For over 20 years we have worked with our Khasi Hills friends in India to help them expand education in their rural community, We have seen this Unitarian school grow as we have supported their vision and dreams. This month we will check in with some of the students who are nearing the end of their high school career or have graduated. What paths have they taken and where are they headed?
You won’t want to miss the special treats this Sunday after the Khasi Hills Sunday church service. Many people think of what you get in a restaurant as Indian food, but the Khasi Hills region and all of North East India (East of Bangladesh) has its own distinct culture and cuisine. It is more meat focused, including pork, chicken, and fish. Explore the differences with luncheon sections labeled North East India and Main Land India. A featured dish will be a recipe from our partner, Barri Mukhim; Jodah is their most prominent rice dish and this version will feature chicken and black sesame paste. An exotic dish in the North East India section will be a dessert featuring black rice and raisins. The Main Land India table will include samosa appetizers, Tofu Makhani, and a church favorite, coconut Burfi. Complimentary for all to enjoy! Khublei!
For the month of April we will be sharing 50% of our Sunday offering each week with Bethel AME Reparations Project, here in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
The Board of Trustees met on April 17, 2024. The following motions were passed:
To approve the addition of Claus Makowka as an Administrator on all investment accounts
To approve a policy on aligning church activities with the values and principles of our church
The Board of Trustees is pleased to report that through the generosity of this congregation, we have eliminated the deficit to our 2024 budget that we would have incurred to give our hard-working staff a wage increase that reflects the 2.8% COLA that aligns with the inflation rate in our region. We are deeply grateful to those of you who increased your pledge or made an extra contribution in addition to your pledge, to make this possible.
1st Quarter 2024 Financial Report We were somewhat behind budget in the first quarter of the year, which will become a problem if it continues next quarter. All numbers are as of the end of March.
Budget, Income, and Spending
Our income was $161,008, 97% of our budget of $165,505. Pledge payments underperformed. Expenses were $155,235, 112% of our budget of $138,613. This is due to a variety of high costs, including professional development, religious education, HVAC maintenance, and utilities. Overall, this means we had a net income of $5,774, about $21,000 less than we budgeted for.
Assets and Liabilities
Asset balances added up to $192,944. This does not include the money in our endowments and other investments. This is about $24,000 lower than at the beginning of the year. Total liabilities were $168,841, down $30,000. A major factor was distributing the $20,000 raised during the Khasi Hills water campaign. Overall, we had $24,102 in net assets, which included $5,774 in current year earnings and $18,329 in net income from previous years.
News and Updates
Sunday, May 5 is the Pittsburgh Marathon.
We will have live worship in our beautiful Sanctuary. We welcome you to make your way to church on foot, bike, or otherwise, but please consult the map for the course boundaries since we are within its boundaries.
Medical Assist Equipment Loans Most of you know that First UU maintains a list of medical assist equipment (such as crutches, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, bedside items, and much more). These items are owned by and kept at the home of individual members and are loaned to members in need of them. Contact Ioulía at ioulia.k@verizon.net to request an item. What you may NOT know is that we keep several basic items at church (a wheelchair, walker, cane, and crutches) in case of sudden need during a service or event. The walker, cane, and crutches are in a cabinet in the Schweitzer Room. The wheelchair is under the coat rack in the basement, near the bathrooms. Please take a few minutes on Sunday to find them so you know specifically where they are located.
Finding Our Path to Environmental Justice: Envisioning the Future In May of 2022, congregants of First Unitarian unanimously approved a resolution to begin a church wide effort in Environmental Justice. Then in March 2023, Mary Schinhofen and Alice Carnes organized a workshop entitled “Envisioning the Future”. Eighteen participants created collages that captured their visions for a just and livable world.
Now Will Snavely and Tony Rutigliano have created this YouTube video that captures the passion and creativity of workshop participants. UU Ministry for Earth is featuring the video on its website during April (Earth Month!).
05/07/2024 7:30 PM
In person and on Zoom Write to HumanistGroup@first-unitarian-pgh.org to get the link.
Speaker: Nuhu Osman Attah
Title: The Work of Art in the Age of Automated Production
Description:
The title of this talk is an allusion to a philosophical essay from the last century observing the rise of technology like the camera and other means of “mechanical reproduction”. The author realized a sea change was in the offing for art and all our notions of creativity, the beautiful, and the meaningful. Today, we find ourselves in the same boat — the technology, AI, is vastly different, and the ideas are also very different, but the effects are equally revolutionary and equally worth our philosophical attention.
Speaker bio: I am a doctoral candidate in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh where I am currently completing a dissertation on the philosophical and cognitive scientific issues raised by large language models (like ChatGPT). My primary area of research is in the foundations of cognitive science, philosophical issues in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and philosophy of mind. In addition to foundational conceptual issues touching on AI systems, I am also interested in their ethical, scientific, and existential ramifications.
Write to HumanistGroup@first-unitarian-pgh.org to get the link.
For more information or to donate auction items, contact Heather Masterson (hamasterson@gmail.com) or David Doorley (ozzieink@verizon.net)Thank you!
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 at firstuupghombudsman@gmail.com