Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

January 3, 2010  Epiphany

“New Year’s Housecleaning”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

The New Year is already in progress, but many of us still carry the burden of baggage we dragged with us from last year.  In this housecleaning ritual, you’ll be invited to lighten your load by letting go of all that unnecessary psychic luggage you’re hauling around.

January 10, 2010

“Fundamentaludicrous”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

The title of comedian Bill Maher’s movie, Religulous, merges the words ‘religious’ and ‘ridiculous.’  While he has many of his facts straight, his conclusions in the film are those of an extreme fundamentalist and equally as ludicrous as the ideas of the people he uses as comic foils.

January 17, 2010 –- MLK Day

“Properly Maladjusted”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

“There are some things in our social system to which all of us ought to be maladjusted,” said the Rev. Dr. King.  In our commitment to the Decade of Racial Reconciliation in Alton, we address ourselves to the legacy of racism in our area, one of those things to which we should be properly maladjusted.

January 24, 2010

Title To Be Announced

January 31, 2010

“Re-thinking Re-sources”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

The church is a business and must practice fiscal responsibility.  But it is not only a business:  it is a liberating community with a distinct mission in the world.  Perhaps we need to re-consider all our re-sources, including the Endowment Fund, through the lens of a missional imagination.

History in the Making!

Members vote to have two services on Sundays.

The members of the First Unitarian Church of Alton made an important decision at the Semi-Annual Meeting on December 13, 2009.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, the congregation had been asked to share their ideas about the possibility of having two services on Sundays.  The potential need to move to two services was predicated on two factors - an ever growing number of people attending services to the point of overcrowding; and the need to encourage this growth by continuing to being able to welcome people into this faith community as together we nurture spiritual growth, inspire lives of love, and work toward for justice and compassion.

After much discussion of the question, the vote was taken on the motion that “The congregation approve a second service at a time and manner to determined by the Board and the 2nd Service Committee.”  The vote was almost unanimous in favor of going to two services.

The congregation will be kept up-to-date regarding the discussions about and progress towards moving to two services.

 “Who does what?” is a deceptively short question with deep implications for the life of any grouping of people - at work, in government, in our families, and in our church community as well.  As you may already know, the Board has recently instituted a process of renegotiating the roles and responsibilities of the minister.  This “R&R” process, which began last year, will continue into the New Year and eventually include discussions with the congregation on matters concerning the governance of the church.  The bottom line is that we need more clarity about how things should get done and who has what responsibilities.  Such a clarifying process is a necessity as both congregation and minister grow and change.

My friend and colleague Ian Evison, from the Central Midwest District office, shared a list of questions with me recently and I thought a few of them provocative enough to pass along to you.  You’ll notice they are phrased in a ‘yes/no’ format, which is intended to invite us to think beyond the wishy-washiness of our usual “Oh, we’ll all share that responsibility.”  Ian believes that congregations may choose a lack of clarity as preferable to clear definition;  however, he says, such a lack of clarity can accumulate in a congregation and make it very frustrating to get anything done.  Therefore, some questions for your thoughtful consideration:

–    In terms of staff, should the minister take a lead role in the hiring and firing of paid staff?  And should the minister supervise the other paid staff of the congregation?

–    In terms of lay leadership, should the minister take a role in guiding the work of the Nominating Committee in identifying potential leaders?  And should the minister take a lead role in determining which committees, teams, or task forces are most effective in achieving the congregation’s mission, including on occasion recommending forming new ones or dissolving old ones?

–    Should the minister be held accountable for how well the congregation achieves its mission?  And should the minister have wide discretion, within the framework of policies set by the Board, in guiding the congregation in the best way of achieving its mission?

– Should the minister set the vision for the congregation?  Should the minister be understood as, in effect if not in name, the CEO of the congregation?  Should the Board supervise the minister?

Our long tradition of congregational polity dictates that power derives from the pews rather than from the pulpit or hierarchy of the church.  That means you, the church member, have a role in ultimately deciding how we answer the questions we’ll need to address as the church faces the New Year.  Those answers need not be ‘either/or,’ but it is important that we be clear and not allow ourselves the evasion of saying “Let’s just share everything.” 

As a church member, I hope you’ll accept this responsibility with the gravity and gusto it deserves.

The Happiest of New Years to you and yours,

And see you in church,

Most people enjoy getting a card or email or phone call on their birthday.

