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Reminder
-- Mark your calendar for the NUUC Leadership Collective 2015-2016 Planning Meeting. We will meet at 12:00 on
Sunday, July 26
Looking forward to seeing all committees represented.
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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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Thank You for Spring Spruce-up Weekend
The Building & Grounds Committee thanks everyone who helped with our recent Spring
Spruce-up Weekend that was held on Saturday June 20th and Sunday June 21st. This year
we expanded the event to a weekend instead of just holding it on a Saturday in order to
facilitate people staying after the Sunday service and to help those who couldn't make it on a
Saturday.
On Saturday, our outside work was dampened by an all-day rain. But we got some inside
work done that we had been wanting to do for some time. Sunday had better weather and we made some headway with the outside work, plus we got additional inside work done. Also, some people scheduled their work before or after the June 20 and 21 dates. Overall, we're glad to have accomplished many tasks. But we had fewer participants than in the past, so
some tasks remain undone. If you are interested in doing a task, you can check the sign-up
list in Fellowship Hall and select a task to do.
Again, we thank everyone for their help in making the church and Nielsen House "shine." We
also want to give a big thank you to Brian Hartzler, who did the special project of re-doing the
landscaping at the front of the church. It looks great.
If you have any questions about the Spring Spruce-up tasks, 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 Enrichment
The "Mindful Writing" adult enrichment group will meet next on Tuesday, July 21, at 6:30 pm, rather than on the usual third Wednesday of the
month because of Summer Institute and other time conflicts.
Our June session was amazing-really meaningful to us all! In a potluck spirit, participants brought delicious food, in some cases to echo their choice of June's writing topics: "Joy" (What food gives you joy?); "Sustainable Living" (Vegan recipes do not use ingredients from animals whose upkeep
actually stresses our environment); and "Body Image" (Foods can impact this...). Some of the writers shared thoughts about one or two of the selected
topics. Some of us wrote about all three.
We found we enjoyed having a variety of topics to ponder, so for July, we decided to explore "Boundaries," and/or "Addiction," and/or "Calling." When we can tie in one of our choices with the monthly theme for Children/Youth RE, we will do so. In any case, with our new "multi" approach, finding an intriguing subject around which to compose a poem, story, journal entry, or any other literary form you care to devise will not be hard.
If you have never come to a "Mindful Writing" session, you might consider giving us a try. Everyone is welcome! We always have a great time. Bring whatever snack you'd like to share; "easy" is just fine. If you have questions, ask me, Marty Keith. 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!
Well, it has happened! Marriage Equality is here, and our Free Same Sex Marriages Open House is on for July 4, at church, 11 AM - 3 PM. I hope you can stop by and help us be festive. And please, let couples know about this opportunity as you can! If you have already volunteered to help, or would like to volunteer, or would just like to know what is going on when you stop by, please see this list of Same Sex Marriage Procedures and Volunteer Jobs, by clicking here. You can direct people to our website and facebook page for more information.
This represents a final sweet step in the long journey towards marriage equality. You might be interested in knowing just how long Unitarian Universalism has advocated for this day. UU clergy first started performing commitment ceremonies in the late 1970's. In 1984, at the General Assembly here in Columbus, these ceremonies were officially endorsed and encouraged by our denomination as a whole. And here at North its been about eight years since we became a Welcoming Congregation, undertaking the training and stating the intention to be explicitly welcoming to LGBT folk.
Happy In(ter)dependence Day!
To Life,
Susan
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2015 NUUC Service Auction Followup
We want to let you know some additional information about our fun and successful Service Auction that took place on Sat. May 16th.
First of all, we set a new NUUC record for gross sales in the amount of $7,108. The previous record was $5,941, which was set at the November 2014 service auction.
Secondly, we want to let you know that tax deduction receipts can be provided upon request to the church office. But the IRS limits the donation situations where tax deductions are applicable. The IRS excludes donations of a person's time, so most services aren't tax deductible. Also, excluded are tuition and the costs of raffle, bingo or lottery tickets. This leaves donations of other physical items as potentially being tax deductible, unless they went unsold. Generally, a service auction purchaser is not eligible for a tax deduction because the purchaser receives something for their donation.
However, the IRS does allow a tax deduction for the situation where a purchaser pays more than the fair market value of a service or physical item. In this case, the purchaser can take a deduction for the difference between what was paid and the market value of the service/item. Because of the complexity of the IRS's tax deduction rules, we recommend you consult a tax professional when pursuing a service auction tax deduction. Note that the determination of the fair market value of a service/item is up to the person taking the tax deduction.
Third, we apologize for the newsletter editing error that accidentally dropped Marty Keith from the list of the people comprising the Service Auction Magic Makers (SAMMs) team in last month's newsletter article about the Service Auction. Marty was a member of the SAMMs throughout the whole service auction planning and implementation.
Lastly, the next service auction will be held in April 2016 and everyone definitely can look forward to that event, which will be a welcome change from winter. We're sure it will be even more exciting and surprising than this service auction. Planning for the the next service auction will begin in August. If you are interested in being part of the planning team, just contact one of the Service Auction Magic Makers shown below.
