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First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit 4605 Cass Avenue Detroit, MI 48201 Phone 313-833-9107 Fax 313-833-0127 April 17, 2005

From the Interim Minister

There are exciting developments on the social justice front.

First UU's MOSES Core Team, chaired by Alicia Biggers, is sponsoring two citywide community forums. The Detroit Mayoral Candidate Forum is scheduled for Saturday, 4 June at 2 p.m. in our sanctuary. A City Council Candidate Forum is two weeks later, on Saturday, 18 June at 2 p.m. Candidates for mayor and council have received their invitations by now. I urge you to enter these dates in your engagement book. Members of the Core Team will publicize both forums, prepare the hall, and welcome members of the community to First UU. Refreshments will be served. To volunteer, contact Alicia Biggers at 313-530-1405 or 313-323-6679.

Do you recycle? Would you like to begin recycling? A group of First UU people wants to make recycling as easy as possible. First UU Recycles is the working name for a community-wide program serving the Midtown neighborhood. Consult future issues of this newsletter for dates, times, and other details. The planning committee, headed by Alecia Becks, includes Jerry Williams and the undersigned from First UU, Sarah Kubik, a near neighbor, and Margaret Weber (consultant), executive officer of Rosedale Recycles in northwest Detroit. Join us!

Based on a suggestion last fall by Linda Darga, a new group has formed to oppose the re-establishment of a military draft and to offer counsel to draft-age individuals who are conscientiously opposed to war. Finding Alternatives to Military Enlistment (FAME) met in McCollester Hall after a recent Sunday service. It is working closely with the Michigan Emergency Coalition Against War and Injustice (MECAWI) on training and publicity. An effort will be made to contact opinion-leaders in the schools who sympathize with the objectives of the group. For information

contact Jennifer Teed, DRE.

First UU has a glorious history of involvement in the great ethical issues of the day, including abolitionism, the peace movement, civil rights, the rights of workers, environmental justice, birth control and abortion, and gay and lesbian rights.

I welcome these evidences of militancy in our midst. It is easy to do nothing. It is easy to write a check and leave it at that. Commitment consists of taking a stand on a disputed public question, rolling up your sleeves, and getting to work. We honor Alicia, Alecia, and Jennifer for their leadership in these timely and urgent causes. My best to you...David.

Canvass Information

• Pledges are being solicited for the church fiscal year, which runs from July 2005 – June 2006.

• Member pledges enable the church leadership to budget expenses including the salaries of the minister, music director, choir director religious education director, office administrator, and building maintenance personnel.

• Dan Secrest is coordinating the canvass this year. Please contact Dan via email or phone to make a pledge, or if you have any concerns. His contact information is provided below.

• Dan suggests that you pledge a percent of your income. The Unitarian Universalist Suggested Giving Guidelines recommend a pledge of 3% of income for someone earning $50,000 per year. Of course, your pledge will vary according to your financial capability, your level of commitment to the church, and other personal considerations.

• Live a generous life. Please keep the liberal religious flame alive in Detroit.

Dan Secrest

Women’s Book Club

The next meeting of the Women's Book Club will be on Sunday May 1, 2005 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM in Memorial Hall. The book to be discussed will be When We Were Grown Up by Ann Tyler. The June 5^th selection is Little Red Riding Hood – Uncloaked – Sex, Morality and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale by Catherine Orenstein. On July 10 (please note date change due to July 4^th holiday) we will be discussing Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Nasland. At the August 7^th group, we will be talking about Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl by Kate McCafferty. Please contact Maria Majer at maria_majer@yahoo.com or 313-899-1694 for additional information. All are welcome.

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:

April 24 – off

May 1, 8,15 with performance on the 15^th

May 22 & 29 off

June 5, 12, 19 with performance on the 19^th.

Circle Suppers

Circle Suppers are a great way to get to know other people in the church. Groups of 7 or 8 gather at one person's home for dinner. The host furnishes beverages and hors d’oeuvres and guests each bring a dish to pass. If you would like to participate in one of the suppers on April 29, 30, or May 1, please contact Ann Harvey or Arlene Teed. There will also be a sign up sheet at coffee hour each Sunday through April 24. New members and friends are particularly invited to attend.

