Most Recent Sunday Service Alternative
July 4, 2021
Due to Independence Day, we will not be scheduling a service or zoom discussion.
You are welcome to attend and rsvp for service at the Church of the Larger Fellowship at this link, https://zoom.us/webinar/
- 11 Jun
Creating Better Communities with Myles Dannhausen Jr.
Sunday | 10:00 AM - 11 Jun
2023 ANNUAL MEETING
Sunday | 11:00 AM - 18 Jun
What’s in Your Fridge? with Steve Sieck
Sunday | 10:00 AM
Archived Sunday Service Alternatives
Sunday Service Alternative for June 27, 2021
UUA GENERAL ASSEMBLY MORNING WORSHIP — LIVE STREAMED / 11:00 AM CENTRAL TIME
The First Universalist Church of Minneapolis was selected for this year's GA Sunday Morning Service. First Universalist has been a model of shared ministry and what it means to put the work of dismantling white supremacy and building anti-racist, anti-oppressive practices at the center of their ministry. Music will be offered through collaboration with 2021 GA Choir Director Susan Mashiyama, the GA virtual choir, and musicians from First Universalist.
Streaming Link & More Info Found Here: https://whova.com/embedded/session/uuaga_202011/1380037/?fbclid=IwAR0hr-FhqOpwqU8uTPNWGolGVI9CbTTlAeDGP5ARhfGK0BWArHnfpODEOpw
Sunday Service Alternative for June 20, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE with REV. JIM COAKLEY & JUDY GOLDSMITH
TELLING UNTOLD STORIES TO PROMOTE EQUITY AND JUSTICE
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for June 13, 2021
Join Rev. Karon Sandberg as we ponder ACTIVELY SEEKING AWE, exploring the benefits and sacredness of this elusive emotion. Cindy Nelson will lead us through the service.
Watch the service’s playlist linked below.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjw7uuuxNLm6NUpvvq7wUqGA
Sunday Service Alternative for June 6, 2021
REV. SCOTT ALEXANDER
BEWARE OF THE HUNGRY HIPPOS! EXPLORING THE MEANING OF LIFE
Service Leader: Bob Lindahl
Featuring a postlude by Kate Boyd!
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, June 6th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list, to attend a discussion of this service on Sunday. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for May 30, 2021
REV. KAREN HERING & MICHAEL ORANGE
A Service Dedicated To War Veterans: The Light at the Tip of The Candle
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjz-98lO02heYbhOftsRKxlJ
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked above anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, May 30th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list, to attend a discussion of this service on Sunday. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for May 23, 2021
REV. JOAN SHIELS — MARGOT WAS RIGHT
Thoreau said “Every time something is gained, something is lost.” When it comes to growing old, it’s easy to see what is lost but sometimes hard to realize what is gained. Some notes on the good, the bad and the fabulous, with thanks to Margot Warch. Rev. Joan Shiels is a long-time friend and frequent speaker at our Fellowship.
Sunday Service Alternative for May 16, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
REV. JIM COAKLEY – SHARING THE JOY..."YOUR ELEVATOR SPEECH"
Do you love being a Unitarian Universalist but are tongue tied when you try to tell others about this meaningful part of your life? If so, you certainly are not alone. Let's explore why this is so and find the words to share our joy with others.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for May 9, 2021
POETRY SUNDAY: ON THE PANDEMIC — LED BY ESTELLA LAUTER
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube, available to watch at anytime: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjxoX_cWGgnEXqfleZaR9ZEU
In keeping with our springtime tradition of presenting original poetry from UUFDC Members and Friends, twelve poets will present poems, expressing both highs and lows of their experiences. Their insights offer present and future strategies for coping with the virus.
The poets, in the order of their poems, include Larry Eriksson, Jack Redell, Mark Richards, David Clowers, Sharon Auberle, Estella Lauter, Ethel Davis, Jami Hanreddy, Donna Johnson, Nancy Rafal and Ralph Murre. Some of them will be present at the Zoom discussion led by Estella Lauter at 11:00 on May 9th. They hope you will be inspired to share your own experiences of the pandemic.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, May 9th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list and the featured poets. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for May 2, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
REV. ROGER BERTSCHAUSEN — WHY THEOLOGY MATTERS
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
About the Message & Speaker
The landmark report of the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change, Widening the Circle of Concern, lifts up the importance of theology in our anti-racism/anti-oppression work. That may be surprising to many. Why is theology important?
Rev. Roger Bertschausen is the Interim Minister at First Unitarian Society in Madison. He previously served as the Senior Minister at the Fox Valley UU Fellowship and as Executive Director of the UU Partner Church Council.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Sunday Service Alternative for April 25, 2021
April 25, 2021
DIVINITY LIES IN THE ACTIONS OF OUR SHADOW SELF - REV. KARON SANDBERG
Cyndy Stiehl will lead us through the service as we connect, spread warmth, and continue to search for truth and meaning together.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, April 25th at 11 am.
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjwZXjMEyH_zd_XiZm2lkdhI
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at anytime!
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list, to attend a discussion of this service on Sunday, Aprill 25th at 11am. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for April 18, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
REV. JIM COAKLEY – ENCOURAGING SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Our 3rd principle lifts up "acceptance of one another and spiritual growth in our congregations". Let us revisit what this means as our congregations become increasingly more diverse theologically.
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for April 11, 2021
DICK SMYTHE — DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? TRUE STORIES ABOUT DOGS
Marilyn Hansotia will lead us through the service as we connect, spread warmth, smile, and admire pictures of our own doggie companions.
Music is provided by Fellowship favorites, Cyndy Stiehl and Betty Lewis & Paul Zafer.
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjxlDeBIBw1RX3RPINsx7bp7
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at anytime! Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list, to attend a discussion of this service on Sunday, Aprill 11th at 11am. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for April 4, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
REV. JIM COAKLEY - ROLLING BACK THE STONE
The Christian Easter story tells us of angels intervening to roll back the stone covering the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, thus releasing the resurrection. This metaphor of death and rebirth has a modern corollary in the struggles against the current opioid crisis. Local efforts to roll back the stone of addiction and bring recovering addicts back to a sustainable life are happening heroically throughout our communities, yet few of us are actually aware.
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for March 28, 2021
A BLACK FEMINIST'S REFLECTIONS ON ADVOCATING FOR RADICAL RESPECT with DR. KIMBERLY BARRETT.
