It’s time to update our visioning statement from 2008 to reflect where we want to go as a congregation over the next few years. All are invited and encouraged to participate in planning our future!
August 30, 11AM (one service): A worship service on visioning
Sept 13, after (one) 11 AM service: potluck and 1st visioning workshop for gathering ideas. This session is for all ages!
Sept 27 after 2nd service: 2nd workshop to coalesce ideas into a proposed vision statement
Oct 18 after 2nd service: session to update/discuss proposal for new Vision Statement
Nov 8 after 2nd service: congregational voting meeting to affirm new vision statement
A memorial service celebrating the life of Shirley Kiernan will be held in the Sanctuary on Saturday, May 23 at 1:00 pm. A reception will follow the service in Fessenden Hall.
It’s religious education Sunday and the kids are taking over the worship service! This morning we will hear the stories and songs of the children as we bridge our graduating seniors toward adulthood! Join us and share in the milestones of our youngest UUs. Following the service, you are invited to stay for refreshments as we dedicate our first RE garden project by planting Hobbs Goose Beans on the Hobbs Hall lawn!
Awaken curiosity, connect with nature, and embrace your inner child in this outdoor worship service on the ministry of outdoor education and nature connection, complete with goofy campfire songs. Join us at Plum Creek Park, located just off Cherry St in Kent, for this service in the park followed by the church picnic.
What to Bring:
For the worship service:
Lawn chairs (or blanket) to sit on for the service
Sunscreen and hat as needed
Insect repellent as needed
For the picnic:
A dish to share & serving utensil
Picnic tablecloth (optional – some will be provided)
Your own place settings (plate/bowl/cup/flatware)
Your own beverages (ice water will be provided)
Any games you would like to invite others to play.
Welcoming all of the folks who share their music to make our services meaningful and beautiful! Singers, ringers, instrumentalists, if you have contributed to leading music on a Sunday morning, we would love to have you here. Join us for an evening celebrating you and the gifts you share. Bring a dish to share. Families are welcome!
Community concert hosted by the Kent UU Peace Chorus
Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent 228 Gougler Ave. Kent, OH 44240 Wednesday, May 20, 7:00pm-8:30pm in the Historic Sanctuary
Program is free and open to all! Donations warmly received in support of our Music Ministry.
Join us for an evening of Song! The choir will share favorites from their season and invite those gathered into a participatory experience of shared musicking. Special guests will be included from our Kent UU community, including the Tone Chime Ensemble! Guest songleaders to include: Saunis Parsons, Katie Grigg-Miller, and Merlin Johnson. Featuring Peace Chorus director, Emily Hall and accompanist, Vanessa Vesely
The KentUU Board of Trustees invites all members and friends to the Annual Voting Meeting after the second service, in person in Hobbs Hall and on Zoom. Active Members, your attendance is important to reach a quorum.
Eligible voters will have the opportunity to vote on the following items:
Last year’s Minutes: Annual Voting Meeting June 1, 2025
Next year’s proposed budget
Slate of candidates for elected positions
The Annual Report to the Congregation is available to church members and friends upon request or refer to your e-nUUs (5/1/2026).
Come, celebrate with us as we move into the settled ministry between the Rev. Kristina Church and our church community. We’re having a party . . . and we want you there!
Join us in Hobbs Hall on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM.
During the month of May, our special collection will support Akron Rotary Camp for Children with Special Needs. For over 100 years, Rotary Camp has offered life-changing opportunities to children and adults with disabilities, including developmental, physical, and mental health challenges.
So much in our world is out of balance, and calls out for our resistance. How can we combat the injustices around us? What strategies are most effective for achieving the goals of movements seeking to restore liberty, peace, and justice for all? Join us as we consider the place where our values, world history, and our own experiences meet to show us the way forward.
9:15 AM Service — meeting in the Church Sanctuary(in person only)
Led by Rev. Kristina Church with DRE Colleen Thoele.
Do you think Unitarian Universalism is (or should be) a pacifist tradition? What (if anything) in our core values points to nonviolence as a way of life?
Martin Luther King, Jr. said that true peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice. How does nonviolent resistance fit in to this framework? Is there ever a time when it’s ok to fight back?
11:00 AM Service — meeting in Hobbs Hall and on Zoom
Led by Rev. Kristina Church with Worship Associate Dani Beale.
A visual representation of the new covenant of right relations
As a faith community, our Covenant of Right Relations is the heartbeat of how we treat one another. It is more than just a set of rules—it is a promise we make to ourselves and to each other to live out our shared values.
The Committee on Shared Ministry has spent dedicated time reflecting on who we are today and who we aspire to be. The result is a revised Covenant of Right Relations that invites us to engage with our faith more deeply, more honestly, and more restoratively. Our existing covenant can be found here: https://kentuu.org/policies/covenant-of-right-relations/
Why the Change? Our previous covenant served us well, but as our community evolves, so too must our promises. This new draft shifts our focus from simply “behaving well” to practicing our values together. It acknowledges that community life is not about avoiding conflict, but about how we grow through it. It centers on our commitment to equity, intergenerational inclusion, and the spiritual practice of restorative repair.
Key Highlights of the New Draft:
A Living Promise: We acknowledge that we are a people who make, break, and renew promises. This grounds our community in reality—we are human, we will make mistakes, and we are committed to starting again in love.
Embracing Discomfort: The new language identifies “discomfort” not as a threat, but as a gateway to spiritual growth and deeper connection.
Restorative Approach: Rather than just avoiding conflict, we are committing to “restorative approaches”—a proactive way of healing relationships and moving forward together.
Rooted in Equity: The draft explicitly weaves our UU value of Equity into the fabric of our daily interactions.
We invite every member of the congregation to read the full draft and reflect on how these promises might shape your own journey at the Kent UU Church.
Your voice matters. Please join us to discuss and cast your vote at the upcoming Annual Meeting May 31. Let us covenant together to build a community that is as resilient as it is welcoming.
Our church can have up to 4 delegates as representatives to the annual business meeting of our denomination this summer. General Assembly (GA), is scheduled online for June 14–16, 2026, so you can fully participate in the business meetings from your home. Registration to serve as a delegate is $175, though there will be a free option when registration opens in May. (The UUA wants any delegate to be able to participate in the governance of our association). There is also scholarship money available. More information about being a delegate
Delegates must be KentUU members in good standing. They are appointed by the board, please contact the moderator Randy Ruchotzke randyruchotzke (at) kentuu.org if you would like to be a delegate.
Please contact Kathy Kerns if you have questions about GA or responsibilities of delegates.
