Your monthly news & updates
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Inspirational Readings from the Pandemic
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Many people have been asking for copies of the inspirational poems relative to the pandemic that Rev. Ritchie has been sharing in worship and in the informal Wednesday noon check-ins. Click below for a collection of favorites.
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At Home Resources for Families:
"Sabbath Space"
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What do families need most right now?
There are a lot of answers to that question. So many that it makes your head spin. In the midst of all this advice, the voice of religion can sound a bit odd. Here’s its answer: “In times of trouble, be extra sure to keep the Sabbath.” In other words, “Be sure to set aside time and a space for worship, rest and connection.”Simply put, that’s what this resource, "Sabbath Space" is all about. We want to help families carve out “sabbath space” in their homes and weekly schedules.
But what does that look like when we’re cut off from our church building? “Well,” says the voice of
religion with a smile, “Who says you can’t build a space for the sacred in your home?” So, what might your Unitarian Universalist home altar look like? Well that’s what we are going to
discover and create together. Five weeks of Sabbath Space materials includes instructions for adding a new piece to your home altar,
a family worship service to celebrate that addition and some “after worship activities” to help your
family lean into Sabbath rest and connection together. And here’s the super cool thing: Other UU families from across the country will be doing this too! If you build a home altar, please send a photo of it to minister@nuuc.org for a collection we will display in worship.
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NUUC Virtual Connection Information
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All are welcome to join us for Worship every Sunday at 10:30 AM and informal check-inn every Wednesday at noon
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Here is the Information you Need to Connect to All NUUC Virtual Gatherings:
Join Zoom Meeting directly with this link (no password required):
Or join by going to https://zoom.us and manually entering this information:
Meeting ID: 754 112 6323
Password: 152468
Or dial by phone and enter the meeting ID and password manually:
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
Meeting ID: 754 112 6323
Password: 152468
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Soul Matters Small Covenant Groups
Soul Matters Small Groups invite people to deepen their connection to self, others, and spirit, through regular monthly meetings, reflection and spiritual practice. Soul Matters Small Groups consist of 6-8 people, one of whom acts as facilitator, who meet once a month for one and a half hours. Like covenant groups, group meetings provide opportunity for personal check-ins, with the additional of a mutual exploration of a monthly theme.. We will be starting these groups as soon as possible, using zoom video conference as our platform for meetings. The deadline for sign-ups was May 1, but if you are interested, we can still try to work you into a group just email minister@nuuc.org
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Adult Enhancement Updates
With new covenant groups forming to meet on Zoom, the already existing Second Monday Morning Covenant Group might also decide to meet virtually. In April members checked in and chatted with each other by email. If that group resumes in May, the topic will be “Although we each may have an 'authentic self,' what filters do we use? What roles do we play?”
The NUUC Women's Group also is in the process of deciding if we should “Zoom” for meetings until we can be together again in person.
Our spring “Eat and Meet” dinners obviously will be delayed a bit, but organizer Marty Keith definitely still wants to have them happen.
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UUJO AND VOTER ADVOCACY:
Are you concerned about voter suppression and election integrity? Do you believe voting is the way to exercise our power as citizens in a democracy? As we shelter in place during this pandemic, we have the opportunity to get involved with voter advocacy. “The 2020 Nonpartisan Ohio Voter Outreach Committee is led by the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, a coalition of nonpartisan statewide organizations which advocates for voting rights, ballot access, and general voter empowerment. Participants in the Outreach Committee include faith communities, regional and statewide advocacy groups, the League of Women Voters, Ohio Votes,
Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio
, Columbus Chapter of the Ohio Poor People's Campaign, All Voting is Local and more. Our goal is to work together to be greater than the sum of our parts and minimize duplicative outreach efforts.” You can volunteer to be part of one or more different teams which include:
- National Voter Registration Week of Action (Sept 20-26)
- Minority Vote
- Disability Vote
- Transportation to Polls
- Disability-Transportation Joint Committee
- Voting & the Census
- Voter Education
- Voter Registration
- Voter Protection
- Faith Community Outreach
Several members of NUUC have already signed up to do this important work. If you are interested in joining us you can sign up
https://bit.ly/Volunteer-Ohio
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Contact Pam Patsch
pgp723@aol.com
or Joan Van Becelaere
uujoanvanb@gmail.com
for more information. If you are interested in learning more about voter suppression in recent elections, watch these videos (and then sign up for a committee).
HYGIENE BAGS AND MASKS FOR RESTORED CITIZENS:
Our congregation generously donated $411.47 to the Loose Change Offering in March for
Central Ohio Citizen Circle
which assists restored citizens in getting services and supports to successfully reenter their communities by connecting them to agencies that assist with housing, employment, veteran’s services, education and training programs, healthcare, recovery services, mental health services, getting an ID card or driver’s license, legal aid, voter registration, and transportation. In addition to donations to the Loose Change Offering we also planned to collect items for hygiene bags during March. Some of you brought in donations before we went to Zoom services. If you would still like to donate hygiene bags, please contact Pam Patsch at
pgp723@aol.com
. The bags should include: deodorant, lotion, shampoo, razors, washcloths, shower gel, toothbrush, toothpaste, and combs. All items can be purchased at a dollar store. For men, you can get 3 in 1 body wash (shampoo, conditioner, and body wash). Items should be placed in gallon plastic bags.
For those with some craft skills, making face masks to add to the hygiene bags is a great way to welcome restored citizens back to our community and to provide them with much needed protection. These will be especially appreciated since face masks will soon be required in most settings. Contact Pam Patsch if you are interested in making masks. There are no-sew versions for those of us who are less skilled crafters. Perhaps we can form a group to share ideas and patterns.
LOOSE CHANGE OFFERING DURING COVID-19: FOOD DRIVE FOR THE UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITY IN COLUMBUS
– The social safety nets, stimulus checks, and unemployment benefits that are helping people who have lost their incomes during the pandemic are not available to people who are undocumented, many of whom work in the food service and hospitality industries. Simakovsky Law, a firm of immigration attorneys and staffers, and Columbus Immigrant Transit Association (Columbus ITA) are collecting donations to provide non-perishable food to these vulnerable families. In lieu of our usual monthly Loose Change offering, you can make a donation to this effort.
For more information, you can read the story written by Susan Leslie with the UUA
https://www.uua.org/justice/vote2020/stories/ohio-uu-church-starts-food-bank-workers-hit-covid-19-closures
, read information on the UUJO website
http://www.uujo.org/
, or watch a story on NBC Ch. 4 News about the most recent pop-up food distribution that provided food for 250 families
https://www.nbc4i.com/news/food-drive-for-immigrants/
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