All Annual Reports to be included in the Annual Meeting packet are due April 16, 2015.

Please submit or email reports to MaryBeth at [email protected]. Annual Meeting packets will be available to the congregation on May 6.

The Annual Congregational Information Meeting is scheduled for June 2 @ 7 PM and the Voting Meeting will be held on June 7 @ 12:45 PM.

Circle suppers are pot-luck dinners hosted in church member’s homes.   There is no agenda for the evening, no plea for money, no official church business, no scripted conversation, and no cost, other than bringing a dish to share. Circle suppers simply offer a chance to share a meal and conversation with others in our beloved community.   Dinners are currently scheduled for: April 10, April 17, April 18, April 25, May 2, May 3, and May 9. Some are adult only, others are family friendly.   Intrigued?   Sign-up sheets with additional details will be available in Fessenden Hall this Sunday. Spaces are limited, so sign up early. Questions? Contact Mary Leeson.

The Membership Committee

You’ve received the packet in the mail.  You’ve seen the balloons.  You’ve tasted some yummy “bar” treats.

You’ve heard wonderful and funny testaments from Melissa and members about what this church community means to them.  You have your own story about what this church community means to you.  If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to pledge you still have time!

We hope you will listen when you receive a call from one of our canvassers. We hope you will seriously consider how you can support this church community so we can continue to bring wonderful ministries to you.

The stewardship committee will be set up in Fessenden Hall over the next two Sundays to receive your pledge.  You can also make your pledge on the website, mail your pledge in to the church office, drop it by the annex during business hours or email MaryBeth with your pledge amount.

 

Thank you,

Your Stewardship Committee:

Kathie Slater, Co-Chair

Meg Milko, Co-Chair

Claudia Miller, Co-Chair

Sandy Eaglen, Treasurer

Come One, Come All!  Next meeting date/time is this Sunday, March 15.

Young Adults who wish to “Meet-up”can join us in Fessenden Hall between last service and 1:00 PM for an initial gathering, and then we will journey to somewhere cozy, almost always Scribbles Cafe. During the structured meeting time we will either have a prompted/guided serious discussion or have a planned activity (Cards, a hike, etc). We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions, please contact John Bores or Nicholas Tietz.

We’ll meet for an hour to an hour and a half depending on the number of people who attend so everyone has an opportunity to check in with the group. All retirees are welcome to join us. Bring your own lunch; beverages will be provided.

Melissa will be unable to attend this month as she will be attending the Allies for Racial Equity and Diverse Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries conference. Marion Yeagler will be facilitating in her absence.  In addition to the usual opportunity to connect and share updates, Marion will share a few words about our expansion plans and capital campaign and answer any questions people may have.

Over the weekend of April 24-26, we will be hosting approximately 30 older youth and young adults who will be attending the OMD Peer Chaplain Training.  This training, co-facilitated by Evin Carvill-Zeimer and Lauren Edmonds, a young adult from our church, will help the participants become caring and compassionate listeners, prepared to serve the community at conferences and other UU community events.

We need a group of volunteers to prepare, serve and clean-up both lunch and dinner on Saturday, April 25th.  The food will be all ready purchased.  I am hoping to recruit 8 people total: 4 at lunch and 4 at dinner.  When we have done this in the past, volunteers reported that it was a lot of fun.  This is a great way to support our youth and young adults without making a major time commitment.

Please let me know if you’d like to participate.  Email me at [email protected].

Thanks!

Karen Lapidus

Last fall a group of us gathered to explore several important passages in the Hebrew Bible. This spring we continue our Bible study with an exploration of the Christian scriptures through some of Jesus’ parables.  Bring a Bible and join us for any or all of the following evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm:  April 1, April 8, April 15 and April 29.  We will meet in the Founders Lounge.  No experience is necessary, only a willingness to meet the Bible and consider what wisdom it might have to offer you.

Melissa Carvill Ziemer

Do you have an idea for a service?  Do you have a special skill, hobby, or interest that gives you spiritual fulfillment?  Would you like to share that with the congregation?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, please consider offering a lay-led service!  There are a few openings left before the end of summer and we will have several spots open in the fall during Melissa’s materity leave.  Please fill out the form found on the church’s website under the tab “Ministry”.  Send your applications or questions to me at [email protected].