UU NEEDS YOU

The Nominating Committee for First UU is looking for people to serve this great church of ours. If you are interested in finding out more, or in running for a position, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee. This is a crucial time in our church history and we all need to work together as constructively as we can to have a dynamic, functional and growing congregation. So let's begin the conversation.

Available Positions

• Moderator, Vice Moderator, Five (5) Members of the Board of Trustees

• Members of the Religious Education Committee

• Members of the Nominating Committee (7)

• General Assembly Delegates and Alternates (3 of each)

• Heartland District Delegates and Alternates (3 of each)

• Ministerial Search Committee (4)

Sally Borden, Convener, Nominating Committee Alma King, Mary Lou Malone, Bill McKnight, Allison Parks and David Robinson

M.O.S.E.S

Your M.O.S.E.S. core group invites you to our Candidate Forums scheduled for June 2, 2005 (Detroit Mayoral) and June 18, 2005 (Detroit City Council) at 2pm. These forums are based on your feedback, passion and concerns! This is your opportunity to become more of an educated, active citizen in this community. More to come so stay tuned! Contact any of your M.O.S.E.S. Core Team members! You can reach Alicia Biggers @ 313-530-1405 or abiggers3@comcast.net for more information or to contribute topics or questions for our Forum (panel) speakers.

New UU Orientation

An orientation for new or prospective members at First Church will be held for three sessions on consecutive Wednesday nights starting May 6 from 7:00 - 9:00 in Memorial Hall. The series provides opportunities 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.

Art and Soul

All Heartland young adults ages 18 – 35 are invited to attend this spiritual power of creativity. May 20 – 21 are the dates. Hopedale UU Community Church in Oxford, OH is the place. We will use The Artist’s Way to focus on the theme of the conference. For more information contact Kelly at guudstuff@yahoo.com Online registration and paper registration materials to follow.

To Heartland District Unitarian-Universalists

Mary Andrus Overly, Heartland’s District Executive for the last four years, announced her resignation at the district annual meeting and conference this past week. Her last day of work is Friday, April 22. The board has accepted her resignation with grateful appreciation for the many gifts Mary has brought to this role and which have contributed to the health and growth of the district over the years.

What are next steps?

The board has met with the UUA’s Director for District Services the Rev. Harlan Limpert. Together they will seek a temporary DE who can serve the district even as a Search Committee is created to conduct a search for a “permanent” DE. The hope is that an temporary DE will be in place in the next 90 days and that a search committee for a permanent DE will be created in that same time frame. Current plans are for a permanent DE to be hired sometime between January and June of 2006. It takes this much time because significant effort will be made to solicit feedback from both lay and professional leaders in the district on the topic of what skills and abilities Heartland needs in a district executive.

The Board of Trustees of the Heartland District has both a Vice President of Administration, Steve Thompson, and a Vice President of Finance/Treasurer, Susan Bookour. They especially will be engaged in the coming weeks and months to ensure no crucial tasks are ignored. And, of course, our capable staff of Nancy Combs-Morgan and Barbara Hamilton will rally to ensure we continue to function at a high level.

In the interest of good communications, you may be getting duplicate copies of this email. If you do, please excuse us. And if you know of someone who may not have received this communication who would appreciate getting it, please forward it to him or her.

The district is strong and moving forward. This change is an opportunity to get even more clarity on how the district board, the district staff, and our partners at UUA headquarters in Boston can grow Unitarian Universalism and serve the congregations in the district.

Signed, Connie Haas Zuber, President: chzuber@comcast.net, 260-750-2951

Calling all Quilters

and the Visually Oriented

The Creativity Circle is planning to make a quilt. Sign up for an 8 X 8 - inch square. The finished item will be auctioned off for a fundraiser. Further information available at the Creativity Circle on May 4 at 7:00 P.M. at First UU Church. You may also call Margaret Wilkie or Irene Schultz if you would like. All are welcome.

Women’s History Dinner

May 15^th from 1 – 4 P.M. we will celebrate the women who helped shape our lives in one way or another. Come in character if you choose and bring a brief description of your person of choice. Those pesky reservations are a must and need to be made by May 11th by calling the church office at 313-833-9107, Barbara Stevenson at 313-863-6891 or Irene Schultz at 313-838-3348. All are welcome to join us at First UU Church – 4605 Cass Ave. The cost is $12.00 in advance or $15 at the door.

