President’s Perspective – Ruth Milledge – 2024-25 President

Dear UUCC,

As the year 2024 draws toward its end, we find ourselves in the middle of UUCC’s fiscal year. This is the time when our board’s Nominating Committee, headed by Past President Iyesatu Kamara-Bush, is beginning to recruit people for next fiscal year’s work of governing our church. They will need candidates for board positions, for standing committees, and for delegates to the MidAmerica Region Assembly and to the UUA General Assembly.

Board members are responsible for making policy and providing resources and oversight in order to meet the Mission and Vision of the church. The board meets at least once per month, and each board member occasionally serves as board welcomer and collection teller for worship services.

Standing committees are the Nominating Committee, Audit Committee, and Investments and Endowment Committee. The Investments and Endowment Committee manages the financial investments of the church and educates the congregation on our financial investing and other related matters. The Audit Committee conducts regular audits of the church’s financial records and may cooperate with the board in arranging a professional (outside) financial review.

Delegates to MidAmerica Region Annual Meeting will attend online or in person at Madison, Wis. April 19-20, 2025. UUA General Assembly will take place June 18-22, 2025. General Sessions will be virtual. There will be in-person offerings for those who attend in Baltimore, Md.

If your talents and interest would allow you to contribute to a position on the Board of Trustees or these committees, or as delegate, please email Nominating Committee Chair Iyesatu Kamara-Bush here.

Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon

Dear UU Churchers,

As we enter 2025, we may have many fears about what lies ahead of us, as well as our fair share of uncertainty. One thing I am certain of is that caring for the needs of our tender bodies will be key for keeping us grounded and as free as we can be in the days and years to come.

Control of the body is a starting place of systems of oppression — from imprisoning dissenting bodies to banning various acts of bodily autonomy. As an alternative to control, rigorous care for bodies ensures that all have their unique needs met to be nurtured, autonomous, and affirmed in their goodness. Rigorous care for bodies is the very first step toward collective liberation and truly thriving beloved community.

The powers that be will tell you that there is only one right way to have a body — that it must be a certain size or shape or appearance or set of abilities. The powers that be will invite you to control your own body on its behalf — to keep it small and contained and “under control.” But our free and precious flesh knows otherwise. If we will listen to its demands, the body will make its needs known!

The time around the New Year is ripe with advertising for diet plans and weight loss drugs and invitations to repress human flesh and its flourishing, all in the guise of maximum wellness.

I invite you into a different framework, with the following question: How can you get in touch with the needs of your body in this time — needs for nourishment, pleasure, comfort, activity, rest and more? And how can you affirm the freedom of the bodies of those around you, find out about their care needs, and help those needs be met?

Let’s gather to explore all this and more this month, as we care for bodies, and so doing care for our world.

Jamila Batchelder, Director of Religious Education

This month, as we think about how we care for our bodies, I am thinking about the exciting emerging justice movement in UU communities — fat liberation.

As someone who works with children and has seen how much harm is done to them from our society’s messaging around bodies, I am hopeful that our UUCC families can begin to break some of the cycles of harm that we have all endured.

How can we help our children grow into a liberatory mindset around bodies? When my kids were little, I thought never saying anything negative about bodies was enough, but I soon realized it wasn’t. Societal messaging filled the void of what I wasn’t saying. I realized I needed to positively affirm the worth and beauty of a diversity of bodies, I needed images and stories and toys that affirmed them as well. And we needed to call out and talk about fatphobia and injustice. A lot.

There are more and more books out there that help introduce these ideas for kids of all ages. Some I like:

• For Preschoolers: B is for Bellies by Rennie Dyball and Mia Saine
• For Early Elementary: Every Body: A First Conversation about Bodies by Megan Madison
• Late Elementary: All Bodies are Wonderful by Beth Cox
• Middle and High School: The Other F Word by Angie Manfredi

And don’t forget we as adults need to do the work of unlearning what we were taught if we are going to support our kids. A good place to start is The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor.

Violet Vonder Haar, Director of Music Ministry

UUCC Choir is back! All members of our church community are invited to join us on Wednesday evenings at 7 for rehearsals. Whether you’re an experienced singer or just starting out, all voices are welcome, and no prior experience is necessary.

Our inclusive and supportive environment is designed to help you grow as a singer and be part of a wonderful musical community. Come and be a part of something special as we share the joy of music together. I look forward to seeing you there!

Choir rehearsals took a break after the rehearsal on Dec. 18 and will resume Jan. 15.

The next Sunday performance dates are Feb. 9, March 16, April 20, and May 11.