10 AM in Hobbs Hall

A multi-platform service led by our guest Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister, the Rev. Susan Odessky and Worship Associate Kathy Kerns, CLM.

There is an unexpected gift we can give our loved ones and friends. It’s just listening to them. Not the kind of distracted “listening” we do while scrolling on our phones or gathering our belongings as we are about to head off somewhere, but a deep listening that requires time and the paying of attention. We’ll explore how listening fully to others is a gift not only for the person to whom we listen, but a gift to our own spirit.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

10 AM in Hobbs Hall

A multi-platform service lead by Youth Leader Ellen McWilliams-Woods, our UU Youth for Justice, and Director of Religious Education Colleen Theole.

Lakota people of South Dakota remain largely invisible to mainstream society in many ways.  Fifteen members of our high school youth group (UUYJ) just returned from a service/cultural immersion trip to the Pine Ridge Reservation.  Through music, art, reflections, and spiritual readings, our youth will bring beautiful Lakota spiritual practices out of the shadows and elevate the awareness of the devastating conditions on the reservation that are rooted in the historical trauma Lakota people have experienced. 

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.    

10:00 AM in Hobbs Hall

A multi-platform service led by Mike Hovancsek and Worship Associate CLM Kathy Kerns.

“Sui generis” is a Latin phrase that means “Of its own kind.”  It refers to people and ideas that are different from the mainstream.  This is a service about the inherent worth and dignity of people who do not fit well into society.  It includes personal stories and references through history.

CLICK HERE to view, print, or download the Order of Service.

Join us for our annual Service in the Park and Church Picnic! 10 AM at Plum Creek Park, Pavilion #2

We regret that since the service will be in a remote location, Zoom will not be available.

All Creatures, Great and Small

Led by CLM Lori Mirkin-McGee, will begin at 10 AM and will include a pet blessing. Bring your folding chairs, picnic blanket, and your beloved pet(s)!

When I was young, I read the series by James Harriot called, “All Creatures, Great and Small.” The books are about a young English vet and his (mis)adventures with local animals. These books opened my heart to the importance of animals in our lives. As soon as I was an adult, I got my first pet–a cat–and I’ve had pets ever since. This service explores the joys, and sorrows, of having a pet companion. Bring your pet or pictures of your pet to the park for our annual blessing of the animals at Plum Creek Park.

Our annual Church Picnic will immediately follow the service. We ask that everyone please bring your own place settings, a beverage, and a dish to pass (with serving utensils). Ice water will be provided. Also, feel free to bring your favorite “lawn” or tabletop games to share.

Please pitch in to fill in the gaps for our potluck picnic after the animal blessing service! Along with bringing dishes to share and personal table service for our potluck, we want to make sure we have water and extra dishes and utensils on hand.

Please note there is NO electricity at this shelter.

10:00 AM in Hobbs Hall an on Zoom

A multi-platform service (in-person and via Zoom) led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele with Affiliated Minister Rev. Christie Anderson and Transitional Music Director Emily Hall.

This season calls us to life and invites us to create a flowering bouquet of community with love at the center. Join in celebrating our new members and the renewal of our commitment to our faith and each other. Everyone is invited to bring a flower to share at the flower ceremony. Extra flowers welcome.

CLICK HERE to view, print, or download the Order of Service.

Additionally, we will welcoming our newest members to the UU Church of Kent with a New Member Ceremony during the service and a celebration during social hour. Join us!

Dances of Universal Peace / Love and Loss are Interwoven

9:15 AM: Dances of Universal Peace (in Hobbs Hall)

Led by Alicia Patrice

To honor the seeking of peace that unifies us all and to celebrate our final two-service Sunday before our summer schedule changes, we will gather at 9:15am in Hobbs Hall for an interactive and music-filled experience of the Dances of Universal Peace!

After centering ourselves into a worshipful space, we will move into an hour long (9:30am-10:30am) spiritual practice. Alicia Patrice will lead the community in an engaging and accessible exploration of song and gentle movement. This will be very beginner friendly, inclusive, and there will be opportunities to participate fully while seated.

9:30 – 10:30 AM Dances of Universal Peace

The Dances will replace the discussion circles for this week. All are welcome, including the first-service curious! We would love for this to be an intergenerational community celebration!

10:30 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Following the Dances of Universal Peace, our social time in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.
Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards will be available for purchase. Learn more about this fundraiser

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Love and Loss are Interwoven

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by CLM Kathy Kerns with Worship Associate Heidi Sumser and Transitional Music Director Emily Hall.

Love comes with its own cost as it opens us to the possibility of grief and loss. This makes grief a fundamental part of the human condition. In this service, we will acknowledge the many sides of grief and consider ways to look for the light as we adapt to loss.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Looking ahead . . .

On Sunday, June 2, 2024 we will begin our summer format of one service at 10 AM held in Hobbs Hall and on Zoom. Beginning on June 23, children and youth will begin in service and then be excused to their summer RE class together following the Time for All Ages.

Talking Across Differences / Finding Hope

9:15 AM: Talking Across Differences

An in-person all-ages service led by DRE Colleen Thoele with a reflection by Randy Bish.

One of our Unitarian ancestors, Frances Davíd, said that we need not think alike to love alike. How do we talk to each other when we have strong, opposing opinions?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

1. Share a topic that you feel strongly about and have friends or family that feel differently.
2. What misperceptions might you have about “the other side” that might impede fruitful dialogue?
3. How might you avoid “othering” the person with the differing opinion?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Finding Hope

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Elaine Yehle Bowen.

Emily Dickinson described hope as only she could. “Hope is the thing with Feathers, That Perches in the Soul, and Sings the Tune – without the words, and Never Stops at all.” [sic] This service endeavors to engage us with hope and in hope. What is its place and meaning in our broken, hurting world? How we make it real? Where do we find hope when it can be hard to find, this rose in the wintertime?

