Friday News – May 3, 2024

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Dear friends and beloveds, 

It is with great pleasure that I get to present this week’s Sunday service, highlighting family ministry! We have an exciting program planned, featuring:

  • High school grad recognition!
  • Puppets!
  • Children acting out a story, live!
  • Craft activities!
  • Thanking our teachers and volunteers!
  • Storybooks!
  • Classroom open house!
  • Music galore!
  • Coffee served in the Religious Exploration wing!
  • Photos from this year!
  • And more!
I can’t wait to see you all there! I am grateful that our young people have the loving support of so many thoughtful grown-ups in this community.

I would also like to mention that next Sunday, May 12th, we are offering a group Child Dedication Ceremony as part of our Mother’s Day service, and there is no age limit for the children participating! The sign-up form is due by midnight the Thursday before the ceremony, May 9th! Please encourage your church friends with kiddos to sign up!

Have a lovely weekend – see you Sunday!

Amber Scott
Director of Religious Exploration
Amber@firstuucolumbus.org
This Week
“What Does Peace Feel Like?”

Bridging Ceremony and RE Sunday
Sunday, May 5

Presented by Amber Scott, our Director of Religious Exploration
Young people everywhere deserve peace and support! Come recognize our congregation’s graduating high school seniors, and join us in celebrating all our family programs, while also thanking our beloved teachers and volunteers. Hear about what our children and youth were up to this year, and experience more activities during the Religious Exploration Open House after the service!
First Friday Dinner Tonight!

TODAY at 6:30pm  

Skip making dinner; come hang out with fellow First UUers and let us do the cooking! All ages are welcome. We’ll have salad, pasta, sauces, garlic bread and cookies. Vegan/gluten free/dairy free options available. Dinner is served at 6:30 and chatting/games/movies often go till 8:30-9.

Your first time is free! There is a suggested donation of $3.00 per person to help pay for the food for all of our happy repeat customers. Spread the word and come have a good time and some good eats with friends.
Next month we start our Summer format of “Bring Your Own Picnic!” Instead of meeting in the park this year we’ll be gathering on the Red Oak Playground on the South side of First UU so that we have access to shelter and running water.

Image by Romjan Aly from Pixabay
Weaving the Web of Community
Pledge forms due May 5th 
Still have your pledge form? Bring it with you this Sunday!
Our goal this campaign is to move towards a budget that supports putting our UU values into the world, and we are making progress. 62% of the pledges we have received so far have been increased, getting us to close to 50% of our goal.  Thank you!
However, we have only heard from 30% of our membership.

Whether or not you plan to change the amount you donate, please turn in your form by May 5th. Every pledge form that is turned in helps us  budget accurately for the upcoming year.

We are grateful for your generosity!  If you are ready to pledge, or would like more information about this year’s campaign, please visit our website. Our community’s vibrant programs and work for justice are made possible by your generosity.  We are grateful that you have chosen to weave your story with ours!
Pledge Now!
Worship Associates Inaugural Meeting
Join our new Worship Associate Program! Participate in monthly planning meetings, and help craft four worship services per year. We will gather to discuss with Rev. Terasa on Saturday, May 4th, from 10-Noon, and will formally launch in September. Fill out this form if you’re interested!
Candidate Meet and Greet this Sunday
This Sunday, May 5th, you will have the opportunity to meet several of this year’s candidates for leadership positions at First UU after worship service in Beach Hall! (A second Meet and Greet will be held on May 19th).

We hope that you will join the Nominating Committee this Sunday for a chance to chat with our candidates. Read more about the candidates and our election process here!
Board of Trustees (3-year terms):
Betsy Smalley
Jim Svagerko

Moderator (1-year term):
Dana Reynolds

Nominating Committee (2-year terms, will elect 3 candidates):
Dennis Frazier
Eddy Fried
Jack Holdford
Joan Matyskella
Cara Seidt
Carson Tucker
Carpe Diem Concert
Carpe Diem String Quartet will give its final concert of the 23–24 season at First UU on Sunday, May 5 at 2 pm. The concert, “Expand”, will feature works by Wiancko, Ravel, Dohnanyi, and Arensky, as well as guest cellist Julian Bennett.

