Month: April 2024

Sunday, May 5, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

Telling Multiple Stories / The 2%

9:15 AM: Telling Multiple Stories

An in-person all-ages service led by Music Director Emily Hall, DRE Colleen Thoele, with reflection by Rev. Renee Ruchotzke

Our faith has a long history with lots of changes to what we believe over the years as our faith has become more inclusive of diverse cultures. This year congregations have been thinking about how we might reframe our theology as we put love at the center. We will also have a special porcine guest!

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

  1. Of the values Justice, Equity, Transformation, Plurality, Interdependence and Generosity, which is the most important to you, and why? 
  2. How does Love influence that value?
  3. What is the second-most important value, and how does Love influence it?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: The 2%

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by CLM Lori Mirkin-McGee with Worship Associate Wendy Mirkin-McGee.

May 5, 2024 is Yom HaShoah, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. When we think of the Holocaust, it is natural to think of the atrocities committed by the Nazis. We know that six million Jews lost their lives during this genocide. After one of the darkest chapters of human history, the Jews who survived began to tell their stories of how they endured, how they moved forward, and how they found hope. This service will explore some of those stories and shine a light on the survivors of this horrible human tragedy.

For those joining via Zoom, our meeting room opens 15 minutes prior to the start of the service (at 10:45 AM) for weekly announcements. We request that everyone joining the service please display your first and last name.  Thank you!

11:00 AM Zoom Information:

https://zoom.us/j/97464785626
     Meeting ID: 974 6478 5626
        Dial by your location:  1 646 558 8656 (New York)
        Meeting ID: 974 6478 5626
     Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acCRYGAK

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

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e-nUUs: April 24, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

CLICK HERE to read this week’s announcements.

Topics included:

e-nUUs Information

Messages from the Board

  • Short-term Ministerial Coverage Plan

Pastoral Care

Community Within

  • FY 2024 Annual Report
  • Welcome New Members
  • Volunteer Needed – Plastics Collector
  • Dances of Universal Peace – April 26, 2024
  • Annual Voting Meeting – May 19, 2024
  • Rev. Steven Protzman Celebration of Life – June 1, 2024
  • Hobbs Hall Spring Rentals – Volunteers Needed
  • Coffee Volunteers Needed to support Social Hour

Income Generation

  • Here Comes the sUUn Auction – May 4, 2024
  • Silent Auction Tickets Available – New Item Added
  • UUCK FY2025 Stewardship Campaign
  • Grocery Cards

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Sunday Morning
  • Hobbs Hall
  • Social Justice

Worship and Music

  • Sunday, April 28, 2024 – Music Sunday
    • 9:15 AM In-Person All ages Worship in the Sanctuary – Come Sing a Song With Me
    • 10:00 AM – Lifespan Religious Exploration
    • 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM Community Cafe
    • 11:00 AM Multi-Platform Traditional Worship Service in the Sanctuary and on Zoom – A Sacred Cord
  • Sunday, May 5, 2024
    • 9:15 AM In-Person All ages Worship in the Sanctuary – Telling Multiple Stories
    • 10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration
    • 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM Community Cafe
    • 11:00 AM Multi-Platform Traditional Worship Service in the Sanctuary and on Zoom – The 2%
  • Multi-platform services at 11:00 AM only 
  • Feedback on Sunday Two Service Experiment – May 2, 2024
  • Seeking Proposals for Lay-led Services  – May 1, 2024
  • Sunday Greeters Needed
  • Community Sing

Social Justice and Community Outreach

  • Special Collection for April is the Indigenous Environmental Network (how to donate) 
  • Special Collections for 2024-2025
  • Middle School Free Store  

Lifespan Learning

  • Religious Exploration for Sunday, April 28, 2024

UU, Interfaith and Community 

  • Hunger Challenge
  • CERSI July 7-13, 2024

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Sunday, April 28, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

Come Sing a Song With Me / A Sacred Chord

9:15 AM: Come Sing a Song With Me

An all-ages service led Transitional Music Director Emily Hall, Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele and Affiliated Minister Renee Ruchotzke.

