We will be hanging the greens in the sanctuary after the second service on Sunday, December 7.  Please consider volunteering to help with the decorating.   It can be a lot of fun and the more people we have involved the quicker it will get finished.  This can be a fun event for families and others who want to get in the spirit of the season.  We especially need someone who is willing to get up on the tall ladder to decorate the tree!  Please direct any questions to Jack Graham (330-618-7572) or Mary Ann Stephens (330-618-7976).

Thanks in advance for your help.

New toys are being collected for Kent Social Services. You may place unwrapped toys or gift cards for teens, in the large box downstairs in Fessenden Hall from now until Dec. 7^th.   Monetary donations are also being accepted in a separate container. This money will be used to purchase gift cards for the residents of Freedom House, a homeless shelter for veterans.   Checks should be made payable to the church, with “Freedom House” written on the memo line.

Thank you for your generosity – the RE Committee

It’s that time of year again for our annual Holiday Gift Fair!  We are now accepting donations of Handmade, Homemade and Like New items.  We will have a box out in Fessenden Hall and I’ll be around to collect items from you as well.  So check your pantry for any canned goods from Summer’s bounty, get your needles clacking and gather those gifts you never used that would be perfect for someone else to own!  The sale begins December 7th and will be open on Sundays during coffee hour until December 21st.

This is a wonderful time to shop for all your holiday needs or maybe to pick up that something special for yourself!

Meg Milko

Fundraising Chair

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, December 9 at 7 pm in the home of Janice Schelat. This month we are reading Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. This tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico is a winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops onions at the kitchen table in her final days of pregnancy. While still in her mother’s womb, her daughter to be weeps so violently she causes an early labor, and little Tita slips out amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon becomes a way of life, and Tita grows up to be a master chef. She shares special points of her favorite preparations with readers. In January we will be reading A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

A reminder that our final Symposium will be held next Monday night, November 17, at 7:00P.M. in the Sanctuary.  Prof. Mohammad Ja’far Mahallati will speak on Islamic Mysticism, using the writings of Rumi and 2 contemporary poets. This is a special opportunity to learn more about Islamic culture from a distinguished scholar, using their  most intimate art form, the spoken word. We hope you can attend, (along with a friend), and look forward to seeing you there.

Classes will be offered again in February 2015. 

If you have any questions, contact Claudia Miller [email protected],

Pancakes! for the month of November has been moved to Sunday, November 23.

KentHogwarts will be our host! 

Our Wi$dom Path Class wrap-up and celebration has been pushed back one week.  We will not meet this Thursday.  We will meet next week on Thursday, Nov 20 at 7:00 pm in the Annex.

Snacks will be provided.

Join us for a guided tour of the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland permaculture gardens on Sunday, November 9th.  We will leave from the church at 1:15pm and begin the tour of First Unitarian Church of Cleveland gardens at 2pm. We will see the finished product of a four-year effort in creating a unique welcoming garden that expresses the values of Unitarian-Universalism. We will discuss the garden – its beginnings and how it brought together the congregation and has become a destination site for the neighborhood, including attracting new members.?

?Allow an hour for discussion and touring. For those wishing to tour another garden, a friend from the West Shore UU Church will be at their much newer permaculture garden? in the afternoon also on Sunday, Nov. 9 and would be happy to talk about both their permaculture course (which we will offer the course in the spring) and their project garden. West Shore UU is about a half hour’s drive from First Unitarian.

For more information and to join the group, please contact Mary Lou Holly: [email protected]

Per Sunday service on October 26, we were reminded that generosity is a muscle that needs to be routinely exercised. Kent Social Services (KSS) could really use some exercise from us with the ingredients for Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets given to clients.

A short list of items in need are TURKEY GRAVY (jar, can, dry mix – ANY form), stuffing mix, mashed potato mix, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, cake & gelatin mix. The food pantry is also in great need of all types of boxed CEREAL for families. Donations of any and all non-perishable items are welcome.

If you’re not a shopper or tend to forget items at home, $10 Acme gift cards are for sale in Fessenden Hall between services every week. KSS gives these to clients to purchase produce and other perishable items.

Please drop items off in the lower level closet by the elevator or the basket next to the elevator on the sanctuary level.

