Men's Retreat Reflection

If you attended the Men's Retreat in February, we're inviting you to attend one of two small group reflections. We'll take some time to reflect on the theme of transitions, of 'rising and falling and rising'. How has that changed for you? Have there been new transitions coming into your life?

You can attend either Saturday, April 19, 2 PM, or Tuesday, April 22, 7 PM, at Unity Church.

If you wrote a letter to yourself, you should have it now; it was mailed to you on Tuesday. You might want to bring it, and you can choose to share a few words or comment on the letter if you like.

We'll spend an hour on reflection, then take a short break. After the break, there is an optional second session where we explore the future of men's activities at Unity (both those currently planned or going, and those that might be possible). We'll spend an hour on this exploration.

If you have questions, call Matt at the church (651-228-1456) or email him: matt@unityunitarian.org

Spirit Play Church Building Corner

A Project for Unity Men

One the favorite activities of our preschool kids, especially boys, in our two Spirit Play classrooms, is using wooden blocks to build things. Our teachers encourage them to think about churches, and how they are built and set up, and to imagine the church of their dreams. We already have about 100 wooden blocks in each classroom, but we need more.

How We Can Help

There are several ways we can contribute both in time, talents and also our treasure:

1. Maintain the existing blocks

Many of the existing blocks could use a light sanding and oiling to help them last longer. This could be a great Saturday morning project for a couple of guys or a small group!

2. Purchase more 'unit blocks'

We'd need two more sets of blocks to round out our basic sets (one in each classroom). Jamie and Marion Seely-Kreisman at Beka, Inc. are willing to help us with these, getting them at cost, so we'd need to raise about $160 for these two sets. See bekainc.com for info on these.

3. Create images of churches

The kids use pictures of churches for inspiration. These could be photos from magazines or books, duplicated (we need two sets), or your own photos of churches. They need to be laminated to stand up to preschoolers. We estimate the lamination will cost about $60.

4. Purchase two storage carts

These are needed to organize the blocks. Again, Jamie and Marion Seely-Kreisman at Beka, Inc. are willing to help us with these, and our cost would be about $140.

5. Buy or make sets of 'architectural blocks'

These are sets of specialty blocks for specific kinds of architectures: Greek, Roman, Middle Eastern, etc. We'd need two of any set we buy, as each classroom needs the same setup. Cost of the two sets would be $60 to $80. Woodworkers among us may want to make specific pieces, maybe even Unity Church architectural elements.

Join us!

Please consider helping with one or more of these sub-projects. Any of these would be a great help to our preschool classroom, and help keep our boys engaged in church life. Contact Matt Alspaugh at the church (651-228-1456, matt@unityunitarian.org) or Nels Otto (651-484-4590) for more information.

Wednesday Men's Group: Proactive Men

Wednesday, April 16, 7:15 - 8:30 PM

"I'm a self-made man, but I think if I had it to do over again, I'd call in others." - Roland Young
The new male no longer wants to be stolid and totally self-sufficient. No more of this: "I'm fine just as I am." How do we break out of male inactivity and male reactivity, to become truly pro-active modern men? How do we free ourselves from the dictates and limitations of traditional masculinity to which we've been shackled? Join us as we dig into this with spirited conversation. Led by Nels Otto.

The Wednesday Mens Group is an open group meeting once a month on the third Wednesday.
Contact Matt Alspaugh (Matt@unityunitarian.org) at the Church Office for more information.

Reviewing the Retreat

We've had time to examine the feedback forms and wanted to pass on some observations.

• Most people were satisfied with the location, food and accommodations. We'd probably consider Camp St. Croix for future retreats, especially given the cost.
  
• About two thirds thought the length, one night, was just right, and the rest would have liked another night. Next time it might be a good idea to have an optional extension, where the Sunday morning is focused on worship and spiritual practice.
• Everyone loved the programming. This was the high point for most. If there was one disappointment, it was that people couldn't be two places at once.
  
• We could have had more music and singing. Many also appreciated time in the schedule for private contemplation, writing, or outdoor activities.
  
• Lots of great ideas for new programs were suggested, couples conflict, yoga, Vietnam war, intentional living, death and grief, life balance; as well as deeper exploration of the programs we had.

Many men had ideas for ongoing men's programs and many suggested ways they'd help. We'll keep you posted as these unfold.
Some of you may have emerging thoughts that came after the retreat. Let us know!

Fire in the Belly!

Well, I've had a chance to reflect on the weekend retreat and I've just got to echo Matt's comments - wow! What a gathering!

Thanks to all who attended and brought their music, their voices, their stories, their laughter, and their spirits. I have never had more fun singing than I did last weekend! And the connections that were forming...again, wow!

And we've got some great energy moving forward. There's plans in the works for a follow up meeting for those who took the "Women as Life Partners" workshop, and we've got a list full of other great ideas for men's programming.

What did you enjoy most about the weekend? Post it here!

Wow - What a Retreat!

All I can say is, 'Wow'. We had an amazing retreat. Beyond all expectations! We had 55 men present, some awesome programming, games, singing, x-c skiing in sunny and warm mid-20s weather, some inspirational worship, and good community.

Justin and I are just now getting back into the swing of things, unpacking, looking through the evaluation forms, reviewing what you wrote on the posters, and reflecting on what you said to us. We'll be posting here, as things come together. And, if you have reflections you want to share publicly, send them to us, and we may be able to post them, too.

In the meantime, Michael Orange sends the group photo, which I've posted. He notes it is a bit grainy due to lighting, but I'm glad we have it. Click in to enlarge.

Retreat - More Details

Looking forward to seeing you - just days away!

By now, most of you should have received a packet of information by email. Some went out by US mail also. Many of you have asked good questions, so here is some further information from the camp.

In your free time, these activities are possible: you can hike, cross-country ski, sled, play broomball, or snow volleyball. The basketball court is open, but may be icy. The camp has a few adult cross country skis available by advance arrangement; let me know.

Do bring blankets as well as sheets, or a sleeping bag. The cabins are heated, but bring what you need to be comfortable!
You may want to bring earplugs. We'll have some available, too.

There is one other small group meeting at the camp.

Dinner is at 6:00 to 6:45 Friday night, and won't be available after that. If you are coming later, you might want to grab something beforehand.

Matt