May 2016 - St. John`s Unitarian Universalist Church

THE REP RTER
Newsletter of St John’s Unitarian Universalist Church
May, 2016
May 1 at 11:00
Bringing Hope to Survivors of Acid Violence in
Uganda with Dr. Angie Vredeveld (see page 5)
IN THIS ISSUE:
Today we celebrate how ordinary people can make a real
difference in the world. St John’s member Will Wagner
introduced our congregation to the work of the Center for
Rehabilitation of Acid and Burn Violence (CERESAV). Hundreds
of Ugandan women live with the effects of acid attack. The
Ugandan team of CERESAV is actively participating in the
planning of this service.
SJ Racial Justice Resolution…2
St John’s University..................2
Partner Church Lunch, News 3, 8
Women’s Connection ..............4
Children’s RE…..................4, 12
Adult Forums………………...6
HELP NEEDED ……………4, 6
May 8 at 11:00
Simple Gifts with Kirt Hodges
New Members………………7
We spent almost $21 billion on Mother's Day gifts last year as a
nation. But what about the other gifts we generate for mothers, the
ones that don't show up in those statistics? Welcome back Kirt
Hodges, Candidate for Masters of Divinity, Lliff School of Theology in
Denver.
Justice Ministry….............10-11
Green Sanctuary …………..9
Calendar…………….…....13
19
May 15 at 11:00
Holocaust Remembrance
Today we set aside time to remember the Holocaust and
re-commit ourselves to the cause of human care. Under
the direction of Dr. Jeffery Stern, St. John's Choir will
perform Donald McCullough’s Holocaust Cantata with
assistance of Adam Petersen (piano), Susan Petersen
(cello), Griff Bludworth (baritone) and Elizabeth Rancourt
(soprano).
May 22 at 11:00
Flower Communion & New Member Recognition
with the Rev. Mitra Jafarzadeh
It is a Springtime tradition among many Unitarian Universalist Churches for each
person to bring a flower to church and build a beautiful bouquet together. At
the end of the service, the flowers will be distributed, each person receiving a
flower different from the one they brought. In this way, we manifest that our
individual beauty is only increased in community.
May 29 at 11:00
Love the Hell Out of the World
with the Rev. Dawn Cooley, First Unitarian Church of Louisville, KY
Rev. Dawn Cooley
Racial Justice Initiative
Minister
the Rev. Mitra Jafarzadeh
Sunday May 1
12:30 pm
in Krolfifer
Ministers Emeriti
the Rev Frank Carpenter
SEEKING YOUR
COMMENTS AND
SUGGESTIONS
on the *Newly Revised*
the Rev. Annie Foerster
Music Director
Jeff Stern
Accompanist
Adam Peterson
Proposed Racial Justice
Draft Resolution
Director of
(See also Explanatory Rationale)
Caretaker
Religious Education
Elizabeth Wilson
Steve Roth
This is your opportunity to hear a progress
report from the committee drafting a resolution on Racial Justice, and to offer your own comments
and suggestions. The Resolution will come to a final vote at the June 12 Congregational meeting.
We want to consider and include all your ideas before making a final draft.
Click on the links above to read copies of the most recent draft of the resolution (and the
explanatory rationale). These same documents are linked on the St John’s website front page,
www.stjohnsuu.org, left column.
Office Administrator
Nancy Greenlee
Church Office
513-961-1938
[email protected]
Office Hours
M-Th 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Church Website
Hard copies of the documents are available in Krolfifer, on the Justice Ministry bulletin board. You
can also leave a hard-copy written commentary in the envelope next to the documents.
www.stjohnsuu.org
e-News Submissions
[email protected]
Reporter Submissions
[email protected]
See box below
Reporter Editor
Marty Harrington
ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY –
Sign up for School!
Distribution & Proofreading
Register to take classes May 14-15
[email protected]
Learn top things you need to know to start a non-profit, book-making, beadmaking, partner dancing, Excel and Word basics, basic massage techniques,
introduction to real estate investment and more at SJU – St. John’s University,
Saturday-Sunday, May 14-15.
