General Church News
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025
Featured this week
Coming up Sunday
Announcements
What’s happening soon?
Joys and sorrows
More activities
Featured this Week
Come to the Valentine’s Dance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
Everyone is invited to our annual Valentine’s Dance from 7 to 9 p.m .Saturday, Feb. 15. We will be raising money to support the Boone County Community Bail Fund. Join us for music, dancing, tasty treats, and a lot of fun! Donations of any amount are welcome.
This event is hosted by our YRUU high school youth group, so it is also a great way to support these emerging activists!
Annual Giving Chair explains church financial needs
Dear Fellow UUs,
Over the next two weeks, we are asking members, friends, and visitors to commit to financial contributions that will fund the operations of the church for the next year.
How much does it take to operate this church? For our next fiscal year, we project a budget of $356,000, which is about 9-10% more than last year. The 3 reasons for the increase are these:
- Over 70% of our budget expenses go to paying our employees. Since our fantastic staff haven’t seen a pay increase for 3 years — they now fall below fair/competitive market salary and benefit levels. This increase will allow us to bring all our staff closer to fair compensation as part of a three year plan.
- Insurance premiums and facility costs will increase by thousands this year.
- We need additional funds to support exciting new, expanding, and existing programs for our growing and diverse congregation.
As you reflect on your pledge, please think about what the church provides and what it means to you. Here are some themes from our mission and vision conversations with members:
- Sense of community, friendships, and support
- The living embodiment of radical welcome, acceptance, and deep connections
- The amazing quality and diversity of musical programming
- Educational programs like children’s RE and OWL classes
- Incomparable leadership for social justice causes, political activism, and spiritual growth
To meet our budget needs this year, we’re asking first-time givers to give generously from your own circumstance, and renewing givers to consider if you are able to increase your pledge by 10-15%. This means if you pledge $10 a month, can you raise it by $1.00 or 1.50? The diversity of UUCC is one of its greatest assets, but it means we don’t all have the same financial resources. The right gift feels good and provides a meaningful connection to the hopes and dreams of our community.
Feel free to contact me if you have questions about our pledge process or the budget itself. Please submit your pledge on or before the deadline of Sunday, Feb. 23.
Thank you for helping us thrive together!
Christine Heath, Annual Giving Chair – email
Read more:
“Empowered Resistance Workshop” set at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23
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 be together as we ground ourselves in the very necessary work ahead. We believe being grounded, skillful, and strategic is crucially important for us as a faith community and as people who care about this country.
Would you like to join us? If so, click here to sign up! Note: the workshop is offered free of charge; we will collect an offering at the event to show gratitude and to support Jennifer’s ongoing, extraordinary work.
Below you’ll find the schedule, a workshop description, and our facilitator’s bio. We feel so fortunate that Jennifer has agreed to zoom in from Portugal to be with us.
Workshop Schedule
We will gather in the UUCC Sanctuary after worship on Sunday, Feb. 23. Light refreshments will be available, and feel free to bring your own brown bag lunch. Here’s the schedule:
- 12:30 to 1 p.m. – Welcome, Introductions, Grounding
- 1 to 3 p.m. – “Empowered Resistance” Workshop led by Jen Hofmann, Americans of Conscience Checklist
- 3 to 3:30 p.m. – Next Steps and Closing
Event Description
Empowered Resistance is a workshop for those seeking a grounded, compassionate approach to activism in uncertain times. Instead of efforts fueled by anger or anxiety, this workshop will help you draw strength from love, justice for community, and for the values that matter most. You’ll learn time-tested strategies to stay engaged without burning out, focus your energy where it’s most needed, and cultivate resilience for the road ahead. Sign up to move forward with courage, clarity and heart.
Jennifer Hofmann’s Bio
As the founder and executive director of Americans of Conscience Checklist, Jennifer Hofmann leads a dedicated team of nearly 30 volunteers who empower Americans to take meaningful action for equality and democracy. Beyond her civic work, Jen’s upcoming spiritual memoir recounts a life-changing 500-mile walking pilgrimage across northern Spain. With a deep belief in the power of community and the resilience of the human spirit, Jen brings together advocacy and personal discovery to create a more just and compassionate world.
Questions?
Email the Finding our Way Forward Team (James Gordon, Kim Wade and Dottie Mathews).

Check us out on the UUCC Facebook Group Page
Back to Top
Coming up Sunday, Feb 16, 2025
9 a.m. – Forum Discussion Group – Lower Level-Forum Room/Library
The Forum Discussion Group is an adult issues-and-answers discussion program that meets from 9 to 10 a.m. most Sundays from September through May.
On Feb. 16 Connie Johnmeyer will lead a discussion of Great Decisions Chapter 6, “Invisible Indonesia.”
9 a.m. – Mindfulness Meditation – Fire Circle or Lower Level-Centering Room
Mindfulness Meditation takes place at 9 a.m. every Sunday. Beginners and experienced meditators are welcome. If the outside temperature is 55° F. or higher and weather permits, meditation will take place at the Fire Circle behind the church. Otherwise, meditation will be in the Lower Level-Centering Room. For more information, email Anna Lingo or Susan Pereira.
