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First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit4605 Cass AvenueDetroit, MI 48201Phone 313-833-9107Fax 313-833-0127October 17, 2004 |
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First Unitarian Universalist Church
Organizational Chart 2003 - 2004 Officers Moderator Colleen Dolan-Greene Vice Moderator & Strategic Planning Jim Harvey Immediate Past Moderator Lynda Smith Board Secretary Kathe Stevens Treasurer Bob Lauer Staff Interim Minister Rev. David B. Park Minister Emeritus Rev. Larry Hutchison Director of Religious Education Jennifer Teed Music Director Todd Ballou Choir Director Lyle Brown Church Secretary Wendi Winston Building and Grounds Joe Brimmer Trustees Charlotte Allen Mark Bendure Linda Darga Carolyn Ludwig Kathleen Rock Irene Schultz Dan Secrest Ruth Seifert Dan Wiest Newsletter Irene Schultz |
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Newsletter Deadline The next deadline is Sunday, November 7, 2004, no later than 12:30 P.M. Newsletter Articles Please leave legible contributions in the Newsletter box located outside the church office. Please include your name and a contact number should there be any questions.Articles may also be emailed to me, by the deadline date and time, at ieschultz1945@yahoo.com If you email items, please specify they are for the Newsletter. Please do not write articles on little pieces of paper or contribution envelopes, the ones that don't get lost are very hard to read. |
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From the Interim Minister
Six persons have joined First UU since late August. They are: Erin Knowles, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Dan Fitzgerald, Lenise Whitman, Nicole Kozub, and Richard Jones. We welcome you! Brief profiles of these new members will appear in upcoming issues. Your interim minister also signed the membership book, on 22 August.
First UU's linkages to the larger community are coming into clearer focus, for me as your interim minister, for the Board, and for many church members.
Eight or ten of us attended the MOSES rally at UDM on Sunday, 26 Sept. Several thousand Detroiters raised the roof at Callihan Hall in support of civil rights, decreasing crime, improving public transportation and roads, creating universal health care, and exploring better land uses. Governor Granholm, Mayor Kilpatrick, and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano promised to join with MOSES in advancing its agenda. Lynda Smith and I attended together. There were so many people there that we missed half of our First UU delegation.
I distributed background material on MOSES to the Board of Trustees at its October meeting. At the November meeting I will recommend that First UU seek membership in this organization.
As reported to the Board, I am in conversation with two neighboring UU churches, the Paint Creek congregation in Rochester (Leonetta Bugleisi, minister) and the Birmingham Unitarian Church in Bloomfield Hills. I spoke with Leonetta en route by car to a district ministers' retreat outside Cincinnati. I spoke with Lucille McNaughton of BUC, coordinator of the Coalition for Racial Justice, on 10 and 12 October, to discuss the Coalition and its work.
Only today (I am writing on 13 Oct.) Sally Borden told me of the work of the Southeast Michigan UU Social Justice Network, of which she is a member. This coalition meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Northwest church to discuss needs and opportunities for social justice action.
As First UU renews its commitment to the city, and seeks to revitalize its internal systems, we need to remind ourselves that we are not alone. Many other congregations, inner-city and suburban, are revisiting their purposes and re-evaluating their priorities. Of the 36 congregations and other religious organizations that constitute MOSES, only one is UU, namely, the Birmingham Unitarian Church, which I salute. I am hoping that next month First UU will become number 37.
If you want more information, or are ready to get involved in First UU's wider ministry in the city of Detroit, please speak to me or Jennifer Teed, DRE, or to Linda Darga of the Social Justice Committee.
Happy greetings to all! David.
In Memoriam
It is with deep sadness that we report the death of long-time church member Frank Klaetke, who died October 4. Frank will be missed.
UU Community Place News
The Detroit City Council will hold its evening meeting in our area (Model Neighborhood) on November 16, 2004 from 7 - 8:30 P.M. at the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren. Representatives from City departments will also be on hand to receive complaints and explain departmental plans and policies. For more information or to submit questions and concerns, call 313-224-6225. This is a good opportunity for First UU faces to be seen and voices to be heard.
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Women's Alliance
"Homeless Issues and First Church" is the topic of the after luncheon talk by Henriette Warren, Deputy Director, Detroit Central City. To attend the $6.00 noon luncheon on Wednesday, November 17 in Memorial Hall, please make your reservation by November 15 by phoning the church office at 313-833-9107 or Eiko Takemoto. If you cannot attend the luncheon, feel free to attend after lunch, about 1:00 P.M. for the talk at no charge.
