Announcements

  • Our Whole Lives (OWL) 2026 – Program Announcement & Registration

    Our Whole Lives (OWL) 2026 – Program Announcement & Registration

    We are pleased to announce Our Whole Lives (OWL) sexuality education programs for Grades 4–12 beginning Winter 2026. This is the first year the Greater Cincinnati UU community is offering all three age-level OWL programs simultaneously, in partnership across multiple congregations.

    What Is OWL?
    OWL is a Unitarian Universalist lifespan sexuality education program grounded in respect, justice, and dignity. It offers inclusive, age-appropriate education on relationships, consent, communication, gender and sexual identity, values, and decision-making.

    Eligibility

    • Youth must be enrolled in the applicable grade level.
    • Families are affiliated with First UU, Heritage UU, Hopedale UU Community, Harmony UU, The Gathering at Northern Hills, or St. John’s UU Church.
    • Families from the broader community are eligible with a referral and/or meeting with a member of the OWL Planning Team.

    Winter 2026 Program Offerings

    All programs meet Sundays beginning January 2026, at 1:30 PM.

    • Grades 4–6 (Intermediate OWL)
      First Church, Room 207 | 1:30–3:00 PM
      Focus on values, body image, gender, puberty, peer pressure, and relationships. This age group includes more parent participation.
      Facilitators: Lois Gish, Phillip Schaefer, Chris Dendy, and A.J. Lewis
      Mandatory Parent/Child Orientation January, 11th 1:30-4:00 pm includes joint and separate parent/youth time, forms, and program expectations.
      Note: No class Jan 18 (MLK), Mar 29 (Spring Break), or Apr 5 (Easter/Passover). Closing Celebration: April 12, 2026
    • Grades 7–9 (Junior High OWL)
      St. John’s | 1:30–5:30 PM
      Focus on identity development, communication, puberty, and relationships.
      Facilitators: D. Steele, Trish Hart, Chad Falkin and Marie Inanli
      Mandatory Parent Orientation Wednesday, January, 7th 6:30-9:00 pm at Heritage UU Church, includes program overview and expectations and videos..
      Overnight at Hopedale: February 6–7, 2026

                Note: Youth start date is January 11th.

    • Grades 10–12 (Senior High OWL)
      Heritage | 1:30–4:30 PM
      Focus on consent, ethics, communication, and healthy relationships.
      Facilitators: Melissa Asman, Laura Knight and Laci  Lee Adams
      Mandatory Parent Orientation Wednesday, January, 7th 6:30-9:00 pm at Heritage UU Church, includes program overview and expectations and videos..
      Overnight at Hopedale: February 6–7, 2026

      Note: Youth start date is January 25th.

    Registration

    Deadline: Sunday, January 11th, 2026
    To be registered, families must:

    • Complete the Breeze form: https://huuc.breezechms.com/form/36931951395778
    • Attend Mandatory Parent Orientation.
    • Submit the emergency medical form (available at mandatory parent orientation).
    • Pay the registration fee. Sliding scale options are available. Fees are due January 11th.
      • $120 per youth for UU congregation members
      • $200 per youth for community participants

    For additional Information, please reach out to Laci Lee Adams at dlfdhuuc@gmail.com

  • Pride Youth Events

  • Native American Flute and Drum Circle

    Native American Flute and Drum Circle

    Heritage UU Church has done a number of things over the years to understand social justice in relation to the indigenous populations of the Americas. These have included worship services, book study groups, film viewings, and the development of a Heritage Universalist Unitarian Land Acknowledgement.

    A new group, the Native American Flute and Drum Circle, has formed to further our exploration. Meetings will be on the third Monday of the month at 1:30 p.m. starting August 18, 2025 in the Heritage Room. Heritage members and friends, from beginners to experienced players, are welcome.

    Bring your own instruments and plan to have fun. A limited supply of flutes, drums, and rattles will be available to participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

    For more information or to sign up, please contact Julie Lusk at:
    Julie@julielusk.com.

    Image Source: Flickr. Creative Commons License.

  • The Reset Button Awaits   

    The Reset Button Awaits   

    Dear Heritage Community,

    I’ve been thinking a lot about what a new beginning means. Summers give us a chance to pause, reflect, and sometimes hit a “reset button.” As I prepare to begin serving as your minister, I feel that reset moment approaching for us all—and I could not be more excited.

    This summer has been a liminal time for Heritage—an in-between space of both uncertainty and possibility. With Rev. Bill Gupton’s retirement, you have carried the work of the church with resilience and commitment. Despite challenges, you welcomed new voices, took on added responsibilities, and leaned on one another in faithful community.

    I am deeply grateful to Rev. Mitra and Rabbi Jonathon for their insights this summer, and to each of you who stepped forward in leadership during this transitional season.

    Our journey together begins in just a few days. For some, this will be a first introduction; for others, a joyful reintroduction. Either way, it marks the start of a new partnership in ministry—where we will listen, learn, and create together. The reset button awaits!

    On Sunday, September 7th at 10:30 a.m., we’ll celebrate with our Ingathering Service and Water Ceremony. I invite you to bring a small vial of water—from a lake, a creek, the ocean, or even your kitchen tap. As we pour these individual waters into one common chalice, we’ll create a powerful symbol of our shared journey—blending all our unique experiences into the vibrant future that lies ahead.

    I cannot wait to begin this journey with you.

    In Faith and in Community,
    Rev. Bill Lyon

  • Do you want to be a part of our Communications Strategy Team? 

    Do you want to be a part of our Communications Strategy Team? 

    In order to both improve and streamline efforts to serve the needs of our diverse and growing community, we will be working on an intentional and comprehensive communications strategy, centering that our communication matches our mission and who we hope to be as our best church self.  

    We hope to consider communication in a broad sense: how we communicate within and beyond the congregation, the preferred methods of communications by various demographic groups in the congregation, and even how those involved in the strategy communicate with one another.

    As the church is in this time of transition, this is an opportunity to reassess things, try new things, as well as to fix what may need attention all while retaining our strong community bonds. Rev. Bill Lyon will be a part of this work when he comes on in September, but we are organizing folks now to help.

    If you would like to participate in the development of our communication strategy or just want to share your ideas or concerns, please reach out to Jaime Castle: jaimecastleme@gmail.com.