The North Unitarian Universalist Congregation Newsletter

November 2010

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November News and Events!

Donate to the Service Auction Our annual NUUC Service Auction will be held after church on Dec. 12.  Email beccamorse@gmail.com with your contribution ASAP!  Some folks offer entertainment (formal or not so formal dinners, parties, beer tasting, game nights); some offer actual items (the Stavishs' pumpkins, complete with names and personality profiles were a hit last year), some offer services (yard work, rides to the airport) and some offer educational opportunities (learn to star gaze, quilt, knit, etc...).  Deadline for contributions is Dec. 6.  This is not only an important fund raiser for the church, but it provides some great excuses to get together for some social time!  Annual Baked Goods Silent Auction It’s time for our annual Baked Goods Silent Auction, Sunday, November 21. Bring your favorite baked good(s) for auction and also plan to bid on delectable baked goods for yourself. Please bring your items to Fellowship Hall by 10:15 AM that morning. Bidding begins immediately after service and finishes at 12:15 PM. Contact Jan Bourke with any questions: 614-268-6390 or jdb135@wowway.com 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—we recently received our first check!) The market is open 7 days a week (10-6 weekdays and 10-4 weekends). More information at www.dccmc.com. The store is located at 222 East William Street. Brown Bag Book Group Please join us on Tuesday, November 16 at noon in Fellowship Hall to discuss the book “Sum:  Forty Tales from the Afterlives” by David Eagleman. From the Amazon.com product description: “At once funny, wistful and unsettling, Sum is a dazzling exploration of unexpected afterlives—each presented as a vignette that offers a stunning lens through which to see ourselves in the here and now.  In one afterlife, you may find that God is the size of a microbe and unaware of your existence. In another version, you work as a background character in other people’s dreams. Or you may find that God is a married couple, or that the universe is running backward, or that you are forced to live out your afterlife with annoying versions of who you could have been.  With a probing imagination and deep understanding of the human condition, acclaimed neuroscientist David Eagleman offers wonderfully imagined tales that shine a brilliant light on the here and now.” (For more information and a complete synopsis, check it out at www.amazon.com ) For those of you who like to plan ahead, we have also chosen books for the following two months! For December, we’ll be reading “Half Empty” by David Rakoff;  and for January, “Little Bee: A Novel” by Chris Cleave.  (Be sure to get on the waiting list for “Little Bee”--it  may take quite a while to get it.) For February we will be doing something a little different…we will participate in a “common read” project promoted by the UUA on the topic of immigration.  The chosen book is “The Death of Josseline:  Immigration Stories from the Arizona Borderlands” by Margaret Regan (Beacon Press, 2010).  Our small group continues to grow, and we are having lively discussions each month.  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! Yoga on Hiatus Certified Yoga Instructor Abby Dorn will offer her last walk-in class of this session on Thursday night, November 4 at 7:00pm. Drop in’s are welcome--just $8.00.  Abby teaches a blended style of hatha and vinyasa yoga with modifications and options suitable for all levels of fitness and experience, including beginners. 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 to visit--a limited supply of mats and other aids are available to use that night. After Nov. 4, classes will not meet for the remainder of the year while Abby is on maternity leave. A class may be offered after the first of the year if sufficient interest exists (we need a minimum of 6-7 willing participants to continue). For questions and more info, contact Adult RE and Enrichment Committee member Ruth Rusk at ruthrusk@midohio.net NUUC Has Gone “Green”! Thanks to the help of the Building and Grounds Committee, we now have the opportunity to recycle glass, plastic (#1 & #2), aluminum, and paper/cardboard. Please look for the correct bins to place the items to be recycled.  