Click here to read this week’s announcements.

Topics included:

Volunteers Needed

• Our church is fueled by volunteers!
• Volunteer Opportunities
  • Sunday Greeters
  • Social Hour
  • Rentals support
    • Hobbs Hall setup/reset to support the winter farm market – Fridays and Saturdays (Jan – Mar)
    • Volunteers needed to work rental event (dish service) – January 24
• Hal’s celebration
• UUYJ Community Meals
• Plastics collection

Community Within

• Journey of Belonging: Social Justice – February 1
• Save the Date!  All Church Potluck – February 17
• Winter Institute
  • Early bird registration is open
  • Information regarding early registration and room rates
• Volunteers needed for Jack’s memorial and reception
• Jack Graham Celebration of Life – RSVPs requested!
• HALAPALOOZA!- April 21
• Coffee during Social Hour — Volunteer signup available!
• Winter Hogwarts – Save the Date

From Rev. Steven

• Thirty Days of Love

Worship & Music

• Sunday services – 10 AM both in person and via Zoom
• A Journey to the Center – Sunday, January 22
• Our Shared Ministries – Sunday, January 29
  • Opportunities Mingle following the service
• Sunday Greeters Always Needed

Income Generation

• Volunteers Needed to Support Rental Events
• How Our Pledge Drive Works

Social Justice and Community Outreach

• What is happening with the proposed changes to the UU Principles?
• Faith Community Distinguished Speaker Series – January 21
• Plastics Recycling and Collection
• UUYJ Community Meals
• UCC Anti-Racism Book Group Invitation (first meet 1/23)
• January Special Collection – PFLAG (Kent Chapter)
• Special Collections – How to donate.

Lifespan Learning

• News from RE – January 22
• RE Teacher Appreciation Lunch – January 29
• Let’s help our neighbors!

UU, Interfaith & Community Connections

• You’re invited: Seminary for a Day (hosted by First U Portland) – January 28
• General Assembly 2023 – Registration Open!

Click here to read this week’s announcements.

Topics included:

Volunteers Needed

• Our church is fueled by volunteers!
• Volunteer Opportunities
  • Sunday Greeters
  • Social Hour
  • Rentals support
    • Hobbs Hall setup to support the winter farm market – Fridays and Saturdays (Jan – Mar)
    • Volunteers needed to work rental event (dish service) – January 24
• Hal’s celebration
• UUYJ Community Meals
• Plastics collection

Community Within

• Winter Institute
  • Early bird registration is open
  • Information regarding early registration and room rates
• Volunteers needed for Jack’s memorial and reception
• Jack Graham Celebration of Life – RSVPs requested!
• Winter Town Hall – January 22
• HALAPALOOZA!- April 21
• Coffee during Social Hour — Volunteer signup available!
• Volunteer to support the Winter Farm Market rental!
• Winter Hogwarts – Save the Date

Worship & Music

• Sunday services – 10 AM both in person and via Zoom
• The Most Urgent Question – Sunday, January 15
• Choir Rehearsal – Sunday, January 15, 9 AM
• A Journey to the Center – Sunday, January 22
• Sunday Greeters Always Needed

Income Generation

• Volunteers Needed to Support Rental Events
• How Our Pledge Drive Works

Social Justice and Community Outreach

• Environmental Justice Video — January 15
• Plastics Recycling and Collection
• UUYJ Community Meals
• UCC Anti-Racism Book Group Invitation
• January Special Collection – PFLAG (Kent Chapter)
• Special Collections – How to donate.

Lifespan Learning

• News from RE

UU, Interfaith & Community Connections

• NAACP MLK Breakfast
• You’re invited: Seminary for a Day (hosted by First U Portland) – January 28
• General Assembly 2023 – Registration Open!

Click here to read this week’s announcements.

Topic included:

Volunteers Needed

• Our church is fueled by volunteers
• Volunteer Opportunities
  • Sunday Greeters
  • Social Hour
  • Rentals support
    • Hobbs Hall setup to support the winter farm market
• Hal’s celebration – spring 2023
• UUYJ Community Meals

Community Within

• Jack Graham Celebration of Life – RSVPs requested!
• Euchre Anyone? – January 8
• Winter Town Hall – January 22
• Coffee during Social Hour — Volunteer signup available!
• Volunteer to support the Winter Farm Market rental!
• Winter Hogwarts – Save the Date

Worship & Music

• Sunday services – 10 AM both in person and via Zoom
• The Flame that Burns Within– Sunday, January 8
• The Most Urgent Question – Sunday, January 15
• Sunday Greeters Always Needed

Social Justice and Community Outreach

• Environmental Justice: Brainstorming for Climate Action – January 8
• UUYJ Community Meals
• UCC Anti-Racism Book Group Invitation
• January Special Collection – PFLAG (Kent Chapter)
• Special Collections – How to donate.

Lifespan Learning

• News from RE
• Colleen is on vacation

Income Generation

• How Our Pledge Drive Works

UU, Interfaith & Community Connections

• NAACP MLK Breakfast
• General Assembly 2023 – Registration Open!

All are encouraged to attend either in person or via Zoom. The meeting will begin immediately following the Sunday service.

