Announcements
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Announcements
President’s Message
This is the last message I will write to you as president of the Fellowship.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as president of this
congregation for almost 4 years. I believe we continue to move roughly
west and I believe Jim McIntosh will lead you well with his many talents
and skills. I am going to be the speaker on April 4, 2010 for the service.
My topic will be “The Stories We Tell” and the talk will be about how what
we say about ourselves, others, the organizations we join, and life in
general tends to become how we behave and what we consider to be true.
In this last message, I want to tell a story about UUFMC that I hope will
become how we behave and what we consider to be true.
It is the time of year that members and friends of UUFMC participate in
the annual pledging campaign. My story about what will happen this year
is that all the members and friends who attend the fellowship and benefit
from the programs and services will make a pledge to ensure that this
organization will be here for us for many years to come. We are proud of
the this Fellowship, we appreciate the programs and services that are
offered and we want to do our part to ensure that we continue to have a
liberal religious fellowship where we can freely share our ideas and where
we allow others to do the same.
It is also that time of year when we ask folks to volunteer to chair
committees so the work of this organization can be accomplished. Again,
my story is about an organization where those who participate and gain
from the programs step up to the plate and take a role in the work that
needs to be done. We need chairs and/or co-chairs for the Fundraising
Committee, the Finance Committee, the Library Committee, the
Stewardship Development Committee, the Caring Committee, and the
Interior Space Committee and we need coordinators for Dinners for 8 and
UU and You. We know that members will fill these positions because
those who attend our Fellowship are willing to take responsibility for
helping make this a growing, meaningful place. We know we can count on
our members to help when their help is needed because they all do their
part.
UUFMC is a diverse group of members and friends who have a wide
variety of beliefs and desires. In this story, each person in this fellowship
is willing to allow others to see and hear what is meaningful to them in at
least some of the programs and services. We have a Forum that is more
geared to the humanist and a service that has the formality and spirituality
that others desire. In this story, each person is willing to share and does
not have to have things his or her own way in every service or program.
What a delight this place is because we truly try to live our principles. We
truly value the worth and dignity of every member and we realize that we
can all learn from one another no matter how different our beliefs are. We
are even willing to listen to beautiful music by classical composers even
when it has words which we consider obsolete or not meaningful to us
because it is meaningful to others in the group. We have book clubs and
science clubs that meet to meet the needs of some, connections groups
to meet the needs of some, Separate Tables to meet the needs of some,
potluck dinners to meet the needs of some and a consulting minister to
meet the needs of many because the majority of the Fellowship wishes it
to be that way. Everyone does not agree with everything but there is
something for everyone. We get along because we know things cannot
always be our way. We learned in kindergarten that we get along better
when we share. Utopia…maybe; a true UU fellowship…maybe; a story to
strive for…definitely.
Happy Birthday
Ruth Prentice* 03/04/0000
Bob Bargar* 03/05/0000
Jacky McCabe* 03/07/0000
Helen Ogren* 03/08/0000
Courtney Powell 03/13/0000
Mary Allen* 03/13/1915
Bill Coburn* 03/15/1938
Patricia McIntosh* 03/17/0000
Betsy Pinter* 03/26/0000
Chuck Refshauge 03/26/0000
If you do not see your name here and you want us all to celebrate your
Birthday then email / call Bill or Andrea Coburn, Millie Mitchell or other
membership folks.
Meredith Garmon’s Revised Schedule: March 14 and 15, 2010 schedule
Sunday, March 14th
9:30 am - Forum: Adult Class
10:30am - Sunday Service
12:30 pm -3:30 pm Class for Potential New Members
3:30-6:00pm - Office Hours (You can try dropping in. However, it might be
wiser to schedule an appointment)
7:00 pm - Lay ministry (pastoral care) training. These sessions are open
to all interested UUFMC members. The discussions on Nonviolent
Communication have been excellent.
Monday, March 15th
10:00 – 1:00 am – Meditation Service
1:30 - 2:30 pm - Board Training with Meredith The Board members should
have read the first nine chapters of “Community” by Peter Block prior to
the meeting. Members of the congregation are welcome to attend
2:30 - 4:30 pm Board Meeting
5:00 pm – Potluck dinner and open discussion with Meredith Garmon
Haiti Fund Raiser. On March 21st, we are going to have a busy day! There
will be two shows to raise funds for Haiti relief. The first show is scheduled
for 1:30pm (apx) after the Congregational meeting. Plans are to have a
brief 'brunch' after the meeting while the musicians set up, then a
marvelous performance by a variety of professional/semi-pro/amateur
artists. The “brunch” is an impromptu pot luck.
