Sunday - March 24, 2024

10:30 am (EDT)

Sharing our Time, Talent & Treasure:

What season are you in?

Rev. Lee Anne

During this stewardship pledge season, it is important to understand that just as the seasons change, so does our ability to share our time, talent, and treasure. Join Rev. Lee Anne as she explores some age-old wisdom about the seasons of life and how to embrace the one you’re in. 

This will be a shortened service so that those who have not been able to attend a cottage meeting will have an opportunity to meet in small groups after church – no sign-up necessary.

Some say that your values and priorities can be discerned from how you manage your money. Ever wonder about how UUCNH manages its money? Ever wonder whether there's money to fund a new program, or to send congregants to UUA activities, or to sponsor a community event? If so, you're in luck. Along with committee and team reports and planning, this Month's Leadership Council meeting will take a deep dive into UUCNH's budgeting process and its results. There will be game playing, fake money, and food.

The meeting will be held at the church this Saturday morning, March 23rd from 9:30 to 11:00. Every team and committee should send someone. This is an open meeting and all interested members and friends are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!

Pledge Total - $219,194.00

53% of Goal



46 Member Pledge Units (38%)

and 5 Friend Pledge Units (4%)



Is your leaf on the tree?

The theme REIMAGINE invites us to look into the future - to question, to dream, to plan - and, through our actions, guided by our UU Principles, create the transformed world of our Mission Statement. The transformation begins with recognizing that each of us has the power - indeed, the responsibility - to contribute to the realization of our beloved community.  

We can explore untried avenues of worship, perhaps adopting ideas shared by other UU churches. Now is the time also to reimagine our longstanding commitments to social justice, maintaining what has been most effective in the past while testing new approaches to maximize our impact in this fast-changing world.

STEWARDSHIP DRIVE ENDS

April 21, 2024

Please sign up for and attend a convenient small group cottage meeting! We’ve been waiting 4 years to be able to sit and talk together! Let’s do it. 

If that doesn’t fit your schedule please pledge online or see a member of stewardship during coffee hour for a pledge card.

On March 11, members and friends associated with UUCNH received text messages claiming to be from our minister requesting help. A thorough investigation followed, and it was determined that a bad actor took advantage of our processes to gain access to our Breeze directory.

The Connections Team and Office Administrator have implemented process changes to help prevent similar future events. First, the decision was made to not grant visitors Breeze accounts and the Breeze signup link will be removed from the website. In addition, all website welcome forms will be verified via phone call before a Breeze profile is created. 

Thank you to the Office Administrator, Workspace Support Committee, and Connections Team for their quick actions!

Are you interested in joining the UUCNH Board of Trustees or Leadership Development Team? This announcement is our formal posting of a call for nominations to begin a 3-year term starting in July 2024. Nominees must be members and consent to the nomination. Contact Jody Clark no later than Saturday, March 30, 2024, if you are interested in submitting a nomination or if you have questions. 

Article II - Proposed changes to: “...the heart of our faith…” says UUA Exec. VP Carey McDonald

Four accepted congregational amendments will be voted on at GA 2024. They are Peace, Responsible Search for Truth, and two related to Equity. Read and discuss them at UUA Discuss.

UUA Board Meeting Highlights 

Teams Mentioned at the board meeting include:

Bylaws Renewal Team: is “to conduct a thorough review and rewrite of the UUA Bylaws” governance system per GA 2022 Resolution including “accountability to our values”, specifically “anti-racist and anti-oppressive commitments”. Expect a vote on new bylaws as early as GA2025. 

Accountability Launch Team: To prepare to change our faith from personal accountability to one where “we are accountable to one another” through the covenants for each value, this team will define how we are held accountable to the UUA and other congregations for “doing the work of our shared values…” 

UUA Board Packet, February 2024

• UUA financial statements were accepted - see packet 
• Accountability Launch Team Update 
• Startup meeting was held late Jan and will meet twice monthly
• Immediate activity is to gather inputs from key stakeholders
• They will be coordinating with the Bylaws Renewal team since accountability, which they are responsible to define, is to be part of the new bylaws. 
• Full Accountability Launch Team update planned for the April meeting
• March UUA board meeting is closed to observers. It will be entirely an executive session. 

Want to be a delegate for this historic vote? Have a question? Want to join us or share? Email UUA Affairs.

Check out the March CER Newsletter. Here is just a small sampling.

March Activities

• Canvass Clean Up Webinar - March 14 & April 25
• General Assembly 2024 is all Virtual.  Register before March 15 for the best deal: $280
• UUtheVote 2024 Launch is March 14 / 7 pm ET. Learn about upcoming work. Register here
• Mosaic Virtual Spring Gathering - March 16 / 2:30-3:30 pm ET. Mosaic provides resources, connection & support for UU’s dismantling of racism & oppression. Visit Mosaic’s webpage.
• Green Sanctuary 2030 Community Meeting: Climate Justice and Racial Reconciliation in a Predominantly White Congregation - March 20 / 7 pm ET.

Highlighted Resources

• Leader Lab Learning Center: Congregational handbook, Training by Role, As Employers, Library, Training - take the 5 minute tour: LeaderLab Tour 2019 (youtube.com)

                        And …MUCH MUCH More in the CER Newsletter!

March Activities

• March 5 & 14: SCT members attended UUtheVote meetings about plans for 2024. Click here for details about collaborating partners and spiritual resources for dealing with this election year. Note: PAID POLL WORKERS are most needed. 

