One of the great privileges of being a minister is helping loved ones grieve a loss. Performing memorial services gives me an opportunity to learn about the person who died in greater depth, and to assist their loved ones in remembering stories, capturing the meaning of the life lost. I’m a firm believer that this … Continue reading Friday News – July 18, 2025

Happy Friday The School for Young Children (SYC), an outreach program of the church, has been operating for 55 years, enrolling an average of 150 2-5 year old children. Many may not know that SYC was founded here because another pre-school program in Clintonville refused to allow black children to attend. From its inception, the … Continue reading Friday News – July 11, 2025

Please note: First UU’s Offices will be closed July 4–July 11, as many of our staff are attending the Central East Region Summer Institute (CERSI) next week. Happy Friday, & Happy Independence Day! I’ve been visiting friends and colleagues in Boston this week which has been a lovely reconnection for me, especially with some of my elderly friends whom I … Continue reading Friday News – July 4, 2025

Happy Friday! I was deeply touched when Rev. Terasa suggested that I write the message for this week’s Friday News. As I shared at the Annual Meeting, I am taking a church sabbatical this year. I love you all deeply. And, after serving as Treasurer for 12 of the past 22 years of membership, I … Continue reading Friday News – June 27, 2025

Happy Friday! I write this note from Baltimore where I am attending our General Assembly – the gathering of Unitarian Universalists from around the world that happens yearly. It now happens in person only every other year (virtually the other year) so it’s wonderful to see people we haven’t seen for several years. I relish … Continue reading Friday News – June 20, 2025

Happy Friday! It was quite the celebration last Sunday! We celebrated the success of the rummage sale (around $15K at last count!) We celebrated the work of the staff and the Board and Nominating Committee and so many others at the Annual Meeting. What really struck me in this was how appreciative this congregation can … Continue reading Friday News – June 13, 2025

Dear First UU, As our church year comes to a close and your board and staff are reporting back to you the congregation at our annual meeting this Sunday, there is some big news I want to share with you. I am so grateful for you! I could not have asked for a better community … Continue reading Friday News – June 6, 2025

It’s that time of year when we wind down our regular programming and go to one service at 10am. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t still offering great worship and programs! Summertime gives us a chance to experiment with different styles of worship like we did last Sunday, and with different approaches to our ‘usual’ … Continue reading Friday News – May 30, 2025

Summer Schedule is here! Summer is a time that First UU staff uses to try new ideas and prepare for the coming church year, so you may notice some changes in our programming and communications. Beginning this week, you can come to the church at 9:00 for a continental breakfast, participate in “Summer Shorts” – … Continue reading Friday News – May 23, 2025

Last Friday we hosted a wonderful public listening project Sidewalk Talk. The founder led us in a two hour training about effective listening. As a minister and someone who specializes in healthy communication, you would think I would know all there is to know about listening! But I still learned some new techniques. We are … Continue reading Friday News – May 16, 2025