THE REPORTERNewsletter of St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church
of Cincinnati, OH September 17,
2006 |
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Upcoming
Sunday Services Sunday services and
Children’s Religious Exploration classes at St. John’s begin at
11am. Child care is available. “A Better World for All” –the Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter As Unitarian Universalists we are mostly ‘this worldly,’ by which I mean that we do not find out hope, our good news, in the promises of a live in a different metaphysical world, heaven, but in a better world here. “Deeds, Not Creeds” –the Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter This saying is one of the traditional ways of expressing what Unitarian Universalists are about. How we behave has been more important than belief, and this has been true for most religions. Christianity introduced creeds, or doctrine, as the core of religion. This causes lots of problems, not least the notion of a conflict between religion and science. Church Parking Update Construction on the
Clifton School site has begun. The school parking lot behind St. John’s will
be CLOSED OR VERY LIMITED for the near future. We suggest you plan to come 10
minutes early to find parking each Sunday. Parking is available behind
the Clifton Mosque (located across Clifton Avenue from the Clifton School
construction site) or in the Clifton Recreation Center lot on McAlpin. Please note the church
parking lot is reserved for visitors, families with small children, our older
members and friends, and those with handicapped permits.
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Minister The Rev. 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 thru Friday. 7:30am-2:30pm Church Website Next Reporter
Deadline will be Thursday Sept. 28 at 5pm.
Send articles to Bruce Beisner via email. |
Ghghgh
Frankly
Speaking…..
by Rev. Frank Carpenter Since last spring I have been meeting with religious leaders of the Houses of Worship along Clifton Ave. These leaders are Pastor Jeba Moses of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Rector Jason Leo of Calvary Episcopal Church, Imam Riyad Shamma of the Clifton Mosque, Father Todd Grogan of Annunciation Roman Catholic Church and Rev. Suzanne Fontaine of the Clifton Untied Methodist Church. Our main interest has been the Open House Tours of our Houses of Worship. This will be on Sunday, September 24th, from 3pm until 6pm. This will be wonderful opportunity for interfaith hospitality. We can meet others in our neighborhood, get to see the different architecture of our buildings and learn about the history of Clifton. I hope you will visit some of our other neighboring congregations. One of the things that has drawn us together was the bombing last December of the Mosque. We talk about other things as well. We talk about how Clifton is changing, developing. We’ve had some great conversations about worship and contemporary worship. And of course we want to learn more about each other. I may be out of line here, but it seems to me that Islam takes the idea of a life after death more seriously than other faiths. So when I brought up the idea of Universalism, that Universalism began with the idea that all souls would be saved, it sparked different amounts of interest. I explained the central concept of God being all powerful love, so could not God’s love overcome all human brokenness? Even Hitler? Yes, even Hitler if you are a true blue Universalist. While most Universalists would not believe that Hitler rose from his suicide bunker to go directly to heaven, God’s transforming love would work changes to bring him around. The point we take to this day in our contemporary Unitarian Universalism is that of universality. All people, not matter how deranged or criminal, yet they remain part of the human community. This view, I believe, underlies our rejection of the death penalty. I am still proclaiming the age old Universalist teaching: none are finally rejected. And practicing it with our interfaith hospitality. Peace,
Frank 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.
St. John’s 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.
PAGE 2 The Reporter September 17, 2006 |
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Opportunities & Invitations “Exploring
UU” Class This Fall on a tour of the
church, discuss history and philosophy, church activities and opportunities.
Lunch and child care are provided at no charge. To reserve a place,
please contact Barbara Hadden to let us know your
dietary and child care needs. Please reserve by Tuesday, October 17. Clifton Houses of Worship Open Houses
Clifton Houses of Worship will hold Open Houses on September 24, from 3pm to 6pm. The congregations participating are the Calvary Episcopal Church, Clifton Adventist Church, the Clifton Mosque, Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, St John's Unitarian Universalist Church and Clifton United Methodist Church. All are invited to visit any and all of these houses of worship that day and expand their appreciation of the role of faith in our community. Lite refresh- ments will be served at each location. -Rev. Frank Carpenter Interweave Camping Trip
A camping trip is
planned for Interweave mem-bers and friends the
weekend of September22-24 at General Butler State Park in Carrolton, KY. An RSVP is needed.
Contact Peggy Vaughn at as soon as
possible if you’d like to join us.