Details of just who will perform are still developing, but as of right now, it's
a great line-up including: a Barber Shop Quarter; a mermaid; a guy in a
skirt as MC (well, it's actually a kilt); Dixieland music; harmonica music;
Bob Dauhn's friend Charlie will sing (sounds like Ray Charles); did I
mention a guy in a skirt? Well, we got two more guys to come in drag.....
The evening show will begin at 7:00 pm, and will be followed by (very) light
refreshments.
Tickets are $12.00 per person. See us at the Social Justice Table for your
tickets! Buy many. They make great St. Patrick's day presents. Need to
know more? See Ruth Deussen, Andrea Coburn, Ruth Prentice for
details. And keep watching the Weekly Update for more details.
The Philosophers Den reminder
This Friday Feb 26 at 4 PM is the next meeting of The Philosophers Den
at UUFMC.
I know this sounds strange – but this session will begin with the conclusion
of the first video of Michael Sandel, since we didn't get to that at the last
session.
We'll begin our session with the video from the Harvard 'Justice' series
then move into discussion.
You don't need to read the book or preview the videos to enjoy the club.
The videos can be viewed and/or downloaded at http://www.justiceHarvard.
org if you do wish to see them.
For more info contact Rob't 'Luigi' Ridgard at rridgard@yahoo.com
Care Committee
Margaret Paris, who attends the Fellowship from time to time, is having
knee surgery on February 25, 2010. She would like to hear of your good
wishes for her recovery. Her address is:
9157 SW 82nd Terrace, Unit E,
Ocala, Fl. 34481.
Wendy
Membership UU 101
All are invited to attend "UU 101", an encounter with Unitarian
Universalism, a vibrant, liberal religious tradition. This will be held
immediately following the coffee hour on Sunday, March 14th. This is for
those who are new and for those who would like a refresher course.
It will be for a total of 3 hours, so please feel free to bring a sandwich.
Cookies and a refreshment will be availble.
Please RSVP to Carolyn Denison by email, abcdenison@yahoo.com, or
phone, 245-0260.
Olin Mills directory
All Members and those Friends with photos in the new directory are
eligible for a complimentary copy of the new Photo Directory. If you would
like to buy a copy, they are $5.00. Please see a member of the
Membership Committee after a Sunday service. The members are
Andrea Coburn, Mary Ann Donato, Carolyn Denison, Betsy Gilleland,
Millie Mitchell, Betsy Pinter, P.K. Kobes,and Barbara Thomas.
Separate Tables
Join us at the Jade Dragon Restaurant for Separate Tables at 11:30 AM,
Thursday, March 18th. Highly recommended. Luncheon meals $6.98 to
$8.98.
It's located on SW 27th Ave., across from Goodwill and in the same area
as Honey Baked Ham.
Please call Carolyn Denison with questions.
LADIES GETAWAY GANG...Need a break? Here's your chance, ladies...
on Friday, March 12, you can join us for a day trip to Tarpon Springs, a
fun coastal city. While there, we will visit the UU church/museum, where
the Inness paintings are installed.
We will meet at 8 AM on that day for the trip. Cost is $8. to reimburse the
drivers. We will also find a nice place for lunch. Please contact PK for
more details and sign-up. Space for only 13, first come, first served.
pkkobes@yahoo.com
From Denominational Connections
Mission of Florida District Chalice Lighters
To support and encourage the excellence and growth
of Unitarian Universalism in the Florida District
by providing resources to new and existing congregations
through the distribution of Chalice Lighter grant funds.
From time to time, the Florida District issues a Chalice Lighter “call”
seeking contributions to expand and strengthen Unitarian Universalism in
the District. These requests are to help individual congregations achieve
a significant step in their growth ~ typically to provide assistance with a
new building, hiring professional religious staff for the first time, to form a
new congregation, or to supplement creative growth projects.
We are pleased to send out this call to benefit two of our congregations:
The Friendship Fellowship at Pineda and The Unitarian Universalist
Church of Tampa
Details of their requests can be accessed and on line donations can be
made at
http://www.floridadistrict.org/?page_id=429
Contributions can also be sent to
Florida District UUA
Attn: Chalice Lighters
1901 E. Robinson Street, Suite 18
Orlando, Florida 32803
Our own UUFMC has been the beneficiary of the Chalice Lighter Program
in the past. Here is an opportunity for us to contribute to other
congregations as a way of expressing our gratitude for the help we were
given.