10:30 a.m. – Worship Service – Sanctuary
All-Ages Valentine’s Day Service – “Spreading Love”
Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon and DRE Jamila Batchelder
Join us for our annual All-Ages Valentine service, when we remember the power of Love in community and in our lives. Let’s spread the love.
Online worship links – Zoom • Facebook
Submit Joys and Sorrows by 8:30 a.m. Sunday before worship:
Joys and Sorrows Submission
Online Donation or Pledge Payment
Visitors participating in our online worship services are invited to fill out our Visitor Connection Card:
Visitor Connection Card
10:30 a.m. – Youth Religious Education – Lower Level
The 10:30 a.m. worship service will be for all ages. There will be no children’s religious education classes. Children will be with us during worship – please welcome them and their families. Free nursery care for infants to 3-year-olds will be available until 11:45 a.m. Read about our Youth Religious Education program.
11:30 a.m. – Coffee Hour – Greeting Area
Enjoy beverages and chat in the Greeting Area.
Noon – Junior High OWL – Lower Level-Forum Room/Library
7th-9th graders will gather for a session of Our Whole Lives (OWL), our comprehensive and inclusive sexuality education program. Led by trained facilitators, this program goes well beyond biology and covers topics such as gender identity, sexual orientation, consent, health relationships, body image, and more. The program fosters an open dialog where we see exploration of our sexuality as a healthy and holy aspect of what it means to be human.
4 to 6:15 p.m. – Loaves and Fishes Dinner – Ashley Street Center
Our Social Action Team organizes volunteers to provide the evening meal at the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen on the third Sunday each month. Click the button below to sign up to prepare food for this meal and/or to help set up, serve, and clean up.
Feb. 16 Loaves & Fishes Signup
Please submit receipts for all food items, and some or all of your expenses may be reimbursed by the church. Email the Church Administrator to obtain the church’s sales tax exemption certificate to use when purchasing food for Loaves and Fishes. Both the volunteers providing food and those who will serve and clean up are asked to be at the Ashley Street Center,1509 Ashley St. (view map) between 4 and 4:15 p.m. The meal will be served at 4:30 p.m. Cleanup is expected to be complete by about 6:15 p.m.
If you have questions, email Fred Young or Gregg Suhler of the Social Action Team.
Announcements
New Art GroUUp will meet monthly
If you love art and making connections, the new Art GroUUp is looking for you! We will be meeting at the church from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every third Friday of the month. Meetings may include BYO craft nights, art therapy prompts related to monthly sermon topics, collaborative creations to beautify the church, and service projects. Open to all skill levels and experience!
Writing (and Reading) for Spiritual Sustenance group formed
Join us monthly from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the second Saturday each month to listen to the “still small voice within” and to write in response. We are a group of writers of all genres (journalling totally counts), levels of experience, and interests. We will set aside time to read poetry together, share writing prompts related to the spiritual theme of the month or work on our own projects – and also share with one another in affirmation. Please join us!
Chalice Circles signups still open for 2024-25
Chalice Circles Signups for 2024-2025
A limited number signups for 2024-25 Chalice Circles are still open. 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 community, foster connections between members, and provide opportunities to share your heart in a safe, brave space. Materials for Chalice Circle gatherings are posted on the Chalice Circles Materials page.
Groups of no more than 10 members are led by fellow UU volunteers, and topics are planned to complement the monthly themes of the church year. A Chalice Circle commitment is for one cycle of nine sessions, though some circles may elect to continue in some form over the summer. Groups will meet once or twice per month for an hour or two from September 2024 to May 2025.
If you have questions, you are welcome to email the Chalice Circles leadership team that consists of the Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon, Gretchen Maune, and Crystal Paddock Buffaloe, or call or text Crystal at 573-289-9705 (please leave a message!)
We look forward to a fun, connected, meaningful year ahead!
Rev. Molly requests gifts to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund
Dear UU Churchers,
I am writing you with an invitation to support the community with a donation to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund, as many in Boone County struggle to make it through the lean time of winter. We are seeing rent go up all over town, and heating costs have increased as the weather turned cold.
As you know, the Minister’s Discretionary Fund of our church allows me to offer confidential assistance to those struggling in systems that were not set up to help them thrive, and this summer I have been grateful to be able to pay directly for utility bills, groceries, partial rent, and emergency short term housing to keep folks from homelessness in the deadly heat. It is such a sacred honor to be the channel for your material care into our wider community, an honor I take very seriously.
We replenish our Discretionary fund every December at our Christmas Eve service, and by later in the year the fund dwindles just as more need is apparent. So, I’m reaching out to ask for your support. If you have a little extra to spare, I invite you to direct it to those in our community struggling to get by. You can donate to the Discretionary Fund by selecting “Minister’s Discretionary Fund” in the drop down menu of our secure online giving portal, or by sending a check to the church with Discretionary Fund in the memo line.
Thank you for your compassionate support!
