Weekly e-nUUs, May 29, 2013

 

enUUs_newlogo 12.2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Meeting:  Information Meeting     Thursday, May 30    7:00 PM

                                   Voting Meeting             Sunday, June 2       12:30 PM

                                   Childcare will be available during both meetings. 

 

Worship & Music

 

Services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and 11:30.

 

Sunday, June 2  Happiness is …………

Religious Education Sunday and Flower Ceremony

This annual multigenerational worship service is the time for our RE program to shine! Join us as each class presents a special learning from this past church year. We will honor our volunteer teachers, award Boy Scouts with the emblem they have earned and bridge our high school seniors into young adulthood. Please bring a cut flower or two or three for the Flower Ceremony.

 

Flower Ceremony on Sunday, June 2nd
During the RE Sunday worship services, we will hold our annual Flower Ceremony, which is a uniquely Unitarian Universalist celebration of diversity, beauty and spring.  Everyone should bring a cut flower or two or three with them to church.  Our flowers will be gathered in lovely bouquets to adorn our sanctuary.

 

Lifespan Learning

 

Facilitation Skills 101

Tuesday, June 4 from 7 to 9pm

Fessenden Hall

Have you ever thought about offering an adult religious exploration experience at the church?  Have you ever considered the possibility of becoming a Chalice Group or Food for Thought facilitator?  Are you a new committee chair with responsibility for leading meetings?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are invited to join me for an introduction to facilitation skills on Tuesday evening, June 4.  This will be a general introduction to facilitation and the skills you learn will be applicable in any context including in your workplace or other community organizations.

 

 

Community Within

 

All welcome to Saturday Membership Team Retreat
The Membership Team is sponsoring a retreat on Saturday, June 1 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Annex.  If you have any interest in helping with our ‘Path to Membership’, we would be happy for you to join us.  Kathleen Heck, Membership Coordinator at West Shore UU Church will lead the workshop.  All ideas are welcome.  Please contact Marion Yeagler or Claudia Miller  if you would like to attend.  Lunch is provided.

 

Are you ready to become a member of UUCK?
Sunday, June 9 is New Member Sunday.  During the service, the congregation will be introduced to, and welcome, our newest members.  Have you have been thinking about joining? Would you like to be a part of the service? The Membership book will be available for signing, in the foyer, next Sunday, June 2.  Look for Marion Yeagler after both services.

 

The Library committee would like to thank all those who completed the Library Survey, and urge others who have not done so to click on the Survey Monkey link. The Survey is a short one page and can be completed in less than 3 minutes. The committee would like to have all responses by Tuesday, June 11th. Thank you so much for your help.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JFM839C

 

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, June 11 at 7 pm in the home of Bonnie Harper.  This month we are reading a biography of your choice. Next month we will be reading Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

 

For those who would like to send cards or notes expressing your condolences to Tom Myers’ family, please contact the Church Office for the addresses.

 

 

Outreach and Social Justice

 

Dear Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent,

On behalf of all of our Ohio congregations, we want to give a big “Thank You!” to the many of you who have been witnessing for immigrant justice here in the Buckeye state and immigration reform nationally.

Last week UUA President Rev. Peter Morales went to the Capitol in Washington DC to advocate for compassionate immigration reform and he asked us to join him.  The UUA is participating in the Alliance for Citizenship coalition which has identified our Ohio as a key state.   And last month, members of the Ohio-Meadville district staff and board visited Sen. Portman’s office to articulate our UU support for immigration reform.

We are asking you to lend your voice to this effort.   Please take a minute and call Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown  (even if you have done so before) and ask them to support this unique history-making opportunity to fix our broken immigration system. Ask them to support a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living here in the shadows.

The coalition reports that Senators are currently receiving more anti-immigrant than pro-immigrant calls and we need to change that fast!

Please speak out today for justice!  We are all in this together!