There are classes for writers, money-savers, crafters, do-it-yourselfers, and anyone else. You’ll
enjoy learning about wines at the end of Saturday afternoon! Plenty of classes – mostly for adults,
but many open to children – will be taught by your friends and fellow St. Johners.
Classes are mostly $5-$15. Please see the website, tinyurl.com/sju-signup to see the course
schedule and to register. (Scroll down to the second table.) AND look for Jay Guenther after service
to sign-up in person.
Enjoy being a student again!
Let Claire know if you have questions, [email protected].
~ Claire Wagner
Page 2 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Emily Hodges
Nikki Orlemann
The St John’s Reporter is
now monthly.
NEXT ISSUE:
JUNE
Send Reporter
Submissions To:
[email protected]
Deadline
5/20/16
MOTHER’S DAY
Bring Your
Donations!
Mother’s Day
Book Sale –
May 8, 2016
DIAPER DRIVE
for TALBERT HOUSE
Sunday, May 8
Bring Your Diaper Donations to Church
For Moms Transitioning Back to Work
Sunday, May 8
sponsored by YADA
(Young Adult Discussion and Action)
Spring Clean for Mother’s Day!
(And to raise funds for St John’s)
Are you always on the lookout for a good book? And do
you have extra books sitting around the house that you're
willing to part with? On May 8th, bring your extra books to
Sunday Service and hand them to our volunteers, and at
the end of service you can peruse the selection and take
home a book or two that sparks your interest. Any books
left over will be sold as a fund-raiser. Thanks for
participating, and happy reading!
St. John’s joins with other UU
churches to collect disposable diapers,
preferably size 3 or larger.
Diapers will be distributed by Talbert
House to needy moms who are
transitioning back from welfare to
work. Did you realize kids can’t go
to a licensed day care without
providing disposable diapers? And
without daycare, how is a mom to
go to work to support her
children?
Partner Church Lunch
May 15 at 12:15 pm
after the Service
$6 adults; $3 children
Benefits the partner church bread program for
the elderly in Szentlaszlo
BARBECUE
SANDWICHES
Meat & Veggie
options
SALADS
Pasta & Bean Options
Page 3 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Heroes Who Teach Our Kids
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for
Teacher Appreciation Breakfast
On Sunday morning, May 22, our annual breakfast
celebrating the contributions of our RE teachers, youth
advisors, and childcare providers will be held. The saying
“It takes a village. . .” really
holds true as we have LOTS of
folks (teachers and their
family members) on our guest
list!!
Donations of main dishes
(eggs, breakfast casseroles,
etc.), fruit, drinks (milk,
juices), baked goods (muffins, bagels/cream cheese), etc.
are needed. We also will need a small team of folks willing
to help with set-up and clean-up.
If you can help, please contact Elizabeth Wilson at
[email protected] or see the sign-up board in
Haehnle beginning Sunday, May 8.
Help Needed for the 2016-17
programming year
Believe it or not, we are already planning for the next
programming year—lots of exciting stuff! RE registrations are
up over 35% for 2015-16 as compared to the 2013-14 year.
We’d love to add another class, but in order to do so, we’ll
need to have more people step up to be lead teachers!
Afraid you don’t know enough about UUism to be a lead
teacher? Well, know volunteering in the classroom is one of the
BEST ways to learn more about our faith. Lead teachers are not
expected to be experts and our system is designed to offer lots
of flexibility, plenty of support from
the DRE, and we emphasize FUN in
learning!
If you’d like to know more about
being a lead teacher—or would like to
explore other ways of being involved
in our program—please contact Director of Religious Education,
Elizabeth Wilson at [email protected] or leave a message
at 513-961-1940.
Women's Connection gathering May 25
The End of an Era!
The last Women's Connection gathering at Hammond North will
be Wednesday, May 25 at 6:30 pm (address: 5300 Hamilton
Avenue, Cincinnati 45224.) Bring a potluck dish to share. We
will eat and then Janice Trytten, known as "Sunflower," will
share how she became interested in Native American flute music
and share some of her music with us.
Please RSVP your attendance to Carol Fencl
[email protected] who is hosting this event as Mary and
Nikki are away. Carol definitely needs to know who will be
attending in advance. Thanks.
