According to the Ancient Greeks, there are 8 different kinds of love. However you look at it, any kind of love can be messy. It’s not always hearts, flowers, chocolates, and happily ever after. This week of Valentine’s Day, let’s look at when love is hard and messy and may even require us to choose whether to persevere or step back.
News from Your Board Members
The Board of Trustees will meet on Wednesday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m. Members and friends of the church are welcome to attend.
This meeting will occur via Zoom. If you would like to attend a Board meeting as an observer, please contact Board Secretary Nick Izzo (izzonj@gmail.com), who will arrange for you to receive the link to join the meeting.
If you have an issue that you would like to speak about at a Board meeting, please send your request to the Board Secretary along with a brief explanation of the issue you would like to bring to the Board’s attention.
The Nominating Committee welcomes nominations of church members who would like to serve our church in the following capacities:
three (3) candidates to join the Board of Trustees (3-year terms),
three (3) candidates to join the Nominating Committee (3-year terms)
New Board and Nominating Committee members will be elected by the congregation at our Annual Meeting on May 19. The deadline for nominations is February 25.
For more information or to nominate candidates, please contact Sue Oerkvitz (oerkvitz@verizon.net).
News and Updates
*Rev. Kate is on vacation from Feb. 16 - February 25. In case of emergency, please contact Board President Raeann Olander, raeann.olander@gmail.com
*Kris Rust is taking a personal leave of absence from March 20 to August 20. While he is getting a well-deserved break, the choir will be directed by Lee Saville-Iksic and Rev. Deryck Tines.
Fantastic Results for Alternative Gift Market 2023!
Thank you, everyone, for viewing and donating to First UU's Alternative Gift Market for 2023! Held December 3 & 10 in our cherished Undercroft, we raised $5,980 for the Alternative Gift Market's causes together! This is such a beautiful gift from First UU! In addition, we raised $490 for Khasi Hills, $210 for Reading Ready Pittsburgh, and $325 for Valley Clean Air Now's "Replacement Filter Fund." That is a total of $7,005 raised in heartfelt alternative holiday gifts! I hope your loved ones appreciated your " gifts in their names." Thank you from Margaret Stevens and Karen Burns Rutigliano and partners extraordinaire, Nancy Latimer and Tony Rutigliano, Rita Gates and Bob Baron!. Love to you all for your deep generosity and to the Alternative Gifts International team led by Surinder Moore and her team for their discerning such important U.S. and global causes!
Opportunities for Service
We are looking for people to join the Stewardship Committee or volunteer to help with short-term committee projects. Will you join us?
If you think the Stewardship Committee is just about asking others for money, think again! Stewardship is about taking care of our benevolent religious community, our beautiful building, and, most importantly, one another.
If you like getting to know other UUs and would like to engage with folks in meaningful conversations, we have a place for you!
If you are organized and like to manage projects, we have a place for you!
If communication is your thing and you like to write - maybe you have proposal writing experience - we have a place for you!
If you like to plan events we have a place for you! In fact, we are actively seeking volunteers to help plan a spring fundraising event. No experience is necessary other than a desire to be part of something exciting. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, let us know.
For questions or more information, please contact Heather Masterson at hamasterson@gmail.com.
Upcoming Meetings and Events
From Your Art Committee On Saturday morning, February 24, from 10:30 until noon, Petra Fallaux and Paul Rosenblatt, the artists whose work is currently hanging in the Undercroft Gallery, will be talking to us about their work. The exhibit, Paint and Dye, has small quilts built by Petra, who dyes her own fabric. Paul, an architect who has added ‘painter’ to his portfolio of work, is currently studying collage, and you can see many of his current collages. Petra and Paul are both accomplished artists who continue to develop new skills and demonstrate those skills in their work. It will be fun to hear them talk about their artistic evolutions. All are invited. Paul and Petra are also hosting coffee hour on Sunday, February 25 - a closing reception for the Paint and Dye Exhibit. The exhibit will come down after coffee hour on the 25th. That will be your last opportunity to see the show and to meet the artists. The work is available for sale, so talk to Petra or Paul if you are interested in a piece or see a member of your Art Committee.
Pizza Party Social For UU Middle Schoolers
Date: Sunday, March 3 @ 5PM-7PM in the Schweitzer Room
The RE Team is hosting a pizza social for the First UU Middle School Youth on Sunday, March 3 from 5PM-7PM. The purpose of this social gathering is to facilitate an opportunity for fellowship and commarderie amongst this age group. We will serve pizza and play games.
Racial Justice Task Force News The next meeting of the Racial Justice Task Force will be on Monday evening, February 19, from 7 to 8:30, multi-platform. We hope that you can join us as we pursue ways to bring the love and justice that Rev. Kate has so eloquently preached about lately into the world. We will be meeting monthly on the third Mondays: March 18, April 15, May 20, and June 17. For more information, email
Denice Galpern (dgalpern47@gmail.com) or Jean Schmidt (jaschmidt.pgh@gmail.com).
In anticipation of the March 17 Table Talk that Rev. Kate has planned with Rev. Dale Snyder and others from Bethel AME, we will be working to explore their recommended book, Reparations: A Christian Call for Repentance and Repair, by Kwon and Thompson. over the next seven weeks. RJTask Force members will have a table at coffee hour each Sunday to talk about Bethel AME and have the book available. We have also planned discussions on sequential parts of the book on Sundays, February 25, and March 3 and 10. These will be after church from 12-1, with food! More details will follow in subsequent newsletters. Come take a look at coffee hour.
OMBUDSMAN
Need an answer to a question and don’t know who to ask? Want to pass along some feedback and not sure who to contact? Reach out to your Board Ombudsman Ebe Emmons. Ebe will coordinate with staff, committees, and the board to get an answer or pass along feedback. Ebe can be reached atfirstuupghombudsman@gmail.com
