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4C Program
The Membership Committee, in collaboration with the Threshold Congregation Committee, launched our 4C program in March, 2015. The 4C goal is to involve the entire congregation in helping to improve the communication among members, build connections and collaboration between individuals and groups, and strengthen the NUUC community. There are three phases to this program. The first phase took place in the form of a potluck after the service on April 26. After the meal, participants were divided into four small groups. This event resulted in 19 individuals being able to express their thoughts verbally and in writing to a series of questions.
The second phase offered opportunities, for those not involved in phase one, to meet with a small group in a lunch or dinner setting away from the church. This resulted in two such groups meeting for a potluck picnic at Highbanks Metro Park on May 26. Unfortunately they were confronted by an untimely storm. undaunted, they retreated to the church and had a wonderful evening of discussion. The result was input from 11 more of our congregants.
As we prepare for phase three, we have only reached roughly 30% of our goal, which was to have met with 95% of the congregation by the end of May. We misjudged the number of folk choosing to have individual contacts. Obviously, we need to go back to the drawing board to plan the conclusion of the project. I cannot predict when we will reach everyone in our NUUC community. I can only promise persistence. We will reach everyone who wants to be reached.
Thanks to all who helped with the planning and those who have helped with the execution and those who have participated thus far.
John Rodeheffer, representing the Membership and Threshold Congregation Committees
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Ways and Means
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Share your passion for fair trade and UU-ism with others by giving gifts whose labels proudly display these values.
If you are interested in volunteering for these opportunities, or if you have other ideas for fundraising opportunities for our congregation, Please contact Becca Morse at beccamorse@gmail.com.
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Spring Spruce-up Weekend
Sat. & Sun. June 20 & 21
Mark your calendar! In June we'll get be getting both the church and Nielsen House ready for summer with our annual Spring Spruce-up activity. This year we
will be expanding the event to a weekend instead of just holding it on a Saturday.
The resulting Spring Spruce-up Weekend will be held on Saturday June 20th from
9 AM - 3 PM and on Sunday June 21st from 12:30 PM - 3 PM. This will make it convenient for those who want to stay following the Sunday service and help those
who can't make it on a Saturday.
We'll be doing a variety of tasks both outdoors and indoors. Please consider helping out on one of the days. You could work for a few hours, half a day, or
more... whatever works best for you. Any help will be appreciated. If neither date fits your schedule, you can select a task and do it when you can. Look for the sign up sheet and list of tasks posted in Fellowship Hall. If you have any questions
about this event, please contact Bob Keith or Roger Orwick of the Building & Grounds Committee.
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Now- Yoga @ NUUC!
NOW-Yoga at NUUC! Start your week mindfully with incorporating breath and movement into a mind, body, spirit yoga practice . Join on Sundays at 5 pm in Fellowship Hall for gentle yoga. The classes both calms the mind and strengthens the body. Through movement, poses, breath and mindfulness discover what you need to enjoy the start of your week. Modifications for poses will be given to assist new to yoga as well as those who need variations due to injuries or health concerns. Join us in our inaugural class June 14 at 5 pm. All classes are drop-in with a suggested love donation of $10. Weekly classes will be taught by Stephanie Henderson and Jen Hegerty. Please bring your own mat. Wear comfortable (stretchy) clothing. Please sign up on the bulletin board in fellowship hall, or online by visiting
Stephanie's approach to practicing and teaching yoga reflects a love of learning. Encouraging students to listen and learn from their bodies and breath each time they practice. Building strength in body and spirit through postures and movement, Stephanie works to incorporate joy into a focused practice. With RYT of 200 hours Stephanie also has substantial work toward her 500 RYT certification.
Jen Hegerty is a Registered Yoga Instructor. She received her training in 2002 from Center for Wholeness in Integrative Yoga Therapies. She is a Wellness Advocate through Zen Wellness promoting mind, body, spirit wellness through yoga, PiYo a low impact Pilates/Yoga infused work out, doTerra Essential Oils, and Advocare Wellness, Trim, Elite, and Active products.