Future Activities

• PA Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) community gatherings are held on the last Wed of the month. People from area churches meet to socialize and discuss social justice issues. Next meeting: March 25 / 5:30 pm (dinner) & 6:00 pm mtg) Location: 2018 S. Braddock, PGH. Conversation: Prison health conditions.  
• April 23:  Pennsylvania Primary Election. Please vote by mail or in person. Your vote matters!  View your personal primary ballot at Vote411.org and view key dates in the UUJPA posting elsewhere in this e-news.    
• May 7: CeaseFirePA Advocacy Day at the State Capital in Harrisburg. Free buses will be available. For additional information and registration, Please click here.

Email Liz Perkins for monthly meeting Zoom link, more info, helping with any of our activities, and/ or about being a paid poll worker this year. Consider joining us at our next SCT Meeting on Mon, April 1 at 7:30 pm on Zoom.

Pennsylvania's Primary Election is not far away.

Make sure to meet the deadlines below.

Because the only way to FIX HARRISBURG, is if EVERYONE VOTES!

PERSONALIZED VOTING INFORMATION

The monthly CC summaries show the prioritized project list, our initial estimated cost of each project, actual contractor quotes we have received for the work, and much more.   

Please click this link to review the latest status summary update.  

There are minor changes from the last update including the installation of Handicapped Door Openers at three of our bathrooms, a new lock and handles on the breezeway doors, and the nearing of construction of the Celebration Garden Memorial Walls. Our Project Task Force continues to investigate cost savings ideas for air conditioning at the Barn. As mentioned in the last update, our estimate to air condition the entire barn has increased to $265,000.  This increased estimate of cost is reflected in the CC Status Summary Spreadsheet which now shows us needing $128,939 additional funding to complete all of the projects in the Enhanced Plan approved by the congregation. We are meeting with the mechanical engineer this month (March) to discuss ways to reduce costs. After we hear the mechanical engineer’s ideas we intend to create a list of the ideas/options to move forward staying within the present budget. A meeting to present these ideas/options with the CC Stakeholders (congregation) will be scheduled after this list is formulated.   

See this link for a more detailed discussion of our progress to date.

Building on our commitment to being a welcoming congregation offering radical hospitality as we co-create the beloved community, we are continuing to try out a new coffee hour protocol.

Please:  

• Pick a Sunday to start the coffee, dress the tables, and put out cups, plates, and flatware
• Every Sunday bring a little something to eat*
• Every Sunday pitch in to load the dishwashers and throw out the trash-many hands make light work
• Take home any leftovers from your contribution

Without volunteers willing to sign up, there can be no coffee hour. Just as in the Stone Soup parable, if we all bring a little of what we have, everyone will feast! Do your part and keep coffee hour alive! 

*That little something could be an apple, a hunk of cheese, a sleeve of crackers, a plate of brownies, or even leftover frittata from your garden party!

UUCNH benefits from you buying Giant Eagle and/or Kuhn’s Gift Cards at no extra expense to you! Both stores donate $5 to UUCNH for every $100 of gift card value sold. 

Grocery cards are sold in Friendship Hall after the Sunday service. Every grocery card seller is also an usher that week, so be patient and have a cup of coffee or snack until we get settled in to sell cards at the usual bench in Friendship Hall near the church office.

Here is our Grocery Card schedule:

• Lindsay Scott - 1st Sunday
• Joe Meier - 2nd Sunday
• Michael Horwitz - 3rd Sunday
• Mary Ellen Johnson - 4th Sunday
• Beth Zak - 5th Sunday as needed

Mother Earth and small-scale farmers benefit when you buy Fair Trade Equal Exchange Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate. They are always available from their usual display in Friendship Hall. For more information or bulk orders contact Chris Hill.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support these fundraisers. 

From Carol Ballance, on behalf of Susan Cox: Paul Cox, who was a member of UUCNH for many years, passed away last Sunday. He suffered from Alzheimer’s for a number of years. The family held a small memorial service for Paul and he was laid to rest last week. 

From Erin Terrizzi: A few months ago, I submitted a sorrow for my uncle Barry who discovered he had a tumor in his sinuses below & behind his left eye. The doctors thought that it was treatable & started radiation. Last weekend, he felt pain & dizziness, so my Aunt Pam rushed him to the emergency room. It was discovered that his cancer had spread into a more aggressive & untreatable cancer. Doctors predict he only has a few days to weeks left. My uncle Barry has been moved home with hospice care & my family is starting to gather in WV. He is my dad's older brother.

From Bruce Travers: My father had a mild stroke on Tuesday, but he is recovering well and is already home. His other two sons have visited him in North Carolina, and he is as cranky as ever.

From Lee Gable: Requesting prayers for my son, Andrew.

Note: There are times when you may not be able to share during 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 are forward to all members of the team. We welcome your sharing and would be honored to carry forth your message.

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UUCNH Policy for In-Person Gatherings

Check Allegheny County Transmission Levels

UU Church of the North Hills

2359 West Ingomar Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15237

Phone: 412-366-0244

Rev. Lee Anne’s Work Schedule

Work Week: Tuesday – Sunday

Office Hours: Tuesday 10:00 - 6:00 by appointment

          Sunday 8:30 - 3:30 

Friday: Message Preparation

Monday: Sabbath