Wish List

Lifespan Learning

Wish List

Our wish list is back! If you can supply any of the following items, please drop them off in the main office or the Religious Education office along with a note letting us know who it is from. Thanks!

 ·         Kleenex
·         Small cups
·         Masking Tape
·         Mounting tape
·         Staplers
·         Staples
·         Goldfish Crackers
·         Graham Crackers 

Thank you to all who have donated so far; our classrooms are now filled with:  

• 10 new butterfly chairs
• 10 new storage ottomans
• 2 floor lamps
• Resources materials for all ages
• composition books
• glue sticks  
• lap boards 
• coloring books 
• paper  
• crayons
• pens
• pencils
• Clocks
• Brightly painted walls 
• clean floors and blinds and cupboards!!

Your contributions and time are appreciated! These beautifully decorated rooms will provide the space we need for all ages to explore, learn and grow together. Thanks!

Save the Date Announcement

SAVE THE DATE!
Lifespan Learning Facilitator training
WHEN: August 27th
TIME: 10:00am- 12pm
WHERE: UUCF Social Hall



Do you have a passion for Unitarian Universalism and discovering new spiritual practices, songs, rituals, and wisdom? Our lifespan learning program needs you to help guide our children and youth as they make their own discoveries during our Sunday morning program!  Come join us!

"But I don't know how to teach about Unitarian Universalism!"

Never fear! A facilitator's role is to be authentically present with our children and youth to help guide them as they make their own discoveries. Together you will embark on a journey with our youngsters to discover what being a Unitarian Universalist means to you. During the training, we will work together to share helpful tools and tips for success.

"I would love to be a part of the spiritual journey of our children and youth... but... I can't make that training date!"

Please email director-lifespanlearning@uuflint.org and let me know! I can do some one-on-one training or I can set up a second training date for those who cannot be here on August 27th.

"I would love to be a part of the spiritual journey of our children and youth... but.. I don't have time!"
Our curriculum for this year is specifically designed with a busy schedule in mind. Prep-time is minimal and we have lots of room for people who have a special skill or gift to share with our youth, but can only commit to one or two Sunday mornings throughout the year.




"I teach five days a week. I don't want to teach on Sundays too..."


Witnessing the spiritual journey of our children and youth on Sunday mornings can be a wonderful, fulfilling experience. Our children and youth bring their own wisdom to the circle, so be prepared to leave with a renewed sense of our faith!


"I need childcare during this event!"


You're in luck! Childcare will be available for this event; to help us plan, please RSVP to 810.232.4023 or director-lifespanlearning@uuflint.org no later than Sunday, August 21st. Drop-in childcare will not be available. 


Questions?
Contact Me!
Amy Peterson Derrick
Director of Lifespan Learning
director-lifespanlearning@uuflint.org
810.232.4023 (office)
www.uuflint.org
www.uucflifespan.blogspot.com


Office hours:
Tuesday & Thursday: 1pm-7pm
Sunday: 12:00pm-2pm
and by appointment

Book sorting!

Did you know that the stories and books that surround our children and youth not only provide time for family connection and enhance a sense of imagination and adventure, but they can also help kids understand our UU Principles and values? 

From The Lorax to The Rainbow Fish to the It's Okay to be Different Book,authors have helped us to teach our children lessons about caring for our earth, sharing our gifts, honoring diversity and beyond. 

Which books do you think should be on the shelf of every UU kid? Which books should be on our shelves here at UU Flint?

On Saturday, May 28th from 10:30am-1:30pm, join us as we explore our church's current collection of children's books and begin to develop a wish list for a book drive in the fall!

Bring a list of your favorite books, a bag lunch and let's build our dream UU Library! 


*Make it a family activity; children and youth are encouraged to accompany their family so that they may offer their expertise as well! Childcare is available by request only for our youngest children. Please RSVP no later than May 26th to director-lifespanlearning@uuflint.org

Wheel of Life Service

May 22 is our special Wheel of Life Celebration! 

Join us for the annual UUCF tradition of celebrating life’s milestones for the past year including a child dedication and memorials for those who have passed. This multigenerational service will engage members of all ages as we celebrate life transitions and rites of passage. Nursery Care will be available for our youngest members. 

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint will pause to mark the milestones that have shaped our personal and communal lives since Spring 2010. Please check out the Events Tab to download our Wheel of Life Form so that you may provide us with information on life passages for you and your close family members. This can be mailed or delivered to the Church Office, or emailed to office@uuflint.org by Monday, May 16.

Special Request!

Thanks to all who enthusiastically played rhythm instruments for our Easter/Earth Celebration on Sunday! We made a joyful noise together!! 

 If by any chance, you or your child enthusiastically kept the instrument to play some more at home, please return the instrument as soon as possible to church. We are missing a maraca and some of the "egg shakers." These instruments were lovingly donated to the church for use in creating music together in worship. Please be thoughtful and return them, if they just happened to come home with you. Thanks!