Rev. Joan Van Becelaere
Ohio-Meadville District Executive

Howard Tolley
Co-Chair UU Justice Ohio

 

Income Generation

 

Book Sale:

Once again we had a successful Book Sale, Bake Sale & Lunch Sale.  We were able to net a little bit over $500! We could not have done this without the help of the Library committee who took shifts on Friday May 3rd to help us set up.

We are pleased to report that due to the successful nature of this event and the fact that the Fundraising Committee has already exceeded its goal for the 2012/2013 fiscal year we have decided to donate $200 to the Library Committee and $50 to the Children’s library from this event.

Thank you everyone who came out and helped or bought books or supported this event in any way.  We truly appreciate your efforts.

 

Tupperware Sale:

Our Tupperware fundraiser was also a big hit and we were able to raise over $330 for the church!  To everyone who bought Tupperware or showed the book to their family and friends, thank you!  Your orders will be at church over the next couple weeks during coffee hour.

Your Fundraising Committee

 

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The Angel of the Battlefield – May 26, 2013

Clara-Barton_1Led by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Justin Czekaj – This Memorial Day weekend we will return again to the story of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. Barton devoted her life to tending the needs of soldiers. How are we tending the needs of soldiers and their families today and caring for veterans and their families when they finally return home?

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June 2013 Sermon Topics

2 June          Happiness is …………

Religious Education Sunday and Flower Ceremony – This annual multigenerational worship service is the time for our RE program to shine!  Join us as each class presents a special learning from this past church year.  We will honor our volunteer teachers, award Boy Scouts with the emblem they have earned and bridge our high school seniors into young adulthood.  Please bring a cut flower or two or three for the Flower Ceremony.

 

9 June          Here’s to Happiness!

One service @10:00 am  

Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer, Director of Religious Education Karen Lapidus and Worship Associate Bonnie Harper Our annual outdoor worship service and picnic will be at Plum Creek Park in Kent (which is at the intersection of Cherry Street and Mogadore Road).  We will be meeting at Pavilion #2 for one service only at 10:00 am.  Our service will be fully multigenerational; the whole community is invited to worship and play together.
Please bring a lawn chair (and maybe an extra to share), a dish to share at the picnic following the service, your own place setting, any games you would like to play during the picnic and anything else you will need to be comfortable.  And remember, we will have one service only beginning at 10:00 am!

 

16 June           That All Should Be Well  

Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Sophie Smith – Dorothea Dix was a leading Unitarian reformer of the 19th century.  She worked for improved conditions in prisons and especially for improved treatment and accommodations for people living with mental illness.  This morning we’ll look at her work through the lens of Hosea Ballou’s theology of happiness and consider what we might learn from both for our own time.

 

23 June            A Tired Puppy is a Happy Puppy        

Kristina Spaude and Worship Associate Lori McGee – My partner has said this phrase dozens of times in the last few years, and it’s become a mantra of sorts for me. During this service we are going to use this phrase as a lens through which we can understand sources of happiness and explore how we can invite happiness into our lives. While there is no key to happiness, there are many opportunities for it if we are open to them.

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Weekly e-nUUs, May 22, 2013

enUUs_newlogo 12.2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual Meeting:  Information Meeting     Thursday, May 30    7:00 PM

                                   Voting Meeting                  Sunday, June 2      12:30 PM

 

 Worship & Music 

 

Services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and 11:30.

 

Sunday, May 26     The Angel of the Battlefield

Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Justin Czekaj

This Memorial Day weekend we will return again to the story of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. Bar-ton devoted her life to tending the needs of soldiers. How are we tending the needs of soldiers and their families today and caring for veterans and their families when they finally return home?

 

Flower Ceremony on Sunday, June 2nd

During the RE Sunday worship services, we will hold our annual Flower Ceremony, which is a uniquely Unitarian Universalist celebration of diversity, beauty and spring.  Everyone should bring a cut flower or two or three with them to church.  Our flowers will be gathered in lovely bouquets to adorn our sanctuary.

 

 Lifespan Learning

 

TED and Pizza is now Radiolab and Pancakes

Joel Slater has done a wonderful job bringing us the best of the “Ted Talks”, followed by discussion! Unfortunately, Joel finds that he can not continue the series. In its place will be a new series, with more or less the same format. Because I am not as familiar with the Ted Talks as is Joel, I have switched our source of interest to pod-casts from the National Public Radio series “Radiolab”.

