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Note: New Announcements are printed in blue.
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Please note that on Sunday, November 20, 2016
only one service at 10:00 AM will be offered.
Please see below for special service details.
We will resume our regular 9:45 and 11:30 AM schedule
on Sunday, November 27.
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November 20, 2016 The Story Continues
Led by Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer, Worship Associate Andrew Rome, Commissioned Lay Minister Lori Fatchet-McGee, Director of Religious Education Lily Rappaport, Music Director Hal Walker and others
One service only at 10:00 AM at the Kiva at Kent State University*
For this last worship service I will share with you, I hoped to have just one
service so we could all be together. Our service will be held at 10 am at the Kiva
at Kent State University, with a reception to follow in the meeting rooms
above the Kiva. The service will be multigenerational. Little ones who are too young to make it through the service will receive care from Michelle Bores,
Sandy Bowers and Vivien Hogan in the upstairs meeting rooms.
Parking in the lot outside the student center is free on Sundays.
Please reserve the accessible parking near the building
for those with mobility limitations.
Come celebrate our shared ministry. Come celebrate Thanksgiving.
Come together with me one last time to say goodbye and
to look forward to the next chapter of this wonderful congregation.
* The KSU Kiva is located on Risman Drive next to the Student Center.
Click here for the location on Google maps Risman Drive, Kent, Ohio 44242
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Our Last Chance
to Say Goodbye (or to say anything)
to Rev. Melissa!
Our farewell Sunday Service (at the Kiva Auditorium this Sunday, Nov. 20 at 10 am) and the following reception will be our last opportunity to have any contact with Rev. Melissa in person, by phone, by email, text or FB messenger. If you have a note or gift of gratitude, this Sunday will be your last opportunity to give it to her. After Sunday, we all need to let Rev. Melissa and her family focus on their move to New England and Melissa’s new ministry with the UUMA, and we need to prepare for the winter holidays and welcoming our new Interim Minister after the New Year.
- If you have any pastoral concerns before the Interim Minister arrives, please contact Rev. Christie Anderson or any member of the Care Team.
- If you have a concern about worship, please contact Commissioned Lay Minister Lori Fatchet-McGee.
- If you have a concern about a program of the congregation, please contact the staff member who works with that program, or if there is not a designated staff member, contact Christie and she will assist you.
- If you have a concern about the health of the congregation, please contact Dave Watt, Chair of the Committee on Ministry.
- If you have a concern about the governance of the congregation, please contact Kathie Slater, Moderator of the Board of Trustees.
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Due to our special service and reception at the KSU Kiva this Sunday, Religious Education classes will not be offered on November 20. We will resume our regular classes on Sunday, November 27.
If you will be attending the annual church auction this year and need childcare please read this announcement!
This year we will be doing childcare differently. Instead of using the teeny tiny room at the UCC, we will be hosting the children here in Fessenden Hall for games, movies, crafts and fun! Pizza and snacks will be provided.
Because childcare is off site this year, PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! There will be no exceptions. Children need to be registered for childcare not later than Friday Nov 25th. To Reserve a spot for your child, email Colleen at reassistant@kentuu.org.
Many more details coming soon!
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December Spiritual Cinema – Dances With Wolves
December 10 @ 7 PM
This year the middle school youth group will be studying “Popcorn Theology” and we are going to use our monthly Spiritual Cinema as an opportunity to watch some of the movies in their entirety. Our movie nights have always been open to people of all ages but we strongly encourage youth to attend with their parents.
For our next Spiritual Cinema on Friday, December 10 at 7:00 PM, we will watch the motion picture, “Dances With Wolves” (1990). The movie is 183 minutes, rated PG-13, and will be followed by a short discussion of some of the topics raised by the movie. Dan Flippo has volunteered to screen the movie in his home and has room for at least 20 people. Please click his address for a map or directions: 2650 Easthaven Drive, Hudson, OH 44236. Please RSVP to Dan at djf13@cornell.edu.