Church members may Purchase Tickets for $25 (a $10 discount)
Life Skills Workshop Series
This series of workshops led by Rev. Terasa will help us develop tools for healthy communication and best practices for being in a diverse community. You can come to just one or attend all! All classes are offered on Tuesdays, at both Noon and 6:30pm – pick the time that works best for you! All workshops will be in-person only, and there is no need to register.
May 7 – Polarity Management: We seem to constantly come up against polarities in our polarized world. Polarity Management is a tool to help us look at issues in a more complex and holistic way.
Offered at Noon and at 6:30pm

Coming Soon: 
May 28th – Powerful Questions
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
Senior Gathering
Thursday May 9th, at 10:45am
Lunch at Noon
RSVP by Tomorrow, May 4
Join us for our next Senior Gathering!  Piano music by Karen Thimmes will commence at 10:45am in the Worship Center, followed by a program presented by Rev. Terasa and Dick Dawson.  A homemade meal will be served at Noon in Beach Hall.   RSVP by, May 4: send an email to Marilyn Beerman OR leave her a voicemail at 614-282-8440.  We hope to see you there!
Sign Up ASAP for Child Dedication 5/12
We are offering a group Child Dedication ceremony as part of our Mother’s Day service next Sunday, May 12th, and there is no age limit for children participating!
This sign-up form is due by midnight the Thursday before the ceremony, May 9th!

Families are invited to attend in person – so that we can honor you as a congregation. Your family will receive a child dedication certificate and flowers.
From the Staff & Board
Upcoming Governance Meetings
Classes and Groups
Trans / Gender Non-Conforming
Youth & Allies Support Groups
Sunday, May 5 at 11:30am the Trans and Gender Non-Confiorming (GNC) Support group is hosting two groups to extend community support:

The Trans / GNC Teen Support Group will meet in the Library, hosted by members of the adult support group. (Anyone 18 or younger is welcome.)

The Trans Allies and Families Support Group will be meeting in Room 302 at the same time. This group is for parents and anybody supporting trans people in their lives

These groups will meet on the first Sunday of each month, and the Adult Trans / GNC group will continue to meet on the third Sunday of the month.  Email Emily Henry with any questions.
White Supremacy Culture Workshop
Saturday, May 18, 4:00 to 5:15
At First UU + online
Please Register by May 8
How do we become a more racially inclusive church community? Our membership is predominantly white, and our Anti-Racist Allies Team believes there are dynamics in our church culture which (a) sustain the current majority white membership and (b) don’t meet the needs of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). The culture that sustains white dominance in most organizations in the United States is called White Supremacy Culture.

This workshop will help each of us in our personal path to understanding racism as well as supporting the developmental work of our congregation. Help us learn more together about our church culture! Advance registration is encouraged by May 8.  View the workshop handout here.  For more information email the Anti-Racist Allies team.
Upcoming Events
Come Be Nouurished: A Worship Experiment

Sunday May 12th & Sunday, May 19th
8:30–9:15am

You are invited to partake in a worship experiment!

As the world changes so can our needs about how to be nourished in a community spiritual practice. As part of First UU’s ongoing quest for different and better ways to serve our entire community we’re piloting an inclusive and interactive service before breakfast two Sundays this month.
Curious? Come to the service and then join us afterward for breakfast and to talk about what you found meaningful in the experience and what you might change.

If you have questions or are interested in helping contact Christine Davidson.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay
Pathways to Membership
Saturday May 11th, 9–11am
ONLINE ONLY
Are you Curious about how to become a member of First UU? Are you considering becoming a member, but just not sure yet?  Are you wondering about how to connect and engage with this community? Pathways to Membership is for you!

This class will be online only.  While we would LOVE to have you become a new member, there is never any obligation to join. Register online to receive the link to Saturday’s class, or email pathways@firstuucolumbus.org for more information!
Around the Corner
  • Sunday, May 19 6pm: Care & Share Timebank Monthly Potluck
  • Sunday, May 26 11:30am: Emerging Young Adults
  • Tuesday, May 28
    • Noon & 6:30pm: Life Skills Workshop: Powerful Questions
    • 6:30pm: Expressive Worship
    • 7pm: Athiests Skeptics and Humanists (ASH) Speaker
  • Every Wednesday 5pm: Citizens Not Politicians Office Hours
  • Every Wednesday 6pm: Sacred Song Circle
Justice & Volunteer Opportunities
April Showers bring May ARA Flowers
  • Sunday, May 5, 11:30 (Room 301) Debriefing for those who participated in the Community Day of Service at the Church for All People and for other interested individuals.
  • Sunday, May 19, 11:40Carpool from church to ARA & Friends Lunch at Way Down Yonder New Orleans Finest Restaurant
  • May 26 Carpool from church at 11:30—Ohio Black Expo Riverfront Culture Fest with food trucks, 100+ black-owned vendors, music, and dancing. Tickets $20 via eventbrite
Photo by Susan O’Donnell
BREAD Nehemiah Action (This is the BIG One!)
The Annual Event for Justice in Central Ohio is Tuesday, May 21st, at 6:40pm in the Celeste Center at the Expo Center (state fairgrounds).

