Weekly e-nUUs – September 3, 2014

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Worship & Music

Services are offered Sunday mornings at 9:45 and 11:30 with Nursery care  available for all services.

 

Join us on September 7 for To Be Human is to Promise

A Multigenerational Ingathering Service and Water Communion led by Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer and Director of Religious Education Karen Lapidus

We are “promise-making, promise-breaking, promise-renewing” animals.  That is what the Israeli Jewish philosopher Martin Buber once said and to me it rings true.  This morning as we welcome the whole community back together after some have been away for summer work and play, we explore the promises we make to one another.  Please bring a small container of water and/or earth with you to church this Sunday to represent a place where you felt fully awake to your humanity this summer.

 

From the Library

The references Rev. Christie used last Sunday for her sermon, “Engaging Pluralism” are:

God is Not One, by Stephen Prothero, (in our church Library)

Why Interfaith? an Interview with Karen Armstrong, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXKwv443zLM

Sacred Ground, Pluralism, Prejudice and Promise, by Eboo Patel

Toward a True Kinship of Faiths, by the Dalai Lama

Beyond Tolerance, by Gustav Niebuhr

No Longer Invisible, by Douglas and Rhonda Jacobsen

 

U.U.’ve Got Talent!  “We know you’ve got it, it’s time to let it out!”

On Saturday, October 11, the UU Church of Kent music committee is hosting a musical fundraiser. WE ARE IN SEARCH OF TALENT. This is your opportunity to perform solo or to invite other members of the congregation and friends to create a small ensemble. This is your chance to release that creative spark within you. Before Sunday, September 21, please contact Hal Walker with your idea. We are looking for a diverse range of 3 to 5 minute musical selections that express your unique talent. Only a limited number of spots are available, so start getting ready now!   All ages welcome!

 

Lifespan Learning

2014-2015 Church Year Religious Education Program Begins on September 7th

September 7th ~  Ingathering Sunday.  Preschool RE starts this day @ 9:45 for children age three by 9/1/14 to those 5-year-olds who are not attending Kindergarten in the fall.  All children and youth, Grades K-12, will be in the sanctuary for the entire service.

September 14th ~  RE starts for everyone else.  At 9:45, we have classes for preschool, Grades K-2 and Grades 3-5.  At 11:30, we have our school-aged RE class, Middle School and High School Youth Group.

 

Religious Education Registration 

Parents and caregivers of all children and youth are asked to complete the annual registration form each fall.  It allows us to keep your contact information up-to-date, to know if your child or youth has any special needs and to get your permission for participation.  Forms will be available in Fessenden Hall during social hour for the next several weeks.  Blank forms are in each of the RE classrooms, as well.  Please return completed and signed forms to Colleen Thoele, Religious Education Assistant.

 

2014-2015 RE Program for Children and Youth

Regular RE classes begin on Sunday, September 14th.

At 9:30 we offer:

Nursery

Preschool

Grades K-2

Grades 3-5

At 11:30 we offer:

Nursery

School-Aged

Middle School

High School

 

The Wi$dom Path: Money, Spirit, and Life

The UUA has developed a new program on the topic of money and spirituality that will be offered at our church this year for the first time.  As the program materials note, “Money plays a role in nearly every aspect of our lives.  Depending on how we understand it, our relationship with money can enhance or limit our ability to live our lives to the fullest.  In this program, participants join together to give this important aspect of our lives due attention in a religious community.  The heart of this program is an exploration of the relationship between money and spiritual values, specifically our Unitarian Universalist values.”

Participants will explore money and values through conversation and activities that allow them to consider their own stories and different perspectives on money, help them feel better equipped to make money decisions, and encourage them to consider whether they want to pursue changes to bring their financial choices in better alignment with their values.

The 12 sessions will be offered as 3 topical series.  Although members can drop into any session, you will get the most out of the program if you attend regularly.  The first series, on Money and Self, is an introduction to the program in which participants explore their own attitudes and experiences with money.  The 3 sessions in this series will meet on Thursday nights September 11, 18, and 25 at 7PM.

After a short break, the second series will meet every other week starting mid-October (on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, depending on the preferences of those attending the first session).  This series of 5 sessions, on Money, Spirit, and Life, will guide participants toward taking actions that align with their personal values.  The last series, Money and Society (4 sessions), explores how our financial ways of being affects others.  The last series will meet in January and February.

Questions?  Want more information? Please contact Kathy Kerns.

