Nourishing Our Spirits

Sunday Service

August 3rd, 2025

Food For Thought

Sunday Services Team

Community pantry food and supplies often run low in the summer months, during the time of year when many kids are home and missing school breakfast and lunches. Join us in our retelling of the “Stone Soup” parable, and we encourage you to bring a non-perishable food or pantry item to donate with a can opener!

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 Joy and sorrow from Amy and Erin Terrizzi: Last Friday, the 18th, we had a hearing to determine Evie’s placement. As we have been anticipating, and working towards, Evie’s birth mother was given full custody. We are still in Evie’s life, just at a lesser capacity. Please be patient with the Terrizzi’s as we might break down crying.

A Joy from Lynne Herchenroether: Last Sunday we placed a stone in the sand for Riley, a 19 year old who was awaiting a heart transplant. He had the successful surgery later that day and is making steady progress with his new heart. He and his family, who live in West View, are so thankful for our support.

A Joy from Dennis Doubleday: This weekend we are at a family reunion with over 100 other people, including all of Mary’s siblings, and next week we will be back with our loving church community. Also, some of you may have noticed that Mary has been having trouble communicating. Last Friday she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. We plan to stay as active at UUCNH as we can.

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

Special Summer Open Mic Night Tonight!

Did you miss Open Mic Night? There is no need to wait until October. Tonight At 7:30 in the West room, join us to to be entertained by your talented friends. You are also invited to sing a song, tell a joke or two, tell a story, read a poem... the mic is yours.

Bocce and Giant Jenga Tomorrow

Join us for Bocce and Giant Jenga in Friendship Hall this Saturday August 2nd at 10:30am - Noon. Please bring a friend, all are welcome. No experience necessary.

Family Fun Nights on Fridays

Starting in August UUCNH is the place to be on Friday evenings for family fun:

First Friday 6-8:30pm --Kids night out

Let your little ones have a blast while you enjoy a night out. They will have dinner, play games and meet other kids. $5 donation requested to help pay for food. Registration here preferred but drop ins welcome.

Second Friday 7:30 - 9:30pm (Starting in October) - Open Mic Night

Have a song to sing, a joke to tell, a poem or story to share? Or do you just want to be an audience member and be entertained? Open Mic Night is the place for you! Join us for an evening of performances by UUCNH members. You can even bring a snack to share.

Third Friday 6-9:00pm -- Family Games Night and Potluck

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

Fourth Friday 6-9:00pm -- Movie Night at UUCNH Popcorn will be available, with discussion questions to follow. Check out the Intercom to learn about that month's movie.

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

2024-2025 Financial Report

We’ve just completed another successful year! As of June 30, 2025, we closed the fiscal year with

a surplus of $7,193. Typically, such reserves are carried over to future years to give us flexibility in case of a deficit. The Board will decide whether to continue this practice for this past year.

Pledge income was slightly above budget, and our collection rate reached 97%, a remarkable achievement we’ve maintained for several years. This success is entirely thanks to you. The church deeply appreciates your commitment. Your generosity allows us to meet our financial obligations to staff and vendors. While pledges are our primary source of income, we remain compassionate and understanding in our collections, knowing that life can bring challenges.

Plate revenue also exceeded expectations, and both the Endowment and Short-Term Investment Funds performed well. The Endowment Fund achieved a return of nearly 11%, despite a volatile year in the markets.

Expenses in several areas came in under budget, contributing to our surplus. Notable highlights include:

Staff vacancies in the Music Director and Office Administrator roles early in the year.
Our new Office Administrator, Robyn, found a more affordable phone system—thank you, Robyn!
We were reimbursed for hosting the District Meeting, so no budget funds were used.
Board expenses were lower than anticipated.
Utility savings were realized thanks to our solar panels and a milder winter.
Many other budget areas came in slightly under target, helping offset a few that went over.

Looking ahead, our 2025–2026 budget is slightly lower than last year’s. This required adjustments to our largest expense: staffing. In response, the Minister and Board developed a revised staffing plan that allows us to stay within the reduced budget while continuing to meet the needs of the congregation.

The new plan introduces two restructured roles:

Congregational Life Administrator (full-time): Combines responsibilities for office administration and religious education.
Sexton (part-time): Oversees light maintenance and cleaning duties.

For more details, please refer to the financial documents here and here, in the office near my mailbox or in the members’ section of the shared drive.

Thank you again for your continued financial support. Your generosity helps our church remain the loving and vibrant community we all cherish.

Warm regards,

Lindsay Scott

Treasurer

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.

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!!

We have two new opportunities ahead to inform our community and circulate FDPA petitions, supporting an Independent Redistricting Commission in PA.

WHAT: 2025 Pittsburgh Black Arts Festival a/k/a Harambee Ujima Black Arts Festival

WHERE: Intersection of Kelly St & Homewood Ave in Homewood

WHEN: Sat Aug 2, 10-9 & Sun Aug 3, 10-8

WHAT: *August Night Mart* - A street artisan market, food trucks & live band

WHERE: Beaver Street, Sewickley, PA

WHEN: Friday, August 29, 6-9 pm

No experience needed. You can read about the Fair Districts SOLUTION HERE

For further details and to sign up to volunteer, please contact Cheryl Rampelt at systemicchange@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.