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Unitarian UniversalistFellowship of Decatur
3773 N. MacArthur Rd. Decatur, IL 62526 Phone: (217) 875-5442 www.uufd.org
Our servicesAt 10:15 a.m., unless otherwise noted
We offer religious education for children and child care for babies.
Sept. 4 – Labor Day – Noformal service, but join us at10:15 at the Fellowship formeditation, social time andbrown bag lunch. Rene Verrywill host.
Sept. 11 – WaterCommunion, Rev. MichelleLaGrave. We’ll begin ourchurch year with a traditionalwater communion.Remember to bring a smallamount of water thatsymbolizes somethingspecial about your summer;perhaps a place you visitedor something you did righthere in Decatur.
Sept. 18 – He That Plantsa Tree Loves OthersBesides Himself, Dr. JudyParrish, Chairwoman ofthe Millikin BiologyDepartment. Local reforest-ation actions we can takelocally to combat global
deforestation and its impacton the environment.
Sept. 25 – Voices of thePoets, Rev. MichelleLaGrave. Whether we listento Rumi, Hafiz, Oliver orTagore, poets of all faithshave a common ability to callus out of our mundaneexperiences of the secularand into the realm of thesacred.
September 2016
Baha’i picnic
Potluck with the
Baha'i Community
5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17
UUFD
Fun evening of getting to know oneanother, listening to each other’s
stories, and practicing radicalhospitality.
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PAGE 2 September 2016
Wouldn't it be fun to have matching UUFD T-shirts when we attend communitymeetings, get involved in social action activities orvolunteer together? The Outreach Committee has asample of a shirt they designed with our logo on thefront and 'Nurture Your Spirit' along with our web-site on the back.
The shirts can be ordered in Adult S – 3XL ($10/ea)and Kids (2-4, 6-8) $8/each. The blue you see atright is the color that won by popular vote. If thecost is prohibitive for you, please contact Rev.Michelle.
Orders, along with payment, will be taken through Sept. 11. Contact Rev. Michelleabout ordering.
Show your UUFD spirit and give others something to ask you about.
Show your UUFD spirit
Please help us welcome Emily Richard asthe new teacher for our UU youth! Emilybrings 11 years of teaching experience toher work with UUFD. She is a mother of 3children, and would be happy to tell youall about her adventures in parenthood.
Emily is observing and getting to knowour youth, and will begin teaching inSeptember. We are thrilled to have Emilyamong us.
We are also happy to see Chloe Clark, ourbabysitter, back with us after her foot
surgery. The pink cast on her leg will bewith her for awhile, but it doesn’t slow herdown much.
Rev. Michelle will be leading the ReligiousEducation class on Sunday, Sept. 18.Bring a friend!
Keep watching the Newsletter and theweekly eBlasts for updated news about REhappenings. We are planning some funnew activities, and we always welcomeyour ideas.
Emily Richard in her own words . . .My name is Emily Richard and I amlooking forward to learning more aboutUUism and teaching RE. I grew up inDecatur and went to school at St. Teresaand then went to Eastern Illinois
Continued on page 3
Emily Richard is new RE teacher
PAGE 3 September 2016
Emily from page 2University in Charleston, IL. I earned mybachelor’s degree in Early ChildhoodEducation at EIU in 1996. I came back toDecatur and was a substitute teacher fora couple years and then taught Pre-K in afew different schools for several years. Iwas a volunteer for Big Brothers BigSisters for many years and met my futurehusband through my time at BBBS. Myhusband Keith and I got married in 2008.I taught part time in a morning Pre-Kclassroom for a couple years after gettingmarried. In 2011 we started working onhaving a family and I decided to stayhome. We now have three children athome. Our son Mario is 4 years old, sonAlex is 9 and daughter Ashlee will be 11next month.