CANDIDATING WEEK: Schedule of Events

Mark your calendar May 8-15 for Candidating Week! The week begins with Deane's first service on Potluck Sunday. While this is also Mother's Day, we hope you will invite your mother or mother-figures to join us at our introductory potluck celebration.

During the week, there will be several smallergroup opportunities to meet and talk with Deane in various locations and venues (Good Beans, the church, at member's homes).Finally, we will have one more opportunity to hear Deane on Sunday, May 15 before the congregation votes after the service to call her to UUCF. Members and friends of UUCF are invited and encouraged to come to all of the events, but we NEED members in church on May 8 and 15 for the services and congregational vote following the May 15th service. Your presence will help us meet the quorum necessary to vote, and your vote will determine whether or not Deane can and will accept our call. (The UUA recommends ministers not accept a call if less than 90% vote in favor of the call!) Look for a detailed agenda to arrive in the mail at home in the coming weeks.

Date/Day	MORNING	AFTERNOON	EVENING
05/0711 Sat.			Eat & Greet at Rayna Bick's home with MSC 5 to 7pm
05/08/11 Sun.	Sunday service	2nd Sunday Potluck  & Welcome program with Deane Data Quiz	5-7pm Meeting with Worship Interest Group at UUCF
05/09/11 Mon.		Luncheon at Smith-Howard home in Flushing @ Noon [Meet Amy Derrick, Dir. LSL @ 2:30-4:30p]	Family event with Diane Vack and Amy Derrick 5:30-7:30p at UUCF Bring the whole family for food and conversation!
05/10/11 Tue.	[Meet Cheryl Craig 10:30-11:30a  UUCF office]	[Meet with worship team if desire 2pm] Finance Interest Group 4p @ UUCF	Board Dinner 6-8 pm
05/11/11 Wed.	10a-12n Drop In at Good Beans Café 12-12:30 Tina Putney, Green Sanctuary at Good Beans Café	4:30-6 Operations 6p Meet Pia Broden Williams 6:30p Meet the Choir	Open House at the Straw Home in Grand Blanc 7-9pm
05/12/11 Thur.		12:30 Meeting UUSC with Pam Pinti Non Violent Communication Group 1:30-3:30p Drop In to 5p	5:30- 7p FACT Leadership Cluster
05/13/11 Fri.		1:30 -3pm Membership & Communication 4-6p Drop In for Theology Rap	Open house at the Simons residence, Davison 7-9p
05/14/11 Sat.		12-2 Green Team Reps. at lunch	Service Auction at UUCF! 5:30-8pm
05/15/11 Sun.	Sunday Service followed by Congregational Meeting to vote on candidate	Hopefully & prayerfully a coffee hour celebration!!

UUCF Service Auction

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint presents 

The 2011 Service Auction!!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

6:00PM

Service Auction Extravaganza
and Meet Deane Oliva, Ministerial Candidate
Saturday May 14th beginning at 5:30 PM in the UUSC Fellowship Hall

Join us for a Mid-eastern feast after you stroll the silent auction with a plate of hors d'oeuvres.

Write your bid on the items you would like and the highest bid wins.

After dinner Sheila Smith will become our auctioneer extraordinaire to entice you to bid on the pleasurable or useful services which our members and friends have donated. We still welcome donations of services and items for the silent auction. Please bring items and/or forms to church (more forms available in the office or after church on Sunday). There is a box in the office for donations.

Invite guests to join you. The dinner is only $5.00 per person /max. $20 per family since the Ministerial Search Committee is helping to defray the cost.

The Mid-eastern food will be catered by Kabob City on Miller Rd. near the Genesee Valley Mall. Their website is: www.kabobcity.com

Menu:

Lamb Shish Kabob: Marinated and char-broiled lamb
Chicken: Marinated and char-broiled chicken
Grilled vegetable assortment
Hummus: Chick peas, tahini (sesame butter), and spices blended together into a dip or spead
Baba Ganouj: Char-grilled eggplant, tahini, and onions blended together into a dip or spread
Stuffed Grape Leaves: Vegetarian or with Meat: A mix of rice and spices wrapped in grape leaves
Fattoush salad: Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and toasted pita chips
Assorted pastries
Coffee, Tea

Bar offerings, additional cost: Wine, beer and freshly-juiced juices

Guests could enjoy your company, the good food, a glass of freshly-juiced juice or beer or wine, and perhaps would participate in the auctions ($3/bid ticket). It will be a fun evening and not a long one.

Also consider buying a couple of tickets for members who are unable to pay the admission price. This would be most welcome. Sponsoring a table for $25.00 is another way to contribute, especially if you cannot attend.

