Tending Covenant Circle
2026-01-10 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
As our congregation approaches a capital campaign, it is only human to find ourselves a bit anxious when talking large sums of money and altering our “congregational home” when there are differing views among us.

Laurie Albright and Mike Miller will conduct a session that will reinforce/remind ourselves how we live into our congregational covenant throughout this process, and focus on how we want to treat/be with each other.

The process involves a talking piece, and we will engage in a series of rounds. Each person has an opportunity to respond in each round (or can pass). We will gather in Fellowship Hall for 90 minutes.

Please indicate your interest by sending an email to: Ljalbright@hotmail.com, and , your availability to gather from 10:00-11:30 on Saturday January 10. We have room for 12 participants, spots are filling!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Congregational Conversation: Sabbatical
2026-01-11 11:30
Please join us this Sunday in Fellowship Hall after the service for a Congregational Conversation facilitated by the Sabbatical Committee. We’ll be discussing the spiritual work and growth we want to do as a congregation, while Rev. Randy is away on sabbatical doing their own growing and spiritual work.

We’ll also enjoy a delicious meal together provided by Harry’s Kitchen Crew with contributions from all of us.

January 2026 2nd Sunday Meal Kitchen Crew +Potluck
2026-01-11 11:30 - 13:00
Happy New Year to all!!Harry’s Kitchen Crew is back to prepare another delicious “main menu entrees” on Sunday, January 11th after the Sunday service. This month’s dining theme is “Guess, what is in the Crock-Pot?”

Harry’s Kitchen Crew will bring 4 to 5 edible delights that will please carnivores, vegans, omnivores, vegetarians, and kids of all ages…..there is no “slow cooking going on in the Kitchen”. The “FAST cooked meal” will be provided by the happy members of Harry’s Kitchen Crew.

For January, members and friends with last names beginning with A-K will supply the salad or side dish for 8 people

For January, members and friends with last names beginning with L-Z will supply the dessert for 8 people

You can drop off your shared dish at the Kitchen Window and the Crew will tag & place them on the tables in the Fellowship Hall.

This month also features a Congregational Conversation, facilitated by the Sabbatical Committee, where we’ll reflect together on our work as a congregation during Rev. Randy’s sabbatical.

We all look forward to seeing you on Sunday, January 11th.

Whether you bring a dish or just yourself, you are always welcome at the table. And if you’re able, please lend a hand afterward with putting away tables and chairs in Fellowship Hall—it makes a big difference!

Injustice to JUSTICE discussion Continues
2026-01-14 19:00 - 20:15
On January 14th, via Zoom (7:00 PM – 8:15 PM) we will continue the spirited discussion begun on December 6th, when UUCC co-sponsored the inspiring community forum titled “Injustice to JUSTICE.” If you missed the forum, you are most welcome to join this discussion.RSVP: racialequitybuddies@gmail.com to request the Zoom link.

The date January 14th is significant because it is one day before the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who wrote those now immortal words pictured below, from a Birmingham jail cell on April 16, 1963.

We are pleased to host this Zoom follow-up and are honored to have representatives from the Reentry Advisory Committee, the Restorative Justice Working Group, the Pre-trial Support Team, and Rep Your Block as presenters; all experts in their respective fields.

This will be an intimate program, allowing for greater interaction between presenters and participants. We look forward to seeing you via Zoom on January 14 at 7 PM!

Let's Make Some Good Trouble With the Rainbow Brigade
2026-01-16 10:30 - 13:30
hey, friends,

a few of us are organizing a bit of a “rainbow brigade” THIS FRIDAY, January 16.

Here’s the thing:

The City Club of Cleveland is platforming the leader of a known Ohio-based LGBTQIA+ hate group, the “Center for Christian Virtue.”

We are inviting friends and conspirators in EVERYONE’S PERSONAL, NOT PROFESSIONAL capacities to gather in highly visible non-violent support of the LGBTQIA+ community and in opposition of The City Club giving this hate-group a platform to speak and promote their hateful agenda.

We are inviting YOU (but not on social media, please) to join us.

