Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia

Contact Administrator  () if you have questions.

Sunday Services begins at 11:00 a.m.   We will be live-streaming the service in addition to the in-person meeting.  See News Tab/Meeting Info (above) for connectivity details.  Sunday sermons are recorded and available from the Service Archives found on the Home Page.

Sunday Service Pre- and Post-Zooms
These provide an opportunity for those viewing the service to be together virtually starting at 10:30 am and continuing for approximately 30 minutes after the service ends.  The links to access these events can be found here or on the “Meeting Info” page which can be found under “News” above.

Sunday Services
In Person or live on YouTube

April 20, 2025  “Flower communion” by Rev. Stephen Robinson

11:00am Service Music:  Featuring singer-songwriter Deb Varn with Margaret Ward Knight

Forum Discussions
The UUCC Forum meets every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:45 in the Library.  We start with a brief catch-up and social time (about 15 minutes), so if you are a little late (15 min),  it’s OK.  Our topics are mostly about current items and issues. We have an email list where some suggested links are sent prior to the meeting -If you are on the Forum email list, please check your email for documents to read ahead of time.  If you would like to be included on the Forum email list,or have questions, contact Jeanette Walton (please text and include your name (803)466-0594).

April 20, 2025 The Effect of Media on Political Perceptions

Children and Youth Religious Exploration
See the Learning tab above for information about our Children and Youth Religious Explorations, or how to register.  The CYRE Calendar will tell you about the latest activities.

Extended Childcare on Sunday Mornings, April 6th, April 20th
Childcare for infants through elementary will be available from 9:30am-10:30am. Parents are invited to join the choir, volunteer in our kitchen, or enjoy a quiet moment in your own way. Please pick up your children at 10:30am; but, infants and toddlers may remain in the nursery. Questions? call/text Bethany at 803-873-7455

Social Action Activities
Our church keeps busy making a difference in our world.  Check out what we’re doing now here.

Music at UUCC

Chalice Voices Sings 1st and 3rd Sundays in April and May
Let’s Sing! Our choir, Chalice Voices, welcomes teen and adult singers of all experience levels. We will rehearse this spring on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month in March, April and May: 9:30-10:30 AM rehearsal and sing in the service.

Classical Piano Concert, Saturday, April 19, 11am, Sanctuary
Matthew Ganong’s next performance in his piano series will take place on Saturday, April 19, at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The program this month will feature Four Impromptus, Op. 90, by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1798 – 1828) and selections from Songs without Words by the German composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 – 1847). Admission free; donations welcome. A portion of the donations will benefit the UUCC. For further information, contact UUCC Music Director Anna Hamilton: .

UUCC Youth Choir Sings in the Service on April 20th
All UUCC Youth are invited to join in singing a special song for the April 20th Flower Communion/Earth Day Service! Please come to the Sanctuary at 10:20 AM on Sunday April 20th for a short rehearsal of this song that is on the way to becoming a UUCC classic! Check out the song here: Roots, Stem, Leaves, Flower

Chair Yoga, Friday, April 11, 3pm, Social Hall
Continuing weekly through May 30th
Bonnie Stronach will be offering a free chair yoga class for Members & Friends at the UUCC. The class will begin on April 11 from 3 to 4 PM, with this 8-week series ending May 30th. This is a gentle practice performed seated, using a chair for support, helpful for those with balance issues or those who have trouble getting up & down off the floor. Class will begin gently with an emphasis on being present in our body, sustaining a flowing breath, and warming up. It will progress to gentle yoga poses called asanas, and end with a relaxation called Yoga Nidra. A blanket or something warm is recommended. For those who choose to stand, you are invited to bring a mat.
Bonnie is a Kripalu certified instructor. Kripalu is located in Lenox, MA., and their curriculum includes Technique, Teaching Methodology, and Practicum for Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation; Yogic Philosophy, Anatomy and Physiology, and Professional Ethics. Before attending Kripalu, Bonnie taught under a Sivananda mentor and then opened her own studio where she taught group, individual, and restorative classes.
If there are any question, Bonnie can be reached at 207-465-3530.