  Below is the list we have of church members and friends celebrating birthdays this month.  If you don’t think the church office has your birthday on file, please contact Becky Green (church@firstuualton.org) and give her that information.

  2 January – Alex Gross

  3 January – Lisa Smithe

  7 January – Drew Partain (1999)

11 January – Glenn Brunner

12 January – Meredith Nalick

16 January – Jane Russo (1998)

19 January – Javion Herndon (2007)

21 January – Rowan Elizabeth Dothager (2002)

25 January – Caleb Tucker-Loewe (2000)

25 January – Erin Herndon (1992)

25 January – Tom Kinsella

25 January – Jennifer Timpe

30 January – Deb McNaughton

Crisis Food Center

Donations of non-perishable food (or cash) are always needed.  Buy some extra canned goods during your weekly shopping to add to the donation basket located in the RE foyer.

Jen Politsch

All these new members are included in the new church Directory.  Make sure you pick up your Directory at church so you have a current list of members and friends.

Amanda (Mandy) Beneze

Don Ingram

Marty Moore Johnson

John Morgan

Patrick Murphy

Susan Schnirring

Jennifer Timpe

UU COFFEE HOUSE

Saturday, January 9^th

7:00 pm - ???

Open Mic – come to listen and/or to perform.

Dick Blanton and Janice Joiner are making plans.    They've "booked" Khleber and will be scouting for other singers, players, readers, dancers, story tellers & comics to round out the evening.  Child care will be provided as needed.   "I've paid real money and not been as nearly as well entertained as I was at the inaugural coffee house in October.  What incredible talent we have at First Unitarian," says Janice.  Don't miss it.

A New Social Justice Initiative Needs You!

We are hoping to start a homework help/mentoring program for kids who are homeless.  There are about 16 children living at the Stratford Hotel plus others at the Salvation Army Shelter and Oasis Women’s Center.  These places are all within two or three blocks of our church.

We will be working with the Alton School District to set up a program where children would come to the church one evening a week and volunteers would spend time with them – helping with homework, reading to them, playing with them, providing attention and support. 

The School District has an in-school mentoring program, but the children we’re serving might need a different approach and the District is happy to help us work through what would be best for the kids and our congregational volunteers.

After church on Sunday, January 10^th, Marybeth Gras, from the Alton School District Mentoring Program will be at church to talk to all who are interested in helping work with kids who are our neighbors and part of our community.  If you think that working with homeless kids is something you might want to do, please make time in your Sunday schedule to attend this meeting.

Let Mary Johnson know if you are interested in this proposed new Social Justice program.

Potluck Lunch

January 24^th

Bring a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and fellowship!  Please bring a dish that serves at least 6 to 8 people. 

A-Mc will do Table Set Up

M-Z will do Clean Up

PLEASE PLAN TO TAKE TIME TO DO YOUR SHARE IN SETTING UP AND CLEANING UP.

Treasury Note

Total budgeted income for November 2009 was $14,038.18; this was 10.2% of our annual budget.  Total budgeted expenses for November 2009 were $9,475.34; this was 6.9% of our annual budget.

November’s income was quite a bit larger than that of the previous month’s, and I think that this shows that the payment of pledges is a somewhat random affair. I would prefer that it be more regular because our expenses occur on a regular basis, but I believe that might take a lot of persuasion.

One step that I would recommend for people who have difficulty remembering how much they have paid on their pledge is to sign up for automatic deductions from their checking account. I have forms that members can fill out and after providing me with a voided check; then I can set them up for automatic monthly deductions.

Another way to support the church (if you do your shopping at Schnucks Markets) is to sign up for eScrip. You get a plastic card that you present to the cashier when you pay for your groceries -- and Schnucks will contribute from 1% to 3% of the amount of your purchases to the church. You can get your eScrip card at any Schnucks store, or I have a few that I can give out.

Jerry Johnson, Treasurer

Our sympathy goes to the family of Bud Hotson who died Thursday, November 26, 2009.

Bud was a friend of the church for several years and was the former husband of church member Peg Flach.  He is survived by two children, Laura White and BJ Hotson, and two granddaughters, Audrey and Abigail White.

Interest Group Gatherings

Green Sky Sangha

The Green Sky Sangha meets every Wednesday at 7 pm and invites anyone interested in meditation to join them. No prior knowledge of meditation is required.  The group practices various forms of meditation and discusses ideas related to Buddhism.   

Dee Evans

Spiral Scouts 

The next Spiral Scouts meeting will be on Sunday, January 3^rd at 1 pm at the church.