Join the Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/97464785626

This Fall we have tried some new things in service, including a time change for worship and Community Sundays on the first Sunday. The Worship Team will be reflecting on these changes at our December meeting. If you have any feedback pertaining to worship that you would like the team to consider, on these changes or other topics, please email your comments by November 23 to [email protected].  They will be considered along with other information as we work to meet the diverse needs of the congregation.

The Worship Team

November 4, 2022

Dear Members and Friends of the UU Church of Kent,

It is with much love and gratitude that the Board of Trustees shares the news of Hal Walker’s resignation as Music Director. Hal has shared his passion for music with us for over twenty-five years, gifting us with a vibrant, creative music program. We will be planning a celebration of his ministry in the near future to honor and thank him.

The Board of Trustees and Rev. Steven

There are exciting opportunities ahead for UUCK to become the church of your dreams! It starts with you and building right relationships in our beloved community. The opportunities for you are in the form of small group/covenant groups as listed below.
 
There is always opportunity to start a new group if you don’t see something of interest or what you’re looking for is already to capacity.  If this is something you feel called to do, please contact Randy Bish.
 
New Covenant Groups Welcoming New Participants

     PARENTING ENVIRONMENTALLY SAVVY CHILDREN IN THIS PIVOTAL TIME
     Led by: Andrew and Amanda Rome
     Meeting the last Wednesday of every month at 7PM at the church. 
     Contact the Romes for the exciting details!
 
     ZOOM GET TOGETHER (especially for individuals who may be home bound)
     Led by: Cheryl Spoehr on Zoom
     Meeting Thursdays 12:00 noon.
     Contact Cheryl for the exciting details! 
 
     DRUMMING
     Led by Randy Bish
     Meeting the 3rd Sunday of every month at 1:30 pm at the church. 
     Contact Randy for the exciting details! 
 
Existing Groups Welcoming New Partiipants
 
      LAUREL LAKE COVENANT GROUP
      Led by: Rev Steven Protzman
      Meeting the 4th Thursday of each month at 10 AM at Laurel Lake.
      Zoom options may be available.
      Contact Rev Steven for the exciting details!
 
     INQUIRING MINDS AND CURIOUS MEMBERS
     Led by: Ginny Horvath, Claudia Miller, Marion Yeagler, Diane Kloss
     Meeting at church / times TBD.
     This fellow seeker group will be studying through the “Journey of Belonging”. 
     Contact one of the above committee members for the exciting details! 
 
Existing Closed Groups (at participant capacity)
 
     COUPLES COVENANT GROUP 
     Led by: Trish McLoughlin and Rhonda Richardson
     Meeting time and location varies.
   
     SOUL MATTERS COVENANT GROUP”
     Led by: Becky Cline
     Meeting on zoom only the second Thursday of every month at 6:45 pm.

Let’s make the dream church a reality! 
Randy Bish,
Covenant Group Coordinator

The UUCK Ministry Executive Team requests your participation

Re-Start Workshop: Part 2
facilitated by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe

UUCK Leadership:  Saturday, August 13, 2022
Whole Congregation: Sunday, August 14, 2022
 

Saturday:  UUCK Leadership
Leadership as Soulful Imagining and Community Healing
Saturday, August 13^th from 1:00 – 3:00 PM

The pandemic has been especially hard for the leaders in our UU communities.  Folks are burned out, church members are overwhelmed, and we really aren’t sure what is going to happen next.  So what do we do?  This program will allow you to explore the possible in your own leadership and the leadership needs of the community.  There will be some time for self and community care before we get to the question of: what’s next?  Rev. Sunshine will stay after 3:00 PM to meet with individual committees or groups who would like some support in their work (see note below).

All participants are asked to read and watch the following before this session:

• A Garden Story by Shannon Harper
• Garden Story Part 2: The LAP by Shannon Harper
• The Art of Gathering with Priya Parker
• Emergent Strategy for Linear Thinkers by Renee Ruchotzke (optional)

Leaders, we encourage in person participation but if that is not possible for you, please join us via Zoom.

UUCK Teams and Committees, if you would like to meet with Rev. Sunshine as a team, please email Jennifer May ([email protected]) with team name. She will reply with a time slot for the team after 3:00 PM on Saturday.

Sunday:  UUCK Congregation (Members, Friends, and Newcomers)
After the Flood: A Workship for Our Times
Sunday, August 14 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

As we relearn how to be in community in a time of extended pandemic, the question becomes- what do we do next?  This workship (cross between a worship and workshop) will provide time to consider how we choose to be in relationship and what it means to imagine the possible.  A mixture of lament and joy built through presentation and play will allow us to do some deep and meaningful soul care for this community and ourselves.  All attendees are encouraged (but not required) to read “A Garden Story” and “Garden Story Part 2: The LAP” by Shannon Harper before the workship.  There will be a time of transition at 11am for those who need to leave.  The full workship will end at 12pm.

Update: UUCK Members and Friends who were not able to participate, this workshop was recorded. If you wish to view the session, please contact MaryBeth at [email protected] for the podcast link.

