Nourishing Our Spirits

Sunday Service

August 17th, 2025

What's in your Invisible Backpack?

Robyn Travers

Mila is excited and worried for her first day of school. We all know that feeling, heading into the unknown. Well, Mila finds out that she has an invisible backpack with all the tools she needs. We all do too. Let’s explore together in this multigenerational service.

Please bring your actual backpacks, purses, work bags, computer cases, totes… or whatever you use on a daily basis so they can be blessed or the year ahead.

Also, bring back to school supplies to donate to kids in need.

Children's RE Summer Schedule

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

There were no Joys or Sorrows shared with the congregation

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

Family Game Night and Potluck -Tonight!!!

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

Board Meeting

The Board of Trustees will be meeting Tuesday February 18th, at 7:00PM. Meetings are open to all UUCNH members and we welcome your participation. Attendees will be muted upon joining and we respectfully ask that questions and comments be reserved until the end of the meeting. Please click here to join the meeting with passcode UUCNH. The agenda for this meeting can be found here.

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

We can help another Refugee family!

The UUCNH Compassionate Service Team in collaboration with JFCS (Jewish Family Community Services) is excited to share that we are collecting items for a recently arrived refugee family who will be welcoming a baby next month!

Donated items will be collected at UUCNH through August 31. Please take a look at the SignUp Genius to see what the family has requested.

We plan to use funds that were graciously donated to this project to order larger items (such as crib, mattress, and stroller) and have them delivered directly to the family. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

UUCNH VOTED

TO END GERRYMANDERING AND CREATE FAIR VOTING DISTRICTS IN PENNSYLVANIA

We have the following volunteer opportunities to inform others &

circulate petitions, supporting an Independent Redistricting Commission. No experience needed. Learn about the FairDistrictsPA Solution HERE.

For a list of opportunities to inform the community about Fair districts click here.

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.