– Rev. Molly
Sanctuary and Immigrant Justice Team seeks volunteer drivers
Our Guatemalan family continues to work toward independence. Our team of transportation volunteers is put to use only when Lilly has car trouble. The car that the Donaldson family so generously gave to Lilly is no longer dependable. With assistance from the team, she has purchased a more dependable vehicle. More dependable doesn’t mean totally dependable – it is quite used. Over the years that we have been assisting Lilly, our group of volunteers has dwindled considerably.
Although we have drivers for the afternoon, if the need arises we currently do not have enough morning drivers to reliably pick up Lilly and the children at 7:30 a.m. and take them to day care, school or the bus stop, and work by 8:30. If you are available and willing to volunteer to stand by for that morning transportation duty, please email Ruth Milledge.
Columbia Room at the Inn now open year-round
Our community partner Room at the Inn has now opened year-round at its permanent location in the former VFW building on Ashley Street. Read more.
The organizers still rely on volunteer help to keep the shelter staffed and running smoothly. Maybe you want to grab a friend, look at your calendars, and sign up for some shifts together soon? It’s getting coooold, and the need will be great! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C49AFAA29ABF94-44559659-room#/
Back to Top
What’s happening soon?
Weekly and bi-weekly recurring events
Gentle Yoga with Karen Dwyer – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Gentle Yoga takes place at the church from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays (except the first Thursday each month). Additional information is available from Karen Dwyer, or contact the church office.
Choir Rehearsals – Wednesday evenings
Choir rehearsals with Music Director Violet Vondar Haar take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday evenings in the Sanctuary at church. All singers are welcome, regardless of experience and vocal part.
Crafting Group – 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays
The crafting group meets from 1 to 3 p.m. every Thursday in the Greeting Area. The group is recruiting new members and can help with any projects you may have. Beginners are welcome, and there is no hard commitment – come when you can. For more information, email Bonnie Johnson.
Living Earth Study Group – 9 a.m. first and third Saturdays
The Living Earth Study Group meets on first and third Saturdays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Show-Me Dharma, 1600 West Broadway. It is facilitated by Peter Holmes, Ph.D. and Jared Belden, M.A. Sign up to attend by email. When warm weather returns next spring, Living Earth Meditation will resume. It is facilitated by Peter Holmes, PhD, and Tricia Straub. Sign up to attend by email. The living earth study group and meditation programs are a joint project of UUCC, the Columbia Friends Meeting and Show-Me Dharma.
Scheduled events coming soon
Conversations Etc. – 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 – online
Conversations, Etc., the UUCC senior women’s group, will meet via Zoom. We gather together to enjoy the company of women friends. If you would like to join us, email Pam Springsteel.
Junior Youth Meeting – 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14
All middle schoolers are invited to join us from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Valentine’s Day for a Valentine’s-themed Minute to Win it competition. For those who haven’t played Minute to Win It games before, we will compete in a variety of silly challenges, with the focus more on the silly than the competition. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Life Writer’s Group – 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
The Writer’s Group meets from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month to write and share at the church. For questions email Mary Herde.
Art GroUUp – 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
If you love art and making connections, the new Art GroUUp is looking for you! We will be meeting at the church from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every third Friday of the month. Meetings may include BYO craft nights, art therapy prompts related to monthly sermon topics, collaborative creations to beautify the church, and service projects. Open to all skill levels and experience!
Valentine’s Dance – 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15
Everyone is invited to our annual Valentine’s Dance from 7 to 9 p.m .Saturday, Feb. 15. We will be raising money to support the Boone County Community Bail Fund. Join us for music, dancing, tasty treats, and a lot of fun! Donations of any amount are welcome.
This event is hosted by our YRUU high school youth group, so it is also a great way to support these emerging activists!
Loaves and Fishes – 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16
Our Social Action Team needs volunteers to prepare servings of various dishes and other volunteers to serve the meal and clean up afterward.
The location of Loaves and Fishes is the Ashley Street Center, 1509 Ashley St., behind the city power plant (view map). The meal time is 4:30 p.m.
Both the volunteers providing food and those who will serve and clean up are asked to be at the Ashley Street Center between 4 and 4:15 p.m. Cleanup is expected to be complete by about 6:15 p.m. Please sign up here.
You can also support this effort by making a donation to the church specifying “Loaves and Fishes Fund.” For more information, email Fred Young or Gregg Suhler.
Board of Trustees – 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20
Our Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20. Per church bylaws, church members are welcome to attend and observe board meetings.
Men’s Group – 8:30 a.m. Feb. 22 – online
The UUCC Men’s Group meets online via Zoom on the second, fourth, and fifth Saturdays of each month. For more information, contact Wiley Miller at 573-864-8574 or by email.
Milestones Circle – noon Sunday, Feb. 23 – canceled this month
Back to Top
Joys and sorrows
You can read the Joys and sorrows shared with the congregation by clicking the button below. The page is also accessible from the Members/Friends drop-down menu. The Joys and Sorrows page is password-protected, so you must be logged in as a registered user of our site to see it. If you have not already registered, you can do so here.
Read Joys and Sorrows
You can submit joys and sorrows online by clicking this button:
Submit Joys and Sorrows
Back to Top
More activities
View Online Calendar
View Upcoming Events Page
Back to Top