Coffee, Cookies & Crafts

Please join us for a gathering of church members and friends (55+) on Wednesday, March 29, 1-3pm. Community Builders will provide coffee, cookies and coloring pages. Feel free to bring your own crafts or just join us for the company.

If you need a ride or can provide a ride, please contact community-builders@firstuu.com.

We hope to see you there,

Community Builders

UUA, General Assembly and Article II Proposed Revision – What’s It All About?

UUA, General Assembly and Article II Proposed Revision – What’s It All About? 

Want to learn more about the proposed revision to UUA principles, known as “Article II”?  Join St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church in Clifton on Sunday, Feb. 19, at 12:45 after their worship service or on Zoom starting at 12:30.  

St John’s presenters will start with a brief overview of the UUA (what it is and what it provides for St. John’s and other member congregations). Then you’ll learn how UUs meet each year at General Assembly (known as GA) taking place this year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 21-25. At this summer’s GA, delegates will make final recommendations to the proposed revision of Article II that will be voted on at GA 2024. This coming Sunday, St. John’s presenters will review the details of the current version of the proposed Article II.

This will be a multi-platform presentation in-person the sanctuary and on Zoom:    https://tinyurl.com/StJohnsUUSunday   NOTE for online participants: after watching the Sunday service on YouTube, take a break and then join Zoom with this link any time after 12:30.

Sponsored by the St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Team, this event will include a presentation, a handout with the current proposed version of Article II, and small group discussions.  A second session on March 12 will include special guest presenter Rev. Dennis McCarty, minister emeritus of the UU Congregation of Columbus, Indiana.   

Questions?  Contact Joetta Prost at St. John’s  – joettaprost@gmail.com

Linnea Lose
linnealose@gmail.com

she/her/hers

BLUU Haven Cincinnati is up and running for 2023

We are excited to announce that BLUU Haven Cincinnati is up and running for 2023. We welcome Black UU and Black UU-adjacent folks from the Tri-State Area to join us for socio-spiritual group activities. Our event schedule for 2023 includes monthly meet ups to potluck and attend BLUU online service, as well as other community, charity and congregational events. We can be reached by email at BLUUHavenCincinnati@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/661113092151264.

For more information, please download the PDF of the flyer below.

A National Celebration

UU the Vote Good Trouble Congregation Celebration

UU THE VOTE ACTION

Tuesday, February 28, 2023 7:00 PM –  8:00 PM ET

It’s time to celebrate! In 2022, we collectively reached over 2 million voters. Let’s celebrate the work, partnerships, and moral courage of our community who got into #Good Trouble in 2022. Together Unitarian Universalists reached over 2 million voters, hundreds served as poll workers and elections, and our partnerships and values won critical ballot measures across the country. On Tuesday, February 28, let us come together to honor our collective work, share powerful stories, and call in joy as we move into the work ahead.

REGISTER NOW

Come hear from partners, President Susan Frederick-Gray, and a special keynote speaker. There will be a special recognition ceremony for congregations as well as folks who served as poll workers and Election Defenders. Don’t miss this inaugural celebration.

GenOUT LGBTQ+

You are invited to LGBTQIA+ youth concert on Feb. 26.

 St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church in Clifton is hosting the GenOUT LGBTQ+ and allied youth choir from Washington, DC on Sunday, February 26th. Paul Heins, choir director, and St. John’s invite all UUs and LGBTQIA+ advocates folks to attend their worship service at 11 am and to stay for the reception afterwards.

 GenOUT is one of only 10 vocal ensembles for LGBTQ+ youth in the United States. They are an outreach ensemble of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC. Nearly the entire worship service at St. John’s will be led and sung by them. The church is located at 320 Resor, Cincinnati OH 45220.

 –Rev. Alice Diebel of St John’s and Opening Hearts at First Church

Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition

The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition is a unified social action agency, fully committed to its ultimate goal: the eradication of homelessness with respect for the dignity and diversity of its membership, people experiencing homelessness and the community. Our Coalition works towards this goal by coordinating services, educating the public, and engaging in grassroots organizing and advocacy. Learn More ->

Contributions to the February Share the Plate collection will benefit Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition.The Coalition provides a space for collaboration and information sharing for the homeless community and social service providers. Their coordination of services activities allows for social services agencies, advocates and individuals who are unhoused to come together to address the problems of homelessness in our communities.

Please make checks payable to First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati with GCHC in the memo line. You may also make your donation online through Breeze at any time.

