THE REPORTERNewsletter of St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church
of Cincinnati, OH September
3, 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. Please note the church parking lot
is reserved for visitors, families with small children, our
older members and friends, and those with handicapped permits. Limited
parking is available in the Clifton School Lot (located off Clifton Avenue).
Additional parking can be found behind
the Clifton Mosque (located across Clifton Avenue from the Clifton School
construction site.) SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10 “Coming Home” the Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter We will be starting up the church year. Cathy Roma will be leading the Choir again. Barbara and Mary with the RE Associates and teachers will be leading our Religious Exploration program for our youth. See you that day! the Rev. Dr. Frank Carpenter We start a third year with our chalice groups. Come find out more about this opportunity to make connections at St. John’s.
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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 Larry Brubaker 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. 14 at 5pm.
Send articles via email to Bruce Beisner |
Ghghgh
Frankly
Speaking…..
by Rev. Frank Carpenter Summer has been a busy season at St. John’s. The south wall of the sanctuary has been painted. The Women’s Restroom has been splendidly redecorated. The Men’s repainted. On retreat, the Board has set its goals for the year in line with the Strategic Plan. The Worship Opportunities Task Force is moving steadily ahead with plans for a contemporary service. At its recent meeting the Social Action Coordinating Committee selected racial and ethnic justice as a theme for the year, with an interest in the Friends of the Collaborative. The RE Associates have been organizing classes for the coming year. An exciting year! And the staff is not to be left out! The Choir has started practicing special music that Cathy Roma picked up at the UU Musicians Network. Barbara Hadden and Mary Darner have been meeting with other area UU DRE’s for cooperation. And all the staff has been planning worship for the fall. Right up to the Holiday Season with Voices of Variety singing December 3rd and the Choir the following Sunday. Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, so we are planning for a carol sing in the morning and our Candlelight Service in the evening. Plan; plan; plan! All this so that when you show up this Sunday, you will find your spiritual home hospitable, and responsive. Our congregation is learning community, a place for you to grow. Here you may come in the midst of joys or sorrows. Here you will be reminded of what is most sacred to you. Here you will be recalled to what your life is committed. We look forward to seeing you September 10th! –
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.
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.
PAGE 2 The Reporter September 3, 2006 |
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Opportunities & Invitations All
St. John's Potluck Garden Gathering Sprinklers, Shade
Trees, Croquet, Board Games, Roses, Cold Drinks, Butterflies, Zinnias, Shaded Gazebo and more… Saturday September 9, 5 to 8pm at the home
and garden of Susan Montauk and Stan Loeb, 425 Old McMillan St in Clifton.
All ages welcome! While sometimes difficult to find the first time, this
garden setting is a delightful place for a child-friendly potluck party, and
it is wheelchair accessible. For detailed directions, please contact Jan Hay.
-Jan Hay A True “Taste of St.
John’s” Saturday October 14 at
6pm. Mark the date now! This auction event will have an exciting revised
format. Hint 1: Kids should save their quarters. Hint 2: Ever been to the
Taste of Cincinnati? Look for further details and donation forms soon. If you
would like to be involved, please contact Kelly McMichael
-Jonena Jones 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 as soon as possible if you’d
like to join us.
-Peggy Vaughn Book Group
The book group will
meet in the Gandhi Room at church on Friday
September 15 at 7:30. We’ll discuss Pretty Birds
by Scott Simon. He covered the war in Sarajevo for NPR, and this novel puts
events into human perspective. In addition to discussing the book, we’ll make
decisions about the future organization of this book group. Everyone is
welcome. For information, please call
Debbie Combs. -Debbie
Combs
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 refreshments will be available at each site. -Rev. Frank Carpenter “Our Whole Lives”
Sexuality Education Every other year the
Cincinnati UU churches join together to offer comprehensive sexuality education
for 7-9th graders. The OWL or “Our Whole Lives” course is a UU curriculum
which begins in December and ends in March. Parents must attend an
orientation in the fall in order for their youth to participate. The dates
for the orientations are October 16 at Heritage UU Church and October 24 at
Northern Hills UU Fellowship. Sign-up deadline is November 15. This year we
are also offering support to parents. Two of our area ministers, Rev. Annie Foerster and Rev. Kat Hawbaker,
will be offering additional parent sessions to help parents address their own
concerns about sexuality issues with their teens. You can learn more about
all of these offerings by contacting Mary Darner. -Mary
Darner, Co-DRE Chalice Lighters make a difference by providing funds to UU churches in our Heartland District who are beginning new programs or reaching out in innovative ways to spread our message of a religion of freedom, reason and tolerance. If you would like to pledge to respond with a specific
contribution up to three times a year (minimum pledge of $10), either see
Frances May Brooks or go to the District website, -Carol Fencl |
Annual 9/11 Peace Walk
The annual 9/11 Peace Walk will be Sunday September 10, starting at 3:30pm from the front of St. Monica/St. George, and proceed-ing up McMillan to Clifton and then down Clifton to the Mosque, pausing at religious, educational and the fire station for moments of reflection and some words of meaning. We expect to reach the Mosque by 5-5:30 and then enter the Mosque for a 90 minute seminar on "Still Walking for Peace" with all who wish to join in the discussion. Please join us!
