|
The Service Auction is Coming! Live Auction May 19 at 11:30 AM, Online Silent Auction May 7-May 19.
The live component of our NUUC service auction will begin immediately after an abbreviated church service on Sunday, May 19, 2024. We will gather to consume delicious appetizers while we mix and mingle with our friends and lift those paddles for winning bids on the many wonderful donations. There will also be a raffle for the younger set.
With each deadline, we will be enticing you to get in on the fun.
On May 7, we will release the live and silent auction catalogs. This will give you plenty of time to look over the items that will be auctioned during the live auction on May 19. Also on May 7, bidding on the silent (online) auction begins. Bidding on the Silent(Online) Auction ends at 11:30AM, Sunday, May 19. This year, you can check up on your silent auction bids, so if someone outbids you -- there's nothing to stop you from rebidding to keep your place. When the bidding opens for the silent Auction on May 14, there will be some fixed price items ready for immediate bidding.
All bidders must register. Registration is truly a painless process. Go to the site: https://auctria.com/auction/NUUCauction and use the menu tab "Get Ready to Bid." Fill in the blanks and register. You do not have to leave a credit card number unless you want to purchase something in the silent auction.
Folks who can’t make it to church on the 19th will be able to participate in this year's live auction through attending via Zoom. We will have volunteers who will monitor your responses and lift a paddle for you should you decide to bid.
Process for bidders to the live auction attending on Zoom:
1. Register in advance to participate in the online auction -- and to be sure we can check you in for the live auction.
2. Stay online after the worship on May 19. Someone will help get you checked in and update your name to include a bidder number.
3. When you want to bid, you will need to type in the chat box. If you are purchasing more than one seat, please enter, 'two seats at $xx each' and for single items, just type in the amount you want to spend.
We are looking forward to a lively, fun-filled auction on May 19 with lots of good food, laughter and of course, great bidding. What a way to start the summer.
| | |
News from Religious Exploration
May 19 - Biodiversity Sunday
Climate change and habitat loss threaten much of our local wildlife. What can we learn from the past and how will we live into the future? In this All Ages Service, our children and youth will also share some of the projects they have worked on this year. (Plus, you won't want to miss the Service Auction that will immediately follow!). Worship will be slightly abbreviated to accomodate the Service Auction.
Chalice Who - Register by May 26
We’re inviting youth and elders to get to know one another in this summer-long Chalice Who Challenge. Throughout the summer, youth and elders will share responses to questions about themselves and guess who their Chalice Who partner might be. We will celebrate the connections we've made, as well as the start of a new school year on August 18.
Click here to learn more. Registration is required for all participants by May 26. Click here to register.
| |
Please Help with Sunday morning Greeting and Refreshments!
To sign up to be a greeter on Sunday morning, or to provide refreshments for Fellowship time, please click here. Explanations of the responsibilities role will be available once you click. THANKS!
| | |
Summer Music Volunteers Needed!
Do you like to sing, dance, or play an instrument (or a combination of any of these)? We are looking for YOU! While the choir takes a much deserved rest this summer, there are weekly opportunities for sharing special music each Sunday. You do not have to be a virtuoso - even if you are just learning a music skill, this is a wonderful opportunity to share your gifts surrounded by your NUUC family! Need a piece to play or sing? No problem, we’ll be happy to help! Solos and ensembles are welcome and practice time in the sanctuary can be scheduled so you will feel super confident! Need another person or so for your piece? We’ll match you up with someone! Also, Holly is available to accompany any volunteers! This is a great chance in a relaxed atmosphere to share your musical gifts! Many dates are still available. Please contact Molly Watson at mollystarfish@gmail.com.
| |
Eclipse Viewing Party a Big Succes!
We were thrilled that about eight of us came together in early April to view the eclipse from the church lawn, and to enjoy snacks and conversation together. Here's a peak at the fun!
| | |
Putting Down Roots at NUUC
On April 28, 2024, NUUC member Martha Filipic gave a Leadership Layview at the service. For anyone who wasn’t able to attend that day, here are her inspirational words:
Hi, I’m Martha Filipic. I joined the church 26 years ago, back when we were meeting in a middle school cafetorium in Dublin. I was invited to try the church by Mary Ann Wojton, an old friend I had met in the eighth grade at St. Anthony’s in Parma, Ohio. We reconnected in the mid-1990s, and at that time, I was living in Chillicothe and, having left the Catholic church, I was spending my Sunday mornings with coffee and the newspaper. When I moved to Columbus in 1998, I took Mary Ann up on her offer and gave UUism a try. I soon appreciated everything about Unitarian Universalism in general and this congregation in particular, and officially joined the church after just a few months. And in 2000, not long after the congregation bought this building, Tony and I (who met in that cafetorium) got married in the quaint old sanctuary. And I have to say, we feel so fortunate that Susan has been around for all of that. Her longstanding commitment to this congregation has been inspiring to witness and a complete joy.
