The Art of Allyship
2026-01-16 18:30 - 22:00 (America/New_York)
Group: The Community of Rainbow Affirming Youth (RAY) Who: LGBTQ+ Youth & Youth Allies (ages 12–18)Where: 21600 Shaker Blvd, Shaker Heights, OhioHow: Register your teen by emailing Valerie Hura at valerie.hura@uucleveland.org

We hope you’ll help us share this opportunity and support LGBTQ+ youth in our wider community as we continue building spaces of affirmation, creativity, and belonging.

The Divided States of America
2026-01-18 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Earl Leiken, Senior Fellow, Levin College of Public Affairs & Education,CSU and Lecturer, Siegal College of Lifetime Learning, CWRU; former Mayor,Shaker Heights

How Did We Get This Way?

Why has America become so deeply divided — politically, culturally, and interpersonally?

Drawing from a course he teaches at Siegal College, former Shaker Heights Mayor Earl Leiken explores the psychological, cultural, and economic forces that have driven Americans apart. This program will examine insights from multiple experts and research on the full political spectrum — from progressives to MAGA supporters — to better understand the roots of polarization. And beyond diagnosis comes the harder question: Can’t we just all get along? If so, how?

In person in Fellowship Hallor via Zoom

FaCT Distinguished Speaker Event Saturday 1/24, 3 PM
2026-01-24 15:00
Michael Mulberry pastors two small churches in Michigan, and he is an activist working with other Michiganders to shut down the Enbridge oil pipeline that runs under the Straits of Mackinac, threatening Native Americans in Michigan and the environment of virtually all the Great Lakes.

A federal district court recently decided that Michigan Governor Whitmer’s revocation of Enbridge’s right of way under the Straits cannot be enforced as the federal government has jurisdiction over right of way decisions on interstate and international pipelines like Line 5. But Line 5 is more than 72 years old and not in the best of shape. What can be done? This is going to require massive action by residents of Michigan and all around the Great Lakes.

Michael Mulberry will present the whole story from the history of the pipeline to an account of efforts to shut it down and how activists are going organize to make sure it is shut down.

REGISTER for this ZOOM EVENT: REGISTER

Pride for All Ages meets January 25
2026-01-25 11:30
Pride for All Ages is an intergenerational group that is open to all who identify as LGBTQ+. We meet the 4th Sunday of every month at 11:30 in the Baker Room. We gather as a group for support, for friendship, for event planning, and as a resource to the congregation. All LGBTQ+ people welcome! The next meeting of Pride for All Ages is January 25.

Power in Progress: POSTPONED Celebrating 15 Years of GCC!
2026-01-25 15:00 - 16:30
Join Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC) as we kick off 2026 and celebrate 15 years of organizing together! GCC’s founding leaders will reflect on how and why they came together to build an organization in Cleveland, the most powerful lessons from the journey, and their vision for GCC’s future in a challenging moment:

Olivet Institutional Baptist Church8712 Quincy Avenue, Cleveland

This celebration will help connect newer congregations and newer members to GCC’s roots while deepening our shared understanding of how community organizing drives systemic change—empowering communities, delivering new resources and transforming unjust systems into just ones.

We’ll close the program with a 15-year birthday cake and opportunities to support GCC’s work through a financial pledge for 2026 and/or a commitment of time and talents.

This event is a meaningful and welcoming way to introduce members of your congregation to GCC’s work and invite them into deeper engagement.

To rsvp, simply click the link: https://www.evite.com/event/00D6IIAE4SKDAAEPWEPQ3LUWPG5TXI/?utm_campaign=send_sharable_link&utm_source=evitelink&utm_medium=sharable_invite

Thanks, and see you there!

UUs Together Let's Grow our Allyship Sharon Groh-Wargoron
2026-01-26 19:00 - 20:30
Join UUs Together via Zoom on Monday January 26, 2026 7:00-8:30 to learn from PFLAG (LGBT+ People and those who love them) how we can expand our welcoming allyship in our congregations, work places, and homes.

