Update and Resources

January 23, 2026

"The people who sat in darkness

    have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

    light has dawned."

~ Matthew 4:15-16

Sunday Worship at 10:00 AM

Join us for worship this Sunday. You can always worship online via our live stream or anytime on our Kent UCC Video page. Click here to print the bulletin for an order of worship for those worshiping online.

Annual Meeting, THIS Sunday,

January 25, 2026

Our Annual Congregational Meeting is this Sunday immediately following worship. We are aware of the weather reports and will proceed with the meeting as planned. The Annual Report can be found here and the Agenda and previous congregational meeting minutes can be found here. All voting members of the congregation are encouraged to attend but all are welcome.

Prospective Member Orientation

Sunday, February 1 after worship

Are you sensing the Spirit’s invitation to a deeper relationship with God? Do you feel the Spirit nudging you to become more engaged in the gospel mission of the Kent UCC? Are you feeling a call to serve our community in the name of Christ? Would you like to make a bigger difference in the world? Are you praying for a vibrant community of faith for your children? Do you long to understand more about the Bible and Christian tradition? Are there questions you want answered, and yearn for a safe space and community of faith in which to ask them?

If you answered yes to any of these questions—or even if they simply piqued your interest—prayerfully consider joining us after worship on Sunday, February 1 after worship for our Prospective Member Orientation. 

Senior Minister Amy Gopp and the Welcome and Membership Committee are eager to meet with you and explore what it may mean for you to become a member of our congregation. We’ll meet in the chapel after the worship service. Childcare will be provided. We will receive new members in worship on Transfiguration Sunday, February 15. Our next orientation will be in May. Please let Pastor Amy or Eileen West know if you plan to attend.

SOUP-er Bowl Fundraiser

It's that time again! The Kent UCC United Youth Force (UYF) is taking orders for Soup-in-a-Jar - just in time for Soup-er Bowl Sunday! All proceeds support UYF's upcoming service trip to Denver, CO focused on Environmental Justice.  

We will take orders after service in the lobby this Sunday, Jan. 25 and next Sunday, Feb. 1, and soups will be available for pick-up on Feb. 8. You may also place your order here. Each jar is 16oz (4-5 servings), and are a suggested donation of $12.  

This year, we've added a 3rd soup choice - Chicken Noodle!  

UYF - SOUP-er Bowl Fundraiser:

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This classic soup is great for these cold winter days! Includes dried chopped onions, dried minced garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, sage, thyme, celery seed, chicken bouillon cube, and wide egg noodles.  

RED LENTIL SOUP  

A delicious Red lentil soup with 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion flakes, paprika, curry, turmeric, cumin, vegetable bullion, and joy. Soup add ons, celery, carrots, butter, coconut milk, and spinach

GREEN SPLIT PEA SOUP

A flavorful split pea soup with yellow and green split peas, onion powder, garlic powder thyme, black pepper, turmeric, vegetable bouillon, and love. If you'd like, add cooked ham at the end for classic split pea and ham soup.

Thank you for your support of UYF!  

Roundabout Information

Please click here for a current update on the roundabout being built near our church.

Social Justice Update

The Law and My Neighbor: 

Poverty in Plain Sight

Our Social Justice series continues with a timely program on Wednesday, February 11, 7 pm, Chapel, focusing on current issues affecting our financially vulnerable neighbors. Many of us know John Kennedy, former Portage County treasurer and an active NAACP member. He has recently been appointed executive director of the Community Action Council of Portage County. He’ll share his insights from his work in these roles. The Social Justice and Outreach Ministries are co-sponsoring this program.

UCC’s “Action Center”

Did you know that our denomination has an online action center through the UCC Justice & Peace Action Network?  You can learn more about pressing issues and contact your legislators easily to share your views. The current top issue is related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.

As faith community grounded in love, we grieve the killing of Renee Nicole Good and the abuses inflicted on immigrant communities in Minnesota and beyond. That is why, we are calling on Congress to 1) prevent increased funding for ICE, 2) to hold the officer who killed Renee Good legally accountable, and 3) to demand ICE leave Minnesota immediately.  



