One act of resistance we can take today is to forge deep connections with one another, process any fear and indecision, and bring joy into our own souls and our world. Deep Listening can help us work through (or “metabolize”) any feelings of disempowerment by acknowledging our feelings, experiencing them, and then transforming them. This … Continue reading “Deep Listening” Workshop set at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 9

Are y’all ready to get grounded, get connected and get started?! UUCC is hosting an in-depth training for our congregation and wider community. The workshop will be led by Jennifer Hofmann, a renowned movement builder who regularly inspires and mobilizes over 50,000 activists all over the world. This workshop is a chance for us to … Continue reading “Empowered Resistance Workshop” set at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23

Thirteen new members officially joined UUCC on Feb. 2, 2025 in an Ingathering Ceremony during the worship service. This was the largest group of new members since 16 people joined in December 2014. The new members are pictured in a group photo below as well as in individual photos that are in alphabetical order by … Continue reading 13 new members join UUCC

2024-25 President Ruth Milledge I am always fascinated when two preschoolers encounter each other for the first time. Often, they unabashedly inspect each other, sometimes even circling one another during the examination. As we grow older, we develop more sophisticated means for getting to know one another. At UUCC, we greet each other before services, … Continue reading Church Leaders February messages

Your Facilities team has been busy over the past few months. Below are brief descriptions of a few of the projects that are completed or still in progress, but we expect to be done soon. Downstairs Kitchen The downstairs kitchen restoration is nearly complete. We hope you like the “pinkish” paint color and the handles … Continue reading Facilities Team February report

Faith-to-Action collections The Faith-to-Action recipient for February is Minority Men’s Network Educational Foundation. Their work in their words: The Network seeks to promote educational, economic , social, civic, and legal progress on the part of African Americans of Columbia and Boone County. The African American population continues to be marginalized and disadvantaged in practically all … Continue reading Social Action Team February report

On Jan. 26, the Membership Team and the Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon hosted the first “Getting to Know UU Newcomer Retreat.” Fifteen newcomers got to know each other and the church through discussion, videos and songs. Approximately 20 members and friends then joined the newcomers for a light dinner. Our next Newcomers Retreat will … Continue reading Membership Team hosts successful Newcomers’ Retreat

Have you met Hamamelis vernalis? …also known as Ozark Witch Hazel? Several of these woody shrubs live on our church grounds, one in front of the building and a few out back. Each year, they are the first of our native plants to bloom, even before spring arrives! On warmer winter days (January-March) they can … Continue reading Grounds Team introduces Hamamelis vernalis

Have you noticed our parking lot and the street filling up quickly on Sunday mornings as our attendance increases? We are able to park in the Shepard Elementary School lot across the street from the church. If you have been attending for some years and are able to, please park there to help welcome newcomers … Continue reading Please park at Shepard school if you can

Our worship attendance spiked in the Sundays before and after the Nov. 5 general election, bringing our average attendance for November to 111, a 28% increase from the October average of 87. We held an initial congregational strategy meeting after worship on Sunday, Nov. 17 to imagine how we can deepen our solidarity in this … Continue reading Election concerns boost attendance, spark strategy brainstorming

Potlucks can be challenging and sometimes downright frustrating for those with food sensitivities and allergies. For many, checking a box indicating “gluten-free,” “vegan” or “nondairy” is not enough. For instance, one of our members is gluten-free but also sensitive to arrowroot and sorghum flour. Let’s support each other by completing an ingredient list for our … Continue reading Please provide complete ingredients list for potlucks

Chalice Circles Signups for 2024-2025 The time has come once again to sign up for new and continuing 2024-25 UUCC Chalice Circles. You can use the button link above, or the button links that appear on the Home page and Chalice Circles page. Chalice Circles are a small-group ministry of the church designed to build … Continue reading Chalice Circle signups now open for 2024-25

By the Rev. Dottie Mathews When Rosie and I moved to Columbia in 2015, we were thoroughly delighted to find this vibrant, committed faith community to join, and it has been my honor to serve as your Affiliated Community Minister for these eight and a half years. For those who may not know, that role … Continue reading Living Our Love for Our Trans and Gender Expansive Siblings

When you sell items on EBay or Facebook, you can now donate some or all of the proceeds to UUCC using the Paypal Giving Fund. You will need to select an option in EBay or Facebook to donate a percentage of sale proceeds to charity. When you do that, at the time you complete a … Continue reading Help UUCC when you sell on EBay or Facebook