Radiolab is a mixture of science, spirituality, philosophy, history and so much more! Radiolab takes a light touch, maintaining laugh out loud humor while exploring some of the most difficult areas of the human condition. Our first “Radiolab and Pancakes” will consider the question “Does the Universe Know my Name?” This fifteen or so minute pod-cast considers the idea of Fate from many perspectives, including those of best-selling mystery novelists and movie comedians. Please get your pancakes and bring them upstairs and eat as we listen, and there will be discussion of the theme afterwards. This promises to be a fun and fulfilling event, so please come join us in the Founder’s Lounge after second service on May 26th!

If attendance is good we will meet the month after that to consider issues of morality, especially during wartime. Future offerings depend upon the popularity of these first two sessions. If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Spoehr. If you do not have access to a computer, you can reach me through the church office.

 

Community Within 

 

Gratitude for Surprise Friends

Many thanks to all the children, youth, adults and members of the RE Committee who helped to make the Surprise Friends program so wonderful this year!  Friends ~ this is just the beginning of what will hopefully be lasting friendships.

 

Are you ready to become a member of UUCK?
Sunday, June 9 is New Member Sunday.  During the service, the congregation will welcome our newest members.  Have you have been thinking about joining? Would you like to be a part of the service? The Membership book will be available for signing, in the foyer, the next two Sundays, May 26, and June 2.  Look for Marion Yeagler after both services.

 

The Library committee would like to thank all those who completed the Library Survey, and urge others who have not done so to click on the Survey Monkey link. The Survey is a short one page and can be completed in less than 3 minutes. The committee would like to have all responses by Tuesday, June 11th. Thank you so much for your help.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JFM839C

 

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, June 11 at 7 pm in the home of Bonnie Harper.  This month we are reading a biography of your choice. Next month we will be reading Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

 

Beginners jam/jelly making class is scheduled Sat May 25th at 1:00PM in the UUCK kitchen.

The plan is to make strawberry jam and dandelion jelly. (With the cooperation of Mother Nature of course)

I can accommodate 3 more participants. (If the class fills up, don’t worry, we’ll do another soon.)

There will be a small fee of $16 to cover supplies/space rental. You will take home a jar of each jam/jelly we make.

Please message me with you name and contact information if you’d like to participate. I will reply with confirmation of your class registration.

Jennifer Gregg

 

We regret to announce that Rev. Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn’s brother, Paul has recently passed away.  Anyone wishing to send Rev. Julie-Ann a note or card expressing your support please send to the UU Church in Cherry Hill at the following address:

Rev. Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn

UU Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

401 North Kings Hwy   Cherry Hill, NJ  08034

 

Looking for some entertainment this summer?  I have two tickets for The Addams Family at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall in Akron on June 13th (Thursday).  The seats are in Grand C, row L, seats 33-34.  I bought the tickets a while ago and realized now that I have a schedule conflict because I will be at my college reunion that week.

I am asking $70 for BOTH tickets.  If interested please contact Julie Lineburgh.

 

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Kent Bog State Nature Preserve

Free hike to focus on Ohio’s rare bog communities

Discover an expressly unique and fading ecosystem of a northeastern Ohio bog on Saturday, May 25, from 11 am to noon at Kent Bog State Nature Preserve in Portage County, and sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and the Friends of Kent Bog.

Saturday’s hike will focus on bog formation and the plant and animal communities that inhabit them. At 45 acres Kent Bog is one of the finest examples of an acidic tamarack bog in Ohio with quite possibly the largest southernmost stand of tamaracks in North America.

This approximately one-hour hike winds through a half-mile long boardwalk that is ADA accessible. Kent Bog is located on Meloy Rd. approximately 1/8 of a mile west of S.R. 43 in Kent. Parking is limited so you are encouraged to car pool.

