November 3
“Sharing Our Gratitude”  Gratitude Journals have become a well-known technique for improving one’s happiness and stress level. The worship team has asked UUFoM members to keep a gratitude journal leading up to our November theme of “Thanks and Praise.” UUFoM members will volunteer to share entries from their gratitude journals during this service. By sharing our gratitude, we hope to be drawn together as we support and affirm the goodness in the world together.   Susan Mayer speaking.

Lower Elementary
Love and Gratitude (Love Will Guide Us, Lesson 11) 
Story: The Rebirth of the Sun – This pagan story tells a traditional story of the path of the sun in the sky moving south and then north again.

Upper Elementary
Introduction to Paganism (Sacred Stories)
Story: The Wheel of the Year – This tells the story of the repeating cycle of seasons, described as a wheel of the year.  Most earth-centered traditions are strongly connected to this cycle and treat as sacred the solstices and equinoxes as they mark the seasons.

For upcoming Sunday Services, click here.

Friday, November 1, at 6:30pm
What’s your favorite game, and would you like to play it with UU friends?

Both Euchre and non-Euchre players are welcome at our next Euchre/Game Night FUNdraiser, to be held on Friday, November 1, at 6:30pm.  Light snacks, drinks and dessert will be provided.  $10 per person--and for euchre players, make sure to bring quarters in case you get euchred!  If you have any questions, contact Janelle Dombek or Michaele Malecki. 

Don't forget to turn your clocks back Saturday night before you go to bed! 
          
                  

Greetings my people!
Last Sunday, October 27, 2019, we held our annual meeting after the morning worship service and a light lunch provided by the Board of Directors and the Hospitality Team.

In addition to listening to annual reports, three important pieces of business were held. 

2020 Budget Approved – You did it. You met the budget. And it was done before the annual meeting. Well done, friends! After examples of how the increased budget will be used from the Treasurer, Vicki Rothhar, you passed the budget unanimously.

2020 Slate of Representatives - With the assistance of and recommendation from the Nominating Committee (Kathy Kinkema, Donna King and Jacob Guettler), the congregation elected the following representatives for leadership roles:

• Beth Sperry – President Elect
• Marsha MacDonald – Secretary
• Chris Nakamura – Member at Large
• Monica Hughes – Nominating Committee

Unsung Hero Award – A heartfelt thank you and congratulations goes to the winner of the Unsung Hero award, Carol Cooper. The Board received seven nominations that offered examples of the gifts Carol shared with UUFoM this year. Here are some excerpts:

• She has volunteered her farm for children who need a place to heal and reconnect with nature. For the past two years now, she has hosted a day on the farm.
• She sees the children as an important part of the church community. Plus, she enjoys their company.
• I think we would be hard pressed to find another member as dedicated to our children & youth.
• Carol serves our children tirelessly – one of the few adults without children who takes on this responsibility at UUFoM.
• She is always available to help and never hesitates when asked.
• She is both gentle and firm with the children and it is clear that they respect her.
• …and where would we be without her eggs?

Please join us in appreciating this vital member who is dedicated to our most important asset: our children.

Bravo! Hooray! Huzzah!

In grateful service and with Love,

Shannon Sonoras
President, Board of Directors
 

          
                  

Thank you, volunteers!  We have been signing up volunteers for teaching, assisting, and facilitating religious education classes, and we have volunteers for most of our classes until pageant rehearsals in December.  We still have a couple spots in November, and plenty of opportunities during and after the service during pageant rehearsals in December.  If you missed the sign-ups for this fall, there are still many opportunities starting again in January.
 
Thank you to the following volunteers, who made October classes happen:  Lisa Janetski, Amanda Clifton, Kurt Sonoras, Vicki Reidelberger, Elspeth Hetrick, Shannon Sonoras, and Heather Self. 
 
Heather Cleland-Host, Director of Lifespan Religious Education

The Worship Team would like to prepare for 2020 by compiling a list of speakers who we might call on when Eric is not in the pulpit.  If you have a suggestion for an outside speaker, or a lay-led service, please fill out this form or contact Sarah Nuss-Warren.  

We need of one to four volunteers to record sermons and upload them to a shared Google Drive so people who miss the Sunday service can listen to them.  There is a recorder available for this purpose.  The idea would be to rotate through the volunteers so no one has to do it every week.  Training on the use of the device and uploading the file will be provided. If you are interested, please fill out this form or contact Sarah Nuss-Warren. 

There are two hearing aid headphones available for use during Sunday services. If you would like to use one, please let an usher know at least five minutes before the service.

Sundays are busy and exciting at our Fellowship! Sunday worship activities, religious education classes and coffee hour run from 9:30am until 12:30pm in the building.  In addition, many groups are meeting after the service.

Please use the following guidelines when scheduling your meetings to better facilitate transitioning throughout the building: 

All rooms may be reserved beginning at 12:30pm. UL301 (food permitted) or the sanctuary may be reserved beginning at 12:00pm.  

Please do not disturb worship and religious education programming in order to set up. Please store any supplies for Sunday meetings in UL305 or the kitchen, not in the classrooms. If childcare is requested, please communicate with your participants where and when childcare will take place. 

If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Altmeier, Office Administrator.

In preparation for our November theme of "Thanks and Praise", please consider keeping a gratitude journal. The idea is to spend up to 15 minutes once to three times per week writing about up to five things you are grateful for with the purpose of bringing your attention to gratitude-inspiring events.

For our service this Sunday, we will ask for people to volunteer to share entries from their journals. If you need more information about gratitude journals, there are many resources online, such as https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/tips_for_keeping_a_gratitude_journal.

The Pastoral Care Team and our minister, Eric Severson, has been contacted by a UU who recently moved to the south side of Saginaw.  She would like to attend services, but has no transportation.  If you are able to provide a ride occasionally, or have an idea how she could connect with someone using public transport or another resource, please contact a member of the Pastoral Care Team (Gisela Bailey is the October contact) or our minister, Eric Severson.

Sunday, November 24 
Eastman Road

Last spring, UUFoM adopted a stretch of Eastman Road, the west side from Monroe to the north fairgrounds entrance. We did the heavy work with the first pick-up this spring.

Let's live our values by continuing to keep Midland beautiful!  Our fall Adopt-a-Road Pick-Up will take place on Sunday, November 24, at 12:30pm. We'll gather in the foyer after the service to divide into teams, discuss safety, and distribute tools.  We'll be working near a busy road, so no young children, please.  You'll want to dress weather-appropriate and keep in mind the area we will be working in includes brushy terrain, and possibly water in ditches.  Rubber boots, gloves, rugged clothing, and eye protection are highly recommended. The City of Midland will supply safety vests and trash bags.

Sign Up Here!

We collect donations on an ongoing basis for the Midland County Emergency Food Pantry Network.  Place your donations in one of the bins outside the sanctuary, and we will transport them to the Food Pantry. Non-perishable foods, self-care items, paper products and cleaning supplies are accepted.  Thank you!

We recently donated 42 items to the pantry!