board would like to thank you for your feedback at our most recent open meeting. The feedback received overwhelmingly supports the vision of having a second full-time minister at the Fellowship. Additionally, we would like to thank those who submitted their financial promise to help fund the long-term commitment for both the position and ministry at the Fellowship. READ MORE
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All Ages Trivia Night
Intergenerational Trivia Night hosted by Kim Hartman and Doug Middleton on Saturday, April 6. Come for Soup Saturday at 5:00 pm. Be ready to put on your thinking caps to join us in ALL AGES fun at 6:00 pm. The more people on your team of different generations, the better chance you have of winning!
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Sunday, March 319:00 am Central Time - In-Person
Sunday Coffeehouse
10:45 am Central Time - In-Person and Livestream
Traditional Service with Sermon
Bodies are Cool! An Embodied Celebration of Easter and Trans Day of Visibility
by Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy
Click HERE for Worship Service Zoom Information & the Order of Service
• Visit fvuuf.org/Sunday to learn more about Sunday Coffeehouse.
• Watch past sermons on our YouTube channel.
• Upcoming Services HERE
• See our website HERE for information about our Sunday religious exploration classes for children and youth.
• Share the Plate: In March we Share the Plate with Vivent Health.
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Ecumenical Good Friday Service
Rev. Christina will represent our Fellowship this year at the annual ecumenical Appleton Good Friday service, a time to reflect on the Christian story of Jesus' death, and grief in our own time, with the foreshadowing of hope to come. Noon Friday, March 29, Zion Lutheran Church (ELCA), 912 N. Oneida St, Appleton 54911. If you wish to participate in the inter-congregational choir, please arrive by 11:15 am. Find the Livestream on YouTube by searching for Zion Lutheran Church Appleton, or visit their website, www.zionappleton.org.
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| | Religious Exploration - Children & Youth
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COOKIES COLORING CREATIONS!
Kids in grades 4K-5 attending the Religious Exploration program this Sunday, March 31, will be in the Anthony Room decorating cookies. Dress your children in clothes that can get messy — frosting is messy, you know. We have a few aprons they can use if needed. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Image from Saltwater UU Church
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| The Fellowship’s Religious Exploration Players Proudly Present: A Celebration of Community! Coming to you Live on April 7 during the 10:45 Service
What does it mean to be a young UU? Hear from our youngest generation as they lead us through their practices and religious exploration experiences here at the Fellowship. Come celebrate with our kids as they share with you what they love about our Fellowship community and what it means to them to be UU!
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Bridging SeniorsOn Sunday, June 2nd we will take time in our service to honor/acknowledge/congratulate our high school seniors who will graduate this spring. We will collectively celebrate this pivotal moment in the life journey of our youth and welcome them into our midst as new adults.
Please contact Kim Hartman by Sunday, April 7, if your young person plans to participate in this service.
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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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Senior Wonders
Senior Wonders will meet Tuesday, April 2 at the Fellowship at noon; rain or shine, lunch or none, alone or with a friend. Think about being lost, as we did last Sunday.
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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 2, 6:30-8:30 pm
Your Generosity & Engagement-Ministries (GEM) Team
Ann Fisher, Heather Maass (co-chairs) and Theresa Hannah, Hilary Haskell, Nancy Middleton, Julie Putman, & Marti Wheeler
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The Forgiveness Project exhibit will be at the Fellowship and open to the public for viewing starting April 3.
• Wednesday, April 3, 10 am - 8 pm
• Thursday, April 4, 10 am - 8 pm
• Friday, April 5, 10 am - 8 pm
• Sunday, April 7, 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
• Last day, Monday, April 8, 10 am - 3:30 pm
Come view this international exhibit which features 18 personal stories of challenges in forgiveness. At the heart of The Forgiveness Project is an understanding that restorative narratives have the power to transform lives; not only supporting people to deal with issues in their own lives but also building a climate of resilience, hope, and empathy. More info at www.theforgivenessproject.com.
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Soup Saturday - April 6
First Saturday of each month, 5:00-6:00 pm CT (October – May)
Join us at the Fellowship for an evening of soup, bread, friends, and conversation. We will need people to bring soup (including vegetarian and vegan options), bread, maybe dessert… and to come hungry. Please direct questions to Angie or Matt Demers (angiebaby826@yahoo.com or matthew_demers@yahoo.com). If you’d like to bring a game to share, feel free! It’s a low-key evening of fun. Hope to see you there!
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Share the Love
The Share the Love online Auction is REALLY taking shape!! Thanks so very much to all the folks who have sent us information about items they want to donate for sale at the auction. We’ve got a gorgeous quilt, a beautiful array of knit items and other handmade creations, several hippos, offers of services, books & breakfast, food items you’re gonna drool over, a wooden flag, AND MORE! We are busy getting them all entered to the site and we just can’t WAIT for you to see it!
We’ll be looking for additional auction items through April 14, so ONLY 2 MORE WEEKS! If you have an item or service that you’d like to share please use this link to enter the information we need.
Still need ideas? Here’s the choir with their helpful auction song!
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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 2, Spring election: check here for important related dates
• Check the Justice Hub calendar for meetings of JAM teams
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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 March Focus: Personal Connections
Soup Saturday
Angie & Matt Demers, Fellowship members since January 2017
How are you involved at the Fellowship?
We have been leading Soup Saturday since Marie Luna asked us if we’d like to take it over back in 2018, and we’ve been in charge of it ever since. We also love baking and cooking for any need that may come up. Matt is also a Religious Exploration Teacher and Nursery Assistant, as well as a Being a Teen mentor.
What do you love about the Fellowship?
When we first got married in 2007, we spent a few years in limbo trying to decide what we were looking for. We “shopped around” for a while until we came across the Fellowship online while searching for a place that matched our values. The minute we walked in the door, we felt instantly HOME. Marie greeted us, and told us about the UU, and we were instantly hooked. We love the sense of belonging, the warmth of the members, and we like how the Pastors really make you think about social justice. We also love the fun events that are offered.
How do you show your support for the Fellowship?
We like to get involved, meet people, learn and grow, sharing our love of the Fellowship with others who maybe could use a safe space or a new perspective. We also try to support financially as much as we can.
What do you want the Fellowship community to know about the power of Personal Connections/small group activities?
Selfishly, we want everyone to know about Soup Saturday, and that it’s a great place to come and enjoy delicious soups, bread, dessert, and camaraderie, with no pressure or expectations. We also encourage exploring other small groups, as it’s a great way to meet like-minded people, or even people with different values that you can learn from and share conversations with.
If you would like to get more involved please go to our website: fvuuf.org under Connect with Us to see descriptions of our many small group activities and opportunities to get started.
If you feel that small groups and personal connections have improved your well-being, please consider helping to ensure the associated costs are covered by increasing your regular giving or by making a one-time additional gift.
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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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