To learn more about the hike or Kent Bog State Nature Preserve, contact Adam Wohlever at (330) 527-5118.The Friends of the Kent Bog will be available at the Bog from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm with information and light refreshments. Join us on Facebook: Friends of the Kent Bog or by E-mail at: [email protected].

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Lessons from the Life of Malcolm X – May 19, 2013

Malcolm-XLed by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Kristina Spaude – If Malcolm X were still alive, he would have been turning 88 years old on this day. Over the course of his life cut too short, Malcolm X made an incredible journey from an exclusivist affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood to an expan-sive embrace of what he called “the family of man.” This morning we will tell his story and listen for the inspiration it holds for our own lives.

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Family Matters – Sunday, May 12, 2013

family_praying_handsLed by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate John Marfy  –  We often say that families come in all shapes and sizes and that love is what makes a family. This morning we will again affirm the many ways in which families are formed and nurtured as we reflect upon why it is that families still matter.

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Weekly e-nUUs, May 8, 2013

enUUs_newlogo 12.2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Worship & Music

 

 Services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and 11:30.

 

Sunday, May 12                Family Matters

Led by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate John Marfy

We often say that families come in all shapes and sizes and that love is what makes a family. This morning we will again affirm the many ways in which families are formed and nurtured as we reflect upon why it is that families still matter.

 

What are you passionate about?

Would you like to lead a Sunday service about it?  The Sunday Program Committee meets on May 24th, and is seeking proposals for lay-led services for Summer and Fall.  We believe that that the Sunday Service is best reflected in a variety of voices and experiences.   Lay-led services allow us to share our individual spiritual journeys, experiences and diverse world views — an important part of our rich Unitarian Universalist heritage.  If you might be interested in presenting a service, please complete a proposal, which may be downloaded from our web site at:  //kentuu.org/docs/spc/sunday-proposal-e-form.pdf,   and send it to Lois Weir.

Not sure about how to put together a complete service?  Members of the committee can provide you with the help you need, so don’t be shy!  General information about proposal preparation may be found at //kentuu.org/ministry/sunday-program/.   Still have questions?  Contact Lois.

 

 

Community Within

 

Annual Meeting:  Information Meeting     Thursday, May 30    7:00 PM

                                    Voting Meeting                 Sunday, June 2      12:30 PM

 

The Library committee is working on a brief, online survey of your Library needs and suggestions. It will be posted in the EE-News and the May Chalice. Your response will be most appreciated. We continue to explore ways to serve our congregation more effectively.

Do stop by the Library to see the display of books recommended by Rev. Melissa. These books are available for checkout,and we plan to rotate titles every two weeks.

 

New UU Classes in May
Everything you wanted to know about the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent in particular and Unitarian Universalism in general, but were afraid to ask.  Well, maybe not everything, but we try to give you an overview, a starting point.  Some history of both, some organizational details. Come join the conversation.  And, if you’re curious about membership, this is the place to be.

Part 1 will be on Sunday, May 12, from 9-11 am. Part 2 will be on Sunday, May 19, from 9-11 am.  You may attend one or both, although attendance at both is encouraged.  Different topics will be covered in each.  We will gather at the Annex, the yellow house next to the church.

If you have any questions, contact Claudia Miller or Marion Yeagler.

 

Art in the Sanctuary

The Middle School Youth have been considering these three central questions in their RE classroom this year:  What is a family?  What does a family do?  Who defines family?   Their Family Photography Project is the culmination of that study.  It includes photographs and the text from interviews with six of our church families.

 

Surprise Friends: please remember, to leave your notes on Sundays May 5 and 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!