Though it is barely summer, Rev. Mitra Jafarzadeh is already
thinking about ideas for a retreat for women next fall. Let her
know if you have energy to help her make this retreat
happen.
Mary Darner is resigning her leadership role in the Women's
Connection this spring so it is up to the women of St. Johns to
decide what activities they want in the future and where they
want to meet. The Hammond North gatherings have been fun
but they will end in May.
Page 4 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
~ Mary Darner and Nikki Orlemann
Repeat Performance on Sunday, May 22 in Hyde Park
(See it first at St John’s on May 15 at 11:00 am!)
CERESAV ~ Our Speaker on May 1
Dr. Angie Vredeveld will be our speaker at the 11:00 am service on May 1, 2016. She is the Executive Coordinator of CERESAV (Center
for Rehabilitation of Acid and Burn Violence) and President of CERESAV USA. She will talk about some of the psychological barriers
that get in the way of us taking action and will share how the founders of CERESAV Uganda and our Cincinnati team have overcome
some of those barriers and made a meaningful difference.
Dr. Vredeveld is a clinical psychologist who works in private practice in Cincinnati, Ohio and
specializes in immigrant and refugee mental health. She has worked extensively with trauma
survivors and has traveled as a psychologist to South Africa, Rwanda, and Uganda. She is a member
of the Global Psychosocial Network, an international team of psychologists offering psychosocial
services to humanitarian workers. Dr. Vredeveld previously worked with military veterans at the
Veterans Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Vredeveld obtained her BA from Miami University and
PsyD from Indiana State University.
Page 5 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Upcoming Adult Forums
Sundays at 10:00 am
May 1 St. John’s Board
Why do we have a board? Moderator: Jim McDonough
President. Who serves on the board and how do they
get there? What are the
Policies and Procedures?
How are they different
from the By-Laws? How
do new Policies and
Procedures come about?
How do new By-Laws
come about or get
changed? How does
someone get elected to
the Board? Come to the
May 1, 2016 Board Forum and get the answers to these
and other questions you might have. If you have
specific questions you would like answered, please
send them to Jim in advance so he can be prepared to
answer them.
Location: Krolfifer. Drop-ins welcome!
May 8 Kinship Care
How can a grandmother or aunt receive foster care payments to take
care of her relative’s children? Cassandra Barham from the Contact
Center will tell us of the current status for kinship caregivers, and
about the new OH House bill proposed to better the situation. She will
have several grandmothers who are kinship caregivers with her.
May 15 Who deals with Mental Health Crises
in Our Community?
Betsy Lippitt, LISW-S, a member of the University Hospital’s Mobile
Crisis Team, will facilitate a discussion on mental health issues. What
forms of community-based interventions are used with children and
adults? Some of you know Betsy as a musician and song writer, and by
request, she will share a bit of her musical talent as she guides us in
this topic.
May 22 – To be announced!
Watch your E-News;
Check the website at www.stjohnsuu.org/re/re-adult.html
Emergency Coffee Call-Up!
We’re on our own for May!
Sign up by clicking here! (You can also find the link on the front page of www.stjohnsuu.org). Join a
convivial group to get the coffee ready (10:45-11:00) and mingle and clean up afterward (11:45-1:00).
E
Emily Hodges, Queen of Beans, will be out of the country for most of May, and thus unavailable to do
special last-minute cajoling. Please make this your opportunity to sign up in advance so we are not left
short and, heavens forfend, caffeine-deprived.
Meanwhile, please thank the folks who stepped up for coffee duty so far in April:
Carole Baker
Lydia Brawner
Will Bronson
Wanda Crawford - *twice!
Rebecca Crone
Dick Croy
Joy Croy
Ethel Ingalls
Charlotte Lewis
Diana Long
Thanks!
Edith Marrero
Monica Pellman
Dave Rentz
Lori Oros Schaffer
Penny Shada
~ Marty Harrington, on behalf of Emily Hodges
Page 6 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Manuel Susarret
Nina Tolley
Chris Wagner
Claire Wagner
YADA Reports (Young Adults Discussion and Action)
On April 5 we met for discussion, and
Nathan chose the topic of "Are you on
track to achieve your goals?" What
would we say if a stranger asked you
point blank what your goals are in life,
and asked whether you are working to
make them happen?