-Rev. Frank Carpenter Dinner Out With the LAFS St. John’s “Lively After Fifty”
group will meet Friday night September 8 at 6:30pm at Tellers’ Restaurant on
Hyde Park Square. All St. Johners and St. John’s
friends approaching or over 50 are welcome to attend. Newcomers are
especially encouraged to participate. We do need to make reservations, so
please contact Jan Hay by Thursday
evening September 7. -Jan
Hay “Exploring
UU” Class This Fall 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. The Reporter, September 3,
2006 __ PAGE 3 Farewell
Reception for St. John’s Caretaker Larry Brubaker
St. John's will say
farewell to Larry Brubaker at a retirement reception following the service on
September 17. For 22 years Larry has made sure the church was a safe and well
kept facility for all of us. Plans include a gift and anyone who would like
to make a donation can send their contribution to the church office.
-Barbara Casson 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 3,
2006 __ PAGE 4 |
Music Vivace
Come sing with the St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church Choir as we
prepare a celebratory Christmas program with music from all over Central and
South America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Every Thursday from 8:40 to 9:30pm
at 320 Resor Ave in Clifton starting September 21.
Choral Service is Sunday December 10 at 11am. We will be joined by local
instrumentalists on guitar, harp, marimba, piano, and percussion. The Voices of Freedom, conducted by Roma and O'Neal will have 3
rehearsals before we sing for the grand reopening of Fountain Square on
Saturday October 14. We also will sing at the Bengals
football game on October 22. Three rehearsals will be at the Freedom Center
on Tuesday Sept. 12 and 26, and Tuesday October 10 at 6:30. Join us. Call Cathy at Roma for more information. -Cathy Roma St. John’s Minister of
Music News From the Office
If it took longer than normal to receive this issue of The Reporter it
was most probably because of the Labor Day holiday. The newsletter is usually
mailed on Monday and since Monday was a holiday the mailing was on Tuesday.
Church office hours on Tuesdays only will be
7am-2pm. Regular hours on the remaining days are 7:30am-2:30pm. If you or
your committee has a office mail box, please be careful when removing your
mail and sorting thru it. I have found some "important" papers that
came from people's mailboxes and were left behind lying around. Thanks!
- Josie Arens, St. John’s Office
Administrator PAGE 5 The Reporter September 3, 2006 |
RE-Joys
On September 10 the fall RE
program begins for our children. Many hands make light work in the preparations. Our new custodian, Mike Scaggs,
is helping with the heavy work to ready the children's room. We could use
some additional helpers on Saturday, September 23 or another time when you
are available to give the rooms some loving attention. None of this is heavy
work. It is just wiping down shelves and doing a little spit and polish here
and there to give the finishing touches. If you could be of help, please
contact Mary or Barbara at 513-961-1940. We'd be mighty grateful!!!!! Our paid childcare staff this
year includes Melissa Gutter and Nickie Chambers.
