This weekend will be a great opportunity for us to learn more about organizing for Social Justice! UUs from across the state will gather to learn ways we can address the increasingly dire state of the country. Our keynote speaker, Pablo de Jesus, is the national director of UUs for Social Justice, and is an active leader in interfaith efforts at that level. We will also have workshops focused on particular issues, including one from our own FILA (Fund for Immigration Legal Assistance) organizing team.

It’s not too late to register & participate in what I am sure will be an uplifting event!

Lead Minister

Upcoming Events

This Sunday, April 26th

9:15
Nouurish Service

Join us for this interactive and inherently multigenerational community worship experience!

Our featured story this week:

We Carry the Sun

by Tae Keller,

illustrated by Rachel Wada

Presented by Alternative Worship Team & Members of this Community

Infant / Toddler Care is Available 10:30-12:30

11:00

“Belonging in Times of Trial: The Great Weaving”

Some say belonging comes before belief, but it is integral as we pursue justice, as the warp, right there with compassion, fellowship, and solidarity, as the weft. In this season of high tension and low forbearance, we must relearn how to journey together. Our ability to do so is not a mythological or mystical power. We must remember how to call each other “into relationship” as a community of optimists. We believe we belong to each other—and we must champion that! We must manage both the warp and the weft as we weave our tapestry for justice. Doing so is a powerful act of symbolic faithful defiance; it is the great weaving.

Presented by Guest speaker Pablo de Jesus and Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley

First Friday Spaghetti Dinner

Friday, May 1, 6:30 pm

Join us at 6:30pm to enjoy dinner prepared by Revs Terasa, Marco and friends! We’ll have salad, pasta, chicken nuggets, garlic bread and dessert. Vegan and Gluten free options available. Dinner is served at 6:30. Potluck sides are always welcome!

Your first dinner is free! Subsequent $3 donations help fund the food. Spread the word, and come have a good time and some good eats with church friends!

Upcoming Member Memorials

May 2, 2pm: Tom Roberts

June 6, 1pm: Bob Letcher

Final Week for the current Art Exhibit!

“What Makes Me Happy”

by Nikki Nwosu

Now through April 26

This is the last week to see Nikki Nwosu’s wonderful art in the Worship Center! Nikki Nwosu rescues lost fabrics, discarded clothing, old lace and creates fascinating textures and movement in unexpected combinations. Nikki plays! How do you play?

Exciting News from BREAD!

With BREAD members flooding city hall chambers, Columbus City Council passed the Rental Registry legislation BREAD has been working for to protect renters, including proactive inspections. BREAD Rises!

An April 21, 2026 article in the Columbus Dispatch quoted a report from the Center of American Progress ranked Columbus #5 among large cities (all smaller than Columbus) that saw strong decreases in gun victimizations between 2021 and 2025. Might that have anything to do with the Columbus Violence Reduction initiative that BREAD advocated for and won in 2023?

Email First UU’s BREAD Team for more info!

And Don’t Forget to Save the Date!

BREAD 2026 Nehemiah Action

Tuesday, May 12, 6:40-8:30 pm

The above major wins for justice have been possible in no small part because of large numbers of people attending BREAD’s Nehemiah Action each May. Get free tickets for you and your family to this year’s Nehemiah Action at the JAM table in Beach Hall or from your network member. Free child care (out of diapers to age 8) and free parking are available, or take the bus from First UU at 5:45 pm ($5/person; $10/family).

UUJO Spring Gathering

Saturday, April 25, 9 AM-5 PM

Join UUs from across the state for the Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio (UUJO) Spring Gathering, hosted here at First UU. Pablo DeJesus, the Executive Director of UUs for Social Justice, will give the keynote, “Faithful Defiance in Times of Democratic Trial.” Afternoon workshops will be offered on immigration, trauma and resilience, coalition / network building, Statehouse advocacy and more!

Registration: $65 (includes lunch) contact Rev. Dr. Alice Diebel for scholarship support.

Planning ahead? Check our online calendar for additional events!

