10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8: “Blending Waters, Growing Together”
As we begin a new Fellowship year, the Program Committee invites you to bring water from a place that is special to you. Combining the water as we gather together is symbolic of our shared faith coming from many sources and of our connection to each other. We will also give recognition to this year’s elected leaders and the children’s religious education teachers, welcome newcomers to our midst and get to know each other better.
Soup Sunday will follow the service in the Fellowship Hall
10:30 a.m. Sunday, September 15th: “Who will be in the pews in 2040?”
MPR Podcast by Ray Suarez
Ray Suarez was the keynote speaker at the 2019 Interfaith Action Annual Assembly in St. Paul, MN in May 2019. He is one of the country’s most respected news reporters, with four decades of experience covering stories for NPR, PBS News Hour, and Al Jazeera. He is also a member of the Washington National Cathedral (Episcopal) leadership team. Notably, Suarez reports on a range of issues driving change in American life, including race, immigration, demographic shifts, and the role of religion in public life. With a front row seat to the rapid evolution of the country’s changing landscape, Suarez offers a fascinating firsthand perspective on the implications of these trends on individuals, organizations and national policy. The veteran journalist shares information about demographic and social trends that are having a significant effect on our religious institutions. So, what does that mean now, and what does that mean 20 years from now? Please join us to learn more as our own congregation continues to reflect on possible changes to enhance growing our congregation. This is an hour-long podcast, so our service will not include all the components of our traditional service.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22: “The Work of Promise Neighborhood of Central Minnesota”--Mr. John Smith
John Smith, Chair of the Executive Committee, will share information about the work of the Promise Neighborhood of Central Minnesota, a non-profit that engages local families and helps them achieve their educational, economic and community aspirations.
There will be a potluck following the service before our Congregational Meeting, 12:30-2:00.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 29: “Be Kind; Please Rewind”--Reverend Shelley Dugan
Kindness is all the rage! The benefits of kindness are being touted all over the media. Kindness is good for the receiver on many levels. It does even more for the doer of kind deeds. Join us as we examine kindness. It might not be as simple as you think!
President’s Corner
by Ozzie Mayers
As we begin our year, I believe that we are taking another step in more clearly defining ourselves as Unitarian Universalists by considering how we want to enhance our building to accommodate our current attendees as well as those who might yet come. There are moments in the history of an organization that are markers, saying to others this is a decision that will define part of our legacy. To this end, I want to encourage everyone to attend our Congregational Meeting on Sunday, September 22nd when the Board will present its recommendation for our building renovations. The Board has come to this decision after meeting with and consulting with the Ad Hoc Building Options’ Committee which has thoroughly studied our options, including major renovations, moving to a new place, building elsewhere, as well as doing minor renovations rather than a major renovation. At our Annual Meeting last May, the Fellowship agreed to use this past summer to think about the renovation options; now it's time for us to make a decision. However, in order to vote on this matter, it is necessary for us to have a Quorum of members present. Non-members are also encouraged to come to provide their points of view. So, please make every effort to attend. The Board is asking that we have a potluck immediately following our service on September 22nd and then begin our meeting by 12:30 in the Sanctuary; please bring a dish to share. Child care will be provided.
The Board met over this past summer and asked Stuart Goetz and Tom Scheif to act as Long Range Planning Consultants; Committee Chairs are urged to contact them as the Committees address the goals of the Long-Range Planning Proposal that the Fellowship adopted at our annual Meeting. Also, you should have received an invitation to submit an entry for the September Newsletter from Kerri Risberg, who was hired this year as an Administrative Assistant; she has replaced Judy Foster as our newsletter editor. While Kerri has been mostly working with me over the summer, she will also be available to assist Committees to carry out their work. Starting in the Fall, Kerri will be available for consultation in the Small Meeting Room for one hour after Sunday Services. Any request, however, must also go through me so that I can monitor her workload. The Board will be meeting on the 3rd Sunday of the month, starting at 8:45 a.m. in the Small Meeting Room; however, there is one exception: we will meet on October 27th, the 4th Sunday, since I will be away on the 3rd Sunday.