Right now, I’m just a member of NUUC, but over the years I’ve been quite active. Now, I’m the type of person who says “No” easily when it makes sense for whatever is going on in my life at the time, but even so, I’ve often said “yes” to both leadership and service roles here. I was a Board of Trustees member and president of the board back in the early 2000s, when we first began delving into the idea of expanding the church. (Yes, this sanctuary was a long time coming, longer than many of you probably realize!) A few years later, Tony and I led the surprisingly complex effort for NUUC to officially become a Welcoming Congregation. We also led a children’s RE class for a couple of years, led the Social Action Committee, and often volunteered for “kitchen duty” after service. Most recently, I served on the Nominating Committee (now known as the Leadership Development Committee), which has incorporated many of the things I did as part of a Welcoming Team, a group that unfortunately fizzled out when Covid struck. One of the accomplishments I’m very proud of is a new page on our church website, “Putting Down Roots at NUUC,” which provides a kind of roadmap for deepening your involvement in the church at whatever level you wish. I have to give Roger Johnson and Morgan Patten the bulk of the credit for that, but I think it will be so helpful for both newcomers and anyone wanting to get more involved.
One of the things that Tony and I participated in last year that was surprisingly pleasant was the pledge drive. To be honest, we had agreed to be pledge stewards out of a sense of obligation, and we did not relish the thought of talking with people about money. We initially secretly hoped that all of our contacts would tell us they didn’t want to meet and would just send their pledges in themselves. But then we started calling the half-dozen or so families on our list, and Jan and Michael Butler came to our house one morning for coffee and conversation on the deck. Ruth and Gary Rusk asked us over to their lovely home. We had brunch after church with Carl Yaffey and Debbie Shaw. We got to know Joan Stoffregen better by chatting after church. We soon realized that we were actually disappointed if our contacts said “We don’t need to meet, we’ll just send in our pledge.” And the best thing? We didn’t really have to actually ask anyone for money – the thing we had dreaded the most. We just talked about what we had learned in our coaching session: updating everyone on the church’s needs and what the congregation could do with an expanded budget, encourage them to increase their pledge if at all possible, and inquire how they preferred to make their pledge (online? mail it in? give it to us in a sealed envelope?). Instead of being a sacrificial burden, we found it to be an enjoyable and meaningful experience.
I encourage all of you here to look for opportunities to get more involved in NUUC, in ways that make sense for you and whatever is going on in your life. Check out that Putting Down Roots page on the church website for ideas – it’s under the “Connection” menu at nuuc.org.If your experience is like mine, you’ll gain more than you give, and your energies will make a tangible difference in both your life and in the heart and soul of this congregation. Place article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.
| |
Mowing at NUUC--We Need Some Help
The mowing season is now underway, and the Building and Grounds Committee (B&G) again is organizing NUUC to handle the mowing ourselves using the same approach as in previous years. Doing the mowing ourselves will save us about $3,800 in the budget by avoiding having to contract out the mowing. So far, we have gotten some volunteers, but more are needed.
The B&G Committee will handle the mowing on a rotating basis with some help from the congregation. B&G Committee members will mow 2 weeks of each month, and the 3rd and 4th weeks plus sometimes the 5th week will be handled by volunteers from the congregation. This approach will spread the work so each committee member will mow about once a month, and each congregational volunteer would mow just one or two times during the season. Our approach will keep everyone's work commitments reasonable.
The areas to be mowed include the church yard bounded by Franklin St., Fourth St., and the parking lot. In addition, part of the southern field at the rear of our property and the west side of the parking lot are included.
We have a zero-turn riding mower, which we use for almost all of the mowing. Having the zero-turn mower continues to make a big difference in our mowing efforts. It has cut our mowing time in half and some volunteers even say the mowing is now fun!
If you are not familiar with using a zero-turn mower, we will give you some brief training for about 15 minutes that gets you familiar enough with the mower to comfortably mow the main parts of the yard. For a few small, tight areas, which the zero-turn mower cannot handle, you would finish up using a self-propelled push power mower. People who haven’t used a zero-turn or even a riding mower, have done well using the zero-turn mower. We also have had a few people who prefer to use the push mower to mow the entire yard instead of the zero-turn mower, which does provide one with more exercise.
We would like to get 2 to 3 volunteers from the congregation each month to mow one or two times in the season. The mowing season runs from the end of April through early November. This year volunteers from the congregation will be needed beginning in the 3rd week of April and going through October.
Please consider volunteering to mow one or two times this season. If you would like to help the church handle the mowing, you can see the mowing sign-up schedule posted at this weblink: tiny.cc/NUUC-mowing . To get scheduled, contact Bob Keith at bobkeith@zoho.com or 740-815-2825. You also can contact Bob if you have questions or would like more information.
| | |
|
Ways to Connect
Mindful Writing meets monthly, with members sharing a variety of written pieces and thoughts. All are welcome! Please contact Marty Keith if you're interested in joining the group so she can send you time and the Zoom link. martykeith@zoho.com
Brown Bag Books Discussion Group meets monthly at noon on the Third Tuesday of each month, in Room 3 at church. May The Women by Kristen Hanah
| |
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.
| | | | |