 

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 pm in the home of Mary Ann Kasper.   Please bring a non-dessert snack to share. This month we are reading Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo. The only thing certain about a journey is that it has a beginning and an end-for you never know what may happen along the way. And so it is with this journey into the minds and souls of two very different men-one of them in search of the truth, the other a man who may have already found it. Witty and inventive, this book takes readers into the heart of America and in the process shows us a man about to discover his own true heart. In June, we will be reading a biography of your choice. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

 

 

UU & Interfaith Connections

 

The May Community Dinner will be held on May 18 at Plum Creek State Park at Cherry Street near Mogadore Road in Kent. Kent continues the celebration of our Natural Heritage at the River Day Dinner followed by a program by the KSU Native American Student Assiciation (NASA). There will be a Celebration of Running Water with drumming, dancing and singing around a central fire. The dinner will be 6-8 pm, and the NASA program 8-10 pm. The Crooked River Stompers will provide dinner music. The Portage County Historical Society will provide a teepee. The Fire River Singers will later perform drumming and singing.

Bring food to share to the potluck at 6 pm. Bring a blanket for the ground so that at 8 pm you can find a place around the central fire for the final NASA led event of the day. Questions? Call 330-678-8760.

 

“Mother Wove the Morning” presents an uncensored view of the experiences of women through history, casting light on little taught realities of endurance and triumph that will leave the audience wiser and more appreciative of women’s collective journey. Three actors bring sixteen different women from 20,000 b.c.e. to the present to the stage to share their lives.

Queen Bee’s adaptation of Pearson’s play provides an opportunity to include current events dramatically increasing our investment in these women’s lives and putting them in a global context.

The performance will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, 3300 Morewood Rd, Fairlawn, OH, (across from Summit Mall.)   $10 suggested donation at the door.  A talk back with the actors will follow the production.  Refreshments will be served. Childcare provided.

We know some of you are perhaps a road trip distance away.  If a group from your church would like to come and arrive early for dinner, give us a call and we can recommend some local eateries.

Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions.

Thank you!  And see you soon!

Linda Ryder, Program Chair, UUWA of UUCA

[email protected]

UUCA church office 330-836-2206

 

Last Call! Urban Notes Fundraiser Concert, May 18

Don’t miss a delightful evening of music in a relaxed coffee house atmosphere.

Our ‘Urban Notes’ fund-raiser has become a popular event with Cleveland area UUs, and this year, we’ll be performing at West Shore UU Church, 20401 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River.

Our star-studded line-up of performers includes  Mary Grigolia, Marge Adler, Pam Wetula, Barry and Vicky Irvin and April Stoltz.   Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m.

The concert begins at 7:00 p.m.   Advance reservations $10.

Contact Anne Osborne at 440-617-9000 or [email protected].

$12 at the door, $5 child, $25 family

 

Outreach and Social Justice

 

Empty Baskets = Empty Stomachs

A gentle reminder and nudge to honor UUCK’s committment to collect non-perishible food items and Acme gift cards for Kent Social Services’ food programs. The two baskets have been a bit empty lately . . . please remember the hungry and food insecure in our community when doing your weekly shopping. Basic everyday food staples are always needed – peanut butter & jelly, tuna, canned fruit & vegetables, macaroni & cheese mix, rice, beans, pasta & spaghetti sauce, cereal, 100% juice and “meal-in-a-can” items or meal mixes.

Let’s fill the baskets and feed some people – one basket is in the ground floor closet next to the elevator and the other is just outside the elevator on the sanctuary level. Acme cards may be purchased and donated at the grocery card sales table in Fessenden Hall between services every Sunday. Large brown paper grocery bags are also an on-going need for the food pantry.

Thank you in advance for your generosity,

Elaine Bowen for the Hunger and Economic Justice Task Group

 

 

Income Generation

 

Tupperware Fundraiser

The Tupperware fundraiser which began on Sunday, May 5 will remain open for 2 or 3 weeks so make sure you get a new catalog and start showing it around to family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. People love Tupperware and it really keeps your food fresh and reduces waste.  Good for your pocket and the environment.

A link on the website will be up soon and I will have a link to an online party if you want to buy online and have it shipped directly to you or someone else.  Call or email me for the online party link.

Meg Milko, Fundraising Chair

 

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Three Mortalities – Sunday, May 5, 2013

wedell berry poemLed by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Elaine Bowen

The poet Wendell Berry writes, “No, no, there is no going back. / Less and less you are / that possibility you were. / More and more you have become / those lives and deaths / that have belonged to you.” This morning we will explore what it means to become the lives and death that have belonged to us through three particular mortalities selected by last fall’s service auction sermon winner, Gene Wenninger.