Knowing how reluctant many of us are to impose our beliefs on others, I would urge each of us to think of ourselves as Ambassadors for the Fellowship; in this way, we are simply "providing" information that might be of interest to others and responding to their questions or interests. For example, this past summer, I gave 4 of our Fellowship Business Cards to folks who told me they had been thinking about checking out the Fellowship; I think each of them simply needed a nudge which I'm hoping I gave them. I carry 4 or 5 cards with me; if you would like any, talk to me or Kerri; and we will provide some to you.
And, finally a big thanks to Susan Dunbar and Harlan Jacobson for donating a Dishwasher and Mark Zabee for installing it. This will certainly make our clean up go much faster.
If you are up early enough on Sunday, Sept. 8,
tune into MPR’s “On Being” from 6-7 a.m. At the end of the program there should be a sponsorship ad from SCUUF!
Pizza and Ethics Get Together
Sunday ,September 29th from 12:30 until 2:00 pm in the UUF Sanctuary We'll enjoy pizza while viewing a DVD entitled "Warehoused". This DVD is 74 minutes long and is about a large refugee camp in Kenya. Many of the Somali families in our area came out of this refugee camp. Some ended up settling in Willmar, MN as well as St. Cloud. Short discussion will follow. Program sponsored by the SJC
SCUUF Book Club
Submitted by Marcia Neely
The next meeting of the book club is at 10:00 on Saturday, September 14. We will be discussing Where the Crawdads Sing. All are welcome, but please come having read the book—or at least most of the book.
Membership Committee News
By Marge Bates
And then there were two...dishwashers that is. The Membership Committee,consisting of Marge Bates, Bettina Hixson, Susan Dunbar, Michelle Mitchell, Laura Mohn, and John and Linda Peck, are very happy to announce the installation of a second dishwasher in our kitchen. Thanks to the generous donation of Susan Dunbar and Harlan Jacobson and the plumbing skills of Mark Zabee, kitchen clean-up should be so much faster now.
Please think about signing up to bring some Sunday treats. The sign up sheet will be on the table in the Sanctuary.
We would like to have the Circle Dinner participants done by the end of September, so please sign up for this event, also on the table.
There are some things that were left in the kitchen last Spring including a crock pot. If no one claims it, we will consider it a donation.
Meditation Schedule for September 2019 - May 2020
Meditation is the practice of focusing one’s attention with intention and is used in many ways. For example, it can be used to be more in the present moment--aware and mindful of thoughts, words and actions. It can be used for growth and healing as with the loving kindness and self-compassion practices. Meditation can be used to build inner resources in a variety of ways.
Volunteers are needed for October and November meditation practices. Please contact Pam Peterson at pamelda4@gmail.com or call 320-982-2360 if you would be interested in facilitating one of these practices. (Assistance can be provided.)
NEW THIS YEAR: During September and October we will be experimenting with new times and days of the week for our meditations in an effort to accommodate the various schedules of those that attend. We will try two Saturdays a month, with one at 10:30 a.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m. We will also try a Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. one month and Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. the next month.
SEPTEMBER MEDITATION TIMES
Saturday, September 7th at 10:30 a.m., in the Sanctuary
Meditation: Through readings, meditation, and a Plum Village song by Thich Nhat Hanh, we will share reflections on breathing, quieting, being open, and freedom.
Facilitated by Helen Manion
Potluck snacks and conversation follows in the Fellowship Hall
Saturday, September 21st at 2:30 p.m. (Note this NEW time) in the Sanctuary
Meditation: Beginning Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness can be defined in various ways. One way of looking at it is: “the practice of seeing every action as an opportunity to awaken meditative inquiry.” In this meditation, we will approach the practice with a beginner’s mind.
Facilitated by Lucinda Hudson
Potluck snacks and conversation follows in the Fellowship Hall
Thursday, September 26th, 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Meditation: We will do a guided meditation in preparation of the change in seasons-from summer to fall.
Facilitated by Gail Falk
Potluck Snacks and Conversation follow in the Fellowship Hall.