Henk Wolst will lead us through the service. Trish and Jim Black share a FUN & FORMAL pledge presentation.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, March 28th at 11 am.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyKNwcHYBPxYfv7bDMzZOAW
A Zoom discussion meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for March 21, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
REV. JIM COAKLEY & REV. LEAH ONGIRI
WELCOME SPRING! A Service for ALL Ages!
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for March 14, 2021
Estella Lauter shares an International Women’s Day message. Carrie Link will lead us through the service.
Together we will lean about DR. PAULI MURRAY. A black woman author, lawyer, activist and Episcopal priest, she was born in 1910, and is only now being recognized for her innovative thinking in civil rights law and her extraordinary life story. In the eighties and nineties at UW Green Bay, Estella taught several courses in African American literature and culture without ever encountering Pauli Murray in any of the arenas of her extraordinary achievements. She hopes those days are gone for good.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, March 14th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjx7LS9FL6qaA9i4dGQ0waJP
Sunday Service Alternative for March 7, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
REV. SCOTT ALEXANDER - A SERMON ON EMPATHY
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
ABOUT THE SERVICE & SPEAKER
Empathy (and the lack of it) has arisen as an issue in this year’s Presidential campaign. In addition, recently there was a rather startling thought piece in the New York Times entitled “The Trouble with Empathy.” All this talk about empathy has caused me to reflect further on this human quality, which I believe is spiritually essential for us as Unitarian Universalists.
This week Rev. Jim Coakley is doing a pulpit swap with Rev. Scott Alexander. Rev. Alexander is a seasoned, experienced, and widely-respected Unitarian Universalist minister, who currently serves the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, Florida.
Sunday Service Alternative for Feb. 28, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
Sr. Clare Lawlor and Sr. Julie Ann Krahl & Rev. Jim Coakley
Nuns on the Bus & Our 5th Principle
Fully aware of challenges to resiliency and the successes gained through creativity, Sisters Clare and Julie will explore with us our 5th Principal as integral to our religious life. Their experiences volunteering at the Texas border and participating in NETWORK Nuns on the Bus journeys highlight forming a passion for social justice and responding to that passion - affirming and promoting “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for Feb. 21, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE WITH REV. JIM COAKLEY
A TRIBUTE TO OUR CREATIVE RESILIENCE
As we approach the year anniversary of our services going virtual. Let us celebrate the creativity that has helped us through these long and difficult months.
This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Sunday Service Alternative for Feb. 14, 2021
REV. BARB SAJNA shares a Valentine’s Day message. Cindy Nelson will lead us through the service.
Together we will explore the very big subject of love, observing how love fosters actions in our recognition of our connection to one another.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, February 14th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjzm1PbGxHZ-7V64hoqGLuKL
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at anytime! Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Sunday Service Alternative for Feb. 7, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE WITH REV. JIM COAKLEY
THE GIFT OF CREATIVE IMAGINATION
Many of us have (re)discovered our creative muscles to help us strengthen our resilience. We needn't be professional artists and musicians to express the inventiveness of our imaginations.
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Sunday Service Alternative for Jan. 31, 2021
REV. MARK RICHARDS shares a uniting message titled, “THIS IS OUR COVENANT.”
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below anytime, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, January 31th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjwFSDSU3XDKAa8occLlW5hV
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at anytime! Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising
About the message: The word “covenant” gets tossed about pretty easily in religious circles. The great covenants of the Hebrew Bible, the Noahic, the Abrahamic, the Davidic, are called out as if they were matters of common understanding. The New Testament of Christian scripture is often referred to as the New Covenant. We Unitarian Universalists describe our faith as “covenantal” rather than “creedal.” Indeed, we “covenant to affirm and promote” our seven principles. This week we’ll explore the depth that being in covenant can offer. We’ll talk about the power that living in covenant can offer two people, a small fellowship, and a community. And, perhaps we’ll find some humor in the ways we unconsciously covenant with one another.
Sunday Service Alternative for Jan. 24, 2021
Rev. Tonen O’Connor shares a Buddhist message titled, “Return the Illumination.”
She shares, “In many ways, our lives have been illuminated by the generosity, the kindness, the understanding of others. Now, in dark times, we have an opportunity to reflect back the light within ourselves to illuminate the world around us.”
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, January 24th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjxGjSiB0uW6MaR8KfSfvxaQ
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at anytime! Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Sunday Service Alternative for Jan. 17, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE WITH REV. JIM COAKLEY
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUNDAY: A CHANGING CALL?
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached and practiced a non-violent approach to pushing for change. What have we learned from the Black Lives Matter movement in our current environment? Would his call change today?
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Happy New Year! -- stay safe and keep connected!
Sunday Service Alternative for Jan. 10, 2021
ALAN KOPISCHKE, university professor, arts consultant, and professional actor, shares the message: MEANING AT A DISTANCE. Alan will discuss how we convey and discern meaning when we are masked and distanced, or in a Zoom box.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, January 10th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjz_ytt6GJxvm4wbOAJAVsF5
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time! Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Thank you for joining us this week—stay safe and stay connected!
Sunday Service Alternative for January 3, 2021
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE WITH REV. JIM COAKLEY
RESILIENCE THROUGH CHANGE
It's often said that change is the only constant. Being flexible and kind with ourselves as we stumble through rapid change is a spiritual practice. The small everyday things may be what matter most.
A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Happy New Year! -- stay safe and keep connected!
REV. DAWN VOLPE, pastor of Ephraim Moravian Church, shares the message:
THE GIFT OF DIFFICULT PEOPLE.
We rarely think of difficult people as a gift. We tend to throw a 'toxic' label on them and cut them out of our lives. Like unwanted Christmas gifts, we would 'return' them for more desirable, less contentious folks. But perhaps the people who make us uncomfortable and irritable are the invaluable gifts. Pastor Dawn Volpe will regale us with stories from her own life... the many gifts she's been given over the years. Names will be changed to protect the guilty!
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, December 27th at 11 am.
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjwhdlf-apLGLIhFOkm1wkZP
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Under the Same Night Sky:
Solstice Service Alternative for Dec. 20, 2020
Cindy Nelson, cozy by the Christmas tree, will lead us through the service.
Alan Kopischke provides a theatrical reading.
Cynthia Stiehl performs “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” And sprinkled throughout are familiar holiday carols curated by Carol Soper.
Rev. Joan Shiels shares a winter solstice message titled, THE TURNING SEASON.