In a time when our family and friends who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community are being bullied, denied care, and threatened to be pushed back into the closet it is important for us to grow our allyship and even possibly become super allies. This month’s presenter, Sharon Groh-Wargo PhD, Vice-President PFLAG Cleveland will share an overview of LGBTQ+ language, ideas on how to create a welcoming environment, and steps to becoming an ally. Presentation will be followed by a question and answer session including time for folks to share how each congregation has progressed further along the allyship spectrum. You will also learn how PFLAG is a community resource here in Cleveland. To receive the meeting link, please email Laurie at sunnyskies2023@yahoo.com.

Property Tax Debate in Ohio
2026-02-01 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Zach Schiller, Research Director, Ohio Policy Matters

How Can/Should We Pay for What We Need?

Ohioans’ frustration over rising property taxes is driving a wave of legislative and constitutional proposals—ranging from limiting local levies to eliminating property taxes altogether. With inflation pushing up property values, tax burdens increase even without new levies. But if we reduce or eliminate property taxes, what happens to school funding, emergency services, and local infrastructure? What are the pros and cons of property taxation, the real-world consequences of cutting it, and potential alternative revenue sources?

In person in Fellowship Hallor via In person in Fellowship Hallor via Zoom

Congregational Vote: Actions of Immediate Witness
2026-02-08 11:30
Unitarian Universalists across the US, at the June 2025 General Assembly, overwhelming approved Actions of Immediate Witness addressing Resisting Authoritarianism and more. The UU Social Justice group has recommended congregations take several actions to implement this important statement, including congregations approving a Resolution.

Because this recommendation is consistent with our UU values, and is timely, we have scheduled a congregation vote to approve the Resolution submitted by the Democracy in Action Team and approved by your Board of Trustees for voting. We recognize congregants are not accustomed to voting at times other than the annual meeting, but this request follows the UUCC Justice Endorsement policy adopted in 2021.

The Democracy in Action Team presented information about this Resolution at the congregational conversation on 10/12/25, and will be sharing this information again through the weekly update. Please review the material they provide, and plan to be present and vote on Sunday February 8, 2026. Thank you for giving voice to our UU Values!

Faithful Defiance for Democracy: A Call to Action WHEREAS, Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote the use of the democratic process in society at large, consistent with our shared Values of Justice and Equity; WHEREAS, democracy in the United States faces unprecedented challenges from rising authoritarianism, including efforts to undermine free and fair elections, suppress the vote, spread disinformation, erode civil liberties, and concentrate power in the hands of the few;

WHEREAS, the imposition of authoritarianism threatens the worth and dignity of all people, particularly those already marginalized by systemic racism, xenophobia,

misogyny, economic injustice, and other forms of oppression, including LGBTIQ communities and immigrants and refugees;

WHEREAS, our faith calls us to act in solidarity with those defending democratic norms, institutions, and rights;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT this congregation:

1. Affirms its commitment to democracy as a moral and spiritual imperative and as essential to the realization of justice, equity, and compassion in

human society;

2. Condemns efforts to subvert democratic institutions, suppress voting

rights, intimidate public servants, manipulate the judiciary, and spread

authoritarian ideologies;

3. Commits to nonviolent action in defense of democratic values, and to

active resistance against authoritarian encroachment through legal,

ethical, and peaceful means;

4. Supports local, state, and national efforts to protect and expand voting rights, ensure election integrity, and hold leaders accountable to the rule of law;

5. Encourages education and civic engagement within and beyond the congregation, including hosting forums, supporting nonpartisan voter registration efforts, engaging in public witness for democracy including non violent protests, strikes and disruptive events as needed;

6. Partners with other faith communities and civic organizations to build a broad-based movement to uphold democratic principles and resist authoritarianism;

7. Create a task force or working group to guide, coordinate, and report on these efforts, ensuring that our actions remain grounded in our Unitarian Universalist values and inclusive of all members of our community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this resolution be shared with our regional and national Unitarian Universalist associations and other faith-based organizations. And further, that our congregation remains steadfast in love, courage, and commitment as we work to build a just, democratic, and compassionate society for all.

