A Moment For All Ages August 14, 2011: Families!

"There are lots of different ways to be a family. Your family is special no matter what kind it is." 


This note from author Todd Parr at the end of The Family Book is a great way to remind people of all ages that Families are all special and important. 


Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to honor and celebrate families of all shapes and sizes. We also think that it is very important to share our message that "love makes a family" with each other and the rest of the world so that our children, youth (and adults!) can grow up in a world that recognizes each and every family as special, even though it might be different and unique.


What does "Family" mean to you?


Purchase The Family Book or find it at your local library.

Flower Communion this Sunday!

This Sunday we look forward to our annual Flower Communion Celebration!

Flower communion is A celebration unique to UU churches, dating back to 1923 when Norbert Capek introduced this tradition in his Unitarian church in Czechoslovakia. You and your family are invited to take part in our service; simply bring a flower or two to share! Flowers can be from your garden, from the store, or even from a field of wild flowers. 

We will also be taking some time during this multigenerational service to honor our Lifespan Learning volunteers from this year, so come and show your gratitude for our community! (Nursery care will be available for children 4 and under.)

Children and youth who wish to participate in this service are asked to arrive by 9:00am. 

There are some fun and easy ways to prepare your family for this Sunday's special occasion:

• Share the story of Flower Communion with someone you love!
• Our children will be invited to process in with our flowers at the beginning of the service; try holding a make-believe flower communion at home and practice walking and carrying pretend flowers. 
• Our children will be lighting the chalice at the beginning of the service: try practicing these words at home: 

"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!"

• Our children and youth will be invited to lead the congregation in singing "The Magic Penny Song." Many of our children have practiced this song in their classes; ask them to sing it for you. Or, take a look at this adorable video!

Love is something if you give it away,

give it away,give it away.

Love is something if you give it away, 

You'll end up having more!

It's just like a magic penny,

Hold it tight and you won't have any

Lend it spend it and you'll have so many,

They'll roll all over the floor, For

Love is something if you give it away, 

you'll end up having more!

Verse 2: A smile is something...

Verse 3: A hug is something...

Verse 4: Love is something...

Congregational Vote this Sunday!

As Candidating week winds down, please remember that our congregation will have one more opportunity to hear from the Rev. Dr. Deane Oliva on Sunday, May 15!

(Click here for a full schedule of remaining events and here for more information about the Rev. Dr. Deane Oliva)

As always, we will ring our bell in the Chilren's Bell Tower (located outside the front doors of the building) at 10:25 to call us together for worship. Please be sure to arrive early so that your child may participate!

To help us make this service extra special, our children and youth will be invited forward to share our special words for chalice lighting. Try practicing these at home with your child!

"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!"

Immediately following the May 15th worship service, our congregation will vote! 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!

See you on Sunday!

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!

Calling All UUCF High School youth, parents, and teachers!

You are invited to a special gathering on Sunday, March 20th 12:30-2:30pm Re-connect with friends and engage with one another and our interim minister, Rev. Shelley Page, to re-imagine youth involvement and participation at UU Flint.

During this two hour event, we will take time to socialize and to participate in meaningful, reflective and fun activities as we work together to imagine exciting new ways to be together as a vibrant, multi-age church community.

The voices of all ages are valued and important; come and share your vision as we embark, together, on this new journey!

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

In faith,
Rev. Shelley and Amy Peterson Derrick

Creating Community

Did you know that volunteering for church events and duties as a family can be fun and easy? 

Sign up to usher with your children or volunteer to work a fundraiser; it can help your child feel like a part of our UU community and can be a fun way to work together as a family!

Have more ideas for other ways to create opportunities for multi-age community and service? Add them below!

Lifespan Lessons

While our Sunday morning Lifespan Learning classes are a rich source for growth and faith development for our children and youth, there are also many other opportunities for faith development and growth that aren’t always as obvious. 

As a congregation filled with families with children, we can help each other create and value these teachable moments.  On Sunday mornings, stop and take notice; what other teachable moments do you see?

·         Build Community

o   Did you know that simply attending church on Sunday morning can be an important lesson for our children and youth?  Our kids need the opportunity to be a part of a community with other children, youth, and adults who share the Principles taught in their homes

·         Begin in the service

o   The first 15-20 minutes of our worship service each Sunday is developed with ALL ages in mind.  Even though a squirmy preschooler or crying baby can be hard to ignore, please be mindful that our children and youth are learning how to be a part of a community in worship.  This means that while parents and grandparents take care to teach our children and youth how to be respectful and honor our worshipful space we can give our families support and celebrate this part of the journey.

·          Let’s work together

o   Volunteering is an important part of our congregational life.  We can show our children and youth the value of working together for a common cause simply by inviting them to take part in work parties, helping in the kitchen on Sunday mornings, or even just encouraging them to help take care of our church home by picking up at the end of the day. 

·         Grow Leaders

o   Our older youth have many gifts to share, including budding leadership skills.  If your committee is looking for some new volunteers, consider asking a youth to serve on your committee.  This can provide our youth with skills that will stick with them as future adult members of a congregation as well as in many other arenas.