UU Church of Kent Ohio

Image by TC Perch from Pixabay Sunday, April 12, 2020 A virtual Easter service led by Rev. Steven Protzman, Colleen Thoele, and Hal Walker Rev. Sarah York says: "Roll the stone away from in front of your hearts." She invites us to realize that parts of ourselves may be shut away, especially in this time of fear and anxiety. As we celebrate Easter with its many meanings and its promise that life ultimately triumphs over death, let us be open to Easter's invitation to open our hearts and live more fully. Click here to view or download the Order of Service.

Sunday, April 5, 2020 A virtual service at 10 AM led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Heidi Emhoff Wood. Bill Gates recently wrote a reflection on what the coronavirus is teaching us about life and the need to reprioritize. In this time when we are so aware of life's fragility and the truth that life is a precious gift, what really matters? We'll reflect together on what this time is teaching us about living and life's invitation to consider making some radical changes in our priorities for a more just, more loving world. Click here to view or download a .pdf copy of the Order of Service.

Sunday, March 29, 2020 Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay A virtual service led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Camille Pavlicek-Fauser In this difficult time where we are physically distanced from one another and we need to stay home to help lessen the spread of the coronavirus, how do we care for one another and stay connected? What lessons can we learn from this time that help us provide a safe haven for each other? Using a folk tale from Africa, we will reflect on the gifts of compassion, patience, and kindness that can help us through challenging times. Click here to view or download the Order of Service.

Join us Sunday, March 22 at 10 AM for this virtual service hosted via Zoom Video Conferencing. The link to join the worship service can be found below. Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and DRE Collen Thoele, and Worship Associate Elaine Bowen The song "Rising Green" reminds us that the energy of the earth flows through us as well as through all of life and with it is the promise of a new day full of possibilities. We will gather as a community of all ages to welcome the return of spring and celebrate the Spring equinox with stories, songs, and rituals that invite us to join in the renewal of life. Click here to download a copy of the Order of Service.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Sunday, March 8, 2020 Led by Rev. Renee Ruchotzke and Worship Associate Rev. Steven Protzman Underneath the surface of the world that many of us grew up in is another world, a world of interconnection, of beauty, and of resilience that we yearn for. How might Unitarian Universalists be partners with indigenous and other marginalized communities to live into transformed way of living that invites all of humanity to participate. Additional participants this week were Hal Walker, Colleen Norris, and Sandy Bowers, Blaine and Vanessa Vesely. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 am with nursery care available during both services.

Sunday, March 1, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Heidi Wood "Add your light to mine, and together we’ll shine." Hal Walker's words invite us to share our individual light with one another so that together we can share our light of hope and love with the world. In order to keep this light shining brightly, it is time once again for our annual pledge campaign in which we will ask you to generously share your money, time, and energy so that together we shine. Other participants today were The Tone Chimers and Hal Walker with Saunis Parsons, Blaine Vesely, and Vanessa Vesely. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay Sunday, February 23, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Lori McGee As Unitarian Universalists, we are held together by covenant, the promises we make to each other about how we will journey together as a people of many diverse theologies and ways of making meaning of life. But how do we actually live out our covenant? In preparation for our Covenant of Right Relations workshop today, this service will invite us to reflect on how we can interact with each other in ways that create a community of integrity, honesty, curiosity and spiritual growth. Other participant today was the Kent Peace Choir. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.

Image by Marc Pascual from Pixabay Sunday, February 16, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman Christine Valters Paintner writes: "Perhaps this is life’s most exalted and exacting task, holding the hard edges against the soft wonder." After one of life's struggles or losses, in the face of adversity and the divisive times we find ourselves living in, how do we go on? This service will explore February's Soul Matters theme of resilience and invite us to reflect on how we not only survive life's difficult times but learn to thrive. Other participants today were Worship Associate Dani Beale, RE Director Colleen Thoele, Allison Voneida (cello), Vanessa Vesely (piano), and Shirley Kiernan (violin). Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.

Sunday, February 9, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele After careful research, we have discovered that there are four UU Hallows that can be used to make the world a better place. In honor of our Kent Hogwarts program, today as a community of all ages we will gather to learn about and find the four UU Hallows and figure out we can use them together. Be sure to bring your wands, your capes, your wisdom, compassion, and your curiosity for this interactive and adventurous service! Participants today were Rev. Steven Protzman, RE Director Colleen Thoele, Hal Walker, and UUCK children. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.

Image by Werner Moser from Pixabay Sunday , February 2, 2020 Led by Rev. Christie Anderson and Worship Associate Randy Bish “Hate cannot drive out hate, only light can do that. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only love can do that.” This proclamation by Dr. Martin Luther King calls on us to employ unconditional love when trying to build bridges with those who hold values that oppose our own strongly held beliefs. We will explore true stories of incredible transformation resulting from the bestowing of love, rather than angry words or facts. Love is more than a cliché. It is a powerful force for social change if we have the strength and skills to manifest it. Speakers today were Rev. Christie Anderson, Randy Bish, Brad Bolton, and Hal Walker. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.

Sunday, January 26, 2020 Topic: Building Task Force Report Led by Vivien Sandlund, speakers also included Rev. Steven Protzman and Kathie Slater. Click here to view the visioning video presented at the meeting. The Town Hall meeting was recorded for those not able to attend. Listen below.

