UU COUNCIL OF GREATER CINCINNATI
Saturday morning - February 9th - 9:00 a.m.
UU Council of Greater Cincinnati meets here at St. John’s this Sat. morning. Join us at 9 for breakfast, with meeting going from 9:30-11:30. Prime topic will be led by Anjali Dutt and Alice Diebel looking at how our local churches are facing the questions about Undoing Intersectional White Supremacy - this current study action topic from General Assembly. No registration is necessary - all are welcome.
HELLO MOVIE FANS!
The St. John’s Movie Club will meet at the Esquire Theatre on Friday, February 15. This month’s tentative (and probable) selection is The Favourite. It’s been nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and is the Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival.
We’ll meet in the lobby at 6:50 pm and at the church or Stillwell’s after, depending on attendance. No RSVP necessary, it’s come as you are.
Critic Consensus: The Favourite sees Yorgos Lanthimos balancing a period setting against rich, timely subtext - and getting roundly stellar performances from his well-chosen stars.
Last minute inquiries can be directed to Lyn, at 513-403-3833 or Pat, at 862-703-0289 by text or phone.
DOHN SCHOOL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
The Dohn School, located at 608 E. McMillan in Cincinnati, is a Drop-Out Recovery public charter school. St. John's has been volunteering there for the past six months.
The director of the young women's academy would like help from St. John's women to work with the young women to learn some basic life skills: table etiquette, conversation skills, dress for success shopping spree, finance for teens, and all ending with a nice meal. We need at least three women for each of the following weeks, meeting from 2:15-3:15:
Finance for teens: March 19, 20 or 21
A real meal: March 5, 6 or 7
Conversation skills: February 19 or 21
Table etiquette: February 5, 6 or 7 (We will bring dessert and the place settings)
We might also participate in a Dress for Success shopping spree on a date to be determined. They would also like our help putting together care packages for the homeless.
Finally, if you are interested in committing every week, please let me know. On Fun Fridays, we work with about 3-5 girls on a craft project during the lunch hour. We would like to begin as soon as possible.
Please contact Alice Diebel as soon as possible by email at adiebel@stjohnsuu.org or by phone at (937) 350-7763 or (937) 305-4694.
PROPOSED UPDATES TO CONGREGATION'S BYLAWS
Two teams have been working to review and update St. John’s bylaws. After careful consideration, the Board has approved proposed changes to two sections of our bylaws. One proposal addresses Board Structure and Governance. The second proposal concerns Membership. There will be a special congregational meeting after service on Sunday, March 10 to vote on these proposed bylaws changes.
All members are encouraged to learn more about the proposed bylaws changes in advance of the vote on March 10. The proposed bylaws and additional supporting information are posted on St. John’s web site https://stjohnsuu.org/about-us/our-governance/ and in Krolfifer Fellowship Hall.
Due to the weather and cancellations in January, the organizing committees have scheduled two additional meetings to share the proposed bylaw details. Please attend to discuss and ask questions:
Sunday, February 17, after service in the library: Board Structure and Governance Bylaws
Sunday, February 24, after service in the library: Membership Bylaws
SOUP & BREAD LUNCHEON
Did you enjoy last Sunday's Soup & Bread Luncheon?
If the answer is yes, you owe a big thank you to all the volunteers who made the luncheon possible. Thank these volunteers the next time you see them: Barbara Tonne, Edie Holder (who made soup at 4 AM), Marie Inanli, David Roth, Gary Schnur (who made two soups!), Debbie Combs, Ann Hosking, Mary Lynne Schuster, Connie Prairie, Nancy Henry, Sandy Geiser, Sarah Seibert, Tom Darner, Mary Darner, Rick Prairie, Greg Terhune, Bo Wachendorf, Patric Leedom, Kathy Laufman, David Rentz, Emily Hodges, Charles Seibert, Myra Pucci, David Glasser, Nikki Orlemann, and anyone else who assisted in some way. Their efforts and your participation resulted in $513 being raised for our Bread for the Elderly program in Szentlaszlo.
There is another luncheon right around the corner, Sunday, February 17th. Several people have already signed up on line (https;//goo.gl/14PPux or on the board at church. Is this your time to help out? Please make this upcoming Sunday your opportunity to participate this great program.
Also, you are reminded that the next meeting of the Friends of Szentlaszlo is Monday, February 11th, 7 p.m. at the Darner's condo in College Hill. Call the Darners at 429-2962 for more information.
WORDPRESS HELD NEEDED!