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Looking ahead . . .

On Sunday, June 2, 2024 we will begin our summer format of one service at 10 AM held in Hobbs Hall and on Zoom. Beginning on June 23, children and youth will begin in service and then be excused to their summer RE class together following the Time for All Ages.

Open Minds, Helping Hands, Loving Hearts: RE Sunday / Open Minds, Helping Hands and Loving Hearts: RE and Bridging Sunday

9:15 AM: Open Minds, Helping Hands, Loving Hearts: RE Sunday / A Sacred Chord

An all-ages service led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, RE teacher and the children of UUCK!

The children are leading the service! The children are leading the service! Each Spring we celebrate our children on Religious Education Sunday. This morning you are invited to sit back, relax and open your hearts to the gifts they have to share with us. 

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

*In the children’s chalice lighting we proclaim that “we are the church of the open minds, helping hands and loving hearts”….. Share a story of how you practice having an open mind.

1. What are some ways people have helped you?
2. How have you been inspired to help others?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Open Minds, Helping Hands and Loving Hearts: RE and Bridging Sunday

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele and Chair of the Children’s Religious Education Committee, Amanda Rome.

Each Spring we celebrate our children and youth on Religious Education Sunday. This morning you are invited to sit back, relax and open your hearts to the gifts they have to share with us. This service will also celebrate the bridging of our high school graduates as they prepare to journey toward the next chapter of their lives.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Looking ahead . . .

On Sunday, June 2, 2024 we will begin our summer format of one service at 10 AM held in Hobbs Hall and on Zoom. Beginning on June 23, children and youth will begin in service and then be excused to their summer RE class together following the Time for All Ages.

Telling Multiple Stories / The 2%

9:15 AM: Telling Multiple Stories

An in-person all-ages service led by Music Director Emily Hall, DRE Colleen Thoele, with reflection by Rev. Renee Ruchotzke

Our faith has a long history with lots of changes to what we believe over the years as our faith has become more inclusive of diverse cultures. This year congregations have been thinking about how we might reframe our theology as we put love at the center. We will also have a special porcine guest!

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

1. Of the values Justice, Equity, Transformation, Plurality, Interdependence and Generosity, which is the most important to you, and why? 
2. How does Love influence that value?
3. What is the second-most important value, and how does Love influence it?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: The 2%

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by CLM Lori Mirkin-McGee with Worship Associate Wendy Mirkin-McGee.

May 5, 2024 is Yom HaShoah, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. When we think of the Holocaust, it is natural to think of the atrocities committed by the Nazis. We know that six million Jews lost their lives during this genocide. After one of the darkest chapters of human history, the Jews who survived began to tell their stories of how they endured, how they moved forward, and how they found hope. This service will explore some of those stories and shine a light on the survivors of this horrible human tragedy.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Come Sing a Song With Me / A Sacred Chord

9:15 AM: Come Sing a Song With Me

An all-ages service led Transitional Music Director Emily Hall, Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele and Affiliated Minister Renee Ruchotzke.

You know that feeling when a song speaks to your heart? Or how sometimes a song can transport us back to a time and place or a memory?  Come and share in the magic of music and storytelling. This morning we will explore how sharing music together can strengthen our connections to each other. 

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

1. Who and what has been part of your relationship with music?
2. What yearnings do you have about expressing and embodying your musicality?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: A Sacred Chord

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Transitional Music Director Emily Hall with Affilifated Minister Rev. Christie Anderson.

Making music together, or musicking, can be a sacred act. The collaboration and community that we embody when we make music together is more vast than what we can access individually, on our own. Join us on this Music Sunday, as we explore our theme of musical interdependence and celebrate the many talents, voices, and musical hearts of our congregation! 

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Posted on April 1, 2024

An Amazing World Below / Ecotopia

9:15 AM: An Amazing World Below

There are more living things in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet. How does this impact us humans? An in-person all-ages service led by Affiliated Minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke with Transitional Music Director Emily Hall. Reflection by Randy Ruchotzke.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

1. Do you (or have you ever) garden? How connected do you feel to the soil, and all of the life that is a part of it?
2. What are ways that we can widen our understanding of the interconnected web of life in a way that includes all of the life we cannot see?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Ecotopia

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Heidi Shaffer Bish with Worship Associate Randy Bish.

What can an offbeat novel written in 1975 offer us today? In the face of apathy, denial, apocalyptic or dystopian thought, can we vision our own ecotopian societies and live into them? Join worship leader Heidi Shaffer Bish and worship associate Randy Bish in an exploration of ecology, culture and the interdependent web.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

“We Need One Another” / “Engage!”: Embracing the Liberating Religion

9:15 AM: “We Need One Another”

An in-person all-ages service led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, and Affiliated Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke.

We are the faith where everyone is loved because we make promises (covenants) to love and care for one another. How might we live into those promises?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• How do you relate to the difference between punitive and restorative practices of reconciliation?
• How do you think covenant helps guide the relationship and connection between you and members of the congregation and community?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: “Engage!”: Embracing the Liberating Religion

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe and Worship Associate Lori McGee.

As religious communities, we are called to meet the spiritual needs of the people in our communities and those who will find and continue our sacred promise. We will explore the interdependent nature of our religious communities within and beyond our walls. How do we set the direction of our liberating religious communities so that when it is time to engage, we know everyone has played a meaningful and spiritually grounded role in what comes next. We will engage with themes of interdependence, restorative justice, collaborative ministry, and collective liberation. Come join us in the troublemaking!

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Celebration of Life

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Mary Maske will be held in the sanctuary on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm with a reception to follow in Hobbs Hall.  

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.