What a season it has been: Odd and difficult and damaging. The odd became bizarre. The difficult became unmanageable. The damage has been deep and destructive. And yet we find ourselves here again, at the solstice, ready to welcome the light as it returns to our lives. It’s a season for reckoning; a season for reconciling. But how do we find the light to guide us? A meditation on forging the path ahead.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below.
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjw31ry_AvBUOo7GJB9rIK9H
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time! Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
There will not be a solstice discussion or event on Zoom.
We hope to resume our traditional in-person solstice gathering next year, keep your fingers crossed for celebration in 2021!
Sunday Service Alternative for Dec. 13, 2020
REV. PHIL SWEET shares a seasonal message titled, THE RECOVERY OF MYSTERY.
Mystery has greatly diminished since the Age of Enlightenment. The more we throw the light of our knowledge into the darkness, the further back we push the area of mystery. But life is essentially mystery. Christmas is a season for rediscovering the wonder and awe and mystery of our life.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, December 13th at 11 am.
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjy9iNdwFZ2g7VSFVV213bfq
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Dec. 6, 2020
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE WITH REV. JIM COAKLEY
STRONG AS SNOWFLAKES
We can learn something about resilience from snowflakes. Like us, they are stronger together.
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, November 29, 2020
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE WITH REV. JIM COAKLEY
50 SHADES OF GRATITUDE
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
About Rev. Coakley’s message, “Acknowledging that we are about to enter a long holiday season during a pandemic, we seek to maintain resilience through a mindset of sufficiency and gratitude. Let us begin a communal spiritual practice of lifting up all the shades of gratitude in our lives for 50 days.”
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, November 22, 2020
REV. CHRISTINA LEONE-TRACY
WAITING TO EMBRACE YOU WITH
What does it mean to embrace from a distance? How can we hold each other, and hold space for each other, in a time of such heightened anxiety in our nation? Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy serves as the Senior Minister of the Fox Valley UU Fellowship in Appleton.
Henk Wolst, cozy by the fireplace, will lead us through the service. Members, Joan Mead and Cyndy Stiehl provide musical performances with our Fellowship Steinway.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for social connection on Sunday, November 22nd at 11 AM.
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjzFpdfb8mfK6rMCKIoQ63Mb
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, November 15, 2020
In the midst of a transitional season, KEITH KOCH shares the message, The Wheel of Discovery: Mapping the Learning Journey through the Stages of Life and the Rhythm of the Seasons. He will elaborate on how the attunement and flow of the ancestral medicine wheel applies to our modern day life, in the ways we plan our days and conduct business. He will guide us in a 11 AM Sunday Q&A discussion via Zoom.
Keith is on the quest to become more human in his exploration and teachings in the interdisciplinary arts of music, movement, and the medicine of nature connection.
Cindy Nelson, cozy by the fireplace, will lead us through the service. Gerri Friedberg concludes the service with a postlude on the Fellowship Steinway.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for social connection on Sunday, November 15th at 11 AM.
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyH2byTce9ByLaRPzmPdzeF
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday. November 15 at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, November 8, 2020
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ISLAM
NOOR SAADEH joyfully returns to the Fellowship this year, sharing a message by Rev. Dr. M'ellen Kennedy, illustrating how the 5 Pillars of Islam can serve all people practical advice for how to live your one wild and precious life on purpose. Noor will guide us in a Sunday Q&A discussion via Zoom. Cynthia Stiehl will lead us through the service.
WATCH THE PRE-RECORDED SERVICE ON YOUTUBE
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjylV2Ou0oM0uFAOczx4r3Yl
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, November 8 at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, November 1, 2020
KATHLEEN SMYTHE shares a message titled, SPIRITUALITY AND A SENSE OF PLACE. Susan Leeder will lead us through today’s service. The service’s YouTube playlist is linked below, ready for watching anytime!
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjylpPfO4pWDUCZV0l6WG8t1
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, November 1 at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Details about Kathleen’s message: Today I want to explore the role that possessing or developing a sense of place can play in one’s spirituality and well-being. Developing a sense of place offers one an opportunity, an essential spiritual opportunity to be part of something far grander and more absorbing than an individual life or anything of solely human construction. For the vast majority of the world’s population, this process of developing a sense of place occurs naturally. For some of us, that might not be the case.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, October 25, 2020
REV. PHIL SWEET shares an autumnal message titled, THE DIVINE AS TRICKSTER. Henk Wolst will lead us through today’s service. The service’s YouTube playlist is linked below, ready for watching anytime!
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjz3Ei-8B9ujSKO3-cq4Ai17
Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, October 25th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
Details about Rev. Sweet’s message: Lewis Hyde in his book “Trickster Makes the World” says that cultures require that there be space for figures whose function is to uncover and disrupt the very things the culture is based on. The trickster is a mythological figure, not a figure of history. It corresponds to inner psychic energy. Its primary function is to spread doubt about everything. Imagine Jesus saying to the priests of his day, the harlots are going to inherit the kingdom, not you. For things that go bump in the night, good lord, let us befriend them. Happy Halloween!
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, October 18, 2020
Reflections on Justice, Equity and Compassion in Human Relations (Part 2)
Rev. Jim Coakley
10 AM LIVE ZOOM SERVICE
& Optional 10:45 AM UU 101 CLASS
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a social meeting dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
About Rev. Coakley’s message, “There’s a big difference between the key components of our 2nd principle – embracing justice/equity AND offering compassion. Both are important but cannot be substituted for each other.”
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, October 11, 2020
Message Title: CLIMATE CHANGE, RACISM, AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Presented by DICK SMYTHE
The service’s YouTube playlist linked below is ready for watching anytime. Join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, October 11th at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org
The following link will bring you directly to our PRE-RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube. You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at anytime! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjzwdbE4qZDEamxDCWLpxuoY
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, October 4, 2020
Reflections on Justice, Equity and Compassion in Human Relations (Part 1)
Rev. Jim Coakley
LIVE ZOOM SERVICE AT 10 AM
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a small group discussion dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
Our speaker Rev. Jim Coakley describes his Sunday message: “Embracing the idealistic vision of our 2nd principle in society begins with living into our covenant within our congregations.”
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for Sept. 27, 2020
REV. KARON SANDBERG shares a timely message about patience, helping us explore how we can hold both patience and impatience in healthy ways during this season of change. Rev. Karon Sandberg is a hospice chaplain who finds great meaning in her work and learns from her patients how to live life more fully. She was ordained by the Fox Valley UU Fellowship and serves them as a community minister.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, September 27 at 11 am. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org.
