The UU Goods and Services Online Auction IS OPEN!

Bidding Closes Sunday, May 7 at 4 p.m.

Browse the Catalog and bid online here:

fundraiser.bid/UUCB23

The Auction will run through this week, closing on Sunday, May 7 at 4:00 p.m. If you end the auction in a bidding battle, each bid will extend the closing time for that item for 10 minutes from the time of that bid, not to exceed a total of 30 minutes (4:30 p.m.) 

For those of you who have donated so generously, we thank you!! For the rest of you, hop on the site and see what strikes your fancy -- you can even go straight to viewing all Items Without Bids and be the first bidder!

Computer assistance will again be available in Fellowship Hall after Sunday's service. If you have any questions or need help with anything, feel free to contact Ann Kamman or Charlotte Appel.

Women's Alliance Meeting

Thursday, May 4, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

in Fellowship Hall (and on Zoom)

Guest speakers: UU Hope for Prisoners Task Force

Please join us on Thursday, May 4 at 11:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall or virtually by Zoom. Debbie Fish and Mary Goetze will share stories of frustration and hope of incarcerated persons and their families. They will also give an update on the planning for a new local jail. Bring a sandwich or lunch if you wish. We encourage you to bring a salad, dessert, or other item to share! Beverages will be provided. All are welcome. For the Zoom link, please contact Doris Wittenburg at dwittenb@indiana.edu.

Green Sanctuary Task Force Spring Clothing Swap 

Thursday, May 4, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Friday, May 5, 10:00 am - 3:00 p.m.

in Fellowship Hall

Renew your wardrobe while caring for the Earth at this spring's Clothing Swap in Fellowship Hall! You are welcome, even if you don't have clothes to bring. Volunteers are needed to organize clothes throughout the event and at 3 pm on Friday to deliver any leftover clothes to local charities. Please contact Stephanie Kimball (kimball@uubloomington.org) for more information or to volunteer. 

CUPCAKES for Mother's Day!

A fundraiser for the UU Hunger Task Force

Order online by Monday, May 8

All proceeds from this sale will go toward fighting hunger in our community. Pick up your cupcakes at the church on May 13 or 14. Single cupcakes will also be sold after the service on May 14. Be sure to look at the descriptions, because you will be tempted! Paper order forms for the Cupcake Sale are available on the Social Justice table in the Commons and in the church office upstairs, Room 204.

Dedication of Babies and Young Children

Please RSVP by May 7

A ceremony of dedication of babies and young children will be included in our Sunday morning worship service on Mother’s Day, May 14, on request. In this ceremony, children are named and blessed, parents dedicate themselves to the young lives entrusted to them, and the congregation dedicates itself to be a loving community in which all may thrive. This ceremony is appropriate for infants as well as young children who may be new to the congregation or have not previously been dedicated. If you would like your child(ren) to be included in this ceremony, please contact Rev. Connie Grant by May 7 at grant@uubloomington.org.

Connie's Column

Making this the church you want it to be

Who owns your congregation? Definitely not the Unitarian Universalist Association, or any minister, or the Board of Directors, or even the congregants themselves. According to church consultant Dan

Hotchkiss, the owner of the congregation is the congregation’s mission.

What is your mission? Officially, this is your mission statement, as approved by the congregation on June 7, 2009:

In this liberal religious community of inspiration, love and action: we celebrate life; we nurture one another; we welcome all; we care for the earth; and we work for the common good.

More familiar, perhaps, are the words of your vision statement:

Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World

These words of mission and vision articulate your reason for being as a congregation, and provide a general framework for the things your congregation does.

How will you make this the congregation you want it to be? How will you make this the congregation you want to belong to; that you want to invite your friends and family to come to; that you want to participate in? That’s up to you, within the framework of the mission and vision of the congregation.

In her column, below, Board president Abby Gitlitz lists some of the leadership opportunities currently available.

In her notes under Seeking the Spirit, below, Director of Lifespan Religious Education Stephanie Kimball details some ways to be involved in religious education activities for young children and for adults.

And there are so many more ways to help shape this congregation.

Some possibilities:

• Is there an affinity group you would like to create, based on theological leanings or life stage?
• Is there a support group or discussion group you would like to start?
• Is there an interest group, such as fiber arts or cooking, you would like to begin?
• Would you like to read or tell a story in a Sunday service?
• Is there a sermon in you clamoring to be released?
• Would you like more potlucks? More participatory musical events?

If you would like to explore these or other possibilities, I would love to talk with you.

In faith and hope,

Connie

Rev. Connie Grant

Interim Lead Minister

grant@uubloomington.org

847-840-8542

Emily's Post

Dear Friends,

We are entering more deeply into the season of goodbye–the days are growing longer, somewhat warmer–the summer is coming, and with it, the time of my departure.

I am hoping for a good goodbye together in this time of seasons’ change. Time to sink in and enjoy our last events together (see below), time for individual conversations and gatherings, time to say all that we don’t want to leave unsaid. If I have hurt you, I would appreciate the opportunity to make amends. If you have something you would like to share with me, I would be glad to make time to listen. Please get in touch if you’d like to go on a walk, share a cup of tea, or schedule a visit.

