Rev. Melissa is co-leading morning worship at Summer Institute with her spouse Evin Carvill-Ziemer through July 21.  For the remainder of the summer she will be working, though sometimes working half weeks in lieu of taking additional vacation and with two additional weeks of study leave. With the exception of her vacation, she will remain available via phone and email.  As always, if you have an urgent concern or one which is time sensitive, call her cell phone.

Karen too, is at Summer Institute this year and will return after July 21.  MaryBeth will be on vacation July 22 – 26 and while she is away next week, Rev. Melissa will once again cover basic office functions.

 

Worship & Music

 

One Service at 10:00 AM through the month of July.  Beginning August 4 we will return to two services at 9:45 and 11:00 AM

 

July 21   This I Believe

Led by Andrew Rome and Worship Associate Lois Weir – Modeled on the This I Believe NPR program, this service will center on making a statement of your personal beliefs, of the values which rule your thought and action. This will be an interactive service presented with the confidence that your belief, simply and sincerely

spoken, is sure to stimulate and help those who hear it. May we have your contribution?

 

Lifespan Learning

 

How Do You Like to Play?  Summer RE for Children Preschool through Grade 5

On Sunday, July 21^st we will be playing with the wind!   Kay and Mark Eckman will lead games and activities that are powered by wind.  We will light the chalice in Fessenden Hall at 10 am sharp!

We only have one service at 10 am through the month of July.  Middle and High School Youth are invited to participate as helpers.  Nursery care is available for our littlest ones.

 

Spiritual Autobiography Class

Led by Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer

Orientation and Introduction on July 30 from 7-9pm

Classes on August 6, August 20, September 3 and September 17 from 7-9pm

Fessenden Hall

Using Dan Wakefield’s book The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography, Rev. Melissa will lead a class designed to invite you to reflect on your own life journey in writing.  We will use a variety of prompts to explore moments in the landscape of our histories beginning with childhood and journeying to the present.  This course takes the word spiritual in its broadest sense so there is really no limit to the topics in your own life history upon which you might choose to reflect.

We will occasionally sketch scenes before we write about the experiences associated with those memories, but rest assured that no drawing or writing experience is required to participate in this course.  We will also provide opportunities for you to share your writing with others in the class, but you will never be required to read what you have written.  The only requirements for participation in this class are a willingness to reflect on your own life story and an interest in trying to capture moments of your story in writing.

This class will work best if participants make a commitment to attend regularly.  If you believe you would miss more than one of the four classes, I’d prefer you not sign up to participate at this time.  I am requiring a minimum of 6 participants to offer this class, so please notify the church office if you plan to attend by Wednesday, July 24.

 

Community Within

 

Third Annual UU Garden Tour

It is not too late to sign up for the third annual UU Garden Tour (newly renamed in honor of Clinton Hobbs). The tour will be held on Saturday, July 27th and begins at 3 pm.  We will gather in the church parking lot to car pool to the first garden.  Check with Claudia Miller during coffee hour this Sunday and next in Fessenden Hall.  She will have information and know that for only $25 you can tour two lovely home gardens, have a tour of the community gardens at Ode to Joy (home of the Garden Club of Kent) PLUS join a compatible group of UU’s and others for a Summer Salad Supper.  Questions?  Talk to Claudia or call Kathie Slater.  Other hostesses include Marion Yeagler and Mary Ann Kasper.

 

We had a request from the planners for the July 27-29 Don’t Frack Ohio! event for home hospitality for those traveling from distant parts of the state for the training workshops July 27-28 in Ravenna and for the event in Warren July 29.

The training is taking place at the Frist Congregational Church in Ravenna on July 27-28, but no one has been able to find home hospitality there for the nights of July 27 and July 28.  Are you able to provide home hospitality for those two nights?  If so, please contact Rev. Melissa at [email protected]

 

New Art in the Sanctuary

The fine photography exhibit in the sanctuary for the month of July is provided by Andrew Ritchie Graham, father of Bonny Graham of our church. He lives in Buffalo NY and is a retired actuary whose hobbies include sailing and photography.

As to artistic philosophy Andy believes that abundance and variety of color exists in all we see. Further he believes that more than just being in the right place at the right time, if you look more closely and narrowly surprises abound for us to see.

 

Outreach and Social Justice

 

Don’t Frack Ohio!  Rally in Warren, OH – July 29, 2013

Join the Rally to ban Injection Wells!  Be with us to witness with your presence for all Ohioans, including those of coming generations at the Trumbull County Courthouse Square in Warren.  For More information and to register to attend, visit:  www.dontfrackoh.org/sign-up

Learn More: Workshops, organizational and Leadership training:  July 27 – 28 at the First Congregational Church in Ravenna, OH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rev. Melissa will be on vacation this week, July 1 – 7.   Rev. Christie Anderson, our Commissioned Lay Leader, will be providing emergency pastoral coverage while Melissa is on vacation.  If you have an urgent concern from July 1-6, please contact Christie for assistance.  The office will be closed July 4 – 7 for the holiday weekend and will re-open Tuesday, July 9 with Rev. Melissa covering basic office needs while MaryBeth is on vacation through July 14.  Also, we’d like to remind you that the office is closed on Mondays through the Summer.