We welcome and encourage all to attend this gala fundraising event. We hope to raise much-needed funds to help us continue the good work of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint. Questions? Call Juliet, 810-736-5091.


Sneak Peek at 2011 Service Auction Offerings
Saturday, May 14 5:30 PM in Fellowship Hall

-Landscape design consultation with an emphasis on native plantings/ Virginia Chatfield
-Locovore(locally-grown food) picnic lunch for 4 people /Shelley Page
-Consultation by semi-professional writer on your written work, 10 pages or less / Johanna Brown
-Facilitation of any meeting by professional change process instructor / Bob Brown, the younger
-Picnic with kayak and canoeing at Holly Recreation Area / Rayna Bick and John Helsom
-Picnic tour and fall color tour (in October) of Wildwood Lake area in Holly Recreation Area/ John Helsom and Rayna Bick
-Birthday party for Dr. Van (you'll never guess how old) at Sagano's Japanese Bistro and -Steakhouse on July 30 (Marion Van Winkle)
-Professional framed photograph titled Repose, archival quality inks and framed ebony oak / Gloria Boddy
-Legal consultation on any subject/ Scott Stensaas
-In-home computer instruction, or computer repair, one hour (or purchase more than one)/T. Saxton
-In-home assembly of any item (like furniture or whatever) that you would like help with /T. Saxton
-Hand-thrown pottery by professional potter/ Cheryl Jordan
-Poker party/ Sheila Smith
-Catered dinner for 6 at home of buyer/ Sheila Smith
-Hand-knitted scarf or shawl to order/ Brent Smalley
-Dinner for 2 at Brick Street Restaurant/ Mary Wolski
-Fast Eddie's Car Wash coupons/ Dorothy Gae Davis
-Editing and/or proofreading of articles, essays or papers/ Audrey Bassett
-Tarot card reading/ June Urdy
-Science and/or math tutoring/ John Straw
-Laborer for hire - yard work , tree trimming, outdoor painting, window, gutters/John Straw
-Moving man - help with moving heavy items( like furniture to or from the church rummage sale)/John Straw
-Two-2 hour blocks of time planting flowers or vegetables/Ruth Straw
-Two-20 minute Corporate (chair) massage by appointment/Sue Kirby
-Three- 1 hour massage by appointment/Sue Kirby
- Roll of scented drawer-liner paper, containing six 18" x 24" sheets, with floral design (valued at $25.00); minimum bid $15.00.
- Pair of silver-plated Florentine candlesticks (valued at $20.00); minimum bid $10.00.
- Two-tiered frosted crystal serving tray (valued at $20.00); minimum bid $10.00.-
- Mirrored oval vanity tray in silver-plated setting with floral and gold-tone bee decoration (valued at $25.00); minimum bid $15.00.

And Check out some of the donations from our own children and youth!

Bid on one of the four hand-painted chalices, recycled t-shirt bags or one-of-a-kind UU Church of Flint T-shirts! See you tonight!

Earth Day/Easter Event!!

\

Come join us this Sunday for a special Earth Day/ Easter experience!

Our multigenerational worship, "Birth of a Promise: Growing Toward Wholeness" will begin at 10:30am. Plan for a service filled with stories, songs and fun for the whole family!

Children and adults who are playing a part, or would like to play a part, should plan to arrive at 9:00am. 

Following the service, please join us for the 2011 Easter Egg Hunt! There will be over 300 eggs filled with love, candy, & MORE!

*Please help us honor our Earth; bring your own basket 

Ages 4 & Under will lead the pack with a head start.
Ages 9 & Under will be next!
Ages 10 and over will head out last 

Parents should plan to accompany children on this fun adventure!

A special thanks to Stephanie and Joe Morales for leading this year's Easter Egg Hunt! 

See you Sunday!
*****************
One of the ways our children will be involved in this Sunday's service is lighting our sacred chalice. If your child would like to take part in this, try practicing these words at home and join us for rehearsal at 9:00am!

"We light this chalice 

to celebrate

Unitarian Universalism;

The church of the 

Open mind,

Loving Heart,

and Helping Hands.

We help our Earth

and each other!"

Thinking About Child Dedication?

Unitarian Universalists joyfully welcome children into our community with ceremonies of Child Dedication. We will be offering opportunities this year for participation in a group dedication during our worship at the annual Wheel of Life Celebration on May 22. You may be wondering what Child Dedication involves, so here are some answers to common questions about this rite of passage.

What is Child Dedication?
The Unitarian Universalist tradition celebrates the birth of children as well as the entry of older children into our community when their parent(s) become members. This tradition echoes the longstanding rituals of many faiths that welcome new life into the community and the world.

What is the ritual?
We affirm the beauty of each child, bless them, officially present their names and pledge the support of the entire congregation in nurturing our children. Special music, readings and affirmations create a memorable occasion for all. A special certificate and a rose without thorns is given to each child.

