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Construction Updates
Above is a photo of two of the five new furnaces that will help to heat and cool our renovated and expanded building. Not the most beautiful of things, and likely most of us will never see the insides of the mechanical room again, but this photo offers exciting evidence of our construction progress. Our primary general contractor is on track to complete their work on November 29. We'll have a few things to do after that--complete the kitchen renovation with that contractor, not to mention moving back into the building--so at this point we anticipate our first Sunday in the building to be the second or third Sunday of December. Look for an invitation to the building dedication with the final date later this month. Work on the Memorial Garden, landscaping, and children's playscapes will commence as soon as weather allows in the Spring. We're almost there!
Notes on worshipping at "The Barn"
Note: Because of a scheduling conflict at The Barn, Nov. 5's worship will be on Zoom only.
We are currently worshiping at the Barn at Stratford while our building is under construction. You can read all about our Building Expansion project here. The Barn at Stratford is operated by the Delaware County Historical Society. It is located just nine minutes from our church building, just South of Delaware in the community of Stratford. It is immediately north from the junction of routes 315 and 23. The address of the barn is 2690 Stratford Road, Delaware, OH 43015. While we will miss our beautiful building, the Barn provides a comfortable, historic temporary space that supports all of our regular Sunday morning activities. Please join us! Worship begins at 10:30 AM. Virtual Access to worship will continue to be offered via Zoom. Some notes about our new space: the parking lot looks small, but it isn't! The entire grassy area North of the barn is available for parking. We recommend that most folks park on the grassy, reserving the paved lot for person with mobility issues. We'll serve coffee and water as usual, but as we will not have our own cups, we'll need to use disposable. So if you can, please bring your own reusable coffee mug and/or water bottle to reduce the amount of our waste.
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Getting Involved in NUUC
Even though it’s autumn, the Nominating Committee believes the time is ripe to plant a seed: We are asking you to consider the possibility of stepping up your involvement in the congregation.
In March, NUUC will need to fill a few positions on the Board of Trustees and the Nominating Committee, and in the meantime, the Fundraising Team is looking for enthusiastic new members whose efforts directly benefit the church’s bottom line (and also provide fun socializing opportunities for the rest of the congregation). If you’re interested or want to know more, please contact any member of the Nominating Committee: Martha Filipic (marthafilipic@gmail.com), Morgan Patten (morgan@nuuc.org), Roger Johnson (jrogerj@aol.com) or Lorraine McReynolds (lorrainemcreynolds@gmail.com).
You might also consider one-offs – signing up once or twice to greet people as they arrive for service, or you can host the coffee hour on a Sunday or two, or you can even help by acting as our Zoom host. To sign up or to learn more about those opportunities, go to NUUC’s Sign-Up Genius page at https://bit.ly/nuucvolunteer. If you have any questions, contact Rev. Ritchie at minister@nuuc.org or Administrative Assistant Teri Cornell at imuuteri@yahoo.com.
This is an exciting time for our congregation, and volunteering is the perfect way to get to know others on a deeper level and work alongside like-minded people with the shared goal of helping NUUC strengthen its roots and blossom into its full potential. Thank you.
--Martha Filipic, chair of the Nominating Committee
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Leadership Layview
On Oct. 22, 2023, NUUC member Teri Cornell gave a Leadership Layview at the service. For anyone who wasn’t able to attend that day, here are her inspirational words:
Hi, my name is Teri Cornell. I am one of the Commissioned Lay Leaders here at NUUC as well as a member of the Board of Trustees, the Caring Committee, and the Worship Committee.
When I joined NUUC, which was Dublin UU at the time, I came in not knowing anyone but Dick and Chris Jones Leavy. We had been a part of a very small congregation in Westerville that was lay-led before we merged with Dublin UU. I was raised Catholic, became Presbyterian in my 20s, and in my 30s, I found Unitarian Universalism and knew I found my spiritual home.
At the time we merged with Dublin UU, Susan had her office on the second floor of a building in Worthington. I had never been a part of a church other than attending Sunday services, but I felt drawn to classes and opportunities to learn, share and socialize with other UU’s. I joined a spiritual autobiography class and a spirituality group. Got to know more people. Then we got the building in Lewis Center and there were more opportunities to be a part of the church and leadership. And I took them. And it has been one of the richest experiences of my life.
Being a part of this congregation and of leadership and committees is fun, rewarding and helps me feel a part of something larger than me. Something so rewarding that I keep coming back. I hope you will take advantage of the opportunities coming up in the new building to learn, share your talents, meet and get to know others and have fun. We are a church family. And all are welcome, and you can take part in whatever way you can.
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A report from Aaron Saling, your NUUC Treasurer
You can download the first financial quarterly report for the 2024 fiscal year by clicking on this link (after clicking on the link, you can locate the file in your download folder). The Board of Trustees has reviewed several financial reporting options and agreed that reporting on a quarterly basis was a good place to start. This reporting frequency should allow the congregation to remain abreast of the church's financial health while minimizing some of the monthly swings in income and expenses. As your treasure, I will provide brief written reports each month summarizing key observations made by the Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee. Should there be a need to increase the reporting frequency, things will be adjusted as necessary.
Here are some brief comments about the first quarter financials:
- Pledge Income is running ~$10K positive
- Building Expenses are ~3K over budget, but this is largely due to budgeting the Nielsen House mortgage over 12 months (while expenses will only be incurred for 5 months of the year)
- Compensation expenses are ~4K under budget. We are slightly behind in paying into Susan's retirement funds. Catch up payments will be made shortly.
- Dues expenses were paid in a lump sum this year, so this expense will appear over budget for the remainder of the year (due to budgeting over 12 months)
- Bottom line:
- With the larger than expected revenues, some expenses running below budget and the larger, one-time expense related to the annual UUA Dues, the congregation's income is slightly larger than it's expense.
Future months' reporting will contain similar highlights and may include some projections as the congregation makes its way through the 2024 fiscal year.
Thanks,
Aaron
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Ways to Connect
Mindful Writing will meet Monday, November 20, at 7:00 pm via Zoom for our monthly sharing of written thoughts. All are welcome! Please contact Marty Keith if you're interested in joining the group so she can send you the Zoom link. martykeith@zoho.com
Brown Bag Books Discussion Group plans to share thoughts about Alice Sebold's The Almost Moon on Tuesday, November 21, noon, at the Orange Branch of the Delaware Library, Reading room #2.
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Life has a way of rushing by. Sometimes we feel the need to pause or to reflect more deeply. Join me for a virtual half hour of mindful contemplation that is inclusive, non-judgmental and expectation free. I’ll bring a mix of poetry, music, breathwork, silence, or meditation to create a space for you to relax. Participants are muted. Feel free to turn your video off. Please engage in whatever way feels most meaningful to you. A Space for Reflection is freely offered the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm on Zoom. Registration is required (link here).
As for me, Karen McGuire, the facilitator, I’m a lifelong Unitarian Universalist, a retired educator, and a trained Interspiritual Companion who finds it necessary to stop every once in a while, and pay attention.
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