Rounding out our weekend long StoryFest, award-winning storyteller Adam Booth will tell a tale about faith, transitions, and the long road to paradise.
The Time for All Ages will feature our Bridging Ceremony - a special moment in our congregation when we honor our graduating high school seniors as they transition into young adulthood.
Nancy Simpson will be our Worship Associate,
Emily White will give the Time for All Ages,
with music provided by Ryan Pagels
9:30 AM - Nursery Opens, Annex - Children ages 5 and under are welcome in the nursery 9:30am - 12:15pm
- Children ages 7 and under are welcome after RE classes until 12:15pm.
9:45 AM - Meditation, Upper Gage Hall Participants gather for an hour to practice insight meditation and discuss various aspects of the meditative path and its interplay with our lives.
10:00 AM - RE Classes, Churchyard - All children, youth, and RE volunteers are invited to join us in the Churchyard for our final RE class of the church year!
- Note: the previously scheduled final Unhushed class for middle school youth has been moved to next Sunday May 24 10:00 AM - Forum, Lower Gage Hall (and now livestreaming on YouTube!) Will McCorkle – Immigration Justice and Knowing Your Rights Will McCorkle (he/him) is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education at College of Charleston. He is a former secondary social studies teacher in Latin America and South Carolina. His research focuses on the experiences and educational rights of marginalized immigrant communities, public beliefs and attitudes towards immigration, and teaching about immigration in the social studies classroom.
12:00 PM - Annual Meeting, Sanctuary and Zoom Directly following the 11 AM church service (live and via Zoom) we will begin our Annual Meeting. All church members received an email containing the Annual Meeting Packet. If you did not receive the email, please contact Lily at lily@charlestonuu.org. We will vote on next year’s budget and nominations for the Vestry Board, Endowment Investment Board, and the Nominating Committee. We will also hear updates from Church leadership.
Please remember that in order to vote, you must have a recorded contribution within 12 months of the day of the meeting and have been a member for no less than 90 days. If you have any questions about your status, please email Lily Colburn at lily@charlestonuu.org.
For questions about the proposed budget, please contact Rev. Rebecca rebecca@charlestonuu.org or Lily, lily@charlestonuu.org.
Members may also attend the Annual Meeting via Zoom
For Zoom questions, text Sue Findlay at 843-469-5485
Sign up to be a Sunday Fellowship Facilitator!GreeterFlowersCoffee Hour
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
Family Circle Saturday 5/16, 5:00pm
For people raising children in our church community. Potluck dinner and parent connection time with childcare during the second hour. At a member's home in Summerville, 5-7pm. (Navigate to "May" in the spreadsheet). Sign up here.
Last Day of RE Celebration Sunday 5/17, 10:00am
Parents, kids, and volunteers who were part of RE this year: join us as we celebrate together! Meet us at10am in the yard to the right of the church.
Bridging Ceremony Sunday 5/17, 11:00am
A special moment in our congregation when we honor our graduating high school seniors as they transition into young adulthood. Please let Emily know if you have a senior who wants to participate, emily@charlestonuu.org
📢 Call for Volunteers
💁♀️ We are looking for volunteers to teach and support our Elementary (grades 1-6) and Youth programs (grades 7-12) in the coming church year. No teaching experience necessary, just a willingness to show up and connect. If you’re interested, please email Emily, emily@charlestonuu.org
THIS WEEK AT CHURCH
Women's Prayer Retreat Saturday, May 16; 9:00am to 12:00pm Lower Gage Hall
How can we nourish the soul in these times? Retreat is listed as one of the ways of prayer. Explore 13 ways of prayer and add your own. Engage in silence meditation, liturgical dance, song, journaling, blessing of the hands and honey communion. If desired, bring a small token representing your spirituality to decorate our prayer altar.
