Current Events
Advocates for Ceasefire in Gaza –This group holds a weekly vigil on Thursdays, from 4-5pm in front of the Allen County Courthouse. For more information contact Elena Gil.
Soul Matters — We are starting this year’s adult small groups! Enrollment is now open through October. For more information, visit https://www.uufortwayne.org/engage/religious-education/
Sisters Over 65 — Our meeting time is the second Thursday of the month in the Choir room from 10:30am to 12 noon. Some of us go to lunch after the meeting. All are welcome. Our next gathering is September 12. Special guest is Peg Maginn. On October 10, our speaker will be Robyn Valdizon.
Taco Ministry — This open group to meet up for lunch is held the third Sunday of the month, with our next lunch on September 15 at 12:15, at Birrieria La Cabaña Mexican Restaurant, 2534 New Haven Avenue. Come support local business, taco-bout the sermon, and enjoy camaraderie with friends old and new. RSVP to Robyn Valdizón.
HUUmanists In Action – This group meets after the service on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month to explore the history of Humanism and its application to contemporary social and community issues. Their next meeting is September 22. Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion.
qUUeer — This LGBTQIA+ group meets after the service on the 4th Sunday of each month in an available classroom at the Meetinghouse. Their next meeting is September 22. This group is a safe space for members of the queer community to discuss issues, seek and give comfort and understanding, and work together toward shared goals within our UU framework. While we appreciate our many allies, this particular setting is open only to those who identify as LGBTQIA+ For more information, please send an email to quueer@uufortwayne.org or contact the minister.
Advocates for Environmental Justice — A very exciting Climate Justice Revival is sweeping the UU world this September, and we’re going to be part of it!
Join us on September 28 and 29, as we come together with over 300+ UU congregations across the country and the world. While we are united in purpose, each congregation will hold its own unique event, reimagining their local community as spirit-filled, thriving, and liveable for ALL people! Through local conversations, worship, and advocacy, we will work individually to advance climate justice. And we will report back to the larger faith so that we can collectively advance climate justice and collective liberation in our communities.
Registration is only required for Saturday the 28th, and you are welcome to attend any part of the program if you cannot commit to the entire Saturday process. The program will be from 10:00am – 3:30pm (registration begins at 9:30 am, with coffee, tea, pastries, and lunch buffet provided at noon).
During the program, our congregation will:
• Identify opportunities for climate justice in our unique context
• Develop a vision of a flourishing future through understanding current injustices
• Identify a clear set of potential actions that we can take to realize this vision
• Enable participants to understand their roles, and what they have to offer in creating climate justice and collective liberation.
Register Here for 9/28 Program
Sunday the 29th, our worship will be focused on climate justice. Following worship we’ll engage in an “Organizing/Advocacy Hour”, in solidarity with other UU congregations around the country. Please join us for conversations, worship, advocacy and two spirit-filled days!
Breaking Barriers, Building Beliefs — When you think of a minister, what images come to mind? Perhaps certain faces, genders, races, or ages appear in your imagination. It’s natural—our minds are shaped by the world around us. But what if we opened ourselves to new possibilities and expanded our vision of who our next minister could be? Breaking Barriers, Building Beliefs is an exciting part of our congregation’s search process. In seeking the best match for our ministerial role, we might inadvertently overlook someone incredible due to unconscious bias. Please join us for this powerful workshop on October 26, 9:30am-3:30pm. It will be facilitated by an experienced leader to guide us through a thoughtful conversation about how we can recognize and temper bias in our search process. This will help us open our hearts to a broader vision of ministry and deepen our commitment to living our faith fully. You can learn more about the process, and register to attend here.
UUCFW is honored to welcome the South African drummers from the Volmoed Youth Leadership Project as part of their Drumming for Unity and Healing Tour, sponsored by many of their friends in the region, UUCFW Advocates for Racial Justice, and by the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, November 9-12. We have been invited to provide three different opportunities for the drummers.
· Nov. 9- Meet and greet dinner for drummers, host families, and donors
· Nov. 10- Sunday worship hour with half of the drummers and a leader
· Nov. 12- Good-bye party
We are excited to announce that A Philip Randolph Institute, our partner in several multi-cultural events, has offered to pick up the catering bill for the welcome dinner! Many, many thanks to them!
We are honored to be their hosts while they are in Fort Wayne. Recent UU travelers to South Africa were moved by their commitment to each other, their skill in drum making, their personal dreams and vision as well as those for their country, and their infectious, joyful spirit.
Traveling with the 10-member drumming group are:
Rev. Edwin Arrison, Anglican priest, Volmoed Youth Leadership Training Program (VYLTP) Director, close personal friend and colleague of Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Rev. Rene August, VYLTP leadership facilitator, Anglican priest, reconciliation trainer dealing with poverty, injustice, and inequality.
Bevil Spence, VYDP teacher, 20+ years’ experience as drum circle facilitator, drum and instrument maker, founder of The Drumba Project, using drumming and percussion as a tool in the therapeutic and educational process.
Siyabonga Vonco, leader of VYLTP drummers and singers.
For more information, contact Jim or Rebecca Reeder.
Opportunities for Stewardship —
You can raise funds for the church during your normal shopping! What better way to grow our resources than by making money on the things we already do and buy.
First, the Raise Right program (formerly known as Scrip). For those wanting to enroll in scrip the church code is: 77DDL4CC29923 Click here to enroll or download the RaiseRight app.
There are multiple options when ordering cards. You can buy eGift cards that can be printed at home or saved electronically on your phone. Or you can order physical gift cards and have them shipped to you. Click here for a list of Ship-to-Home Eligible Brands. If you have any questions, please contact our Scrips Coordinator, Kathi.
Second, you can link our congregation to your Kroger shopping! It’s easy to sign up for their Community Rewards program with our number: EM779. Then when you shop at Kroger, you will see our name at the bottom of the receipt. Learn how by clicking here.
Thank you – these small things really do make a difference!