Earth Care Team Thanks You

Thanks to all who helped us load Denise’s van with Styrofoam! We will collect it again so keep saving it or deliver it to the Hub on your own.

Future collections will be made of shoes and denim that cannot be donated as well as usable linens, such as sheets, blankets and towels.  These will go to Matt 25 Ministries. Stay tuned for updates.

The Earth Care Team

The Ohio Prison Arts Connection

The Ohio Prison Arts Connection is sponsoring an event this Friday January 13 at the Herndon Gallery.  Artwork by 13 returning citizens will be on display (and you can buy the silkscreens, too).

The exhibit starts at 3:00, and then at 4:00, 4 returning artists will be on a panel, moderated by Jessie Glover, to discuss the artistic and other needs of returning citizens. Tron and Latisha Lashay will present short performances (10 minutes each). Light refreshments will be served.

See flyer here

Catherine Roma, DMA

Professor Emerita of Music

Wilmington College

Building The World We Dream About…  

• Have you wondered how to help your congregation become more welcoming and inclusive across diverse ethnicities, races and cultures?  
• How might we educate ourselves to better address racism – to become better anti-racist UUs?  
• What positive impact could this have within our congregation and when working in interfaith and community coalitions?  
• Are you curious about the concepts of identity and difference? What do people mean when they talk about having privilege based on identity? 
• Would you like to meet other UUs who are invested in promoting racial justice? 

If these questions draw you forward, please consider participating in the UU Council of Greater Cincinnati’s Anti-Racism Circle program, beginning on January 10, 2023.  

“Building the World We Dream About ” is a 12-week interactive workshop designed to help Unitarian Universalists from all levels of multicultural experience learn and share together as we become better anti-racists.  Here are the details:  https://stjohnsuu.org/PDFs/UUC-23_BldDream-Course_info.pdf 

 Registration is required by January 4, 2023. https://tinyurl.com/UUBuildTheWorld2023  There is no course fee. 

For more information contact co-facilitator Joetta Prost at joettaprost@gmail.com.   Please share this information with other Cincinnati-area UUs.

Linnea Lose
H 513-351-6530  C 513-207-5673
linnealose@gmail.com

she/her/hers

Tikkun Farms Fire Disaster

Thank you Debbie Davidson for letting our First Church family know of the tragic fire at Tikkun Farms.

Tikkun Farm (‘Tikkun Olam’ in Hebrew means “repair the world”) was started by Rev.Mary Laomon. She is pastor of St.Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church- a small church of predominately elderly African American parishioners in Lincoln Heights.

Mary and her husband purchased a home (the one just burned down) in Mt.Healthy on some land that Mary had a vision toward finding a way ‘in a broken world’ to give back…thus the name ‘Tikkun’ (Jewish) even though she is Episcopal…her inclusive nature and vision for us all to feel a part of.

Her vision has turned into a farm and retreat center that ,with volunteers and mentoring programs, provides food for the larger Cincinnati community, a project called Free Market which grows food/donates to Nourishing Families.

The vision and Covenant of Tikkun Farms is “to engage in the sacred work of restoring people, community, and creation hoping that through meaningful work and spiritual practices ,Tikkun may offer guests the experience of belonging and Belovedness.”

Tikkun has grown into farm, farming,animals, summer kids programs,retreats.

Their horrific fire started on Christmas Eve and because of the blizzard like conditions and high winds, with the help-stamina-courage of 30+ firefighters and six fire stations -who battled the flames into the night- their main house/their home was completely destroyed.

Gratefully no one person nor animal was hurt.

The barn, across the way, with all of their animals, was spared.

But, Mary and family and live-in community and staff lost everything.

Their kitchen was large and full as it housed pots and pans and utensils and supplies for donating foods.

All that gone.

They need much:
CARPENTRY skills to help rebuild

KITCHEN : everything

HOUSEHOLD : everything (towels,etc)

CLOTHES                             …and more

Below please find the GoFundMePage set up to donate toward the Cincinnati community of us now tikkun/giving back to help rebuild and restore Tikkun Farms and their extraordinary work and mission.

Or – show up in person with food or meals or whatever inspires you:

TIKKUN FARMS

7945 ELIZABETH STREET. CINCINNATI. 45231

Please, in whatever you do or however you feel you can help, do it and say it in the name of First Church for Mary and her family, staff,community and crew to know that we are thinking/doing/praying in whatever way we can.

Please see below and thank you for your compassion and generosity.

Be and stay safe and Wishes of Health and Peace into the New Year,

Mary