What's Up at UCG?
The United Church of Granville
Oct. 20, 2016
The United Church of Granville
     
Coming Up at UCG...
 
You can always access a detailed calendar on the church website.  Click here & bookmark it if you'd like! 

Every Weekday, 9AM-3 PM
SPARK Day Program for Adults with Disabilities in the Annex upper levels
Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool in the Annex lower level

Thursday, Oct. 20
Zazen in the UCG Chapel 7-7:20 PM sitting
Reimaging the Sacred Mythos of Christianity Circle, 7:45 PM in the Martin Reading Room

Friday, Oct. 21
"Chaplain's Table" at DU's Slayter Dining Hall, Noon
AA in the Annex, 7 PM

Sunday, Oct. 23
23rd Sunday of Pentecost 
Worship in the Sanctuary, 10 AM
Nursery, 10 AM -12:15 PM
Lunches on the Square preparations in the Chapel after worship

Monday, Oct. 24
Red Cross Blood Drive, UCG Chapel, Noon-6PM
Spiritual Book Group, 3 PM
Meditation/Contemplation to follow, 4:15-4:45
AA in the Main Building (Basement), 6 PM

Tuesday, Oct. 25
Zazen at The OpenHouse, 6:30 for first-timers,
7-7:20 sitting
Other Dates to Remember  

Oct 29 Fall Meeting of the UCC Central SE Ohio Association
Oct 30 All Saints Sunday observed
Nov 11-12 UCG Women's Retreat at Pilgrim Hills
Nov 20 Granville Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service at St. Edward the Confessor (Catholic), 7 PM
Dec 3 Granville Christmas Candlelight Walking Tour
Dec 18 Children's Potluck & Pageant
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Service, 7 PM
Dec. 25 Christmas Sunday 
Good Causes

Congrats!



Jeff Burkett, who represented us at The United Church of Granville table, came away with a well-deserved Third Prize in the Rotary's Granville Chili Cook-Off this year with his Texas chili recipe!  Thanks to Tom, Kristin, and Don, too for helping out at the booth. 

The Rotary does some great work, and one of our own students, Zoe Guiney, is on a Rotary international exchange this year in Mexico.

I hear from a team eager to do booth decorations next go-round, "the Showmanship Prize is ours next year!"  ;-)

It sure was a nice day of meeting neighbors & pitching in for a good cause.  Thanks to Jeff and the crew!
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TONIGHT!
Third Thursday Films:   
"Justice & the Economy"
Next Up:  Where to Invade Next?  
Oct. 20, 2016, 7 PM  

Michael Moore's
 
GMP Local 244 Union Hall
350 Hudson Ave., Newark
Each film will be followed by a discussion, and the series is co-sponsored by The Freedom School of Licking County, The Licking-Knox-Muskingum Labor Council AFL-CIO, and the GMP Local 244 with financial support from The Student Philanthropy Project of OSU-Newark. 
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Congratulations 6th Street & Growing Community Gardens!  
A number of folks from UCG have been quite involved in the foundation and support of these community gardens.  Even with dramatic changes to the property at 6th Street in Newark during the past two years, the gardens continue!  They're celebrating their Annual Harvest Dinner tonight .  Congratulations and thanks to all who are involved in preserving spaces for community gardening!
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Hurricane Matthew Appeal


One Great Hour of Sharing funds (collected by both of our denominations--ABC/USA and UCC) are used to assist partners in areas where there has been a disaster by utilizing our mission workers and local contacts to assist in providing food, water, containers, roof, mattresses, hygiene kits and psychosocial support.  Your generosity in this appeal will enable people to resond not only to the immediate crisis, but also through the long-term recovery process to follow. 

Click here to donate!
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Granville Community Blood Drive
UCG Chapel
Monday, Oct. 24th, Noon-6 PM

To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org
Sponsor code: GranvilleComm.

"Get a Sbarro pizza slice coupon & enter to win a Hocking Hills getaway with zip line tour!"
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Licking County Coalition of Care
Annual Fundraising Concert at the Midland
Nov. 6th, 2 PM 


Click here for all the details.  "A fresh, funny salute to Americana, The Wonder Bread Years, starring Pat Hazell (former Seinfeld writer), is a fast-paced, hilarious production that gracefully walks the line between stand-up and theatre."

