The North Unitarian Universalist Congregation Newsletter

June 2010

Page 2

June News and Events!

Thank You for Spring Spruce-up Day The Building & Grounds Committee thanks everyone who helped with our recent Spring Spruce-up Day held on Saturday May 22nd. The event was a success, with a good amount of work getting done around the church and Nielsen House. Some of the items we accomplished were weeding, planting flowers, and mulching. We also raked leaves, trimmed bushes, and cleaned windows. Plus, we got some things done that we have been trying to get accomplished for some time, such as removing the debris pile behind the church on the east property line. We also made good progress on fixing the gutter on the east side of the church. The flower beds look great, and we especially thank the people who donated flowers (Jan Bourke, Carolyn Gross, Marty Keith, Ruth Rusk, and Darlene Tschudy). We do have some remaining tasks that we would like to get done this summer. If you are interested, you can sign up on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. Again, thanks for your help in making the church and Nielsen House “shine.” Bob Keith, Chair bobkeith@verizon.net Delaware County Community Market The Delaware Country Community Market is a fascinating new venture in downtown Delaware. A non-profit market, you can shop there for groceries, handmade foods and other items, and household goods, and then direct 20% of the profits to your favorite non-profit. Yes, NUUC is on the list of nonprofits to choose from! More information at www.dccmc.com. The store is located at 222 East William Street Next “Family Happy Hour” Planned for June 25 Our NUUC “Family Happy Hours” continue to be a rousing success! The next “Happy Hour” is planned for the last Friday evening in June (about June 25, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm—drop in as you wish). Watch the Orders of Service and the special e-mail E-Vite for confirmation of the date and time and for more details. If you have any questions, please contact Teri Cornell at tericornell@ymail.com or Allison Fagan fagan8385@gmail.com Brown Bag Book Group Please join us on Tuesday, June 15 at noon in Fellowship Hall to discuss the book “The Diving Bell and The Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death” by Jean-Dominique Bauby, the 44 year old editor-in-chief of French “Elle” magazine who suffered a rare kind of stroke which left only his mind and left eye unimpaired.  There are plentiful copies of this inspiring book at the library. For a synopsis check out www.amazon.com . For those of you who like to get ahead on your reading or at least get on the waiting list for upcoming books, here’s a sneak peek at the upcoming books we’ll be discussing: The July selection will be “Major Pettigrew's Last Stand” by Helen Simonson (meeting July 20).  You may want to get on the waiting list for this book as there are 37 copies available and 87 requests pending. August's selection is “Anticancer:  A New Way of Life” by cancer survivor, David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD (meeting August 17). Our small group continues to grow, and we are having lively discussions each month.  So sign up for the books now and get these dates on your calendar.  Remember, we meet the third Tuesday of the month at 12:00 noon.  We look forward to seeing you! For questions, please contact group facilitator Ruth Rusk at ruthrusk@midohio.net . Happy Reading! Summer Yoga Want to improve your health, your mood, your flexibility? Come try us out! The spring session of yoga concludes on June 3, and it is anticipated that another 10-week session will be offered. Certified Yoga Instructor Abby Dorn offers a blended style of hatha and vinyasa yoga with modifications and options suitable for all levels of fitness and experience, including beginners. Classes will likely continue on our usual Thursday evenings from 7:00p.m.-8:15p.m. for $60 for the complete session. Walk-ins are always invited; pay just $8.00 per visit. No previous attendance or experience is required--all are welcome to come (our class is attended by both males and females). No need to purchase special equipment--a limited supply of mats and other aids are available to use that night. Classes are sponsored by the NUUC Adult RE & Enrichment Committee. For questions and more info about the summer session, see the bulletin board or contact Jeri Dill at the church office at 740-657-8081, ext. 1 or Adult RE Committee member Ruth Rusk at ruthrusk@midohio.net. Time to Renew your Kroger Plus Cards NUUC recently received $167.34, thanks to your registering your Plus card with the Community Rewards program. Thank you! Participation must be renewed annually, and now is the time to do it. Go to http://www.kroger.com and select Kroger Community Rewards at the bottom of the page. You’ll need your account information or your Plus card number to complete the registration. It is a little cumbersome, but the sooner you do it the sooner your purchases start counting toward another nice donation from Kroger. (Should you need it, our NUUC Nonprofit Organization Number is 84869). June Music Notes The choir will be on summer hiatus during the months of June, July, and August, but there will be great live music at every summer service. Expect to hear choir members singing in small ensembles, instrumentalists, and much more. If you are a musician and would like to share your talents at one of the summer services, please contact me at marlenemetz@yahoo.com. I am especially in need of pianists during Wade's vacation days to play hymns. Happy summer, Marlene Hartzler, music director Go to: Page 1 Page 3 Page 4