There are so many great reasons to attend this event!  By joining together to attend, we:

  • Give a voice to those who have no voice for more truly affordable housing for people making $30,000/year or less and for helping renters deal with predatory landlords.
  • Hold our public officials accountable for serious problems in central Ohio.
  • Keep First UU’s covenant with BREAD (1996) to demonstrate BREAD’s people power by turning out a number of people, including children, equal to 100% of our average worship attendance to each year’s Nehemiah Action.
  • Sit in the virtually empty bleachers if you are immuno-comprimised or uncomfortable in crowds.
Entrance to Nehemian Action is FREE, but you must have tickets in advance.  Pick them up in Beach Hall any Sunday between now and May 21 where you can also get “Standing With Love” t-shirts for $25 and purchase non-refundable round trip bus tickets to avoid the traffic/rain and travel in community with fellow First UU’ers and friends.
  • $5 per person or $10 per family
  • Departure times 5:45pm and 6pm
  • (Choir has priority on 5:45 pm bus)
Remember, this event is for the whole family!  There will be Free childcare for children age 8 & under (out of diapers).  The Celeste Center refreshment stand(s) will be open.
Free tickets to the Nehemiah Action are available from your First UU Bread Network member, or register online.

And as always, please Email the First UU BREAD Team or go to the BREAD website for more information.
Tapestry
Diversity and Inclusion highlights from our new Coordinator of Multicultural Engagement, Minister Shannon C. High!
Kintsugi: Strength and Beauty in Our Flaws
In our world that often values perfection, the Japanese art of Kintsugi offers a profound perspective on embracing imperfection. Translating to “golden repair,” Kintsugi is a centuries-old practice that transforms broken pottery into exquisite pieces of art.

Rather than concealing cracks and fractures, Kintsugi celebrates them. Artisans meticulously mend shattered ceramics with a special lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The result is striking: delicate veins of precious metal tracing the contours of the pottery, turning flaws into features.

But Kintsugi is more than just a technique—it’s a philosophy. It teaches us to honor the history of an object, recognizing that its journey includes both moments of fragility and resilience. Rather than discarding broken pieces, Kintsugi invites us to cherish them, seeing beauty in their imperfections.

Metaphorically, Kintsugi speaks to the human experience. Just as the mended pottery becomes even more exquisite with its golden seams, so too can we find strength and beauty in our scars and vulnerabilities. It’s a reminder that our flaws and failures are not something to hide but something to embrace as part of our unique journey.

In a world that seeks perfection, Kintsugi offers a refreshing perspective—a reminder that imperfection is not something to be ashamed of, but something to celebrate. It’s a testament to resilience, beauty, and the enduring power of embracing our flaws.

Learn More from this Traditional Kintsugi Tutorial on YouTube
Community News
Celebration of Life: Erro Lynd
For those unable to attend in person, the service will be streamed.
For the link, please provide your info on this form and it will be sent to you before the service.
Celebration of Life: Jessica Owens
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Central Ohio Annual Meeting
Saturday May 4th, at 12pm
FCACO invites you to our Annual Meeting, starting with lunch at noon. Jarrod Williams, Executive Director of the Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors will share insights about the regulatory framework governing embalmers and funeral directors in Ohio.
Family Activities
Register for Peace Camp!
Happening This Sunday, May 5
  • 9:15-9:45am Breakfast (A/B) 
  • 9:30-11:30am Infant and Toddler Care (room 101)
  • No Sunday School Classes
  • 10-11am RE Sunday All Ages Service, Teacher Recognition, and HS Bridging Ceremony for Our Graduating Seniors
  • RE Open House: Coffee Served in RE Wing
  • No Navigators Meeting – Due to Spring Camp Out