The Coalition of Care is an organization UCG supports which provides emergency relief and counseling to people needing to connect to more long-term support in Licking County.  Around 3,000 community members are served by the coalition every year.  89-92% of all funds donated to the Coalition go right back out into the community.  It's a lean organization with compassionate and well-informed staff who do a fine job of connecting people to resources!
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Take advantage of the "Card Table!"

   
An opportunity for you to be an encouragement!

As part of our Congregational Care Team, Marsha Crawford and Susan Vivyan have come up with a great idea--The Card Table. 

When you hear of a person in the congregation who might be having a difficult time, go to the table, write that person a note, put in one of the pre-stamped envelopes, and the church will put it out in the mail for you!

You can be a part of "stocking" the table, too, by bringing in cards with pre-stamped envelopes. 

"Today will never come again. 
Be a blessing. 
Be a friend." 
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Part of our October program includes the United Church of Granville's 2017 financial stewardship campaign.

Thank you for your generosity in "Building Beloved Community" here at UCG!  The average pledge at UCG is $244/month.  Many people have committed to give a percentage of their income to support the work of the church--this is an old Christian (& Jewish practice).   

Fun fact:  Have you ever noticed how nice Islamic centers look, and how much programming they offer?  There's a reason.  The Muslim practice of zakat is an annual return of wealth--traditionally 2.5% of current assets--to the community.  All faith traditions emphasize the importance of generosity for spiritual health.

How about you?  Would you be able to invest an additional 1% of your income to do good work in the world in 2017?   
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Progressives for Social Justice in Licking County, Ohio Facebook Group
 
Feel free to send the church an e-mail if you'd like to join this closed Facebook group, and someone in the group can add you as a member.  __________________________________

The Food Pantry
October is Canned Goods Month for the Food Pantry.  A donation basket is near the piano in the Chapel.  Remember that you may also give financially as well (envelopes are available by the donation basket). 
For more information, see
A Note about
"What's Up at UCG?"

We hope you find these e-mails informative and useful, but we also know that many of you have full in-boxes already!  If you'd rather not receive these mid-week updates from UCG, you may unsubscribe by following the link at the bottom of this page. We'll be sad to see you go, but we understand!

Electronic Giving
UCG has a system in place which allows you to contribute by automatic deposit.  Click here to find out more or to sign up.  

"If you have a question or would like some assistance setting up e-giving, Louise Gemmell (740-587-0336) or Jerry Griffin (749-403-6399) would be glad to help!"

And remember that you can always listen to past sermons on our webpage!
Join Our Mailing List
115 W. Broadway
SW Corner of Broadway & Main
Granville, OH  43023
(740) 587-0336 
Thought for the Day

"Community cannot for long feed on itself; it can only flourish with the coming of others from beyond, their unknown and undiscovered kin."

- Howard Thurman



"Peace Village 2016" was a great success!  A fantastic day of learning, skills development, relationship-building, and fun for the twenty or so kids who were at church last Friday! Thanks to all who volunteered & participated, with a special word of thanks to Ceciel Shaw for her vision and a whole lot of organizing! 

For more great pics from the day, see the church's Facebook page (and "like" it if you haven't already!).  Thanks to our photographer for the day, Christine Ramsey, too!
Temporary Location Change!
Juist for tonight -- Sitting Zen (Zazen) will be held in UCG's Chapel (7PM) due to Denison's schedule!  Just wanted to make sure folks don't show up at DU's Open House tonight & find it empty! 
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Fall UCG Women's Retreat! 
Nov. 11-12, 2016 at Pilgrim Hills
LAST CALL!