Andrea Coburn
352-751-6673
From Denominational Connections Committee
There are so many things happening at Cluster, District and National
level, we encourage you to check the web site at www.floridadistrict.org
regularly. A few highlights this month are:
March 13th Building the World We Dream About – Racial Justice
Workshop (Boca Raton)
March 15th Deadline for nominations for District Awards (form
available on line or at the back of the main room)
Plan ahead for:
April 7 UU Lobby Day (Tallahassee)
April 9-11 Florida District Assembly with UUA Moderator Gini
Courter (Miami)
June 23-27 UUA General Assembly (Minneapolis)
August 8-13 Southland UU Leadership Experience (The Mountain,
Highlands, NC)
You can find additional information posted in the back of the main room
and at www.floridadistrict.org
Membership
UUFMC Name Tags Members and Friends who would like to order
UUFMC name tags may do so by signing the clip board at the back of the
main room. Please indicate preference for magnet, clip or pin. Payment
of $5.00 each is requested when ordered.
Andrea Coburn
352-751-6673
Northeast Cluster Day Trip
A wonderful opportunity to refresh oneself after the chilly days of winter,
meet fellow UU's and enjoy beautiful Florida! Members and friends are
invited to carpool to Princess Place Preserve state park near St
Augustine. March 20th at 10a we will gather at the park for an easy two
hour walk followed by exploration of the Cherokee Grove homestead the
oldest homesetead in Flagler County. Participants are asked to bring a
lunch, water, suntan lotion and insect repellent. It will be a wonderful day!
Join us. Contact Brian Paradise, hike leader, with questions and for
directions bgparadise@comcast.net .
“The Building & Grounds Committee will present two proposals for the
Memorial Garden on Sunday, March 14th immediately following the
Sunday Service. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and see
visuals.
On the following Sunday, March 21st, members will have the opportunity
to vote for the Memorial Garden plan they prefer at the Annual Meeting.
The next B&G meeting is scheduled for 3:00 March 10th .”
Andrea Coburn
352-751-6673
It's a new day for UUA.org! The Unitarian Universalist Association's
redesigned home page and resources page, along with social media,
share links, and "most viewed" listings on all our pages, debuted this
morning.
We invite you to check out the changes by going to http://www.uua.org and
http://www.uua.org/resources .
Our home page is designed to appeal to the 85% of our home page
visitors who are newcomers to Unitarian Universalism. And our resources
page will, we hope, become the first destination involved UUs visit, for
leadership resources, most visited pages, posts from our blogs,
multimedia, and more. For additional information on the UUA's website
changes, see "UUA Launches Updated Website," by Donald E. Skinner,
on UUWorld.org - http://tinyurl.com/yfo3nmp and "Redesign Makes UUA
Website More Useable", in interConnections - http://tinyurl.com/yadodh3
Andrea Coburn
512 Downers Grove
The Villages, FL 32162
352-751-6673
Special Announcement
Gainesville warmly welcomes a minister...again - Rev. Meredith
Garmon was overwhelmingly elected full-time minister at the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville yesterday, January 31, at a
congregational meeting following Sunday service called for that purpose.
Meredith has five degrees in four different fields: BA, philosophy, State
University of West Georgia, 1979; BA, English, State University of West
Georgia, 1980; MA, communication studies, Baylor University, 1985; MA,
philosophy, University of Virginia, 1991; PhD, government: political theory,
University of Virginia, 1992. He was an assistant professor of philosophy
at Fisk University (Nashville, TN) for four years. As a layperson, Meredith
served as president of the UU Fellowship of Waco, TX, as Vice-president
of the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial Church - UU in Charlottesville, VA, and as chair of Adult
Religious Education at First UU of Nashville, TN. Meredith attended
seminary at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (New
Brighton, MN) for one year (2000-01); Shaw University Divinity School
(Raleigh, NC) for one year (2001-02), and Meadville-Lombard
Theological Seminary for one year (2003). He was admitted to the
Fellowship of UU ministers in 2004, and was ordained later that year at the
UU Community of El Paso. Meredith and his spouse, Rev. LoraKim
Joyner, were half-time-each co-ministers in El Paso for two years (2004-
06), during one year of which Meredith was also the sole half-time minister
of the UU Church of Midland, TX (2005-06). In 2006, Meredith and
LoraKim were called as the half-time-each co-ministers to the UU
Fellowship of Gainesville. During this time, Meredith has also served as a
consulting minister to the UU Church of Tarpon Springs (2008), and to the
UU Fellowship of Marion County (2009-10). When LoraKim resigned
recently from UUFG ministry, Meredith resigned as well. Then, he applied
for the position as full-time settled minister, undergoing once more the
necessary search process. (From the Northeast Cluster Newsletter, The
Breeze)
Meredith will become the fulltime minister in Gainesville in August. In the
meantime, he will complete his contract, which ends in May, with the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Marion County.