From First UU Leadership

Help the Archives Team Collect

Covid 19 Information

The Archives Team is compiling a notebook about First Unitarian Universalist Church’s experience during the Covid Pandemic. We know the Tony McDonald died as a result of the disease. Where there other members or friends who we lost? Have you written memories of those years which you would like included in the collection? Please email archives@firstuucolumbus.org or reach out to Sylvia Howe. Thank you from the Archives Team!

Spring is Stewardship Season

Our UU community is one of those rare spaces where people can breathe deeply, reconnect with their values, and remember that they are not alone. Consider what this place means to you and if you can deepen your financial support this year. Set up recurring ACH or Credit card donations here or Pledge online Or stop by table in gallery next few Sundays to pick up your packet and talk to the team.

Thank you for your generosity!

Sign Up: HS Grad Recognition 5/3!

Does your family include a teen who is graduating from high school or homeschool, or who you want affirmed by the congregation as they transition from youth to young adulthood?

Bridging seniors receive gifts from the congregation! Graduating youth and their families are invited to attend in person – so that we can honor you as a congregation – but this is not required.

*The form is due by midnight the Tuesday before the ceremony, April 28th!*

Decolonizing the Mind:

Racial and Environmental Justice

Please share this Faithify Campaign for Paisha Thomas

First I want to emphasize how great an experience it has been to work with you and to witness your absolute commitment to making First UU an anti-racist congregation. I want to share with you about my plans to study for a semester in Namibia in an educational program called “Decolonizing the Mind: Racial and Environmental Justice” this fall. In addition to helping me complete my educational journey, this program will enable me to continue my collaborative life-work, a multi-media art project called “Reunion, A Vessel for Pan-African Unity.”

If you would like to learn more about my work and the global research that I will be completing, please read about it on my Faithify Campaign. I would like to ask that you share the campaign with everyone you know, because through many small donations we can accomplish big dreams!

Learn More on Faithify Campaign

Upcoming Governance Meetings

5/19 Finance Committee (RSVP)
5/27 Board of Trustees (RSVP)
6/7 Congregational Annual Meeting

Nominate someone to be on the Board of Trustees or Nominating Committee (NomCom) using our Nomination Form (or email NomCom!)

Justice & Volunteering

Join the First UU Columbus Protesters chat on Signal App

or email our Justice Team for more information.

ADAMAH Gallery Exhibition & Sale

“Southwest X Midwest”

Benefitting Feed and Read Ohio

Exhibit April 23 – May 2

Reception Sunday, April 26th 4-7 PM

ADAMAH Gallery,

641 N Sigh St., Columbus, OH 43215

Join us for the opening reception of the exhibition of 1940’s Pueblo Pottery Honoring timeless Southwestern craftsmanship featuring ceramic works by Teresita Naranjo and Maria & Julian Martinez.

Proceeds from this collection support Feed & Read Ohio. Explore the narrative behind the exhibition: the ceramics were collected by Jacques parents when they lived and worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico. These pieces—acquired through trust, respect, and personal connection—form the heart of this collection at ADAMAH Gallery “We’re proud to share this collection with you and hope you’ll visit this exhibition.”

Help us keep the amazing work of Feed and Read Ohio going by becoming part of a community of dedicated volunteers: Sign up at feedandreadohio.org. (2696 deliveries this year and counting!)

Democracy Action Hour

Weekly at 12:30 on Sunday

April 26 – Whistle kit and sign making for May Day

Each week we do something together to support democracy and resist what’s going on. This Sunday we’ll be making Whistle kits and signs for May Day!

Interfaith Association of Central Ohio (IACO)

Community Volunteer Weekend

Please Register

Saturday, May 2, 10 am – 1 pm &

Sunday, May 3, 2 pm – 5 pm

Hosted by IACO (the Interfaith Association of Central Ohio) and Bethel International United Methodist Church, this volunteer opportunity brings people together to make a meaningful impact through various hands-on projects (garden work, trash pick-up, tree planting, etc.) and shared fellowship. Join the potluck dinner on Sunday, May 3 from 5:15 pm to 7 pm. All are welcome to participate. Reach out to Karen Dawson with questions.