We hope you will join us on the UCG Women's Fall Retreat on November 11-12 at Pilgrim Hills Camp in Brinkhaven, Ohio. We will be exploring the theme of Gratitude. The retreat will begin on Friday night with dinner and will end at 4 pm on Saturday. It is possible to come for all or part, we would just love to have you there and there may be some scholarship money and rides available. There are forms in the back of the sanctuary, but we do need to have our numbers finalized and money turned in (if possible) this Sunday, 10/23. See Patti Burkett with questions or call or email her: 740-334-9158 or [email protected]. 
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The second Saturday
of every month!  
Saturday, Nov. 12th
7:00 to 10:00pm
UCG Annex Gym
 
Join us for a community social
Old Fashioned Barn Dance for fun, friendship, dancing and music. Dances such as: Traditional squares, Contra, Country Western, Partner dances, Line dances, The Waltz, The Virginia Reel, The Spanish Waltz and Mixers will be taught and done during the dance.   
Singles and couples of all ages are welcomeand no experience is necessary...beginners are encouragedto join the fun!
The cost is $5.00 per person at the door. Light refreshments provided.
The dance is in the Annex building on the west side of the church.
Parking is on street.
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CE News!

Save the date-- Saturday, Nov. 5th.  Plans are in the works for a combined middler & high school youth trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland to tour the exhibit, "Louder than Words," highlighting how music has played an essential role in transforming society & working toward social justice.

For those watching the "First Light: Jesus & the Kingdom of God" DVD series together, note that you can access all our supplementary readings by clicking here!

Call for Teachers!
"There are a mere 9 Sundays before Christmas Day! While we've already started planning the Christmas pageant (!) we need Children's Church teachers on non-rehearsal Sundays. We have a wonderful curriculum that provides you with everything you need to teach a lesson. The kids love stories, art and collaborative or running games and you'll be sure to have fun, too."  If you can volunteer just a couple of hours in the next few months, please let Ceciel know!  You can e-mail her at [email protected]
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A nice post-card from abroad!

We wished Gayla a farewell a couple of months ago, as she set off for her "senior year" in Germany, through a US-Bundestag Youth Exchange.  How nice of her to send a note! 


We wish you all the best, Gayla!  You're in our thoughts & prayers!
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Notes from the Church Office

 Remember that the "What's Up at UCG?" e-mail is now being put out bi-weekly, rather than weekly!  If you'd like your news shared with the congregation, take note & get it in early!
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Save the Date for a viewing of Ava DuVernay's 13th
Sunday, November 20th

On November 20th, the Racial Justice Discernment Group will host a showing of the new documentary film, 13th.  

The title of Ava DuVernay's extraordinary documentary 13th refers to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States." The film tracks the progression from that second qualifying clause to the horrors of mass criminalization and the sprawling American prison industry.

More details coming soon!  We hope you will join us for food, film, and discussion.  Child care will be provided.
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Join or start a Circle!
Circles are self-organized opportunities for UCG folks to join together to do something they all enjoy while sharing their thoughts & lives along the way. See the Circle display in the back, and contact a convener if you'd like to participate in any of our Circles-all are welcome. If you have an idea for a new Circle at any time, contact Pastor Dwight or our Circle Coordinators, Marsha Crawford or Susan Vivyan. New Circles are always welcome!

UCG Circle & Small Group Meetings COMING UP... 
(see the Church Calendar for details) 
 
Re-Imaging the Sacred Mythos of Christianity, Oct. 20 & Nov. 3
     in the Reading Room, 7:45 PM  
Dinner Circle at the Robertson's, Oct. 29, 6:30 PM  
"The Breakfast Meeting" at Big Apple Cafe, Nov. 2, 7 AM
Growing Older Together, Nov. 15 in UCG Chapel, 7 PM    

To folks in the UCG Theatre Circle!
Julie Mulroy shares that she and Beth Albertson will be going to the 3 PM Sunday matinee showing of August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson" (co-directed by our own Cheryl McFarren) at the Short North Theater. Check out the details here. There will be no talk-back session after Sunday's matinee (though there is a pre-show discussion on Saturday evening). Julie shares, "I went last Sunday and liked it so much I plan to go this coming Sunday as well. I'd be happy to offer / coordinate rides and dinner afterwards for Sunday. [email protected] or cell 740.587.0477. Tickets are $22."