-Peggy Vaughn Among Ourselves Music Vivace
The St. John's Choir
invites you to come sing! We have added some new members and are incredibly
excited, join us. It is not too late. And, don't forget, starting next
Thursday September 21, we begin our Spanish Travels at 8:40 until 9:30. Our
Holiday program will be a celebration of carols and lullabies from various
Caribbean, Central and South American countries. Marimba, guitar and harp
will accompany--this is a sneak preview... more to come. JAMMIN' FOR JUSTICE is a dynamite, high energy, exciting concert
with the Clark Montessori Steel Band with Billy Larkin and Eugene Goss. This
concert is a blast. There is dancing, lightness of being and all music
Caribbean and rhythmic. I went to a rehearsal today--the kids are psyched.
Please bring your kids of all ages. We will have 50 kids from 10th and 11th
grade at Clark performing on all sizes of steel drums. It’s September 29 at
7pm at St. John’s and is family friendly event. MUSIC SERIES- Please support the incredible St. John’s Music
Series. $60 gets you 5 concerts: 1. Jammin'
for Justice (monies shared with Sierra Club); 2.
MUSE on Friday/Saturday/Sunday November 17/18/19; 3. Madcap Puppet Theatre Productions for kids
and adults alike Saturday January 20 at 10am in “Monkey See, Monkey Do"; 4. May Festival Youth Chorus on Sunday March 18
at 3pm; 5. Terra Azul, lots of Brazilian dancing
music Saturday April 21 at 8pm. Thank you everyone for
a beautiful first Sunday of the new church year. -Cathy Roma,
Minister of Music NKU Instructor Makes Good
J. Michael Skaggs received three very good pieces of news
in 2006. He won the Part-Time Faculty
Excellence in Instruction Award at Northern Kentucky University where he has
taught courses in Speech 101; Race, Gender & Mass Media; and
Photojournalism since 2000. He also
was awarded PAGE 4 The
Reporter September 17, 2006 New Classes for Adults
Offered at St. John’s in October “Understanding
Male Behavior” will be lead
by Robert Pawlicki. Designed for both men and
women, this course will examine male behavior, including other cultures and
common patterns across societies. It will also cover ideas about teaching our
sons and grandsons to grow into emotionally healthy men. Class meets 5 times
within a 3 week period: Wed. Oct. 11, Tues & Wed, Oct. 17 & 18, Tues
& Wed. Oct. 24 & 25. “Our
UU Story” will be co-led by
Karolyn Schalk and Bruce Beisner.
This course is suitable for new and long-time members. It is a survey of the
denomination's heritage and current theological trends and issues. Classes
will include activities, readings and discussions designed to help
participants further develop their own spirituality within the Unitarian
Universalism context. The class meets on five Monday evenings, beginning on october 16. Rev.
Dr. Frank Carpenter, our minister, will lead a 3-part discussion
series on Karen
Armstrong's latest book, The Great Transformation. Starting
on Thursday afternoon October 19, we will examine the religious and
philosophical move-ments that arose around the 9th
century B.C.E. Sign up on September
Sundays or contact Adult Religious Explorations Chair Carol Fencl to register for any one of these classes. If there
is not sufficient enrollment, a class may be cancelled, so register today!
There is no charge for any of these classes.
-Carol Fencl
Outreach
Offering The Outreach Grants Committee has begun their work for the 2006-07 program year. Once each quarter, we will be designating an offering to be given to a specific non-profit organization chosen from the proposals submitted for the year. On September 24, 2006, the ENTIRE plate offering will be designated for Interfaith Hospitality Network. Their mission is to provide homeless families emergency shelter and hospitality through interfaith communities and to work with these |
Final Friday Games Night Are you looking for a family-friendly way to spend your
Friday night? Or are you home alone on a Friday and bored? Well, come check
out the Final Friday Game Night on September 22 (one week earlier than usual)
at 7pm to play games of all types ranging from that nostalgic childhood board
game to a favorite card game. Everyone is welcome to join us--just bring your
favorite games and your sense of fun. And for planning purposes, mark our
October meeting on your calendars now for Friday, October 27. If you have any
questions, contact Karen Miller.
-Karen Miller Uganda Rising Documentary On Sunday October 1,
this impressive docu-mentary will be shown at St.