Here’s the plan:

Arrive outside the front entrance to The City Club of Cleveland at 10:30am on Friday, January 16, dressed for the weather. (Rainbow wear OF COURSE welcomed!)

Paula and Alyssa will check in the folks on our RSVP list and distribute rainbow umbrellas.

We will have about 50 rainbow umbrellas available (perhaps more if needed!) so that each of us has one to HOLD HIGH.

We will peacefully install ourselves all along the sidewalk in each direction surrounding The City Club so that all passersby and arriving participants HAVE TO see our flood of solidarity and support for LGBTQIA+ people, allies, and communities–and our bright stance against hate.

We hope to remain in place throughout the forum and be there as people depart. The forum ends at 1pm, so think of our ending time as being around 1:15, 1:30pm.

Can YOU join us? Please RSVP Please RSVP using this google form: https://forms.gle/2U8xeVPWqhoydBcn8so that we can be prepared with sufficient supplies!

Let’s make some good trouble, eh?

The Art of Allyship
2026-01-16 18:30 - 22:00
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

Allyship & Advocacy: Taking Your Support to the Next Level
2026-02-03 18:30

FaCT Distinguished Speaker FEB. 7 @ 3 PM ET. Jordan Thomas
2026-02-07 15:00

Congregational Vote "Faithful Defiance for Democracy: A Call to Action."
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: “Faithful Defiance for Democracy: A Call to Action.”

Here at UUCC many of us are asking what role can faith communities play in resisting authoritarianism and supporting democracy? One way is making a public statement of resolution, such as the one UUCC members are asked to vote upon right after the service on Sunday February 8th.

Because this recommendation is consistent with our UU values, and is timely, we have scheduled a congregational vote to approve the Resolution submitted by the UUCC 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.

Please plan to remain in the sanctuary after the service on Sunday February 8th, where Alicia Burkle and Laura Lau from our UUCC Board of Trustees will conduct a vote on whether to adopt the proposed resolution entitled “Faithful Defiance for Democracy: A Call to Action.”

After the vote, we will proceed to Fellowship Hall for a shared meal. 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.

Z

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 inhuman 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.

Happy February to all!!

BUCKEYE CHUCK did not see his shadow…. so, he predicts an early Spring.But, PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL did see his shadow…. so, he predicts 6 more weeks of Winter.Which groundhog is the most accurate?? Either way, Harry’s Kitchen Crew is back to prepare another delicious “main menu entrees” on Sunday, February 8th after the Sunday service.

This month’s dining theme is “18th Anniversary of Harry Kitchen Crew”

Harry’s Kitchen Crew will provide their first main entree that was prepared eighteen years ago… Chicken Marsala and Portabella Marsala.

We ask that you, if you can, bring the following to share:The congregation member(s) with last name that begins with letter A thru K will supply the DESSERT for 8 people.ANDThe congregation member(s) with last name that begins with letter L thru Z will supply the SALAD OR SIDE DISH for 8 people.

You can drop off your shared dish at the Kitchen Window and the Crew will tag & place them on the tables in the Fellowship Hall.

We all look forward to seeing you on Sunday, February 8th.

The “Warm cooked meal” will be provided by the happy members of Harry’s Kitchen Crew.

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.

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

Rainbow Comics Workshop with Lake Erie Ink
2026-02-20 18:30 - 22:00

Resistance Fair
2026-02-21 13:00 - 16:00
Special features at this year’s Resistance Fair:

· Food: Baked goods and coffee for sale.

· Books: Hexagon Books and Mac’s Backs will provide books for sale

· Kids: Lake Erie Ink will host family-friendly activities.

Capital Campaign Celebration
2026-02-22 11:30 - 12:00
11:30-noon Capital Campaign Celebration +Cake Fellowship Hall

Pride for All Ages will meet at NOON on Feb. 22
2026-02-22 12:00
We will meet at NOON on Feb. 22 instead of immediately after the service, so everyone can enjoy the Capital Campaign celebration in Fellowship Hall. Have some cake, join the festivities, then come up to the Baker Room. All LGBTQ+ people welcome.

