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WORSHIP SERVICE AT THE LANCASHIRE BUILDING
July 14th through September 1st
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SUNDAY July 14 through September 1
Worship Services will be held at the Lancashire Rd building (2728 Lancashire Rd, Cleveland Heights) which has air conditioning! There is also a stair lift, but no elevator.
Parking at the building is limited, but there is a lot of street parking, as well as a few nearby city lots. In case you need them, bring quarters for parking in the city lots which are on both sides of the Lancashire building.
The Lancashire building has a stair lift for those are not able to climb stairs alone. It does require that you are able to get into and out of a seated position (with assistance).
While we're celebrating in a smaller space, please remember to place your purses, bags and other belongings on the floor to free up seats for others.
We'll return to the sanctuary in Shaker on September 7th for the big Reunification Service and the Water Communion on September 8th.
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This Week's Worship Service
3...2...1...
Service Lead by Rev. Joe Cherry, Dr. Allan Georgia and Debbie Kuehm
with music by Karin Tooley
Sunday, September 1st at 11:00 am
This is the LAST Summer Sunday worship at this location. We will be worshiping at the Shaker Heights facility beginning on September 7th!
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Twilight Zone & Theology
A new monthly discussion of pop culture and faith
Starts Sunday, September 1st
Have you always loved Twilight Zone? Do you enjoy philosophical discussions? If so, you should check out our Twilight Zone and Theology series. Once monthly, we will randomly choose a Classic Twilight Zone episode, watch it together, an then discuss what we think fellow Unitarian Universalist Rod Serling was trying to teach the viewing audience.
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Save the Date!
Inception Celebration Service and Reception
Saturday, September 7th at 4:00 pm.
Before we officially kick off the church year at Ingathering on September 8th, we warmly invite you to join us for a special worship service and reception celebrating the reunification of First U and UUSC, and the inception of UUCC!
We've invited our UU siblings from across Northeast Ohio, as well as leaders from our nearby faith communities. We hope you can join us!
Please RSVP to Erin Justice
(erin.justice@uucleveland.org or 216-751-2320 x102).
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Strategic PlanningTask Force -- Listening Sessions
Nine Opportunities to Connect and be Heard!
Strategic Planning Listening Sessions are designed to help us discern who, how, and what we want to be as UUCC. We are opening our ears and hearts to our members, friends, staff, and community stakeholders. Each session will last about 90 minutes and participants will be asked to complete and discuss a questionnaire* designed by the Strategic Planning Task Force.
The Task Force has arranged for nine listening sessions in August and September. You only need to register for one of these sessions. These small-group discussions are limited to 12 attendees, who will be hosted by a facilitator from the Strategic Planning Task Force. If the session you hope to attend is full, please contact Erin Justice (
erin.justice@uucleveland.org
) and Laurie Albright (
ljalbright@hotmail.com
) to make alternate arrangements. We may be able to create a second group at that date and time.
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A GREAT BIG RE Update!
SUNDAY YRE IS COMING!
We are gearing up for our church year, and that means a new YRE school year! We have an exciting set of programs that will be starting and some changes that will make for some awesome classroom communities, which will be starting on September 15!. For our youngest (grades K – 3) we will have an exciting new Spirit Play classroom with Amy Schwabauer. Our older elementary kids will be with Barb Ford learning about the basics of learning about the world as UUs. Our middle school classroom will be re-geared as a community of learners led by Brittney Kuehm. Our Coming of Age class will be a full fledged part of our Sunday morning YRE class (though with its own schedule because of its unique curriculum.) This class will be for all of our eighth graders, who will also have a new room all to themselves! And finally our classroom of high school student leaders will be working with Erin to develop their own goals for this year in learning and serving. Registration will be live this coming week, and Allan Georgia will be downstairs in Fellowship Hall with a laptop after our Ingathering service and our service on the 15th. Please plan to sign up!
Chalice Lighter’s Overnight
Calling all Chalice Lighters and those interested, grades 4 – 7. We will be having our start-of-the-year, Chalice Lighter’s overnight, September 13-14! A chance to hang out, greet the new church year, review why being a chalice lighter is SO important in our community, and have fun with friends! Mark your calendars!