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Hello my beloved church community. I am writing to share with you some of my hopes for our congregation. While we are now saying goodbye to our Rev. Melissa, and it is hard to find hope the world right now, I am finding sanctuary within the walls of our church, and in the hearts of my friends who are a part of this community. We have something special here; we are committed to creating a safe space for anyone who needs our love and sanctuary, and we all benefit from the gifts we exchange with one another.
We are so close to being able to share with you all our new Interim Minister, who will join us in January. I am so excited, and can’t wait to be able to tell you more about this amazing person we have found to share the next year and a half with us. I think this is a turning point in our lives in so many ways, and this is also a special time for our congregation. It is the time we will learn who we are without Melissa, and what we can be moving into the future. Even as I grieve, I am hopeful and excited for what this next chapter will hold for us. However, in order for us to continue being the vibrant, growing, amazing community I have grown to love so very much, we need to be financially sound.
We are currently seeing a trend of pledged donations dipping, and we are just not taking in as much money as we normally do during this time of year. I think there are many factors involved, as we are all off-kilter right now as we look to the future. But now is the time for us to step up and be sure that we are creating a sanctuary for those who may want to join us on our journey, and your financial contributions are a vital part of that work. We also will be looking to call a settled minister in the coming year, and we will need your support, both financially and otherwise. Please join me in committing to paying your pledged stewardship donations. And then give a little more. Giving feels good right now; we cannot change the world with one action, but we can move the needle forward. Let’s set ourselves up to be a beacon of hope in the coming years for those who need us, and for ourselves.
In faith,
Dani Beale
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EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
IMPORTANT SERVICE AUCTION INFO!!!
December 3 is just a couple of weeks away! Please remember that Service Auction donation forms must be turned in this Sunday, November 20, to be included in the Auction program. Late forms can be submitted by phone or email to Lois Weir at loisweir@aol.com or 440-725-3276. Forms can also be completed online on the Church's web page here: https://kentuu.org/giving/annual-thanks4giving-auction/.
Look for Ann VerWiebe (look for the yellow stars) at the reception following this Sunday's service at the KSU KIVA to turn in forms and to purchase Auction tickets ($20.00). Tickets may also be purchased at the door the night of the Auction, but it's helpful for us to have an approximate attendance ahead of time for planning purposes--dinner, number of tables and chairs needed, etc.
Your donations and your attendance are what make the Service Auction, our biggest, most important fundraiser of the year, a success. If you need some ideas about what to donate, talk to a Service Auction Committee member or look through the programs on the Auction table in Fessenden to see what kinds of things have been donated in past years. Dinners held in your home or Fessenden (check the Auction calendar for available dates) are always very popular--many of us fill in our whole year's social calendar by buying a seat at several dinners spread over the year. Also popular--they make great Christmas gifts-- are "theme" baskets--fill a luxury bath basket, for example, with natural soaps, bubble bath, bath salts, and maybe a bottle of wine and some chocolate. You can find some baskets by the Service Auction table to help you get started--take as many as you need. And, donate your services--can you teach photography or how to do yoga, are you willing to rake leaves or clean houses, can you provide musical entertainment or bake a cake for someone's special event, can you knit warm, cozy sweaters? Can you help me do my income taxes or give me a nice massage or show me how to use some of the features on my computer that I'm clueless about?
WE NEED YOU! WE NEED US! Together, let's make this year's Service Auction the best ever!
Sandy Eaglen, Auction Committee Chair
Parents of Young Children - Friday, November 18
"It's hard to join church groups when you are raising small people"
If that statement rings true for you then this is the group for you! We are families with young children and we meet the 3rd Friday of each month for a family potluck dinner followed by a parent meeting with certified childcare providers on site. Come and enjoy dinner with us and then stay for the group discussion. For more information contact Colleen Thoele at reassistant@kentuu.org
Ho, ho holidays! Because of the Auction, we are going to decorate the church for Christmas on Sunday, Nov. 27, following second service. It will be the perfect post-Thanksgiving start to the holiday season! We will need help pulling the boxes out of the Annex basement and setting up the Christmas tree (height is definitely a plus). There will be snacks for those willing to volunteer! If you have questions, talk to Ann VerWiebe (330-732-7079).