The Spiral Scouts is an all inclusive scouting experience for children and parents of all genders. The program begins with ages 3 - 8 with fireflies and continues to Spiral Scouts ages 9 - 13. We will all meet together and split in to age appropriate groups.

For more information go to the Spiral Scouts website, or contact Sayer Johnson or Jason Dothager .

Anna D Sparks Women’s Alliance (Anna Ds)

The Anna Ds will have their monthly lunch meeting on Thursday, January 7^th at 11:30 am at Taylor Made Treats and Tea Room.  The Tea Room is located in the historical Mineral Springs Mall in downtown Alton – 301 E. Broadway.   RSVP by Monday, January 4^th to Mary Johnson. .

Men’s Lunch Group

All the men in the church are invited to attend.

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet on Thursday, January 14^th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL. Contact Nelson Shaner for further details .

January’s 4^th Saturday Lunch will be on January 23^rd and will be hosted by members of the Church Program Council.

Our lunch buffet line opens at 12 noon.  We ask that if you are bringing food that you arrive at least by 11:45 am.  Set-up help is welcome anytime after 10:30 am and cleanup help is always needed after lunch is over.

You are also welcome, and encouraged, to stay and have lunch with our guests.

If you are interested in helping to plan and organizing one of these monthly lunches please get in touch with Kathryn Chapman, the new Saturday Lunch Coordinator.

Dr. William C. Shaw Lecture

Arts and Issues Series

Meridian Ballroom at SIUE

February 17, 2010 – 7:30 p.m.

GUEST SPEAKER

Dr. Steve Squyres

“Will” Shaw came to this area in 1959 as an enthusiastic Unitarian and taught physics for the fledgling University.  He was an active member of our church up until his death in 1977.  He and Ruth were married in here in 1962, and Ruth Shaw remains active in knowing what is happening at church although she is unable to attend often.  Ruth says that Shaw family members come from all over the U.S. to attend the periodic Shaw Lectures.  This year a granddaughter and two great-grandsons will hopefully attend.

Ruth has arranged for free tickets for members of the congregation who wish to attend.
If you want tickets contact:    Mary Johnson before JANUARY 15^th or after FEBRUARY 1^st.    Tickets will be given out on a “first come” basis.

SHAW LECTURE GUEST SPEAKER

Dr. Steven W. Squyres

Cornell University

“Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity,
and the Exploration of the Red Planet”

Dr. Squyres is best known as the face and voice of NASA’s mission to Mars and the pioneering drive across its surface by two high-tech robotic rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.  He is the man responsible for taking us to the Red Planet and igniting a new firestorm of interest in space exploration.  He will discuss the risks taken, the mistakes made, and how success was ultimately achieved.

Church History Update - 2009

To get a copy of the recent update to our church’s history you may either download it (28 pages) free from the church’s homepage http://www.firstuualton.org or call the church office and purchase a copy for $5.00.  This update covers what was happening in the church from the 1960s to the current year.   It was compiled and written by Grace Madison, David and Audrey Wiseman, and Midge Hallett, with proofreading done by Janice Joiner.

ATTENTION WOMEN AGES 25+ WHO ARE CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION OR RETURNING TO SCHOOL AND WHO ARE MEMBERS OF AN AREA UU CHURCH OR FELLOWSHIP

The First Unitarian Church of St. Louis

Announces their 21^st Annual Scholarship Competition for the Academic Year 2010-2011.

The applicant must be a registered student, carrying at least 6 hours of academic credit each term and aiming for a degree or full certification.  The award this year will be $2,500, paid in two installments.

For an application packet email the church office office@firstuustlouis.org

Deadline for completed applications is April 30, 2010.

January RE Program News & Notes

January’s RE Theme:  Yearn to Learn!

We continue our year-long focus on the seven Unitarian Universalist Principles, with an additional emphasis on exploring and learning new things:

·    3-Jan-10—Children’s Chapel—Sarah Drury-Dothager leads our service; Spirit Play kids attend Children’s Chapel for the first 15 min or so and then return to their classroom

·    10-Jan-10—structured learning curriculum

·    17-Jan-10—structured learning curriculum

·    24-Jan-10—structured learning curriculum

·    31-Jan-10—Spirit Play and First through Third grades have “Show and Tell!”; 4-6^th graders have structured learning curriculum (and maybe a special visitor)

Changing Curriculums

For the spring semester, we are changing some curriculum and the age groupings of our classrooms (sixth joins 4^th and 5^th; 8^th grade joins Youth Group)

1^st through 3^rd Grade—We Believe—Learning & Living UU Principles.  This curriculum teaches the seven UU principles to young children through activities, stories, and worship materials.