Program Committee News—Expanding Our Welcome
By Lisa Bershok
Every year, the program committee reflects on the course and direction the fellowship is taking and creates a theme that helps to infuse the programs we offer to support this work. Two years ago, we selected “Growing Together” to focus on how two fellowships could merge and move forward together. We reflected inward as we found ways to embrace change and the theological diversity of a larger fellowship, as well as create new relationships. Last year, “Nurturing a Diverse Community” was chosen as the program theme. This was meant to support the work of continuing to nurture the diversity within our own congregation and our larger community. This year, our fellowship is on the precipice of continued change. We are having conversations about building changes that quite literally could have us expanding our space to welcome more congregants. We have been having conversations about ways in which to welcome more young congregants and young families. And, we have been discussing the UUA call to focus on anti-racism work and find ways to examine our internal structures to be more inclusive. Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, UUA President, writes in the Fall 2019 UU World Magazine, that anti-racism work is about “transformative love”. Here in Central MN, much community work has been done to encourage us to “Love Your Neighbor”. I know that our fellowship, and our members individually, support this work. As Unitarian Universalists, loving our neighbor is central to the 7 principles we adhere to. The transformative love Rev. Frederick-Gray writes about is the process of digging deep into our ourselves and the culture of our fellowship to consider how our welcome feels to people of color, people who identify as a part of the Queer community, and people from a variety of faith traditions. Transformative love requires change, personally and collectively. Change is difficult. It requires us to examine everything from the foundation of our constitution, to the space in which we invite others into, to the content of the programming we offer. UUA states in the UU World Magazine that “realizing true democracy requires expanding to include more diverse voices”. “It is about creating a future where not only everyone is welcome, but everyone is at home”. At our congregational meeting in May, the voices were loud and clear that we were ready to take on this work. The program committee has listened, and we will be providing a variety of programs that will take a deeper look at this work, and provide opportunities for learning, growth, and reflection on how transformative love can help us in “Expanding Our Welcome”. We want to offer a variety of ways in which to offer this content, so there may be services that feel different than a traditional service. As always, the program committee will offer content from UU ministers and local speakers, but we will also utilize podcasts and recordings from other UU sources to enhance our learning and reflection. As always, we welcome new members to our program committee, or ideas about service themes or speakers. We look forward to seeing you all again for our opening Water Ceremony on September 8th to welcome all of us back to another program year.
White Supremacy/Social Justice Learning Opportunities
From the Social Justice Committee
As the Fellowship undertakes systemic efforts to understand and dismantle white supremacy, as it informs UU policies and practices and all of our lives, the Social Justice Committee thought you might be interested in the following opportunities:
UUF at St. Cloud Pride
By Judy Foster
St. Cloud Pride is celebrating its tenth anniversary with multiple events Sept. 16-22. Check the calendar on their website: http://www.stcloudpride.org/.
UUF will participate in a Faith Community Pride and Peace Walk on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Join us at 4:30 p.m. in the Bremer Room of the St. Cloud Library for refreshments and preparation of signs, etc., to carry on the Walk. We will leave around 5, walk around Lake George, and return to the Library to attend the Hate Crimes Forum (6-7:30 in the Mississippi Room) sponsored by the St. Cloud Area Regional Human Rights Commission, as well as St. Cloud Pride. Wear your SCUUF t-shirts or sweatshirts on the Walk!
As we have every year, we will have a booth at St. Cloud Pride in the Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. We need folks to sign up for a time slot to staff the booth. There will be a sign-up sheet available on Sunday, Sept. 8, but you can contact me to sign up ahead of time. The event is held at Lake George/Eastman Park. Wear your SCUUF t-shirts or sweatshirts!
Unfortunately, the first annual Pride Parade, scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, presents a potential time conflict with our UUF Congregational Meeting from 12:30-2 that same day. We are not registered for the parade, but everyone is encouraged to go downtown (wearing your SCUUF apparel!) to cheer on the marchers after our meeting.