 

A WILDERNESS ICON:  UTAH’S RED ROCK CANYONLANDS

The connection between nature, wilderness, and spirituality goes back to the very origins of humanity.  The Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent will host a program entitled “A Wilderness Icon: America’s Red Rock Canyonlands” on Wednesday, September 17 at 7:30 pm.

The speaker will be Clayton Daughenbaugh, conservation organizer with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Chairperson of the Sierra Club’s National Wildlands and Wilderness Committee.  Daughenbaugh will address the topic of faith and the land while promoting the national campaign to protect America’s red rock wilderness.  The program includes a multi-media slideshow documenting citizen efforts to designate public lands in southern Utah’s spectacular canyon country as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This 15-minute journey through red rock splendor, narrated by Robert Redford, invigorates and motivates viewers to participate in the movement to protect these unique lands.  Comprehensive legislation is pending in Congress and administrative decisions by the Department of Interior are ongoing.

The national campaign to protect the Red Rock Canyonlands has been endorsed by the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly and by the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for the Earth.

 

Community Within

From the Library 

Looking forward to seeing you at the potluck supper this Friday at 6:15pm  preceding Mr. Zaiem’s lecture, Islam 101: Being Muslim Post 9/11, in the Sanctuary at 7: 00 P.M. 

Mark your calendars on Wednesday Sept. 24th for the first of 2 presentations on Islamic Art by Gingr Vaughan at 7:30 in the Sanctuary. Her presentation will be on Wednesday, October 22nd.

 

Attention New Members – Sunday, September 21 is New Member Sunday!

The congregation will recognize and welcome our newest members at the services on September 21.  To best plan, if you have joined the Church since June 9, 2013, please RSVP to MaryBeth at [email protected] or 330.673.4247.  We strongly encourage all New Members to participate in this service, please include the number of adults and children and which service you plan to attend with your RSVP.

Have you have been thinking about joining and want to participate in this service? Claudia Miller will have the Membership Book available for signing Sundays, September 7 and 14.  Look for Claudia in the Founders Lounge, outside the Sanctuary, after both services.  Please remember following your signing of the Book to RSVP.

 

We cannot thank you enough for the overwhelming number of cards, messages, kind words, funeral home visits and offers of help.  The unexpected death of Randy’s father was a difficult time for us, but you held us in the light and love of your care. We are truly blessed to be part of such an amazing community.  – The Leeson Family

 

We are pleased to announce that the Mills’ house demolition is finally complete!  The last puzzle piece of locating the capped storm sewer line was completed today, Sept. 3.   Many, many thanks to everyone who helped see this project through, including those who most recently helped last Saturday with the required erosion control by spreading grass seed and straw.  All of our combined efforts continue to move us closer to future expansion!

 

The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Tuesday, September 9 at 7 pm in the home of Trish Johnson-Kwartler. Carrot cake by Bill Bowen will be served. We’ll meet in the church parking at 6:30 pm to carpool. This month we are reading Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison by Piper Kerman.  The author was sent to prison for a ten-year-old crime for drug trafficking. She spent thirteen months in prison, eleven of them at the federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut. This is a look into the lives of women in prison; why we lock so many away, and what happens to them when they are there. In October, it will be reader’s choice. Also at October’s gathering, we will have a book exchange. Bring books that you no longer want and trade with other group members. All left over books will be donated Empower Portage. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper.  All are welcome.

 

In Appreciation of Our Greeters

We gratefully acknowledge those who have served as greeters during the past year. It makes such a difference to be met at the door with a smile, an Order of Service, and assistance in finding a name tag and a seat; to know that guests and visitors are warmly welcomed, that the sanctuary is prepared for worship, and that the Offering is handled with care and attention. The time our greeters spend before, during, and after the service creates a warm, welcoming, and peaceful environment for the entire church community. We thank you!

Please join us for coffee hour on Sept. 7th in their honor.

Deb Biggins Becky Haines Patty Miller
Lee Brooker Noreen Kumm-Gory Jan Noden
Elaine Bowen Bonnie Harper Laura Sinclair
JR Campbell Dan Hayes Cheryl Spoehr
Melissa Campbell Chris Hurlbut Mark Stephens
Andrea Case Martha Kluth Denise Snyder-Markovich
Cheryl Casper Trish Kwartler Paulette Thurman
Trudy Diehl Dianne Lenihan Sarah Verity
Don Easterling Kim Marfy Theresa Walton
Mark Eckman John Marfy Ann Waters
Kay Eckman Trish McLoughlin Gene Wenninger
Jen Fisette Meg Milko Fred Gory
Claudia Miller

Special thanks to Jennifer Gregg for donating the visitor candles.