Fourth through Sixth Grades—Spirit of Adventure—is an active Unitarian Universalist identity curriculum for children using the themes of sports, medicine, food, science, building, exploring, and the web of life as ways to discover the people and values of our Unitarian Universalist faith.

Youth Group

8th-12th Grades—we are excited to offer a more robust Youth Program conducted by Cathy Tade and Paula Tarbell, Youth Advisors.  This group will begin to meet on Sunday mornings beginning January 10^th.  The Youth Group meets for fellowship, food, and fun.  We will discuss our lives, our place in the world, and approach social justice issues from the young, liberal religious perspective.  

Junior High Metro-Area Mini-Con

First Unitarian Church, St. Louis will host a five-church Con for junior high age youth; participating churches include Alton, 1^st U St. Louis, Eliot, Emerson, and Carbondale.

The idea is to have a Friday night overnight, a social justice project on Saturday, some fun/community time, and then everyone goes home on Saturday evening.   The date is February 26-27.   The total registration fee per person will be $35 (this will include Friday night light dinner and snacks, Saturday Breakfast and lunch, and admission to the City Museum).   For complete information and registration, contact Steven Mead.

Volunteer Teachers Sought!

If you want to be involved in something important, want to meet people like yourself (or not like yourself!), want to make a difference, and want to feel connected, then consider teaching in our RE program.  The only miracle that makes our program work is the commitment of our community members to raise our children to become people.  We will do our best to assure that you know clearly what is expected of you, the level and duration of commitment necessary, and what resources will be available to you.

You may find, as many have before you, that the greatest change in the classroom is not that of the student, but that of the teacher.  Teaching can deepen your understanding, develop your own spiritual authenticity, and satisfy your need to give back to this very special place.

Right now, we are seeking seven teachers.  Our hope is to have 3-4 teachers on each grade level “teaching team” so that teachers can occasionally “take a Sunday off” and rotate into the worship service.  We have (3) openings for Pre-K/K; (2) for 1^st-3^rd; and (2) for 4^th-6^th.  Contact Steven Mead or any member of the RE Committee.  We will conduct teacher and parent orientation in January—look for the date.

Volunteer sought to inventory and create a database of our RE books—work at your own pace—data entry into MS Excel.  Interested?  Contact Steven Mead.

Reminder:  Enroll Your Child in RE

If your child is regularly attending the nursery or the RE program, please register them if you have not done so already.  We need to keep an accurate count of the program size for short and long term planning purposes.  See Steven Mead. 

Program Attendance Enrolled Children:  56+; Average Sunday attendance:  30-40

Steven Mead, Acting RE Administrator

steven.mead1776@gmail.com

“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.”—Mohandas Gandhi  

CHALICE CIRCLES

UU Pagan Chalice Circle

Friday, January 8^th at church – 6 to 8 pm

Contact Kristen O’Steen.

Newcomers Chalice Circle

Monday, January 11^th at church – 7 to 8:30 pm.

Contact Joe Weaver or Kathryn Chapman.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

Saturday, January 16^th at church – 2 to 4 pm.

Contact Marcia Custer.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle Sunday, January 17^th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at church.

Contact Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson

Covenant Group Chalice Circle

Thursday, January 21^st  – 7 pm at the home of Jan and Don Allen in Belleville.

Contact Don or Jan.

Men's Chalice Circle

Tuesday, January 26^th – 7 p.m. at church

Contact Khleber Van Zandt.

CHOIR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

The choir rehearses on the first three Thursdays of each month from 7 to 8:30 pm.

January’s rehearsals are on January 7^th, January 14^th, and January 21^st.

We always welcome new voices!   Come to a rehearsal to see what it’s like.   For more info. contact Willis McCoy.

Our Church’s “Founding Father”

Dr. William Samuel Emerson (1801-1837)

In a history written about our church in 1936 it was stated that Dr. William Emerson, a physician who came to this frontier town in the early 1830s, was the brother of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Unitarian preacher, essayist, philosopher, and poet. 

Dr. Emerson offered his office as a gathering place for Unitarian services and was instrumental in calling our first minister, Rev. Charles Andrew Farley, who arrived in late fall of 1836.