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Adult EnrichmentThe "Mindful Writing" group moves onward! Following the writing prompts of UU Rev. Karen Hering in her book, Writing to Wake the Soul: Opening the Sacred Conversation Within, we have finished exploring (for now) fuller meanings of the "traditional vocabulary of faith," words such as grace, sin, hope, redemption, love, ritual, and renewal. Now, two publications, Heart to Heart and Soul to Soul, both by Christine Robinson and Alicia Hawkins, will supply many of our topics for months to come. And, of course, we all have ideas of our own. In fact, so many potential topics came up in the discussion at our last meeting that we decided to have more than just one for June. If you'd like to join us on June 17th at 6:30 in Fellowship Hall, have fun choosing "Joy," "Body Image," or from Heart to Heart, "Sustainable Living." OR write about all three, in poems, stories, journal entries, any literary form-your choice all around! We called this the potluck approach, and with that in mind, each participant can bring in a corresponding snack, whatever goody you might associate with a positive body image or sustainability, or one that simply brings you joy. Already I'm thinking about Snyder's Honey Mustard and Onion pretzel bits.... Snacks at our sessions are simple: nuts, chips, fruit, veggies; whatever appeals.
Writing and food to share-what could be better? As always, everyone is invited to come give "Mindful Writing" a try. We meet on the third Wednesday of each month. If you have questions, please contact me, Marty Keith, at 740-369-1919 or martykeith@frontier.com.
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The NUUC Recorder Ensemble has full wind in its sails once again. We would like to invite you to join our
tootling fun! For more information, contact Becca Morse at beccamorse@gmail.com
(or 614-805-6680)
or Nathan Morse at zefquaavius@gmail.com.
We rehearse together on the second and fourth Fridays of each
month at noon at Friendship Village of Columbus. If you're interested, but the rehearsal time doesn't work for you, just go for Baroque and contact us anyway:
If enough people are interested in an alternate time, I'm sure we can work out a second rehearsal schedule. Just because a hobby blows doesn't mean it's not fun! |
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For grades 6 through 12
Questions?
Contact Kristin Grimshaw
for the meeting schedule!
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Meets at Noon the Third Tuesday of the month. Get all the details by clicking here. |
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 RevElations!
Our plans for the anticipated Supreme Court announcement on Marriage Equality are made! You can see details immediately below.
So how can members and friends of NUUC help? First, we'd love help publicizing our free same sex marriage open house on July 4. You can use the information before, and/or like Same Sex Weddings Ohio on facebook and use our event link there. We'd like to get word out especially to same sex couples who might either like to get married outside the probate court at the earliest possible date or get married in our sweet church on July 4. If you or someone you know is interested in planning a marriage outside the probate court, please contact me directly (RevRitchie@aol.com).
Also, think about dropping by the church during the Open House hours. If we have same sex weddings going on, you can help provide witness and celebration. And if not, we can enjoy some cake and punch and sparklers together and reflect on this next chapter in civil rights history. And, if you are already married, consider stopping by and renewing your vows in a spirit of solidarity.
Happy Independence Day!
To Life,
Susan
Free Same Sex Wedding Day!
Soon, the Supreme Court of the US will rule on Marriage Equality.
And we believe the ruling will finally enable same-sex couples to marry in the state of Ohio. As liberal religious clergy and commissioned wedding officiants who support Marriage Equality, we want to celebrate this wonderful day and offer Free Wedding Ceremonies for all same-sex couples, regardless of faith tradition or no faith tradition.
Options for your wedding:
We will have clergy outside the Franklin County Probate Court on the Day of the Announcement. Check updates on the facebook page Same Sex Weddings Ohio to learn of availability of clergy and officiants at the probate court.
Also, you can participate in Free Same Sex Marriage Day at the North Unitarian Universalist Church, 1574 Franklin Street, Lewis Center. Drop by the church on July 4th from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM to be legally married by one of our officiants, and to celebrate with flowers, cake and punch with some of our church members. Bring your friends and family.
Note: If the Supreme Court Announcement has not been made by July 4th, Free Same Sex Marriage Day will be held on July 18.