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Spiritual Cinema this Friday, May 10 – Glory

GloryMoviePosterPlease join us for Spiritual Cinema this Friday, May 10 at 7:00 PM. We will watch the motion picture, “Glory” (1998). The movie is 122 minutes and will be followed by a short discussion of some of the topics raised by the movie. This month we will be screening the movie at the church. Please RSVP to Dan at [email protected].

Comments by Dan

Robert Gould Shaw came from a strong Unitarian family and is a strong example of a man who lived his ideals.  He was an abolitionist who volunteered to lead an all african-american military unit, the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, during the US Civil War.  He gave his life to his country to secure equal rights for all people regardless of race.  The movie is very moving and inspiring.

Recommended Reading from UUWorld

Movie Trailer:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWGt9Yr2bCw]

Amazon.com Description

One of the finest films ever made about the American Civil War, Glory also has the honor of being the first major Hollywood film to acknowledge the vital contribution of African American soldiers to the country’s historic struggle. Based on the books Lay This Laurel, by Lincoln Kirstein, and One Gallant Rush, by Peter Burchard, and the wartime letters of Robert Gould Shaw, the film tells the story of the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, an all-black unit comprising Northern freemen and escaped slaves. Under the command of Shaw (played by Matthew Broderick), the 54th served admirably in battle until they made their ultimate demonstration of bravery during the almost suicidal assault on the Confederate Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina, on July 18, 1863. Glory achieves its powerful impact by meticulously setting up the terrible conditions under which these neglected soldiers fought, and by illuminating the tenacity of the human spirit from the oppression of slavery to the hard-won recognition of battlefield heroism. Although Denzel Washington deservedly won an Oscar for his supporting role as a runaway-slave-turned-soldier, Glory faced some tough competition at the 1989 Academy Awards (against popular hits like Driving Miss Daisy and Dead Poets Society) and was shut out of nearly all the major categories. Since then, it’s been duly recognized by historians and critics as a classic film of its genre. –Jeff Shannon
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Weekly e-nUUs, May 1, 2013

enUUs_newlogo 12.2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything You Wanted to Know About Memory Loss but Forgot to Ask! 

Sunday, May 5  1 PM

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.    If you plan to attend, please RSVP no later than tomorrow, Thursday, May 2 by 3:00 PM.  Thank you.

 

Worship & Music

 

Services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and 11:30.

 

Sunday, May 5    Three Mortalities

Led by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Elaine Bowen

The poet Wendell Berry writes, “No, no, there is no going back. / Less and less you are / that possibility you were. / More and more you have become / those lives and deaths / that have belonged to you.” This morning we will explore what it means to become the lives and death that have belonged to us through three particular mortalities selected by last fall’s service auction sermon winner, Gene Wenninger.

 

What are you passionate about?

Would you like to lead a Sunday service about it?  The Sunday Program Committee meets on May 24th, and is seeking proposals for lay-led services for Summer and Fall.  We believe that that the Sunday Service is best reflected in a variety of voices and experiences.   Lay-led services allow us to share our individual spiritual journeys, experiences and diverse world views — an important part of our rich Unitarian Universalist heritage.  If you might be interested in presenting a service, please complete a proposal, which may be downloaded from our web site at:  //kentuu.org/docs/spc/sunday-proposal-e-form.pdf,   and send it to Lois Weir.

Not sure about how to put together a complete service?  Members of the committee can provide you with the help you need, so don’t be shy!  General information about proposal preparation may be found at //kentuu.org/ministry/sunday-program/.   Still have questions?  Contact Lois.

 

 

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!

