Friday News – October 2, 2026

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Happy Friday First UU!

We have a lot of big things happening in October!

Thanks to a generous donor, October is pledge matching month! Any new pledges or pledge increases will be matched up to $10,000. Join us this Sunday after the second service for a Soup Luncheon to celebrate the start of this month of Generosity. Bring a treat to share!

It’s time to register for Chalice Circles! Register to participate in this rewarding small group ministry that deepens and broadens personal spiritual growth. Groups typically consists of 8-10 members who meet at each others’ homes or the church once a month to discuss spiritual or religious topics and get to know each other.

Finally, I hope you will join us on Sunday October 11th for our annual Engagement Fair! Our groups and teams will have representatives in Beach Hall who you can speak with to learn more about how you can get involved! New this year! Fill out a passport book by visiting multiple tables — I hear there may be prizes!

We hope to see you here!

 

Rev. Kelli McNeal

Minister of Congregational Life

Upcoming Events

First Friday Spaghetti Dinner

Today! Friday, October 2, 6:30 pm

We’ll have salad, pasta, sauce, meatballs, garlic bread, and dessert, including veg, gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options for different dietary opportunities. Bring a side to share if you’re able, but come as you are!
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!

This Sunday October 4, 2026

9:15 am

Nouurish Service

Featuring: “My Name is a Story”

by Ashanti, illustrated by Monica Mikai

Presented by the

Alternative Worship Team

11:00 am “Quiet Courage”
We often think of courage as those big actions that make front page headlines. But what about the moments in our lives that require us to quietly show up courageously?

Presented by Rev. Kelli McNeal

with Cara Seidt

Hot Breakfast for donation at 10am!

(Enjoy coffee or tea after both services)

BREAD Listening Sessions

Sunday, October 4

1:00 – 3:00 pm

Register Here to join one of our listening sessions! Sign up at the Jam Table. Click the link or plan to attend on October 4, 6 (Virtual), 11, or 18th.
Now is the time when BREAD holds the first part of its year-long process—The Listening Process. Come get to know each other better, and help describe problems in the Central Ohio community that you have experienced or are concerned about. This year BREAD is collecting stories specifically related to our continuing issues: saving trees on private property under development and helping young adults struggling to get employment that pays a livable wage.

Opening Weekend: Carpe Diem String Quartet

Sunday, October 4, 3 pm

The First UU 2026-27 Concert Series continues with Carpe Diem String Quartet! We hope you are able to join us for Panoptics, the first concert in the The 2026-27 Randolph A. Foster Seize The Music Series!

 Purchase Ticketsat $10-$35: under 21 free. Church member discount $10.

Save the date of October 18 for the next First UU Concert series event: Virgil Barthe.  Download the Brochure to see them all!

From First UU Leadership

It’s not too late to Join a Listening Session

Final In-Person: Session October 4, 12:30 pm

Online Session Wednesday, October 14, 7pm

Your Board wants to hear from YOU about your hopes and dreams for our new minister. We need you to help guide our search team in finding a contract minister who is a good fit for our church. Please join us for one of these two final sessions. Fill out the Board Meeting RSVP to receive our zoom link.

Please let us year voice as we plan for our future together!

Youth Reps Needed to Join

the Board of Trustees!

Does your high schooler age 14+ have volunteer service requirements for school, or need governance experience for their academic resume? Teens are invited to serve as representatives to our congregation’s Board of Trustees and attend monthly meetings in pairs, with adult staff support. Get involved all year long, or do a flight of several months if that better fits your schedule. Email Amber to join us!

Seeking Cool Adults to Work w/ Children & Teens!

Our family programs need some extra support! In particular, we are in need of helpers (classroom assistants and subs 1-2 Sundays a month) and teen and tween friendly teachers and advisors (folks comfortable working with middle or high schoolers). Volunteers who can act as a special needs aides are also very helpful! Email Amber to get involved! Background check required.

Strategic Planning: “What Might the Future Entail?”