It’s that gift-giving time of year! UUCK’s annual Holiday Share begins on Dec. 4 and is an easy way to buy gifts and let go of items that would make good presents for other people. This year, there will be three areas: Auction items that are still available, gently used items with a holiday theme or gift items, and homemade items. We appreciate donations of things that would make a nice present or homemade items (which have in the past included knitted or crocheted things, jams, soaps, cider, etc.). If you have questions, ask Ann VerWiebe (330-732-7079).
The Patricia Pownall UU Book Group will be meeting on Thursday, December 8 at 7 pm in the Annex at church. Please bring a dish to share for our holiday book group gathering. This month we are reading A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon--the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations. If you have any questions you may contact Bonnie Harper at harper1721@yahoo.com. All are welcome.
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Thanksgiving Dinner will once again be served at the Church
4:00 PM Thursday, November 24, in Fessenden Hall
Once again, our hosts will be Lori and Jo Fatchet-McGee!
All who attend are asked to bring a favorite Thanksgiving dinner side dish or dessert to share – please sign-up and let us know how many of you there are and if you are vegan or vegetarian. A variety of alcohol-free drinks will be provided. If you plan to come, consider bringing your favorite game to share if you’d also like to enjoy time relaxing with others after the meal. In order to prepare, please let us know if you are coming. There will be no charge for anyone; however, we will take a free will offering to help cover the cost of a few supplies and beverages.
A sign-up sheet has been posted in Fessenden Hall. Alternatively, you can email your reply to the church office. At least 2 volunteers are needed to help set-up and several to help clean-up -- remember, many hands make light work! If you do reply via email, please let us know whether you are free to help with set up or clean up. Thank you.
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Holiday Giving
Gift collection for Kent Social Services and Freedom House (Kent's shelter for homeless veterans) began last Sunday, Nov. 13th. In honor of our 150th anniversary, we have set a goal of collecting at least 150 gifts. Please help us reach our goal. Monetary donations will be collected for Freedom House to purchase Walmart gift cards for the residents. There will be a donation can in Fessenden Hall, or you can write a check to UU Church of Kent with “Freedom House” on the memo line. Deadline for Freedom House donations is Dec. 11th.
Kent Social Services Toy and Gift Collection runs through December 4th. There will be a box in Fessenden Hall that will remain out during the week. New, unwrapped toys, books, pajamas, clothes, diapers, wipes, pull-ups, Christmas candy, stocking stuffers, and other gifts will be collected. Although toys for young children are always popular, please don't forget about the older children and teens. Here are suggested items at a variety of prices for older children and teens: Lego sets (boy or girl), bicycles, wristwatches, headphones or earbuds, MP3 players, male bath sets (eg: Axe, Old Spice) female bath sets (eg: Bath & Bodyworks), African American haircare products (eg: Ampro, As I Am, Blue Magic, Kinky Curly, Shea Moisture), gift cards for: Game Stop, The Exchange, I Tunes, Google Play, Five Below (a great place to shop for older kid/teen stocking stuffers!), Kent Plaza Theaters, Books-AMillion, Best Buy, Star Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, Amazon, Target, Kohl's, Walmart.
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The Central East Region is offering 2 exciting conferences this spring! (Think of these as replacing the programming of District Assemblies, but without the need for a business meeting. J )
Worship Arts Conference
On April 8 worship artist Marcia McFee will be offering a day-long “Transform Sunday Morning” workshop in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been working with UU religious professionals for years, but this is the first local opportunity – and we want our lay worship leaders to have access to her ideas. We have a great discount for early registration and a bonus book for worship arts teams of 4 or more. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity! More information can be found here: http://www.uua.org/central-east/events/region/worship-arts-conference?month=2017-04 and on the attached flyer.