February 2026 2nd Sunday Meal: Kitchen Crew + Potluck
2026-02-08 11:30 - 13:00
Join us after service for our 2nd Sunday Meal! Each month we gather in community to share food and fellowship.

Harry’s Kitchen Crew will be preparing the main course, ! Congregants with last names A-L are asked to bring sides or salads, and M-Z to bring desserts.

This month also features a Congregational Vote, sponsored by Democracy in Action Team, where we’ll consider the Action of Immediate Witness addressing Resisting Authoritarianism from the 2025 UUA General Assembly.

Whether you bring a dish or just yourself, you are always welcome at the table. An

Belief and the Ballot
2026-02-15 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Joseph White, CWRU Political Science Professor and Director, Public Policy andGraduate Studies

How Religion Shapes U.S. Politics

Religious affiliation profoundly shapes American politics, influencing not only how people vote but also which policies they support. According to Pew Research, roughly 30% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated—a group that includes atheists, agnostics, and those who describe themselves as“nothing in particular.” Christians remain the nation’s largest religious group, while Jews account for about 2% of the population, and Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus each make up about 1%. About 20% of Republicans and 46% of Democrats report no religious affiliation, while women in both parties tend to place greater emphasis on faith. The economy often dominates election discussions, but shifting religious identities and political alignments may be quietly reshaping how Americans vote—and how candidates frame key policy debates. How might these evolving dynamics influence voter turnout, elections and thenation’s broader political landscape?

In person in Fellowship Hallor via Zoom

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
2026-03-01 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Dr. Po-Hao (Howard) Chen, MD, MBA, Vice Chair of Artificial Intelligence for the Diagnostics Institute and Medical Director for Enterprise Radiology Informatics at the Cleveland Clinic

What We Gain, What We Risk

It is said that AI won’t replace doctors, but doctors who use AI will replace doctorswho don’t.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping modern medicine. What began with simple tools such as automated transcription of patient interviews has expanded into complex systems capable of reading mammograms, modeling protein structures, and predicting the molecular design of new antibiotics. Fromdiagnostics to drug discovery, AI’s presence in healthcare is growing — and it’s not going away. But with this transformation come critical questions: How is AI used in healthcare today? What benefits does it bring to patients, providers, and researchers — and what risks or ethical challenges accompany its rise

In person in Fellowship Hallor via Zoom

The Disease That Steals the Self
2026-03-15 09:00 - 10:00
Speaker(s): Dr. Martha Sajatovic, CADRC Core Leader of Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement; researcher, professor, psychiatry and neurology, CWRU

Understanding Alzheimer’s and the Fight for a Cure

In the United States, one in three Americans over the age of 80 is living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Nearly two-thirds of those affected are women. The disease often begins its silent progression decades before diagnosis — starting with mild forgetfulness, such as misplacing keys or struggling to find words, and advancing to profound memory loss and cognitive decline. Over time, Alzheimer’s can erode not only memory but the very sense of self and identity.What do we truly know about this devastating disease? What causes it, and who is most at risk? How effective are current treatments, and is there real hope for prevention or a cure?

These urgent questions will be explored by leading experts from the Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (CADRC) — a collaboration formed in 2019 among the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, and Case Western Reserve University. Find out what science has uncovered, what challenges remain, and how researchers are working to preserve memory, identity, and dignity.

In person in Fellowship Hallor via Zoom

Community Conversation
2026-04-19 09:00 - 10:00
Moderator: TBD

Community Conversation – Your Thoughts on Today’s Headlines Join us for this conversation, when you will be the speaker and every viewpoint matters. Grab a seat and jump into a friendly chat about what’s happening in the world – one headline and one neighborly voice at a time.

In person in Fellowship Hallor via Zoom