Register! Saturday, October 17, 9AM-Noon
You are invited to participate in a weekend of faithful visioning led by by Cassandra Montenegro and Rev. Byron Tyler Coles, staff members of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Central East Region. In continuation of our ongoing developmental ministry, the weekend will support us in discerning the congregation’s ministry and goals to meet the needs of the future world, identifying the needed skills for shared ministry partnership, and empowering all members of the community to take on their respective roles in shared ministry.

Spirit of Life Choir –

Childcare Available!

Childcare is now available during Spirit of Life choir rehearsals with a weekly RSVP! Interested families should register their child(ren) for RE and email us to be added to the RSVP group. Middle and high school aged youth are invited to join the choir, while older children (who can self occupy with a quiet activity) are always welcome to stay in the room during rehearsal! See you there!

Justice and Volunteering

Join the First UU Columbus Protesters chat on Signal App

or email our Justice Team for more information.

Facilitators Needed! Take the Free Training

First UU is making moves to become a more anti-racist community, and we need you to become a trained curriculum facilitator for these programs for all ages! Email Amber to be added to our study cohort for future facilitators (to teach adults, teens, or children). Access the training for free with code mosaic!

Democracy Action Hour

Sunday, October 4, 12:30 PM

Each week after the service we take action in community to protect our democracy. This week we’ll be writing postcards to voters to encourage them to make a plan to vote. Learn more about other ways you can get involved with First UU Democracy Team and the national UU the Vote campaign.

And don’t forget that the deadline to register to vote in Ohio is October 5.Check your registration – make sure you haven’t been purged and that your address is up-to-date. You can register at Vote Ohio, and use Voter Look Up to check your registration.

Eco-tip: Plant a Tree for Free This Fall

Fall is a great time to plant a tree, and Green Columbus is making it easy with three free tree giveaways! Columbus and Franklin County residents can register in advance to select a free tree to plant on their property.

Upcoming Giveaways:

  • 10/4 11am – 3pm: Dodge Community Center, 667 Sullivant Ave.
  • 10/11 10am – 2pm: Green Columbus’ Linden Nursery, 1142 E. 17th Ave.
Get ready to plant your tree! Before digging, call 811 at least 48 hours in advance to have underground utilities marked. Then watch a short video with some great tips on how to plant a tree so you can enjoy the tree for years to come!

Planting trees on private property plays an important role in Columbus’ Urban Forestry Master Plan and the City’s goal of reaching 40 percent tree canopy by 2050. Register for your free tree, and help grow Columbus’ canopy — one yard at a time!

Upcoming Classes / Small Groups

Community Music Night

October 7, 7-10 pm

Play with Music! Join us on the first Wednesday of each month for an evening of music, connection, and joy. Bring an instrument, your voice, your dancing feet, or simply come to listen. This is not an open mic, nor is it a concert. It’s a shared musical experience where everyone belongs. All instruments, musical styles, and skill levels are welcome. No experience is necessary. Come and go as you wish.

Community News

Senior Gathering Thank you!

Our heartfelt thanks go to the many volunteers who generously shared their time, energy, and talents to make our October 1 Senior Gathering such a wonderful success. We are especially grateful to Donna Adassa, Sandy Coen, Joe Del Medico, Su Farnlacher, Barb Fiorini, Bill Fiorini, Fluff Fiscus, Pat Hoffman, Jack Holdford, Katie Holdford, Florence Jain, Karen Keenan, Dave Richter, Sarah Rosenblum, Betsy Smalley, Chris Sullivan, Karen Thimmes, Karen Torvik, Ann Urick, and the many others who stepped in to help throughout the day. These gatherings simply would not be possible without the dedication, kindness, and teamwork of our wonderful volunteers.
Would you like to help with a future Senior Gathering? There are many ways to get involved, and we would love to have you join us! Please email SeniorGathering@firstuucolumbus.orgto learn more.
Rev. Dr. Terasa Cooley presented the program, “In the Checklist of Life,” which prompted considerable tabletop discussion. We extend our sincere thanks to pianist Karen Thimmes for her continued dedication and musical talents, and to Su Farnlacher for leading us in song.
Senior Gatherings continue to provide a special opportunity for learning, music, fellowship, and connection within our community. We are grateful to everyone who helps make these gatherings so meaningful and enjoyable.
We look forward to gathering together again at 11am on December 3, 2026for our holiday program. Lunch will be served afterwards. Hope to see you there!