Some of us talked about learning to
speak a new language or play an
instrument, while others talked
about career goals or life situations.
We talked about how we use free
time, and whether being goal
oriented was overrated or
underrated for us.
We also discussed plans for helping to
organize a church book swap on May 8, and
then the church picnic on July 31. We
reviewed how we helped to clean the St.
John's kitchen, and talked about the upcoming
General Assembly. Then we all went out to eat
together
~ Michael Waddell
YADA Reports (Young Adults Discussion and Action)
On April 19 we met for discussion,
and Ray chose the topic of jokes that
poke fun at groups of people. We all
know that it's not okay to tell hurtful,
racist or sexist jokes. But lots of
times, humor plays on stereotypes,
and it's not always mean-spirited.
Where do you draw the line?
4-5-16 Meeting
We talked about jokes about political groups
or religious groups, jokes about criminals, or
about members of various professions. We
asked if there is a difference between who
tells the joke, or who hears it, or what the
intention is. And we expressed different
views about whether there should be some
subjects that are simply off-limits to humor
at all.
4-19-16 Meeting
We also made plans for Cookies and
Conversations, for a St. John's book
swap on May 8, for the Summer Picnic
on July 31, and for a change in
leadership roles for YADA itself. Then
we all went out to eat at a
Mediterranean place.
YADA will meet next on May 3rd.
~ Michael Waddell
DEATH
CAFÉ
Our Favorite Phrase:
“Welcome New Members!”
Sheryl Ruberg-Epping, April 6, 2016
Brenda Potts, April 10, 2016
Cathy Ruehlman, April 10, 2016
Anne Septic, April 17, 2016
CINCINNATI
Wed 5/11 10:30 am
Clifton Branch Library,
3400 Brookline Ave
Death Cafe Cincinnati is an
open-minded, openhearted, open-ended community conversation about death
and dying. We are delighted to bring our informal, pop-up
discussion of death to the beautiful Clifton Branch. New
location -- but as always, coffee, tea and cake! All are
welcome. Click here for more information.
Bill Gupton, minister at Heritage UU, is the facilitator. Bill
Gupton enjoys talking about death, and creating safe spaces
where others may also talk about death. We know Bill as an
advocate for Green Burial, but his interest extends to a
broader acceptance of death as a natural part of life.
Page 7 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
A PARTNER CHURCH DINNER REPORT
AND THE LATEST NEWS FROM SZENTLASZLO
This year’s
partner church
dinner continued
the long tradition
at St. Johns of
good food and
good company.
Over one
hundred and
twenty people
gathered on April
16th for the
twenty-second
annual dinner. This year was special in many ways.
Seventeen of our amazing young people served as our wait
staff, each responsible for a table. The menu of Hungarian
foods was made even better by the many wines available
for tasting.
An early
highlight of
the evening
was a stellar
performance
by Susan and
Adam
Peterson,
Susan playing
the cello and
our own
Adam at the
piano. As has
been tradition
since 1994,
one of our
youth proudly wore a traditional Szekely folk dress; this
year’s honoree was Miss Chloe Tudor, daughter of Bryan
and Theresa Tudor. Rev. Jafarzadeh led attendees in
singing songs in Hungarian and sent thank yous to the
many, many people who volunteered to make the evening
so successful. This year’s dinner raised more than $2200
for our partner Unitarian congregation in Romania.
As we at St. John’s celebrated the partner church dinner,
an old Hungarian Easter tradition was being celebrated in
Szentlaszlo. The Rev. Zsolt Leta, the new Unitarian
minister, organized an event where, two days before
Easter, the young men and women of the village, Unitarian
and Reformant, joined together deliver tree crowns to the
girls of the village and tree boughs to the older women.
Easter eggs were decorated and the following day, the
youth and musicians visited each house to sing, present the
decorated eggs and have some homemade wine.
