We are so saddened by the death of Merlin Kindel on October 11. Our love and prayers go out to Dot and the family. Dot’s address is 1026 Vineyard Way, Berea. Merlin’s life will be celebrated at a service and reception Wednesday, October 21. Visitation from 4-6, service at 6, all in the sanctuary, reception in the Community Room. This will take the place of WNL dinner and program. All are invited to attend.
This Wednesday at WNL: A presentation about CoCoDa & a 2016 Delegation to El Salvador. Union Church and the Berea community have a long history of involvement with El Salvador, going back to the dark days of the twelve years long civil war.
The last delegation with Companion Community Development Alternatives (CoCoDA) was in 2013. We worked with the local residents of the village of El Roble to tear down their school which had been bombed during the war. We stayed in the villagers’ simple houses and ate their delicious home cooked food. This resulted in a deep interaction with the people and their culture.
Delicious Youth Group Fundraiser! Youth Group will be doing a fundraiser this fall in partnership with Equal Exchange, a fair trade chocolate and coffee company. Our Community Life & Growth Board purchases the coffee used for church coffee hours, WNL and other events from Equal Exchange. So you know you already love it!
The youth will have catalogs to sell Equal Exchange products, and we will receive 40% of the profits from these sales. The money we raise will go toward getting youth to camp next summer at “Passport Choices” in North Carolina.
The fundraiser will continue until November 11th, when we will send in our final orders to Equal Exchange. The Equal Exchange products you buy from us will not only be fantastic Christmas presents, but will support the youth of Union Church, and help support fair prices from coffee and cocoa bean producers world wide. Thank you all for your support!
Drivers needed! Help our youth relieve hunger in Berea! On October 17th and 24th (both Saturdays), our youth will be dropping off empty bags and picking up filled bags of food in neighborhoods throughout Berea as part of the Hunger Hurts Food Drive. We need at least two adults each Saturday with working vehicles (minivans and SUVs would be awesome) to help drive the students. Exact times are TBA, but it would be in the morning. Please see Rev. Rachel or Chris McKenzie to volunteer. Thanks!
The Hunger Hurts Food Drive is an annual event coordinated by the Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS) at Berea College in collaboration with Berea Faith Community Outreach (BFCO) to collect donations used to stock the Berea Community Food Bank, which greatly benefit families needing food assistance throughout the winter months. This is the 23rd year of the Hunger Hurts Food Drive, which has raised more than 8,000 lbs. of food for those who are in need.
“Black Lives Matter” yard signs. Union Church, in our ongoing commitment to our history and work for justice, has “Black Lives Matter” yard signs available. We are requesting a donation of $10 to cover the cost of the signs and to further our work toward racial justice. The requested donation is $10. These signs are limited, although if the interest is greater than the number, we may order more. You can pick them up at the church office. Donations should be made to Union Church with the notation of Racial Justice Fund in the memo.
October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. A remembrance will be held at Irvine McDowell Park in Richmond from 6:00-8:00 pm with candle lighting starting at 7:00 pm. Parents are welcome to share poems, letters and memories of their babies gone to soon. Names of babies will be read during this time too. If you have a baby you would like to remember, please message Tresslaree. doula@gmail.com
Celebration of Traditional Music next weekend! Come one, come all to this year’s Celebration, featureing musicians from eastern Kentucky who are carrying on and making new music in the tradition of the musicians recorded by John and Alan Lomax in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The kickoff is at next Thursday’s 3:00 p.m. convocation, in which 19 eastern Kentucky musicians will share their roots’ stories, followed on Friday and Saturday by talks, workshops, dancing, and concerts. For details on schedules & bios of speakers, performers, and musicians see www.berea.edu/ctm/ac.
Our Public Library is chock full of fun & informative events! A few are listed here, but check out the bulletin board by the “ramp” door for others!
Legislative Meet & Greet at the public library October 17 9:30-10:30 am. Meet elected officials and local candidates. All welcome, snacks served!
Friends of the Library Book Sale October 17 & 18.
“Fertile Ground” art exhibit features Union Church members. Several Union Church members are featured artists in the exhibit “Fertile Ground,” which celebrates women’s roles at the forefront of our community’s food culture. This exhibit at the Berea Arts Council features visual art in several mediums, as well as literary pieces. On Tuesday, October 20, from 6:30–8 pm at BAC, artists will give readings of their work. Please join in this celebration of our community!
“Age-Friendly” Berea Survey Results: If you filled out an “Age-Friendly” Berea Survey (or if you didn’t), you are welcome to an Open House at the library to hear the results Thursday Oct 22, 4-6 pm.
Library Fundraiser! Make a small quilt based on a favorite book! Contact Rita Barlow at lashleybarlow@gmail.com for details.
Did you know that Union Church now hosts 6 (six!) recovery support groups in our building? We have Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Al-Anon, Al-Anon Step Study and Depression & Bipolar Disorder groups. Check the calendar for meeting times, or call the office for the contact person;
Plus: 3 handwork/craft groups: Knitters, Quilters, and Basketweavers;
Plus: 3 musical groups in addition to our own choirs: ShapeNote Singers, Classic Chorale, Drum Circle!
We are delighted to offer the building as community space to these groups! With all this activity comes … well, a lot of activity. If you want to schedule a meeting, please call the office to be sure space is available before making plans. You can consult the church calendar is on the website at union-church.org. Thanks.
Save-the-Date! November 7—Family Cook-out/Potluck, Bonfire, & Music at Rev. Kent’s. Brought to you by your Community Life & Growth Board.
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