Worship & Music
Services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and 11:30.
Sunday, April 21 Growing Greener
Led by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Mary Lou Holly
Join us for our annual celebration of Earth Day! This year we will lift up a few of the many ways individuals and communities are exploring to grow greener lives and a greener planet.
Did you love the Zeng Quartet? Well then you’re in for another treat!
Andrea Beltran Landers is a cellist from Peru who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in performance at Kent State University. She will be offering a free concert on Sunday, April 21 at 7:00 PM in our Sanctuary. Free will offerings in support of our UUCK Music Committee will be gratefully accepted. Spread the word!
Can You Share Spring Flowers?
Now that the flowers are blooming again, perhaps you might consider sharing some on Sunday morning. If you have some flowers growing in your yard you would be willing to bring for a Sunday morning service, please sign up on the flower sign-up sheet in Fessenden Hall. In addition, the offer always stands to make a contribution and have the church provide flowers on your behalf. If it is easier, you are welcome to call or email the church office to make arrangements for bringing or purchasing flowers. Thank you for helping to add beauty to our Sunday mornings!
Cuyahoga River Concert Series: Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen
April 26 8 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent
Tickets are $10.00 at the Door
Steve and Cindy and their partnership Compass Rose Music represent the very best in contemporary and traditional folk music. http://www.compassrosemusic.com/
CD Subscription for Sunday Services?
Thanks to volunteer extraordinaire Brad Bolton, much of each Sunday’s service is podcast on our website. Many people who are unable to make it to church use the podcast as a way of catching the services they missed. People who are thinking about checking out the church often listen to services before they come and some folks forward links to friends or family who they think might be interested in a particular sermon. Due to the restrictions of copyright law, only the original parts of each service are included in the podcast. However, Brad records the entirety of the service and is willing to turn those recordings into cds if there are people who might be interested in receiving a weekly subscription. So long as we are mailing cds to people who are members or friends of the church, we can share the whole service without violating copyright law. We are thinking this option might be appealing to folks who do not make it to church regularly and who either do not have a computer or are not comfortable with the technology required to listen to podcasts. We would like to know if such a service would be useful. If you would be interested in being mailed a cd of the Sunday service each week, please call or send a note to the church office.
Community Within
Attention All Leaders and Committee Chairs
All Annual Reports to be included in the Annual Meeting packet are due May 1, 2013. Please submit or email reports to MaryBeth at [email protected]. Annual Meeting packets will be available to the congregation on
May 15. The Annual Congregational Information Meeting is scheduled for May 30 @ 7 PM and the Voting Meeting will be held on June 2 @ 12:30 PM.
Interested in Being Part of a Men’s Group
On April 21 at 1:00 pm in the Annex, Max Grubb will lead a group for men who are interested in the possibility of participating in a men’s group at the church. Several years ago we had an active men’s group that eventually disbanded for a variety of reasons. It seems at least one of those reasons was a lack of a clear sense of purpose for the group. One of the goals of this initial meeting, in addition to finding out how many people might be interested, is also to find out what kind of men’s group people might be interested in joining.
Max has been a part of a men’s group for over 20 years and has lots of experience with different forms and styles of men’s groups. He is happy to share that experience with our church and is looking forward to exploring what kind of men’s group might work well here. Please RSVP to Max if you plan to attend.
Art in the Sanctuary
Jan Noden’s artwork consisting of her many recently created collages, watercolors, and monotypes will be on display this month. She is a signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and the National Collage Society.
The Sanctuary Carpeting Has Been Newly Steam Cleaned . . .
and we would like to keep it clean! This most recent cleaning revealed a fair amount of spilled beverages and ground in food. To preserve the carpeting (and the pew cushions) as long as possible, we request that you do not bring food or beverages except water into the sanctuary. Thank you!
Supporting Our Loved Ones Living With Memory Loss
Please join us for a discussion of memory loss, an introduction to the different kinds of dementia and how it effects the brain, and how we can support and care for the people in our life who have memory loss. The workshop is presented by Rev. Katie Norris and sponsored by our Care Team. Rev. Katie is a caregiver for her mother who was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia seven years ago. Through this experience and her work as the Executive Director the Carolyn L. Farrell Foundation for Brain Health (farrellfoundation.com), she has been helping to raise awareness about dementia and help communities and families communicate and care for their loved ones with memory loss. We will engage in discussion, discover local resources, and even try a few dementia-friendly activities.
This event will take place on Sunday, May 5 from 1 to 3 pm. A light lunch will be offered immediately following the second service in Fessenden Hall. Please RSVP to the church office so that we can be sure to have enough food available. This event is open to the public so please feel free to invite family and friends to join us.