Rev. Leta took the opportunity to ask each family that was visited
to contribute a small amount of money towards the construction of
a small building which would be used to house and care for the
bodies of deceased villagers before burial. Today, when someone
passes away, the body is kept in the home which creates obvious
problems particularly during the hot summer months. This new
facility would include a cooling room and a small chapel. The
village was able to raise $100 towards the expected cost of $500.
Volunteers are ready to do the construction once materials are
available. Rev. Leta believes it will take three to five years to gather
the required funds to be added to what the European Union will
provide. In our discussions with Rev. Leta, we learned that
cremation is not an accepted practice in Transylvania.
In other news, Zsolt told us that he would soon be adding to his
responsibilities by becoming the minister of the nearby Unitarian
church in Nyomat, a small village two kilometers from Szentlaszlo.
This will be his third
church, the other being
the church in
Sukedemeterfalva. He
said he will bicycle to
the two villages on good
weather days to give his
sermon. It was at this
point in the conversation
that it became evident
that this minister and his
family have no car!
Periodic trips to the large
nearby city of
Marosvasarhely are by bus. Zsolt is hoping to get a car at some
point in time; he hopes to take driving lessons soon.
As we found out, Rev. Leta still has one big examination to take as
a part of his training. He will be expected to demonstrate his
knowledge of the history of his congregation(s) including history of
the graveyard, the sanctuary and the church bells. He indicated he
still has several large books he is required to read before the exam.
Rev. Leta shared some information on his family’s income to help
us understand his financial situation. Zsolt receives his salary
directly from the Bishop’s office and the Szentlaszlo community
contributes a portion of the salary. Rev. Leta is currently paying
back a loan from the ministers’ fund that covered his moving
expenses. The family is helped by his wife receiving a monthly
government payment as a new mom who has worked for at least a
year prior to giving birth. Suffice it to say, the family operates at
poverty level. We hope to provide some small salary supplement to
the Letas as we have done in the past for Rev. Kiss and his family.
Nonetheless, we remain amazed at the energy and optimism of this
young family.
Page 8 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Changing CO2urse:Local Solutions to a Global Crisis
Sunday, May 22
~ 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Presented By the Filmmaker
Local film maker, Andrea Torrice, will present her new documentary film and tell us
about the importance and fragility of our community forests. Trees in Trouble is being
used by the TAKING ROOT Reforestation Campaign in Cincinnati to save the city’s
threatened urban canopy.
We have been at the epicenter of the Emerald Ash Borer infestation for a few years
now. What can we do to save our trees? Through stories of everyday people on the
frontlines of change, the film demonstrates how community-wide efforts can help
save and protect our community forests for future generations.
COSPONSORS: Citizens Climate Lobby, League of Women Voters, Woman’s City Club,
Apple Street Market, Our Harvest Cooperative, St. John’s Green Sanctuary Partners
Emerald Ash Borer
Andrea Torrice
Changing CO2urse Next Month: June 26
Building a Local and Sustainable Food Economy
With Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center (CIWC)
Members of the CIW will come tell us how the initiative of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council
(LAFPC) works. The project seeks to create a thriving and fair regional food system by
promoting local growers, sustainable agriculture, and fair working conditions for all food
workers.
Page 9 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Justice Ministry News
St. John’s CONGREGATIONAL INITIATIVE on RACIAL JUSTICE
“Cincinnati Goddamn”
Documentary by April Martin and Paul Hill
Friday May 6th at 7:00 pm
The film is powerful and shows how incidents where police killed
unarmed black men in Cincinnati led to an uprising in April of 2001.
It shows, among other things, how the courts dealt with the cases
of the officers accused of killing Roger Owensby Jr.
After the film, Iris Roley, a prominent member of Black United
Front, will be there to speak on what happened back then, how the
Collaborative Agreement was created, and where Cincinnati is now
with police-community relations.
Donation suggested, but don't let that keep you from being a part
of this.
~ Matthew Peterson
Click here to see a preview of the film.
