Nourishing Our Spirits

Sunday Service

August 10th, 2025

May The Forest Be With You

Peggy Fallon

The practice of forest bathing turns out to have a substantive, scientific basis in promoting human health. Trees produce natural chemical aerosols that directly benefit our immune systems, promote relaxation, reduce inflammation, & even contain cancer fighting compounds. Trees do all this for us, in addition to the vital business of using carbon dioxide, producing oxygen & sequestering carbon. What will we, in turn, do for the trees?

Meditation Group This Monday

Please join us for Meditation group. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays from 7 to 8 pm. No experience required just a willingness to learn and breathe. Contact meditation@uucnh.org for any questions.

Children's Religious Exploration Schedule

Summer Schedule

07/20-08/10 Gather the Spirit Sessions 2-6

08/17- Backpack Blessing - Multigenerational service - No RE

08/24-8/31 Gather the Spirit Sessions 7-8

In Gather the Spirit we will:

Cultivate gratitude for our access to clean water
Talk about scarcity of clean water and its inequitable distribution
Nurture our care for the Earth as is taught in our 7th principle
Listen to stories of other cultures
Experiment with water
Build a river scene, add to it each week, and share it during water communion

09/07- Multigenerational service - Water communion - No RE

Joys and Sorrows

A sorrow from Isaac Elias: I spent about 18 hours in jail on Friday. I was exercising my 1st Amendment rights. I have a court date August 12. If you could attend it would mean a lot.

A Joy Isaac Elias: Thank you for all the support and love expressed by friends and neighbors around the Pittsburgh area.

Note: When you want to share a joy or sorrow submit it electronically by clicking here by Saturday. Alternatively, you can fill out a card as you enter the sanctuary on Sunday.

Celebrating Life

Ukulele Group - This Monday

The Ukulele group meets on the second and fourth Monday at 7 pm in the East Room. Beginners are always welcome. Contact ukegroup@uucnh.org with any questions.

Family Games Night and Potluck

Friday August 15th 6-9:00pm

Bring your favorite games, dish to share, family and friends for this informal gathering where all are welcome.

Bet you didn't know that gratitude grows on trees!

You can help our tree leaf out by expressing your gratitude for someone or something here at UUCNH. Print it on a leaf and affix it to the tree.

If you would rather, you may share your gratitude by printing it on a dove and affixing it wherever you want.

By summer's end, we hope to have a fully leafed tree and a sky full of doves. Let's make it happen!

Cherishing the Connectedness of All Things

UUCNH Weekly Connection

Zoom with UUCNH Friends

This drop-in connection will be held every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30pm and will be led by Michael Horwitz. Contact michaelhorwitz@uucnh.org for zoom details.

Transforming Ourselves

We Want to Hear from You!

Your Board of Trustees is looking forward to an exciting year and is planning its annual retreat in late August.

During the retreat, we will identify 3–4 key priorities essential to the health, growth, and success of our congregation. These priorities will receive focused attention from the board—and from all of you—throughout the year.

One example might be: "Complete an update of the UUCNH bylaws by June 2026."

Do you have a priority you'd like us to consider? If so, please send your suggestion, along with a brief description, to Board@uucnh.org before August 10^th.

Thank you from your board - Jody Clark, Lisa Robl, Geoff Coleman, Chuck Berry, Scott Gorham, Lynn Richards, and Marsha Pedone.

Capital Campaign Update

First things First - Many thanks to the newer member who donated $3,000.00 to our Capital Campaign recently. They were not an active member when we held the campaign. We appreciate their generosity.

August 2025 Capital Campaign (CC)’22 Status Summary:

The monthly CC Status Summary Spreadsheet shows the prioritized project list, our initial estimated cost of each project, actual contractor quotes we have received for the work and much more.

This is the first eNews CC’22 Status Summary since March 2025. In the last few months we have continued to push for completion of the on-going projects. Namely – the Memorial Walls, stormwater improvements, additional solar panels, and the design of the Air Conditioning (AC) project. The AC project is the largest cost project in the CC. We are hopeful that we will be able to get drawings soon and bids from contractors this fall. As mentioned at the annual congregational meeting in June, we have been wary of moving forward with too many other projects until we have a handle on the AC cost, hence there has been reduced spending of CC

funds recently.

Please click this link to review the latest CC Status Summary Spreadsheet update.

We are still working on several projects other than the AC. Just this past week we engaged Pittsburgh Asphalt Company to pave our driveway at a cost under our estimate. We had hoped to renew all of our paved surfaces but ultimately, with the AC cost still unknown, decided to do only the work promised in the Enhanced Plan.

We are trying to self-perform as much of the work as possible. Anyone with a desire to lend a hand is welcome to contact Joe Meier (see below). People with electrical wiring or carpentry skills would be especially welcome. Any questions or offers of help can be sent to Joe.

Transforming Our World

Protect PA Citizen's Health!

As the Energy and Innovation Summit wraps up at CMU we know that our health was not a topic of discussion.

Let's help Breathe PA with their project of collecting as many postcards as possible! The goal is to increase minimum protective no drill zones for well pads.

Postcards will be available in Friendship Hall for the next few weeks. Please put your address on a postcard during coffee hour this week!

Diana Hull will be hand delivering our post cards to Governor Shapiro.

Opportunities to Inform Community about Fair Districts PA

UUCNH VOTED TO END GERRYMANDERING AND CREATE FAIR VOTING DISTRICTS IN PENNSYLVANIA

NOW WE NEED YOU TO DO YOUR PART!!

No experience needed. Learn about the FairDistrictsPA Solution HERE

We have the following volunteer opportunities to inform others &

circulate petitions, supporting an Independent Redistricting Commission.

WHAT: yART Festival - Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media

WHERE: 1047 Shady Ave, Pgh - League of Women VotersTable

WHEN: Sat, Aug 23, 9-4:30 pm

WHAT: August Night Mart - Street artisan market, food & live band

WHERE: Beaver Street, Sewickley

WHEN: Fri, Aug 29, 6-9 pm

WHAT: The Recovery Walk & Resource Fair

WHERE: 1201 Waterfront Place, Pgh - League of Women VotersTable

WHEN: Sat, Sept. 13, 9-1 pm

WATCH FOR ADDITIONAL DATES. For questions & further details on meeting up to volunteer together, please contact Cheryl Rampelt at crampelt@uucnh.org

Current Share the Plate Recipient

Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center (COTRAIC)

This non-profit organization promotes the socio-economic development of the Native American Community and others experiencing economic difficulties in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. The Center is open to Native and Non-Native people, with programs to serve all. Many members and friends in our congregation attend the annual COTRAIC pow-wow in September (September 27th and 28th, 2025). For more information on COTRAIC: www.cotraic.org

Food Pantry Donations

UUCNH has a food pantry for donations to North Hills Community Outreach located in Friendship Hall. Please consider donating non-perishable food items, hygiene and cleaning supplies.

Did you forget your items? No problem... you can buy a grocery card and donate it.

Buy a Grocery Card

UUCNH benefits when you buy Giant Eagle and/or Kuhn’s Gift Cards at no extra expense to you! Both stores donate $5 to UUCNH for every $100 of gift card value sold. Grocery cards are sold by the ushers in Friendship Hall after the Sunday service.