UUFMC Connections Group Plans to Raise Money for Window Shades
Our Sooper Soup group invites all UFMC UU's to buy a ticket for a
delicious and filling meal on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 immediately
after Sunday Services.
The meal will consist of Homemade soups, salads, veggies, bread,
drinks, and dessert for the low, low price of $8.00. Proceeds from the event
will be donated to
the UUFMC for purpose of purchasing blinds for the conference/office
area.
Tickets are on sale until January 24th. UUFMC-goers
may contact any of the following members to obtain tickets:
Mary Allen, Mary Ann Donato Phil Edgington, Cecelia Everest, Sylvia
Kelch,
Pat McIntosh, Joyce Mills, Barbara Thomas, Colleen Ridenour, and Jim
Urell.
Tickets should go fast, so get your tickets early.
New articles above
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Reprint articles below
Please sign the petitions to Marion County's Legislators asking for
additional resources restored to the budget can be signed by people in all
counties.
The petitions are on the back table; five signatures per page. Thank You!
Bill Denison
Monday Meditation Service: Rev. Meredith Garmon prepared a one hour
"Monday Meditative Service" for 10:00 AM each Monday at the
Fellowship. The service is primarily practice in meditating and sharing our
reflections from the meditation. Everyone is welcome! When Meredith isn't
here to lead, Don Hundt will take his place.
UUFMC Library - As mentioned in a previous newsletter, UUFMC now
has a very lovely, growing library for the use of all our members and
friends. This feat was accomplished by many hours of hard work put in by
Bob and Marilyn Feser. I do hope all of you have had a chance to visit
and use our new library, located off of the office.
Our new library:
Now that it is a well functioning, card categorized library, Bob and Marilyn
would like to step aside and hand over the responsibility of monitoring the
library and its use to someone new. Marilyn feels it would be most helpful
if this person was computer savvy enough to computerize the system now
in place.
If any of you are willing to take on this service for our Fellowship, please
contact Celia Everist at 352-438-0283.
UU and You is a committee that helps to set up very social events for our
Fellowship. Next on our agenda, would be helping to plan and set up two
upcoming Potlucks that will correspond with Meredith’s visits. They will be
held on March 15th.
We are in need of people who are willing to step up and help by serving as
members of the UU and You committee.
If you have the time to help our Fellowship by serving on this committee
please contact Celia Everist at 352-438-0283. UU NEEDS YOU!
Washington DC Trip, April 15-20
6 days - 5 nights $490 pp do
Includes motorcoach from Summerfield area, 5 breakfasts, 3 dinners,
all admissions, hotels, gratuities & tips.
Many tours (such as WW II Memorial, Capitol Hill, Embassy Row,
the Korean War and Vietnam Veterans Memo5rials, Arlington Cemetery,
Washington and Lincoln Monuments, Smithsonian, and much more!)
Deadline for final payment is 2-11-10.
Pick up a flyer at our Fellowship.
Organized by Cindy Kuckel 347-7121 (ckuckel@yahoo.com)
Only a limited number of spaces remain.
UUFMC Calendar
If you have additions, deletions, or modifications to items listed on the
UUFMC calendar please send them to Andrea Coburn as soon as
possible. Your compliance will reduce the chance for conflict in schedules
and enhance the use of the resources of our UUFMC church.
If your activities are to repeat as they were in December, there is no need
to contact Andrea.
Greeters will be asked to do this by someone on the Membership
Committee as folks walk in the door on Sunday morning. Your "job" will
be to (a) welcome folks (2 before the forum, 4 before the service) and
hand out the service bulletin, (b) pass around the two microphones during
the main service when people wish to speak, (c) take up the collection (4)
and (d) take a count of those in attendance and turn that number over to
the person from the Membership Committee who is in charge for the
month. December it will be Allie Gore. There is no road map for these
tasks; just however it works out. So, smile when you walk in the doors and
you may be the lucky ones chosen!!! Suggestions? Call Carolyn
Denison at 245-0260.
Chalice Lighters
Members and friends who would like to participate in the Sunday service
by lighting the chalice are welcome to do so. A calendar is available for
you to sign up on the date you wish to light the chalice. Look for it on a
bulletin board in the back of the sanctuary. If for some reason you do not
find the "sign up calendar" email or phone Phil Lindsley 751-0225 or
Pll1@hotmail.com . Thank you!
River Cruise from the Black Sea to Munich -- One cabin remaining with
our travel agent for the 15-day cruise commencing April 4th. If interested
in the details, please call Carolyn Denison, 245-0260.