They are located both in the kitchen and in Nielsen House.  While helping the planet, we may even be able to make money from recycling our pop cans!  Please contact Cathy Rodeheffer with any questions (614-370-5202). New NUUC Covenant Groups Our two new covenant groups have just gotten underway. One of those, the Weekday Evening Covenant Group, still has room for new members. Also, the Saturday Morning Covenant Group still has space for new members. If you are interested participating in a covenant group, just contact the group’s facilitator. So, what is a covenant group?  Covenant groups are small groups of 6-10 people that meet monthly and allow you to explore significant questions and to experience community through deep, intentional listening.  Covenant groups are not support groups.  Nor are they intended to solve people’s problems or to provide spiritual enlightenment.  In covenant groups, people get to know each other in a neighborly way, to feel in touch with each other's lives, and to provide a context in which to think about and talk through "the big questions."  Covenant groups provide a unique experience that differs from adult education, other groups, Sunday services, or anything else you do at church.  The groups are open to NUUC members, non-members, visitors, and friends. Covenant groups meet for 2 hours monthly, usually from October through June.  Each covenant group creates a covenant as a way they intend to be together.  Meetings have a discussion topic, follow a simple format, and are guided by a facilitator.  The format of the meetings helps participants set aside daily distractions, reflect on their lives and beliefs, and make meaningful connections with one another. Each meeting focuses on a different topic, which leads to reflection on the deeper issues of who we are and what gives our lives meaning.   All new topics are being covered this year. Here is specific information about each group: Wednesday Morning Covenant Group: l Meeting Day & Time: 3^rd Wed. of month at 10 AM – Noon l Meeting Location: Nielsen House l Next Meeting: Nov. 17 l Facilitator: John Rodeheffer (740-369-9659, jrodeheffer@insight.rr.com) l Upcoming Topics: ♦ Pure Joy (November 17) ♦ Play's the Thing (December 15) ♦ The Bucket List (January 19) ♦ Sorting Our Values (February 16) ♦ Ethical Wills (March 16) ♦ Stages of Faith (April 20) ♦ Where Would You Be Without UU? (May 18) ♦ (No June meeting scheduled) Weekday Evening Covenant Group (new members still welcome): l Meeting Day & Time: Thur. evening monthly at 7-9 PM (Week of month not yet selected) l Meeting Location: Fellowship Hall or other locations l Next Meeting: Specific date not available at press-time l Facilitator: Bob Keith (740-369-1919, bobkeith@frontier.com) l Upcoming Topics (Months for topics not yet selected): ♦ Pure Joy ♦ Sorting Our Values ♦ What If God Was One of Us? ♦ The Bucket List ♦ Stages of Faith ♦ Play’s the Thing ♦ Where Would You Be Without UU? ♦ Ethical Wills Saturday Morning Covenant Group (new members still welcome): l Meeting Day & Time: Monthly on 1st Sat. at 10:30 AM l Meeting Location: Panera Bread, corner of State St. and Schrock Rd. in Westerville) l Next Meeting: November 6 l Facilitator: Dick Leavy (614-890-7319, rckleavy@sbcglobal.net) l Upcoming Topics: ♦ Accomplishment (Nov. 6) ♦ Finding Our Boundaries (Dec. 4) ♦ {additional topics to be discussed and decided upon for meetings through May, 2011-- to be announced in future newsletters} For additional information, pick up our new brochure about the Covenant Group program, which is located in the literature rack in the sanctuary. A description of each topic appears in the brochure. If you have general questions or other comments about covenant groups, please send a note to Rev. Susan Ritchie at RevRitchie@aol.com.

