Adult Religious Education
GROUPS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
Our theme for November and December is our Third Source: Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life. Each month there will be two opportunities to join a group discussing this theme.
Topic for November: The Tao
We will explore basic premises of the Tao and then delve deeper into some readings in the Tao as interpreted by Deng Ming-Dao in their text Everyday Tao. From the book jacket: “The Taoist spirit comes to life, made vibrant and contemporary through the Chinese ideograms whose images and stories speak of living in harmony with the Tao. Everyday Tao revives an ancient approach to meditation and reflection by using these stories as sources of insight for spiritual growth. … Deng Ming-Dao is the author of 365 Tao, The Chronicles of Tao, and Scholar Warrior. He studied with Taoist master Kwan Saihung for thirteen years.”
Two offerings:
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. on Zoom.
Saturday, Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m. on Zoom.
Pre-registration is important as there are handouts to read in advance. Contact me to receive materials and zoom link. Request which date you would like to participate.
— Rev. Fred L Hammond
Auction
GET READY FOR AUCTION 2022
by Carol Bartz
Every year we have an auction as our major fundraiser and as a way to bring us closer together as we participate together in the social events members offer. Last year we were challenged with doing this as we adapted to the need for social distancing during the pandemic. Members offered new items (picture provided in the catalog) or events held on Zoom or in outdoor settings and bid on items via email or phone. Bob Yavis approached multiple local businesses for gift certificates which added to fun and fine dining. Daily tally sheets were provided by email to let everyone know the status of the items they were bidding on.
For our Annual Auction in 2022 we will most likely be doing things in a similar way by bidding via email or phone, but hopefully will be able to have some in person viewing of the tangible items at specified times. As it is unknown whether we will be back in our building for the Live Auction it’s best to think “flexible” at this point in time, making it vitally important to keep up with announcements!
Preliminary Schedule:
December 4 – January 16: Submit description of what you are donating; Get business donations
January 22: Catalog available.
January 23-29: Dates & times for viewing to be announced; Bidding via email, phone begins.
January 29: Bidding stops on Silent Auction items
January 30: Lunch & Live Auction after the service if in person. (Live Auction on Zoom if we are not in person.)
Start thinking of what you might donate, keeping social distancing in mind:
Ancestry research (Fred)
Choice of sermon topic (Fred)
Commissioned piece of artwork by our own artists
Dinner held outdoors at your home or on the deck at the fellowship
Trips to nearby outdoor places or inside with masks and social distancing as needed
One year membership to Ringling Museum, Selby Gardens, or South Florida Museum
Item you received as a gift and never used or purchased on sale and never used
Presentation of your travels
Gift cards to various local restaurants or online businesses (ie Amazon)
“Vacation rental” of your home for weekend or a week while you go away for a trip
Art, music, knitting, gardening, etc. lessons
Bag of books on a theme (spirituality, racism, LGBTQ, cookbooks, historical time period, biographies, etc.)
Dinner prep and delivery
Homemade dessert
Homebaked bread
Subscription to magazine
Offer to do home repairs or yardwork
Wine or beer tasting
This is just a beginning list…you can think of other things too. Just remember that we need to be flexible with whether we will be able to gather in person so events may need to be held outdoors or indoors with social distancing and masking. We all crave more contact and at the same time we all want to remain healthy, so soar with your ideas of what you can offer for the auction! Watch for news via email and announcements about how to list your offerings for our Annual Auction 2022.
Some of our recent books:
Book Club
The Manatee Unitarian Universalist Book Club is composed of a small group of congenial persons, usually between eight and ten per meeting — not necessarily the same each time — who enjoy reading and then discussing books on a variety of topics. These books are usually nonfiction and related in some way to social justice or UU principles. If we do read fiction, it would be related to an actual historic event or social problem. We stay away from academic tomes.
The group meets on the first Monday of each month at 2 p.m. During the pandemic our meetings are via Zoom. The discussions are light, frequently filled with laughter, and respectful of a variety of opinions. The books to be read are suggested and chosen by the group. This is how we maintain a variety of topics.
We have been meeting since 2015.
Everyone is welcome; you don’t have to be a Manatee UU Fellowship member to participate. Come and join us!
Great Decisions Discussion Group
Great Decisions Discussion Group is an annual seminar, held each of eight weeks during February and March using the Great Decisions Manual published by the U.S. Foreign Policy Association of New York. Our group, 25 years old, is an official group, registered on the Great Decisions website, and is open to the public. As a result, the discussion participants are not only from our Fellowship, but also from the community.
In addition to the curriculum book, we watch a discussion video by professionals in the field. The cost of the book and a share in the video is $30. A different group member serves as discussion leader each week.
Details on the upcoming 2022 program sessions are to be announced.
Past Great Decisions Topics:
- Global Supply Chains and National Security
- Persian Gulf Security Issues
- Brexit and the European Union
- Struggles Over the Melting Arctic
- China’s Role in Africa
- The Korean Peninsula
- Roles of International Organizations in a Global Pandemic
- The End of Globalization?
- Artificial Intelligence and Data
- Nuclear Negotiation: Back to the Future
- The Middle East Regional Disorder
- The Rise of Populism in Europe
- Decoding U.S. – China Trade
- Refugees and Global Migration
- Cyber Conflicts and Geopolitics
- The U.S. and Mexico: Partnership Tested
- State of the State Department and Diplomacy
Knit ‘n Chat
Our Knit ‘n Chat group provides a fun time to do any kind of handwork and chat together, catching up with and supporting each other plus sharing our current work. And there has often been a social outreach aspect to the literal work of our hands, with special knitting projects for service groups such as Hope Family Services of Bradenton and Knitting4Peace.
During the past year of pandemic, we were so fortunate to be able to stay connected via Zoom. Now, as of October, we are meeting in person on the back deck of the fellowship. Living in Florida enables us to use this wonderful outdoor space much of the year.
So, please learn how to join us on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 10 a.m. by clicking the box below and sending us your current email address.
Men’s Discussion and Support Group
John Isham, Facilitator
The Men’s group meets twice a month on the second and fourth Wednesday at 2 p.m. on Zoom (while our building is closed due to COVID-19). The Zoom link for the meeting is sent out by email prior to the start.
Because of the wide-ranging backgrounds and interests of our male membership, discussions have been lively and thought-provoking. There is no limit to the subjects we discuss, and each meeting we have a topic suggested by a member. Some topics have been, and can be, significant events, personal successes and failures, brief personal histories, families, childhoods, fathers, mothers, siblings, children, gripes and irritations, fears and fights, the male side of relationships, the seven UU Principles, just to scratch the surface.
We open with an impulse of sound, have a brief reading and do a check-in. Each “holder of the gavel” has the floor without interruption for up to five minutes. Afterwards, questions or comments are welcomed and then the gavel is passed on. Meetings last for an hour and a half but can go on longer if people desire.
The support function of the group means we stand ready to help anyone with personal needs who makes a request. Personal facts are private, confidential and respected not to be disclosed outside of the meeting.
Racial Concerns Discussion Group
The Racial Concerns Group is a new Fellowship organization and is still feeling its way. This is good because it can go wherever its members desire. Right now we are researching, learning, discussing and acting on the many racial issues facing our community and nation. Our interests take us back into slavery and up to the latest police brutality. We will use books, movies, documentaries, periodicals, newspapers, music, field trips and other sources for information. We are anxious to live up to our UU principles, especially to promote the worth and dignity of each person.
Unitarian Universalist Association
