THE REPORTER Newsletter of St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church January21, 2007

Sunday Services Sunday services and Children’s Religious Exploration classes at St. John’s begin at 11am. Child care is available. Parking can be found behind the Clifton Mosque (located across Clifton Avenue from the Clifton School construction site) or in the Clifton Recreation Center lot on McAlpin Ave. The church parking lot is reserved for visitors, families with small children, our older members, and those with handicapped permits. Sunday January 28^th “The Birthday of Serendipity” guest speaker Diane Wright The French scientist Louis Pasteur famously said that “in the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.” The musician Brian Eno said, “Luck is being ready.” On the 253^rd anniversary of the coining of the word “Serendipity,” we’ll consider the idea of lucky coincidences. Most authors who have studied serendipity agree that a prepared and open mind is required to detect the importance of information revealed accidentally. We’ll talk about what it means to have a “prepared and open mind.” Sunday February 4^th “Who Are U(U)?” The Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter All faiths make claims about what it means to be human, claims about who you are and what is your destiny. Are you alone? How do we work together to work out our future together? Sunday February 11^th “Celebrating U(U)!!” The Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter It takes a lot of U to make St. John’s happen. On February 11^th we celebrate you, what you do, and what your hopes are.

Minister The Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter Affiliated Minister The Rev. Bonnie Meyer Minister Emerita The Rev. L. Annie Foerster Minister of Music Dr. Catherine Roma Assoc. Director of Music Rachel Kramer Directors of Religious Exploration for Children Mary M. Darner Barbara Hadden Office Administrator Mary Jo (Josie) Arens Caretaker J. Michael Skaggs Newsletter Editor Bruce Beisner Church Office 513-961-1938 FAX 513-961-4008 Church Office Hours Monday through Friday 7:30am to 2:30pm Church Website www.stjohnsuu.org Next Reporter Deadline will be Thursday Feb. 1 at 5pm. Send articles to Bruce Beisner via email.

Opportunities & Invitations The Groundhog is Coming! Plan to join faithful attendees at Mt. Storm Park on Friday morning February 2ndat 7:35am to observe whether the groundhog will se his shadow at sunrise! Afterwards we will have a potluck break-fast back at St. John’s. If you can’t be at Mt. Storm for the brief ceremony, come to church for breakfast anyway at 8am. -Melanie Marsh 30s & 40s Super Bowl & Games Party Calling all St. Johners age 30 through 50!  Pete Asman is hosting a Super Bowl Party on Sunday February 4^th. So come and watch the game with friends or play board games and just watch the commercials. Plan to come over any time after 5pm, and bring food or beverages to share.  Please contact Pete Asman to let him know you're coming. -Pete Asman Final Friday Games Night The Final Friday Game Group will be meeting next on Friday January 26^th at the church. Every-one is invited to join in the fun as we play favorite board games, old and new. The fun starts at 7pm. Please contact Karen Miller for details. –Karen Miller

Adult Religious Exploration Classes: Still Spaces Left! Please contact Carol Fencl  if you would like to register for one of the Adult classes starting in February…. Living with Racism- Sundays February 4^th & 11^th from 9am to 10:30am. This downstairs forum will be led by Frances May Brooks. It will deal with the everyday issues that middle-class African Americans face in today's society. Even if you are not able to read the book, you are welcome to attend and participate in the discussion. Child care has been arranged for these two mornings. Waist High in the World: A Life Among the Nondisabled- Monday February 5, 12 and 19 from 7-8:30pm. This discussion will be based on the book by Nancy Mairs. The program encourages the reflections and contributions of all people, whatever their experience with disability. If you haven't had the time to read the book, you are still welcome to attend the class and share in the discussion. The group will be led by John Fine and Carol Fencl. It will meet off-site at John's apartment building,  2324 Madison Rd. in Oakley. Exploring World Religious Traditions- Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m. This ongoing class, led by Charles Siebert, moves on to a new section starting February 6^th on Chinese Religion/Philosophy. They will first study Confucianism and then go into Taoism. Building Your Own Theology (BYOT)- 10 week course on Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm starting February 6^th. Led by our minister, Frank Carpenter, this is the intensive workshop on what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. You will be expected to share your thoughts about God, suffer-ing, vocation and death, among the topics and then come up with a 'credo' or personal statement of belief. Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid- Thursdays February 8^th and 15^th from 12:30-2pm. Jimmy Carter's provocative book will be the basis for discussion on this timely topic. You've been reading about it in the papers and hearing about it on NPR.  Now find out for yourself!

