St. John’s Annual Spring  Cleanup, Saturday,
April 27, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Weeding, pruning, trimming, and spreading mulch… No experience necessary! Make the church welcoming for the anniversary celebration on Sunday.

Coffee, tea, bagels, and donuts provided. Bring trowels, pruners, weed whackers, leaf blowers, children, and dogs.

Text Cliff Shisler at 513-226-4604 for more information.

April 28, 11 a.m. service and special coffee hour: Celebration of our 100th year as a Unitarian church!

Deeper than the Skin: A Musical Presentation on Race, with Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway May 4-5

Two friends, one Black, one white. Musicians, storytellers, students of history and world travelers born 3 days apart.

Two separate narratives forged into one powerful friendship aimed at finding common ground and helping others to do the same.

An experience of singing and listening, of experiencing a connection so deep that it makes you laugh, smile, cry and reconsider what you know about our history. It’s an invitation to open your heart and mind to a story of shared humanity that resonates with your own.

Saturday, May 4, 3–5 p.m., FREE PERFORMANCE at St. John’s Unitarian Universalist Church, 320 Resor Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45220

Sunday, May 5, 10:30 a.m., JOINT WORSHIP SERVICE at First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton Street, Cincinnati OH 45219

Men’s Group: open to all members, May 5

On World Laughter Day, Sunday, May 5, certified laughter yoga teacher Marlene Chertok will provide a 7 pm Men’s Group  program open to all members of Saint John’s. Men attending the 6 pm potluck dinner are invited to bring their partners, along with food to share. In a change of pace, those dining should also bring their own dishware, utensils and beverage to eliminate the need for cleaning up at SJ. RSVP regarding the 6 pm dinner to Howard. Walk-ins welcome for 7 pm program.

Before moving to Cincinnati with her husband David Behrens in 2021, Marlene ran a weekly laughter yoga group at Eliot Unitarian Chapel in St Louis for 18 years. Her presentation will begin with an explanation of the research behind the health benefits of laughing and humor, as well as an overview of the 29 year history of laughter yoga followed by a short introductory lesson. A retired RN, she began doing laughter yoga 21 years ago as part of her own cancer recovery. Adaptable for all levels, there are no yoga poses involved, no need to sit on the floor or bring a yoga mat.  Bring a willingness to participate and an open mind and leave with a smile and a twinkle in your eye!  It is fun!

The auction! 5-8 p.m. May 11

This is our primary fundaiser. Please contribute handmade items, events, dinner, and signup next week to set up, clean up, etc. AND come to bid, enjoy refreshments and have fun! See info. here.

Newcomer Potluck
May will be a busy month at St. John’s  – the Auction, Deeper than Skin, choir concert, flower communion, Soup and Bread luncheon, but this is a reminder that our second Newcomer Potluck will be on Saturday, May 18, 5-7 pm. All are welcome – whether you have visited once or whether you have been at St. John’s for decades. If you have time, bring a dish to share, but we always have an abundance of food, so no worries if life is too hectic. Children are invited as well. This is a time for each of us to get to know other folks better, so there will probably be some “games” to help us do that. Come for good food and lots of fun.

 Partner Soup and Bread Lunch Update

Our last partner church soup and bread lunch for the season will be Sunday, May 19. Come join us for delicious bread and desserts and homemade soup for six dollars ($6) to benefit the programs of our partner church in Saint Laszlo. Watch for the board next Sunday to sign up. I hope many people will gather for our last event of the year.
~ Mary Lynne Schuster

Congregational Meeting, June 2nd. In preparation for that, team chairs, please develop individual annual reports and forward them to the Board secretary, Monica Pellman, by May 15 so that she can compile them for distribution at the meeting.

———Repeat events———–

Meditation on Wednesdays and Sundays

Meditation is available 4-5 p.m. Wednesdays in Haehnle Hall and from 10-10:45 a.m. on Sundays in the Ghandi Room. For more information, contact Erna at erna.olafson@gmail.com or Alicia at 513-807-9902. If you plan to come for the first time, please contact one of us beforehand so that we can look for you and let you into the building.

Brown bag lunch with Rev. Jenn Thursdays at noon.

Pack a lunch and enjoy conversation with Rev. Jenn and whomever else joins.

Sanctuary and Immigration Team, virtually 2nd Wednesdays. Next meeting May 8

Learn with our St. John’s UU Sanctuary and Immigration Team (SIT) about the region’s immigrants and refugees and how to support them. SIT generally meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. by Zoom.

Several members of St. John’s distribute food contributions through the Willows Project, with which we are associated. We are members of the Cincinnati Immigrant Dignity Coalition, and are involved with community organizations in our Cincinnati area, Butler County and Northern Kentucky.

All are welcome at the meetings. Contact: Sarah Loar Seibert, SIT coordinator, at seibertcs@zoomtown.com.