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The theme this month in worship, religious education and small groups is "Imagination"
To receive a copy of this month's "Soulful Home" packet for how to add elements of ritual and spirituality to daily family life especially with younger children, please email the request to minister@nuuc.org
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The Second Monday Morning Covenant Group, meets on January 11 from 10:00 until noon via “Zoom.” For a link, contact Marty Keith at martykeith @zoho.com. This month's discussion topic will be "Motivation."
NUUC's Women's Group Want the Zoom link to participate in our monthly meeting? Please contact Marty Keith at marthkeith@zoho.com for a Zoom link. Next meeting: Jan. 24, noon. Topic: Sharing what interesting books our participants are reading.
Wednesday Noon Check In
Join us using the regular NUUC zoom connection at noon everyday Wednesday for informal check- ins and chat with your fellow members.
Interested in the Once a Month Brown Bag Books? Contact rutharusk@gmail.com for a zoom link. Next meeting: January 19, noon. This month's book is "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison.
Soul Matters Small Groups
We currently have three different Soul Matters Small Groups virtually meeting, for regular in depth check ins, and for exploring together different spiritual themes. New members are welcome at any time, write to minister@nuuc.org
New Group Opportunity: Creative Fellowship
Are you longing for connection in these difficult times? Do you have unfinished craft/art/sewing/knitting or other projects that you would like to work on but haven’t? If so please join me in Creative Fellowship! We will have a zoom meeting once a month (days and time to be determined.) and we can work on our projects, exercise our creativity, and talk about whatever is on our minds and hearts. If interested please contact Teri Cornell at imuuteri@yahoo.com or send a text to 614-843-8300. Be sure to include your name, phone number and email address. I’m looking forward to the creative possibilities!
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Food for the Spirit
by Liora Gubkin Malicdem, Ministerial Intern
Looking for an opportunity to connect with your North community and attend to your own spiritual development? Food for the Spirit, provides a space for us to come together and share how we feed our spirits. Each session will explore a different facet of spirituality where we can reflect, share, and have some fun in the process. You can attend any or all that are of interest to you. I look forward to this opportunity for us to be together.
Saturday, January 9, 1-2:30 p.m.
Spiritual Journeys. We’ll take up mapmaking to discern the peaks and valleys, the leave-takings, wanderings, and homecomings of our life journeys.
Saturday, February 13, 1-2:30 p.m.
Ritual and Celebration. We’ll exercise our collective creativity to communally connect with the Spirit of Life in our midst.
You can come to all, or any individual sessions. Just be sure to email lioragmalicdem@gmail.com with your intentions to attend so we can send you the zoom link.
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HORIZON PRISON INITIATIVE INVITATION
Horizon Prison Initiative is a multi-faith program that provides an emotionally safe place for incarcerated men and women to discover—and practice—a new way to live. Beginning in 2000, they provided programming in several Ohio Corrections Institutions for men including Marion, Chillicothe, and London. In June 2016, Horizon was selected to be the Service Project for the UUA General Assembly in Columbus, OH. Due to the generous donations from Unitarian Universalists, Horizon was able to open their first women’s program at The Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) in August 2016. Since that time, the NUUC congregation has been very involved with the Horizon women at ORW. We have had several members who volunteered as Outside Sisters. Pam Patsch was the Outside Sisters Coordinator and taught several classes to the women. Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie taught classes on religion and is on the Horizon Board of Directors. From 2016-2019, the NUUC congregation adopted the Horizon women as our Holiday Family, providing over 100 participants, staff, and volunteers with a wonderful holiday meal. Unfortunately due to Covid-19, Horizon has been unable to provide programming for the participants inside ORW or London Correctional Institution since March 2020. As they wait until it is safe for staff and volunteers to resume programming inside the prisons, Horizon has found other ways to support individuals involved with the criminal justice system.
In August and September, Horizon Prison Initiative hosted a five-part webinar, featuring Central Ohio medical and addiction experts and several incredibly strong, resilient guests who had found their way to recovery. Funding for the webinar series came from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Recently Horizon was offered a second Mental Health grant which focuses on participation by faith/spiritual communities to address the opioid crisis. This set of 5 webinars is called "Head, Heart, and Hands." Those communities choosing to partner with Horizon will be asked to not only watch the webinars but agree to take an action step such as showing the webinars to the larger congregation, preparing a homecoming kit for returning citizens, securing a Narcan box for their building, and/or writing Hope letters to incarcerated individuals. The grant provides for a Community Outreach person who will meet with the faith community to explain what Horizon is doing and assist in organizing their action step. The webinars begin on January 29th. See the flyer below for more information. If you are interested in being part of a small team who will commit to watch the webinars and take an action step, please contact Pam Patsch at pgp723@aol.com.
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NUUC Holiday Family Program
This year the NUUC Holiday Family donation of $1000 was given to Freedom a la Cart, a nonprofit organization that supports survivors of human trafficking through workforce training programs. Thanks to the generosity of our congregation, we were able to provide $50 gift cards to both Kroger and Walmart for each of the women in the program. The gift cards will help the women provide food and other items for their families during the holiday season.
You can continue to support Freedom a la Cart by ordering box lunches or meals, using their catering service, or visiting their downtown café. Volunteers are also needed to work in the kitchen, provide rides to survivors for appointments, or to be a mentor. For more information visit https://freedomalacart.org.
If you are interested in learning more about human trafficking, She Has A Name provides community education through a unique curriculum that addresses human trafficking education and awareness. Training focuses on defining human trafficking, caring for those affected, and connecting with local initiatives. Men and women are encouraged to attend. There are three sessions and each session is a different topic, so please plan on attending both days. The next training is online via Zoom is February 19th 6:30pm-8pm and February 20th 9am-12:30pm. For more information and to register: https://shehasaname.org/
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UU JUSTICE OHIO NEWS
How to Speak to Ohio Legislators: And Be Heard!
Thursday, January 14 at 7:00 pm
The new Ohio legislative session begins January 4, 2021. And it will be an exciting year in Ohio with legislation that is guaranteed to impact our daily lives - from LGBTQ rights to roads to reproductive rights to First Amendment rights and more. The legislature will be shaping our post-pandemic society here in Ohio.
Join Larry Bressler (Organize! Ohio), Teresa Mills (Buckeye Environmental Network) and Rev Joan Van Becelaere (UUJO) for a webinar about how a bill becomes law and the many opportunities and methods available to you to have your voice heard at the Ohio Legislature.
Please register in advance for the webinar at:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
UUJO Legislative Update - January
Jan. 20, 2021 at 7:00 pm
Join Tadd Pinkston (Pinkston Law), Rev Joan Van Becelaere (UUJO), and expert guests will talk about what is new and moving in the Ohio Legislature in January at the start of the new legislative session.
Please register in advance for this meeting:
Widening the Circle of Concern – Theology
Thursday Nights, January 21 and 27, 7-8:30pm
In this time of restlessness and uncertainty, a yearning for real change becomes increasingly insistent.
- Looking for a path forward for Living Our Values in the World?
- Would you like to discuss these matters guided by UU Voices of Color?
Come explore "Widening the Circe of Concern!" This is a ground-breaking report and call to action released by our Unitarian Universalist Commission On Institutional Change” (COIC)* in June, 2020.
Please register for Zoom information
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