WATCH THE RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE
The following link will bring you directly to our RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjw3sFCoxjhDD-wHqxtbMVOz
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, September 20, 2020
Seeking the Forest for the Trees by Rev. Jim Coakley
LIVE ZOOM SERVICE AT 10 AM
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a special LIVE service with UU regional friends, followed by a small group discussion dedicated specifically for UUFDC Members and Friends.
Our speaker Rev. Jim Coakley describes his Sunday message: “Scientists know that trees in a forest use an underground network to support each other. Similarly we grow spiritually as we support each other to dig deeper into our individual faith journeys.”
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for Sept. 13, 2020
Join Rev. Joan Shiels as we ponder The Meaning of Life. Joan will bring thought-provoking stories that focus on this eternal topic. The service is led by Henk Wolst, and Gerri Friedberg concludes our service with a postlude.
Watch the service’s playlist linked below, and remember to… Join us on Zoom for our Annual Meeting Sunday morning (9/13). Log into the Zoom room at 10:30 AM so we can promptly start the meeting 11:00 AM. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org.
WATCH THE RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE
The following link will bring you directly to our RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube. You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjy6l5f76EMXNAW7DDivAv7A
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for Sept. 6, 2020
Annelies (Anna) Hagemeister shares a meaningful racial justice message with us, Driving Old Fort Road: The Story of My Journey to Understand Intergenerational Trauma. Her message focuses on two stories, one white and one Native, which converge in 1862 in the Minnesota territory during an armed conflict known as the Sioux Uprising or the Dakota Conflict. This week’s service is an excellent connection to the UU Common Read, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.
Anna, PhD, MSW, LISW, has extensive experience serving as a parent coach, social worker, university professor, children's therapist, and crisis counselor. Karon Winzenz, the proud mother of the speaker, will lead us through today’s recorded service.
Watch the service’s YouTube playlist linked below, and join us on Zoom for a discussion of the service on Sunday, September 6 at 11 AM. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org.
The following link will bring you directly to our RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyEO8tcxf16U8sXYWDERnEW
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for Sept. 13, 2020
Join Rev. Joan Shiels as we ponder The Meaning of Life. Joan will bring thought-provoking stories that focus on this eternal topic. The service is led by Henk Wolst, and Gerri Friedberg concludes our service with a postlude.
Watch the service’s playlist linked below, and remember to… Join us on Zoom for our Annual Meeting Sunday morning (9/13). Log into the Zoom room at 10:30 AM so we can promptly start the meeting 11:00 AM. A Zoom meeting link was sent to those on our mailing list. To join our mailing list to attend future events like this, email contact@uufdc.org.
WATCH THE RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE
The following link will bring you directly to our RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube. You do not need a YouTube account to watch the service and you can watch this recording at any time!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjy6l5f76EMXNAW7DDivAv7A
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for August 23, 2020
FEATURING AN OPPORTUNITY to discuss the message with Rev. Tony Larsen and one another via Zoom & a prelude performed by Kate Boyd!
Watch the service’s playlist linked below and join us on Zoom for discussion and sharing on Sunday morning (8/23). The Zoom room will open at 11 AM with discussion to start at 11:15 AM. A meeting link was sent to all on our mailing list on Friday; if you are not on our mailing list and would like to attend future events like this please email the office at contact@uufdc.org.
LINKS:
The following link will bring you directly to our RECORDED ONLINE FELLOWSHIP SERVICE on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjxs41lbX3UMHuCFOnw3qO7H
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
ABOUT THE MESSAGE:
As Is - Rev. Dr. Tony Larsen | Service Leader - Carrie Link
About his sermon, Tony says: "If you've ever been to the discount section of a store (or gone to a yard sale), you may have seen the label ‘AS IS’. It lets you know that there may be some flaws in the product, so you buy it at your own risk. Should human beings come with that label too?"
Dr. Rev. Tony Larsen retired after serving 42 years as minister at Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine, where he was the longest serving Unitarian Universalist minister in the country. He currently serves the Unitarian Church North, in Ozaukee County, as its part-time minister.
JOYS & CONCERNS:
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, August 26. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, August 25.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, August 16, 2020
FEATURING AN OPPORTUNITY to discuss the message with one another via Zoom & a postlude performed by Katie Dahl!
ABOUT THE MESSAGE:
As If – Rev. Dr. Tony Larsen | Service Leader – Carol Boyd
"As if." Two words, two syllables, four letters. Such a small phrase, yet it can sometimes help us navigate the ups and downs of our life. Tony's sermon will explore the power of "as if" to change what is; its use in making new scientific discoveries (think Albert Einstein); and its spiritual implications (especially as it impacts our first UU principle of inherent worth and dignity).
Tony's sermon next week will be on another small phrase that's just one letter different from "as if": namely, "as is." Tony retired after serving 42 years as minister at Olympia Brown UU Church in Racine, where he was the longest serving Unitarian Universalist minister in the country. He currently serves the Unitarian Church North, in Ozaukee County, as its part-time minister.
Watch the service’s playlist linked below and join us on Zoom for discussion and sharing on Sunday morning (8/16). The Zoom room will open at 11 AM with discussion to start at 11:15 AM. A meeting link was sent to all on our mailing list on Friday; if you are not on our mailing list and would like to attend future events like this please email the office at contact@uufdc.org.
LINK:
The following link will bring you directly to our recorded online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjzIiNsnaatuRpQg3w6gKDlZ
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, August 9, 2020
FEATURING AN OPPORTUNITY to discuss the message with one another via Zoom!!!
ABOUT THE MESSAGE:
Heart on the Run – The Rev. Brian Mason | Service Leader – Donna Johnson
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week reflects on humankind restlessness. Our speaker Rev. Brian Mason invites us to ponder if one’s never ending quest for freedom and ambition is really just a deep longing to go home… a longing to find a place where we can be ourselves… a search rooted in the desire to find a place where we can truly rest.
The Reverend Brian Mason has served as minister at the First Universalist Unitarian Church of Wausau since 2017. This is his first “visit” with us!
Watch the service’s playlist linked below and join us for a virtual opportunity for discussion and sharing on Sunday morning (8/09). The Zoom room will open at 11 AM with discussion to start at 11:15 AM. A link was sent to all on our mailing list; if you are not on our mailing list and would like to attend future events like this please email the office at contact@uufdc.org.