Also, all area Unitarian Universalist churches would be happy to work with you in planning a regular ceremony at any point in the future.
Notice of Legal Requirement: You will need to present a license obtained from the probate court to your clergy person to be legally married. You need to obtain that license in the county where at least one person in the couple legally resides. For information on receiving the license in Franklin County, see this:
https://www.franklincountyohio.gov/probate/departments/marriage.cfm
In case the ruling of the Supreme Court doesn't legalize same sex marriages, please join us anyway both outside the probate court, and for Same Sex Wedding Day. There will be opportunities for commitment ceremonies and we can together make a pledge to continue to work for the day in which marriage is legally available to all the adult citizens of Ohio.
Who we are: Rev. Joan Van Becelaere, Unitarian Universalist Association; Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie, North Unitarian Universalist Church; Rev. Chris Jones Levy, North Unitarian Universalist Church; Rev. Lynda Smith, Athens Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; Minister Lane Campbell, First Unitarian Universalist Church; Commissioned Lay Leader, Allison Fagan, North Unitarian Universalist Congregation; Commissioned Lay Leader, Teri Cornell, North Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
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2015 NUUC Service Auction a Big Success!
What a fun evening everyone had at the Service Auction on Sat. May 16th! When people entered the church, they immediately were immersed in a tropical environment. Both the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall were decorated from floor to ceiling to reflect the event's theme "An Evening of Enchantment: Tropical Paradise." There were even tall, life-like palm trees, paper lanterns galore, a 7 foot tiki statue, and many more festive decorations everywhere in a sea of tropical colors. We've never seen those rooms transformed that much for any event, and we're sure people will be talking about the decorations for a long time.
Beyond the decorations, there were many activities going on simultaneously. Initially, there were 3 silent auctions underway. In addition, there was a big selection of wonderful tropical foods available along with wine. People expected the traditional silent auction, but this year's service auction added 2 new types of fun auctions: a gift basket auction and a clothesline auction. Meanwhile, the children were eagerly vying for educational games & books and certificates for fun events in the Kids' Raffle Auction, which also was a new event added this year. The evening got more exciting when the first of 2 live auction sessions began with Nathan Morse as quite an entertaining auctioneer. Not to be left out during the live auctions, children could do face painting, balloon twisting, and drawing, with the first 2 being the most popular. At the the intermission, people enjoyed more of the tropical foods and wine and finished up the silent auctions. The 2nd live auction session then continued the excitement and was quite fun due to Nathan Morse's lively sense of humor. The evening ended with the awarding of 3 door prize $25 gift cards for nice restaurants followed by seeing the children's happy reactions to winning items as the tickets were drawn for the Kids' Raffle Auction. This service auction was a truly memorable evening, and we look forward to next year's service auction.
The service event is NUUC's biggest fund-raiser and was a great success with impressive results. We grossed $7,043 in sales! We thank all the donors for their many auction items and all the bidders who bought them. This amazing community event could not have happened without each and every one of you. There were only about $450 in expenses thanks to many special donations by the service auction team members and businesses.
Email receipts have been sent to bidders and donors. If you didn't receive an email, but know you should have gotten one, please contact Becca Morse and she will make sure you get a receipt. Also, available from Becca are printed receipts detailing a bidder's purchases.
We give a big thank you to both the setup and decorations teams, who did a phenomenal job in transforming the church into a tropical paradise. The food team gets a great big thank you for providing a wide selection of tasty, tropical foods throughout the evening. A special thank you goes to Anna McCallister, who went above and beyond the call of making balloon animals and instead held "balloon school" and taught the other kids how to make animals themselves. We also give a big thank you to the cleanup team for their tremendous work right after the event that returned the church to its normal appearance in time for the Sunday service.
Everyone definitely can look forward to the next service auction, which will be held in the early spring of 2016. We're sure it will be even more exciting and surprising than this service auction.
Thank you!