John’s, followed by a panel discussion. It can be viewed from a number of
perspectives - historical, human rights, spiritual. Two sections that I found
the most striking were on the hope of the children, overcoming obstacles to
continue their school-ing, and on the
reconciliation process that demonstrates a kind of forgiveness that most of
us have trouble even comprehending. Bring a sack lunch (we have refrigerator
space) or run out for a bagel sandwich and be ready to join us at 1:30pm to
learn more about life in northern Uganda. No pre-registration needed. -Carol Fencl, Adult RE Chalice
Group Luncheon on Sept. 24 to
Benefit Partner Church Bread Project On Sunday
September 24, one of St. John’s Chalice Groups will be sponsoring a special
“Bread for Bread” Luncehon to benefit our program
which provides bread for the elderly in our
partner church in Nyaradszentlaszlo, Romania. Stay
after church and enjoy this meal of five hearty soups and a choice of twenty
breads with your St. John’s friends. See the poster in the church lobby for
more information on this program -Tom Darner The
Reporter, September 17, 2006 __ PAGE 3 a solo photography exhibit at The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, KY, for 2007 (Date TBA), and he was named Caretaker at St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church in September. Mike is grateful and humbled to be chosen as the successor to Larry Brubaker, who retired after 22 years.
-Bill Luerssen Taste of St. John’s Auction -
Donations Accepted German, Italian,
Spanish, French, American.
The list goes on of delectable
cuisines from these and many other countries that reside in the kitchens of
St. Johners.
Prepare to share your talents on October 14t at 6pm at the
annual Taste of St. John’s. You can
offer a dinner, dessert gathering, or other items. Soon details of a special raffle and
exciting children events will be available. September 24th is the
deadline to turn in donation forms to the fundraising committee. Committee members will be
available before and
after the service on Sept.
24 to collect donation
forms. You can also contact Kelly McMichael with your donations or with any questions about
the Taste of St. John’s.
-Jonena Jones ACLU Program
at St. John’s On Tuesday, Sept.
26th, 7pm, the local chapter of ACLU will present a "panel of civil
liberties and human rights experts [to discuss} the US government's
sanctioning of torture and rendition and the recent expansion of presi-dential power." This program is free and open to the public, but reservations are suggested. RSVP to: contact@aclu.org
or 216-472-2220. The ACLU returns to
St. John's on Wednesday, November 15th at 7pm for a program
entitled Election Dissection during which "community leaders and fellow
civil libertarians will discuss the impact of the 2006 elections on
communities in Greater Cincinnati and throughout the state."
-Bill Luerssen families to find and
retain stable housing. They are seeking funds to allow their Executive Director to travel to, and
educate, faith-based congregations' civic groups in our community about the
issues of poverty and homelessness. We ask that you give accordingly to this
important grant. --The Outreach Grant Committee Calling
All “Voices of Variety”
for
the 2006 Holiday Service
Whether you are seasoned "voice" or this is your
first time, please join the Voices of Variety for the 10th anniversary
program! The service on December 3, 2006 will feature the music of Roger
Emerson and his piece - "December in Our Town". The Voices of
Variety will be accompanied in December by pianist Alex Thio
and percussionist Marcia Gallas and directed by
Rachel Kramer. Rehearsals are held just after church and makes it convenient
for voices to sing and parents to socialize during coffee hour. Rehearsal
CD's are provided for every person and it makes learning the music easy, fun
and fast! The Voices of Variety is open to students in Kindergarten through
8th grade. We need all of the RE Voices - this is your holiday explor-ation through song! Please join us on the
following dates (and even if you can't make all of them - come anyway!):
Sundays September 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19, and 26
from 12:15pm to 12:45pm. All regular rehearsals are in Rosa Parks Room. On Saturday December 2 we’ll have a special rehearsal and
luncheon from 10am to noon with the performance at 11am on December 3. If you have any questions or issues that need to be
addressed - please contact Rachel Kramer See you on September 24!
-Rachel Kramer The Reporter, September 17,
2006 __ PAGE 5 |
Finance Corner
Did you know…that St.
John’s has a Fund-raising Policy? Per
this policy, “Fundraising is defined as raising money by either asking,
individually or collectively, or by selling items or services.” All fundraisers must be approved in
advance. A “Fundraiser Proposal Form”
should be submitted to the Finance Council Director once completed. Following the event, a “Fundraiser Report
Form” should be submitted. A copy of
the full policy and appropriate forms can be obtained from the Church
Administrator or Finance Council Director.