President’s Message
This is the last message I will write to you as president of the Fellowship.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as president of this
congregation for almost 4 years. I believe we continue to move roughly
west and I believe Jim McIntosh will lead you well with his many talents
and skills. I am going to be the speaker on April 4, 2010 for the service.
My topic will be “The Stories We Tell” and the talk will be about how what
we say about ourselves, others, the organizations we join, and life in
general tends to become how we behave and what we consider to be true.
In this last message, I want to tell a story about UUFMC that I hope will
become how we behave and what we consider to be true.
It is the time of year that members and friends of UUFMC participate in
the annual pledging campaign. My story about what will happen this year
is that all the members and friends who attend the fellowship and benefit
from the programs and services will make a pledge to ensure that this
organization will be here for us for many years to come. We are proud of
the this Fellowship, we appreciate the programs and services that are
offered and we want to do our part to ensure that we continue to have a
liberal religious fellowship where we can freely share our ideas and where
we allow others to do the same.
It is also that time of year when we ask folks to volunteer to chair
committees so the work of this organization can be accomplished. Again,
my story is about an organization where those who participate and gain
from the programs step up to the plate and take a role in the work that
needs to be done. We need chairs and/or co-chairs for the Fundraising
Committee, the Finance Committee, the Library Committee, the
Stewardship Development Committee, the Caring Committee, and the
Interior Space Committee and we need coordinators for Dinners for 8 and
UU and You. We know that members will fill these positions because
those who attend our Fellowship are willing to take responsibility for
helping make this a growing, meaningful place. We know we can count on
our members to help when their help is needed because they all do their
part.
UUFMC is a diverse group of members and friends who have a wide
variety of beliefs and desires. In this story, each person in this fellowship
is willing to allow others to see and hear what is meaningful to them in at
least some of the programs and services. We have a Forum that is more
geared to the humanist and a service that has the formality and spirituality
that others desire. In this story, each person is willing to share and does
not have to have things his or her own way in every service or program.
What a delight this place is because we truly try to live our principles. We
truly value the worth and dignity of every member and we realize that we
can all learn from one another no matter how different our beliefs are. We
are even willing to listen to beautiful music by classical composers even
when it has words which we consider obsolete or not meaningful to us
because it is meaningful to others in the group. We have book clubs and
science clubs that meet to meet the needs of some, connections groups
to meet the needs of some, Separate Tables to meet the needs of some,
potluck dinners to meet the needs of some and a consulting minister to
meet the needs of many because the majority of the Fellowship wishes it
to be that way. Everyone does not agree with everything but there is
something for everyone. We get along because we know things cannot
always be our way. We learned in kindergarten that we get along better
when we share. Utopia…maybe; a true UU fellowship…maybe; a story to
strive for…definitely.
Happy Birthday
Ruth Prentice* 03/04/0000
Bob Bargar* 03/05/0000
Jacky McCabe* 03/07/0000
Helen Ogren* 03/08/0000
Courtney Powell 03/13/0000
Mary Allen* 03/13/1915
Bill Coburn* 03/15/1938
Patricia McIntosh* 03/17/0000
Betsy Pinter* 03/26/0000
Chuck Refshauge 03/26/0000
If you do not see your name here and you want us all to celebrate your
Birthday then email / call Bill or Andrea Coburn, Millie Mitchell or other
membership folks.
Meredith Garmon’s Revised Schedule: March 14 and 15, 2010 schedule
Sunday, March 14th
9:30 am - Forum: Adult Class
10:30am - Sunday Service
12:30 pm -3:30 pm Class for Potential New Members
3:30-6:00pm - Office Hours (You can try dropping in. However, it might be
wiser to schedule an appointment)
7:00 pm - Lay ministry (pastoral care) training. These sessions are open
to all interested UUFMC members. The discussions on Nonviolent
Communication have been excellent.
Monday, March 15th
10:00 – 1:00 am – Meditation Service
1:30 - 2:30 pm - Board Training with Meredith The Board members should
have read the first nine chapters of “Community” by Peter Block prior to
the meeting. Members of the congregation are welcome to attend
2:30 - 4:30 pm Board Meeting
5:00 pm – Potluck dinner and open discussion with Meredith Garmon
Haiti Fund Raiser. On March 21st, we are going to have a busy day! There
will be two shows to raise funds for Haiti relief. The first show is scheduled
for 1:30pm (apx) after the Congregational meeting. Plans are to have a
brief 'brunch' after the meeting while the musicians set up, then a
marvelous performance by a variety of professional/semi-pro/amateur
artists. The “brunch” is an impromptu pot luck.