Eco-Tip: Become a Conservation Steward

From Columbus Parks and Rec Conservation Team – Turn your love of nature into action! The Conservation Stewardship Program offers hands-on training and volunteer opportunities to support pollinator habitats and park ecosystems. Help document plant and pollinator species using iNaturalist, remove invasive species and restore natural areas. (see web link below).

Additionally, trail monitoring will be coming soon to help keep our natural spaces safe and accessible.

Dates with Justice

5/5: Primary Election Day
5/12: BREAD Nehemiah Action (Email for info)

Join the First UU Columbus Protesters chat on Signal App

or email our Justice Team for more information.

On the Journey

Join us in the journey towards anti-racism by celebrating

black innovators, creators, and change-makers each week.

Read about the 8th Principle and First UU’s anti-racism efforts on our website.

Celebrating Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman,

First Female American Civil Aviatrix and

National Aviation Hall of Fame Pilot

Elizabeth Coleman was the first African-American and Native American woman to hold a civil Pilot’s License. She earned her license in 1921 from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in France after being unable to find a flight school in America willing to train a person of color. Afterwards she learned stunt flying in the Netherlands and began performing as a pilot in dangerous air shows in the United States under the names “Queen Bess” and “Brave Bessie.” Coleman’s dream was to expose her people to the world of aviation and create a school for young black aviators. Coleman died in a plane crash in 1926, Although Coleman did not live long enough to establish a school for young black aviators, her pioneering achievements served as an inspiration for a generation of African-American men and women.

Read more about “Queen Bess” on wikipedia, The National Women’s History Museum website, pbs.org, listen to this podcast episode “Leaving for Paris” on the Smithsonian’s website at airandspace.si.edu, or watch this episode of Unique Coloring on youtube (12:33)

-written by Becca Morse, from Black History Flashcard #5, Vol 1.

Please suggest someone for us to feature in our weekly celebration mini-biographies. Interested in writing?

Email Becca to contribute to this weekly feature.

Want to attend local cultural events?

Check out the ARA Calendar for April & May!

Classes & Groups

May Day 2026: Workers Over Billionaires

Friday, May 1, 12 pm

On May 1, 2026, workers, students, and families rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through “No Work, No School, No Shopping”. Join us at a noon rally at the corner of North Broadway and North High, organized by Indivisible.

Need a sign? Come to the Democracy Action Hour on Sunday to make one.

Need dinner plans for May Day? Come the First Friday spaghetti dinner!

International Dance Day!

(Somatic Movement & Dance)

Wednesday, April 29 6:30-8:30pm

Join us for a very special edition of ‘Somatic Movement & Dance’ + a celebration of dance, movement, and these magical bodies that carry us through life! We’ll begin with a gentle, exploratory, guided movement warm-up with live percussion before a freeform (no steps, no choreography) dance wave that will wrap-up with space for intentional rest and integration.

We would love to see regular ‘dancers’, intuitive movers, first timers, unsure/uncertain folks, and anyone else who has been longing to embrace dance as a meaningful, necessary, creative or meditative practice.

Childcare available if requested in advance/based on availability of sitters.

Senior Gathering

May 7, 11am to 1pm

Email your RSVP by May 3

Attention Senior Members! Please plan to attend the Senior Gathering on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The First UU Anti-Racist Allies will present our primary program starting at 11am. Lunch will be served after the program at 12noon. Please RSVP by May 3, 2026 to SeniorGathering@firstuucolumbus.org.

“When Doing Good Starts to Exhaust You:

Using Meditation to Overcome Burnout”

May 16 9:30-Noon

Registration Open

Join Mindfulness & Meditation instructor Patricia O’Toole, Ph.D. in a workshop to explore burnout, meaning, and the deeper questions calling you forward.

Making a real difference in the world takes more than just taking action – it starts with how we show up on the inside. It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, angry or discouraged given the state of the world. But staying stuck in those feelings can make things feel heavier and harder to change.

This workshop offers a different approach – Instead of pushing harder on the outside, you’ll learn how to reset on the inside. From this place, you’re able to respond in a way that’s more effective and supportive, both for yourself and others.

