The North Unitarian Universalist Congregation Newsletter February 2008

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February News and Events!

Ohio Meadville District Office to move to North UU Congregation! Welcome, Rev. Van Becelaere!! Starting the first week of March, you may notice a new tenant in the previously unused bedroom on the second floor of Nielsen House. Please do what you can to welcome Rev. Joan Van Becelaere (pronounced “Van Beezler), District Executive for the Ohio Meadville District of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The district serves 46 congregations (including our own) made up of over 5000 adult members in southwestern New York, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and most of Ohio. The district provides resources and trainings for our congregations and their leaders. Rev. Van Becelaere supervises several staff people (located elsewhere) who oversee various areas of congregational life, such as youth programming, young adult and campus ministry programming, lifespan faith development, and leadership development. When Rev. Van Becelaere made it known that she desired office space in order to better perform her duties, the Board of NUUC was happy to make her the offer of this hospitality. Rev. Van Becelaere will be moving to our area in February, and has already established her membership in our congregation. NUUC’s minister, Susan, and Merrily, Director of Puppet Ministries, greet Rev. Joan Van Becelaere during her welcoming reception this summer Orientation Class Scheduled The Membership Committee will sponsor the first of several orientation sessions scheduled for 2008 on Sunday, February 24 from 9:15am to 10:15am at Nielsen House (staffed nursery available in Fellowship Hall). Rev. Susan Ritchie will lead the session, and information on the denomination’s (and our congregation’s) identity and the meaning of membership will be presented. A New Member Sunday is planned for Sunday, March 9. If you or someone you know might be interested in membership, sign up to attend the Orientation on the sheet in Fellowship Hall, or contact Rev. Ritchie at 740-657-8081. (Additional Orientations are slated for June 1 and September 21, with New Member Sundays planned for June 8 and October 5.) Enjoy Jesus Christ Superstar with the RE Committee CAPA Productions is bringing “Jesus Christ Superstar” to Columbus next month!  The RE Committee thought this would be a great outing for our Explorers and Youth to attend; parents and others in the congregation are welcome to join them.  The group rate ticket price is $28.00 for both students and adults ( normally $42.50 ).  The group will be attending the March 1st, 2:00pm matinee.  Please register your interest in attending on the sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall.  Tickets must be paid for by February 10; please make checks payable to NUUC and put J.C.Superstar in the memo section.  Drop checks in the Treasurer’s mailbox in the center office off Fellowship Hall or mail them to: NUUC, P. O. Box 541, Lewis Center, OH 43035 for receipt by the deadline.  If you have questions contact Tracy Steinbrenner at tsteinbr@columbus.rr.com or 614-885-0324. Creativity Fellowship Due to dwindling attendance, monthly meetings of Creativity Fellowship will be discontinued beginning in February. Thanks to all who participated in the last few years.  It was great fellowship and fun to see the projects evolve and to enjoy the creativity of members of our congregation.  Fair Trade Sales The Social Action Committee will continue to offer monthly Fair Trade sales on the second Sunday of every month. Please support this project by considering a purchase of delicious coffees, teas and chocolates after the service on Sunday, February 10. See Chris Jones-Leavy for more info. Annual NUUC Chili Cookoff Come to the NUUC “Chili Cookoff” on Saturday, February 9 at 6:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Prizes and “bragging rights” will be awarded for winners in two categories--Meat and Vegetarian! Beverages and Corn Bread provided. You do not need to be a chili cook to come, taste, vote, and enjoy--all are welcome! See the sign-up sheet on bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. Questions?  Kristin Grimshaw 614-840-1950 or grimshaw@wowway.com. Sponsored by the NUUC Social Committee. Youth News Youth Advisor Mylly Carreno is coordinating NUUC’s participation in a large scale textile project that is being hosted by a fellow art friend of hers who is in graduate school in New York. The NUUC Youth have been busy gathering fabric, fibers, yarns, rope and other materials with which to decorate one foot by one foot square fabric panels. The project will be introduced to the Explorers (ages 6-11) on Sunday, Feb. 3 during Children’s Chapel. The project is receiving national attention; for more information please check out the project’s website http://www.internationalfibercollaborative.com/ Go to: Page 1 Page 3 Page 4

February Calendar (N) = Nielsen House (F) = Fellowship Hall (S) = Sanctuary Feb. 2 10:30am – Covenant Group (N) Feb. 3 11:45am – Social Action Committee Feb. 5 7:00pm – Yoga (F) Feb. 7 7:00pm – Spirituality Group Feb. 9 6:00pm – Chili Cookoff (F) Feb. 10 9:15am – Children’s RE Committee (N) “Loose Change” Sunday 11:45am - Fair Trade Sales 11:45am – After-Worship Discussion –(“The Half Life of Sin”) (N) Noon – Bldg. Exploratory Committee (S) 6:00pm – Covenant Group (N) Feb. 12 7:00pm – Yoga (F) 7:00pm – Worship Committee Feb. 16 9:00am – Board Meeting Feb. 17 11:45am – Membership Committee (N) 11:45am – Adult RE Committee Feb. 19 March 2008 newsletter deadline 7:00pm – Yoga (F) Feb. 20 12:30pm – Brown Bag Books (F) Feb. 21 7:00pm – Spirituality Group Feb. 24 9:15am – “New to UU” Orientation (N) Feb. 26 7:00pm – Yoga (F) Brown Bag Books Join the Brown Bag Books group on Wednesday, February 20 at 12:30 pm in Fellowship Hall to discuss February’s reading selection : The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This novel chronicles the journey of a father and young son as they walk a road in a post-apocalyptic world. To read a review or order a copy, click here: http://www.amazon.com/Road-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/0307387895/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201872580&sr=8-1 (There are plenty of copies available at the Discovery Place Library.)  Sneak Peek for March: For those of you who like to know what's ahead, the book chosen for March is American Bloomsbury-- Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Howthorne, and Henry David Thoreau:  Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Work by Susan Cheever. Her dynamic narrative reveals the tumultuous, often scandalous lives of these literary heroes who were once considered avant-garde, bohemian types, at odds with the establishment.  (You may want to get on the waiting list at the library). For questions, contact group facilitator Ruth Rusk at ruthrusk@midohio.net. Sermon Discussion Group The Adult Religious Education & Enrichment Committee is sponsoring a new after-worship discussion format. Join Rev. Susan Ritchie in the parlor of Nielsen House after service on selected Sundays to converse further about the day’s worship topic. No need to sign up—just be at Nielsen House at 11:45a.m.! Next discussions scheduled are for Feb. 10 (“the Half Life of Sin: What Goes Around Comes Around”), on March 9 (“Parable of Parables: Jesus as Teacher”), and on April 6 (“Follow Me”). Yoga at NUUC Want to try yoga? Certified Yoga instructor Holly Jones continues her weekly session of yoga classes on Tuesday evenings through February 26 from 7:00-8:15pm in Fellowship Hall. The class is geared for those with little to no yoga experience and is suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. Emphasis is on safe, gentle stretching with the goals of increasing flexibility, strength, balance and range of motion. Drop-ins always welcome; just pay $8.00 at the door for individual sessions. For more information contact Jeri Dill at the church office at 740-657-8081, ext. 1 or nuucjdill@aol.com.