Morning mUUsic, Monday, April 14 and 28, 10:00-10:30 AM
Every 2nd Monday of the month, 10:00-10:30 AM, 2701 Heyward St., Columbia SC
Join us for a free fun Music Play class for 0-5 year olds and their families every second Monday of the month at the UUCC, 10:00-10:30 AM. Bring a comfy blanket to sit on. We’ll sing, move, use our imaginations, and have fun making music together! Classes will be led by UUCC Music Director and Music Educator, Dr. Anna Hamilton. Questions? Contact: 

UUCC Youth Choir Sings in the Service on April 20th
All UUCC Youth are invited to join in singing a special song for the April 20th Flower Communion/Earth Day Service! Please come to the Sanctuary at 10:20 AM on Sunday April 20th for a short rehearsal of this song that is on the way to becoming a UUCC classic! Check out the song here: Roots, Stem, Leaves, Flower

For more information about choral events and scheduling, please contact Music Director Anna Hamilton to be added to the choral email list: 

Prism Sings in April (UUCC Treble Voices Choir)
Prism is a UUCC choral group for treble voices, welcoming female, femme, and non-binary adult and teen singers. We’ll resume rehearsals in April in the UUCC Sanctuary and sing in the April 27th Beltane service!
Rehearsals: Monday April 7 and 21, 6:30-7:30 PM
Service: Sunday April 27th, rehearse 9:30-10:30 AM

Vegan Potluck, Thursday, April 10, 6pm, Social Hall
The UUCC Animal Ministry will be hosting its next monthly Vegan Potluck on April 10th beginning at 6pm in the Social Hall for vegans, vegetarians, and people exploring a plant-based lifestyle. Everyone is invited to bring a vegan dish to share. Future meetups will take place on the second Thursday of each month. If you have any questions or would like ideas for items to bring, please contact Patty Drews, our Animal Ministry’s liaison for these events, at .

The Mountain LLC Easter Volunteer Stewardship Weekend 2025
Join the Mountain staff April 17 – 20 for the annual spring volunteer work weekend. This is a fun and gratifying weekend helping The Mountain get ready for another season with some much needed
projects done and cleanup after a long winter. There will be a wide variety of projects for all skillsets. We will be doing road and trail clearing, repairing of cabin decks, simple housekeeping, building some shelving/clothing racks for cabins, wood trim repairs etc. Or you can work in the kitchen to help feed us all! This is a great opportunity to meet new friends and learn new skills if you want.
Plus, you get to spend time at The Mountain!
When
Dates: April 17 – 20, 2025
Registration deadline: April 3, 2025
Each person must be registered. Lodging will be provided at no charge to all who work 6 hours a day
Registration fee is to cover cost of food
4 day / 3 night per person (ages 8-99): $75.00
3 day / 2 night per person (ages 8-99): $50.00
Children under age 8: Free

UUCC Women’s Lunch, Thursday, April 17, 11:30am, Social Hall
Ladies Lunch begins at 11:30am with a social hour and we eat at 12pm
The UUCC Women’s Lunch is held on the third Thursday of every month in the Social Hall. Please bring food or drink to share and let Joan Watterson ( or 803-381-7208) know if you have any questions. Also let us know if you would like a ride or are able to help clean up.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE and SHARE WITH OTHERS
O, DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING?
Saturday, April 26, 1pm, Social Hall
Join a frank, supportive conversation about helping our loved ones and ourselves face and move through the “4th Quarter of Life”.
A Saturday afternoon chat and workshop about death and dying will be held April 26, 2025, in the UUCC Social Hall from 1-3 p.m. Susan Robinson will discuss some options for Advanced Directives and Five Wishes for care at the end of life. Jane Lawther will share and walk us through a form for writing one’s own obituary.
Susan Robinson is a UUCC member, Gerontologist, and former Hospice Social Worker. Jane Lawther is a UUCC member and Counselor.