Among Ourselves Minister’s Vacation Rev. Frank Carpenter will be on vacation through January 28^th. In case of pastoral emergencies, he may be reached through the church office or through Board President Frances May Brooks. Rev. Carpenter’s regular column, “Frankly Speaking, “ will return in the next issue of The Reporter . -Frank Carpenter Congregational Meeting on Capital Campaign to be February 4^th In Borders Bookstore not long ago I  discovered the encyclopedic  “Architecture in Cincinnati, An Illustrated History of Designing and Building An American City” by Sue Ann Painter, published by Ohio University Press and the Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati. St. John's  was given a full page with photo as being one of the most daring designs of the post World War II  period.  Since its completion in 1959, our building has received awards and press attention. But the building has not been without its maintenance and improvement headaches. The front wall needs to be painted every few years. Installing accessibility equipment and air conditioning downstairs are challenging.  As the building approaches its 50th birthday (some sections are older),  is our curb appeal age- revealing?  Do we tell our community we are a vibrant church with a sign that announces our events? These are the items we are considering in the upcoming capital fund raising campaign. A dis-cussion about the campaign will be held in the chapel following service on January 28^th.  Please join us.  A congregational meeting will be held on February 4th to vote on the proposed capital campaign for the building. -Barbara Casson, Property Council

Homeless Project Update Thanks to all who have donated bed linens.  We still need other items for start-up. You may leave these items in the boxes marked “Hospitality Network donations” in the cloakroom area the next several weeks. 1 portable crib, 2 alarm clocks, 10 books preschoolers, 10 picture books school-age 10 books for teens, magazines for adults and youth. comic books for kids, 5 toddler toys, 1 toilet bowl brush, 2 pails and rags, 1 sponge mop, 1 broom and dustpan, 6 sippy cups, 1 roll of aluminum foil, 2 rolls saran plastic wrap, 2 boxes quart size ziplock bags, 3 boxes sandwich baggies, 100 brown paper lunch bags, 20 glue sticks, stapler, assortment of art collage materials, and 10 water paint boxes and brushes Thanks to those who have volunteered already.  There are still these opportunities to join the project: 1. one or more hosts for social time between supper and bedtime 2. Sat 4/14, Wed 5/23, Tue 5/29, Wed 5/30; one or two folks to stay/sleep overnight (approx 9pm-7am) 3. Thu 4/5, Fri 4/6,  Thu 4/12, Fri 4/13,  Thu 5/24, Fri 5/25, Thu 5/31, Fri 6/1 - small group to buy, prepare, bring to First UU and serve Sunday supper May 20 and May 27 Please see Chris Reed after church any Sunday to sign up or e-mail or call her. -Chris Reed Easy Ways to Support St. John’s Kroger Cards for St. John’s are available for purchase from Rick prairie after the service every Sunday. Every time the card is “loaded” with additional money, St. John’s is credited with 4 percent of that amount. You can pay for your prescriptions and gas purchased at Kroger on your card. The church is currently receiving over $300 each month as a result of this program. Flower Donations are being accepted for the coming months. A sign up sheet is posted on the wall outside the church office.

Green Sanctuary Partners Book Discussion on January 27^th St. John’s Green Sanctuary Partners, in collabor- ation with IMAGO, will present a marvelous opportunity for you all to meet and hear some of the  gifted authors of the new and spectacular book “WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE IN AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE?" (edited by IMAGO founder, Jim Schenk).  This timely and multi-faceted treatise provides us with inspiring, intelli-gent and creative resources we can employ as we mend the “...interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part” (our 7^th UU Principle). Thus equipped with a deeper comprehension of Ecology and the effects of each one of our actions, we may truly achieve enough of the vital, sustainable future which will be required for all beings on our beloved Mother Earth. The book forum and reception will be held at St. John’s on Saturday January 27^th from 3pm to 5pm in Krolfifer Hall. If you have any questions, call Mira Rodwan -Mira Rodwan Our Mission: St. John’s is committed to creating a safe and caring community, working for social justice and celebrating beliefs that respect freedom of thought. We are pleased to be designated a “Welcoming Congregation” by the Unitarian Universalist Association, and as such we honor and value the racial, cultural, economic, religious, physical ability, sexual orientation and gender diversity of our members and visitors, young and old.