Lori McGee, CLL Candidate

Worship Arts Team

Want to learn about solar power? The Green Sanctuary team has invited the solar power company ‘Bold Alternatives’ to present at our church on Monday, April 6th at 7pm in the Sanctuary.  Bold Alternatives is the company who installed the solar array at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland and will present about both residential solar installations and options for our church building expansion. Their presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

HeadMistress Lady Luna presented a homework assignment for our young witches and wizards to work on until we meet again.  We have the magical power of blessing to take out into the muggle world.  Students and Prefects who complete this assignment and bring it to Summer Hogwarts will receive 25 House Points.

Find something under your House’s Umbrella that interests you.  Students ages 5-8 yrs old should focus on Animals, Students 9-12 yrs old should focus on Planet Earth, and Prefects should focus on Humans.

For full details and to download the assignment please see:

[wpdm_category id=”hogwarts-student-prefect-forms,” cols=”1″ toolbar=0 item_per_page=10 template=”link-template-default”]

We hope you’ll join us this Sunday, March 1

for our kick-off Capital Campaign Celebration and Information Meeting!

Upcoming important dates related to the Capital Campaign and Expansion:

March 1, 2015  12:45 PM  –  Celebration and Information Meeting  (a light lunch will be provided)

March 15, 2015   10:50 AM  – Question & Answer Session in the Sanctuary

March 29, 2015  10:50 AM  –  Voting Meeting

Any questions regarding the Capital Campaign please contact Marion Yeagler or Kathy Kerns , Capital Campaign Co-chairs

Our Stewardship Campaign . . .Raising the Bar is in full swing and the pledges are beginning to come in.

You will be getting a call soon from one of our hard-working canvassers to check in with you and discuss this year’s stewardship campaign.  You’ll have a chance to chat about what this church community means to you and get answers to any questions you may have.

The campaign packets went out in the mail last week so if you haven’t seen yours yet, please let one of us know and we’ll make sure you receive a copy.

If you haven’t committed to your pledge yet there is still plenty of time to do so!  The campaign doesn’t end until March 22nd.  Don’t forget this is for next fiscal year which runs from July 1, 2015 until June 30, 2016.

If you have already turned in your pledges we thank you!!  If not, you can turn in your pledge cards during the offertory on Sundays, at the Stewardship table during coffee hour, you can pledge on the website, mail your pledge in to the church office, drop it by the annex during business hours or email MaryBeth ([email protected]) with your pledge amount.

We hope as you reflect on all of the wonderful ministries brought to you each week that you will consider increasing your current pledge amount by at least 1/2 percent of your adjusted gross income (take home pay).  Together, we can work towards realizing our goals.

We’ll have a sweet treat for you this Sunday, March 1 so make sure you come to service or visit our table during coffee hour!

Thank you,

Your Stewardship Committee:

Kathie Slater, Co-Chair

Meg Milko, Co-Chair

Claudia Miller, Co-Chair

Sandy Eaglen, Treasurer

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 pm at the home of Chris Hurlbut. Meet at the church at 6:30 if you want to carpool. This month it is reader’s choice of a novel that was turned in to an Oscar or Golden Globe award winning movie. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

Because we have children and adults in our church with significant food allergies, it is important that we all are aware of the ingredients in the food that we serve at social hour, potluck meals and other events.  Please use the food labels, located in a basket in the kitchen, so that everyone will know if what you brought is suitable for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and those who have gluten or nut allergies. It is important to label your dish to tell everyone if it contains nuts, wheat, rye, barley, oats (if not labeled gluten free), dairy or eggs.  The labels are simple check lists ~ easy to use and so very helpful toward keeping everyone safe and healthy!

 

Join us on Friday, February 20^th at 7:00 PM for

COWSPIRICY: The Sustainability Secret

at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent’s Sanctuary

Presented by our Green Sanctuary Team, COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret investigates why leading environmental organizations are afraid to talk about the devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet.