A New Year's Greeting from Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray
Keeping in Touch:
During this time of social distancing it is now more important than ever that we stay connected to each other. There is time every day to stay connected to one another and what really matters.
If you'd like to schedule a one-on-one at another time please e-mail Rev. Joseph at jboyd@uuyo.org.
January Minister's Writing:
"Living with Intention"
Sunday, Jan. 9th, 2021
Sunday Morning Worship 11 am
Practicing Transformative Love
Our theme for January is "Living with Intention." It seems that both our world and our individual lives are constantly calling out for needed transformation: from isolation to connection, from a sense of brokenness to wholeness, from disease to health and well being. How do we practice a love ethic that truly transforms our life and potentially the life of our neighbors? Join us as we gather momentum in this New Year to live with intention.
Rev. Joseph Boyd - Minister
Kathleen Hogue - Director of Religious Education
Jennifer Ruth Boyd - Worship Associate
Zoe Jameson - Chalice Lighting
Guitarist & Vocals - Jeff Crouse
Religious Education News
YOGAART Session 9 "Take Care of Our Planet" is available here . All the videos 1-8 can now be accessed on the church website under the Learning tab.
Please Note: All children must wear masks AND all children ages 12 and older must be vaccinated to attend any indoor gatherings.
Beginning in February, for our children and youth, we will be using an in person curriculum called the Art of Principles. This program allows participants to explore the UU principles deeper through multiple art forms including music and dance as well as the visual arts.
Meditation with Linda Scharf Sundays 7 pm, Wednesdays 11 am
Let's sit together in shared unity.
Tea for Tuesdays with Melissa T (Smith)
Tuesdays 4 - 5 pm
Grab a cup of tea and sign in to Zoom. What are you thinking, reading, watching? What are your concerns?
What are the things you’ve been afraid to ask? Find out more about others and/or about yourself. All Things Considered, UUYO edition.
Widening the Circle
February Worship
Weds., Jan. 12 at 7 pm via Zoom
Facilitated by Rev. Joseph
Join us to discuss the February Worship theme: "Widening the Circle".
Heart to Heart Circles
Small Group Ministry
Facilitated by Kathleen Hogue, DRE
Heart to Heart Circles- Small Group Ministry
Small Group Ministry programs are thriving all across the country in UU churches. They have been very successful in creating a true sense of community especially during times of being physically distanced and “gathering” in so many different ways causing it to be difficult to know everyone by Sunday morning attendance alone.
Heart to Heart Circles offer an opportunity to connect with others in the church who wish to explore their values and their ideas of spirituality in an intimate setting and who wish to make a difference through service to the church and to the larger community.
Each month we gather to share on themes based on the Soul Matters Sharing Circle. The theme for January 2022 is Intention.
Each group:
· Meets twice monthly
· Has 8 to 10 members with a facilitator
· Follows a specific meeting structure
· Is bound by a covenant of interaction to which each member agrees
· Encourages listening as well as sharing on the part of each participant
Sunday, Jan. 16th, 2021
11 am Sunday Morning Worship
"I've Been to the Mountaintop"
One of the complaints of this era is: Where is the vision that can guide us in this era? And who will offer that vision? In an address on April 3, 1968, days before his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. told the people of Memphis, TN (and the world) that he had "Been to the Mountaintop," echoing Moses who was leading his people to the Promised Land. In a time when so much feels unstable, let us examine the relationship between the valley and the mountaintop, and discover where we can find an authentic manifestation of liberation for all of us in 2022.
Rev. Joseph Boyd - Minister
Kathleen Hogue - DIrector of Religious Exploration
Melissa Smith - Worship Associate
Gary Davenport - Chalice Lighting
Elle La Forge, Robert Landsman, and Jeff Crouse: Musicians
The Gospel of Doubt
Sat. Jan. 22nd at 11 am via Zoom
Facilitated by Rev. Joseph
Join us as we watch and discuss this TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/casey_gerald_the_gospel_of_doubt. What do you do when your firmly held beliefs turn out not to be true? When Casey Gerald's religion failed him, he searched for something new to believe in -- in business, in government, in philanthropy -- but found only false saviors. In this moving talk, Gerald urges us all to question our beliefs and embrace uncertainty.
Announcements
YSU has threatened the future of the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies and the job of Prof. Jacob Labendz, esteemed head of the Center. We need Prof. Labendz's expertise, enthusiams, and advocacy to teach accurate history of the evils of racism and the danger of it in contemporary society. Please sign this petition from a group of students and community members seeking the continuation of the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies, as well as to support the position of Prof. Labendz. Please also share it with friends and make public your support for this campaign - we urgently need your help.
Each month we donate all loose cash and unmarked checks put in the offering plate to a nonprofit organization whose mission and actions are consistent with the UU principles and the mission of the UUYO. Our recipient for January is UUJO, UU Justice Ohio.
UUJO is a network of UU clergy and laity and their local and state faith and non-profit partners. UUJO offers congregations access to advocacy, training and action around issues of social equity and equality. In 2019, UUJO offered support to our local Immigrant Assistance Programs; in 2020, they offered voter engagement programming that this congregation participated in. This month's share the plate covers our congregation’s annual membership fee for UUJO.
Virtual Service Videos Our Services from March 15, 2020 to the present are available to view on our website. Click here to view.
Online Giving
It is now easier to donate online through the church website – there is a “GIVE ONLINE to UUYO” link at the top of the home page that provides options for donating to several funds, including Give Away the Plate. If you want to use a phone app to give you can download VANCO’s GivePlus app from the Apple App Store or from Google Play.
Both methods give you the option of making a single donation or setting up a recurring gift to UUYO
Another Way to Give to UUYO
An online service from Huntington Bank (formerly TCF Bank) allows you to make an online deposit directly into the UUYO account by check or credit card from this link:
Once you provide your name and email you can include a message in the form letting us know how you want your contribution to be used at UUYO.
Enter the information requested for the type of payment you choose and click the Send Payment button. You and UUYO will receive email confirmation of your donation.
Our Mission is to build a diverse and transformative spiritual community, help people live lives of wholeness, and promote justice, peace, and religious freedom.
Leaders
Board of Trustees 2021
President - Lisbet White
Vice President – Gene Pusateri
Secretary - Judy DeGenova
Treasurer - Louisa Berger
Trustee: Lanore Jones
Trustee: Carole McWilson
Trustee: Tim Raridon
Trustee: open
Committee Chairpersons
Martin Berger, Building and Grounds
Lowell Satre, Endowment
Ralph Malmer, Green Sanctuary
Linda Mohn, Hospitality
Sarah Lowry, Share the Plate
Church Calendar
The most up-to-date version of the church calendar is on the website. Please contact the office (office@uuyo.org, 330-746-3067) if you wish to list a church event on the calendar.
The rainbow flag outside of the church signifies that UUYO is an official "Welcoming Congregation" for the LGBTQ+ community.