Sunday Coffee Hosts Schedule Coffee hosts for Sunday January 28^th are Lenora Lee, Melissa Rowland, and Judy Strong Coffee hosts for Sunday February 4^th are Melanie Malaviya, Prasanna Malaviya and Sandy Allen. -Tracy Flanagan Give the Gift of Service Please take a moment on Sunday to fill out anew Gifts Survey for the Shared Ministry Committee. The Gift Survey allows us to know what skills, interests, and service availability each member has. When a St. John’s groups needs volunteers it can search for people with skill sets and availability to match the job description. This simplifies the job search for committees and increases the likelihood that members will find meaningful and empowering ways to contribute in the ministry of St. John’s. To fill out a new survey or update an old one, please look for the red gift-wrapped box on the table in Haehnle Hall after church on Sundays. -the Shared Ministry Committee The Wheel of Life Over the weekend of February 13 & 14, our Minister of Music, Dr. Catherine Roma, led a combined choir of over 100 voices from lesbian and gay choral groups from across Ohio as they performed as part of the inauguration of Gov. Ted Strickland. Sympathies to the McDonogh family on the passing of Jim’s father in early January. He was 100. Wishes for a speedy recovery to Jan Hay who underwent surgery on her foot on January 3. Congratulations to Bruce Beisner on being selected as the new office administrator at the Northern Hills UU Fellowship. Bruce started at the job in mid Dec.

Peace Demonstration There will be a bus sponsored by the Inter-community Justice and Peace Center, leaving from Peasley Center (Sycamore and 14th St.) and going to Washington for a Peace March and to strongly urge not sending any more troops to Iraq. It is important to have a massive demonstration, letting our president and legislators know we don’t want to see any more killing in a war without end. The bus leaves Peasley at 10pm on January 26^th and returns on the 27^th. The cost is $62 per person. I will be going and it would be wonderful to have a delega-tion from St. John’s. If you are able to go, or would like to sponsor a seat on the bus for someone else, please contact Judy Cirillo -Judy Cirillo UU Bed & Breakfast Directory Do you dream of inexpensive vacation travel to interesting destinations where you can stay in the homes of friendly people who share your ideals and are happy to provide directions and advice for their area?  The UU bed and breakfast directory UU’re Home (formerly Homecomings ) can fulfill your dream. For 27 years, we’ve provided a network of hosts in the United States (and a few abroad) who enjoy meeting new friends and who are happy to open their home to like-minded people. You can also become a host and be listed in the directory. Contact us at 828-281-3253 or at info@uurehome.com, and we will gladly send you information about listing your accommodations. Host listings on the UU’re Home website at www.UUreHome.com are updated whenever changes are made or new hosts are added. The paper edition is published every year in April (and has many listings different from those on the website).  For a copy of the 2007 directory, please send a check for $20 (or $25 and your e-mail address for both the book and a year’s access to the website) to UU’re Home, 43 Vermont Court, Asheville, NC 28806. -Paula Robbins, UU’re Home

Friends of the UUA Phonathon As a supplement to periodic mailings, Friends of the UUA will be conducting a fundraising phonathon beginning the week of February 19th and continuing through the third week in March.  Outreach Associ-ates, a telemarketing firm located in Pittsburgh, will be phoning members who are currently active Friends of the UUA to ask them to renew their support. Our contract with this firm requires that all callers must be courteous, respectful, and succinct as they offer identified Unitarian Universalists an opportunity to support our Association directly. Your feedback about the calls will help us to monitor their quality. We have established a Friends Phonathon Hotline to facilitate that feedback:  Members may call 617-948-6525 to leave a message to ask to be placed on the "no call" list or to share a comment directly with a UUA staff member. Your willingness to support the UUA enhances our ability to provide services and programs to member congregations and presents avenues for future growth of Unitarian Universalism throughout the country. If this phonathon is occurring at an inappropriate time for Friends of the UUA to be contacting members of your congregation, please let me know by return email before February 5, 2007 –Cynthia Salloway, Friends of the UUA Check Your Closets, Please! The St. John's carousel slide projector is missing.  Might you have borrowed it and forgotten it some-where in your house?  We know it has been gone for a while. Our last recall of using it was almost 2 years ago. Please check your closets and your memories. We won’t say a word if you are embarrassed.  We'd just be grateful if you bring it back and put it in the RE office as soon as possible. We desperately need it for showing slides for the citywide OWL program.  Thanks. -Mary Darner

