Unitarian Universalist
Church of the
North Hills
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Nourish your spirit. Celebrate life. Cherish the connectedness of all things. |
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Newsletter
Thursday - June 8, 2023
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Sunday - June 11, 2023
10:30am (EDT)
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Transgender Justice Sunday
TrUUe Colors Team
Transgender rights/issues. Let's take a moment today to celebrate our transgender siblings and learn how to fight for their rights.
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UNDER THE PRESIDENT'S TREE |
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I didn’t want this column to disappear into the ether without notice, so this will be my last message to you as President. At the time of this writing, it’s Monday morning, the day after our Flower Communion and Annual Meeting.
So many transitions lie ahead of us. Our wonderful DLFD, Dana Poss will make her exit in July. In August, we’ll welcome our new minister, Rev Lee Anne Washington. I’ll admit that I can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that mere weeks separate me from becoming your past President, with just one year left on the Board of Trustees.
Reflecting on my time, I feel nothing but gratitude. The trust you have all instilled in me has made me realize I’m capable of so much more than I ever thought possible. And, in turn, I wish the same for you. The way so many of you have stepped up this year for our community has given me so much joy. It was incredibly difficult to whittle down the Thank yous at our Annual Meeting. I really wanted to thank you all individually.
As our momentum as a community continues to build, I hope we can continue to organize around a North Star, a Mission, of being a force for good in the world. So much of the rhetoric I hear today, the hate, the desire to go back to some imagined time when we were “Great,” makes me fear for my children, for all of us. But then I remember this community, the people who care, and the way we instill values in our children and youth that are the antithesis of that hate, and I smile.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman
May we continue to change the world together.
Jen Suehr
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UUCNH ARTICLE II VOTE & GA DELEGATES |
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At the annual meeting on June 4th, we learned that we do not have consensus on the Article II revisions in our congregation (please visit the Article II section of the UUA website for more).
The results of the votes were that 18 Members are in favor of the changes, 36 are not in favor, and 19 abstained.
If you have questions, possible amendment ideas, or want your views known generally, please reach out to Jen Suehr. She will ensure that your thoughts reach all of our delegates, including Stephen Fuegi, Dawn Lindsay, Lynn Richards, and Jen herself.
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The Craft Group has completed the new UUCNH banner in time for General Assembly in Pittsburgh!! It was gifted to the Congregation at our Sunday's Annual Meeting. The women who organized, designed, and sewed the banner paraded it down the aisle and hung it on the West Room wall at the start of the meeting. They are: (in alphabetical order) Marsha Albright, Inga Burton-Smith, Julie Kant, Ginny Love, Midge Miles, Susan Minton, and Susan Powers. What an amazing representation of "Our Red Barn Home"! |
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PSI (PHILOSOPHICAL, SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS) |
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PSI (Philosophical, Spiritual Insights) Group is meeting Sunday, June 11th, noon – 1:15 PM on Zoom and at church (upstairs, follow the yellow sign). June topic: And yes, Evolution can even be responsible for the shapes we are and the thoughts we think.
This time we’ll talk about “The Wit to Woo!” See Tony Palermo for details.
Note: We will be on hiatus in July and August, will return the first Sunday in September, the 3rd.
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ANNUAL UUCNH CAMPING TRIP |
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The annual UUCNH camping trip is planned to take place this year at Loleta Campground in the Allegheny National Forest from July 19-23. The camping trip is great fun, lots of families, a good way to get to know people better while relaxing around the campfire, hiking, doing water sports, and "s'more..."! There are a limited number of spaces available so please RSVP soon to Abby Vaughn or Rachael Smart if you would like to attend. We also have a Facebook group.
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The Share the Plate recipient for June will be the Persad Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Persad Center is a human service organization whose mission is to improve the well-being of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) communities and the HIV/AIDS communities.
The Persad Center serves our target populations and their loved ones, cradle to grave, across western Pennsylvania, with service centers in Pittsburgh, Washington, and Erie, PA. They fulfill their mission through outreach, prevention, counseling, and training services.