Printer
Needed
Contact Len Zettel
, (313) 277-3711 if you can help us out.
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Our November selection will be Brown Girls, Brown Stones by Pauline Marshall. In December we will discuss children's literature. All are welcome. We meet in Memorial Hall at 1:00 P.M. on the first Sundays of the month. Contact Maria Majer for more information.
Choir
Our choir is open to all who enjoy singing and being with some really nice people. Rehearsals are in Memorial Hall, unless otherwise noted, and begin at 9:30 A.M. The schedule follows:
October - 17 with performance
October 24 & 31 - off
November - 7, 14, 21 with performance on the 21st
November 28 - off
December 5, 12, 19 with performances on the 19th and 24th (Christmas Eve)
December 26 - off
The Adult RE Team is hosting an exciting event on November 19th to raise money for our budget and classes. Please join us for a "hot" evening of fellowship and good food from 6:30 - 9:30 P.M. in McCollester Hall. The cost is $5.00 - $10.00 sliding scale per person to include chili, salad, dessert and beverages. We will offer prizes for the best chili as decided by the participants. Call Irene Schultz or Barbara Stevenson to volunteer your best pot of chili - vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
An orientation for new or prospective members at First Church will be held for three sessions on consecutive Wednesday nights starting November 3 from 7:00 - 9:00 in Memorial Hall. The series provides an opportunity for new members to meet more established members in an intimate atmosphere and learn more about Unitarian Universalism. The three sessions will allow us to:
- get to know one another
- share personal odysseys
- learn about this church in particular - why it has existed, what it has represented in the community, some of its struggles and successes
- learn about Unitarian Universalism and its history and beliefs
- learn about the structure and activities of the congregation
- discuss ways of becoming actively involved
I hope the series will prove as helpful to you as it has to past participants. It is often in these more intimate settings that one can get a better feel or understanding of the group you've chosen to become a part of.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact Dan Wiest or phone the church office.
Noel Night
Noel Night is rapidly approaching, December 4th this year, so we are looking for cookie makers, cider spicers, entertainers and vendors. If you are interested in the vendor part of it, give Irene Schultz a call for more information. If you would like to help with the cookies and cider, see Ruth Siefert.
Coffee Hour Helpers Needed
Do you ever wonder how all those cookies and other goodies we have at coffee hour get set up? It's usually Dan Wiest and Margaret Beck. How about if we give them a hand! Please offer to help out. Thank you to Carol and Mark Bendure for taking on the responsibility for the month of November.
November Birthdays
2. Caroline Taylor, Mary Lee Ventzke, Floy Cheney
3. Thom Moore
10. Nick Pappas
15. Jim Harvey
19. Pearl Samples
23. Lawrence Secrest
24. Peggy Wilkie
25. Kathe Stevens
26. Dody Brodersen
30. Louise Walter, Megan Stevenson
Cakes for the Queen of Heaven was created for those who are interested in exploring women's religious history. It focuses on significant religious issues of feminism such as domination and subordination, suppression of the female presence in Judaism and Christianity, and access to power; describing the ways in which these issues have affected our culture. Attitudes derived from religious philosophy and beliefs have had a profound effect on interpersonal relationships among women and men and on family patterns. They have had an equally profound effect on the power structures of all the institutions in our society. This program provides a vehicle by which adults may examine the historical roots of these phenomena and move toward effecting change in our society where that is judged to be desirable and necessary.
All are welcome to join us for this exciting 10 - week course beginning November 4, 2004 from 7 - 9 P.M. at First UU Church in Detroit. The cost is $25.00 per person to cover the expense of supplies. Please call Irene at 313-838-3348 to register before Tuesday, November 2nd (election day - don't forget to vote!)
Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, October 31st. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour Saturday night.
Cider Mill Trip
After Church Next Sunday, October 24
Next Sunday after church we will begin to set up the ofrenda in the Sanctuary for the Day of the Dead Service the following Sunday. After we're finished we will have some pizza and head for the cider mill.
If you're interested in going please email Jennifer Teed by Friday October 22.
Halloween Costume Party
SATURDAY October 30TH
1st UU Church of Detroit
| Games | Ages up to 12...6:30-8:30 pm Ages 13 - 19... 8:30-11:30 pm | Crafts |
| Ghost Stories | Pumpkin decorating | Dancing |
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