More about the policy in the next Finance Corner…
-Jonena Jones Heartland District UU
Training Heartland District is sponsoring a training
event October 7 at Heritage UU Church. Registration forms are posted at the church
or call Janie Cashon to request a form. Please see the registration form for
full details; this article only provides toplines! PAGE 6 The Reporter September 17, 2006 |
by Nancy Combs-Morgan, Heartland Lifespan RE
Consult. -Janie Cashon
A Love
Letter to the Congregation
Dear Members, Friends, Parents, Children and Youth, Sunday, September 10th was a
busy day for us as we began our Fall Program and were so glad to see so many familiar and new faces Little did we know at the start of the service
that you had planned to celebrate the start of our 10th year with such a
celebration. The words, the flowers, the Certificates of Tribute, the 10 Good
Things About Mary and Barbara from the kids, the ovation, the music, the
cake-we were both overwhelmed. As we clutched our gifts it was hard to hold
back the tears of joy and gratitude we felt coming from this beloved
community. We are aware that many people had a hand in the
planning, and probably found it difficult to keep it a secret, but that made
it all the more meaningful. From
the top to the bottom of our hearts, we say thanks to everyone for honoring us in such a special way. With love, Mary and Barbara News From the Office
There has been a change in leaving a message
for me (Josie) on the church phone. The incoming message will now say leave a
message for office administrator (Josie) at the sound of the tone. (instead
of line 1) Line 1 will now be the line you can leave messages on for the
Music Dept. Cathy and Rachel. Lines 2 is still RE and Line 3 is still Rev.
Frank Carpenter.
- Josie Arens St.
John’s Office Administrator |
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St. John’s
Church
Calendar
10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 6pm- Adult RE Class: World Religions 7pm- Program Planning Team 6pm- Board of Trustees Meeting 10am- Personal growth for Women 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal 7pm- Games Night Interweave Camping Trip Saturday September 23 Autumn Begins Sunday September 24 11am- Sunday Worship Service 12:15pm- Voices of Variety Rehearsal 12:15pm- Partner Church Luncheon 12:30pm- Social Action Committee 3pm- Clifton Houses of Worship Open House Tour 7pm- A Course in Miracles Tuesday September 26 8:30am- Staff Meeting 10am- Committee on Cong. Concerns 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 6pm- Adult RE Class: World Religions Wednesday September 27 4pm- Interfaith Appreciation 6:30pm- Tech Committee Thursday September 28 10am- Personal Growth for Women 5pm- Deadline for The Reporter 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal Friday September 29 8pm- Music Series Concert Sunday October 1 11am- Sunday Worship Service 12:15pm- Voices of Variety Rehearsal |
6pm- Men’s Group 7pm- A Course in Miracles Tuesday October 3 10am- meditation 10am- Yoga 6pm- Adult RE Class: World Religions Wednesday October 4 7pm- Friends of the Collaborative 7pm- Membership Committee Thursday October 5 10am- Personal Growth for Women 6pm- Music Committee 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal Sunday October 8 11am- Sunday Worship Service 12:15pm- Voices of Variety Rehearsal 12:30pm- Interweave Luncheon 12:30pm- RE Associates 6pm- EarthSpirit
Sukkot Event 7pm- A Course in Miracles Monday October 9 Columbus Day (observed) Tuesday October 10 9am- Staff Meeting 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 8pm- Adult RE Class: World Religions Wednesday October 11 National Coming Out Day 5:30pm- Executive Board Meeting Falling Waters, Falling
Leaves at The Mountain UU Retreat Guided by Naturalist George Ellison and
Folksinger Lee Knight, enjoy a colorful Mountain Experience at our UU retreat
center in Highlands. NC. Tour regional waterfalls, view fall foliage, enjoy a
field trip/picnic to the nearby Smokies. Relax amid
peaceful 4200-ft. summit views of Blue Valley from the tower and decks. There
are 3 options (4 nights, 3 nights, or one day only) available October 1-5.
Call 828-526-5838 to register or talk with Dick or Carol Fencl
about the beauties of The Mountain.
-Carol Fencl The
Reporter September 17, 2006 PAGE 7 |