 

Join the UUCK greeter team!

We are actively recruiting greeters for the 2014-15 church year. No experience required! It’s one of the easiest ways for new friends and members to get involved, serve the church, and learn who everyone is. It’s also a wonderful way for established members to share their enthusiasm for the community.

If you are interested in committing to this ministry as a new or returning greeter, please contact Jen Fisette or Andrea Case get signed up!

 

Church Campout

It’s time once again for the “Where’s Walden” fall camp-out.   We’ll be gathering the week-end of October 3-5th at the Loleta Recreation Area in the Alleghany National Forest in Pennsylvania.  The campground is about two hours from Kent.   This is a family friendly event and everyone is welcome, but there is a limit on the group size, so sign up soon on the form posted downstairs in Fessenden Hall.   We’re staying at the group site which can accommodate tents.  If you wish to bring a camper you’re welcome to reserve a site in the adjoining campground.    Dinners are pot luck style, everyone brings their own table ware and food and drink to share.  The theme Friday night is American cookout, Saturday’s theme is comfort food.   Randy Leeson cooks pancakes, bacon and eggs for all on Saturday and Sunday morning.   Everyone furnishes their own lunches and snacks.  Activities to choose from include: hiking; canoeing; kayaking;  exploring the stream; and relaxing around the campfire.  The cost for the weekend is $5 per person with a maximum of $15 per family.  This fee covers the cost of the campground and firewood,  there is an additional cost if you wish to rent a canoe or kayak.

 

Outreach and Social Justice

In Our Own Backyard: The Immigration Crisis in Ohio

Saturday, September 13 from 9:30AM to 3:30PM, the UUCA congregation will host this very important conference, co-sponsored by UU Church of Akron, UU Church of Kent, West Shore UU Church, UU Justice Ohio and Immigrant Worker Project.   What makes this news especially exciting is that the conference will be attended by the Rev. Peter Morales, who is the President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). President Morales will preach the sermon at the opening worship service and participate in the rest of the program, which will include panel discussions and presentations coordinated by our partner organization, the Immigrant Worker Project (IWP). Jeff Stewart from IWP will bring several guests from the immigrant community who will share powerful stories about their experience, including first-hand testimony about the recent migration of children from Central America. In addition to President Morales, the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ (UCC), the Rev. Geoffrey Black, will also be in attendance.  The conference is free; everyone is welcome to attend both the morning worship service and the conference. A free will offering will gratefully be accepted to cover the expenses of child care and lunch.  Register at:  https://ohiomeadville.wufoo.com/forms/qhte9sr150dkmz/

 

The Human Rights Task Force is pleased to have a schedule in place to tutor at the Skeels-Matthews Community Center in Ravenna, on Thursday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 through October.  It’s an after-school program; most of the students are grade-school level, and most are low-income.  We would like more volunteers to round out the schedule, possibly adding Tuesdays.   Please contact Lee Brooker with any questions.

 

UU and Interfaith Connections

Join us this Friday for an Evening to Aid in Developing Awareness of Cultural and Religious Diversity

Presented by:  Isam Zaiem, President Emeritus (CAIR-Ohio – Cleveland Chapter)

Topic:   Islam 101 and Being Muslim Post 9/11

Challenging Islamophobia, Profiling, and Marginalization

When:  Friday September 5, 2014

Where:  Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent

228 Gougler Ave., Kent, OH 44240

kentuu.org

Time:  6:15-7:00 PM   Potluck Dinner  (Please, NO Pork or Alcohol)

7:00-8:30 PM   Discussion, Questions and Answers

 

Income Generation

Looking for a great way to support the Church?  Use GoodSearch and GoodShop!  

GoodSearch is an internet search engine powered through Yahoo! and the site donates about a penny for each search made.  Simply go to www.GoodSearch.com  and choose the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent as your charity to support.  The pennies will add up quickly if many people use this free tool.  While on the site check out www.GoodShop.com and www.goodsearch.com also.  If you’re an online shopper or like to eat out, many stores and vendors will donate a percentage of your purchase back to the Church and the Good Dining participating restaurants will donate a percentage of your tab to the Church.  This is truly fundraising made easy!  Last year, the Church received $213.00 from Good Search and GoodShop based on the use of a few of our members and friends.  Thank you!
Starting today through September 1st, every purchase your supporters make via Goodshop enters Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent for a chance to win one of five $400 prizes in our $2,000 Giveaway! What’s more, up to 20% of their purchases will be donated to your cause. 

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