RE Joys by Barbara Hadden and Mary Darner St. John’s Directors of Religious Education OWL: Thank you to all the parents of youth participating in the OWL sexuality education program for your wonderful help preparing meals, chaperoning, and doing a myriad of chores as St. John's hosted this city wide program for a Friday-Saturday overnight and for a Sunday afternoon in January. Mary Darner, coordinator of the event, the facilitators and the kids gave you rave reviews!  CALLING ALL YRUU YOUTH: On Sunday January 28^th, youth will again be serving the homeless a meal at the Drop Inn Center downtown across the street from the old St. John's church building.  Be at church on Sunday by 11 am and ready to leave by 11:15am.  We will be back by 1pm or 1:30pm.  More inform-ation by calling John Fanselow or Kathleen Smythe at 513-561-1420.  10 youth and adults and drivers for same are needed. UPCOMING RE EVENTS TO MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR:  Sunday February 18^th: Our children will participate in the annual dragon parade in the sanctuary at the close of the worship service to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Sunday February 18^th afternoon (tentative date): RE Associates Cynthia Villacis and Angie Dewald are working on plans for a Boys Party different age groups and would be held away from St. John's. Friday March 9^th: RE teacher Monica Pellman is asking children in first through forth grades and their families to help with table setting and decorating for the Transylvanian Dinner at 7pm. Saturday March 10^th: RE Associates Amy Martin and Maria Yunker are planning food and activities for young children during the Transylvanian Dinner that begins at 6pm at St. John's. Saturday March 17^th: RE Associates Christine Mouch and Nance Meyer are preparing for the Girls Tea and Talent Party that day  from 2 to 4pm. Our thanks to everyone working on these events.

Bread for Elderly Program Gets Big Boost St. John's program that provides loaves of bread to the elderly at our partner church in Nyaradszentlaszlo, Romania has received a big boost in the last few weeks.  The first boost came from the youth at the Miami Valley UU Congregation, Dayton, who recently held a luncheon to raise money for the program.  They raised $339.  Last week, the luncheon at St. John's raised an additional $351.  The proceeds from these two luncheons together with the proceeds from the two luncheons at St. John's last fall total $1,933.  This money will fund the bread program for over one year!  Thank you to everyone at Miami Valley and St. John's who helped make this program such a great success.  There will be one more luncheon this church year.  That luncheon will be on Sunday, February 18^th.  That Sunday is Partner Church Sunday at St. John's. Rev. Carpenter will be joined by the Friends of Szentlaszlo in the conducting this service.  Tickets for this year'’s Transylvania Dinner (scheduled for Saturday March 10^th) will go on sale starting Sunday February 11^th.  Starting February 4^th, look for the volunteer sign up board in the lobby.  Be one of the almost 100 volunteers who each year make the Transylvania dinner the premier event at St. John's.  -Tom Darner and the Friends of Szentlaszlo Thought of the Week “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, April 4, 1967

ST. JOHN’S CHURCH CALENDAR Monday January 22^nd 7pm- Cont. Service Program Planning Team Tuesday January 23^rd 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 7pm- Adult RE: World Religious Traditions Wednesday January 24^th 6:30pm- Tech Committee 7pm- Adult RE: Waist High 7pm- Committee on Ministry Thursday January 25^th 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal Friday January 26^th 7pm- Games Night Saturday January 27^th 3pm- Green Sanctuary Partner Book Reception Sunday January 28^th 9:45am- Mindfulness Meditation 11am- Sunday Worship Service 12:15pm- Finance Forum 12:30pm- Social Action Coordinating Committee 1pm- Our Whole Lives (at N. Hills Fellowship) 7pm- A Course in Miracles Tuesday January 30^th 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 7pm- Adult RE: World Religious Traditions Wednesday January 31^st 7pm- Adult RE: Waist High Thursday February 1^st 5pm- Deadline for The Reporter 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal Friday February 2^nd 7am- Groundhog Service and Potluck Breakfast Saturday February 3^rd 10am- CGCC 5pm- MUSE Auction and Concert

Sunday February 4^th 9am- Adult RE: Living with Racism 9:45am- Mindfulness Meditation 11am- Sunday Worship Service 12;15pm- Congregational Meeting 6pm- Earth Spirit 6pm- St. John’s Men’s Group Monday February 5^th 7pm- Cont. Service Program Planning Team 7pm- RE Advisory Committee News in the Office by Josie Arens, St. John’s Office Administrator It has been decided that since St. John's holds it's Annual Congregational Meeting in June, and new board member elections take place at this meeting, and some committees change head it would be better to update our People Book Directory yearly during the summer months for a more up to date book. So for now please keep using the 2006 (blue cover) book.  I WILL BE PUTTING INTO THE FEBRUARY 15^th OF THE REPORTER a insert page that can be put it into your current book so you will have updates. Please send me any updates that you would like included on this sheet by Sunday February 11^th.  If you do not have a copy of the current book and would like one I have run off a few more. You can pick one up from the church office after the service on Sundays or call Josie at 513-961-1938 if you need one mailed to you.  Please keep sending me your changes as you know them since this will help keep things updated.       Just a couple of other reminders- When filling out a RFF (request for funds), please remember to indi-cate when account the money is coming out of. Also when leaving me a note, please sign your name to it so I know who to respond to. Thanks.