Worship & Music
Services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 and 11:30.
Sunday, February 3 Art Sunday: Something from Nothing
Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Worship Associate Trish McLoughlin
The last few years we have invited people who regularly practice some sort of art to share with us on our annual Art Sunday. This year we want to invite everyone, whether you practice art or not, to reflect together on the creative impulse in your own lives. Come be lifted up and celebrate together.
Sunday Flowers!
Are you interested in helping to spruce up the Chancel on Sunday mornings? If so, please consider sponsoring flowers for our Sunday services. Please see the Sunday Flowers sign-up sheet located on the bulletin board in Fessenden Hall. Flowers may be donated in honor, in celebration, in appreciation of someone or something or for any other reason. You may indicate your dedication on the sign-up sheet. In addition, you may choose to supply the flowers yourself or donate the money for flowers to be purchased. Also, please know that dedications will be noted in the Order of Service each week. If you have any questions, please contact the Church Office.
Lifespan Learning
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander has been selected as the 2012-13 Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Common Read. Alexander, an attorney who is a civil rights advocate and litigator, asserts that crime-fighting policies and systems in the U.S., such as the “war on drugs” and the incarceration system, disproportionately and intentionally affect Americans of color. She describes multifaceted, lifelong discrimination and disenfranchisement that affect people who are branded “felon.”
A Common Read invites participants to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. A Common Read can build community in our congregations and our movement by giving diverse people a shared experience, shared language, and a basis for deep, meaningful conversations.
Lee Brooker will facilitate a discussion of Michelle Alexander’s book on Thursday, 1/31 at 7:00 pm in the Annex. The discussion is geared toward those who have read the book. In addition, Lee would like to suggest a field trip to go hear Michelle Alexander speak at the University of Akron on Thursday, 2/7 at 7:30 pm in EJ Thomas Hall. Her lecture is a keynote address as part of the annual Rethinking Race conference at UA. Tickets are $10 for the general public, less for UA affiliated staff and students. Purchase tickets at http://uaevents.com/site/page.php?id=126&event_id=1386 and then email the church office if you are interested in being part of a carpool to the lecture.
What Moves Us: Unitarian Universalist Theology
Co-facilitated by Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Rev. Christie Anderson
Tuesday evenings 7pm to 9pm in the Founders Lounge
Now – February 26
This series, begun last fall, provides an opportunity to consider the intersection of our theology and our emotions. Each session stands alone, thus new participants are welcome to join us at any time. No prior experience is required for this series which will be of value for both new and long tenured Unitarian Universalists.
This curriculum provides an opportunity for personal reflection and Unitarian Universalist education. In every meeting we offer an opportunity to learn about the life experiences of some noteworthy Unitarian Universalist theologians, highlighting that which caused in them a change of heart, a new direction, new hope, and a deeper understanding of their own liberal faith. These are offered as a launching ground for our personal theological reflection, not as an intellectual exercise, but as a process of meaning-making that equips us for living in the world. Created by the Rev. Dr. Thandeka, the program offers a pathway for developing not only our own personal theology but also for deepening understanding of the threads of our Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist theological heritage.
Statements from people who participated in this class in the fall:
“ I found this adult RE class engaging because it combined the historical figures in our religious movement with the theology of our religion.”
“Taking one aspect of one prominent Unitarian or Universalist’s theology and discussing it through our present day lens’ is illuminating and spirit building in a non-academic, relaxed format.”
“Exploring theology is too often left to the theologians, while the lay members rarely get a chance to analyze and think about how to apply theological insights into their own lives. Theology tends to be abstract and somewhat removed from day to day life, something it shares with philosophy. But this series helps its participants to move in both directions of theology to experience and experience to theology. How do we see the specific and individual as part of the whole, and how does the larger theological view help us to put our experiences into a larger and holierperspective?”
If you are interested in participating in the What Moves Us theology class but would need childcare in order to do so, please let Rev. Melissa know. If enough people need childcare, we will try to arrange it through the church.
“TED” and Pizza
for Teens and Adults Co-facilitated by The Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Joel Slater
Sunday, February 10th from 12:45 – 2:00 PM Fessenden Hall
TED is a non-profit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Though it first began as a conference, many people now learn about the organization through its online TED Talks. TED Talks are offered on a wide range of topics and themes by inspiring voices in a variety of fields. TED Talks have attracted a global audience
On February 10th the TED TALKwill be by Dr. Charles Limb speaking about creativity and the brain. The title of his talk is “Your Brain on Improv.” Demonstrating some of the issues Dr. Limb presents and speaking on creativity in the creation of jazz music, Brad Bolton-local jazz guitarist-will be helping lead a discussion after participants watch Dr. Limb’s presentation. If you are interested in attending, please rsvp by emailing the church office at [email protected] or calling 330-673-4247. There will be pizza provided for lunch with a donation asked to help cover expenses.