UUs Together explores local example of reparations- Join us!
2026-02-23 19:00 - 20:30
The monthly meeting of UUs Together, Monday February 23 7:00-8:30pm virtually, will turn to the UU Shared Value of Generosity as we learn about the Reparations work of Forest Hill Church, Presbyterian in Cleveland Heights. Forest Hill has made a commitment to “dismantling structural racism by fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices, and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice, and oppression of people of color”. In October 2022, as part of that work, the church endorsed a financial contribution to help a Cleveland Heights minority person(s), preferably female, pull themselves out of Education debt. At our meeting, Quentin Smith and Mark Chupp from Forest Hill will explain how it was decided that Reparations was the right path, how the funds were raised, the recipient chosen, and the impact it has had. There will be time for questions and answers and, perhaps, to explore new ways UUs can live into the Value of Generosity.To receive the zoom link for the meeting, email Laurie at sunnyskies2023@yahoo.com

Duplicate Bridge returns to UUCC!
2026-02-24 18:00
UUCC will begin hosting an ACBL duplicate game every Tuesday, starting February 24. The game will start at 6 PM and last until about 9 PM. If you don’t have a partner, there will be a person on-site to play with you. Come and try out or rejuvenate your bridge skills!

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

Let's send FDR 8th graders to Washington DC!
2026-03-01 11:30
UUCC has had a partnership with FDR PreK-8 Academy in Glenville for 9 years, offering a variety of activities, everything from Disney Musicals to tutoring to teacher supplies, and much more. We have also raised funds to support the 8th graders Spring trip to Washington DC. I think we all know what a pivotal life experience that is! This year, the cost of the 3 day trip for both classes and 4 adults is $33,600. Mackenzie Scott donated money to the district for student experiences, and they have secured at least $23,000 from this source, and are hoping for additional support from other partners, SUCH AS US!

The per pupil cost of the trip, without support, is $700. Whatever money we raise is money that FDR parents will not have to contribute.

We will be receiving your donations to this effort from this Sunday in coffee hour, through Sunday March 22, as the trip is scheduled for April 8-10. Please see Mary Ellen McNulty and Laurie Albright in Fellowship Hall right after this service for more information. Thank you for supporting our FDR 8th grader families!

Bible mistranslation - no "homosexual"
2026-03-01 13:00 - 16:00
At the Family Life Center on 306 in Bainbridge, will be a showing of the documentary “1946.” This film documents how a mistranslation reshaped our culture. There will be a discussion following the film. ALL ARE INVITED. It is a free event, but you are encouraged to register at events@geaugasogi.org

Sponsored by Democracy In Action

2026 March 2nd Sunday Meal: Potluck
2026-03-08 11:30 - 13:00
Join us after service for our 2nd Sunday Meal! Each month we gather in community to share food and fellowship.

This month’s meal is a true potluck—everyone is invited to bring a favorite dish to share.

This month also features a Congregational Conversation, sponsored by the Sabbatical Team, where we’ll continue reflecting together on our vision for the future of UUCC.

Whether you bring a dish or just yourself, you are always welcome at the table. And if you’re able, please lend a hand afterward with putting away tables and chairs in Fellowship Hall—it makes a big difference!

A Novel Idea
2026-03-09 19:00

FaCt Distinguished Speaker Series
2026-03-14 15:00
Daniel CooperriderAuthor of Speak with the Earth and It wIll Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible.Daniel Cooperrider is a writer, ecotheologian, and pastor in the United Church of Christ. Daniel is the author of Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible, Gold Winner in the 2023 Nautilus Book Awards, and Live Each Season as It Passes: Re Earthing Spiritual Practice.In this presentation on “re-earthing spiritual practice,” Daniel will draw from his two books as well as pastoring an outdoor “wild church” community, to trace and encourage an evolution in theology or spirituality of nature beyond the dominion and stewardship paradigms, and towards a kincentric paradigm of relationship and reciprocity with the more-than-human world.

REGISTER ONLINE NOW AT FACTSUSTAIN.ORG/DISTINGUISHEDNote: Event will be recorded

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