Description: Bring your team (program staff, worship associates, artists, musicians and other interested people) to discover ways to enliven and deepen your congregation’s worship services. Based on presenter Marcia McFee’s book Think Like a Filmmaker, this conference will help you layer visual, auditory and experiential elements into a transformative worship experience. Marcia McFee has been teaching, preaching, performing, and leading worship in a professional capacity for over twenty years. She is a nationally-renowned teacher in worship arts for many different faiths, and has led several workshops for UU professionals, including ministers, music directors and religious educators. We are thrilled to be able offer this opportunity to our congregations!
Stewardship Conference
On May 6 we are bringing in Stewardship Consultant Barry Finkelstein to join me in talking about “Money, Membership and Shared Ministry” in Akron, OH. More information can be found here: http://www.uua.org/central-east/events/region/stewardship-conference?month=2017-05 and on the attached flyer. (This will be similar to the conference offered in Syracuse, NY last Spring.)
Description: As the world is changing and the role of faith communities is in transition, how do we make sure that our UU communities are ready--not just to respond--but to thrive? Using examples from congregations that are growing while others are declining, we’ll help your leaders (including staff, board, clergy, stewardship, membership, faith development, strategic planning) imagine new ways of growing and deepening your church.
Childcare will be available for those who register by the stated deadlines.
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Robert Fildes Memorial
Recognition of a live well lived
November 19, 2016 1:00 PM
UU Church of Kent
If you have a story you’d like to share at the memorial, please contact Janet at jhill5@toast.net
Also, we are in need of volunteer bakers to provide cookies, brownies, and/or sweet breads for the memorial reception. If you are willing to provide treats, please contact MaryBeth at 330.673.4247 or churchoffice@kentuu.org.
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Click on the date below to re-visit a previous e-nUUs.
November 9
- What Now? — Sunday, November 13
- UU’ve Got Talent — Saturday, November 12
- Youth Organizational Meeting this Sunday
- Service Auction Childcare Announcement
- Teacher Teams
- Many thanks – “Froggie Fundraiser”
- Second Sunday Meet & Greet this Sunday
- New to UU Class this Sunday
- Thank you — Election Day Dinner
- Patricia Pownall UU Book Group
- Kent Hogwarts Yule Ball
- Thanksgiving Dinner
- Thanksgiving Baskets Supplies Needed for KSS – Donations due by Sunday, November 13
- Holiday Giving
- Kent Interfaith Post Election Forum
- An Invitation for Faith Communities in the Kent Area
- Robert Fildes Memorial
- Ohio C.A.N. Blessing Bag Donations Requested
November 2
- We’re Trying Something New with the e-nUUs!
- Stories of Spiritual Discovery – Sunday, November 6
- UU’ve Got Talent concert
- Coming of Age Program canceled
- Spiritual Cinema: Contact
- GLSEN Youth Conference
- Youth Group Organizational Meeting
- Important announcement regarding childcare for the Service Auction
- Teacher Teams – Sunday, November 6
- Froggie Fundraiser
- Exciting News! Service Auction announcement
- Plant-based Potluck
- Bringing GA Home
- Parking Notice for Election Day Dinner
- Youth Help Needed
- Patricia Pownall UU Book Group
- Kent Hogwarts Yule Ball
- Kent Interfaith Post-Election Forum
- Race Forward Akron: Building Community and Taking Action for Racial Justice
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Our Mission:
To inspire love, to seek justice, and to grow in community.
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Don't Miss the Annual
Thanks-4-Giving Service Auction
December 3
Holiday Share begins December 4
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Sunday Service: 10:00 AM
at the KSU Kiva Auditorium
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