Spiritual Cinema, Tonight! March 21st 7:30 pm Topic: Stereotyping
Our March Spiritual Cinema will explore the damage done by stereotyping of all kinds: racial, gender, GBLT, and other forms of mass media stereotyping. We will show fifties sit-coms Amos n’ Andy and Car 54 Where Are You? to illustrate the kind of biases and bigotries that still affect us all. Each short film will be followed by discussion of the issues raised by this material. Some snacks will be provided, but this is not a potluck affair. All materials shown are G-rated, children are encouraged to come and share their reactions to art that has shaped the world in which they are growing up. Please be aware that this material has been chosen precisely because it is offensive!
Family Movie Night, March 23rd, 7 pm
Our March 23rd family movie is a collection of Star Trek parodies. No, we won’t show any actual Star Trek, but we will show famous take offs on Star Trek, like the legendary seventies spoof Quark, “Where no Fan has gone Before” from Futurama, plus the movie serials that inspired the t.v. show, Captain Video and Buck Rogers. All of this leads up to our main feature, the p.g. movie Galaxy Quest. If you love Star Trek, or if you just have a great sense of humor, this is the family movie night for you! This features a pot-luck supper, some food will be ready, but please bring your own favorites to share.
Two more Sundays for PIE!!
Prepare yourself for another sweet tooth titillation! This Sunday is your last chance to take home one of those delicious Amish-baked pies you’ve all been eyeing these past few weeks! In the interest of fairness, this Sunday anyone whose birthday falls in April, May, June, July, August, September, or October–these are all the months not included last week– can get one free pie raffle ticket at the stewardship table. As usual, additional tickets can be purchased for just $1.00.
On Sunday, April 1 there will be a PIE celebration at the end of the Stewardship campaign. Join us in Fessenden Hall during coffee hour for a tasty treat.
Have you made your pledge of financial support to our beloved church? We’re still looking for about 60 pledges that haven’t come in yet. At $136,500 pledged so far, we’re a little more than halfway to our goal of $220,000. We need your help so that we can continue to provide and improve the programming that enriches the lives of us all. Please give as generously as you are able.
Pledge cards and information will continue to be available at the Stewardship table in Fessenden Hall during coffee hour. Bring your favorite pie recipe and turn in your pledge at the same time!
Stewardship co-chairs, Marion Yeagler and Sandy Eaglen
CUUPs
March 24 from 2-4 PM KC will host a faery garden workshop in Fessenden Hall. Be prepared to get dirty! You will go home with a starter kit for your very own faery garden. A $3 donation is suggested to cover the materials.
If there is anything in particular about the Pagan traditions that you would like to learn more about please contact KC or Deb so we may cover these items in our workshops.
As always, feel free to call KC Pallone or Deb Biggins for more information.
INTERDENOMINATIONAL FRACKING MEETING
FACT(Faith Communities Together) will be holding a meeting on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on Saturday, March 24th, from 10 am-12:30 pm, at the Fairmount Presbyterian Church, 2757 Fairmount Boulevard, Cleveland Heights. FACT was started in the Kirtland UU Church, and includes 15 churches of various denominations. It spans eight Ohio counties and has 93 participating members who range from atheists to active members of religious congregations who are approaching environmental issues from a moral and/or spiritual perspective.
If you would like to attend this meeting, please contact Ted and Swanny Voneida for car pooling arrangements.
Anti-Fracking Event
Concerned Citizens Ohio is presenting an ordinance to establish a Community Bill of Rights and a ban on fracking to Kent City Council on Wednesday, March 28, 7:30 p.m., at Kent City Hall, 325 S. DePeyster Street. Rev. Melissa is one of the speakers and all are invited to attend and show their support. Questions? Please contact Paulette Thurman.
Sunday, March 25, 2012 From Tolerance to Humility
Led by The Rev. Tim Temerson and Worship Associate Kristina Spaude
As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm tolerance as an important religious value. But is it enough simply to tolerate difference and diversity or can we move to a deeper, more authentic place of acceptance and celebration? Today we will explore the beauty and the challenge of difference and consider the role of another religious value – humility – in helping us to move beyond tolerance.
The Rev. Tim Temerson is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron. He and I will be participating in the time honored tradition of a pulpit swap this morning. With this swap, he and I are looking forward to strengthening the ties between our congregations.
Surprise Friends Returns!
Stop by during coffee hour this Sunday to be anonymously paired up with a child from our congregation if you’ve not yet had an opportunity to do so. Children who want to participate will need to fill out a short form. Beginning April 11 and continuing through the month, notes and small gifts will be secretly exchanged every Sunday leading up to the big reveal on April 29th!
Come Celebrate Passover!
The living tradition of Unitarian Universalism draws from many sources. This spring we will honor the Jewish tradition of Passover celebrating freedom and liberation. Everyone in the congregation is invited to attend our family friendly Passover Seder on Friday, April 13 from 6:15 to 8:15 pm in Fessenden Hall. During the Seder you will get to hear the ancient story of the Jewish people in the land of Egypt and to enjoy the special rituals and foods that are associated with this holiday.