LINK:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjy6fm-CgsDa3w9MXufZMxLA
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
UUFDC’s Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, August 2, 2020
A Theology of Connection in Zoomland by Rev. Jim Coakley
LIVE ZOOM SERVICE AT 10 AM
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week is a regional collaboration! This is a special LIVE service, followed by small group discussions, hosted by the Fox Valley Fellowship (Appleton) and includes five additional Fellowships in Northeast Wisconsin: Door County, Green Bay, Open Circle (Fond du Lac), Point (Stevens Point) and Prairie Lakes (Ripon).
Our speaker Rev. Jim Coakley invites us to explore, “Since the invention of the letter and then the telephone, human connection has slowly crept toward the virtual world. Now that the pandemic has rapidly increased this transition, how do we nurture a theology of connection in the virtual land of Zoom?”
Click this Zoom link to access the service at 10 AM on Sunday, August 2nd: https://zoom.us/j/176319484?pwd=S3dQekZoNmNaL2srYm16Y3NyOXcxQT09
OR call in at 10AM and listen to the service by phone: 312-626-6799 with meeting ID 176 319 484
What you can expect:
- A sense of regional Unitarian Universalism that is larger than your own congregation.
- All elements of our regular service except announcements.
- Joys and Concerns will be read by Rev. Jim and will not be part of the breakout sessions.
- The congregational response time will be included during the service using the Zoom chat function.
- All music will be offered by the Music Director and volunteers from the Fox Valley Fellowship.
- General breakout sessions, (not sorted by congregation), will occur after the service. Everyone will be randomly sorted into groups of 5-6. A question will be offered in the service to help motivate the conversation.
- When you first join the Zoom meeting, you will be in a waiting room until you're allowed in. You will also be muted automatically when you join.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for Sunday, July 26, 2020
FEATURING AN OPPORTUNITY to discuss the message with one another via Zoom!!!
ABOUT THE MESSAGE:
Time +Tragedy - Rev. Matthew Johnson | Service Leader - Susan Leeder
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week vibrantly reflects on Time +Tragedy. Our speaker Rev. Matthew Johnson guides us in exploring how we move through tragedy toward healing, individually and together. The Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson is the Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL.
Watch the Service’s playlist and join us for a virtual opportunity for discussion and sharing on Sunday morning (7/26) PM. The Zoom room will open at 11 AM with discussion to start at 11:15 AM. A link was sent to all on our mailing list; if you are not on our mailing list and would like to attend future events like this please email the office at contact@uufdc.org.
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjxBkisu5ewZ-AoTAT3kQYRC
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, July 29th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, July 28th.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
FLOWER CEREMONY AT THE FELLOWSHIP SUNDAY 7/19/20 @ 10-11:30AM
The alternative Sunday Service event on July 19th is our drive-through FLOWER CEREMONY! Plan to come to the Fellowship any time between 10:00 and 11:30AM that morning to celebrate the uniqueness of each of us and the beautiful bouquet of flowers we create together. See our July newsletter for a fuller explanation of this event. We will adhere to all safety precautions and ask that you wear a mask, too. Linked here is a map and directions for journeying though the ceremony in our parking lot.
ALSO linked is a flower drawing (by Buttons Wolst) for YOU, your children, or grandchildren to color!! Bring your finished coloring page with you to show off to us. We will take pictures of your works of art and show them off on our Facebook page and website!
This event is sponsored by our two covenant groups who look forward to seeing you ALL on Sunday, 7/19.
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for July 12, 2020
Message - What’s Good About All This? by Rev. Joan Shiels
Service Leader - Carrie Link
Music - Gerri Friedberg, Joan Mead, & Cynthia Stiehl
This week’s Fellowship connection offers inspiration to keep moving forward and embracing the challenging marathon of this pandemic, as we ponder “What’s Good About All This?” Rev. Joan Shiels explains, “In my demanding career days full of business commitments and family responsibilities and social demands I often made an exhausted sigh to myself the old refrain, “Stop the world. I want to get off.” It was all too much, too fast, too hard. And suddenly this spring, it did. It stopped. How do we handle that?”
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, July 15th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, July 14th.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our Fellowship Connection/Service YouTube video playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjz4iSpW_lEbWBNjjytqVNTF
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
We have also created a “digital order of service” to provide more detail on this week’s program, with direct links to individual videos of the program.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, July 5, 2020
Visiting the UU of Vero Beach, FL
COURAGE IN THE FACE OF FEAR BY REV. CAROL YORKE
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week invites us to gather with the UU Fellowship of Vero Beach, Florida! We thank Lucy Roske for sharing this Fellowship with us. Lucy is a dear friend of the UUFDC, who relocated to Florida from Door County. We miss you Lucy, thank you for continuing to share your sunshine with us!
Visit the congregation’s website for their July 5th service titled, Courage in the Face of Fear by Rev. Carol Yorke. Their service recording is available starting 9 am (central time) Sunday. Their website will guide you to the recording (check out their green box on the right-hand side): https://uufvb.org/
We hope you enjoy this invitation to experience a Unitarian Universalism service in a new way. We will be back with another locally UUFDC produced recorded service next week.
We are still collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, July 8th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, July 7th.
Missed a Fellowship Connection? No worries, all of our weekly Sunday Service alternatives are archived on our website: https://uufdc.org/covid19-sunday-alternatives/
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Stay safe and keep connected - and we encourage you to reconnect with a Fellowship friend on the telephone or Zoom!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday Service Alternative for June 28, 2020
Singing Other People’s Song by Dr. Stephen M. Sieck
Service Leader – Chuck Lauter
Music – Jonathan Bass, Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout, Lawrence University Concert Choir – Conducted by S. Sieck
This week’s Fellowship connection offers a DYNAMIC EXPRESSION OF OUR UU PRINCIPLES as we look into what it means to sing the songs of people and cultures that differ from one's own. Our guest speaker Dr. Stephen Sieck, Co-Director of Choral Studies at Lawrence University and Director of Music at the Fox Valley Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, explains that today’s message, “is not a sermon about songs… This is a sermon about UU Principles; the inherit worth of all, justice, an equity in our human relations, a responsible search for truth and meaning, and the celebration of the interdependent web of existence that we are all a part of.”
AN ENLIGHTENING UU MUSICAL MESSAGE AWAITS FOR YOU!
