Community Discussion Group Topics*
March 7 - "Aristocratic Rule or Oligarchy: The Way of the Future?" Moderator: Joe Lawrence
March 14 - "What's So Great about Multitasking?" Moderator: Lindy McDonough
March 21 - "Most Unforgettable UUs - Miami Valley and Beyond." Moderator: Don Ferguson
*This adult group meets every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Founders' Room for fellowship and thought-provoking discussions led by member volunteers. For a more detailed listing of topics, please see the Sunday bulletin.
Daytime Book Club Title*
March 19 - Spite Fences, by Trudy Krisher *This will be held on a Friday so the author can join us!
April 14 - Women of Brewster Place, by Gloria Naylor
May TBA - Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan
*We meet one Wednesday a month, at 10:30 a.m., in the Fellowship Library. We then go out for lunch together. All are welcome!
Evening Book Club
The Evening Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. on Tues., March 9 at Boston Stoker (behind the DLM at Far Hills and Whipp) to discuss The Ghost Map, by Steven Johnson. On April 13 we'll discuss The Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant. New participants are welcome. Contact Ann Snively if you'd like more information.
Food Fanciers
Iris Carter will demonstrate how to make yummy corn bread muffins on April 23 at 2 p.m. in the Fellowship kitchen. All are invited! Please note, Food Fanciers will not be meeting in March.
St. Vincent de Paul 2nd Saturday Lunch*
March 13 Menu: Chicken (BBQ or fried), roasted potatoes, green beans, fruit salad
*All items must be delivered heated and ready to serve 15-20 people. Donations should be taken to 120 W. Apple St. by 10:30 a.m. Sign up in the Gathering Space.
Long Range Planning Seeks New Members
The Long Range Planning Committee is looking for a couple of new members. Tom Cruse and Chris Gooley have had to resign from the Committee because of changes in their personal lives. We will miss their insights and perspectives. We are therefore looking for a couple of new Committee members. Vital qualities include dedication to the Fellowship and to listen openly. We would like to find another Young Adult member and would also value knowledge and experience with different UU congregations. We will generally be meeting on Sunday mornings at 9:30, once a month. There will be work to be done between meetings and we will occasionally need to meet more often, depending on the flow of our work. Our goal is to help the Fellowship define where it wants to go in the next years, and how it wants to get there. We see this as a sacred trust given us by the congregation, with far-reaching impact. If you know someone you think might be helpful to this work, or for more information, please contact Barb Weber.
10th Annual Meeting & Spring Conference
"Ten Best: Celebrating Ten Years in the Heartland 2001 - 2010" is taking place April 9-11, hosted by the First UU Congregation of Ann Arbor, MI.
Thank You!
Thanks to your incredible generosity, we were able to raise over $1800.00 to send to the UUSC to aid their work in the Haiti relief effort!!
MVUUF Starts New Covenant Groups in March
A covenant group is a small group (4-10 people) who meet regularly (once or twice a month) with the purpose of deepening relationships, spirituality, and a sense of community in an intimate environment. Facilitators will lead structured discussions designed to encourage deep sharing within a group. This group creates and agrees to a "covenant" which is their agreement on how they will be together. These groups will start in March, meet for four sessions when the group will get to know one another and will create their covenant. After these four sessions, members will be asked to make a commitment to meet regularly for six months. After six months, the group will decide whether they want to commit to another six months, with a one year limit. Want to find out more? Come to an introductory meeting on March 7, at 12:30 in the library. Amy Russell, who is helping to coordinate the groups, and the facilitators will answer questions. Meeting times:
Julie Collins, Sunday evenings, 7-8:30, starting March 7
Bruce Howorth, Monday mornings, 10-11:30, starting March 8
Al Woods Monday evenings, 7-8:30, starting on March 15
Board-Facilitated Discussion
The board encourages all members to participate in a board-facilitated discussion on Sun., March 14 following the service. We need to hear from everyone as we help guide the congregation through differences that have been expressed about committee involvement in community organizing. The problem on the table for the meeting is: When does the work of a small group within the congregation need to be considered more broadly?
Context: A member of the church brought a concern to the board about the social concerns committee. The concern was that the committee has gone much further than some people in the congregation would like in its work on congregational based community organizing (CBCO).
In this case, the social concerns committee has been working with a community organizing group for over a year. While well publicized, the work is not well understood by most members and there are many concerns about the direction further involvement might take the fellowship. Concerns needing greater consideration and voice include how the church's name might be used, the political (nonpartisan) nature of community organizing and other social justice work, and the degree of freedom our church's structure affords committees. The board needs to hear from more voices before it suggests any changes in the bylaws and policies or to make an informed decision on the concern that was brought to it. For questions, please contact Alice Diebel, Board President.
MVUUF Coffee House
Enjoy a relaxing evening of music, coffee and your MVUUF friends at the MVUUF Coffee House! On Sat. April 3, 7-9:30 p.m. music will be provided by Chris Gooley, Kate Santucci, Carol Narigon, Ann Rismiller and Dave Nolin. There may even be a special guest! There is no admission for this fun event, but we do request a donation at the door. Join us (even if tea's more your thing...)!
Emily Upham Award
The Social Concerns Committee is inviting nominations for the 2009 Emily Upham Social Justice Award. This award is given by the Fellowship to a member(s) of the congregation who, in the spirit of MVUUF member Emily Upham, exemplifies commitment and service for world peace and social justice and is involved in on-going activities that support a vision of a better world. Recent awardees include Joe Law (2008), Lynn Buffington (2007), Diane Dover (2006), Gail Cyan (2005), Kate Santucci (2003-04), and Bev and Sylvia Wince (2002). The Selection Committee consists of the President, Vice President, and Social Concerns Representative. If the President or Vice President is unable to serve, the Board will select an alternate Board member. Please send your nominations to the church administrator, Kristin Freeman, no later than March 31, 2010. Include in your nominating letter your rationale for making the award to your nominee: tell us about the person and why you think he or she should be selected. The award will be made at the Fellowship's Congregational Meeting in June.
Service Auction - April 17
What is the Service Auction, you ask? The Service Auction is the biggest fundraiser for MVUUF. Members and friends of the Fellowship donate services or goods, which are then auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Fellowship. It's that easy! What we need from you are goods and services! Need some ideas? Here are some items from the last few years: an African dinner for 6; a close personal parking space at the Fellowship; old-fashioned chicken dinner delivered to your home; architectural services; dog walking; one hour massage at your home; first table in line to get food at the Thanksgiving Dinner...if you haven't been to the Auction, it is LOTS of fun! There's great food and a fun theme to tie it all in...this year is triple the fun (but it's a surprise for now!). If you have any questions, or are interested in helping out with set-up, children's activities, or working the night of the Auction, please contact Kate Halpin.
