Perspectives for July 2025
- From Rev. Susan
- Education Matters: General Assembly Reflection
- From the Connections Coordinator: Welcoming Our New Members!
- From the Board of Directors
- Building Community Highlight: Heartland String Band
- Fourth of July Parade!
- Upcoming Services
- Attendance, Offertory, and Membership Information
Table of Contents
From Rev. Susan
Unitarian Universalist congregations have a long tradition of providing their ministers with time off for rest and study over the summer. I am grateful to have the month of July for this time of rejuvenation. Over the course of the month, I will be visiting family and friends, taking time to let go of the day to day demands of ministry, and enjoy reading for both fun and to prepare for next year.
Beginning in August, through worship, small groups, and religious education we will explore the overarching theme of the power and importance of Beloved Community. Within this theme, we’ll deepen some of the ideas set out in our first year – specifically nurturing UUCB as a community of courage, a community of sanctuary, and a community of possibility. For in these times, places where we are inspired to courage (to defend our values), where we create sanctuary (places of love, welcome, care and safety), and places of possibility where we nurture imagination, art, and beauty as essential and life-giving aspects of being human is crucial.
I hope that all of us have moments of rest and joy this summer and that the long days of sunlight will bring some spaciousness to our hearts and our spirits.
See you in August.
Yours,
Susan
Education Matters: General Assembly Reflection
I am thrilled to be attending the General Assembly in Baltimore. I’ll be reflecting on the experience at some point in the future – watch the Friday Update for a link!
From the Connections Coordinator: Welcoming Our New Members!
Those who complete our Exploring the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington membership class, and youth who have completed our Coming of Age program, are welcome to join our church as members. After the culmination of Coming of Age in April, we were excited to welcome the following youth into membership:
Caden Baird
Eisley Motz
Ella Sturdevant
Liza Yeley
Nola Cusack
Zadie Schrader
Nine folks also attended Exploring UUCB in May, all deciding to join our church as members. Please enjoy the inspiring bios below of those who wished to share. Since then, two others who previously participated in the membership class have also joined membership.
Please join me in welcoming these new members, both from Coming of Age and Exploring UUCB, into membership and our broader church community:
Susan Carson:
Learning has been my love and profession for over 35 years. I started a school in central Florida for friends’ children who identified as biracial and taught my undergraduate classes out of schools that serve homeless youth. I am a proud mother of 3 daughters and have 7 grandchildren. I am inspired by Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. I enjoy swimming, kayaking, and bird watching! Recently I moved to Bloomington from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Ann Dorwin:
A Bloomington native, Ann graduated from IU with degrees in Applied Health Sciences and Psychological & Brain Sciences. Logically, she put all that higher education to good use by running off to join the circus! She spent the next few decades touring with traditional shows across the globe, working as a performing artist and artistic director, altogether an interesting experience, resulting in a very open, diverse worldview and a well developed sense of humor!
After retiring from the circus in 2010, Ann went back to school for massage, manual and somatic therapies, graduating with honors, receiving national board certification and working in hospitals and wellness centers.
Now in private practice, Ann continued her education with over 700 hours of advanced studies, happily settling back into her hometown with her fabulous son, Cai. She loves her life and work in health and healing, because the world is a better place when we feel like our better selves.
Gretchen Hall and Freddy Arsenault recently moved to Bloomington after 20 years of acting in NYC—and now perform daily for their three daughters (Imogen- 10, Luna-7, and Ingrid- 4). Freddy fundraises for the Eskenazi School and trail runs to process the fact that he's now a reluctant dog owner (surprise, courtesy of Gretchen). Gretchen teaches theatre at IU, is pursuing a Master’s in Social Work, and just received a Baby Wolf floor loom for Mother’s Day—which she has no idea how to use. They're thrilled to be a part of this community—please send help, or yarn.
Diana Lambdin:
Diana Lambdin’s lengthy career teaching mathematics (1970-2012) included middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, and college students as a professor in the IU School of Education. In retirement, she enjoys working as a CASA, welcoming refugees to our community, and playing violin in Bloomington’s New Horizons Orchestra. She and her husband, Frank Lester, spend months in Maine every summer with extended family at a primitive lakeside camp that has been in her family for more than 100 years.
Connie Shakalis:
Connie is the freelance arts reporter for The Herald-Times. Past member of Actors Equity Association, she studied in Manhattan with Linda Hall, assistant conductor, The Metropolitan Opera.
Connie performs with Reimagining Opera for Kids and is a soloist, chorister and board member for the Bloomington Chamber Singers. She has performed at venues such as Cardinal Stage and Bloomington Playwrights Project (Constellation), Bean Blossom Music Series, Eclipse Productions and Beef and Boards. She performed her one-woman show throughout Manhattan and recreated IU's "Mop Lady" for Rotary's toast to journalist Bob Hammel.
Those interested in becoming members are welcome to sign up for the upcoming offering of Exploring UUCB on Sunday afternoons, September 14 and 21. Please sign up at this link. Anyone interested in learning more about UUCB and the broader Unitarian Universalist tradition is likewise invited to register without the expectation of becoming a member. If you have any questions about membership, the Exploring UUCB class, or want to learn more about ongoing activities and ways to get more engaged, I am available for appointments and via email at connect@uubloomington.org.
