Unitarian Universalist Congregation East

The News is, of course, dominated by news of the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan in the first week of March, but here, for us, the news is dominated by the loss of Shirley DenBroeder.  Shirley Jean denBroeder, 75, of Reynoldsburg, passed away on March 3, 2011.

She was born January 11, 1936 in Newark to the late Murrell and Ruth Orr.
She is survived by her son, Jody denBroeder; her brother Paul Orr; her sisters, Nancy Channell, Caroline King, Elizabeth Williams, and Marjorie Bergstrom.  She is preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, David Bline, John and Lee Orr.

Shirly graduated from Newark High School. She was a volunteer with the Columbus Metro Parks.  Donations are requested to Columbus Metro Parks, 1069 West Main Street, Westerville, OH 43081 in her memory.

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held later.

In other news, the church (almost) monthly potluck is to be held Saturday March 19.  It will be a St Patrick’s day theme, and all who have any kind of music making equipment or a voice should come.  We have decided to see if we can actually sing… and St Patrick’s day is the excuse to find out.  If it doesn’t turn out well, maybe some merciful person will bring a movie to pop into the DVD machine.

The monthly (really, we do this every month… much more reliably than we do the potluck) congregation board meeting was held Mar 13.  Old business:  we decided not to have the $200 energy audit but we decided to spring for the $25 energy assessment by AEP.  Stay tuned for ideas.  On the subject of rental of the facility, we charge $50 for half a day of use.  However, we don’t charge the members to use the grounds.  So it turns out we don’t collect much because most of the people interested in the place are our members.  So we are all encouraged to make use of the facility whenever it makes sense for you.

New Business:  Marko is doing well in his new home in California.  He is going to be a Father in July.  Marko generously paid for 3 years of our website fees, so THANKs MARKO!

We need more people to step up and help with the building.  Some more people need to come early and help set up or stay and clean up.  We are a small group folks, we can all help a little more so we don’t require the same generous people do these chores week after week.

John Martin is going to be ordained as a minister for the UUCE congregation.  We talked about the task of putting on the ceremony, which, for obvious reasons, we don’t often do.  Jan found a little guide book online for these kinds of ceremonies, but she thought it a tad sanctimonious.  Folks, sanctimony is not our strong suit at UUCE.  We need help with this.

And, FINALLY, we are going to have an “Open Forum” Sunday in April.  We debated whether the “Open Forum” should be open, or whether the “Open Forum” should be targeted at a topic.  We decided that we should use the day to address Earth Day and related environmental subjects.  Nevertheless, “Targeted Topic Forum” just doesn’t have the zesty feel of inclusiveness that “Open Forum” has.  SO we are going to call it “Open Forum” anyway.

Now aren’t you sad that you did not attend the congregation’s board meeting?

Peace, Rick

To find out what is going on currently, the notes on the Sunday services are your best bet.  I try to keep them from being too dry…  and they already contain a lot that would have gone into a newsletter.  Our little congregation provides a refuge for free-thinkers and free-doubters at the building that was formerly a house (1798 Lancaster Road, Reynoldsburg, OH.)  The grounds are a phenominal property.  They have become a refuge of birds and all manner of native Ohio animals.

Services continue despite the cold.  This level of snow is not a problem for our environmentally friendly gravel parking.  The most cost-effective snow treatement is to have lots of people at Sunday services so that the arriving cars push the snow down into the gravel… so that is how we handle snow so far as we can.  If you want to attend services in a wheelchair, then park close to the wheelchair ramp.  The ramp is customarily cleared of snow before services.  Come join us.

Please remember to sign up for the Kroger Community Rewards Program.

www.krogercommunityrewards.com Our organization number is 80237

I do want to give you a taste of Sustainable Reynoldsburg.  They are a very small group here in Reynoldsburg.

http://groups.google.com/group/sustainable-reynoldsburg?lnk=srq

This is from their website:

Sustainable Reynoldsburg, a new community group started by six residents of Reynoldsburg, Ohio early in 2009. Much of the planning and development in suburbs like ours was based on the ideas that there are no serious limits to cheap fossil fuels and other natural resources, that our world will take all the greenhouse gas and other pollution we throw at it, that national chains are an adequate substitute for locally-owned businesses with a stake in the community. Many people see things differently and are keen to nurture a sense of community and to take better care of our local and global environment. Sustainable Reynoldsburg is simply a way for local residents to connect with each other for practical action, positive discussion and information-sharing to help make our community and homes resilient, liveable and healthful into the future.

Currently, our group is actively involved with Reynoldsburg’s Safe Routes to School program, a new initiative to help students to walk and bike safely to school. We are helping the City to start the new Livingston Community Garden, which will be opening this spring (2010) next to the Park and Ride at Brice/Livingston. We also want to explore ways of boosting recycling in Reynoldsburg…. and there are many other potential projects to pursue as time allows.