 

Worship & Music

 

One Service at 10:00 AM through the month of July.  Beginning August 4 we will return to two services at 9:45 and 11:30 AM

 

July 7 – Tracing the Living Tradition of Sacred Song

Led by the Rev. Christie Anderson – An old time string band will provide lots of spirited music as the service takes a historical look at Christian music. We’ll explore the roots of some of our favorite hymns and other sacred spirituals and examine instances of alterations by various religious groups, including UUs. Join us in considering whether these alterations are blasphemous or appropriate enhancements. 10 am ONLY

 

July 14 – Finding Good News in a Bad News World

Led by the Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Max Grubb – with special music provided by hammered dulcimer player Tina Bergman I am interested in politics and world affairs, so I try to pay attention

to the news. However, I am also aware that the news is often filled with so much bad news. Where can we find some good news to help ourselves find and keep our balance? 10 am ONLY

 

Lifespan Learning

 

How Do You Like to Play?  Summer RE for Children Preschool through Grade 5

On Sunday, July 7th it will be Water Play!  Lori McGee and Jo Fachet, two amazingly fun “kid magnets”, will lead the children in water activities.  The children should dress in water-friendly clothing and shoes.  Please apply sunscreen before we gather.  We will light the chalice in Fesenden Hall at 10 am sharp!

We only have one service at 10 am through the month of July.  Middle and High School Youth are invited to participate as helpers.  Nursery care is available for our littlest ones.

 

Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-Being

We are not our brains!  Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD and Depak Chopra, MD have collaborated on this book which provides a blueprint to explore the amazing potential of our brains while improving the quality of our lives regardless of our age or situation.

If you are interested in reading this book and sharing with a group come to a meeting in the Founders Lounge on July 7 after the worship service.  We will discuss possibilities and meeting times.

Questions?  Call Mary Maske.

Note:  Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD, is the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard

University and the Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Depak Chopra, MD is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American

Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

 

Spiritual Autobiography Class

Led by Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer

Orientation and Introduction on July 30 from 7-9pm

Classes on August 6, August 20, September 3 and September 17 from 7-9pm  in Fessenden Hall

Using Dan Wakefield’s book The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography, Rev. Melissa will lead a class designed to invite you to reflect on your own life journey in writing.  We will use a variety of prompts to explore moments in the landscape of our histories beginning with childhood and journeying to the present.  This course takes the word spiritual in its broadest sense so there is really no limit to the topics in your own life history upon which you might choose to reflect.

We will occasionally sketch scenes before we write about the experiences associated with those memories, but rest assured that no drawing or writing experience is required to participate in this course.  We will also provide opportunities for you to share your writing with others in the class, but you will never be required to read what you have written.  The only requirements for participation in this class are a willingness to reflect on your own life story and an interest in trying to capture moments of your story in writing.

This class will work best if participants make a commitment to attend regularly.  If you believe you would miss more than one of the four classes, I’d prefer you not sign up to participate at this time.  I am requiring a minimum of 6 participants to offer this class, so please notify the church office if you plan to attend by Wednesday, July 24.

 

Community Within 

 

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, July 9 at 7 pm in the home Chris Hurlbut.  This month we are reading Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander. As he lay in a coma, neurosurgeon Eben Alexander explains that he “journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence [where] he met and spoke with the Divine source of the universe …  If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

 

Many thanks to Kay and Mark Eckman, Dan Hannan and Eric van Baars for arranging for and setting up our new (to us) office furniture and for their abundant generosity, strong backs and problem-solving skills!

 

Flowers are blooming!

Our thanks goes to the Thursday Night Food for Thought group led by Kathy Kerns.  This group cleaned out, edged and mulched the south-side flower bed of the Church which required a total of 26 man hours to get ready for planting. Don and Jennifer Gregg  along with John and Logan Bores planting flowers last week and the watering is being done by volunteers from the congregation. Anyone who would like to volunteer for watering duties should contact Jennifer Gregg by email, phone or Facebook and she’ll be glad to place you on the schedule. In addition, many thanks to Don Gregg for also fixing the sump pump drain that was constantly washing out the flower bed.

 

Third Annual UU Garden Tour

It is not too late to sign up for the third annual UU Garden Tour (newly renamed in honor of Clinton Hobbs). The tour will be held on Saturday, July 27th and begins at 3 pm.  We will gather in the church parking lot to car pool to the first garden.  Check with Claudia Miller during coffee hour this Sunday and next in Fessenden Hall.  She will have information and know that for only $25 you can tour two lovely home gardens, have a tour of the community gardens at Ode to Joy (home of the Garden Club of Kent) PLUS join a compatible group of UU’s and others for a Summer Salad Supper.  Questions?  Talk to Claudia or call Kathie Slater.  Other hostesses include Marion Yeagler and Mary Ann Kasper.

 

 

Outreach and Social Justice

 

Job Posting:  UU Young Adults for Climate Justice Network Manager for UU Ministry for Earth

Over 200 UU young adults who care about climate justice have come together from all over the United States and Canada to form a network.  The members connect Unitarian Universalist faith to the work for justice for the web of all existance.  The focus for the group is on creating ethical living systems – inter-generationally, internationally, among communities, among species, among ecosystems and with Earth.

Over the past year, Jennifer Nordstrom has done a masterful job of building a UU Young Adult Climate Justice Network under the sponsorship of UU Ministry for Earth. Jennifer graduated from Starr-King in May and will begin an internship with St. Paul’s Universalist Church in Minnesota in August.  Thanks to funding from the Cedar Tree Foundation, we are able to continue the position and are searching for a young adult who can continue building the network.

The job description for the UU Young Adults for Climate Justice Network Manager is posted on the UUMFE YA web page.  Applications are due July 20th.
To join the Network, search Facebook for “UU Young Adults for Climate Justice” or email [email protected] .