Your Youth Need Furniture
The YRE committee along with Building and Grounds have been cleaning and updating youth rooms in the upstairs. Included in this is re-furbishing and furnishing a new youth room, and that means we need furnitre. So, if you have gently used (i.e., not broken, falling apart, or irredeemably dirty) couches, chairs, decorative carpets, etc., please consider donating it to the youth program. Be in touch with allan.georgia@gmail or with Ken at
kkuehm@uucleveland.org
.
OWL Coming in October
Our Middle School OWL Program is returning this year as a yearlong class, beginning in January. We have a whole new team of OWL trained teachers who are ready to bring this curriculum to our youth for the first time in several years, with a newly revised curriculum! The class will be opened to our middle school youth (grades 6 – 8). More information will be forthcoming!
Adult Religious Education Brochure Out Soon!
To be UU is to seek, to explore and to understand. In pursuit of this mission, the Adult Religious Education committee is developing a year of engaging opportunities to learn and explore. Our yearly brochure with our class offerings will be available soon! So get ready to tap into your curiosity and spend a year learning and exploring!
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Saturday Knitters, Crocheters and other hand work
If you like hand work, want to learn; if you enjoy knitting, or other hand work with others, Please join us on
Saturday 9/7 in the Library 10:00 to 12 noon
at the UUCC Shaker Heights location.
We are an interest group. We meet monthly, on the first Saturday. Come when you can and enjoy the creativity and the fellowship. If you want to learn bring some needles or a hook and some yarn.
Don’t have a project, consider making a comfort shawl for Helping Hands.
All are Welcome!
Bring a friend, they don’t need to be a UUCC member.
Questions: Debbie Wright C: 715-308-4739 or wrightdebbie@hotmail.com.
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Sunday Book Group
September Read:
A Gentleman in Moscow
September 8th at 7:00 pm
Join the UUCC Sunday Book Group on September 8 when we discuss
A Gentleman in Moscow
by
Amor Towles
. In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel near the Kremlin. An indomitable man of erudition and wit, the Count had never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history unfold outside the hotel's doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances are full of riches and provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose. (Source: Goodreads.com)
We gather from 7 to 8:45 PM in Fellowship Hall at the Shaker building. If you are so inclined, bring a goodie or wine or other beverage to share.
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YoUUth Choir Rehearsals Start September 11th!
All 4th - 8th graders are welcome to join, no experience required.
We rehearse on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 pm in the sanctuary, beginning September 11, 2019. We sing at least once a month during service.
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Sharing our Joys and Sorrows
From the Worship Team
As members one great joy is that we love and support each other in joy, sorrow and life challenges. One opportunity to hold and embrace those in our community is through Joys and Concern Stones.
As the service has evolved some members have shared they feel more disconnected with fewer being read by the worship associates. Please remember you can email Erin Justice (erin.justice@uucleveland.org) with recent events you wish to celebrate, honor or acknowledge even if you will be in attendance or not.
Although we have the book in the back, the emails are helpful to worship associates because it’s sometimes hard to read the handwriting in the book.
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Limited Opportunity to Purchase History
First Unitarian Church is For Sale!
The words “First Unitarian Church” have been prominently displayed on the front of our Shaker Heights location for more then 60 years.
As part of our reunification, we are removing them, and we will not be replacing the letters.
This is a limited time opportunity to purchase one of the 20 symbolic souvenirs of our history.
The letters are selling quickly! Your choice may not be available -- there are a few I, R, T, C and N letters remaining.
An in-person sale of any remaining letters will be held in late August. Watch this space for more details.
Please note: the 2 uu letters are reserved.
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UU Ministry for Earth
"Connecting and inspiring an active community of UUs for environmental justice, spiritual renewal, and shared reverence for our Earth home.”
If this calls to you, please join us at our next meeting and learn how you can become involved with the Ministry for Earth. We are a group of individuals working in many “In my own back yard projects” making the world better one step at a time.
Join us! We teach kids to grow food, protect pollinators, read about and learn how to garden, promote 100% renewable electricity, and create community through concern and reverence for all life.
Our next meeting on Sunday 9/8/19 at 12:30 in the Baker Room. We will gather and report on our ongoing projects, suggest new projects and seek help if needed.
