Program

We've reached the fifth Sunday of October, so we'll conclude our exploration of Dean James Ryan's "Five Essential Questions" with the fifth question, "What Truly Matters?" This question gets to the heart of Life itself, seizing the day, and continually striving to do good and to do as well as we can. We'll welcome back counselor Yvette Erasmus for her second of two Sundays to discuss how this question applies to relationships with others as well as the one we have with ourselves.

Stay tuned for more information about the format of this program.

It's the fourth Sunday in October, so we're diving into Dean James Ryan's fourth of "Five Essential Questions," which is, "How Can I Help?" This question gets to the heart of lending a hand while seeking guidance and direction. It stresses the formation or maintenance of a working relationship, and we're bringing in counselor and communication guru Yvette Erasmus to help us learn more about how we can work more effectively and compassionately within relationships.

We're lucky enough to get Yvette for 2 back-to-back programs. Stay tuned for more information on this program.

For this third Sunday of the month, we'll be looking into Dean James Ryan's third of "Five Essential Questions," which is, "Couldn't we at least...?" As this question gets to the heart of progress, we went straight to our own mediator, Mr. Les Kraus, for a program about getting people to come to an agreement, and getting solutions, however minor, a chance to be heard.

Stay tuned for more information on the format of this program.

Today, we'll tackle the second of Dean James Ryan's "Five Essential Questions," which is, "I wonder why..." or "I wonder if..." This question gets to heart of curiosty, and often leads to even more questions in an attempt to gain new perspectives on an issue, a problem, or a situation.

Stay tuned for more information about the speaker and format of this program.

Last spring, James Ryan, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, gave an inspiring commencement speech, which ended with something he called "The Five Essential Questions." Today we'll share that bit of his speech with you as an introduction to how we as a fellowship will be spending the five Sundays of October.

We'll also be digging into the meaning and application of the first of these five questions: "Wait, What?" LFUU member Marnie Karger will lead a discussion about pausing before we respond, and about seeking clarity before we act.

Today, we're pleased to welcome Sara Given from the Anoka County Historical Society. Her program highlights the incredible stories of Minnesota Women who protected their homes, supported their soldiers, served the army in many different ways, and kept the home fires burning throughout the four years of the Civil War. Some were dedicated enough to continue working for veterans even after the war. Their stories, long overlooked and forgotten, bring a new perspective to the history of America's most bloody war.

When both Unitarianism and Universalism were founded, there was a strong belief in God. But over time Unitarian Universalists seem to have drifted away from this faith of God's role, and have adopted a more humanist view. This is clearly illustrated by how UU principles have evolved over time. Fellowship member Christopher Hall will give a brief history of the Unitarian and Universalist faiths, and then explore how UU principles have evolved over time. At the end, Chris will lead a discussion about how what we believe or why we come to Fellowship relates to Unitarian Universalism.

As has been our tradition for nearly a decade, we will start our new season of programs with a Water Ceremony. The Water Ceremony is a great way to reconvene after summer break. For those who may not be familiar with this annual tradition, members and friends bring to the service a small amount of water that represents something of significance for them.  One by one the water is poured into a larger bowl. This is more than a “what I did this summer” report but represents a re-gathering of our community.

Please join us for our annual clean-up day! We're timing this day one week before the auction because we want to make the building and grounds as gorgeous as possible.

Duties will include cleaning, tidying, repairing, and updating features in and around the A-Frame. Come prepared to tackle a variety of tasks, including pulling weeds, sweeping deck and stairs, inside tidying (mainly the kitchen), cleaning the carpet, and generally taking a look around and pitching in where you see a need!

The Lake Fellowship congregation will not meet again until the fall. Please check this website for updates and invitations to summer activities.