I hope you’ll join me in leaning into all that these coming days can offer us–a time for goodbye, and also a time for joy. I look forward to being with you.  

Sending my love,

Emily

Reverend Emily Manvel Leite

Minister of Story and Ritual 

leite@uubloomington.org

812-333-9822

Upcoming: 



I will share stories in the Sunday services every week May 14-June 18.

May 7: I will be away for a long-scheduled Sunday off.

May 21: I will lead our Flower Communion service, recognizing transitions in all of our lives and celebrating our community.  

May 24: Ministers’ Tea, 3-4pm in the Library–tea and goodies. Come for casual conversation.

May 29-June 1: Legacy Museum trip to Montgomery, Alabama–contact me if you might be interested in joining the group! 

June 4: Special event–Calling Visible Menders and the Visible Mending Curious! Gather for soup and a visible mending circle after the service. (Other hand sewing and fiber arts welcome!)

June 18: Summer Solstice Service–my final Sunday service with you. Mark your calendars for food and a goodbye event after the service– details will follow soon.

From Our Board of Directors

Most of us know about the various task forces that take on the social justice work of the church, and the Board that oversees the larger picture, but do you know about all the other interesting things happening that you can be involved with? Here are just some of the committees and working groups that are looking for folks to get involved.  

Lead Minister Search Committee - Now is the time to nominate three people who you think would be a good fit for the search committee for a new lead minister. You are welcome to self-nominate if you would be interested in serving. You can nominate people either using the personal link that was emailed to you by the church on Friday, April 28, or you can nominate in person after the service this Sunday, May 7.   

This committee will serve from roughly July 1, 2023 -May 31, 2024. Members can expect to put in one to two hours of work every week during this time, with some periods requiring more time commitment. 

Pledge Drive Committee – Be a part of the team that helps plan and run the annual pledge drive of the church. This committee meets monthly, year-round, and with members serving staggered three-year terms. This committee will be convened in June or July, so if you are interested, please contact board president Abby Gitlitz at pres@uubloomington.org, or Interim Lead minister, Reverend Connie Grant, at grant@uubloomington.org. 

Worship Associates – Interested in how a Sunday service comes together and how you can be part of the process? The Worship Associate team’s charter is to creatively and practically support Sunday (or other) services. For more information contact Rev Connie Grant.

Pastoral Care Associates – assist the lead minister in the pastoral care of the congregation. For more information contact Rev Connie Grant.

Welcoming Team - How do we make our church a welcoming congregation, not just to newcomers who come in for the first time on a Sunday, but to folks who have been coming for years. The Welcome Team’s mission is to further a radically welcoming community by promoting ownership, action, and joy in hospitality at UUCB and further inspire the larger church community. For more information contact our Connections Coordinator Anabel Watson, connect@uubloomington.org.

Personnel Committee - The Personnel Advisory Committee assists the Board in developing and reviewing policies and related procedures pertaining to employment of the congregation’s paid staff. This work includes working with the Lead Minister as Head of Staff to develop and review personnel policies and practices; analyzing the costs of maintaining staff with fair and appropriate salaries and benefits; serving as advisors to the Lead Minister as Head of Staff in resolving staff grievances; and serving as the Investigation Committee for cases of alleged discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct. The Personnel Advisory Committee has a minimum of three members, appointed by the Board for staggered three-year terms. If you are interested, please contact board president Abby Gitlitz at pres@uubloomington.org, or Vice President Jane McLeod, vicepres@uubloomington.org.  

The Board invites you to be one of the people who make this church such a vibrant place. 

With gratitude for all that you do. 



Abby Gitlitz, President 

Updates on the UUA Article II Process:

Public discussion sessions in May

The Unitarian Universalist Association Board of Trustees will host three public discussion workshops in May to review suggestions and ideas for amendments to the Article II Revision Proposal. These rounds of public discussion will inform the way amendments are prioritized for discussion and voting at General Assembly in June.

• Amendment Discussion Workshop #1: Thurs, May 11, 7 pm. Register for May 11
• Amendment Discussion Workshop #2: Thurs, May 18, 7 pm. Register for May 18
• Amendment Discussion Workshop #3: Sun, May 21, 4pm. Register for May 21

DRUUMM Public Worship Invitation

May 11, 8:00 p.m. via Livestream/Zoom

DRUUMM (Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries) is Unitarian Universalism’s oldest and largest People of Color collective. Join DRUUMM for their annual public worship featuring a festival of Black and Brown joy and resilience. Musical director Amanda Thomas and guest minister Rev. Katie Romano Griffin (from All Souls in Indianapolis) are joined by gifted black and brown colleagues from across the UU-verse to help bring some shine to your day including The Rev. Dr. Kristen Harper, Nasreen Khan, and Cassie Montenegro. Featuring original works of music, prayer, and poetry. Register here.

The Jewish Theatre of Bloomington presents

Madeleines by Bess Welden at the Waldron Arts Center

May 4 - May 13

Iris Kiesling invites all to see the Jewish Theatre of Bloomington's latest production. The 2022 winner of the prestigious Jewish Playwriting Contest, Madeleines tells the story of a family of Jewish women grappling with how to love each other through haunted pasts, through laughter and tears, and the solace of baking together. At the Waldron’s Rose Firebay. Get tickets here.