School Supply DriveGLAD is partnering with the MaconCounty Youth Pride group to help youthgroup chaperones and support for thisnewly formed organization. Currentlythey are requesting school supplies forthe middle and high school LGBTQIyouth with the following needs: multi-pocket poly accordion files, 3-ringbinders, pencils, pens, post-it-notes,colored sharpie markers, highlightermarkers, 3x5 index cards, pocketfolders, sticky arrow notes, and college-ruled note paper. If you would like to
YOU could be a greeterVern Thistlewaite is lining up UUFDGreeters for the coming year. Youwould arrive at UU a little early, greetfolks, hand them an order of serviceand invite newcomers to sign our guestbook Vern would like to get people tovolunteer regularly once a month. Forinstance, Barb Hannon is going to dothe fourth Sunday each month. Pleasecontact Vern if you would like to helpout.
help these young people, many of whomcannot safely be out and open to theirfamilies, classmates, and teachers, bringyour school supplies to the UUFellowship on any Sunday and Michelle,Micah, or Rene will get them to theFriday night youth group meetings.
Bye, bye Biedlers Our former minister, John Biedler, andhis wife, Gwen, visited UUFD in lateAugust to bid farewell. They, and JoanBrown, are moving to Tulsa, Okla. Johnwill be working part-time in the All Soulscongregation there. Joan’s move willcome after gallbladder surgery. We’resorry to see them go.
Lighter snacksThe Sept. 11 coffee host/hostess willresume offering a snack with coffee andtea. Just a small snack is encouraged.
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PAGE 4 September 2016
Our fellowship has been invited to joinother central Illinois UU communities toparticipate in the Sept. 12 National MoralDeclaration Day of Action. The UU Churchof Urbana-Champaign and the AbrahamLincoln Unitarian Universalist Congrega-tion in Springfield are sending groups tothis event.
The event will begin at about 10:30 andend at approximately noon. The U-Cgroup has even offered to swing throughDecatur to pick up people.
The National Moral Declaration Day ofAction will be held at state capitols aroundthe nation. At 11 a.m. in every time zone,faith leaders from diverse traditions andpeople impacted by poverty, racism, andinjustice will come together to declarethat it is time for a moral revolution ofvalues. They will deliver the HigherGround Moral Declaration declaring thatthe deepest public concerns of our societyare not just political issues but moralissues, namely: how we treat those onthe margins and establish peace, equality,and justice for all. It seeks to turn publicdiscourse to higher ground, away fromextremist politics and policies that benefit
the few, and toward policies and laws thatvalue people and the planet.
Rev. William Barber, leader of the NorthCarolina Moral Mondays movement andspeaker at this summer’s DemocraticNational Convention, says, “We are calledto be the 'moral defibrillators' of our time.Together, we can save the heart of ourdemocracy, and 'shock' this nation withthe power of love, mercy, and justice forall.”
Please contact Rev. Michelle if you canparticipate on Sept. 12.
Even if you cannot attend . . .Please sign and share the Higher GroundMoral Declaration put forth by Rev. Dr.Barber, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Rev. Dr.Traci Blackmon, and Sister SimoneCampbell. The Declaration includessections on democracy and voting rights,poverty and economic justice, workersrights, education, healthcare,environmental justice, immigrants rightsand xenophobia, criminal justice, LGBTQrights, war mongering and the military.
UUFD joins Sept. 12 National MoralDeclaration Day of Action, Springfield
Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network ofIllinois at last year’s National Moral DeclarationDay of Action in Springfield.
Delegates react to a speech by the Rev. WilliamBarber during the final day of the DemocraticNational Convention in Philadelphia. (MichaelRobinson Chavez/The Washington Post)
PAGE 5 September 2016
Mindfulness & Spiritual-ity, 7 p.m. Thursday,Sept. 1 and 15.This UUFD group meets onthe first and third Thursdayof each month in theSanctuary to have a sessionof silent meditation and todiscuss a topic ofspirituality related tomeditation practices. Westart promptly at 7 p.m.with the meditation, soplease arrive early andenter the Sanctuary insilence. The group is opento any member or friend ofthe Fellowship or anyone inthe community who isinterested in these topics.Contact Mel Weinstein forinformation: [email protected]
Humanist Group, 7 p.m.,Wednesday, Sept. 7.Delores Logue will lead thediscussion on the topic:Plutocrats and Oligarchs:can democracy bereclaimed? The group willalso discuss an earliermeeting time, as per arequest.
Gay and LesbianAssociation of Decatur,6:30 p.m. Saturday,
Sept. 10. This group meetsthe second Saturday ofmonth for a potluck dinnerand program. If you haveany questions, pleasecontact one of our co-chairs: Jerry Bowman [email protected] or UUFDmember Rene Verry.