The Planned Giving Work Group of the Stewardship Team has been busy this past year and has launched a renewed planned giving program at UUCC. During many past Founder’s Day celebrations, we have shared the story of how our founders hand-carried water to nourish the young trees on the site where they planned to build … Continue reading Water Bearers Society is launched

Thanks to everyone who put non-perishable food items in the barrel at the upstairs elevator doors over the last few months. Joan and I took 90 pounds to the Food Bank Market on Jan. 26. The need continues. Please, everyone, continue to feed our barrel, which helps feed our neighbors, and maybe some of us. … Continue reading Please feed our Food Barrel

Staff and volunteers successfully completed a CPR and AED course with the American Red Cross on Oct. 29, so we are feeling more prepared for any medical emergencies that may come our way. UUCC staff members have been working on creating a visible area for the supplies needed in these life-saving treatments. The photo at … Continue reading First Aid supplies now located in Sanctuary

In the past UUCC used a key system for exterior doors. We have now fully transitioned to an automatic lock system to make our church more secure. Each week, Church Administrator April Rodeghero will update the schedule so the exterior doors will unlock and lock for scheduled activities. Staff members, lay leaders and organizations that … Continue reading Lock system for exterior doors has changed

Our church sponsored one of the markers on the African American Heritage Trail in north-central Columbia. The marker commemorates the historic Douglass High School football field, four blocks west of Douglass High School. A dedication ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at the marker location at the corner of Oak Street and Unity … Continue reading UUCC-sponsored African American Heritage Trail Marker dedicated

Dottie’s recognition certificate Click to enlarge During our Oct. 23, 2022 worship service, our Affiliated Community Minister, Rev. Dottie Mathews, was recognized for her past work as coordinator of the Congregational Accompaniment Project for Asylum Seekers (CAPAS), a program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). As part of the recognition, it was announced that … Continue reading Rev. Dottie Mathews recognized for immigrant work

By the time you see this article, the backyard meadow at church is likely to have received its maintenance-mowing and may look like a blank space or a poor excuse for lawn. But, I hope you have seen, can imagine, or will see the wonderful plants that are still alive and well beneath the ground. … Continue reading Welcome to our meadow!

The Grounds Team would like to introduce you to some of our trees and invite you to share your love of our trees and woods on the UUCC Facebook page. Shingle Oak – Wood from this oak can be split into thin sheets, which used to be made into shingles. White Oak – These oaks … Continue reading We love our trees!

We are excited to announce that we have launched a new system giving our members and friends the ability to give to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia by: Text message from your smartphone, or Online This new system has been arranged through the Breeze Church Management System, our new church database. It replaces our … Continue reading Easy text and online donations now available

The UU Life Writers’ Group is pleased to announce the publication of its second anthology, Stories, Just Stories. The stories are mini-memoirs about family, growing up, social activism, romance and pets. A big section of poetry is included. The anthology also contains tributes to those writers no longer with us. Copies are $8 and can … Continue reading UU Life Writers’ Group publishes its second anthology

On Sunday, March 24, the Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry (AIM) Team presented the lay-led service, “Living Up to Radical Welcome,” and made a small change in the sanctuary while we were at it. As we’ve heard a number of questions about this change, we thought it was about time we shed some light on it. … Continue reading Fragrance sensitivity? We’ve got you (or at least your chair) covered!

After a two-year lapse in the availability of UUCC T-shirts, the UUCC Social Action Team now has three designs of T-shirts available for purchase at $20 apiece. The shirts are perfect for rallies and other activities and events. Look for them in the Greeting Area. Some of the shirts feature the design that first became … Continue reading Social Action Team makes UUCC T-shirts available

Our YRUU youth carried our church banner in the banner parade at the opening session of the UUA General Assembly in Kansas City, Mo. on June 20. In the first part of this short video, they are seen on their first pass through the convention hall. After the transition, they are seen on their way … Continue reading 2018 UUA General Assembly

Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray was selected by delegates as the first elected woman President of the Unitarian Universalist Association at the June 21-25 General Assembly in New Orleans. She had been the lead minister of the UU Congregation of Phoenix, Ariz., where she became well known for her work on behalf of immigrants, since 2008. Read … Continue reading UUA has first elected woman President