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, July 1st. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, June 30th.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our Fellowship Connection/Service YouTube video playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjylKeWX7beK9tiQsmmRzbyP
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
We have also created a “digital order of service” to provide more detail on this week’s program, with direct links to individual videos of the program.
Thank you for joining us this week -- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, June 21, 2020
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week invites us to gather with one of the largest UU congregations in the United States, the First Universalist Church of Minneapolis!
This diverse, multigenerational UU community is warmly and personally welcoming us to attend their LIVE ZOOM webinar service starting at 10 am central time. The UU Fellowship of Door County will be personally greeted near the beginning of the service.
To attend go to https://firstuniversalistchurch.org/sermon/virtual-sunday-worship-2/#description-tab
This webpage provides connection links to their Zoom webinar service and coffee hour.
We hope you enjoy this invitation to experience a Unitarian Universalism service in a new way. We will be back with another locally UUFDC produced recorded service next week.
We are still collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, June 24th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, June, 23rd.
Missed a Fellowship Connection? No worries, all of our weekly Sunday Service alternatives are archived on our website: https://uufdc.org/covid19-sunday-alternatives/
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Stay safe and keep connected - and we encourage you to reconnect with a Fellowship friend on the telephone or Zoom!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, June 14, 2020
Who Are We Now? - Rev. Jim Coakley
Service Leader - Cynthia Stiehl
Music - Stephen Sieck
Traumatic events like the COVID-19 quarantine often force us to think more deeply on what is important. What insights have we discovered over the last few months? Who are we now and do our actions reflect our values and ethics? Are we prepared to embrace the changes to come?
Watch the Service’s playlist and join us for a virtual opportunity for discussion and sharing on Sunday evening (6/14) at 6:30 PM. See Zoom link in the Sunday Service Alternative email you received on June 12th (if you are on the UUFDC mailing list). If you are not on our mailing list, and wish to be notified about future events like these and other Fellowship news, email contact@uufdc.org.
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, June 17th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, June 16th.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjzMd6jixdROJ8JfXSDWoS02
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, June 7, 2020
Hope by Rev. Karon Sandberg
Service Leader – Donna Johnson
Music – Phoenix Chamber Choir of Vancouver, Gerri Friedberg, Joan Mead, & Carol Soper
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection reflects on hope. Our speaker Rev. Karon Sandberg invites us to ponder, “During these challenging times I began to wonder about hope. What is it? Is it useful? How does it help us? Join me as I reflect and explore hope and how it affects us during times of trial.”
Rev. Karon Sandberg is a hospice chaplain who finds great meaning in her work and learns from her patients how to live life more fully. She was ordained by the Fox Valley UU Fellowship and serves them as a community minister.
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, June 10th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, June 9th.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjxRL6YhzMIG9a8cUOEIulRX
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
We have also created a “digital order of service” to provide more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual videos of today’s program.
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Thank you for joining us today -- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, May 31, 2020
Who Am I?
Message by Thomas Galten LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) CSAC (Certified Substance Abuse Counselor)
Service Leader – Bob Lindahl
Music – NYC Virtual Choir and Orchestra, Gerri Friedberg, Joan Mead, & Cynthia Stiehl
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection reflects on some of the reasons why we have so much trouble finding lasting happiness in simply being, and why peace and joy so often feel out of reach. Today we will ponder if just maybe some of the answers can be found in nature...of which we are all a part, and even in the commonality of most faith traditions.
Our speaker Thomas Galten explains, “Most philosophical, religious and psychological theories and doctrines - however much relative truth they may express - miss the most important knowledge that any human being can: The knowledge of my true identity as pure consciousness. We, especially in the western world, have paid attention solely to the objects of consciousness and, to our spiritual impoverishment, have ignored consciousness itself.
Today, spiritual teachers such as Eckhart Tolle, Rupert Spira, Mooji, Amoda Maa and others, are drawing attention to this limitless and formless dimension, awareness of which liberates consciousness from its mis-identification with the body/mind. My talk is a brief overview of the question ‘Who am I?’, an inquiry which has the potential to bring about self-realization.”
We hope today’s online service will make you feel more connected to the Fellowship.
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, June 3rd. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, June 2nd.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjzULwyLPOs3MZ9sBi7wMyNV
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
We have also created a “digital order of service” provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual videos of today’s program.
Missed a Fellowship Connection? No worries, all of our weekly Sunday Service alternatives are archived on our website: https://uufdc.org/covid19-sunday-alternatives/
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Thank you for joining us today -- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: May 24, 2020
Bigger than our Building Message by Marie Luna
Service Leader – Henk Wolst
Music – Gerri Friedberg, Joan Mead, & Carol Soper
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week celebrates our commitments as Unitarian Universalists, with the message: Bigger than our Building. Our guest speaker, Marie Luna is the Director of Congregational Life at the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Marie illuminates, “Our congregations are adapting to try to keep people connected while physically distant, and we are finding both success and challenge. Many of us tie being Unitarian Universalists to our buildings and the events that happen within them, but it is so much bigger. I invite you to explore what that might look like in your life today, and into the possible long term future of this changed world.”
Marie Luna helped start up the Unitarian Universalist Association of Membership Professionals, it’s a group for people passionate about helping people connect and deepen their engagement within their Unitarian Universalist faith and within their congregation. She lives in Appleton with her 13-year-old son, Nate.
We hope with the encouragement of Marie’s inspirational message, combined with the work of this week's Fellowship Connection team, that today’s online service will make you feel more connected to your Unitarian Universalism journey amidst these difficult circumstances.
We are collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, May 27th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, May 26th.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyHv1U1Edc28n6C4KFhMqLb
We have also created a “digital order of service” that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual videos of today’s program.
Missed a Fellowship Connection? No worries, all of our weekly Sunday Service alternatives are archived on our website: https://uufdc.org/covid19-sunday-alternatives/
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Thank you for joining us today-- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, May 17, 2020
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week invites us to gather in a global spiritual UU community, with the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF). Since 2010, this online congregation gathers UUs together for worship service live on Zoom, each Sunday 6:45 PM Central. To attend go to clfuu.org/worship and RSVP to get your personalized link to enter CLF’s online sanctuary. The earlier you can rsvp with CLF the better.
To get a feel for the content CLF offers, linked below are two uplifting YouTube videos that offer a feel for their congregational culture.