First Friday – May 6, 2005

There will be a BRIEF meeting immediately following the absolutely fabulous dinner to discuss the future of First Friday. As was announced earlier, Irene will no longer be cooking the dinners after the June gathering. Reservations, again, are a must and need to be made by May 4^th.

Spring Cleaning

ONE Voice Chorus – Metro Detroit’s LGBT Chorus presents “It’s Possible” at 8:00 P.M., Saturday, May 14. The concert will be at the First United Methodist Church, 320 W. 7^th Street (around the corner from Pronto), Royal Oak, MI. Suggested donation: $10.00 For more information, contact Todd at 734-480-4480, or email him at onevoicetodd@aol.com

Charlotte Allen has a new address and here it is…500 River Place – Apt. 5409, Detroit, MI 48207. You can also email her at clallen_rev@yahoo.com

UU Jewelry and Note Cards

Looking for the special gift for graduation, Mother’s Day, Coming of Age? The Church of the Larger Fellowship may have just what you’re looking for. They have several styles of chalice jewelry for all genders and all ages as well as Note Cards. To view and purchase products, visit their website (www.clfuu.org) and click on “Gift Shop” or call 617-948-6166 to request a catalog.

UU Alumni Network

All are invited to join the UU Alumni Network and help support campus ministries across our continent. Through the UU Campus Ministry Alumni Network, we seek to foster relationships between former students and graduates of universities and colleges in North America and the growing UU Campus Ministry movement. For more information email Michael Tino, Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry at mtino@uua.org or call the office at 617-948-4272.

Gather In Spirit

2005 Heartland District Spring Conference & Annual Meeting

Ten of us from First UU Church, Detroit attended the 2005 Heartland District Spring Conference & Annual Meeting, April 8-10 at the Vernon Manor Hotel and the First Unitarian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference was overwhelmingly successful. Attendance was much higher than previously experienced. It was so successful that late registrars had to register at another hotel. The weather was beautiful, which enabled us to begin the conference in a very impressive banner parade with participants of about 10 churches, from the hotel to the First UU Church. Friday’s worship service at the hotel was plenty crowded. The message was an interesting one that emphasized building the UU church, making new arrivals welcome and involving them in the church family. In inviting visitors, the example was that we must make sure the table is set with everything to make them welcome, i.e. silverware, placemat etc. Our guest doesn’t feel welcome if the chair is open but there is nothing there to demonstrate our welcome.

A further example of ideas encouraging visitors to return was the scenario

of a group who enclosed their friends in a small exclusive circle. Well, the outsiders just drew a larger circle that enclosed that circle and everyone else. We made a pleasant ending to the day by attending the lively hotel jazz session at the hotel.

The Saturday church worship services and the workshops were all very well attended. The service was followed by a wonderful reception where the Cinci. people all made us welcome and expressed how glad they were to host us. There were many interesting workshop sessions all day Saturday. Awards of outstanding achievements were presented at the luncheon. The workshops were all led by people who have been and are still actively involved in the subjects presented. We attended as many as we could fit into our schedule. We were also fortunate enough to get a glimpse of that new and wonderful exhibit The Underground Railroad Museum On Sunday morning we attended the worship service at the First UU Church, of Minister Rev. Sharon K. Dittmar. The church is located in an urban area like ours. The members were anxious to share with us their past and some of the activities they now use to function and to grow their membership. Rev. Dittmar gave us valuable information on some of the methods they created to remain a thriving, viable, safe congregation. Since Rev. Dittmar’s tenure, their congregation has grown from about 150 members to over 250. Rev. Dittmar and her members expressed their willingness to help us with any information that will help us build our congregation and in seeking an interim Minister.

“Ask and you shall receive”.

Attendees: Sophia Burris, Nora Holt, Alma King, Carolyn Ludwig, Mary Lou Malone,

Dr. James A. Robinson, Mildred Robinson, Pearl Samples, Ruth Seifert, Gwen Winston

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