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You may donate to STP by June 30th in the following ways: 1) Place cash or check in the BLUE envelope in the offering plate during Sunday services; 2) Mail a check to the church office; or 3) Go to the church website's Donation Page and select Special Offerings. Checks should be made payable to UUCNH, with "Share the Plate" or "Persad" in the memo line. If using the website Donation Page, please be sure to include the words "Share the Plate" and/or "Persad" when making your donation.
Share the Plate totals will be shared when available. Thank you for your patience and your generosity!
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This drop-in connection will be held every Tuesday at 3:30pm-4:30 pm and will be led by Michael Horwitz. Click the link above to join the Zoom meeting. Login is the same each week:
Vespers - with Reverend John Ballance - CLICK HERE
Join us for a Vespers service every Wednesday starting at 7:00pm. The formal part of vespers will end at 7:30, but the Zoom link will remain open until 8:00 so that participants who wish to remain longer can converse informally about what’s going on in their lives. Please join us (and invite others to join us as well!) as we continue to nurture our bonds with one another.
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UU JUSTICE PA MEET AND GREET |
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Come meet the staff and officers of our statewide social justice organization. We'll be in the Fayette Room of the Westin Hotel on Thursday, June 22, 10:45-12:00.
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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN STATUS SUMMARY UPDATE |
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The Silo Repair work has been completed!! Check it out!
The re-roofing work of the Barn and Bellwood will hopefully begin in the next few weeks!!
The June CC’22 Status Summary shows the prioritized project list and estimated cost breakdown. This spreadsheet was shown at the Annual Congregational Meeting on 4Jun23 and will be used as the on-going monthly Capital Campaign update. The update shows the projects for which we have accepted contractor quotes (light blue shading) and the difference between our estimate of costs and the accepted quote. It also shows how much money has been paid out and how much is still owed (red shading) for each of those projects. In addition, the spreadsheet also shows contractor quotes that have been received but not accepted – we are hoping to do better!
The major change from May’s update is an adjustment to the total amount pledged to the Campaign. An error in one pledge has reduced our total from $974,120 to $962,600. The amount of cash presently in the Capital Campaign account (yellow shading), amount still owed (red shading) and cash available to spend (green shading) are also updated.
The Project team has also been busy trying to line up the Accessible Restroom work (#4a on the Summary) and the Stormwater Runoff work (#4c2 on the Summary). We are hoping to formally engage an architect soon for help with many of the other projects, including Stage Accessibility and Air Conditioning for the barn. Please click the June Status Summary shown below to review the latest update. Any questions can be sent to Joe Meier.
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LIFESPAN FAITH DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE WELCOMES YOUR INPUT |
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A children and youth religious education coordinator taskforce has been put together and is called Lifespan Faith Development Task Force. It has been created for finding a new religious educator for our congregation. As we work to fill the position we welcome any questions or concerns you may have. We want to hear your thoughts. If you would like to share anything with us, talk to any of the team members: Jen Suehr, Kathie Maloney, Katie Smith, and Robyn Travers. You can also email the team. We look forward to hearing from you.
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OPPORTUNITY: BUILDINGS & GROUNDS LEADER |
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Our current Buildings and Grounds chair will be stepping back from the role after 3+ years, and a new volunteer is needed. No experience required and there is lots of support available! If you are interested in learning more, please contact Allyson Zadnik. |
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A Sorrow from Jody Clark: I lost my 89 year old Mom after a brief illness on May 9th. Fortunately my brother and I were able to spend the last of my mother's days with her.
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Note: There are times when you may not be able to share during a service, but want the Congregation to know what is on your heart. In that instance, just contact a member of the Lay Pastoral Care Team (LPCT) in person or submit your Joys & Sorrows electronically by clicking here. Once submitted, the form is sent to all LPCT members. (Chris Hill, Ruth Horwitz, Susan Powers, Lynn Richards, Lynne Herchenroether, Inga Burton-Smith). Please be sure to submit your item by NOON on Saturday at the latest, so we get it in time for Service. Also, LPCT emails forward to all members of the team. We welcome your sharing and would be honored to carry forth your message.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS |
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Click your calendar choice below, then choose to view by list, day, week, or month. |
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UU Church of the North Hills
2359 West Ingomar Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Phone: 412-366-0244
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