No Place Like Home With Habitat for Humanity

Join other UUs in helping build a Habitat for Humanity house in Urbana. Our church is signed up to provide the work crew on two Saturdays: August 23^rd and September 20^th. We need 12-15 volunteers on each date. You don’t need to have any particular skills to participate as there are jobs for all skill levels, plus supervisors who will teach you tasks if you don’t know how to do them. Join us in making a difference in our community! Sign-up sheets are at the Social Action table on Sunday mornings or email Jim Hannum directly at jwhannum@gmail.com to volunteer.

Centennial Celebration of This Old Church House

The service next Sunday, July 20^th is titled “Our Church Home” and will be led by Jerry Carden and feature music by local celebrity John Coppess. This year is the 100^th anniversary of the stone church building and the 50^th anniversary of the Religious Education wing, so come listen to the story of how Unitarians and Universalists in Champaign-Urbana have built and maintained their structures to house over 150 years of religious liberal activities.

July Shared Offering: The Union of Concerned Scientists

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) seeks to apply rigorous and independent science to issues of public concern. Their staff of engineers, policy experts, economists, and scientists work to provide policymakers and the wider public with the data and analysis needed to make informed choices and develop effective solutions. They have worked on a wide array of issues, including nuclear power, nuclear weapons, global security, agriculture, and climate change.

Their recent scholarship includes an examination of the inequitable burdens of climate impacts. Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina showed that communities of color and poor communities are particularly vulnerable to coastal storms and heightened storm surge.

This past May, their report National Landmarks at Risk received nationwide attention from policymakers and the media. In it, they demonstrate the threats posed to our shared heritage by the consequences of climate change using multiple lines of robust scientific evidence. They also note practical strategies to manage these risks and protect our history.

But not all of their work is nationwide in scope. In January 2014, the UCS sponsored a training session on sea-level rise for 35 South Florida elected officials. The workshop covered climate impacts and science, with each participant receiving a set of maps localized to their zip code showing inundation risks and storm surge for 2030 and 2060.

The aim of the UCS is to provide society with the tools, expertise, and advocacy needed to achieve a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. What's not to like?

The Beauty of Language, The Poetry of Summer

On July 13^th, we will have a morning of poetry and music. Please bring a poem about summer to share. This could be a favorite poem written by another or by yourself. Some of our music will be provided by the Black Velvet Band of Patten, Kinney, Hannum, and Herzog and will include vocals by members of our Youth Choir.

Build Community and Strengthen Connections

The Membership Committee (MC) will discuss ways to build community and strengthen connections with visitors, in addition to new and longtime members, of the church at our upcoming meeting in Fellowship Hall this Wednesday, July 9^th from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Whether you plan to be involved with the MC a lot, a little, or not at all, we want to hear your thoughts as we prioritize activities for the year.

If you cannot attend the meeting but wish to provide input, please contact one of the Committee Co-Chairs: Peggy Patten  (m-patten@sbcglobal.net) or Karen Retzer (karenfooteretzer@yahoo.com). Many thanks to Virginia Brubaker for her leadership as Chair of the Membership Committee this past year.

Announcement from the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees has cancelled its regularly scheduled July 8^th business meeting. Instead, the July 22^nd meeting, normally a study session, will be a business meeting. Thank you!

An Exclusive Invitation for Members and Friends

Are you on Facebook? Connect with fellow church members on our Facebook Group. It may be found by logging into Facebook and searching for “UUCUC - Members & Friends.” Discuss topics of faith, hear from members about church events, and more!