This is one example of a number of timely issues. Learn more at https://www.ucc.org/action-center/

Creation Justice Happenings

At a time when we seem consumed by travail, there is good news, signs of hope. In his recent book, Here Comes the Sun, Bill McKibben reports on all the places in the world where energy from the sun is being used to improve the health and well-being of earth’s inhabitants. He also notes that at this time, internationally, the cost of producing energy from the sun has dropped below the cost of producing fossil fuel. A good read. Secondly, our Kent UCC has joined FaCT, Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future as an Anchor church. The organization includes 45 faith communities in Ohio from Jewish, Protestant and Catholic backgrounds. The Mission of FACT is to “educate, inspire, advocate, and organize for a just transition to renewable energy sources, sustainable practices, and policies that address climate change.” One of the benefits of FaCT is that all of us can participate, via Zoom, in their distinguished speaker series. This Saturday, January 24 at 3 PM, Pastor Michael Mulberry will be speaking about the dangers of the 72 year old oil pipeline that runs under the Straits of Mackinac and endangers the waters of the great lakes. If you would like to attend this event via Zoom, just take a picture of the QR Code below and registration materials will appear.  

Host Coffee Hour

in the New Year

It's time to think about your New Year's Resolutions and Fellowship and Fun has the perfect idea: sign-up to host coffee hour! We need one or two volunteers each week to simply brew a pot of coffee or two, prepare some pitchers of cold water and perhaps bring a few snacks. Members of Fellowship are happy to coach you through it. The 2026 sign-up sheet is now posted on the bulletin board in VanMeter Hall.  

Kent Social Services

Volunteers Needed!

Over the summer, members of our congregation volunteered to help Kent Social Services. And the need for our help was quite obvious! During the summer, they lost their cook, and they have not yet replaced her. Marquice has been doing much of the work herself, counting on volunteers to fill in the gaps. So your Outreach ministry is hoping to extend our volunteering for the next several months. There is always something we can do there to help. We will continue with the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month working from 10-1 so that we can help to serve lunch. Sign up here to indicate when you can help. Thank you so much for your willingness to work in our community, share God’s love, and help those in need. Kent UCC shares its abundance. Please note the current needs for the food pantry below.

ACME Cash Back Program

It's that time of year again to submit your receipts for the ACME Community Cash Back program. Every year, participate in this special program that gives money to local non-profits. At the end of the program, we tally up the receipts we have collected, and we receive a portion of it back. Please submit your ACME receipts from August 1, 2025 through February 15, 2026. You can drop them in the baskets that are labeled around the church and in the church office. Thank you for participating!

Sign Up to Greet

Please sign up to be a Kent UCC Greeter. This is an easy but IMPORTANT job! Just come to church before the service at 9:35am, stand by the lower doors and welcome and greet people as they come in! It is so imperative to have a friendly face to welcome everyone as they come in to church. You are coming to church anyway so just come a little early and spread our Kent UCC extravagant hospitality to all who enter our doors. Click here to access the greeter sign up sheet! If you have any questions please contact Gayle Wall. 

Looking Ahead

• TOMORROW, Saturday, January 24 – Carol Horner Memorial Service, 11am in the Sanctuary

• Sunday, January 25 – Annual Congregational Meeting after worship

• Tuesday, January 27 – Administrative Board Meeting, 7pm in the Chapel

• Sunday, February 1 – Prospective Member Orientation, after worship in the Chapel; Resilient Hearts Support Group, 11:15am in the Lounge; “Mindful Me” program for children K-5, 11:15am in rooms 114-116

• Friday, February 6 – Cleveland Chamber Choir Concert, 7pm in the Sanctuary

• Sunday, February 8 – Scout Sunday and pancake breakfast after worship in VMH

• Wednesday, February 11 – “The Law and Our Neighbor: Community Action Council” Social Justice lecture series with John Kennedy, 7pm in the Chapel

• Thursday, February 12 – Dwelling in the Word Bible Study, 2pm in the Chapel

• Sunday, February 15 – Transfiguration and Have a Heart Sunday

• Wednesday, February 18 – Ash Wednesday service, 7pm in the Sanctuary 

This Week’s Sacred Text

Matthew 4:12-23

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

    on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles—

the people who sat in darkness

    have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

    light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.