The Service Auction Magic Makers (SAMMs) (Bob Keith - chair, Becca Morse, Erika Castro, Katrina Timson)
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News from your Social Action Committee (SAC) - April 2015 Newsletter
COMING SOON TO NUUC: The Social Action Committee and Adult Enrichment Committee will be offering the Northwest Earth Institute course, Hungry for Change: Food, Ethics and Sustainability, this summer or fall. The NWEI discussion courses are designed to encourage systems thinking and inspire participants to make positive changes in their own lives. Participants meet each week for 60-90 minutes to discuss the selected readings, share their own stories, reflect on their values and experiences, and inspire each other to live more sustainably. This is a great opportunity to learn more about important issues, build community with others, and create change. Class sizes are limited to 8-12 people.
In the 6 week course, Hungry for Change, participants will:
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explore the interconnected nature of food systems and our relationship to them
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examine the impact our food choices have on our health, the health of others, and the health of our planet
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consider the ethical and political implications of our current food system and our personal food choices
Some of the topics covered include hunger, subsidies and externalized costs of food, GMOs, lifestyle diseases, organics and pesticides, factory farming, fair trade vs. free trade, human rights violations of workers, climate change, and environmental degradation. The last session is solution-focused, looking at exciting things others are doing and what we can do to affect change.
See the SAC bulletin board or visit the NWEI website http://www.nwei.org/ for more information about the course. If you are interested in taking the class, sign up on the bulletin board next to the kitchen in Fellowship Hall or email Pam Patsch at pgp723@aol.com. Please indicate your preference for taking the class in the summer or fall. The cost for the book is $27 plus shipping.
MAY LOOSE CHANGE OFFERING - UUSC-UUA Response to Earthquake in Nepal: Thanks to Supaphen Niroula from Nepal for helping to make the Call for Loose Change on May 10th. Supaphen was born in Nepal and has many extended family members in Kathmandu. Her mother was visiting relatives when the initial earthquake occurred and has not been able to return home. Supaphen was able to share a personal perspective about how devastating this disaster is for the people of Nepal. Our congregation generously contributed $262.72 which will provide assistance topeople and communities whose rights are most at risk in the wake of the disaster including people living in remote areas; women and children; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people; people who do not have recognized citizenship; indigenous people; Dalits; elderly people; and people living with disabilities and HIV/AIDS. For updates about the Nepal relief efforts or to make a donation visit the UUSC website at http://www.uusc.org/.
JUNE LOOSE CHANGE OFFERING: June's Loose Change Offering will support Same Sex Weddings Ohio, an initiative of this church in cooperation with other UU congregations and clergy. See above for details.
SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS IN CENTRAL OHIO: -
June 7, 2015, 1:00 PM at First UU - Groundswell Rising: Protecting Our Children's Air and Water, the new documentary from Emmy Award-winning Resolution Pictures, captures the passion of people engaged in a David and Goliath confrontation. They stand together, challenging a system that promotes profit over health. We meet mothers, fathers, scientists, doctors, farmers and people from all sides of the political spectrum taking a hard look at energy extraction techniques not proven to be safe. With the Oil and Gas industry's expansion of fracking seen as a moral issue, this provocative documentary tracks a people's movement, a groundswell rising towards reason and sensitivity, to protect life, today and tomorrow. The film was produced by UU, Mark Lichty. For more information about this award winning documentary go to http://www.groundswellrising.com/.
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Seeking Peace in the Holy Land: A Community Conversation Involving Christians and Jews Wednesday, June 10, 2015, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Thursday, June 11, 2015, 8 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, 2199 East Main Street , Columbus, Ohio 43209
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June 19-20, 2015, Columbus Pride Festival at Goodale Park. Step-off for Pride Parade is 11:00 AM on Saturday. For more information go to http://www.columbuspride.org/.