St John’s Culture of Generosity
Split the Plate April
The April 10 split-the-plate collection
taken up for the Cincinnati Association
for the Blind and Visually Impaired
raised $264.45. Among its many
services, the Association provides
radios for its clients at a nominal price
of $10. For those who are financially
stressed, the Association provides the
radios for free. Your generous
contribution aided the Association in
this program.
~ John Kachuba, Outreach Chair
Split the Plate May
The May split-the-plate collection will be on May 1, rather than the customary
second Sunday of the month and will benefit CERESAV, Center for
Rehabilitation of Acid and Burn Violence, a nonprofit organization that aids
victims of acid attacks. [See the service description for May 1 on the front page
of this Reporter.]
CERESAV has relied on music
venues hosting fundraisers and
on physicians working pro bono
to provide medical services to
these victims. However, the
organization still needs funding
for some basic operating
expenses, such as equipping the
Ugandan office with computers
and phones so they can perform
basic communication and
operations tasks. The money
from the split-the-plate will go to
help fund these technological
devices.
St John’s member Will Wagner, who is Public Relations Director of CERESAV
USA, will speak about the organization at the May 1 service.
~ John Kachuba
Page 10 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
ST JOHN’S VOLUNTEER COLLABORATIONS
Matthew 25 Ministries
“Hands On” Service to the Community
Next St John’s Service Date:
May 14 9:00-11:00 am
RSVP to Jay ([email protected]) as M25M asks for a count of volunteers in advance.
On April 9th, we had a great volunteer morning
at M25! Eleven St. Johners sorted clothing
donations.
Our next second Saturday of the month volunteer
shift will be May 14th! If you are looking for a
hands-on way to be a part of the M25 disaster relief
work, join us 5/14 9-11am at the M25 facility in Blue
Ash. Please rsvp - [email protected]. ~ Jay
IHN News (Interfaith Hospitality Network)
St Johners Serving IHN
IHN Summer Expansion
MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
at CAIN’s Grace Place
IHN News—Join The Team!
Four times a year, volunteers from St.
John’s and four other congregations
gather to support families who are
experiencing homelessness. We host
them for one week at First Unitarian,
where they come each evening for
supper, kid-friendly activities, and a
safe place to sleep. Besides the
knowledge that their efforts have a
direct effect on people in need,
volunteers in the IHN (Interfaith
Hospitality Network) program enjoy fellowship with an interfaith
group, laughter, kids’ art projects, and delicious home-cooked
meals.
Our next hosting week is July 3-10. Consider joining this wonderful
team of St. Johners! There are opportunities for preparing and
serving a meal, playing games and activities with guest children,
and providing safety by staying overnight at First Church. Sign up at
www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4dabad2ba6ff2-july or contact
Wanda Crawford for information.
Did you know that for families with minor children,
homelessness is a bigger problem in the summertime?
Relatives that made couch space available for parents and
children with no place to go during the school year find
themselves too cramped when it gets hot. Tax returns that
helped hold a cheap, by-the-week hotel room through the
spring runs out.
To address the issue of increased family homelessness in
summer, IHNGC is exploring with Churches Active in
Northside (CAIN)—operators of Grace Place—a 13-week
summer expansion pilot. From May 15th to August 14th,
2016, Grace Place in College Hill would become a third
IHNGC host site.
CAIN will provide the site and some volunteers, but to
make this work IHNGC needs to bring some of its volunteer
power to the table. Hosting duties will include providing
meals, evening activities, and overnights, just like a
traditional IHNGC host week. Youth groups, groups of coworkers, civic groups—volunteers do not have to be
affiliated with a religious congregation to participate! If
this is something you would like to do once—or several
times—during the summer, talk to your congregational
liaison, Wanda Crawford. Or contact IHNGC executive
director Stacey Burge to volunteer (email
[email protected] or call 513-471-1100, ext. 13).
Page 11 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
RE-flecti ns
Opportunities to practice gratitude…
By Elizabeth Wilson, St John’s Director of Religious
Education
Cultivating Peace & Harmony
Last Sunday’s YRUU worship service, “The World Where Music Was
Forgotten,” was wonderful, wasn’t it? Not only was the music
performed by our youth fantastic, but I was really struck by the
silences too! I found myself deeply missing the music usually found
in our rituals of “placing of the stones” and “singing the children to
class.” St. John’s has long had a reputation for beautiful music in
worship and the April 24 service made me appreciate it even more.
