The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia

Kelli Danaker is UUCC’s Religious Education Assistant, and this past Sunday, she designed, led, and performed in our spring music service titled “Essential Labor.” In the days leading up to the service, Kelli spoke with Sara about the inspiration behind the service and why it was important for UUCC to dedicate a service to considering the rights of blue collar workers to live and work in dignity. Kelli also chats with Sara about the process and experience of leading a worship service and her journey in singing.

Cradlerock Children’s Center located in the Owen Brown Interfaith Center is one of UUCC’s closest community partners. The non-profit preschool and daycare began many years ago as a ministry of UUCC, and Amanda Ayoola-Morton, Cradlerock’s Executive Director, continues to view the center as an extension of UUCC’s vision and an expression of the congregation’s values. Cradlerock Children’s Center is founded on a commitment to developing the social and emotional well-being of children and making quality childcare affordable for all families. Today, Amanda talks with Sara about her journey to Cradlerock, her love for the center, and the culture she strives to cultivate among the parents and teachers of Cradlerock. 

Content warning: domestic violence

Phil Webster and Mary Rodgers have been at UUCC since 1994. They thought they’d raise their kids in the congregation then move on. Instead, Phil and Mary have devoted 27 years—and counting!—to serve the UUCC community in a myriad of capacities. These days, they lead UUCC’s Environmental Justice team, and Phil serves as the Climate Task Force chair for the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland where he mobilizes UUs across the state to advocate for climate-friendly legislation in Annapolis. Today, Phil talks to Sara about his many years of service and how “the more you put into something like UUCC, the more you get back from it.” 

Organizations Phil mentions in the conversation

UUCC Environmental Justice Team

Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland (UULM-MD)

Maryland Legislative Coalition

Central Maryland Transit Alliance

Citizens Concerned for the Environment

This year, we’ve missed being in the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, the building UUCC operates out of during non-pandemic times. It’s so much more than just a building, though. The Owen Brown Interfaith Center represents gathering and connection, and is the site of countless memories and life transformations. OBIC, as we fondly call it, is an anchor in Columbia that brings together multiple faith communities under the same roof, united under a common vision for a more equitable and inclusive world. 

Today, we take a peek behind the curtain of OBIC and get to know Monica Hilliard, OBIC’s Assistant Building Manager. Monica, along with the rest of her wonderful team, keeps things running at the interfaith center around the clock. What happens at OBIC during the hours when UUCC isn’t there? A whole lot, it turns out. Sara also asks Monica a series of fun get-to-know-you questions, so don’t be a stranger the next time you run into Monica at OBIC!

Longtime UUCC members Gail Thompson-Guy and John Guy know a few things about congregational crisis and recovery. As Gail observes, “It’s hard to take a large group of people and get them to pull together all the time.” Years ago, in response to a period of financial uncertainty, Gail & John led the charge to establish UUCC’s endowment fund as a way of declaring that “we are a congregation in perpetuity. We have a past, a present, and we’re going to keep working so we have a future.” 

Tune into today’s episode to learn more about UUCC’s endowment fund, what keeps Gail & John hopeful for the future of the congregation, and their favorite memories from their decades of service to this community.

The love and lives of UUCC members Gail Thompson-Guy and John Guy are testaments to the ways community supports, sustains, and sparks new chapters for us. In this episode, they chat with Sara about how they discovered Unitarian Universalism and UUCC and share their thoughts about giving and pledging as UUs. These lovebirds also tell the story of how they fell in love at UUCC. As John recalls, “I started chasing her, and one day, I managed to get a kiss out of her. And I went home the happiest I’ve been in ages.”

It was bound to happen: We’ve reached the final installment of our conversation with UUCC’s beloved former Assistant Minister Rev. Anthony Jenkins, who is now serving as a military chaplain in Texas. 

In today’s episode, Rev. Anthony answers your questions about spiritual themes emerging in his life and how soldiers are processing January’s Capitol insurrection. We close with Rev. Anthony’s thoughts on truth and how to listen for it. 

This is the third of three episodes in which Rev. Anthony answers questions submitted by UUCC members. Check out parts 1 and 2 in your favorite podcast feed, and be sure to subscribe and review us while you're there!

Former Assistant Minister Rev. Anthony Jenkins continues his conversation with Sara! Today, Rev. Anthony answers your questions about how his family is doing, his work as an Air Force chaplain on an Army base, music he’s listening to these days, and what he learned during his time with us at UUCC.

This is the second of three episodes in which Rev. Anthony answers questions submitted by UUCC members. Check out part 1 in your favorite podcast feed, and be sure to subscribe and review us while you're there!

UUCC’s beloved former Assistant Minister Rev. Anthony Jenkins moved to Texas last fall to become a military chaplain. Today, Rev. Anthony answers YOUR questions about life in Texas and gives us an update on how his family fared in last month’s snow storm and ensuing crisis.

This is the first of three episodes in which Rev. Anthony answers questions submitted by UUCC members.

Margaret Hegmann helps lead UUCC’s efforts to address food insecurity in our local community, where 1 in 4 children live in households with food insecurity. Most people first think of our brightly-colored Little Free Pantry when they think of UUCC’s food insecurity ministry. While the Little Free Pantry may be the most visible part of its work, the food insecurity team has been working for over 20 years on initiatives throughout Howard County to address this problem. Margaret and Sara discuss a few of those initiatives, what it takes to keep the Little Free Pantry stocked for our neighbors, how volunteering in this capacity has expanded Margaret’s understanding of the world as it is, and how YOU can help today!

Donate to the Little Free Pantry