Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

February 1^st

“Care a Little, Care a Lot”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Some days we can begin to feel obscured by the weight and size of the burdens we carry.  A sermon about the ways we care for each other, and about noticing the signs others give us that their burdens threaten to overwhelm them.

February 8^th

“Think Without Thinking”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Regardless of what her Buddhist friends told her, she still believed that “you can’t think without thinking of something.”  American poet Grace Paley died in 2007 at the age of eighty-four but before she left, she gave us the gift of her penetrating, playful, and profound words.

February 15^th  – Heritage Day

“Those Who Came Before”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

This Heritage Day, we’ll welcome a few special visitors and celebrate the many people whose presence in years past helped establish our church’s reputation and whose perseverance through tough times made this congregation what it is today. 

One special guest will be the Rev. Sylvia Falconer.  A graduate of Starr King Seminary, Sylvia was our minister from 1979 – 1983.  She was the church’s first woman minister, coming to Alton with her three children.  Her arrival ended a 10 year period when the church was without a permanent minister. 

February 22^nd

“Pledge Drive Kick-Off”

Rev. Brian Covell

Minister of Third Unitarian Church in Chicago.

Rev. Covell will join us this Sunday and help get our 2009 -2010 pledge drive off to a rousing start.   Brian is a dynamic preacher who is doing great work at his congregation and in our Central Midwest District of the UUA, and you won’t want to miss his strong message of hope.

Feb. 1^st – Non-Theist/Humanist Roundtable.

Feb. 8^th  – Evolution Sunday; a celebration of the 200^th Birthday of Charles Darwin.

Feb. 15^th  – LGBTQ Justice (topic to be announced).

Feb. 22^nd  – “Peacemaking” led by Dr. Ron Glossop.

NOW IS THE TIME!

We begin in February to formally kick off our Stewardship mission for 2009 -2010, however most of know we need to keep the spirit of commitment and sharing all year round.  The stewardship committee has been hard at work to develop a plan that we can all be proud of. We have named our process “Now is The Time,” to speak to the goal of everyone in this church that now is certainly the time to commit ourselves to grow spiritually and to become the prophetic voice in the Riverbend area. How do we accomplish our goals?; certainly through time and voluntary work by everyone but also supported monetarily by each one of us that is proud to say we are a member of First Unitarian in Alton. The pledge drive will begin on February 22^nd with a special guest in the pulpit; Rev. Brian Covell of Third Unitarian in Chicago. We will also recognize all those who volunteer their time and talents, and begin a four-part series of short talks by members of the congregation entitled “What this church means to me.” We will conclude four weeks later on March 21^st with a celebration dinner where you will receive your pledge cards and be encouraged to fill them out and hand them in. Over the preceding four weeks you will have heard and seen budget information so you can make an informed, thoughtful decision as to how much you can pledge. The celebration dinner will be recognition of each of our commitment to grow the church and to show that we are ready to move forward in to a future that is shaped by our prophetic faith. Now is the time to commit ourselves to each other, and to that future.

With Peace and Love, John Herndon

President, Board of Trustees

A First Glance

The Mission Statement of our church says, “The First Unitarian Church of Alton is a welcoming and inclusive faith community committed to nurturing lifelong spiritual growth and to inspiring lives of love and service which strive toward justice and compassion for our community, our neighbors, and our world.”

Words.  Good words, to be sure.  Inspiring and uplifting words, but still just words.  What’s so great about a few good, inspiring, uplifting words?

The right words can describe the truth as it is and help people name what they see in front of them.  Or the right words can evoke the truth as we hope it will be and inspire people to act to change what needs changing.  Conversely, the wrong words can lie, stifle, destroy, and disappoint.

And more than being simply right or wrong, words often require something more from us than is immediately obvious.  Words without conviction to back them up can be meaningless.  Words without action to embody them can be empty. 

Our church’s Mission Statement contains the right words for us at this time in our history.  This recent attempt to articulate what we’re all about offers a balance between the individual and the communal;  a balance between the private, inner life of the spirit and a public, outer life of justice-seeking;  a balance between the covenant we enter into with each other and the commitment we make together to serve the larger world.

This worshipping community has made great strides in taking concrete actions to address the suffering and the injustice in the world.  We have supported mission trips to the Gulf Coast, allied ourselves with interfaith organizations working for social change, shared our resources with local and national service providers, even fed the hungry in our own neighborhood.  We have tried to find ways to care for each other better and to deepen the relationships among us, and we’ve offered programs that seek to help nurture the inner, spiritual lives of members who desire such a thing.