GLAD was founded inFebruary 1993 to promoteequality between womenand men, and the LGBTQIand straight community.
Our mission is to: offeropportunities that facilitatesocial interaction; providecommunity service; educatethe public about LGBTQIissues and concerns;combat social injustice; andserve as an advocate forthe LGBTQI population inMacon County.
We are a welcoming groupopen to adults who identifyas gay, lesbian, bisexual,transsexual, queer-identity,and straight.
The Women’s Book Club,6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.14 at the home of BarbaraHannon. The book isAmericanah by Adichie.Please RSVP to Barbara [email protected] if you’dlike to attend. Bring a dish
to share for the potlucksupper.
We’ll miss you,Decatur VegetarianSocietyFor years, the DecaturVegetarian Society hashosted their monthlypotluck and meeting at ourfellowship. However,because of a proposed newpolicy that would changerules for building rental, theDVS now finds it necessaryfinancially to meetelsewhere. From now on,they will meet at theDecatur Public Library. TheDVS hosts a potluck at 6:30p.m. every thirdWednesday of the month.They ask that you pleasebring a vegan dish to shareand your own table serviceand drink. Or, you can justdonate $5. If you would liketo be notified about futuremeetings,contact Mel Weinstein:[email protected].
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PAGE 6 September 2016
Dearest Ones,With this edition of thenewsletter, we begin ournew church year. Welcomeback, welcome home,welcome for the first time!We have an excit-ing year
aheadof us,beginningwithtwogreateventsthis
month. On Monday,September 12th, UUs andother faith leaders andcommunity organizers willgather in Springfield for theNational Moral Day ofAction. Yes, this is theMoral Monday movement!The morning will be cappedoff by a presentation to theGovernor of the MoralDeclaration. (If youhaven’t signed it yet, seeour Facebook page for a
link. If you don’t haveinternet access and wouldlike to sign it, let meknow.) We will be askingfor things like living wages,clean energy, equaleducation, fairness in
criminal justice, votingrights and affordable action– all moral issues that wecan agree on across adiversity of faiths andpeoples. We are workingon a plan to share rideswith some of the UUs fromthe Champaign-Urbanachurch. I hope many ofyou will be ready to joinus!
With faith and love,Rev. Michelle
In Michelle’s words
Thank you, Nic!Nicholas Sanders did a greatjob as our pianist whenChristina was gone. Nic isgoing to be a senior atMillikin University thiscoming semester. He hasbeen a Commercial Musicmajor for his four yearsthere and has been involvedin the Jazz Bands and choirsat Millikin. Born and raisedin Marion, Nic has beenplaying piano since the ageof six and has been perform-ing ever since. With his lastyear at Millikin starting, hehasn’t settled on an after-school plan, but is starting tolook for graduate schools topursue a Master’s in Theoryand/or Composition. Hewould like to thank thecongregation for letting himplay for these few Sundaysin August.
Rev. Michelle LaGraveMinister
Unitarian UniversalistFellowship of Decatur, IL
[email protected] [email protected]
860-539-3248 (cell)
Office Hours:Tuesday: 3-5 pm
Wednesday: 1-5 pmThursday: 1-5 pm
Also by appointment
Mondays: Day OffFridays: Reading and
Writing Day - phone calls forurgent matters welcome
Defying the Nazis: TheSharps’ War will air on PBSSept. 20. The Ken Burnsdocumentary is about a UUminister and his wife who
risked their lives to savehundreds of politicaldissidents and Jewishrefugees fleeing the Nazis.The companion book, byBeacon Press, will beavailable starting Sept. 9. Formore info: http://www.uua.org/action/defying-nazis-sharp-story
UU documentary on PBS Sept. 20
PAGE 4 September 2016
Progress on a revamping UUFD website should be coming soon. Rev. Michell hopes itwill be up and running in an early form sometime in September.
How do we know if we’re on track with the Fellowship’s Sustainable Growth plan? TheFinance Committee is helping us devise a way to guide us. Weekly Sunday attendancewill go into the mix. We’ve kept those numbers going way back in history, but we’regoing to standardize our counting in terms of “members/regulars”, “visitors” and “kids”.Mark Sorensen, Rene Verry and Dick Zaker were designated to be responsible to seethat the count is accurate.