The story of Dr. Emerson and Ralph Waldo Emerson being brothers has been perpetuated through various accounts of our church’s history, including newspaper clippings.  However, no documentation was ever found proving this relationship. 

A couple years ago, when we started referring to the church meeting room formerly called “The Place,” as “Emerson Place” in honor of our “founding father,” it was thought that we should try again to find out more about who he was. 

From various sources I found that Ralph Waldo Emerson indeed had a brother named William, but that man was a lawyer in New York – not a physician in Alton.  I could not find a direct genealogical line between RWE and Dr. Emerson and could not determine their relationship, other than to state that they definitely were not brothers. 

In the Madison County Historical Library Ginger McCall found a citation to Dr. Emerson’s obituary published in the Alton Telegraph and a fascinating letter written in 1832 by Dr. Emerson’s wife Olive, back to her brother in Kennebunk, Maine sharing details of her life in Alton and indicating that she may have had significant a influence on Dr. Emerson’s wanting to start a Unitarian church in Alton.  [More about the letter in the next newsletter.]

Dr. Emerson’s obituary in the Alton Telegraph was a short one, just mentioning that he was a well respected physician who had died after a long and painful illness, and stating that he left a widow and children.  There was no mention of other family connections, or even where he was buried. 

Time passed and I decided to start searching again.  In the last few months new historical/genealogical resources have been digitized and uploaded onto the internet.  One book in particular, “Beside Old Hearth-Stones” had a chapter entitled the Four Emersons – Patriot Preachers of the Revolution.  It mentioned in some detail about three brothers and a cousin all who were preachers (Unitarian) and influential supporters of the revolution. It stated that the brothers’ sister Hannah married the cousin.  Here was my link – Hannah Emerson married Daniel Emerson, keeping the Emerson name.

There was also another new digitized source The Ipswich Emersons, tracing the descendants of a Thomas Emerson from Ipswich, Massachusetts from 1636 – 1900.  Using these two sources as well as the database ancestory.com I was able to put together the family trees of Dr. William Emerson and Ralph Waldo Emerson – they shared the same great-grandparents, Joseph and Mary Emerson – making the men second cousins.

It goes like this:

Rev. Joseph (1700-1767) and Mary Moody Emerson  (1702-1779) had 13 children, including Hannah  and William [I].

Hannah (1722-1812) married her cousin Rev. Daniel Emerson (1716-1801).  Hannah and Daniel had 13 children, including Samuel Emerson.

Samuel Emerson (1764-1851) became a physician and married Olive Barrell (1768-1844).  Their children included Dr. William Samuel Emerson (1801-1837) – our “founding father.”

Our Dr. Emerson was born in Kennebunk ME and received an A.B. from Harvard in 1823 and his M.D. from Bowdoin College & Medical School of Maine in 1827.  He married Olive Leighton Bourne (1805-1894) in 1828, and they had their first son, Lincoln Flectcher in 1829.  They must have moved to Alton soon thereafter as Dr. Emerson was listed as “the first practicing physician in Alton” by 1831.  Their second son, William Ralph Emerson was born in Alton in 1833; and a third son, George was born in 1835 and died in 1836.  Dr. Emerson died in Alton on September 28, 1937 at the age of 36.  This was just a few weeks prior to the mob murder of Elijah Lovejoy. Dr. Emerson’s wife Olive moved back to Kennebunk and remarried some time later into a prominent Unitarian Kennebunk family.

Back to Hannah Emerson’s brother William [I] (1743-1776).  He became a minister like his father Joseph and married Phebe Bliss (1741-1829).  They had a son, also named William [II].  This son became minister of the First Church (Unitarian) in Boston.  He married Ruth Haskins (1768-1853) and one of their children was Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882).

Community

Outreach Offering

November’s Community Outreach Offering of $286.00 went to support the Alton Boys & Girls Club.

 January’s Community Outreach Offering, as well as the Guest at Your Table collection, will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.  The UUSC is a nonsectarian organization that advances human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world. The UUSC envisions a world free from oppression and injustice, where all can realize their full human rights. UUSC is an associate member of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), but receives no general financial support from the UUA. Neither does it receive funding from federal or state governments or institutions, ensuring an independent voice.

UUSC’s focus areas are: civil liberties, economic justice, environmental justice, rights in humanitarian crises.  To learn more about the UUSC go to http://www.uusc.org.