Can my child have godparents?
Sometimes parents choose to select godparents to serve a special role as spiritual guardians of their children. The ceremony can include godparents if the parents desire it.

Can we have a private ceremony with family and friends?
Yes, private child dedications are available to all members if that style of dedication is more suited to your family tradition. Sometimes a more intimate ceremony can be tailored to include elements of other faith traditions, which can be helpful and sensitive for families of mixed faith backgrounds. Otherwise, we offer the opportunity for group dedications at Christmas Eve and at the Wheel of Life Celebration in May.

My child is older and was never dedicated as an infant. Can s/he be dedicated now?
Child are precious to us at all ages. Older children are very welcome to participate in a child dedication and often appreciate the opportunity when they see little ones dedicated. It is meant to be a meaningful and important moment in their young lives.

What should my child wear?

Just like on Sunday morning, we come to this church as we are, so no special clothing is needed. However, if you have christening gowns or other special clothing for dedicating infants, you are most welcome to dress your child in these traditional clothes.

How can we participate this year?
Talk with Rev. Shelley Page about your interest in this group dedication. Call her office at 810-877-6732 or email minister@uuflint.org You can also talk with her about scheduling a private ceremony. If you want to have your child dedicated on May 22, please let her know by May 15.

MSC: Mark your calendar for May 8- 15!

March was a hectic month for the Ministerial Search Committee. The UUA mandated that we could not contact our precandidate until March 15th at noon to offer the candidacy. While we waited for this time period to arrive, we spent our time planning Candidating Week events.

Finally, March 15th arrived, and we made the phone call, prepared with a song and back-up guitar, party-poppers, and fireworks in hand...

With joy, Rev. Dr. Claudene "Deane" Oliva (DEE-knee oh LEE vah) said she'd love to be our candidate! Her biography is printed in April newsletter, and copies of the same can be found in the Narthex brochure rack.

Since her acceptance to be our candidate, there has been much communication between Deane and the MSC as we continue to discuss the details of Candidating Week. Two things are now certain: the dates, and the fact that we will have lots of fun and/or informative events at which the congregation and Deane can get to know each other before the congregation votes whether or not to call her to UUCF.

Mark your calendar May 8-15 for Candidating Week! The week begins with Deane's first service on Potluck Sunday. While this is also Mother's Day, we hope you will invite your mother or mother-figures to join us at our introductory potluck celebration.

During the week, there will be several smallergroup opportunities to meet and talk with Deane in various locations and venues (Good Beans, the church, at member's homes).Finally, we will have one more opportunity to hear Deane on Sunday, May 15 before the congregation votes after the service to call her to UUCF. Members and friends of UUCF are invited and encouraged to come to all of the events, but we NEED members in church on May 8 and 15 for the services and congregational vote following the May 15th service. Your presence will help us meet the quorum necessary to vote, and your vote will determine whether or not Deane can and will accept our call. (The UUA recommends ministers not accept a call if less than 90% vote in favor of the call!) Look for a detailed agenda to arrive in the mail at home in the coming weeks. The week of events will also be published in the May newsletter.

Planning events for introducing you to the BEST minister for THIS church at THIS time,

Carrie Hoffman, for your Ministerial

Search Committee

Nursery Notes

You may have noticed that we have been making a special effort to provide childcare during many of our meetings, classes, and music rehearsals!  Here are a few guidelines for Nursery care outside of our Sunday morning services:

·         Event Childcare 101

o   While the Nursery is reserved for those under the age of 3 on Sunday mornings, we provide childcare for children under the age of 12 during events. 

o   Teens are welcome to sign up to assist in the Nursery.

o   Because safety is always #1 and we cannot always keep track of who is coming in and out of our building during an event, we ask that if your children are not participating in an event that they are in the Nursery at all times. 

·         Request Early

o   If you anticipate that there will be a need for childcare for an event that you are planning, please remember that our nursery staff members need time to plan for this in their lives as well.  Please give us at least 2 weeks’ notice for any event . 

o   Request forms can be found in the Nursery, front office, or download on the side of this page.

·         Please remember to RSVP! 

o   If you are planning to attend an event where childcare is provided, please note that we need to know how many children to expect in advance so that we can ensure that we maintain a safe environment for our kids! 

o   If there is no response for childcare by the RSVP deadline, please note that the nursery staff will not be scheduled for the event.    

o   If your plans have changed and you will not need Nursery Care for an event, please do your best to let us know ahead of time.     

·         Remember to check out our Nursery guidelines

o   Please take note of our nursery policies, including important guidelines on snacks found in our program brochure, available online on our blogspot.

·         Ask questions

o   If you have any questions or concerns about our Nursery Care policies, please contact Amy Peterson Derrick at Director-LifespanLearning@uuflint.org