The Board of Trustees held their regular monthly board meeting last evening, July 27, 2022.  At that meeting we revised the In-Person Health and Safety Policy, as we have done many times, in response to changes in the COVID status in Portage and surrounding counties.  

Going forward, we will conduct In-person church services, starting this Sunday, July 31, regardless of the COVID status in Portage County (COVIDActNow.org).  

We will require masking inside any building on the UUCK church campus, except when the COVID status is low in Portage County.   A few exceptions to this requirement are noted in the Church’s In Person Health & Safety Policy.

We continue with our policy that no food or beverages can be consumed indoors when masks are required.

We are sorry for any confusion and are trying our best to keep up with the COVID changes in our community.  At the end of last week when the COVID status changed quickly from low to high the Board decided to cancel in person church services per the policy that was in place at that time.

We continue to encourage social distancing when indoors and in-person.  The decision to attend an in-person church service is yours to make, keeping in mind our policy to stay at home if you have tested positive for COVID or are experiencing COVID symptoms.  A Zoom Sunday service option will be available for those who don’t attend in person.

The church picnic, scheduled for Sunday, August 21st at Plum Creek will be held outdoors so masks will not be required and food will be served.  We tentatively plan to transition to the Sanctuary for Sunday services at the end of August.  Please know we may need to revise this policy at that time.  

The most recent In Person Health & Safety Policy has been posted on the church website under Members and Staff Resources, Policies and Procedures. 

Thank you for your understanding.  If you  have any questions feel free to reach out to the Board of Trustees.

Do you sing? Play the bassoon? Want to try out the tone chime choir? Have a child who does all three? Our new Music Director Pro Tem, Katie Grigg-Miller, wants to know! 

Please complete the easy-to-fill-out survey.  You can also email Katie at [email protected]. No commitment required.

June 1, 2020 7 PM on Zoom

The UUCK Ministry Executive Team requests your participation

Re-Start Workshop: Part 1
facilitated by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe

Wednesday, June 1, 2022
at 7:00 PM

We are in a time when the future is very uncertain, and many of us are unwilling to plan far into the future. Resilience is down, and some are feeling burned out and unsure how to reengage in congregational life.  Our community is feeling the impact of this.  We are seeing fewer volunteers to support our ministries and operational needs.  We are beginning to socialize in pockets, but not always in inclusive and welcoming ways.  And we are a bit overwhelmed with our expanded campus and all that needs to be done, and all that it has to offer. 
 
Recognizing our challenges in these uncertain times, the Ministerial Executive Team has enlisted the help of Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, our regional UUA support staff to help us as we restart and emerge from our homes, and forge a new path forward.   This workshop will be done in two parts.  Part 1, led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe will be  Wednesday, June 1, at 7 pm via Zoom.  Mark your calendars and save the date for Part II, also facilitated by Rev. Sunshine on Saturday, August 13, and Sunday, August 14.Part II will be held in multi-platform, in-person and via Zoom.
 
Your participation is requested and you are invited to attend both, or either as you are able. 

Update (6/2/2022): For those UUCK Members and Friends that were not able to attend Part I of the Re-Start Workshop, a video recording of the meeting is available by request. Contact MaryBeth at [email protected] to request a link.

Update: May 24, 2022, from the Board of Trustees

Voting Results from the Annual Meeting May 22, 2022.

The following motions passed with the required simple majority 

1. Approve the May 23, 2021 Annual Meeting Minutes.
2. Approve the UUCK Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 as presented in the 2022 Annual Report.
3. Elect the Slate of candidates for the terms specified as presented in the 2022 Annual Report. 

The following motion passed with the required 85% majority

1. Endorse the 8th Principle to go before the UUA Article ll Study Commission.

Thank you to all who participated and voted.UUCK Board of Trustees

The meeting was recorded for those who were unable to attend.

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We welcome you to the Annual Meeting – this Sunday at 11am on zoom and in-person at Hobbs Hall.

• Learn about how the church remained viable during a pandemic and the building of our long-envisioned and patiently awaited new social hall.
• Find out about financial challenges
• Hear how we are tackling the plumbing issues that are preventing us from returning home to our historic and beloved sanctuary.
• Participate in how we move forward as a community of smart, kind, playful, and creative people of all ages, living the legacy and the promise of our church ancestors.
• Have a voice in the future of your church

We encourage you to read the Treasurer’s annual report to understand our financial realities. Help add your voice to our shared plans for growing in numbers, in ministries, and in service to each other and community.  We are co-creating our future together while practicing right relationship.  Join heart and minds to create solutions.

Your Board of Trustees

ANNUAL VOTING MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION

Sunday, May 22, 2022
11:00 AM

In person at Hobbs Hall and via Zoom
https://zoom.us/j/97464785626
Meeting ID: 974 6478 5626

Calling ALL ACTIVE MEMBERS, your attendance at the Annual Meeting is important as a quorum will be required for voting matters. 

Click here for the eligible voter list.

A voting ballot will be provided for Active Members participating via Zoom for the May 22 meeting.

Click here to view or download the Annual Meeting Report.

Need an absentee ballot?  Ballots are available to Active Members of the Congregation,  contact MaryBeth at [email protected]