November Calendar Preview: (N) = Nielsen House (F) = Fellowship Hall (S) = Sanctuary November 4 7:00pm – yoga (F) Last Class November 6 10:30am – Covenant Group November 7 11:30am – Empty Bowls soup fundraiser (F) (no Social Action Committee meeting today) November 9 Worship Committee Meeting November 14 Loose Change Sunday Fair Trade Sales after service November 16 Noon - Brown Bag Books (F) November 17 10:00am – Covenant Group (N) November 20 9:00am – Board Meeting (F) 10:00am – “Power of Political Persuasion”(Riffe Center) Youth group movie night at Malletts’ November 21 Thanksgiving & Bread Communion Service Silent Auction Bake Sale after service November 23 December newsletter submission deadline November 25 Thanksgiving Day November Music Notes The choir has been hard at work for the past two months providing music for worship services. This month will showcase our eclectic repertoire. We will be singing a song by a contemporary Canadian musician and his setting of a text in Hindu, an arrangement of a song by one of America’s greatest composers, a favorite children’s gospel song, and a Transylvanian tune from our supplemental hymnal. Specifically, this is what the choir is working on for this month: Nov. 7: The choir sings “Gate Gate,” a setting of a Buddhist manta. This exciting piece has some challenging rhythms. Nov. 14: Aaron Copland’s song “Ching-A-Ring Chaw” is a new piece in the choir’s repertoire. Nov. 21: For this intergenerational service, “This Little Light of Mine” is a tune that everyone will recognize. Nov. 28: “Szekely Aldas” will be sung in Hungarian. This piece was new to the choir last year and is back by popular demand. I’ll see you on Sunday, Marlene Hartzler, Music Director marlenemetz@yahoo.com Interested in Membership? We recently held an “Orientation to our Congregation” session in October, during which Rev. Susan Ritchie and a Membership Committee rep. explained the denomination’s (and our congregation’s) history and the meaning of membership. New and recently joined members were then recognized during the service on Sunday, October 10. If you are interested in attending an "Orientation" session or would like to join the congregation soon, please contact Rev. Ritchie to express your interest - RevRitchie@aol.com or 740-657-8081. Reminder: Renew your Kroger Plus Cards Thanks to all of you who have registered (or renewed) your Kroger Plus card with the Community Rewards program and designating NUUC as your recipient. Thank you! Individual participation must be renewed annually, so be sure you have updated your record. If you haven’t registered or need to update your participation: 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). Fair Trade Sale Nov. 14 The Social Action Committee will hold its monthly Fair Trade Sale after the service on Sunday, November 14 (held the second Sunday of every month). As the nights get cooler, warm the kids up with some Organic Hot Cocoa Mix, which is on sale this month for $6.00 for a 12 oz can.  Be sure to stock up before the price increases!  Also new this month, we have some delicious Organic Chocolate Caramel Crunch with Sea Salt (55% Cacao) bars.  See Brandy or Paul Montgomery for more info (brandy.montgomery@gmail.com ) --If you need any encouragement to try this delicious chocolate… Cocoa is rich in antioxidants, nutrients that fight cancer, strengthen the immune system, and slow aging. A report in the August 2010 issue of Prevention Magazine advises that cocoa (the darker the better), consumed daily for at least 2 weeks, can reduce blood pressure among people with severe hypertension (effects are modest, so use cocoa in addition to prescribed blood pressure meds.) Recommended: Get the equivalent of 450 mg of flavanols, about the amount found in a cup of hot cocoa, twice a day. To view the entire article, go to http://online.prevention.com/naturalcuresyoucantrust/list/2.shtml NUUC Directory Updated in Nov. The Fall update to the NUUC Directory of Members and Friends will be disseminated via e-mail in early November. 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 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. Help us keep the directory information current--please notify Jeri if your address, phone, or e-mail information needs updating. “Women of Spirit” Program NUUC's women's group, “Women of Spirit,” continues a new program that might best be described as “Looking for the Feminine Soul.” The program consists of 10 sessions and meets every 6 weeks (session One began on June 27, but you can come whenever you like). Meetings are from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall or another agreed-upon location whenever noted. We will be reading these novels: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker, and/or The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. There also will be readings (provided) from The Dance of the Dissident Daughter (Sue Monk Kidd), The Goddess in the Gospels (Margaret Starbird), When God Was a Woman (Merlin Stone), Toward a New Psychology of Women (Dr. Jean Baker Miller), and the UU curriculum Rise Up and Call Her Name (Elizabeth Fisher). Men are welcome to attend meetings. They may be interested in “archetypes” or the bits of history that will be studied (see session six). Women and men: come to as many (or as few) sessions as you like. The remaining sessions: 5 (Dec. 12) Reflecting“The Great Goddess,” inside, out 6 (Jan. 23, '11) Inviting Men Into the Quest: What's In It For Them 7 (Mar. 6) Assessing the Hard Facts: What is Still at Stake Abuse world wide, and why 8 (Apr. 17) Assessing, part 2 Book(s) discussion: The Temple of My Familiar, The Kitchen God's Wife, or other 9 (May 29) Backing Away from Power: Why is That? The importance of conflict 10 (July 10) Unlocking It Just what have we “locked up”? The “Water Blessing” Contact person: Marty Keith (740) 369-1919 or martykeith@verizon.net Go to: Page 1 Page 3 Page 4