Come, Come Whoever You Are Hymn #188 – From the welcome page of CLF’s website, “Each week in worship we begin with this song, because it expresses the faith you will find here—a conviction that every person is welcome, no matter where on their spiritual journey they might be. As a global spiritual community, we know that what is sacred cannot be contained by walls or words.” One honorable fact about their congregation is their dedication to inclusivity and anti-oppression, incarcerated members represent nearly 50% of CLF’s membership. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmMp0OKHgTA
Love Is Here, Let Us Pray - A meditation/prayer created and present by Lynn Ungar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYD0zzDPg0w&list=PLXSqfWmM95KvyxgaEFyKvmF7xFjih3Yvt&index=2
We hope you enjoy this opportunity and invitation to experience an Unitarian Universalism service in a new way.
We will be back with another locally UUFDC produced recorded service next week. We are still collecting joys and concerns to share with the Fellowship on Wednesday, May 20th. Email your submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, May 19th.
Missed a Fellowship Connection? No worries, all of our weekly Sunday Service alternatives are archived on our website: https://uufdc.org/covid19-sunday-alternatives/
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Stay safe and keep connected - and we encourage you to reconnect with a Fellowship friend over a cup of coffee on the telephone or Zoom!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, May 10, 2020
Mother’s Day Message by Rev. Sydney A. Morris
Service Leader – Cindy Nelson
Music – Gerri Friedberg, Joan Mead, & Cynthia Stiehl
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection this week celebrates the time-honored observance of Mother's Day in new ways and old, during these unique circumstances.
Our guest speaker, Rev. Sydney A. Morris has served Unitarian Universalist congregations for 35 years, in Massachusetts, Iowa, British Columbia, Michigan and Oregon. She is a lifelong UU. Walking, grandmothering, reading and gardening are her favorite pastimes while isolated with family. This is the first time Rev. Morris has shared a message with us, and we are so grateful we are still able to meet her across the distance. The heartfelt UU message she shares today, combined with the work of this week's Fellowship Connection team will make you feel warmly closer to home.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/Service on YouTube.
Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjwx8npexntLPG_lXKW21J4n
We have also created a “digital order of service” that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual videos of today’s program.
Missed a Fellowship Connection? No worries, all of our weekly Sunday Service alternatives are archived on our website: https://uufdc.org/covid19-sunday-alternatives/
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Thank you for joining us today-- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: May 3, 2020
Be Prepared; Covid-19 Edition by Rev. Joan Shiels
Our Sunday Fellowship Connection for this week includes an introduction and closing by Susan Leeder, music performed by Joan Mead, and a reflection by Rev. Joan Shiels titled, Be Prepared; Covid-19 Edition.
Today’s simple service has two intentions in mind. The first intention is to bring to you some familiar sights and sounds from the Fellowship. The second intention is to consider the theme of hope. Benedictine Monk Br. David Steindl-Rast said, “Hope is openness to surprise.” In her message, Rev. Shiels reflects on the possibility that even in difficult times, we can be aware of the opportunities and benefits being offered us.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online Fellowship connection/service on YouTube. Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjw-mtyvpxwNvKgWNm_THZP0
We have also created a “digital order of service” that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual videos of today’s program.
And remember, an online library of Sunday message podcasts can be found on our website too: https://uufdc.org/sunday-services-podcasts/
Thank you for joining us today-- stay safe and keep connected!
Weekly Fellowship Connection: Sunday, April 26, 2020
Love in the Time of Corona by Rev. Jim Coakley
Service Leader – Cyndy Stiehl
Love in the Time of Corona. The COVID-19 pandemic has arrived and we could choose to respond with separation, panic, anxiety, and hopelessness - in other words, to choose death. But Gary Gunderson, in his book Leading Causes of Life encourages us to think and act differently - to choose life. Choosing life leads to love in the time of corona.
Email your joys & concerns and/or announcement submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, April 28th. Your submissions will appear in our next eblast.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online service on YouTube. Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjwASuECQaG2E5V4F-0qdwoC
We have also have created a “digital order of service” that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual poems, music and videos.
Thank you for joining us today-- stay safe and keep connected!
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Earth Day Sunday Message by Dale Gooder
Service Leader – Marilyn Hansotia
Ironically on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we are likely doing the kindest possible thing for Mother Earth: pausing from our usual hectic, energy-consuming lives and placing far fewer demands on our limited resources. It is evident globally with diminished pollution and QUIET…..”the sounds of silence”.
Our speaker for today’s pre-recorded service is Dale Goodner. Dale is a naturalist by profession and by passion! He recalls 1970 when our own Wisconsin Governor and Senator, Gaylord Nelson, initiated the first Earth Day which is now celebrated every April 22 in nearly 200 countries around the globe. Today, Dale shares his experience participating in teach-ins that were the unique tool used by Nelson to educate about the essential benefits of prioritizing the care of our environment—the lessons of these teach-in are timeless, still ringing true today.
Email your joys & concerns and/or announcement submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, April 21th. Your submissions will appear in our next eblast.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online service on YouTube. Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjzy0EuC0e89U9sJ3bsDy-4u
We have also created a “digital order of service” (DOOS) that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual videos.
Thank you for joining us today-- stay safe and keep connected!
Sunday, April 12, 2020
What’s the Story? – Rev. Mark Richards
Service Leader – Cindy Nelson
About the Message: Culture is inherited through the stories we tell. The truth of our existence, the values that define us, are passed through the generations in the stories we repeat. Our rituals become a way to ensure that nothing is lost in the telling. On this Easter morning we retell the story that is foundational to Western civilization. Its meaning has been reshaped over centuries, and still there is value for us today.
About the Speaker: Rev. Mark Richards was ordained on Nov. 25, 2018 by the First Parish in Concord, MA. He and his wife Christina moved to Door County in 2016 and became members of UUFDC in July of last year. This past summer they learned the joy of gardening after having not so much as mowed a lawn for most of their adult lives. Mark serves as a chaplain for Unity Hospice in Door and Kewaunee counties. He also has a passion for working with prison inmates, and for expanding awareness of Unitarian Universalism in the wider community.
Email your joys & concerns and/or announcement submission (under 175 words) to contact@uufdc.org by the end of the day Tuesday, April 14th. Your submissions will appear in Wednesday’s eblast.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online service on YouTube. Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising. Please let us know if this becomes a distraction.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyT6grul9ePe_KwnkLKlqor
We have also have created a “digital order of service” (DOOS) that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual poems, music and videos.
