| Fellowship Wednesday Programs |
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6:30pm – 8:00pm Wednesday, October 8; 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM Facilitator: Dave & Mary Gerlach Participants: Min. 10 Sufi dancing consists of a variety of very soothing dances that are often easily learned and are personal. Often the dances are couple dances in which one meets several new partners as the dance progresses. The words that are shared during the dances are great affirmations that then lead to dancers leaving the experience with the sensation of floating in warmth and camaraderie. Dave and Mary Gerlach are longtime members of the Fellowship, and will be teaching Sufi dances they learned at the U.U. Lake Geneva Summer Assembly. The Sufi dancing they did there provided some of the most uplifting moments of their camp experience. Vermicomposting Wednesday, October 22 Facilitator: Mary Kohrell Participants: Min. 10 /Max. 30 Worms are slimy, gooey, and cool creatures that are sometimes a part of the interdependent web of life that we take for granted. During this program, participants will have a squirmin’ good time learning about vermicomposting—using red worms to help us compost and produce a natural fertilizer. If you’re looking for a better way to dispose of kitchen scraps, vermicomposting may be a good option. Mary Kohrell is Calumet County’s Community Development Educator with UW Extension. She is certified as a Master Composter, and has been providing education on various forms of composting for nearly a decade. She also enjoys spending time at home with worms and other decomposers. Financial Choices and Challenges: Past, Present and Future Wednesday, November 12 Facilitator: Alan Prahl Participants: Min. 10 In the past, bankers were conservative, it was difficult to get a loan, credit cards were scarce, and cash-based spending was common. What happened? Individual priorities and values, expectations, and the economy have all drastically changed, and life has become more challenging for many people. In this 1.5-hour session, we will compare past and present financial choices, and explore probable future financial challenges. Alan Prahl is the Education Manager for FISC. FISC (Financial Information and Services Center) is an agency of Goodwill. Its mission is to help families and individuals improve the quality of their lives through the application of sound financial principles. Alan has taught hundreds of workshops and is delighted to teach and discuss practical financial topics. Appleton North High School's Theatre Seminar performing “Much Like You.” Wednesday, January 14 Facilitators: Appleton No. HS Theatre Seminar Participants: Min. 10 Appleton North High School’s Theatre Seminar will present an original play on disability awareness called “Much Like You.” Following the performance, the audience will have an opportunity to dialogue with the theatre company about the production and their understanding of disability awareness. This eye-opening play, which engages the audience both emotionally and intellectually, has been enthusiastically received by youth and adults. The Appleton North High School Theatre Seminar is a class at North that focuses on theatre and among other things writes and produces plays. High School Gay/Straight Alliances Wednesday, January 28 Facilitator: Rev. Roger Bertschausen Participants: Min. 10 It wasn’t many years ago that courageous students and faculty fought the hard battle of opening the doors of their schools to Gay/Straight Alliances (GSA’s). Now they are present in most area high schools. A panel of members of Gay/Straight Alliances from area high schools will share about their experiences of participating in GSA’s. They’ll also share about their experiences as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning student or as a straight ally. There will be plenty of time for questions and conversation. Rev. Roger Bertschausen is the Senior Minister at FVUUF and has served the congregation for over 18 years. He is a very popular retreat and class leader. A Bahai Perspective: Unity in Diversity Wednesday, February 11 Facilitator: Deborah McCarty Participants: Min. 10 Several Bahai concepts will be introduced in this course, including the equality of men and women, the equality of the races, and other types of prejudice. The concept of unity, which is the main message from the prophet Bahaullah, and what it means on a spiritual level, will be discussed. His teachings provide a simple formula to obtain and maintain unity. This can be applied first to family life and then to community life. Finally, learn how to approach others with a fresh eye. Deborah McCarty has served as an energy healing specialist for 14 years spanning 11 