 

Appreciatively,

Elaine Bowen

Hunger and Economic Justice Task Force

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, November 11 at 7 pm in the home of Kathy Kerns.  This month we are reading The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker. A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present.  When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of. Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decides to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains. In December we will be reading Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and in January we will be reading A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

The Library committee is grateful to the congregation and to friends of the congregation for their support of the first two Symposiums, “Art and Allah.” The 3rd and final Symposium will be held on Monday, November 17th at 7:00 P.M. in the Sanctuary and will feature Mohammad Ja’far Mahallati, Presidential Scholar in Islamic Studies at Oberlin College. Professor Mahallati will speak on “Persian Poetry: The Gate to Islamic Mysticism.” He will discuss a few works from classical Persian poetry, including the Sufi poet, Rumi, each conveying an important concept in the Islamic worldview.

After his studies in Islamic theology from Khan Seminary (Shiraz, Iran) and receiving a B.A. in Economics and International Affairs from National University in Tehran, Mahallati received degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Kansas and in Political Economy from the University of Oregon. His Ph.D. in Islamic Studies is from McGill University. He is presently working on a book, The Return of a Civilization: Reflections on the Contemporary Iranian-Shii Thoughts on War and Peace. He has taught graduate courses and given lectures at Columbia, Princeton, Yale and Georgetown Universities. Besides his interests in religious studies, Mahallati enjoys pursuing his interests in Islamic art and literature, specifically Sufi poetry and sacred calligraphy. He has co-translated into English two published volumes of poetry by the contemporary Iranian poet, Sohrab Sepehri.

Professor Mahallati will answer questions at the end of his presentation, followed by refreshments in Fessenden Hall. This is a special opportunity to learn about Islamic culture through poetry. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

Photo Source:  https://omnidawn.wordpress.com/

Join Us for this Multigenerational Activity

Sunday, November 16 from 1:00 – 2:30 PM in Fessenden Hall

What makes the holidays in December meaningful for you? This is a chance to gather in community to talk about the kinds of activities, rituals, practices and experiences that most help you connect with the wonder of the winter holidays.  After a brief conversation, everyone will be invited to make their own Advent Calendar to reflect your intentions.  You can make a calendar on your own or as a family.  People of all ages are welcome to participate.  Please eat lunch prior to coming, we will have coffee, tea and light snacks when you arrive and you will leave with your very own Advent Calendar.  All supplies will be provided. Please RSVP to the church office by 11/12 so we can be sure to prepare enough supplies.

We have:

• Planned for weeks!
• Requested donations!
• Hired auctioneers!
• Sold ads in the program!
• Rented the hall & and another room for more auction space!
• Sang you a jingle
• Offered you a testimonial
• Requested volunteers
• Taken donations of dinners, pottery, paintings, baskets, etc.

You can:

• Buy your tickets now!!!
• Donate an item or more for the auction!!!
• Offer to volunteer!!! – We need two babysitters right now!!!

We can’t make this a success without you, our beloved congregation. Tickets are only $20 and you get a great meal, a fun time and a chance to fill your calendar with wonderful events and win cool items all while supporting our wonderful church. So bust out your cowboy hats and boots. Don your favorite pair of jeans, tie on a bandana and join in the fun.

We have lots of NEW donors this year, great items and some beloved favorites. There is something for everyone.

• Come check out the exotic dinner offerings and wonderful events.
• Take a vacation to the Munro’s home in Vermont.
• Take a ride in a hot air balloon.
• Take a chance on FREE Organic Valley products.
• Visit wine country right in our own back yard with a local wine tour.
• Get your car ready with an oil change or two, or four, or more!
• Enjoy a great meal at a local restaurant.
• Read a good book by a UU author.
• Grab a quick bite of fast food when you are pressed for time.
• Create an UGLY Sweater and wear it to church one Sunday in December.
• We also have a “UU’ll be SURPRISED” donation. The UU’ll be SURPRISED is three different reusable bags filled with goodies you can bid on. The catch is ONE bag is FILLED with UU goodies and has a value OVER $75!!!! Will UU take a chance?

 

All this and MORE at your annual Thanks 4 Giving auction being held on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 6pm at the United Church of Christ at 1400 E. Main at the corner of Rt. 59 and Horning.