Spots are still available! The cost is $20 to help cover materials. Participants are asked to bring a blanket or cushion. Register HERE
Questions? contact Geni Felsinger or office@charlestonuu.org
Low Country Foodbank Volunteering Saturday, May 16; 9:00am - 12:00pm LCFB: 2864 Azalea Drive, North Charleston.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We only have ONE person signed up this Saturday. This is a great opportunity to put our values into action and serve our community. Please join us to volunteer at the LCFB. We meet at 9:00 a.m. and usually finish by 11:30. Closed-toe shoes required. Children 12 and older with an adult and 16 and older are welcome to participate; LCFB staff will sign for school volunteer hours. SIGN UP HERE
Story Fest 2026: Buried Treasures Saturday, May 16
Workshop, 9:30am - 12:30pm Circular Church Performance, 6:00-8:00pm, Lower Gage Hall
Everyone has stories, unearth and witness the buried treasures within! This weekend will feature professional Storyteller Adam Booth. Learn more at the links above.
Tickets will also be available at the door. There will be treats for sale at the performance!
CAJM Celebration Monday, May 18; 6:00pm
Zion Olivet Presbyterian Church
Click here to register!
The program of games and awards will begin at 6:30pm, but please arrive at 6:00pm in order to park, settle in, get your food, and talk to your neighbors! Wear your best 70s outfit and enter the costume contest!
There is limited parking on the grass outside Zion Olivet (next to and in front of the white house). If you are able-bodied and comfortable with crossing Rivers Avenue, please park across Rivers at the Charleston County Department of Social Services or Reynolds Station. Please reserve this closer parking for our less mobile members.
You'll sign up when you arrive.
We will have food prepared by Bailey's Wings & Things and Vibrant Alkaline Vegan. Plates are $20 each: come prepared to pay by cash, card, or CashApp.
Death Cafe Monday, May 18; 7:00-8:30pm
Lower Gage Hall
At a Death Cafe people gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. Our objective is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives." A Death Cafe is a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. Death Cafe is an international social franchise. To learn more about Death Cafes in general, click here.
New to UU Happy Hour Thursday, May 21; 5:00-7:00pm
Commonhouse Aleworks, North Charleston
Are you new or new-ish to our church? Or have you been a member for a few years but want to reconnect with our community? Then this happy hour is for you! Join us for a drink and ask questions, explore life as a UU, and meet new folks. Rev. Rebecca and Jules, our membership coordinator, want to get to know you and help discover your place in our community! Contact Jules@charlestonuu.org with questions.
SAVE THE DATE
Classical Pride Sunday, May 31; 4:00pm Sanctuary
Classical Pride Charleston is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ community in Classical Music. It will feature LGBTQIA+ composers both past and present, as well as performers who identify with or provide allyship for the LGBTQIA+ community.
This year’s feature piece is George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F.
Featuring:
The Classical Pride Chamber Orchestra, The Unitarian Church of Charleston’s Chancel Choir,
The Palmetto Choral Collective, Vox Insolita
Books and Coffee:Sunday, May 24, 4:30pm at Ellie and Ray Setser's home.
Our chosen book is The NY Times Bestseller “Breath” by James Nestor. Please bring a snack to share.
Women's Book Group:Tuesday May 26, 6:00pm at the Charleston Main Library on Calhoun St.
This will be the last for this season, we will be reading and discussing "The Lion Women of Tehran" by Marjan Kamali. We will meet at the Main Library on Calhoun Street.
Minister's Book Club:Saturday, May 30, 10:00am in Lower Gage Hall
We will be discussing Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church by Kevin Sack.
Blessing box donations can be placed directly in the box, if there is room, or in the storage cabinet in the back storage area of Gage Hall (where the folding chairs are stored.) Throughout the week, staff will refill the box outside as space allows.
Join the Music Program! Now is the perfect time to get involved with our music program at UCC! The two primary ways to be involved are our Chancel Choir, which meets Wednesdays at 6:45pm, and our House Band which typically meets once a month. Professional training/experience not needed! For any questions, please reach out to our music director at ryan@charlestonuu.org
To share a significant life event (births, deaths, celebrations, transitions and other joys and sorrows) send to Marcia Castano at BookOfLife@CharlestonUU.org by Saturday evenings at 6:00 p.m. or write them in person on Sunday morning.
The physical book is kept at the front of the church near the pulpit.
Interested in joining our wonderful church community?
Click here to learn more about membership.