The worship theme for May is HARMONY. We’ll be exploring this in
our RE program in a variety of ways. On First Sunday (May 1), our
children in PreK-7th grades will be making peace pinwheels that will
be on display on the church grounds as our contribution to the
special Holocaust Cantata service on May 15. Children and youth
will be invited to think deeply about the importance of acting in
peace and harmony with one another. Also on May 1, David Mast
will be a special guest in our YRUU group and will assist our older
youth in exploring the Enneagram personality model. Learning to
better understand oneself is key to interacting in more harmonious
ways with others. For our Second Sunday (May 8) program, Howard
Tolley and I will be leading mini-workshops on racial justice—
working in harmony with our Justice Ministry initiatives. We hope
the stories and activities we have planned for our kids get them
thinking deeply about the many ways racism is embedded in our
culture. Recognizing the power of stories, particularly to children,
Howard and I are also assembling a list of picture books that will
help parents explore this important topic at home. I am also
committed to acquiring books for our RE library that do a better job
of portraying and exploring diversity.
Few things make one feel better than helping others.
Here are a few opportunities to practice gratitude this
month:
 Saturday, May 14 from 9-11am: Our St. John’s
Matthew 25 team is scheduled for their monthly
session at the M25 facility in Blue Ash.
Volunteering at
M25, you can’t
help but notice
what privileged
lives we lead when
compared to so
many others. Not
only is this truly meaningful work, but you get to
work with a fun team of people! Last month we
had our biggest crew yet—11 people! Email Jay
Guenther at [email protected] if you are
interested.

Sunday, May 22: This year’s RE program
underwent some significant—and seemingly
successful—changes! Our registration was up
over 35% compared to last year. We’ll be
thanking our RE teachers with a special Teacher
Appreciation breakfast on this date. This is a
great chance for families—and all congregants—
to thank these individuals for their dedication to
our church by contributing breakfast food items
and/or help with set-up/clean-up. See the signup board in Haehnle beginning May 8 or contact
Elizabeth Wilson at [email protected].
MARK YOUR CALENDAR for these upcoming events
Sunday, May 1: First Sunday for PreK-7th grades in Krolfifer
during regular RE time.
Sunday, May 1: Maypole Dance on the front lawn following
worship, approximately 12:30pm.
Sunday, May 8: Second Sunday for 1st-7th graders during
regular RE time.
Saturday, May 14: St. John’s volunteers (everyone ages 5+
welcome!) at Matthew 25 Ministries from 9-11am at M25M
on Kenwood Road in Blue Ash. Great family opportunity!
Sunday, May 22: RE Teacher Appreciation breakfast, 9am-12pm
in Krolfifer and sanctuary.
Sunday, May 22: Intergenerational worship service (Flower
Communion) at 11:00am in sanctuary. No regular RE classes.
Sunday, May 29: Memorial Day weekend—no regular RE classes.
Childcare (birth-3 years old) and multi-age programming geared
toward children in grades PreK-4th grade only.
Sunday, June 5: FINAL DAY of regular RE programming—class
parties!
Keep in touch!
On Sundays, I arrive at church no later than 9:00 am. My weekday office hours are typically Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7:30am1:30pm—and by appointment. (I’m happy to arrange a meeting time outside of my regular office hours.) I can be reached via email at
[email protected]. Also, feel free to call me at home—the number is in the People Book (or send me an email and I’ll send you the
number)—I only ask that you limit calls to the hours between 9am-9pm.