Sunday, January 26, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Elaine Bowen Imbolc, also known as Candlemas, is the pagan festival that celebrates the coming of spring. In the Celtic tradition, this feast belongs to Brigid, the goddess of fire, poetry, childbirth and healing, who also made the first piece of cloth in Ireland and wove healing threads into it. As we await the return of spring, we will invoke Brigid's blessing to heal ourselves and our world and reflect on the golden threads of the web of life that connect all of us together. Today's participants were - Rev. Steven Protzman, Worship Associate Elaine Bowen, RE Director Colleen Thoele and the Celtic Clan. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.

Sunday, January 19, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman, DRE Colleen Thoele, and Worship Associate Kathy Kerns In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech Martin Luther King Jr. invoked the words of the Hebrew prophet Amos: “But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.” We will gather as a community of all ages to honor the memory of Dr. King, to learn about the justice work our children and youth have chosen for this year, and to reflect on how we are all called to build a world where there is justice and peace. Worship leaders today were Rev. Steven Protzman, Worship Associate Kathy Kerns, RE Director Colleen Thoele, Raylynn Rome, and the Golden Tones.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay Sunday, January 20, 2020 Led by Rev. Steven Protzman with Worship Associate Heidi Emhoff Wood May Sarton wrote: "Now I become myself. It’s taken time, many years and places; I have been dissolved and shaken, worn other people’s faces." As we continue exploring January's Soul Matters theme of integrity, we'll reflect together on how seeking to live with integrity and creating greater wholeness within ourselves helps us become more fully ourselves. Our services will also include a naming ceremony that affirms and celebrates Kevyn Breedon's journey of becoming more fully themselves. Other contributors today were Colleen Thoele, Kevyn Breedon, and Hal Walker. Sunday services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 AM with nursery care available during both services.

Sunday, January 5, 2020 Led by Worship Associates Kathy Kerns and Elaine Bowen Rainer Maria Rilke says, "May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children." One of the times we may feel in flow with how we want to live is when we feel we are living our life with integrity, when we feel we are acting in concert with our true selves. We invite you to come and hear members and friends, Elaine Bowen, Andrew Rome, Randy Bish, and Krsnaa Fitch share their thoughts on living with integrity. Speakers today were Worship Associate Kathy Kerns, Worship Asociate Elaine Bowen, Colleen Thoele, Randy Bish, Elaine Bowen, Andrew Rome, Krsnaa Fitch, and Hal Walker. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 AM with nursery care available during both services.

Photo by Sapan Patel on Unsplash Sunday, December 29, 2019 one service at 10 AM only Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Camille Pavlicek-Fauser Rev. Kathleen McTigue writes: "We stand at a threshold, the new year something truly new, still unformed, leaving a stunning power in our hands: What shall we do with this great gift of Time, this year?" As we stand at the threshold of a new year, through music, rituals and readings we will reflect on this opportunity before us and ask what we will do with the gift of a new year with its promise and possibility. Other participant in today's service was Hal Walker. One service at 10 AM will be offered with nursery care available.

Wednesday, December 24, 2019 One Night, One Star, One Child Led by Rev. Steven Protzman with Worship Associates Elaine Bowen and Lori McGee Rev. Victoria Safford writes: “Now is the moment of magic when an Eastern star beckons…to find an ordinary baby, born at midnight… and the baby’s cry makes people wonder as they wander through their lives what human love might really look like”. On this night as we welcome Christmas once again with joy and awe, we will tell stories and sing songs about the birth of a child who taught us what love really looks like. On the podcast - Rev. Steven Protzman, Worship Associate Lori McGee, Worship Associate Elaine Bowen, Tone Chimers, Peace Choir. Nursery care will be available for the 6:30 PM service only. Services will not be offered on Christmas Day.

Sunday, December 22, 2019 at 10 AM only Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Lori McGee Donna Henes writes: “Lighting a light at the darkest time of the year is a pledge somehow. A promise. Such a small, symbolic gesture.” We will gather as a community of all ages to have a festival of light and rekindle the light of hope and possibility in our hearts and in our community with stories, songs and rituals that draw on some of the world’s light celebrations, including Solstice, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Yule. Join us for this all-ages service at 10 AM only with nursery care available during the service. Podcast people: Rev. Steven Protzman, Worship Associate Elena Kline, Worship Associate Lori McGee.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Sunday, December 15, 2019 Led by DRE Colleen Thoele and Sandy Eaglen This family friendly all-ages service will celebrate the stars! Through dance, song and story, the children of our beloved community will offer tales of Christmas magic and joy. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 AM with nursery care available during both services.

Led by Rev. Steven Protzman and Worship Associate Heidi Emhoff Wood Awe is the feeling we get when something vast challenges our understanding of the world. Feeling awe can be a powerful spiritual experience because as Paul Piff and Dacher Keltner say: "it imbues us with a different sense of ourselves, seeing ourselves as part of something larger." This service will invite us to reflect on awe and its power to help us grow spiritually by inspiring wonder and curiosity, reverence, kindness, and care for others and the world. Sunday morning services are offered at 9:45 and 11:30 with nursery care available during both services.