The increased brightness and beauty of the interior of our Fellowship, especially theSanctuary, was noted during the meeting. Pat Rossiterdescribed some of the work continuing on the ornatechairs that ordinarily are placed behind the pulpit.
You’ll read elsewhere in this Newsletter about thecontribution made by Millikin students on Work Day.We’re going to explore how to build the bonds betweenthe university and ourselves.
Please join us at our (your) next Board meeting, noonon Sunday, Sept. 11.
A special thanks to Kaycee Fuentes and the14 Millikin freshmen who arrived at 9 a.m.and worked to almost noon on our work day.
Work that day included: 60 daffodils gotplanted, the gardens were cleaned, busheswere reduced, light pole painted, all windowswashed inside and out, all screens cleaned,all woodwork cleaned and oiled, newbathroom light switches, new Service Berrytree in the front door garden, all tot toyscleaned, RE all cleaned, furnace room cleanedout, kitchen cabinets all labeled, shed cleanedout, sidewalk grass edged, fallen branchespicked up, area behind UUFD cleaned up,large corner sign reinforced and spiffed up.
Much thanks to the following members:
Terry Ankrom, Lynn Crow, Rex Crow, MargeEvans, Barbara Hannon, Melissa Hendrianand Owen, Mary Lovell, Stuart Black,JenniferRaleigh, Pat Rossiter, Darwin Shroyer, LindaShroyer, Elizabeth Jeffery, Kathy Sorensen,Judy Thistlethwaite, Vern Thistlethwaite,Joyce Throneburg, and Rene Verry.
Mark
Thank you!
Pat Rossiter adds a touch of blue toone of the Sanctuary walls. Pat,Kathy Sorensen and Rene Verry areworking on making the FellowshipBuilding more welcoming.
Board highlights
8
Former UUFD Member DiesIf you attended ourcongregation when we werein the old Victorianhouse, you might rememberPhyllis Read. She marriedRobert Hathaway, and theirchildren included M. ChristaLee and Charla Hathaway,who made our stained glasswindow and visited us during a servicethis summer.
Phyllis Read, 94, was a beloved teacher,counselor, world traveler/lecturer, mother,grandmother, and friend. She died June23 among family and friends comfortingher final days.
Phyllis earned her bachelor’s degree inHome Economics at the University ofIllinois, and later received her Master ofScience in Education/Counseling at MillikinUniversity.
Phyllis taught school and counseledstudents as she plunged into a lifetime ofhumanitarian activities, serving as 4-Hclub leader, Unitarian Universalist activist,Guardian Ad Litem, and Global Volunteer.
In 1976, as a member of the US-ChinaPeople’s Friendship Association at theUniversity of Illinois, she was selected asone of the first Americans to represent theUnited States in traveling to CommunistChina—paving the way for Westerners.
Phyllis leaves her six children and theirspouses: Rondalyn Hathaway and husbandGene Strait, Joline Hathaway, and CharlaHathaway of Austin, Texas; Christa andhusband Peter Lee of McAllen, Texas;Cynthia Hathaway of Keaau, Hawaii; andThomas Hathaway and his wife Lupita ofSteamboat Springs, Colo. She will also bemissed by her seven grandchildren.
Find us on the InternetFacebook page: UUFD - Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Decatur, ILTwitter: UU Decatur
Thank you for helping us raise awarenessof UUFD via social media.
Deonne Orvis Sept. 13Kathy Kline Sept. 23
If YOU want to get some recognition, [email protected]
Lorelei Zaker is the editor of thisNewsletter
The deadline for the October editionis Sept. 20.
UUFDNewsletter@ gmail.com
PAGE 4 September 2016
Rather than gifts or contributions, thefamily says you can share with her yourprayers and dreams as wished upon her“Phyllis Read” star, just left of the Leoconstellation… “a loving tribute to herbright and beneficent life”.
You can read Phyllis’ entire obituary withthis link to the Putnam County, ILnewspaper – http://www.putnamcountyrecord.com/2016/07/08/phyllis-read/a9tytml/
From the PreZSorry, our newsletter was so full thismonth we had to pull the president’scolumn! If you need to get a hold of him,he is at [email protected] .
Happy Birthday!