Free Presentation!

Advanced Directives & Living Wills

5:30PM Tuesday, October 6th at First UU

Funeral Consumers Alliance of Central Ohio (FCACO) in partnership with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, are hosting a FREE presentation on Advance Directives & Living Wills by Attorney Paul Bryson. Leave with your documents completed or take them home to finish at your own pace. This is a gift to your family and peace of mind for yourself. Open to the public. Bring a friend. Questions? Email FCACO.

Kind Meetings Conference

Saturday, October 24th 10:00am – 5:00pm

Kindness Conference Looking for More Kind Community? This gathering is for people seeking more community, wanting to make a meaningful difference in our own lives and in the lives of each other, or just hoping to help create something better together.

Let’s Make It! Rather than a traditional conference with speakers and PowerPoint presentations, the Kindness Conference is designed for actually building kind community through guided discussions, shared activities, creative projects, and experiences that help people connect together.

We’ll practice kind skills, make community art, share food, and develop community-based ways to meet needs where existing systems fall short. We hope you can join us and help us spread the word by sharing the conference flyer with anyone who might be interested in building more kind community!

On the Journey

Read about the 8th Principle and First UU’s anti-racism efforts

on our website. Anti-racism work can happen in small steps, and we hope you will join us by reading – or submitting – articles for this newsletter.

Arturo Schomburg

Afro-Latino Activist and Archivist

One of the most intriguing sites to visit in New York City is the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. Located in Harlem, its namesake is Arturo Schomburg, a Puerto-Rican-born black scholar, who began amassing a personal collection of black literature and prints after a teacher falsely claimed that black people had no history or achievements. His collection, donated in 1926 to the library, became the basis for the Schomberg Center, which archives and provides space for researching work that might otherwise have been lost.

His efforts demonstrate the impact a single person can have in preserving cultural heritage and defeating racism. To learn more about Arturo Schomburg, check out this short video and this PBS video.  A more complete biography is available on the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Website.
Many Thanks to Pat Snyder for submitting this article! Email us to be assigned a name for research, or to suggest a person whose accomplishments have caught your interest.

Family Activities

5-7year OWL Begins! This Sunday, 9/27
9:15am Nouurish Service (sanctuary)

10:00-10:45am Breakfast! 1st come, 1st serve (A/B) Email Robin to help cook!

10:30am-12:30pm Infant/Toddler Care 3mos-3yrs (101) Now Hiring Sitters!

10:45am-12:15pm 5-7year OWL – closed cohort (402)

10:45am-12:15pm Coming of Age 14yrs-HS senior *cohort closes in Oct. (301)

11am-12:15pm Middle School Justice Seekers 11-14yrs (401)

High Schoolers are invited to attend service, play board / card games in Beach Hall or A/B, work tech team / sitters (age 14+), or volunteer in RE.

11am-12noon Worship Service (sanctuary)

11:15ish-12:15 Spirit Play 3-6yrs: Start in Service Until After Story (102)

11:15ish-12:15 Spirit Play 7-10yrs: Start in Service Until After Story (201)

12:30 Snack! Coffee and Tea (A/B, Beach) Email Robin to help brew and serve!

12:30-2:30pm RE Volunteer / Teacher Orientation w/ lunch & childcare (302)
Still Spots Available! Coming up Next Week:

  • 13-15yr OWL: class begins 10/11 *More sign-ups needed! (4 slots left)
  • Mandatory Caregiver / Parent Orientation TBA

OWL (Our Whole Lives comprehensive sexuality education) is “a great program with solid information for kids’ curiosities, questions about their bodies and how they function, diversity in families and friends, consent, feelings and more. And it’s fun!” -Deb Baillieul.

 

Tell your friends! https://firstuucolumbus.org/learning/sunday-school/
Register Now! 2026-27 Classes & Activities for Children and Youth!

Or copy / paste this link: https://firstuucolumbus.org/learning/sunday-school/