You know that feeling when a song speaks to your heart? Or how sometimes a song can transport us back to a time and place or a memory?  Come and share in the magic of music and storytelling. This morning we will explore how sharing music together can strengthen our connections to each other. 

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

  1. Who and what has been part of your relationship with music?
  2. What yearnings do you have about expressing and embodying your musicality?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: A Sacred Chord

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Transitional Music Director Emily Hall with Affilifated Minister Rev. Christie Anderson.

What can an offbeat novel written in 1975 offer us today? In the face of apathy, denial, apocalyptic or dystopian thought, can we vision our own ecotopian societies and live into them? Join worship leader Heidi Shaffer Bish and worship associate Randy Bish in an exploration of ecology, culture and the interdependent web.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

For those joining via Zoom, our meeting room opens 15 minutes prior to the start of the service (at 10:45 AM) for weekly announcements. We request that everyone joining the service please display your first and last name.  Thank you!

11:00 AM Zoom Information:

https://zoom.us/j/97464785626
     Meeting ID: 974 6478 5626
        Dial by your location:  1 646 558 8656 (New York)
        Meeting ID: 974 6478 5626
     Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/acCRYGAK

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

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Annual Voting Meeting

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

May 19, 2024 — 12:00 PM in the Sanctuary

Attention ALL Members and Friends

Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting however only Active Members (as defined by our Church Bylaws) are eligible to vote on church matters (see below).

Members, your attendance is important as a quorum will be required for voting matters. Need an absentee ballot?  Contact [email protected].

The Information Meeting will be held Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 12:00 PM in the Sanctuary.

CLICK HERE to view or download the FY2024 Annual Report.

Voter Eligibility (as per our Church Bylaws):

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS

This Church is a welcoming and inclusive community. Membership is open to all who are in sympathy with the Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Church Mission and Vision and who live in alignment with the Church Covenant.

A. ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

  1. Definition. An Active Member is a person who:
    • Is at least fourteen years of age
    • Has signed a declaration to become a member in the presence of the Minister, a member of the Board of Trustees, or a member of the Membership Committee. The date of the declaration is the official date of beginning Active Membership.
    • Has made an identifiable financial contribution in support of the most recently completed fiscal year.
      • New Members must have made an identifiable financial contribution in the current fiscal year.
    • Is actively involved in the Church
    • May withdraw membership by notifying the Minister or Membership Committee
  2. Rights. An Active Member may:
    • Vote on Church matters four weeks after becoming an Active Member

C. MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP

6. VOTING OF THE ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

  • Only eligible Active Members may vote by attendance at a meeting or by submitting Absentee Ballots.
    • A list of eligible voters will be made available
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Sunday, April 21, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

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An Amazing World Below / Ecotopia

9:15 AM: An Amazing World Below

There are more living things in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet. How does this impact us humans? An in-person all-ages service led by Affiliated Minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke with Transitional Music Director Emily Hall. Reflection by Randy Ruchotzke.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

  1. Do you (or have you ever) garden? How connected do you feel to the soil, and all of the life that is a part of it?
  2. What are ways that we can widen our understanding of the interconnected web of life in a way that includes all of the life we cannot see?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Ecotopia

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Heidi Shaffer Bish with Worship Associate Randy Bish.

What can an offbeat novel written in 1975 offer us today? In the face of apathy, denial, apocalyptic or dystopian thought, can we vision our own ecotopian societies and live into them? Join worship leader Heidi Shaffer Bish and worship associate Randy Bish in an exploration of ecology, culture and the interdependent web.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Share this:

e-nUUs: April 10, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

CLICK HERE to read this week’s announcements.