I am grateful to be in community together,
Anabel Watson
Connections Coordinator
connect@uubloomington.org
From the Board of Directors
The UUCB congregation is in excellent shape for the year ahead. In our shared ministry with Reverend Susan Frederick-Gray, we are strong because of what we are able to commit to together. At our Annual Meeting in June, we approved our Fiscal Year 2025/2026 budget, a budget based on achieving our “stretch goal” in our pledge drive. Notably, we are able to increase our communications coordinator position to full time, provide better compensation for all staff, and plan for additional support for Rev. Susan, easing the burden on her and preparing us for future growth. Beginning in the fall, we will be working together in a process to discern what we want our mission and vision to be now and what we want our name to be.
The Power and Importance of Community—that’s the overarching theme for the coming year. Another way we recently showed our power as a community was in adopting a resolution at the Annual Meeting to raise $25,000, as a congregation, over the next five years toward Beacon’s Light the Way campaign to build a comprehensive center for those in need. With an additional $25,000 dedicated to this effort from our Special Purposes Fund, our congregation will take a position of leadership among local faith communities and make a real difference in the lives of people in Bloomington.
Rev. Susan is away until August 3, when she will return to the pulpit. Our shared ministry continues with guest worship leaders she has arranged for our Sunday services. We will continue to gather, learn, and grow while Rev. Susan has the chance to do the same on her own. When she returns in August, it will be one year since she joined us as our lead minister. Can you believe it’s only one year? What a year it’s been!
Mary Craig, Board Member At Large
Building Community Highlight: Heartland String Band
What do old time music, jigs, reels, ballads have in common? They are all played by our UU Heartland String Band. We meet every 3rd Thursday of the month from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. I began playing with them several years ago when I decided to renew my junior high violin skills. The group was very welcoming and accepting of my rusty playing, which has allowed me to grow musically. Several in the group are well versed in this type of music. Some are very experienced players and some, like I was, are relatively new. Our time playing is relaxing and fun. We take turns choosing which song to play, sometimes we sing along. We have played in services, at UU May Pole dances, at retirement homes, and at some of the quilt shows in Nashville where we were paid with a piece of persimmon pudding, or piece of pie of our choice. Guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, penny- whistle, and occasionally piano among other instruments have joined us. If you are interested just come, but we can be found on the church website if you'd like to contact us.
Sally McGuire
Fourth of July Parade!
4th of July Parade! - Friday, July 4th, 10 a.m.
Planning to march with UUCB in the City of Bloomington's 4th of July Parade? Sign up here to give us an idea of our group size. We will reach out with details once we have them. On Sunday, June 29th, there will be a Song Leading and Practice session from 1-2pm in the Meeting Room and parade sign-making party in the Church Library from 2-4pm.
Interested in driving your minivan in the parade, purchasing or donating poster board, or designing/researching a UU Values sign? Email Anabel, Connections Coordinator: connect@uubloomington.org
Upcoming Services
Saturday, June 28, 2025 - 10 a.m. in the Meeting Room.
Celebration of Life for Jack Harlow
A Celebration of Life for Jack Harlow will be held on Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m. in the Meeting Room. A reception will follow in Fellowship Hall. Click here to view Jack's obituary.
July 6, 2025
Advice in Uncertain Times
Service Leader: Rev. Forrest Gilmore
As we navigate an unpredictable age, how do we cope? How do we heal? How do we make a difference?
Rev. Forrest Gilmore is UUCB’s Affiliated Community Minister. He served congregations for ten years as a parish minister and now is the Executive Director of Beacon, Inc, a local nonprofit dedicated to people experiencing extreme poverty. Forrest is a native New Yorker, but has called Bloomington home for over thirteen years. He's a graduate of Cornell University and Starr King School for the Ministry.
July 13, 2025
Faith in a Seed
Service Leader: Madison Colquette
During these liminal times, I’ve been meditating on faith. Not so much concerned with asking, ‘what is faith,’ but rather, how does our faith in whatever/whomever that might be, show up in our lives? How does our faith guide us? In our work as individuals, in our work as communities?
Madison Colquette is a seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School pursuing fellowship as a Unitarian Universalist minister and chaplain. She recently served as the ministerial intern at the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY. In August, she will begin a new role as ministerial intern at the UU Society in Coralville, Iowa.
July 20, 2025
Death, Loss, and Other Disappointments
Service Leader: Rev. Dr. Roger Jones
When we lose people through death, or experience decline or setbacks in our own lives, it’s hard. It sets us on a path with vulnerability and surprise emotions. And while it can feel so lonely to go through loss, it’s one of the most common human experiences. Today’s sermon draws from Five True Things by Buddhist writer and psychotherapist David Richo.
Rev. Dr. Roger Jones is a co-minister at the UU Society of Sacramento, where he began in 2008. A native of central Indiana, he attended Indiana University, Meadville Lombard Theological School, and Pacific School of Religion.
July 27, 2025
Practicing Spirituality
Service Leaders: Linda Pickle and Daniel Reed
In the past church year, Linda Pickle and Daniel Reed led an Adult RE course called “Spirit in Practice.” The course consisted of ten one-hour introductions to various forms of/approaches to practicing spirituality. This service is a small survey of the course as experienced by several students and the facilitators. It offers the congregation insights into practicing spirituality alone and with others.
Linda Pickle is Vice President of the UUCB Board of Directors and a member of the choir and of the Adult RE Development Team. A retired professor of German, she has been active in facilitating Chalice Circles and a variety of other activities at church.
Daniel Reed is a retired professor of ethnomusicology at Indiana University and lifelong musician. He sings in the choir, has taught in the adult education program, and has performed original music for many services.
Attendance, Offertory, and Membership Information
Current Member Number: 481
Attendance for the month of May
5/04/2025: 274
5/11/2025: 229
5/18/2025: 229
5/25/2025: 237
Offertory Total: $3352.49
