First Unitarian Church Weekly Newsletter

May 4, 2023

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This Sunday at First Unitarian Church

May 7, 2023, Livestreamed at 10:30 am

“Body Beautiful” (Marathon Sunday)

Let us take a moment to appreciate, and celebrate even the body that bears our potential to give and sustain this world. The Theme of the Month is Beauty. Do you feel the beauty you bear in this world?
Rev. Dr. Kate Walker

There are no RE classes this week and no In person Social hour.

Our Share the Plate recipient for the month of May, is Tree Pittsburgh.
Tree Pittsburgh celebrates 17 years of growing and protecting our urban forest through tree planting, care, education, and advocacy. The organization ensures all people have equal access to the many benefits trees provide by directing resources where they are needed the most. Trees positively impact human health and community vitality in urban areas by cooling and cleaning the air, absorbing stormwater, and improving community and mental health outcomes. With the negative impacts of climate change on the rise, the need for trees and a more resilient tree canopy becomes increasingly urgent. Presenter: Michael Zimmerman, Board Chairman, Tree Pittsburgh

Donate Now

From Your Board of Trustees

* Brief Report of Motions Passed at April Board of Trustees Meeting

The Board of Trustees met via Zoom on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Mary Denison joined as a guest.

A motion to change the name of the Marion’s Purse Benevolence Fund to Marion’s Purse Discretionary Fund and to increase the signatories to two was moved by Kyle Gracey, seconded by Nick Izzo, and was approved unanimously.

The Board voted to revise the Church Covid policy, effective immediately, to make masking optional but recommended. Kyle Gracey so moved, and Kate Snow seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

A motion to add the Undercroft (6th) air filter to the resolution from March, which approved the cost of five air filters in the Sanctuary, was made by Kyle Gracey and seconded by Nick Izzo. It carried unanimously.

A proposal to name Ebe Emmons, Alice Carnes, and Eleanor Mayfield as delegates to General Assembly with Denice Galpern as an alternate was approved.

* The proposed Amendment to our Bylaws to allow Trustees to serve two consecutive terms
The Board of Trustees was passed by a congregational vote at the Special Congregational Meeting on Sunday, March 26, 2023. The updated Bylaws can be found on the church website, https://www.first-unitarian-pgh.org/about-us/board-of-trustees/governance-policy-documents/. Thank you to all who participated and voted!

* First Quarter Finances
We’ve started the year in a reasonably good position, cash positive and not too far off of our budget. All numbers are as of the end of March.

Budget, Income, and Spending Our income was $154,952, slightly below where we expected to be at this point in the year. Expenses were $149,105, slightly ahead of our projection for this point in the year. Overall, this means we had a net income of $5,847, a bit behind the net income we budgeted for so far.

Assets and Liabilities Asset balances added up to $362,227. This does not include the money in our endowments and other investments. Total liabilities were $316,960. Overall, we had $45,267 in net assets, which included $5,847 in current year earnings and $39,420 in net income from previous years.

Investments Our investments were down at the end of 2022 compared to their growth in the previous year. They currently stand at a reasonably healthy $2.8 million. The Investment Committee will meet shortly to review and rebalance the investments.

Newsletter News

General Assembly News
Register now for the General Assembly (GA) of the UUA happening in Pittsburgh June 21-25, 2023. Webinars are now available describing the events. Discussion of Article II is going on now and will continue at GA. Home hospitality is still looking for Pittsburghers willing to host out of town participants for GA. There is the option to attend a Pirates game earlier in the week with UUs. Seriously, don't miss out on all the excitement. And do you know who is giving the initial talk? Reverend Kate Walker! Let's all go and support her. https://www.uua.org/ga/registration

General Assembly of the UUA is convening in Pittsburgh June 21-25 at the David l. Lawrence convention center. Not sure what GA is? Check out the GA highlights on the website and register early for virtual or in-person attendance. https://www.uua.org/ga/program/highlights You can still opt to provide home hospitality and make some money for First U., please register on the GA roomshare site. First Unitarian would like you to donate at least 50% of the rent you receive as a result of this rental to our church. Learn more at : https://uua.wufoo.com/forms/2023-ga-roomshare-board

A SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE OF MARY KOSTALOS
As you may know, we held a Memorial Service on Saturday, April 22, for long-time member Mary Kostalos, who passed away last summer. Mary was a devoted and welcoming presence at Church who is sorely missed. What you may not know is that Mary left a generous bequest to First Church in her will, a gift that will be invested to continue her support of our community and remind us fondly of our wonderful departed friend.

If you would like to speak to someone about making a bequest to the Church, please contact Ward Kelsey, Kyle Gracey, Maria Lauro, or any other members of the Stewardship Committee.

Khasi Hills Social Hour on April 23, 2023

As our team strives to recognize more culturally authentic traditions of our partners, we are also introducing more regional North East Indian cuisine which is totally different than the Main Land Indian cuisine that most are familiar with in Indian restaurants. The North East Indian table featured a yellow rice dish recipe from our school contact, and it is the only cooked food featured at the festival, along with fruit. The main focus of the festival is “The Dance of Peaceful Hearts.”
The social hour also featured a card writing table to send greetings to one of the two teachers we sponsor who is expecting a baby this month. Congregation members also wrote good wishes to our Assistant Principal, Nangroi Suting, who will be visiting our church on June 18. Do mark the date!
CLICK HERE for more background on the holiday from the original article.

Click here for information From Your Art Committee

Click here for PINN news

Upcoming Events

You are invited to join Khasi Hills on Tuesday, May 9, 7:00-8:30 PM
Join in the discussion for plans for Reverend Suting’s visit. He will be joining us via Zoom for part of the meeting. For the Zoom link or additional information, please contact Karen Litzinger at Karen@KarensCareerCoaching.com. To donate to sponsor our two teachers, CLICK HERE and choose Khasi Hills Sponsorship from the drop-down menu.

"Racism has been a part of American life for centuries. This interactive experience demonstrates the structural nature of racism and how it has led to a distinct disparity between the wealth of White and Black Americans. Learn that racism is not just a problem of personal beliefs or biases but that federal policy created and supported many of today's inequities.

Speakers
LaTrenda L. Sherrill, Founder of Common Cause Consultants, is a community innovator in greater Pittsburgh. She formed LaTrenda Consulting, providing tips and tools to individuals interested in growing their freelance businesses.

Rev. Liddy Barlow, Is the first woman to serve as executive Minister of Christian Associates of South Western Pa. She speaks about ending racism and welcoming immigrants and seeks to develop relationships between churches across racial lines. She sets a vision for the Christian Associates and holds a variety of leadership roles in local organizations.
Register Now

Chalice Weekly Newsletter Deadline and Information

The deadline for submissions for the Chalice Weekly Newsletter is Tuesday for the week’s Thursday publication. Please submit your items through the church website at https://www.first-unitarian-pgh.org/blog/submit-an-article/.

Information about upcoming events will be included on a timely basis. If you have questions, please get in touch with Cicely Moultrie, Communications Coordinator, at cmoultrie@first-unitarian-pgh.org.

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

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605 Morewood Ave. Pittsburgh Pa. 15213

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First Unitarian Church · 605 Morewood Avenue · Pittsburgh, PA 15213 · USA