Community Within
Please consider attending the Library Speaker’s Forum presentation this coming Sunday, Feb. 3rd at 3:00 P.M. in the Sanctuary. Mara DeMattia will speak on “Investigating the Work of Robert Wood”. This is an opportunity to become more familiar with a singular artist who was a member of Kent’s artist community for 40 years. Wood was deeply interested in spiritual ideas, and participated in discussions at our church as well as the Vineyard. The 1-hour program will include a discussion period. A reception will be held in Fessenden Hall.
This event is free and open to the public.
Rev. Melissa is out of town next week attending the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association Beyond the Call Worship and Preaching Arts program and the Institute for Excellence in Ministry. She will return Friday 2/1. If you need to reach her while she is away, she will be checking her email and cell phone messages at least once each day and will prioritize responding to time sensitive and urgent concerns.
NEED PHOTOS FOR DIRECTORY
The Membership Team is busily working on the new church photo directory. It is not too late for you to submit your own photo for the directory. Please email it to Marion Yeagler or the Church Office at [email protected].
The newly renamed Pat Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, February 12 at 7 pm in the home of Jennifer Gregg. We will meet at the church at 6:30 to carpool. This month we are reading Beautiful Lies: A Novel by Lisa Unger. If Ridley Jones had slept ten minutes later or had taken the subway instead of waiting for a cab, she would still be living the beautiful lie she used to call her life. But that’s not what happened. Instead, those inconsequential decisions lead her to perform a good deed that puts her in the right place at the right time to unleash a chain of events that brings a mysterious package to her door–a package which informs her that her entire world is a lie. Sexy and fast-paced, Beautiful Lies is a literary thriller. The author takes the reader on a breathtaking ride in which every choice Ridley makes creates a whirlwind of consequences that are impossible to imagine. In March we will be reading The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper. All are welcome.
Income Generation
Chili Cookoff Coming February 10th after 2nd service!
Calling all chefs! It’s time to cook up a pot of your award winning? chili and enter our Chili Cookoff being held on February 10th around 12:45pm. Please pre-register if you plan on entering the cookoff so we can have an idea of how many entries we will have so we know how many sides to buy. You can email Meg Milko to pre-register.
We offer you the following categories to get your creative juices flowing:
- Best Meat
- Best Veggie
- Most Exotic/unique
- Best White/Chicken chili
- Hottest Chili
You bring the chili and we will supply the sides! (unless you have something very unique then you can bring it along) We will furnish cheese, sour cream, onions, oyster crackers and other chips, jalapeno peppers, olives, etc.
This fundraiser is asking for a donation of $6 for adults and $4 for children under age 12. Come hungry and vote for your favorite!
ACME COMMUNITY CASH-BACK PROGRAM ENDS FEB. 9
All ACME grocery receipts must be dated by Saturday, Feb. 9 to be eligible for the 5% cash back fundraiser. Please collect all receipts you have stashed at home, keep shopping through Feb. 9 and bring in all register tapes in by Sunday, Feb. 10. The collection box is in Fessenden Hall and is on the ACME & Giant Eagle grocery card sales table – you can’t miss it; it covered in an ACME ad!!!
Questions? Give me a buzz.
Thank you for helping with the least labor intensive, easiest fundraiser ever!
Elaine
“SOUP”ER BOWL SUNDAY – FEBRUARY 3
The UU Church of Kent annual “Soup”er Bowl will be held in Fessenden Hall on Sunday, February 3 before, between and after services. What is the “Soup”er Bowl??? It’s an amazingly generous outpouring of donated hearty canned soups/stew/chili/ravioli and coin/cash for the Kent Social Services food pantry and hot meal program.
There will be a table, festively decorated in a football theme, ready with boxes to be filled with canned soups and other non-perishible ingredients for soup and an empty soup pot for your spare coins/cash/check or donated Acme grocery cards. ALL will be donated KSS for the hungry and food insecure of Kent.
Please help your neighbors in need.
Thank you in advance for your generosity,
Coach Bowen:)