The College of Saint Benedict is hosting small group dialogues on transformative inclusion beginning mid-semester. Groups will range widely in topics (for example, Migration and Inclusion, Nonbinary Inclusion, Dismantling White Racism, and Universal Design). They will include CSB/SJU students, faculty, staff, and community members. You are encouraged to sign up! There is no cost to participate, timing is flexible, and participants will receive books for study and discussion. To learn more or to sign up, visit www.csbsju.edu/becoming-community or email Anna Mercedes at amercedes@csbsju.edu
For more information about the vision of “transformative inclusion” that underlies this effort, watch the following video, featuring Dr. Mary Hinton, President of the College of St. Benedict, along with Prof. Anna Mercedes, co-director of the CSB/SJU “Becoming Community” initiative, sponsored by the Mellon Foundation: https://youtu.be/i83U0mwcmFg
In addition, the committee urges attendance by SCUUF members at Create CommUNITY’s 14the annual Conversation on Race from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at River’s Edge Convention Center. This year’s event will feature Breaking Ice, “one of Pillsbury House Theatre’s signature, award-winning programs” offering “an entertaining and thought-provoking experience designed to foster better understanding and communication around difficult issues…An organized discussion facilitated by a trained Breaking Ice artist will follow the performance and use deep reflection and dialogue as a springboard to positive action.” Dinner will be served with a vegetarian option. Registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/create-community-continuting-the-conversation-on-race-tickets-64400757399
Building Bridges - Circles of Understanding - and more
by Charlotte Stephens
The Greater St Cloud Faith Leaders group meets monthly to work together to tear down walls and build communities of acceptance and peace. As SCUUF's representative at the meetings, I encourage your involvement in activities organized and supported by the group.
Saturday, September 21. 4:30pm - 6:00pm. Circles of Understanding @ Discovery School. Do you want to join in a "Circle of Understanding" conversation? Circle conversations bring people from diverse backgrounds together to understand one another, strengthen bonds, and solve community problems. Marge Bates and Tom Hergert from SCUUF have been trained as facilitators, and other members of the Fellowship attended previous conversations. Contact me if you are interested or want more information. Call me at 251-8677 or email at charlow@cloudnet.com
Saturday, September 14. 2:30pm - 4:45pm. Dine and Dialogue @ St Cloud Library. Some Faith Leaders attended previously and encourage community participation in these events, hosted by Hudda Ibrahim. She has been hosting them since fall 2017, and in December 2017 the Fellowship co-hosted a Dine and Dialogue event in our building. The September 14 event is described as "a community discussion about how our American values transcend religion and race. Enjoy Somali tea and snacks while listening to a lively discussion about how our diversity makes us a stronger community."
Sunday, August 25, the Greater St Cloud Faith Leaders hosted a potluck picnic at Lake George. If you attended I'm interested in hearing about your experience at this cross cultural, multi-religious event.
The Caring Committee
The Caring Committee has been formed for the times in each of our lives when we need help from another person. The members of the Caring Committee are available to help members and friends of the St. Cloud UU Fellowship in a variety of ways. Feel free to call any member of the committee.
Linda Saupe 320-250-0340 (Chairperson) Marge Bates 320-267-3590
Hanni Epp 320-217-2471 Doug Polley 320-240-0520 Chris Smith 320-251-1497
Charlotte Stephens 320-251-8677 Ron Syme 320-333-9732
For anyone with emergency needs, a wide range of services is available from agencies and organizations in the community. These can be accessed by calling 211 (or 800-543-7709). A white notebook on the shelf in the foyer also contains information about some emergency services. Information about other community resources may be found on the Community Bulletin Board and in the black notebook on the shelf in the foyer.
LOST & FOUND
At the August 17 work day, we found items that don't belong to the Fellowship. Found items include crock pots, pie plate, Christmas bowl, black coats, gloves, sun glasses, and more. Items will be placed on a marked table in the foyer during September.
We propose the following plan for removal.
1. If the items are yours, please retrieve them no later than Sept. 15.
2. Items remaining after Sept. 15 may be taken by others until Sept. 29.
3. After Sept. 29, items will be donated.
Calendar Reminders
AVOID ROOM CONFLICTS: Please check the online calendar on our website for space assignments. To get your UUF event on the calendar and reserve your space, send an email to Jessica Beierman using this email address: UUFcalendar@gmail.com.
To check on renting the Fellowship for outside groups, contact Charlotte Stephens at 251-8677 or charlow@cloudnet.com)
Saturday, Sept. 7
10:30 am Meditation -- Sanctuary
Saturday, Sept. 14
10-11:30 a.m., Book Discussion—Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, Sept. 18
4:30 pm Faith Community Pride and Peace Walk-- Bremer Room of the St. Cloud Library
Saturday, Sept. 21
11 a.m.-4 p.m. UUF at St. Cloud Pride in the Park—Lake George/Eastman Park
Saturday, Sept. 21
2:30 pm Meditation -- Sanctuary
Sunday, Sept. 22
12:30-2 p.m., Congregational Meeting--Sanctuary
Thursday, Sept. 26
6:30 pm Meditation—Sanctuary