St. John’s office administrator and communications team could use some WordPress help. An upgrade has turned off a calendar function and we’re not finding the answer through the UUA yet. If you have some knowledge with WordPress, we’d appreciate your time. Please contact Nancy at 961-1938 or Claire at wagnerc@fuse.net and we’ll explain what we need.
MATTHEW25: MINISTRIES
Please join us for our next volunteer shift at Matthew 25: Ministries in Blue Ash: Saturday, February 9th 9am to 11am.
For information about volunteering, see - https://m25m.org/help/volunteering/ If you have any questions, contact Jay (guenther.jay@gmail.com).
MARCC Annual Meeting, Tuesday, February 26th
St. John’s, through its membership in the UU Council of Greater Cincinnati, is a member of the interfaith organization, Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati. You are invited to join delegates, friends, and advocates at the 2019 Annual Meeting! Topic: 'How Our Court Systems Works'. Speaker: The Honorable Judge Fanon Rucker, Hamilton County Municipal Court. Location: Truth & Destiny Covenant Ministries, 2645 W. North Bend Rd., 45239. Time: 5:30 PM. Parking is free. RSVP is required. To do so, go to or marcc@marcconline.com, or call (513) 721-4843. There will be a charge for the meal that precedes his presentation.
Regional Assembly Conference in St. Louis
See the poster near the back door or in Krolfifer to learn more about this April 5-7 meeting of UUs from our MidAmerica Region.
ART GALLERY NEWS
Attention all painters, photographers, and mixed media artists from St. John's, Cincinnati, and neighboring communities! Gallery space is still available for the months of July, August, November, and December. This is a great opportunity to share your artwork and vision with others. If accepted, artists may also arrange a gallery reception by contacting Nancy Greenlee in the office at 513-961-1938. Please contact Sandy Geiser at sgeiser13710@fuse.net or 513-751-2005 for information.
IHN News
Homelessness: With static wages, a threadbare safety net, and limited affordable housing, more and more children and adults in the greater Cincinnati area are at risk of homelessness. Interfaith Hospitality Network (http://ihncincinnati.org/ ) helps families transition from homelessness to home, intervenes with at risk families to keep them in housing, and joins with other agencies to advocate for increased affordable housing. We have partnered with IHNGC for more than a decade. We have worked as a team with several other congregations to provide food and shelter, in a loving environment, to four homeless families, one week at a time. Because the need is so great and we believe we have the volunteer base, we are adding a 5th hosting week in 2019.
If you are already part of St. John’s IHN team: Thank you and big hugs! What do volunteers do? They prepare and serve a homemade meal. They bring games and activities after supper. They stay overnight to maintain a safe environment. They mop floors, do laundry, and set up cots. They provide hugs, encouraging words, and lots of smiles. It takes at least 50 volunteers each week to do this, and kids are as welcome as adults! Will you join us?
If you would like to learn more, please contact Wanda Crawford (513-373-8895 or crawford@nku.edu) or stop by the IHN table during coffee time after the worship service. Roles and time commitments are described in the sign-up links below. The hosting site is First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati (536 Linton Street, 45219).
Our 2019 dates are: Feb. 17-23 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4ca9af2aa4fd0-february) , April 14-20 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4ca9af2aa4fd0-april), July 7-13 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4ca9af2aa4fd0-july), November 10-16 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4ca9af2aa4fd0-november), and December 22-29 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4ca9af2aa4fd0-december).
COFFEE HOUR CLEANUP AS A SOCIAL EVENT!
Do you have a friend or two at St. John's you wish you could spend more time with? Coffee cleanup is a good way to team up with friends and help St. John's, too. Have you met a new member or visitor you'd like to get to know better? Invite that person to do coffee hour cleanup with you. Looking at coffee hour cleanup as a social event makes the job more fun. Contact Rich Overturf at overturfrich@gmail.com to volunteer.
WINTER IS DEFINITELY UPON US!
and look for the school/business closing information. http://www.local12.com/ As a reminder, In case of closing due to weather conditions, information will be posted on the front page of our website. You may need to refresh your page to see the update, We will also send out an email and Channel 12 will be notified as well. You can access Channel 12 at the following address;
FLOWER DONATIONS NEEDED FOR UPCOMING MONTHS!
If you would like to donate flowers for an upcoming Sunday please see the sign-up sheet located on the bulletin board just outside the office door or contact the office at 513-961-1938. The cost is $35 and the flowers can be taken home with you after the service.