 

 

Lifespan Learning

 

Building Your Own Theology 1 (BYOT)

BYOT is an adult religious exploration class of 10 sessions that guides and encourages to the participants to explore and define their individual belief systems related to religion and spirituality. Classes are 2 to 2 1/2 hours long and will be facilitated by Elaine Bowen, a BYOT veteran of 3 previous sessions. What’s involved? 1) a commitment to attendance (at least 7 – 8 of the 10 sessions) and participation and 2) the willingness to work toward the drafting of your personal credo, a statement of belief(s).

Classes will be held on the following Thursday evenings: May 9 – 16 – 23 – 30, June 6 – 13 – 27 (no 20th due to General Assembly), July 11 & 25 (no 4th for the holiday or 18th due to Summer Institute) and the final session, a sharing of credos with a potluck dinner on August 1. We will begin promptly at 7:00 pm in either Fessenden Hall or the Annex (I do not have reservations made yet) and will try to wrap up by 9:15 pm.   There is some “homework” – primarily reading (and thinking); journaling is recommended. During class, there is discussion, activities and personal sharing (we can skip the role playing if you want to!)

A BYOT 1 workbook is necessary; there are a few available for check-out from the church library (do not write in them!) but it is suggested that each participant purchase one from the UUA online bookstore. If that is a financial hardship, please see me and we will work something out.

For the class to work as it is intended, a minimum of 6 people is needed and a maximum of 12 can be accommodated. Please contact me, Elaine Bowen, with any questions and to sign up by no later than May 5th. If there is not enough interest, this offering will be cancelled.

As of April 30, there are 3 participants committed to the program. We need at least 3 more by Sunday, May 5 to go forth. Please contact me ASAP in order for this adult RE program to go forth.

 

 

Community Within

 

Attention All Leaders and Committee Chairs

All Annual Reports to be included in the Annual Meeting packet are due TODAY. Please submit or email reports immediately 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.

 

New UU Classes in May
Everything you wanted to know about the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent in particular and Unitarian Universalism in general, but were afraid to ask.  Well, maybe not everything, but we try to give you an overview, a starting point.  Some history of both, some organizational details. Come join the conversation.  And, if you’re curious about membership, this is the place to be.

Part 1 will be on Sunday, May 12, from 9-11 am. Part 2 will be on Sunday, May 19, from 9-11 am.  You may attend one or both, although attendance at both is encouraged.  Different topics will be covered in each.  We will gather at the Annex, the yellow house next to the church.

If you have any questions, contact Claudia Miller or Marion Yeagler.

 

Art in the Sanctuary

The Middle School Youth have been considering these three central questions in their RE classroom this year:  What is a family?  What does a family do?  Who defines family?   Their Family Photography Project is the culmination of that study.  It includes photographs and the text from interviews with six of our church families.

 

Surprise Friends: please remember, to leave your notes on Sundays May 5 and 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!

 

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 pm in the home of Mary Ann Kasper.   Please bring a non-dessert snack to share. This month we are reading Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo. The only thing certain about a journey is that it has a beginning and an end-for you never know what may happen along the way. And so it is with this journey into the minds and souls of two very different men-one of them in search of the truth, the other a man who may have already found it. Witty and inventive, this book takes readers into the heart of America and in the process shows us a man about to discover his own true heart. In June, we will be reading a biography of your choice. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper .  All are welcome.

 

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!

 

UU & Interfaith Connections

 

“Mother Wove the Morning” presents an uncensored view of the experiences of women through history, casting light on little taught realities of endurance and triumph that will leave the audience wiser and more appreciative of women’s collective journey. Three actors bring sixteen different women from 20,000 b.c.e. to the present to the stage to share their lives.

Queen Bee’s adaptation of Pearson’s play provides an opportunity to include current events dramatically increasing our investment in these women’s lives and putting them in a global context.

The performance will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron, 3300 Morewood Rd, Fairlawn, OH, (across from Summit Mall.)   $10 suggested donation at the door.  A talk back with the actors will follow the production.  Refreshments will be served. Childcare provided.

We know some of you are perhaps a road trip distance away.  If a group from your church would like to come and arrive early for dinner, give us a call and we can recommend some local eateries.

Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions.

Thank you!  And see you soon!