Mark Your Calendars for the 75th Anniversary Party!
Saturday May 3, 2025 at 4pm – 5pm: Gather, socialize, bar open (bar serving beer, wine and soft drinks) 5pm – Catered buffet dinner. There will be more information coming about a program.

Visitor Orientation, Sunday, May 4, After Service, Room 8
Are you a sometime visitor at UUCC and wondering about becoming a member? Are you curious about what it takes and how to do it? Come along and see a video about Unitarianism, receive a membership package and chat with members of the membership committee. Please contact the Membership Committee with any questions at 

Saturday May 10, 10am, Social Hall Save the Date, and Share With Friends and Neighbors Profiteering Off Secret Nuclear War Planning in South Carolina: Exposing the “Conspiracy Reality” of On-Going Planning for Full-Scale Nuclear War. Led by Tom Clements, Director, Savannah River Site Watch. The Department of Energy (DoE) Savannah River Site (SRS) located near Aiken, SC is a key element in the current nuclear arms race.
Learn details- history, boondoggles, and plans- that the media is NOT covering.
Learn about past and current legal victories.
Participate in a discussion on what we can do about it.

UUA Virtual Event: The Gathering – Rooted in Love, Rising for Justice
Monday, May 12, 8pm, Online
People of faith have always come together to resist injustice and build a better world. Now, it’s our time. Join The Gathering, a new monthly virtual event from Side With Love, to strengthen your spirit, understand the threats to democracy, and take meaningful action alongside others.
Join The Gathering: Second Monday of every month | Online | Register now

Women’s Book Club, Thursday, May 15, 3pm, Room 10
The new women’s book club meets at 3:00 PM in Room 10 on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Whether you are an avid reader or just getting started, please join us; everyone is welcome. Questions? Email .

SAVE THE DATES for upcoming Partner Church events:
July 16 – 23 Rev. Zsolt Solymosi and Beszterce congregant Katinka Fulop will visit Columbia.
Tentative plans include an all-church picnic on Saturday, July 19th. Zsolt and Stephen Robinson will conduct a service together on July 20.

BTW, Rev. Zsolt is bringing his 45 member youth choir on a “Dream Tour,” April 11-28 up the east coast from April 13 in Arlington, VA to Concord, MA. This is the John Sigismund Unitarian Academy Choir, performing mainly at UU churches. Rev. Zsolt is their Assistant Principal.

Our UUCC Pledge Drive in 2025
Your pledges make up the largest part of our annual income with plate collections, building rental, fundraising and investment income constituting about 10%.
Since our Pledge Drive kickoff on March 2, we have received 43% (about $98,000) of all member pledges. Our highest pledge year yet was in 2022/2023 when pledges of $199,436 covered much of our $208,111 in expenses that fiscal year. Last year we adopted a pledge budget of $230,000, more than a 9% increase over the previous year. The budget requests from committees for 2025/2026 currently stands at $318,973, a 38% increase over last year. The majority of the increased categories this year relate to personnel wages, with a proposed and much-deserved 2.5% increase in wages as well as increased wages in youth-related functions, a priority of UUCC.
We look forward to receiving your pledge cards so we can avoid budget cuts. We will update you weekly, then discuss the draft budget with you on April 27th following the service. The congregation will vote on the final budget on June 8th following the service.

Thank you for your gifts and pledges that make possible all the good work we do.

Joan Watterson: Text 803-381-7208
Emilio Jorge-Perez: Text 803-553-2212
Marleen Trader: Text 803-394-6666
Jeanette Walton: Text 803-466-0594

Follow UUCC Social Media for the Latest Updates!
UUCC now has their own social media accounts.  This is a great way to stay connected when we can’t be together.  Submit your posts to Emilia Gunning at .  Follow us: FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter