It is with great joy that our congregation’s members voted unanimously to call the Reverend Kristina Church to be our settled minister at a special meeting on January 18, 2026.
The Reverend Church has been serving us as a contract minister since August of 2024 Being called changes her role from being contracted on a yearly basis to long-term covenantal partnership with us.
The special meeting and vote were the culmination of a months-long discernment process that compared the hopes and dreams of our congregants around ministry to the ministry being delivered by Reverend Church.
Thanks to the Contract-to-call task force for their exemplary work in gathering the information and writing a summary report (emailed to church members and friends) that showed that we, the congregation and the Reverend Kristina Church to be a great match.
Join us for an evening of the Dances of Universal Peace!
Dance leader: Alicia Patrice Musicians: Lisa Thiel on banjo, Dawn Heartsong on percussion, Daniel Kennedy on percussion, and Emily Hall, Kent UU Director of Music Ministries, on guitar and flute
The Dances of Universal Peace are spiritual practice in motion. Drawing on the sacred phrases, scripture, and poetry of the many spiritual traditions of the earth, the Dances blend chant, live music and evocative movement into a living experience of unity, peace and integration. This taste of our true nature – as Universal Peace – opens to the possibility of a deep spiritual revolution within the person.
The Dances of Universal Peace are beginner friendly and we welcome all to join us! There will be space in our circle to participate seated and to sit and receive the dances for those who wish to. This spiritual practice welcomes people of all faiths to move and connect together.
This event will include musicians from and be a fundraiser for the music ministry program at Kent UU. Donations will benefit the work of the music ministry program to connect, inspire, and empower our world through collective musicking.
Suggested donation $10-15. All amounts welcome, no one turned away for lack of funds. If you are able to donate more, it allows for someone who cannot donate to attend. If you are not able to donate, please come as our guest.
Event will be held in Hobbs Hall (Fellowship Hall located behind the Church). Hobbs Hall is in the building with solar panels on the roof next to the gravel parking lot.
This month we support, Doctors for Global Health (DGH), as our special collection recipient. DGH is a private, not-for-profit organization promoting health, education, art, and other human rights throughout the world.
The DGH Mission: ”To improve health and foster other human rights with those most in need by accompanying communities, while educating and inspiring others to action.”
Our Committee on Shared Ministry will be hosting a book reading/discussion group to reflect and learn from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg’s brilliant book, On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World.
This Common Read offers a glimpse into one of our faith’s foundational sources, Judaism. Readers follow the author, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, into a framework for making amends offered by the 12th century Jewish physician and scholar, Maimonides.
Written for people of any or no faith tradition, On Repentance and Repair introduces practices for accountability that can bring us into wholeness and make a difference in our personal, community, and national relationships.
Co-facilitated by Rev. Kristina and Dani Beale
2:00 – 3:30pm in Fessenden Hall
Sunday, March 15 Sunday, March 29 Sunday, April 12 Sunday, April 26
The book is available for purchase in print, ebook format, or audiobook from InSpirit or your favorite bookstore, or available to borrow from the Kent Free/Portage County Library in various formats.
Watch a UUA Video Panel Discussion with the Author on Vimeo
As a congregation, we’re blessed when visitors come, seeking a supportive space for their unique spiritual journeys. We’re deeply affirmed when they choose to become members: bringing new ideas and approaches; sharing their one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable gifts; increasing our capacity to serve justice; and bringing more opportunities to care for each other! What do new and longtime members need to grow and thrive here? How can we be a religious home worthy of their faith and trust?
9:15 AM Service — meeting in the Church Sanctuary(in person only)
Led by Rev. Kristina Church, DRE Colleen Thoele, and Dir. of Music Ministries Emily Hall, and Malachi Stevens.
9:45am Adult “Justice January” Program in Fessenden Hall
Location: Fessenden Hall
From Values to Action: Mapping and Networking
Rescheduled from Sunday, January 25
Where is good work already happening and how do we connect to it?
Did you know that Unitarian Universalism traces its beginning back to the early Christian Church? Are you curious about the long and rich history of Unitarian Universalism and the many radicals, rebels and reformers, the heroes and the heretics who are part of our liberal tradition?
Each week we’ll start with a shared meal at 6:00pm in Hobbs Hall, then (about 6:30pm) watch an hour long documentary from Long Strange Trip, a six-part series by Ron Cordes, followed by discussion afterward. Each video explores the history of Unitarian and Universalist thought and practice from its early, liberal strands at the beginning of the Christian era to what we know today as Unitarian Universalism.
6:00pm – 8:30pm – Hobbs Hall
Friday, February 20: Part 1: In the Beginning… (We’ll join the Soulful Home families in Fessenden Hall for the shared potluck) Friday, February 27: Part 2: The Birth of Unitarianism Friday, March 6: Part 3: American Unitarianism, 1620-1860 Friday, March 13: Part 4: Universalism, 1600-1860 Friday, March 20: Part 5: Evolution, 1861-1961 (We’ll join the Soulful Home families in Fessenden Hall for the shared potluck) Friday, March 27: Part 6: Unitarian Universalism
Led by Rev. Kristina and Claudia Miller
This class is open to everyone. We hope you’ll join us!
Come and find out what our youth have to say about the times that they are growing up in. As Justice January comes to a close, our children and youth will lead this service and share their experiences as kids in an ever escalating and tumultuous time. Are we ready to listen? Are we ready to follow their lead?
9:15 AM Chapel Service — meeting in the Church Sanctuary(in person only)
Led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele and our UU Church of Kent Youth.
MaryBeth will be away January 23 through February 10. While she is usually available for emergencies during absences, this time she will be unavailable and will respond to upon her return. Please contact Rev. Kristina or Colleen for any urgent needs.
Gather in Hobbs Hall at 10:30am or after the morning RE programming to help lead a couple of hymns from the front of the room! If you are not familiar with the songs, we will be singing them during our Justice Chapel at 9:15am, #153 Oh I Woke Up This Morning and Ella’s Song.
Join Staff Accompanist Vanessa Vesely and Music Director Emily Hall for a fun evening of music and singing!Learn how more about our new hymnal, Sing Out Love, and sing some of our new favorites! Come early and bring your computer/tablet/phone and get your own log in to the virtual hymnal.
Historic Sanctuary at the Kent UU Church Wednesday, January 21 6:00pm Connect with virtual platform – get logged in! 6:30pm-7:30pm Sing!
Rev. Kristina invites you to experience a Soul Matters small group!
What is a Small Group?
It’s an opportunity to engage more deeply with the monthly theme topic, similar to what we do in our Sunday Morning reflection circles, but with a group roster that remains the same over time, creating opportunities for connection and meaning-making as trust builds among members. There is time for sharing our perspectives on a particular theme, such as “Grace”, while also learning more about what UU’s and others have thought and written about it. There’s an opportunity to set intentions for how we will act on these learnings and “aha!” moments, in order to transform our daily lives, and ground us in our faith
Also known as covenant groups or chalice circles, they’re usually made up of 8-10 people, including a facilitator who plans and leads the sessions. Groups normally meet once a month for about 1 1/2-2 hours. Some groups meet in people’s homes, some at local spaces such as a library or a cafe, some meet at the church, and some meet virtually. We have a few new groups forming this spring, starting in February and running through June (5 sessions).
Sounds great! How do I find my group?
Interested? Let us know your availability (Weekdays? Evenings? Weekends?), constraints (e.g. Zoom only), and interest in groups with a particular dimension (such as parents of young children, members living with disabilities, etc.). We’ll do our best to assign folks to groups that meet their needs.
Join us in Hobbs Hall on Sunday, January 25 at 12:30 PM for an amazing presentation on Ohio Bats. Presenters Ann and Todd Cartner will share their Bat expertise with us.
As we move through Justice January, determined to learn and practice resistance to the injustices happening around us, we honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who reminded us that children and youth can be powerful advocates for the world we long to see. Even if we fear for their safety, children and youth are helping to imagine, form, and influence the world we live in. How can we empower them to dream and work for a better society, while honoring their right to a safe place to grow?
9:15 AM Service — meeting in the Church Sanctuary(in person only)
Led by Rev. Kristina Church, Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, and Director of Music Ministries Emily Hall.
The many injustices of 2025 have caused each of us to navigate difficult questions in our never-ending pursuit of liberty and justice for all. Join us as we consider the work of Unitarian Universalists past, present, and future who inspire us to act according to our most deeply held values, even in times when siding with love might involve breaking the rules or taking risks.
9:15 AM Service — meeting in person only in the Church Sanctuary
Led by Rev. Kristina Church and Worship Associate Kevyn Breedon