How to reduce school lunch waste:
- Our kids are back in school, they need to eat lunch and snacks. Here is a cute video and a few tips on reducing waste while providing healthy food, or not so healthy food.. but still less waste. These tips apply to all of us who eat outside of the home but not at a restaurant… that is another story of waste.
- Reusable lunch bag/box
- reusable container for all food (doesn’t need to be new, it can be a reused margarine tub, or lunch meat container, plastic wrap is not needed to keep sandwich moist)
- bring home food scrapes for composting
- cloth napkin and utensils from home. (or buy a few at the resale shop in case they get lost)
- usable bottle for beverage is best
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
with Dr. Cynthia Taylor
September 12 - November 14
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an 8-week intensive, educational and experiential program, launched in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn.
More than 20,000 people have completed this evidence-based program that teaches skills to help cope with stress, pain, and illness. Mindfulness practices help develop present moment awareness, learning to accept ourselves as we are, and living life fully.
To register, please contact Cynthia Taylor at cynthiataylor.md@gmail.com or 216-229-4505
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After Church Potlucks are moving to 4th Sundays in September!
Our communal meals will continue during the 2019-20 Congregation year as the “4th Sunday Potlucks.” The date was adjusted to create a bit of space between the 2nd Sunday Breakfast and the Potluck. Here are the 2019-20 dates:
September 22 2019 (adopted by Strategic Planning)
October 27, 2019
November 24 2019
December 22 2019
January 26 2020
February 23 2020
March 22 2020
April 26 2020
May 24 2020
Adopt-a-Potluck
Groups are needed to adopt Potlucks. What does that mean? If you would like to use the Potluck event for a presentation or discussion with the congregation, please send a note to
potluck@uucleveland.org
to get it on the calendar. Groups that adopt a Potluck will need to recruit volunteers to staff the meal--the volunteers do NOT need to be limited to group members.
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Volunteers Needed to Serve Urban Hope Soup Kitchen
UUCC has made a connection with Urban Hope, an Ohio City facility that supplies meals to area people. Each Thursday through Sunday, various area religious organizations take a day to cook and serve the meal. The UU day is Sunday. So far, our congregation has had a couple of test runs, serving approximately 100 people each time.
With that experience, we formed a task force to broaden the project to the entire congregation. We are committed to continuing on the 5 th Sundays of 2019 – September 29 and December 29 and hope to increase after the first of the year.
There are many opportunities for involvement: shopping/collecting food and supplies, cooking and of course serving. That takes place approximately 3-5 pm on the Sunday. We need volunteers to assist behind the scenes and to serve on-site.
Our menus have included store-bought fried chicken, homemade mac & cheese, bean casserole, grilled vegetables, rolls and butter, lettuce salad and dressing, fresh fruit and homemade cookies. We welcome suggestions for recipes that are inexpensive, expandable and easy to prepare.
Please let us know if you are interested and how you’d like to help.
Jean Sycle Martin jeansycle@gmail.com
Jean Ellsworth-Wolk jeanewolk@yahoo.com
Michael Lau mmblau@outlook.com
Laurie Holmes ktlch53@gmail.com
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Crash
the next movie in our Racial Justice Film Series
"
Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption." - IMDB
Join us at the Lancashire building (it’s air conditioned!), share some pizza at 6:00 pm, and start the film around 6:30. Bring a finger food if you wish.
Crash
Friday, September 20th, 6:00 PM
2728 Lancashisre Rd, Cleveland Heights, OH (upstairs in the sanctuary)
Future Screenings (mark your calendars!)
- Friday, October 18 – Race, the power of an illusion, part 2
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Join in the Global Climate Strike 9-20 in Public Square at 12 noon
Come to the next UU Ministry for earth meeting 9-8-19 at 12:30 in the Baker room to learn more!
Sixteen year old climate activist Greta Thunberg challenges us to action: “"If not you, then who? If not now, then when?"
On September 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, young people and adults will strike all across the US and the world to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis. We know governments won’t deliver climate action and justice on their own, so we’re going on #climatestrike to show them what people power is capable of creating. The strikes are just the beginning of an escalated movement where millions will take to the streets to demand action now, especially for those most impacted by climate change who have done the least to cause it. Climate breakdown isn’t inevitable. We know the solutions we need including a just transition away from the exploitative fossil fuel economy. We’re inviting you to join other UUs and faith groups and millions more – we have the power to make them happen.