Thank you for joining us today-- stay safe and keep connected!
Sunday, April 5, 2020
POETRY SUNDAY – Estella Lauter, Coordinator
Making the Invisible Visible – Reflections on Native America
In celebration of National Poetry Month, we have gathered a group of poets who are Members and Friends of the Fellowship to reflect on their experience with Native American people, culture, and history. In response to a call from our Racial Justice Action Team, their poetry explores the invisibility of those who cared for this land centuries before Europeans heard of it, and who live here still. Each of the poets – and each of us – come from different places in relation to Native history. Some have extensive and intimate experiences with Native people, some not, so there are many points of entry for a conversation to begin.
Our exploration for Poetry Sunday takes two forms, the written and the spoken word. In all, twelve poets have contributed their written work to a digital chapbook, attached as a pdf to this email for you to read, print or download. In addition, six of these poets have recorded themselves reading the poems they have contributed. These recorded readings form the core of this week’s online Sunday Service, which includes opening and closing words from Service Leader Tom Toerpe, along with a selection of Native American music.
The poets who contributed to this project are Sharon Auberle, David Clowers, Ethel Davis, Tom Davis, Larry Erikkson, Donna Johnson, Estella Lauter, Ralph Murre, Nancy Rafal, Jack Redell, Mark Richards, and Meg Ziegelmann. We thank them all for their creativity and thoughtful perspectives.
We invite anyone who would like to participate in a virtual “email talkback” on this subject to contact Estella Lauter or Sara McKillop. Once we know how many participants we might have, we will arrange logistics and contact you.
Links:
The following link will bring you directly to our online serve on YouTube. Because YouTube is a free platform, you may see some sponsor advertising. Please let us know if this becomes a distraction.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1Ntjyj34y-Qks5F4qFBnF3LmOb
We have also have created a “digital order of service” (DOOS) that provides more detail on today’s program, with direct links to individual poems, music and videos.
4/5/2020 - Digital Order of Service
Finally, here is a pdf file of the poetry chapbook, “Making the Invisible Visible” for your reading pleasure.
“Making the Invisible Visible” Poetry Sunday Chapbook
Thank you for joining us today.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 Sunday Service Alternatives
This Sunday's alternative service loosely follows the Justice Sunday programming that was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 23, 2020. On a separate note, attached to this email is the Fellowship’s UU Update newsletter for April.
This week’s Sunday Service Alternative videos can be viewed two ways…
One: Connect with playlist and watch the "service" in its entirety.
Each individual video (posted as-is) in this playlist is described below and will flow into one another at this link (click play all when the link is loaded):
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn
Two: Or you can choose to watch each separate video at your own pace; each video is linked separately below.
VIDEO 1: WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
Rev. Mark Richards is the service leader; he created the introduction which includes familiar components of our typical worship services. His unedited intro can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4metgSb8i-I&list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn&index=1
VIDEO 2: MUSIC
UU HYMN, May Nothing Evil Cross This Door https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4rSAIts3MA&list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn&index=2
VIDEO 3: READING
The reading (Isaiah 65:17 - 25), to accompany the message, is read by Mark here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uFdeZHIL3w&list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn&index=3
VIDEO 4: MESSAGE
The message prepared especially for UUFDC on this Justice Sunday by Rev. Jim Honig (Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Chuch) can be accessed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PjInuwSTZo&list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn&index=4
Rev. Honig finds a great deal of common ground among our faith communities and brings a message of hope for today.
VIDEO 5: MUSIC
UU HYMN, We Laugh We Cry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDh70LXkBKY&list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn&index=5
VIDEO 6: CLOSING
Closing thoughts and extinguishing the Chalice are shared by Mark here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRCOQJZ1Tb8&list=PLTz2lwF1NtjyXYE0tltc5316DMiM4ndwn&index=6
The Board and the Program Committee thanks Rev. Mark Richards, Rev. Jim Honig, and our tech support Kathy Toerpe for pulling together a "service" for our Weekly Fellowship Connection.
We are so grateful for the many formats technology offers us as we continue to seek ways to stay connected as a Fellowship. As a reminder, there are over 300 podcasts of previous UUFDC services on our website! This week I would like to highlight Rev. Dottie Matthews' message "(Still) Learning to Let Go" from April 3, 2016. Leaning heavily on Buddhist teachings, her insight on dealing with change and loss is again relevant today.
And finally, Jack Redell shares this very appropriate summary to Rev. Honig's message:
Justice is local
Concerned with the cultural
So, make a diff'rence
Stay Safe! Stay Connected!
Susan Leeder, Program Committee Chair
Sunday, March 22 Sunday Services Alternatives
Submitted by Susan Leeder, Program Committee Chair
During this hiatus from regular Sunday Services, the Governing Board, along with the Program Committee invites those interested to avail themselves of “worship” alternatives via Social Media. Tomorrow, like last Sunday, we are leaning heavily on the Fox Valley UU Fellowship, and providing the link to their on-line streaming. We are adding our own introduction and reading.
Link to UUFDC’s Introduction & Reading Video:
Link to Fox Valley UU Fellowship’s On-line Worship Service/Viewing Directions:
https://fvuuf.org/fellowship-connections-a-distance/
The next two Sundays (3/29/20and 4/5/20) will be modified online versions of the previously scheduled Sunday Services, Justice Sunday (Rev. Jim Honig) and Poetry Sunday (Estella Lauter et al). We will send out a Weekly Fellowship Connection eBlast each week, like the one you are reading, to share the links to view/listen/read the components provided to accompany our weekly online “Sunday Service” programming. This information will also be posted on our website: uufdc.org
Beyond these first few Sundays, assuming face-to-face Services continue to be cancelled, we may be reaching out to the congregation for volunteers to create posts that loosely cover the ordinary components of our Services. Stay tuned for opportunities and guidance on the programming ahead.
For those who prefer to avoid social media, let me remind you there are 343 podcasts on the UUFDC website! Included in those are 4 sermons by Rik Warch; I found two of them eerily timely “Moment of Silence” and “Fighting Familiarity, Embracing Novelty”. Do you have a favorite message previously delivered at the Fellowship? Send me your podcast recommendations! (email me at nobarnfarm@gmail.com or call 920-495-3315)
We could not think of a better way to sign off this communication, but with a touch of familiarity, a haiku poem submitted by Jack Redell:
Int'resting, perhaps
Time is all that we have left
To correct our fate
Stay safe! Stay connected!