Linda Ryder, Program Chair, UUWA of UUCA

[email protected]

UUCA church office 330-836-2206

 

 

Outreach and Social Justice

 

The annual Equality Ohio Lobby Day will be held on May 8 with a focus on the Equal Employment and Housing Act. There is renewed interest in both the Senate and the House. We will be working hard to pass this legislation in 2013.  Our legislators need to hear from us and be educated on these issues. Our stories change hearts and minds.

Unitarian Universalists have always turned out in large numbers for this important work.  Are you willing to travel to Columbus that day as part of a group from Kent?  If so, please let Rev. Melissa know and register today on the Equality Ohio site:  http://www.equalityohio.org/

 

Empty Baskets = Empty Stomachs

A gentle reminder and nudge to honor UUCK’s commitment to collect non-perishable food items and Acme gift cards for Kent Social Services’ food programs. The two baskets have been a bit empty lately . . . please remember the hungry and food insecure in our community when doing your weekly shopping. Basic everyday food staples are always needed – peanut butter & jelly, tuna, canned fruit & vegetables, macaroni & cheese mix, rice, beans, pasta & spaghetti sauce, cereal, 100% juice and “meal-in-a-can” items or meal mixes.

Let’s fill the baskets and feed some people – one basket is in the ground floor closet next to the elevator and the other is just outside the elevator on the sanctuary level. Acme cards may be purchased and donated at the grocery card sales table in Fessenden Hall between services every Sunday. Large brown paper grocery bags are also an on-going need for the food pantry.

Thank you in advance for your generosity,

Elaine Bowen for the Hunger and Economic Justice Task Group

 

 

Income Generation

 

Tupperware Fundraiser Sneak Peak during the Book Sale & Kick Off Sunday May 5th         

Once again we will be having a Tupperware Fundraiser to benefit the church.  Last year was a great success and we’d love this year to be even bigger and better!

We will have the Tupperware set up at the book sale on Saturday if you want to get a sneak peak at all the new and sale items.  We can take orders that day too!

On Sunday, there will be a display of new Tupperware for you to see along with cash & carry items you can purchase and take home with you that day.  We will have order packets for you to take home also to show your family and friends and take their orders.

The Tupperware fundraiser will remain open for 2 or 3 weeks so make sure you get a new catalog and start showing it around to family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. People love Tupperware and it really keeps your food fresh and reduces waste.  Good for your pocket and the environment.

A link on the website will be up soon and I will have a link to an online party if you want to buy online and have it shipped directly to you or someone else.  Call or email me for the online party link.

Meg Milko, Fundraising Chair

 

Annual UUCK Book Sale Transformed

The Annual UUCK Book Sale has been transformed into the UUCK BookBook Sale!  In addition to our usual collection of great reads, a Tupperware book party will be concurrently held in the Sanctuary. But wait . . . THERE’S MORE!  We will also be hosting a bake sale and a lunch counter. Books, food and Tupperware; how could it possibly be better? The UUCK BookBook Sale will take place on Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Be there and be transformed!

The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read.  –  Abraham Lincoln

I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware. – Joan Rivers

 

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Memory Loss, But Forgot to Ask! – May 5, 2013 @ 1 PM

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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.

 

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What are you passionate about?

asset_upload_file382_49476Would you like to lead a Sunday service about it?  The Sunday Program Committee meets on May 24th, and is seeking proposals for lay-led services for Summer and Fall.  We believe that that the Sunday Service is best reflected in a variety of voices and experiences.   Lay-led services allow us to share our individual spiritual journeys, experiences and diverse world views — an important part of our rich Unitarian Universalist heritage.  If you might be interested in presenting a service, please complete a proposal, which may be downloaded from our web site at:  //kentuu.org/docs/spc/sunday-proposal-e-form.pdf,   and send it to Lois Weir.

Not sure about how to put together a complete service?  Members of the committee can provide you with the help you need, so don’t be shy!  General information about proposal preparation may be found at //kentuu.org/ministry/sunday-program/.   Still have questions?  Contact Lois through the Church office.

 

 

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