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June 22 - July 11, 2015 - Interfaith Association of Central Ohio Peace Labyrinth Exhibit at Martin de Porres Center - The exhibit allows visitors to walk through a 3-D labyrinth of quilts representing 17 major faiths and religions. All these major world faiths share a central belief in what we in America call "The Golden Rule" or the Law of Reciprocity that instructs us to treat others as we would have them treat us - to not bring harm to another being. As one walks into the Peace Labyrinth, one passes the sides of the faith panels that provide basic facts on when and where that faith began and other information about its beliefs and practices. On the way out, one only sees a panel of black displaying that faith's version of the "Golden Rule". Since viewers are not told which panel is which, it is hoped that they will carry away with them a realization of the basic similarity these faiths share. For more information about the Peace Labyrinth Exhibit see the SAC bulletin board or visit the website at http://www.peacelabyrinthofquilts.com/MainPage.html. On June 23, 2015, 5:30-8:30 PM there will be a reception and panel discussion on The Golden Rule Today: Still Vibrant or No Longer Needed?
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July 4, 2015, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Same Sex Marriage Day at NUUC. Same sex couples can be legally married by one of our officiants at no cost and join members of our congregation in a celebration with flowers, cake and punch. Bring your friends and family. Note: If the Supreme Court Announcement has not been made by July 4th, Free Same Sex Marriage Day will be held on July 18. And if the news from the court is bad, please come by anyway so that together we might recommit to working for marriage equality.
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August 23, 2015, 1:00-3:00 PM at the Noor Islamic Cultural Center, 5001 Wilcox Road, Dublin, OH - Interfaith Association of Central Ohio (IACO) 23rd Annual Main Event Luncheon; Sowing Sacred Connections, Sharing Spiritual Practices, Healing Heart and Earth. Speaker Jessica Shimberg is a rabbi and environmental justice advocate. She leads The Little Minyan Kehilla, a central Ohio congregation rooted in Earth-care and is on the board of Ohio Interfaith Power and Light.
UUSC FAIR TRADE COFFEE: Shop for delicious Fair Trade coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate after the service on June 14th. Your purchase of Fair Trade products means that workers along the supply chain are provided a living wage. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) supports a number of worker-owned, local producers who are in danger of being replaced with multinational corporations that have little respect for workers' rights. Making consumer choices that are aligned with our UU Principles is one way to help create a more just world community.
SOCIAL JUSTICE LIBRARY: The Social Action Committee has started a lending library of books and DVDs on social justice issues such as immigration, poverty, LGBTQ, environment, and human rights. Check out our selection on the bookshelf in Fellowship Hall and please consider donating appropriate books or DVDs to add to our collection. DON'T FORGET TO RETURN BOOKS SO THAT OTHERS CAN ALSO ENJOY THEM!
SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE BULLETIN BOARD: Check out the folding divider in Fellowship Hall with information about upcoming SAC activities as well as issues and actions at the local, state, and national level. If you have information about social justice issues you want to share with the congregation, please post it on the bulletin board or email it to Pam Patsch at pgp723@aol.com.
NEXT SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING: The next meeting will be on Sunday, June 7th at 11:30 am. New members are always welcome. |
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Treasurer's Report of April 2015 Results, May 27, 2015
April financial results: Overall Income of $13,862 improved when compared to March but was ($1,341) under Budget. Expenses of $14,249 were $261better than budget.
April YTD financial results: Expenses exceed Income by ($5,855). Pledges are ($7,619) or 14.6% less than Budget. Unbudgeted Non-Pledge offerings only make up $1,251 of this deficit. Total income of $52,284 is ($8,532) under budget. Expenses of $58,138 are $972 better than budget. We appear to have the spending under control it is the Income side that is not materializing as we had budgeted and summer is coming when pledges often fall off. So here is an idea to keep the pledges flowing during summer and make it easy for you. ☺
If you use on-line banking to pay your personal bills, you can set up your pledge payment just like any other bill. It is quick and easy and can be set up to be paid every month automatically. Just set NUUC up as one of your Payees: North Unitarian Universalist Congregation, PO Box 541, Lewis Center, OH 43035. Then designate the amount of your pledge to be paid each month and the bank will send a check to NUUC from your account. So have fun on your vacation and we will put your pledge to good use.
Respectfully submitted
Jerry Schardt, Treasurer
Board Minutes---May Minutes are Pending Approval
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