Details of just who will perform are still developing, but as of right now, it's
a great line-up including: a Barber Shop Quarter; a mermaid; a guy in a
skirt as MC (well, it's actually a kilt); Dixieland music; harmonica music;
Bob Dauhn's friend Charlie will sing (sounds like Ray Charles); did I
mention a guy in a skirt? Well, we got two more guys to come in drag.....
The evening show will begin at 7:00 pm, and will be followed by (very) light
refreshments.
Tickets are $12.00 per person. See us at the Social Justice Table for your
tickets! Buy many. They make great St. Patrick's day presents. Need to
know more? See Ruth Deussen, Andrea Coburn, Ruth Prentice for
details. And keep watching the Weekly Update for more details.
The Philosophers Den reminder
This Friday Feb 26 at 4 PM is the next meeting of The Philosophers Den
at UUFMC.
I know this sounds strange – but this session will begin with the conclusion
of the first video of Michael Sandel, since we didn't get to that at the last
session.
We'll begin our session with the video from the Harvard 'Justice' series
then move into discussion.
You don't need to read the book or preview the videos to enjoy the club.
The videos can be viewed and/or downloaded at http://www.justiceHarvard.
org if you do wish to see them.
For more info contact Rob't 'Luigi' Ridgard at rridgard@yahoo.com
Care Committee
Margaret Paris, who attends the Fellowship from time to time, is having
knee surgery on February 25, 2010. She would like to hear of your good
wishes for her recovery. Her address is:
9157 SW 82nd Terrace, Unit E,
Ocala, Fl. 34481.
Wendy
Membership UU 101
All are invited to attend "UU 101", an encounter with Unitarian
Universalism, a vibrant, liberal religious tradition. This will be held
immediately following the coffee hour on Sunday, March 14th. This is for
those who are new and for those who would like a refresher course.
It will be for a total of 3 hours, so please feel free to bring a sandwich.
Cookies and a refreshment will be availble.
Please RSVP to Carolyn Denison by email, abcdenison@yahoo.com, or
phone, 245-0260.
Olin Mills directory
All Members and those Friends with photos in the new directory are
eligible for a complimentary copy of the new Photo Directory. If you would
like to buy a copy, they are $5.00. Please see a member of the
Membership Committee after a Sunday service. The members are
Andrea Coburn, Mary Ann Donato, Carolyn Denison, Betsy Gilleland,
Millie Mitchell, Betsy Pinter, P.K. Kobes,and Barbara Thomas.
Separate Tables
Join us at the Jade Dragon Restaurant for Separate Tables at 11:30 AM,
Thursday, March 18th. Highly recommended. Luncheon meals $6.98 to
$8.98.
It's located on SW 27th Ave., across from Goodwill and in the same area
as Honey Baked Ham.
Please call Carolyn Denison with questions.
LADIES GETAWAY GANG...Need a break? Here's your chance, ladies...
on Friday, March 12, you can join us for a day trip to Tarpon Springs, a
fun coastal city. While there, we will visit the UU church/museum, where
the Inness paintings are installed.
We will meet at 8 AM on that day for the trip. Cost is $8. to reimburse the
drivers. We will also find a nice place for lunch. Please contact PK for
more details and sign-up. Space for only 13, first come, first served.
pkkobes@yahoo.com
From Denominational Connections
Mission of Florida District Chalice Lighters
To support and encourage the excellence and growth
of Unitarian Universalism in the Florida District
by providing resources to new and existing congregations
through the distribution of Chalice Lighter grant funds.
From time to time, the Florida District issues a Chalice Lighter “call”
seeking contributions to expand and strengthen Unitarian Universalism in
the District. These requests are to help individual congregations achieve
a significant step in their growth ~ typically to provide assistance with a
new building, hiring professional religious staff for the first time, to form a
new congregation, or to supplement creative growth projects.
We are pleased to send out this call to benefit two of our congregations:
The Friendship Fellowship at Pineda and The Unitarian Universalist
Church of Tampa
Details of their requests can be accessed and on line donations can be
made at
http://www.floridadistrict.org/?page_id=429
Contributions can also be sent to
Florida District UUA
Attn: Chalice Lighters
1901 E. Robinson Street, Suite 18
Orlando, Florida 32803
Our own UUFMC has been the beneficiary of the Chalice Lighter Program
in the past. Here is an opportunity for us to contribute to other
congregations as a way of expressing our gratitude for the help we were
given.