Conveniently for us,
there will be one in
Cleveland at Public Square at noon
that day. Let’s attend. Wear your Side with Love T-shirts or other UU identifiers. If, at our next UUMFE meeting, we program each other into our cell phones, it will help us meet up once we are there. So attend the committee meeting, and attend the rally.
In preparation for the rally, Side with Love is hosting a "UUs & the GlobalClimate Strike" Webinar - September 5th at 4pm EST.
Questions? Debbie Wright C: 715-308-4739 or wrightdebbie@hotmail.com
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Community Forums Return September 15th!
The Fall/Winter 2019 Season of Community Forums is almost here!
Facebook. Palliative medical care. Ohio bail reform. Alzheimer’s and functional medicine. Look for these and other programs when UUCC’s Sunday morning community forums kick off this fall. Stay tuned and watch the weekly Blasts and Facebook page for details.
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Sign Up for Our New Social Justice eBlast!
With all of the opportunities to engage in Social Justice work in the Greater Cleveland Area, we've set up a weekly email blast just for Action Opportunities.
This email is sent on Tuesdays and has information from GCC, Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition, UU Justice Ohio, and many other groups.
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UU Justice Ohio
(UUJO)
September Events
“Do Something – Stop Gun Violence.”
A march and rally demand an end to the growing culture of violence and hate.
Sept 18, 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
- The march will start at 12:30 in the Columbus Commons. Rally will be at 1 pm on the High Street side of the Statehouse.
- We are then planning an action on the 4th St side.
- We will be demanding that the Ohio Legislature pass a a series of gun control measures: pass a Red Flag law; institute universal background checks; raise the minimum age to purchase a firearms to 21; a ban on gun possession by those convicted of domestic violence; a ban on trigger cranks, bump stocks and devises that allow firearms to act like an automatic firearm; a ban on assault and military-style rifles; and a ban on high capacity magazines. And maintain the need for permits, training and checks for those who carry concealed guns. This list is a work in progress so there may be some additions.
- Many of these measures have already been proposed in the Ohio Legislature, but sit ignored in committees.
- Legislators needs to stop sitting on these bills and “Do Something” to end gun violence.
“Freedom Demands Action”
A lobby day and action to stop Ohio SB 33
Sept 19, all day
- SB 33 is a bill that was originally written by the oil and gas industry and the Koch brothers’ ALEC organization to stop protests like the one that occurred at the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota.
- The bill makes it a potential felony to protest – even non-violently- at so-called “critical” infrastructure sites -- like pipelines, fracking wells, oil refineries, oil and chemical and gas storage sites, energy plants, water treatment sites, mines, railroad property, and so much more.
- The bill would fine churches and non-profits up to $100,000 if they are found to be ‘complicit’ when one of their congregants or members is charged with felony protest.
- “Complicity” is not defined.
- Churches and non-profits would be fined for helping pay a protestor’s fines or any civil action damages.
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New Staff Phone Extensions!
We recently updated our phone system, so the extensions for staff members have changed.
Rev. Joe Cherry, Minister - 104
Dr. Allan Georgia, Director of RE - 106
Mike Carney, Music Director - 107
Shirley Nelson, Office Administrator - 103
Angie Coats, Bookkeeper - 105
Erin Justice, Community Relations Director - 102
Welcome Office - 101
Our phone number has not changed. Give us a call at 216-751-2320!
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Tuesday Readers
The next meeting of the Tuesday Readers will be Tuesday, October 8, at 7:00 pm on the “library” at the Lancashire building. The book is The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith. The plot of this novel follows 2 historical threads: a young woman in the Dutch underground during the Nazi occupation, and a young man “disappeared” in protests in 1977 Buenos Aires. One reviewer says: “it confronts the very central ethical concerns and questions about what it is to be human in the world today, what good and evil are, what can be forgiven and what cannot.” Tuesday Readers is an open group, welcoming any who love to read and discuss. Completing the book is not a requirement, but participation is more meaningful if you have read the book. We bring snacks to share.
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WORSHIP SERVICE AT THE LANCASHIRE BUILDING
July 14th through September 1st
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