And...
UCG Singers! 
Our "UCG Singers" have started rehearsals for the upcoming season and will be practicing Sunday mornings from 9:10-9:40 AM. If you are interested in singing you are welcome to come to any of these rehearsals. You may also contact Jackie Dawson at [email protected].
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Coming up on Sunday Mornings...  

October 23rd:  "Love that Works" 
          10 AM Worship Focus:  "Reaching Beyond Ourselves Builds 
          Beloved Community" 
          Lunches on the Square Preparations after worship 
          Equal Exchange Fair Trade Goods table open after worship
 
October 30th:  All Saints Sunday 
          10 AM Worship Focus:  "Many Gifts, One Spirit 

Note! "Announcements" Change
We've been sharing announcements a little differently on Sunday mornings. In the interests of brevity, if you have an announcement you'd like to share, before worship please give a written paragraph to the morning's worship leader..
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Other Opportunities to grow & connect...
 
Sitting Zen (Zazen) at the Open House

Note tonight's location change! (see above)

We're partnering with Denison's Office of Religious and Spiritual life to offer, at The Open House (204 N. Mulberry St.), Zazen (sitting Zen) every Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7 pm.  Beginners should attend an orientation session any Tuesday at 6:30. This is open to both the Denison and local communities, and anyone-of any or no religious persuasion-is welcome to participate.  Tim O'Connor Fraser & Melinda Miller are leading this opportunity. 
 
Click here for a good, short introduction to sitting from Fr. Ruben Habito's Maria Kannon Zen Center in Dallas. You may sit in a chair if it's more comfortable, too. These sittings are free & open to anyone of any (or no) religious tradition.  Peace.

Monday Book Group & Meditation...
Monday's 3 PM spiritual life book group usually meets in the Martin library and Meditation/Contemplation follows, from 4:15-4:45. 
We are reading a new book: Living Beautifully with Uncertainty & Change by Pema Chodron.  This reading group is open to anyone who's interested.
NOTE that this Monday (Oct. 24th), due to the Blood Drive in the Chapel, we'll be meeting in the south Choir Room! 
 
Pastor's Granville River Road Coffee Hours, Nov. 1st
Feel free to stop by (1:30-3 PM), grab a beverage and catch up!

Pastor at "Chaplain's Table," Fridays noon-1 PM
All are welcome at Denison's Slayter Dining Hall, from Noon to 1 PM for visiting and lunch together.  Pastor Dwight, as well as other clergy from Granville, are considered Adjunct Chaplains at DU, and provide this service to students & the community typically once a week during the school year.
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"Creation Justice Covenant"
The United Church of Granville
Adopted unanimously
by congregational vote
October 9, 2016
In recognition of the gravity of our current climate crisis and the call to social justice, we of the United Church of Granville commit:
  • to nurture an understanding of our Biblical and moral responsibility to care for the Earth
  • to educate ourselves about local and global threats to the health of our planet and its diversity of life
  • to attempt to lower our household carbon footprints
  • to work to increase the efficiency of our church buildings, and to try our best to maintain them in ways that do no harm to the natural environment
  • to participate in local initiatives which promote sustainable food systems and environmental justice
  • to participate in local initiatives which educate people about the ways environmental and human exploitation are systemically related, particularly as these systems serve to perpetuate cycles of poverty
  • to strive to avoid fossil fuel holdings in our investment portfolio
  • to continue to witness to the moral imperative of climate justice advocacy and the need for systems change at every level
  • to act as a resource and partner to environmental justice allies in the wider community.
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Central Southeast Association 53rd Annual Fall Meeting 
First Congregational UCC, Marysville, OH 
Oct. 29th, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM

The day will feature guest speaker, Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the UCC.  Though this will be a day when we conduct association business, all members of our UCC churches are invited to attend as they'd like. Pastor Dwight and a few others from UCG will attend.

Register online if you'd like to go with us
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Interested in becoming an official member of UCG? 
Click here to read our "Membership FAQs."  We'd love to have you be part of our growing community!  If you're interested in officially joining, or have questions, please contact Pastor Dwight or moderator, Dave Ball soon.  Welcome!
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