Surprise Friends: please remember, to leave your notes Sundays April 21 through May 12 and the “big reveal” is May 19! Make sure you are there for coffee hour to meet your Surprise Friend in person. In the past, Surprise Friends have exchanged small tokens of friendship during the special revealing celebration. Can’t wait to see you there!
Electronic Giving Now Live!
We are excited to announce that after many months of research and planning, we are now able to accept financial contributions on our website. We are using PayPal in order to provide this service which will allow you to decide the frequency of your giving and also enable you to direct your gift to a particular program or ministry. Find the yellow Donate Now buttons on left side of each page. Many thanks to Dan Flippo for his help in setting up this service!
ONE MORE CHANCE
To see “Your Basic Treasure Chest of Humor”, in case you missed the April 5th performance. DVDs of the entire performance will be available for anyone wishing to have one, for the modest price of $5.00; all benefits, of course, going to the church. If you are interested in receiving one (or more), please enter your name on the signup sheet, which will be available at Coffee Hour this morning.
Thank you, Ted Voneida
UU & Interfaith Connections
The April Kent Community Dinner will be held on April 20 at 5:30 pm at the Islamic Community Center at 152 East Steels Corners Road in Cuyahoga Falls. The Islamic Society of Akron and Kent invites the people of Kent over to get to know them. Reservations are required. Call 330-922-9991. Speakers will include Mr. Haleem Najeeullah of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Society with a keynote address by Dr. Kara Ellis Skora of the Department of Religious Studies of the College of Wooster.
It is a dress affair. Modest attire is a must in this group. Bring a dessert (no gelatin, lard or pork). Transportation is available. Meet at 4:45 pm behind the United Church of Christ. Questions? Call 330-678-8760.
District Assembly convening in Niagara Falls April 26-27
This year our Ohio-Meadville District, in a historic move, is having a joint District Assembly with St Lawrence District. And the Rev Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, is the keynote speaker! This promises to be an energizing event not to be missed! Deadlines are fast upon us. Some partial scholarships are available, and must be applied for by March 29. If you would like more information about workshops and timelines, please go to https://www.uua.org/central-east/events . You may also contact Marion Yeagler, Ohio-Meadville District Board of Trustees.
Outreach and Social Justice
UUs to Consider Fracking
If you haven’t registered yet, be sure to do so for the Ohio Meadville-Saint Lawrence Joint District Assembly to be held in Niagara Falls, NY on April 26-27. www.ohiomeadville.org/districtassembly/deregistration
Annual Garlic Mustard Pull
Join us on Saturday, April 20th from 9am-11am pull invasive Garlic Mustard from the parks along the river. This weed chokes out native species and must be pulled before the prolific seed heads open. Afterward, saunter downtown for the Who’s Your Mama? Earth Day festival, knowing you’ve done your part. Meet in the church parking lot across the street and ask Andrew Rome for more information.
Income Generation
A DIFFERENT WAY TO BUY STUFF:
At the grocery card table, someone pointed out that Giant Eagle sells all kinds of gift cards for other establishments, including theaters, restaurants, department stores, hardware stores etc…dozens if not hundreds of stores. I checked into this, and Giant Eagle gift cards purchased at the church can used for any of these cards. You still get the fuel perks too! They even have a “Parent-Student” card for your college student: just buy a gift card at the church, and use it to purchase or re-load the student’s card with money at Giant Eagle. Their general rule is: “Use a Giant Eagle gift card in the Giant Eagle store, just like cash”. Our thought is: “Don’t spend cash at Giant Eagle or Acme, buy a gift card from the church, it’s like donating 5% of the card value to the church, but it costs you nothing”. Contact Bob Erdman if any questions, or other great ideas!
Spring Forth With the Giving of Books.
The time of year has come once more when Robins sing in the rain, the flowers poke their heads up from the warming earth and books appear as if by magic in Fessenden Hall. Yea, the Annual UUCK Book Sale is nigh, riding in on the southern winds, returning with the geese who had flown south but two short seasons ago. As you perform the ancient ritual of Spring cleaning, please set aside all your gently used books, DVDs, and CDs to donate to the Annual UUCK Book Sale. Just leave them in the designated space in Fessenden Hall through April 30 and the book sprites will whisk them away, only to be returned on that foretold day, May 4, where they will take their honored place in supporting the growth and well-being of the UUCK. In addition we will be hosting a bake sale table as well. Please consider contributing your favorite home baked cookies, brownies, muffins and other goodies. You may drop them off in the kitchen on Friday May 3rd or Saturday May 4th. Please label them “Book Sale” so we know they are intended for that purpose. Thank you in advance for your generous, heartfelt donations.
Spring—an experience in immortality. -Henry D. Thoreau
Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book. –Author Unknown