states. Her workshops include natural healing topics, energy space management and spiritual transformation. She completed coursework in an Masters Global Business Administration (MBGA) and then earned a degree as a Doctor of Naturopathy from Clayton College of Natural Health. She is certified as an advanced Psych-K Facilitator, Virtues Project Facilitator, and Healing Touch practitioner. Hymn Sing with Dan Van Sickle Wednesday, February 25 Facilitator: Dan Van Sickle Participants: Min. 10 Join us for the third annual Hymn Sing—an informal evening of singing as we explore the UU hymnal! Find out more about your favorite hymns, and learn a little bit more about where the music and words originated. There is often more than meets the eye (and ear!) when you dig beneath the surface of these songs. Song requests will be encouraged, and no singing experience is necessary! Dan Van Sickle is a member of the Fellowship and has been the Fellowship Pianist for eight years. Originally from Topeka, Kansas, he received his musical training at Lawrence University and currently teaches choir and music theory at Xavier High School in Appleton. AARP Fraud-Fighter Presentation Wednesday, March 11 Facilitator: Line't Lewerenz Participants: Min. 5 Thousands of scam artists throughout Wisconsin are looking to prey upon our citizens, and anyone can be a scam artist’s next target. This one-night course will help you learn to protect yourself. If you want to know how to spot a “con that's on”, how to check out that next great investment, or how to obtain your credit report, this AARP Fraud-Fighter Presentation will touch on these topics, and more! This course is for people of all ages. Line't Lewerenz was trained by the AARP in Madison and provides fraud information to groups throughout several areas in NE WI. She believes it is vital to equip oneself with all available knowledge to protect against financial, consumer and other types of fraud. Planning Ahead: Rituals and Messages After You’re Gone Wednesday, March 25 Facilitators: Rev. Roger Bertschausen & Rev. Dottie Mathews Participants: Min. 10 This one-session program, co-facilitated by both ministers will be similar to but expand on the well received program presented in October 2007. Roger and Dottie will share and discuss ideas for planning and designing your own memorial service (including considerations related to having a “Green” Burial) and will provide information as to “pre-planning” opportunities with regard to the sort of legacy and messages you may wish to leave for your loved ones and friends. The participants will also be reminded of the opportunity to maximize one’s autonomy while living (but incapacitated), by executing Health and Financial Powers of Attorney. Rev. Roger Bertschausen and Rev. Dottie Mathews are the ministers of the Fellowship. Voices of Men Wednesday, April 8 Facilitator: Rev. Roger Bertschausen Participants: Min. 10 Voices of Men is a Fox Valley group of men dedicated to preventing abuse of girls and women through role-modeling and educating and mentoring boys and men. Roger Bertschausen is an active member of Voices of Men. He and several others from the group will share about the work of Voices of Men and their own experiences in learning about and working to end abuse of girls and women. Rev. Roger Bertschausen is the Senior Minister at the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The Art of Winslow Homer Wednesday, April 22 Facilitator: Bill Dunwiddie Participants: Min. 10 Find out who Bill Dunwiddie's favorite artist is, and why! The program consists of about 50 illustrations of the work of Winslow Homer and will show the diversity of his skills as an artist, and why he is much beloved as the "artist of the common man.” Bill Dunwiddie is one of the founding members of the Fellowship. At 87 years young, he recently completed his second 5-km road race, with a "personal best" time of 1:15.31.8. Mental Illness, Homelessness, and Poverty Wednesday, May 13 Facilitator: Sherry Oja Participants: Min. 10 Sherry Oja, Program Coordinator for NAMI Fox Valley will share with us about the connection between mental illness, homelessness and poverty. Since our focus this year is on homelessness and poverty, we know there is a link with mental illness. We hope to better understand mental illness in general and how these illnesses affect housing and financial security specifically. NAMI Fox Valley exists to improve the quality of life for those with brain disorders (mental illness) and their families and friends through education, support, advocacy and research. The Vision for NAMI is: Through our individual and collective efforts, we will live in a community where mental illnesses are recognized as physical illnesses and treated as such. |