Topics included:

e-nUUs Information

Messages from the Board

  • Short-term Ministerial Coverage Plan

Pastoral Care

Community Within

  • Shared Ministries Council Meeting – April 14, 2024
  • Journey of Belonging Series – April 16, 2024
  • Why Membership Matters
  • Information Meeting – April 21, 2024
  • Dances of Universal Peace – April 26, 2024
  • Voting Meeting – May 19, 2024
  • Rev. Steven Protzman Celebration of Life – June 1, 2024
  • Upcoming Hobbs Hall Spring Rentals – Volunteers Needed
  • Coffee Volunteers Needed to support Social Hour

Income Generation

  • Here Comes the sUUn Auction – May 4, 2024
  • Silent Auction Tickets Available – New Item Added
  • Grocery Cards

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Sunday Morning
  • Hobbs Hall
  • Social Justice

Worship and Music

  • Sunday, April 14,  2024
    • 9:15 AM In-Person All Ages Worship in the Sanctuary – We Need One Another -Interdependence in Faith
    • 10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration
    • 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM Community Cafe
    • 11:00 AM Multi-Platform Traditional Worship Service in the Sanctuary and on Zoom –Engage! -Embracing the Liberating Religion
  • Sunday, April 21, 2024
    • 9:15 AM  In-Person All ages Worship in the Sanctuary – An Amazing World Below
    • 10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration
    • 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM Community Cafe
    • 11:00 AM Multi-Platform Traditional Worship Service in the Sanctuary and on Zoom – Ecotopia
  • Sunday, April 28, 2024 – Music Sunday Song Proposals – due April 16, 2024
  • Multi-platform services at 11:00 AM only 
  • Seeking Proposals for Lay-led Services  – May 1, 2024
  • Sunday Greeters Needed
  • Community Sing

Social Justice and Community Outreach

  • Special Collection for April is the Indigenous Environmental Network (how to donate) 
  • Middle School Free Store  

Lifespan Learning

  • Religious Exploration for Sunday, April 14, 2024

UU, Interfaith and Community 

  • Local Racial Documentary Film and Discussion April 16, 2024
  • Hunger Challenge
  • CERSI July 7-13, 2024
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Sunday, April 14, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

“We Need One Another” / “Engage!”: Embracing the Liberating Religion

9:15 AM: “We Need One Another”

An in-person all-ages service led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, and Affiliated Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke.

We are the faith where everyone is loved because we make promises (covenants) to love and care for one another. How might we live into those promises?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

  • How do you relate to the difference between punitive and restorative practices of reconciliation?
  • How do you think covenant helps guide the relationship and connection between you and members of the congregation and community?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: “Engage!”: Embracing the Liberating Religion

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe and Worship Associate Lori McGee.

As religious communities, we are called to meet the spiritual needs of the people in our communities and those who will find and continue our sacred promise. We will explore the interdependent nature of our religious communities within and beyond our walls. How do we set the direction of our liberating religious communities so that when it is time to engage, we know everyone has played a meaningful and spiritually grounded role in what comes next. We will engage with themes of interdependence, restorative justice, collaborative ministry, and collective liberation. Come join us in the troublemaking!

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

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Sunday, April 7, 2024

Posted on by MaryBeth Hannan

Threading the Web of Interconnection / Love at the Center

9:15 AM: Threading the Web of Interconnection

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, Transitional Music Director Emily Hall and Affiliated Minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke. The reflection will be offered by Mary Ann Kasper.

What does our interdependence look like in practice? How might we care for the earth as well as one another?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

  • The motto “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle” is often just associated with “recycle.” What are some practices where you reduce the amount of trash you produce, or reuse things that other people might throw out?
  • What are some things you do in your own life that care for both the planet and for other people?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Love at the Center

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by affiliated minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke, Worship Associate Randy Bish, and Transitional Music Director Emily Hall.

Christian Nationalism is on the rise and the upcoming election will provide a stark choice about what kind of world we want to live in. We will explore how the national UU conversation about updating our seven principles is a conversation about our core values of inclusion and interdependence and how they can help us model a compelling alternative.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

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