Many of those foods require advance purchase and preparation. In order to make sure that we have enough for everyone we need to know whether you plan to attend by Sunday, April 8. There is a sign up sheet in Fessenden Hall along with a choice of roles you can play to help make our Seder a success. If you have questions or need more information please speak to our Director of Religious Education Karen Lapidus or our minister Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer.
Annual Meeting dates have been set!
Discussion Session: Thursday, May 31, 2012 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Voting Session: Sunday, June 3, 2012 10:30 am in the Sanctuary
Attention All Leaders and Committee Chairs
All Annual Reports to be included in the Annual Meeting packet are due April 30th. Please email reports to [email protected]. Thank you. Annual Meeting packets will be available to the congregation on May 13th.
The 4th and 5th grade RE class has started raising money to donate to people around the world through a kiva account. Kiva is a non-profit organization that helps people around the world who are trying to better their lives set up loan accounts that others can then donate money to. The money is donated in $25 increments and the children will have the opportunity to read the people’s story and decide who they want to donate the money too. The great thing about the Kiva program is that it is a loan so as soon as the people receiving the money can pay it back the money will be returned to the 4th and 5th graders account allowing future classes to continue donating and helping to make difference in people’s lives. More information on the Kiva program can be found at www.kiva.org. If you would like to help out with this cause the 4th and 5th graders are making origami cranes that will be available to purchase during coffee hour or you can see one of the 4th and 5th grade RE teachers for more information or to purchase one.
Doctrine of Discovery and Immigration
An Adult Exploration class will be presented on the Doctrine of Discovery and Immigration starting on Tuesday April 3rd at 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm for six consecutive weeks. All are encouraged to participate including our youth. These two issues are front and center with our UU Association and will be the major components of our upcoming Justice General Assembly in Phoenix.
This doctrine came into being with the 1452 Papal Bull giving Portugal the right to exploit, subjugate and enslave the natives of West Africa. This was followed in 1493 with Spain getting the same “rights” over the “new” world.
Sadly, the former English Colonies of Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and USA codified this Doctrine into law and their native populations are still being subjugated, now in the form of structural violence. An example, the Phoenix Indian School (now gone) in its early years was a “prison school” where native children were forced to “assimilate” – that is to give up their own tribal culture for the white man’s ways.
Much of our attitude towards immigrants has arisen from this Doctrine.
These attitudes have become part of our American culture and they are now part of the engine that drives our Euro-centric superior thinking, our continued racism, and xenophobia. We will thoroughly explore the connections here and look seriously at what we might, we must, do about this.
Please let me or MaryBeth know if you will be attending.
Mac Goekler
The financial literacy program known as $.A.F.E. (Strategies for Attaining Financial Empowerment) is hosting its third annual “Money Saving Expo” at the Kent Free Library meeting hall in downtown Kent, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday March 29, 2012.
This year we are focusing on showing communities to save money using local available resources with a theme “Go Local, Save Local and Live Local”. This expo, generously sponsored by Fortis College, Hometown Bank and Portage Community Bank, includes a variety of exhibitors and demonstrators who will be on hand to share information including Kent Community TimeBank, Habitat for Humanity of Portage County, Haymakers Farmers’ Market, Main Street Kent, Consumer Credit Counseling Services, Kauffman Tire, DIY household cleaners, Couponing, and Preserving locally grown foods.
The Ohio Benefit Bank will offer free tax filing services for Ohio residents whose annual income is less than $ 60, 000. Admission and parking is free. There will be free refreshments and door prizes. Transportation is available, courtesy of PARTA, for those in need.
There will also be a presentation on “Identity Theft – What you need to know”, Insurance Importance, Investing for your future, Manage Family Finances & Create Spending Plan, and from Kent Community TimeBank. This expo is a wonderful opportunity to Portage and surrounding county residents for one-stop free financial education that encourages self-sufficiency, enjoy food, and a chance to win door prize.
A new Five Below fundraiser is scheduled for April 5, 6,and 7 at the Stow store located at 4332 Kent Road. All the items in the store are $5 or less! It is a great opportunity to purchase spring items and Easter goodies! 10% of your purchase is donated to the church with the necessary flyer. Click here to print the flyer.
The Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, April 10 at 7 pm in the home of Kathie Slater. Please bring a snack to share. This month we are reading the book Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghesse. Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles–and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.
Children’s and Family Library Moves to Founders’ Lounge
All of the children’s books that had been housed in the Annex are now part of the library in Founders’ Lounge. We have a wide selection of folk tales from many corners of the world and from many ages in time. The collection of books with craft and game ideas are sure to keep children busy and happy for long stretches of time. There are books to help families celebrate just about every holiday of the year.
We are especially blessed to have such a wide array of resources that affirm and support all kinds of families. Many aspects of family life are addressed in our books on birth, death, adoption, illness, disability and the blending of families.
What we don’t have a lot of, however, are resources about Unitarian Universalism! If you happen to be browsing the online UUA bookstore and happen upon a gem that you think would be a good addition to our collection, your donation will be gladly accepted!
Books can be signed out for 2 weeks. Each book has a brightly colored card clipped inside. Please put your name, the date and your contact information on the card and place the card in the basket on the table near the nursery door. When you return books, please place them in the box on the table near the nursery (not on the shelves). We are sharing the check-out and return system with the Adult Library.