Andrea Coburn
352-751-6673
From Denominational Connections Committee
There are so many things happening at Cluster, District and National
level, we encourage you to check the web site at www.floridadistrict.org
regularly. A few highlights this month are:
March 13th Building the World We Dream About – Racial Justice
Workshop (Boca Raton)
March 15th Deadline for nominations for District Awards (form
available on line or at the back of the main room)
Plan ahead for:
April 7 UU Lobby Day (Tallahassee)
April 9-11 Florida District Assembly with UUA Moderator Gini
Courter (Miami)
June 23-27 UUA General Assembly (Minneapolis)
August 8-13 Southland UU Leadership Experience (The Mountain,
Highlands, NC)
You can find additional information posted in the back of the main room
and at www.floridadistrict.org
Membership
UUFMC Name Tags Members and Friends who would like to order
UUFMC name tags may do so by signing the clip board at the back of the
main room. Please indicate preference for magnet, clip or pin. Payment
of $5.00 each is requested when ordered.
Andrea Coburn
352-751-6673
Northeast Cluster Day Trip
A wonderful opportunity to refresh oneself after the chilly days of winter,
meet fellow UU's and enjoy beautiful Florida! Members and friends are
invited to carpool to Princess Place Preserve state park near St
Augustine. March 20th at 10a we will gather at the park for an easy two
hour walk followed by exploration of the Cherokee Grove homestead the
oldest homesetead in Flagler County. Participants are asked to bring a
lunch, water, suntan lotion and insect repellent. It will be a wonderful day!
Join us. Contact Brian Paradise, hike leader, with questions and for
directions bgparadise@comcast.net .
“The Building & Grounds Committee will present two proposals for the
Memorial Garden on Sunday, March 14th immediately following the
Sunday Service. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and see
visuals.
On the following Sunday, March 21st, members will have the opportunity
to vote for the Memorial Garden plan they prefer at the Annual Meeting.
The next B&G meeting is scheduled for 3:00 March 10th .”
Andrea Coburn
352-751-6673
It's a new day for UUA.org! The Unitarian Universalist Association's
redesigned home page and resources page, along with social media,
share links, and "most viewed" listings on all our pages, debuted this
morning.
We invite you to check out the changes by going to http://www.uua.org and
http://www.uua.org/resources .
Our home page is designed to appeal to the 85% of our home page
visitors who are newcomers to Unitarian Universalism. And our resources
page will, we hope, become the first destination involved UUs visit, for
leadership resources, most visited pages, posts from our blogs,
multimedia, and more. For additional information on the UUA's website
changes, see "UUA Launches Updated Website," by Donald E. Skinner,
on UUWorld.org - http://tinyurl.com/yfo3nmp and "Redesign Makes UUA
Website More Useable", in interConnections - http://tinyurl.com/yadodh3
Andrea Coburn
512 Downers Grove
The Villages, FL 32162
352-751-6673
Special Announcement
Gainesville warmly welcomes a minister...again - Rev. Meredith
Garmon was overwhelmingly elected full-time minister at the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville yesterday, January 31, at a
congregational meeting following Sunday service called for that purpose.
Meredith has five degrees in four different fields: BA, philosophy, State
University of West Georgia, 1979; BA, English, State University of West
Georgia, 1980; MA, communication studies, Baylor University, 1985; MA,
philosophy, University of Virginia, 1991; PhD, government: political theory,
University of Virginia, 1992. He was an assistant professor of philosophy
at Fisk University (Nashville, TN) for four years. As a layperson, Meredith
served as president of the UU Fellowship of Waco, TX, as Vice-president
of the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial Church - UU in Charlottesville, VA, and as chair of Adult
Religious Education at First UU of Nashville, TN. Meredith attended
seminary at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities (New
Brighton, MN) for one year (2000-01); Shaw University Divinity School
(Raleigh, NC) for one year (2001-02), and Meadville-Lombard
Theological Seminary for one year (2003). He was admitted to the
Fellowship of UU ministers in 2004, and was ordained later that year at the
UU Community of El Paso. Meredith and his spouse, Rev. LoraKim
Joyner, were half-time-each co-ministers in El Paso for two years (2004-
06), during one year of which Meredith was also the sole half-time minister
of the UU Church of Midland, TX (2005-06). In 2006, Meredith and
LoraKim were called as the half-time-each co-ministers to the UU
Fellowship of Gainesville. During this time, Meredith has also served as a
consulting minister to the UU Church of Tarpon Springs (2008), and to the
UU Fellowship of Marion County (2009-10). When LoraKim resigned
recently from UUFG ministry, Meredith resigned as well. Then, he applied
for the position as full-time settled minister, undergoing once more the
necessary search process. (From the Northeast Cluster Newsletter, The
Breeze)
Meredith will become the fulltime minister in Gainesville in August. In the
meantime, he will complete his contract, which ends in May, with the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Marion County.