Our volunteer teachers include Leonora Lee, Cynthia Villacis
and Maria Yunker in Growing Times, Dani Powley, Kevin Marsh, and Anna Moore in
Preschool-Kindergarten, Monica Pellman, David
Wilson and Gina Marsh in 1st-2nd grades, Melissa Sheppard and Joe Lampe in
3rd-4th grades, Wendy Waters-Connell, Diana Long, Edie Holder and Angie Dewald in 5th-6th grades, and Tammy Case, David Case,
Bill Gordon, Trish Hoge and Jay Guenther in 7th-8th
grades. Rick Prairie has agreed to lead the Coming of Age program for 8th
graders. Our high school YRUU advisors are Kathleen Smythe,
John Fanselow, Greg Hellems
and Alicia Rosselot. We thank you for your
commitment to our children's spiritual growth!!!! The class liaisons who serve
on the RE Associates are: Amy Martin - Infants and Toddlers, Cynthia Villacis - Growing Times, Christine Mouch
- Preschool-Kindergarten, Gina Marsh - 1st-2nd grades, not confirmed for
3rd-4th grades, Angie Dewald - 5th-6th grades,
Nance Meyer - 7th-8th grades. These folks will be helping with communications
to families and special events and keep the DREs
posted on relevant issues. Thank you all!! |
St. John’s
Church Calendar
Tuesday September 5 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 7pm- Chalice Group (Lampe) 7pm- Chalice Group (Heaster) Wednesday September 6 6pm- Taste of St. John’s Planning
Committee 7pm- Membership Committee Thursday September 7 10am- Personal Growth for Women 6pm- Music Committee 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal Friday September 8 8:30am- Staff Meeting 6:30pm- Lively After Fifty (LAFS) Dinner Saturday September 9 5pm- Potluck Garden Gathering Sunday September 10 9:30am- Chalice Group (Strong) 11am- Sunday Service with Rev. Carpenter 12:30pm- RE Associates 12:30pm- Interweave Luncheon 3:30pm- Annual 9/11 Peace Walk 6pm- Earth Spirit Full Moon Event 6pm- St. John’s Men’s Group Monday September 11 7pm- RE Advisory Committee Tuesday September 12 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 7pm- Worship Opportunities Task Force Wednesday September 13 5:30pm- Executive Board Meeting Thursday September 14 10am- Personal Growth for Women 5pm- Deadline for The Reporter 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal Friday September 15 7:30pm- Book Group Meeting Saturday September 16 9am- Our Whole Lives Orientation 9am- Dream Group |
Sunday September 17 9:30am- Adult RE Forum- What In the
World 9:30am- YRUU Breakfast 11am- Sunday Service with Rev. Carpenter 12:30pm- Farewell Reception for Larry
Brubaker 12:30pm-
Green Sanctuary Partners 7pm- A Course in Miracles 7pm- Celebrate Life Together Planning
Team 10am- Meditation 10am- Yoga 6pm- Adult RE Class: World Religions 6pm- Board of Trustees Meeting 7:15pm- Choir Rehearsal 7pm- Games Night Interweave Camping Trip 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 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 The Reporter September 3,
2006 PAGE 6 |
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Among Ourselves 10
Reasons Why You Might Consider an
Adult RE Class For Yourself: 1. You'd like to learn
more about other religions around the world. 2. You'd really like
to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, even if you have been a member
here for quite a while. 3. You'd like to talk
with people about meaningful topics in a way that just doesn't happen at
coffee hour. 4. You'd like a way to
get to know a small group of people here at St. John's. 5. You're tired of
watching TV for your stimulation. 6. You'd like to talk
about a book you've just read with someone else. 7. You'd like a
daytime class to attend. 8. You know your
belief-system won't evolve if you don't challenge yourself occasionally and
take risks. 9. You want to keep on
learning. 10. It sounds like
fun! Registration for the
new 2006 Fall classes will begin Sunday Sept. 10 at church. Look for the
insert in this issue of the Reporter. -Carol Fencl News
from Szentlaszlo
Covenant of Partnership Approved: On June 4 ,
the membership of St. John’s approved by unanimous vote the new written
covenant with our partner church in Nyaradszentlaszlo
, Romania. PAGE 7 The
Reporter September 3, 2006 |
Upcoming Bread for Szentlaszlo
Lunches: Plan now to stay for
lunch at St. John’s on Sunday September 24 and Sunday November 5. of the most successful
of our activities in support of the Unitarians in Szentlaszlo. Approximately 40 elderly people receive this
bread which is baked by Unitarians in the nearby village of Nyaradgafalva at a cost of approximately 75 cents a loaf.
The bread is then distributed weekly by a lady from our partner church. The
proceeds from these lunches will enable us to extend the program into the
future. Szentlaszlo Van Project: The fund established to raise money to buy a
van for our partner church has almost reached $8,000. This brings us to about
60% of our goal of raising $14,000. The Friends of Szentlaszlo
are looking for ideas on new ways to raise the additional $6,000. 2007
Visit to Szentlaszlo: The Friends of Szentlaszlo
are starting to make plans for a group visit to our partner church in the
next year. We anticipate a meeting for interested persons sometime this fall.
If you are interested in learning more about this trip
or know of people who might have an interested, please contact Tom or Mary
Darner. Anyone who would like more information on any of the items in this
article or who would be interested in participating more directly in the
Friends of Szentlaszlo should contact any one of the following
Friends members: Mary or Tom Darner, Rick or Connie Prairie, Kathryn or Jim
McDonough, Emily Hodges, Meg Harman, Sally Larson, or David Koehnke. -the
Friends of Szentlaszlo |