Thank You!
The Service Auction Magic Makers (SAMMs) (Bob Keith - chair, Becca Morse, Erika Castro, Katrina Timson, and Marty Keith) |
News from your Social Action Committee (SAC) - July 2015 Newsletter
ANNUAL SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE: It's back to school! In Delaware, the first day of school is August 12th. NUUC members and friends have an opportunity to help others by participating in the Social Action
Committee's annual School Supply Drive to benefit students who are served by the Delaware County Juvenile Probation Program. The donation of school supplies is one way for the congregation to express its belief in the importance of education to a group of students who are at higher than average risk for failing and dropping out of school. This program serves approximately 150 middle school and high school students, ranging in age from 13 to 19. A collection box for school supplies will be available at the church through Sunday, August 9. The
needed items are things like book bags appropriate for middle school and high school boys, paper, pens, pencils and folders. Your donation of school supplies, or money to purchase supplies, will be greatly
appreciated. If you choose to donate money, please write your check to NUUC and put "School Supplies" on the memo line. This can be dropped in the offering basket or mailed to: NUUC, P.O. Box 541, Lewis Center,
OH 43035. If you have any questions, please contact Becky Mullis at 614-776-5569 or b.mullis@hotmail.com.
Thank you for your continued support!
COMING SOON TO NUUC: The Social Action Committee and Adult Enrichment Committee will be offering the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) 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:
explore the interconnected nature of food systems and our relationship to them
examine the impact our food choices have on our health, the health of
others, and the health of our planet
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.
LOOSE CHANGE OFFERING: June's Loose Change Offering of $178 was donated to support Same Sex Weddings Ohio, an initiative of this church in cooperation with other UU congregations and clergy.
Contributions were used to publicize this event, as well as provide hospitality for the Same Sex Marriage Day weddings and celebration at NUUC on July 4th. Our Loose Change Offering in July and August will be
donated to the annual School Supply Drive for the Delaware County Juvenile Probation Program. As always, thank you for your generous donations to organizations and projects which support those impacted by social injustice.
INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OHIO - Opportunity to Serve a Meal at the Community Shelter Board (Van Buren Center, 595 Van Buren Drive, Columbus 43223) on July 11th from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. Community Shelter Board has opened a new building to address the growing numbers of men, women and families who are experiencing homelessness, so no one has to sleep on the streets in our community.
The new shelter will accommodate up to 356 single adults and 85 families. An entirely new service model has been designed to move people more quickly into stable housing and stop repeat homelessness. Case managers called navigators will provide intensive case management focused on ending the homeless crisis quickly and stabilizing the person in housing.
While those experiencing homelessness focus on their road to stability, CSB aims to alleviate some of their stress by working with community groups to provide daily meals during their emergency shelter stay. Freedom a la Cart is expanding their workforce development program for survivors of human trafficking. They staff and operate a commercial kitchen for daily meals, as well as run their social enterprise catering business from this location. They count on 11 volunteers from the broader community to help with the dining service for each meal. Volunteers agree to do the following:
* Prepare dining room
* Serve meals to shelter guests
* Clean up dining room and kitchen
IACO communities have made a commitment to participate on a regular basis. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Michael Greenman at mgreenmanoh@gmail.com
SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS IN CENTRAL OHIO:
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.
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.
July 25, 2015, 8AM-2PM, Ohio History Center, 800 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43211 - COLUMBUS GREEN PURGE is a one-day answer to the question..."what do I do with this stuff?" With cooperation from SWACO, The City of Columbus, The Ohio History Center, Natural Awakenings of Central Ohio and volunteers from Capitol Square Rotary Club and the Green Shanny Foundation; The Great Green Purge provides Central Ohioans the opportunity to conveniently and responsibly dispose of their unwanted "stuff" while educating the public and providing local resources for recycling throughout the year. For a list of acceptable items go to www.columbus.gov/greenpurge.
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: We will not be selling Fair Trade items after the service in July. Contact Becca Morse at beccamorse@gmail.com if you would like to buy coffee, tea, or chocolate this month and she
will make arrangements to get your order to you. 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 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 Social Action Committee will not be meeting in July. |
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Treasurer's Report
May financial results: Income of $21,484 for the month reflects improvement in all categories of income. Pledges were over Budget by $271, and Service Auction proceeds of $6,233 were collected. Expenses of $14,616 were ($138) over budget due to cleaning the floor in Fellowship hall and Service Auction expenses. Income exceeded Expenses by $6,868 for the month.
May YTD financial results: Income exceeded Expenses by $1,013. Pledges are lower than Budget. Although total income of $73,767 is ($2,254) under budget the difference was greatly reduced by the huge success of the Service Auction. Expenses of $72,754 are $834 better than budget. Phone service will continue to be over budget throughout the year because our "discount" rate expired and we paid at a non-discounted rate for a couple of months. Other minor differences are mainly due to timing of expenses.
Respectfully submitted
Jerry Schardt, Treasurer
Board Minutes---June Minutes Pending Approval
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