UUFMC Connections Group Plans to Raise Money for Window Shades
Our Sooper Soup group invites all UFMC UU's to buy a ticket for a
delicious and filling meal on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 immediately
after Sunday Services.
The meal will consist of Homemade soups, salads, veggies, bread,
drinks, and dessert for the low, low price of $8.00. Proceeds from the event
will be donated to
the UUFMC for purpose of purchasing blinds for the conference/office
area.
Tickets are on sale until January 24th. UUFMC-goers
may contact any of the following members to obtain tickets:
Mary Allen, Mary Ann Donato Phil Edgington, Cecelia Everest, Sylvia
Kelch,
Pat McIntosh, Joyce Mills, Barbara Thomas, Colleen Ridenour, and Jim
Urell.
Tickets should go fast, so get your tickets early.
New articles above
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Reprint articles below
Please sign the petitions to Marion County's Legislators asking for
additional resources restored to the budget can be signed by people in all
counties.
The petitions are on the back table; five signatures per page. Thank You!
Bill Denison
Monday Meditation Service: Rev. Meredith Garmon prepared a one hour
"Monday Meditative Service" for 10:00 AM each Monday at the
Fellowship. The service is primarily practice in meditating and sharing our
reflections from the meditation. Everyone is welcome! When Meredith isn't
here to lead, Don Hundt will take his place.
UUFMC Library - As mentioned in a previous newsletter, UUFMC now
has a very lovely, growing library for the use of all our members and
friends. This feat was accomplished by many hours of hard work put in by
Bob and Marilyn Feser. I do hope all of you have had a chance to visit
and use our new library, located off of the office.
Our new library:
Now that it is a well functioning, card categorized library, Bob and Marilyn
would like to step aside and hand over the responsibility of monitoring the
library and its use to someone new. Marilyn feels it would be most helpful
if this person was computer savvy enough to computerize the system now
in place.
If any of you are willing to take on this service for our Fellowship, please
contact Celia Everist at 352-438-0283.
UU and You is a committee that helps to set up very social events for our
Fellowship. Next on our agenda, would be helping to plan and set up two
upcoming Potlucks that will correspond with Meredith’s visits. They will be
held on March 15th.
We are in need of people who are willing to step up and help by serving as
members of the UU and You committee.
If you have the time to help our Fellowship by serving on this committee
please contact Celia Everist at 352-438-0283. UU NEEDS YOU!
Washington DC Trip, April 15-20
6 days - 5 nights $490 pp do
Includes motorcoach from Summerfield area, 5 breakfasts, 3 dinners,
all admissions, hotels, gratuities & tips.
Many tours (such as WW II Memorial, Capitol Hill, Embassy Row,
the Korean War and Vietnam Veterans Memo5rials, Arlington Cemetery,
Washington and Lincoln Monuments, Smithsonian, and much more!)
Deadline for final payment is 2-11-10.
Pick up a flyer at our Fellowship.
Organized by Cindy Kuckel 347-7121 (ckuckel@yahoo.com)
Only a limited number of spaces remain.
UUFMC Calendar
If you have additions, deletions, or modifications to items listed on the
UUFMC calendar please send them to Andrea Coburn as soon as
possible. Your compliance will reduce the chance for conflict in schedules
and enhance the use of the resources of our UUFMC church.
If your activities are to repeat as they were in December, there is no need
to contact Andrea.
Greeters will be asked to do this by someone on the Membership
Committee as folks walk in the door on Sunday morning. Your "job" will
be to (a) welcome folks (2 before the forum, 4 before the service) and
hand out the service bulletin, (b) pass around the two microphones during
the main service when people wish to speak, (c) take up the collection (4)
and (d) take a count of those in attendance and turn that number over to
the person from the Membership Committee who is in charge for the
month. December it will be Allie Gore. There is no road map for these
tasks; just however it works out. So, smile when you walk in the doors and
you may be the lucky ones chosen!!! Suggestions? Call Carolyn
Denison at 245-0260.
Chalice Lighters
Members and friends who would like to participate in the Sunday service
by lighting the chalice are welcome to do so. A calendar is available for
you to sign up on the date you wish to light the chalice. Look for it on a
bulletin board in the back of the sanctuary. If for some reason you do not
find the "sign up calendar" email or phone Phil Lindsley 751-0225 or
Pll1@hotmail.com . Thank you!
River Cruise from the Black Sea to Munich -- One cabin remaining with
our travel agent for the 15-day cruise commencing April 4th. If interested
in the details, please call Carolyn Denison, 245-0260.