If you’re feeling burned out or frustrated, this workshop is for you! You’ll learn simple ways to stay steady, feel more at peace, and reconnect with a sense of purpose and connection.

Additional Groups & Classes

Sacred Song Circle: 6pm Wednesdays
Creativity Mondays 7-9pm: 1st/3rd Mondays: Expressive Collage, 2nd/4th Mondays: Creative Community Crafting
Keep On Keeping On chronic pain support: 3pm 4/20 Zoom (RSVP)

Community News

Calling all UU Artists and Friends for “Freedom!”

Registration Open!

Drop off art August 9 – 11

Our annual members and friend Fall Art Show is called “Freedom!” What does this mean to you? Take in is August 7-9. See details and Register to submit on our website.

Be “Free as a Bird” as you create!

“Free as a bird” Quilt by Deb Baillieul

Columbus Women’s Chorus Spring Concerts!

7:00 PM Saturday, April 25 (6:30 PM doors open)

& 3:00 PM Sunday, April 26 (2:30 PM doors)

At a time of global unrest and deep division, the Columbus Women’s Chorus invites the community to come together through music that uplifts, empowers, and inspires action. Their spring concert series, “STAND UP!”, centers themes of justice, resilience, and collective care. Through a dynamic program featuring songs such as “What Happens When a Woman,” “Warrior,” “Justice,” and “Be the Change,” the chorus uses music to explore urgent social issues while creating space for connection and hope. The concert features “Dance the Wind,” a commissioned work with music by Assistant Artistic Director and Accompanist Sheena Phillips and lyrics by soprano Bobbie Brooks, highlighting the creative power within the chorus itself. “STAND UP!” reflects the chorus’s mission to use music as a tool for education, advocacy, and community-building—reminding audiences that even in difficult times, they are not alone.

Ohio Roller Derby Home Games!

2026 home games will be played Saturdays at the Ohio Expo Center; join us for the final 2 games of the season on May 9 & May 23.

Family Activities

Happening This Sunday, April 26th!

9:15-10am Nouurish Multigenerational Worship Service (sanctuary)

10:00-10:45am Hot Breakfast and Coffee, Tea (kitchen, A/B, Beach Hall)

10:30am-12:30pm Infant and Toddler Care 3mos-3yrs (101)

10:30am-12:15pm 13-15year Our Whole Lives – Last Class & Celebration! (302)

10:55am-12:15pm 10-11year Our Whole Lives (404)

10:45am-12:15pm Neighboring Faiths – Last Class! (301)

11:00am-12:15pm Roots and Wings 13+yrs: HS Spirituality and Big Q’s (401)

11:00am-12:00pm Worship Service (sanctuary)

11:15ish-12:15 Spirit Play 3-7yrs: Start in Service Until After Story (102)

11:15ish-12:15 Spirit Play 7-12yrs: Start in Service Until After Story (201)

Kiddos w/fam during service: use Busy Bags or quiet toys in Wee Worship / Slowter!

12noon-12:30pm Snack, Coffee, and Tea (Gallery, Beach, A/B)

12:30-1:00pm Peace Pals Children’s Choir Rehearsal 5-12yrs (sanctuary)

1:00-2:30pm Navigators Scouting Fun & Games Meeting 5-12yrs (201, playground)

*No Youth Group Today – Due to the Youth Conference in Pittsburgh!

See you at First Friday, 5/1 to rehearse for Youth-Led Service Sunday, 5/3*

Check Out Peace Camp This Summer!

At Peace Camp we invite children to be their true selves, and make space for all to be welcomed and valued. We explore what peace means, looks like, and how it connects us. Cost: $100 suggested. Invite your friends! bit.ly/peacecamp2026

Session A for 5-8 years, Monday-Friday 7/27-7/31 from 9am-12noon
Session B for 8-12 years, Monday-Friday 8/3-8/7 from 9am-12noon

First UU Church of Columbus

First Unitarian Universalist Church

Sunday Services at 9:15 & 11