Page 12 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
Church Calendar
Sunday, May 1
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
10:00 am Forum - Krolfifer
11:00 am RE First Sunday - Krolfifer
11:00 am Worship Service
12:20 pm Young Adult Cookies & Conv (YACC)- Krolfifer
12:30 pm Maypole
12:30 pm Meeting for Comment & Discussion:
Racial Justice Congregational Resolution - Krolfifer
6:00 pm Men's Group - Krolfifer
Monday, May 2
7:00 pm Racial Justice Initiative - Krolfifer
7:00 pm Enneagram Study Group - Library
Tuesday, May 3
7:00 pm Young Adult Discussion & Action – Wells
7:00 pm Sermon Writing Workshop - Minister's Study
Wednesday, May 4
9:30 am Library Spruce Up (Painting)
5:30 pm Caring Circle - Library
7:00 pm Connections (membership) - Darwin
7:00 pm Worship Arts -Chapel
Thursday, May 5
10:00 am Meditation - Gandhi
6:00 pm Racial Justice Drafting Committee - Library
7:15 pm St. John's Choir - Krolfifer
Friday, May 6
7:00 pm Justice Ministry - Film "Cincinnati Goddamn"
Saturday, May 7
9:00 am UUCGC (regional UU Council) - Krolfifer, Kitchen
10:00 am Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
2:00 pm Tie Dye Party - Krolfifer
Sunday, May 8
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
10:00 am Forum - Krolfifer
11:00 am RE 2nd Sunday - Krolfifer
11:00 am Worship Service
12:00 pm Book Exchange - Krolfifer
2:00 pm - R. Crone (Richard's Graduation Party) - Krolfifer
Tuesday, May 10
7:00 pm Sermon Writing Workshop - Minister's Study
7:00 pm sitWRITEdown - Library
Thursday, May 12
10:00 am Meditation - Gandhi
6:30 pm Executive Committee - Wells
7:15 pm St. John's Choir - Krolfifer
Friday, May 13
6:30 pm LAF's (Lively After 50) - away
Saturday, May 14
8:00 am St. John's University
(Fundraiser)
Sunday, May 15
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
9:30 am Meeting for RE Parents - Rosa Parks
10:00 am Forum - Krolfifer
11:00 am Worship Service - Holocaust Cantata
12:20 pm Young Adult Cookies & Conversation (YACC)- Krolfifer
12:30 pm Partner Church Luncheon – salads & BBQ sandwiches
1:00 pm St. John's University (Fundraiser)
Monday, May 16
7:00 pm Fund Trustee Meeting - Darwin
7:00 pm Enneagram Study Group - Library
Tuesday, May 17
7:00 pm Young Adult Discussion & Action - Wells
7:00 pm Sermon Writing Workshop - Minister's Study
Wednesday, May 18
6:30 pm Board Meeting -Wells
Thursday, May 19
10:00 am Meditation - Gandhi
6:30 pm Citizen's Climate Lobby Cincinnati Chapter - Chapel
7:15 pm St. John's Choir - Krolfifer
Friday, May 20
REPORTER DEADLINE
Saturday, May 21
9:00 am Worship Associate Training - Chapel/Sanctuary
1:00 pm Memorial Service - Osterburg - Sanctuary
Sunday, May 22
9:00 am RE Teacher Appreciation Breakfast - Krolfifer/Kitchen
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
10:00 am Forum - Krolfifer
11:00 am Worship Service
12:30 pm Solar Eclipse (2017) Meeting - Chapel
4:00 pm Holocaust Cantata - Summit Country Day School
7:00 pm Changing Co2urse - Krolfifer
Monday, May 23
7:00 pm Justice Ministry - Library
Tuesday, May 24
7:00 pm Sermon Writing Workshop - Minister's Study
7:00 pm sitWRITEdown - Library
Wednesday, May 25
6:30 pm Women's Connection - Hammond North
Thursday, May 26
10:00 am Meditation - Gandhi
7:15 pm St. John's Choir - Krolfifer
Friday, May 27
7:00 pm Game Night - Krolfifer
Saturday, May 28
11:00 am Chalice Group (Nunn) - Library
Sunday, May 29
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary
10:00 am Forum - Krolfifer
11:00 am Worship Service
Tuesday, May 31
7:00 pm Sermon Writing Workshop - Minister's Study
9:00 am Matthew 25 Ministries - Volunteer Day
Page 13 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
320 Resor Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45220-1616
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Thought
f the Month
“To avoid criticism
say nothing,
do nothing, and
be nothing.
Elbert Hubbard
Page 14 ~ The Reporter ~ May, 2016