June Calendar Preview: (N) = Nielsen House (F) = Fellowship Hall (S) = Sanctuary June 3 7:00pm – Yoga (F) June 5 10:30am – Covenant Group June 6 4:30pm – OWL June 7 2:00-8:00pm – Red Cross Blood Drive (F) June 8 Worship Committee June 13 Loose Change Sunday (benefiting Heifer Int’l.) Fair Trade Sale (F) (after service—last sale until Fall) Stewardship Committee June 15 Noon - Brown Bag Books (F) June 19 9:00am – Board Meeting (F) 1:00pm – Columbus Pride Parade (Goodale Park) June 20 3:00pm – Harlow Ballard Memorial Service (First UU) June 23 10:30am – Wed. A.M. Covenant Group (N) June newsletter submission deadline June 24 7:00pm – Thurs. P.M. Covenant Group (N) June 25 5:30-7:00pm – NUUC Family Happy Hour (F) Fair Trade Sale June 13 The Social Action Committee will hold its last Fair Trade Sale of the summer after the service on Sunday, June, 13 (held the second Sunday of the month).  Fair Trade Sales will resume in September.  See Launia White for more info. Fair Trade Coffee Organizers Needed: The Social Action Committee is looking for two people to take over the Fair Trade Coffee sales. If interested in keeping the Coffee Sales going please contact Launia White at launia@columbus.rr.com or Tracy Steinbrenner at tracystein@att.net OMD and UU Happenings General Assembly: Are you planning on going to General Assembly? This year we meet in Minneapolis, MN on June 23-27, 2010. Housing and online registration are now open. This year will see a change in the schedule with all workshops scheduled for Thursday and Friday and all plenary sessions scheduled for the weekend. Visit www.uua.org/ga to learn about workshops and speakers, see the schedule and find out what other activities are planned. GA from Home: If you are unable to join us in Minneapolis, you can still watch everything that is happening on the plenary floor and in worship on the web. The GA Planning Committee will be streaming all plenary sessions and worship services live on the web. To view the schedule visit http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2010/162704.shtml Summer Institute This year's Summer Institute theme is Our Stories, Ourselves: Seeking.... with theme speaker Odds Bodkin. Brochures are posted online; you can download a pdf copy or read the entire brochure online at www.omdsi.org. Registration closes June 1; you can link to our new online registration system from the omdsi.org website. Please join us July 11-17, 2010 at Kenyon College for week of community, learning and fun. Summer Update to 2010 NUUC Directory The Summer update to the NUUC Directory of Members and Friends was disseminated via e-mail just before Memorial Day. Additional updates will be sent out as new information warrants (about quarterly or more often if needed.) If you ever need a re-send of the directory, or you have no means to print out a copy of the directory and/or just wish to have a paper copy, kindly let Jeri Dill in the office know at nuucjdill@aol.com or 740-657-8081, ext. 1, noting whether you are able to pick it up at church (to save postage) or you need it mailed to you. NUUC Covenant Groups News Covenant groups provide a unique experience that differs from adult education, other groups, Sunday services, or anything else you do at church. Covenant groups are a good way to share with others what you are thinking and how you are living. Once a month you get to say out loud what you often keep quiet from others and, of course, to hear the wide range of experiences and viewpoints that others hold. Please consider joining one of the NUUC covenant groups. The Saturday morning group will continue to meet throughout 2010 and welcomes new attendees. The Wednesday morning and Thursday evening groups will disband after their June meetings and new groups will form in September (to drop in either group contact the facilitator listed). Saturday Morning Covenant Group: Meeting Day & Time: Monthly on 1^st Sat. at 10:30 AM except as noted Next Meeting: Sat. June 5 at 10:30 AM Meeting Location: contact Dick Leavy to confirm location (usually Panera Bread Westerville) Facilitator: Dick Leavy (614-890-7319, rckleavy@sbcglobal.net ) Current dates, topics, and preparatory materials from the San Jose UU church (http://www.sanjoseuu.org/FUSJC_SGM/sgm_sessionLists.htm) are listed below, although these are subject to change: June 5             Reclaiming Hope    G-140 July 3              Freedom and Independence   S -134 (date subject to change due to holiday) August 7         Planting Creativity   G-057 September 4   Path of Forgiveness   S-95  (Rosh Hashanah is  September 9th) (date subject to change) October  2       Failure G-81 November  6    Accomplishment G-77 December  4     Finding Our Boundaries  G-161 The Saturday morning group utilizes a learning website; since there is some advance reading and preparation, kindly contact Dick for more information and a link to the learning website. Topic for May 1 is -- Reclaiming hope: acknowledging discouragement but still seeking change Wednesday Morning Covenant Group: Meeting Day & Time: Monthly on 4th Wed. at 10:30 AM except as noted Last Meeting: Wed. June 23 - 10:30 AM – 12:15PM Meeting Location: Nielsen House (across from church) Facilitator: Wanda Brown (614-743-5825, brown5718@yahoo.com ) Topic -- Living with Uncertainty Thursday Evening Covenant Group: Meeting Day & Time: Monthly on 4^th Thursday at 7:00 PM except as noted Last Meeting: Thurs. June 24 – 7:00PM Meeting Location: Nielsen House (across from church) Facilitator: Bob Keith (740-369-1919, bobkeith@verizon.net) Topic -- The Need for Religious Community - During this session, you will be invited to reflect on the role of the church in your life, and your role in the life of the church. You’ll consider how you benefit from being a part of our religious community and your personal reasons for being here. And you’ll increase your awareness of what it really means to be in a church community and how being part of that community has changed your life.