UU Community Blog

On Sunday, April 2 we broke ground on our building expansion project.  We’ll be under construction the next four to five months.  Check this blog for post throughout the construction.  Here is the prayer I wrote for Sunday’s ground breaking celebration Let us enter into a moment of prayer and Read more…

On Sunday, October 2, the First Unitarian Universalist Church honored the over fifty “Original Builders” who together worked to establish the church at 285 Twolick Drive, Indiana. Special speakers for the group were Lori Rittle and George Bieger. Sara Steelman acted as Worship Associate with Rev. Joan Sabatino conducting the Read more…

Former IUP music professor and jazz musician, Dr. Carl Adams, and Rev. Joan M. Sabatino are shown preparing for the September 9th Sunday Service. The traditional Water Ingathering Ceremony service will be followed by the “Debut our Expansion” celebration in the proposed new building space on the church property. The Read more…

Penny Vick, Religious Exploration Director, shown at the pulpit thank those RE teachers who were at services on June 12, 2006. Shown are Liz Cook, Kelly Patchell, Anne McGowan, Dave Ferguson, and Brandon Vick. Thanks to all RE teachers for a successful year of serving over 30 children and youth.

First UU provides a supervised nursery with certified professionals for children while parents are attending church services on Sunday mornings.

The Religious Education (RE) Director at the First Unitarian Universalist Church (First UU), Penny Vick, along with the parents of the children involved in RE walked as a group in last week’s annual CROP Walk on Sunday, October 18. The event began and ended on the lawn between Graystone and Read more…

Nonna Randal, First UU Board of Trustees President and Karen Brown, First UU Clerk of the Congregation, are shown adding their special collected water to the 2014 Church’s water bowl. The First Unitarian Universalist Church’s congregation held its traditional Water Ingathering Ceremony early last month at its Sunday service. This Read more…

The first official Indiana, Pennsylvania, Same-Sex Marriage occurred at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Indiana.  A Celebration of Marriage for Carolyn Thompson and Karen Brown began at 6 PM on Saturday, June 24, 2014. Officiating at the marriage was Rev. Joan M. Sabatino. Special guest, Sid Reger, Ordained Priestess, Read more…

Flower Communion is an annual Unitarian tradition first created by Czech minister Rev. Norbert Chapek in 1923.  Flowers were collected before the service and create bouquets representing all the talents and love we bring to this community and what we create together. At the end of the service, after hearing Read more…

The Director of Religious Education has overall responsibility for planning and managing the week-to-week activities of the religious education program for our children and youth in accordance with goals and objectives developed with the Religious Education Committee. Approximately 13 hours per week; August through May; $12/hr Click here to see DRE Read more…

On Sunday, April 13, Rev. Joan and Gabriel Kennedy, Worship Associate, created “A Unitarian Universalist Intergenerational Passover Seder Service. During the service a symbolic Passover Seder took place. Using ritual foods, readings, and other traditional Passover rituals, the congregation shared together story of the Jewish Passover. A Seder meal is Read more…

Dr. Laurie Roehrich, IUP Psychology professor recently spoke to the congregation to celebrate Women’s History Month. Her topic,” The “F” Word: Feminist History & Futures,” explored the importance of women’s narratives in psychology and the sciences. She and her daughter, India, read the Story for the Ages for the children Read more…

Dr. Linda Jennings, Cello, and Lori Rittle, piano shared their musical talents with the congregation recently as they played, Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14, S. Rachmaninoff.

The First UU annual quilt show, “The Warmth of Community,” was made up of finely crafted historic and contemporary quilts. These locally owned and hand-crafted quilts represent many aspects of living. The public spent time viewing this art form on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from 11 AM – 1 PM Read more…

The Social Justice Project for the Religious Education (RE) and congregation at large is collaborating with “The Power Pack Program.” The Power Pack Program is a part of the Indiana County Community Action Program (ICCAP) which serves Indiana County, Pennsylvania. This is a county-wide outreach to elementary school children. The Read more…

The Five Pillars of Islam had guest lecturer, Dr. Harold Morales, IUP World Religions professor, was guest lecturer on Sunday, February 16. Dr. Morales’ lecture is part of this year’s First UU Religious Education (RE) curriculum: Exploring the Religions of the World. Dr. Morales discussed the Five Pillars of Islam Read more…

India Krug, Religious Education class spokesperson at the lectern, along with members of the RE class, is shown while she was introducing the current social justice project, The ICCAP’s Power Pack Program, at February 2 service. During the month of February, First UU will focus our food donations on the Read more…

First UU hosted guest speaker, Dr. Alison Downie, IUP Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, during the February 2 Sunday Service.  Dr. Downie spoke on Christian Feminist Theology. She has presented papers at several annual conferences of the College Theology Society, most recently at the Unitarian Universalist Collegium Conference. Her academic interests include Read more…

Rev. Robin Landerman Zucker, Affiliated Community Minister with the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh and Flowing Force, was guest speaker for the January 19th recent Sunday Service.  Rev. Zucker  spoke on the topic of the American Wealth Gap while exploring the effects of America’s increasing income/wealth gap, not only on our economy but Read more…

Gabrielle Kennedy, Religious Education Assistant, is shown reading the Story for All Ages – “Is There Really a Human Race?” by Jamie Lee Curtis & Lauran Cornall.

Members and friends are shown enjoying a variety of soups, breads, and desserts.  These gifts of food were provided by members of the congregation in the celebration of sharing our abundance with each other after services on Sunday, January 19, for Soup and Bread Lunch.

Ella Ferguson, RE bake sale helper, sold a wide variety of home-made goodies created by members and friends of First UU.  The December 7th Holiday Bazaar bake sale earned money contributed to the Children’s Own Fund.  Thanks to all the bakers, creators, and buyers of sweet delicious items!

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 15, members, family, and friends joined for holiday cheer at the church surrounded by the beauty of Christmas decorations in the sanctuary.  The evening included delicious turkey and ham with all the trimmings; Christmas carols, solo entertainment; gifts of gratitude; group singing of Read more…

The 10th Annual Holiday Bazaar and Café was held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 7, featuring local artisans and entrepreneurs.  There were fiber art, textile crafts, hand-thrown pottery, silver and stone jewelry, holiday ornaments, origami boxes, knitted items, Thirty One, children’s crafts, holiday cards, Ten Thousand Villages Read more…

The Festivals of Light presentation by the Religious Education Sunday School Children and their teachers was a creative delight.  This was a perfect way to celebrate the students’ study of world religions in their RE classrooms.  By applying the narratives, the children expanded their understanding and value the many distinct Read more…

I’ve received a question wondering why we will pay two Unitarian Universalists ministers to visit our pulpit while I am away.  I agree we have many qualified and interesting speakers within our congregation and in Indiana. However, this congregation has always called on the services of other UU ministers, especially Read more…