Our voice is being heard:  the words we say together are being carried farther than we can know by our webpage, and the number of visitors we welcome each week remains high.  Our actions also are having an effect:  more and more people in our area have learned about who we are through the projects we’ve taken on.

This is a great congregation, and we are headed in the right directions.  Sure, we face challenges, but facing them together is so much better than facing them apart.

The next time you read our Mission Statement, I hope you’ll take the time to look for something in it that speaks to your deepest convictions, and while doing so, think about what words you’d use to tell someone what this congregation means to you.

And then go find someone and tell them.

See you in church,

Mark Your Calendars:

A Quick Guide to this Month’s Happenings

Community Women’s Drum Circle

Sunday, February 15^th from 6 to 8 pm. All women in the church are invited to come.  You may bring any kind of drum (even children’s plastic drums, maracas, any percussion instrument will do.)  No experience in drumming is necessary.   For further information contact Layne Simpson.

Treasury Note

Total  budgeted  income for December 2008 was $16,316.31; this was 11.8% of our annual budget.

Total budgeted expenses for December 2008 were $11,028.50; this was 8.0% of our annual budget.

This month’s surplus of $5,287.81 is very welcome.

Donations for extra child-care expenses have exceeded all expectations.  A total of $950 has been donated, so we appear to be set for the rest of this fiscal year.

On Christmas Eve, $342 was collected for the Minister’s Discretionary Fund.

In December we received $500 from the Charlotte Levis Trust Fund.  This money is usually given to the Endowment Committee for investing in our local Endowment Fund.  This year’s donation will be the last that the church will receive, because the terms of Mrs. Levis’s will now have been fulfilled.

I am pleased that our year-to-date expenses stand at about 51% of the total budgeted.  I realize that we have several months of heating bills ahead of us, but also that there are several non-seasonal items that are already paid up more than 50%.

RESULTS OF VOTE AT SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING

Two issues were presented at the semi-annual meeting on January 17^th that required a vote by the membership.

One was a proposed change to the church bylaws to reduce the number of trustees from 9 to 7.  The proposed bylaw was printed in the January newsletter giving members a chance to review the change prior to the semi-annual meeting. 

The vote at the meeting was unanimous to accept the change proposed by the church board.  The motion will take full effect in June 30, 2010.

The second vote was about the UUA’s proposed “Draft Statement of Conscience on Peacemaking.”  If approved by 25% of UU congregations it will be voted on at the General Assembly.  Following a discussion led by Dr. Ron Glossop, including commentary about suggested changes to the statement, the vote was 27 to 3 in favor of moving the Statement forward to the General Assembly.

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A Valentine Party and

Welcome Party for Newcomers

Everyone is invited to come celebrate Valentine's Day and our newcomers at the same time.  It will be on Valentine's Evening, February 14, 6:00 pm at the church.  Newcomers will be the guests of honor and not asked to bring anything but themselves. (Child care and children's activities will be available.)  Mentors of the newcomers are asked to bring a dish for the dinner. Brynda McCoy will be in contact with mentors to see that we have a balanced menu. Other established members and friends are asked to bring either a snack type food or a beverage.

Games, ballroom music, and other activities are being planned. It would be good if someone talented at decorating would volunteer for that. We'll also welcome help with the clean up after the party.

The idea is to get better acquainted with our new friends and members and to have a good time while we are at it.  Anyone with great party ideas is welcome to contact Brynda McCoy (not known for her party planning skills) or in person during coffee hour.

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CHURCH FUNDRAISER –

BRING A BOOK –

BUY A BOOK (or two or three or more)

We now have a book sale table set up in the Wuerker Room.  Bring your books that you no longer want and add them to the sale collection.  This will be an ongoing sale.  We’re selling hardback books for $1.00 and paperback books for 50 cents.  All kinds of books – fiction, non-fiction, children’s books – are welcome.  Once you buy a book you might want to read it and return it to be re-sold.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE PROJECT

Our congregation can now purchase delicious coffee while helping small-scale farmers in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the U.S. Through the project, farmers earn a fair price for their products, have access to affordable credit, and gain a long-term trading partner they can trust – a Fair Trade

Organization called Equal Exchange.  With our support, these communities invest in education, health care, and agricultural improvements. In addition, for each pound of coffee purchased by UU congregations through the project, Equal Exchange makes a contribution to UUSC programs that support the human rights and social justice work of community-based cooperatives in coffee growing regions.

Coffee will be available for purchase on the first Sunday of each month.  Whole bean, drip grind, regular, decaffeinated and flavored coffee will be available.  Fair Trade organic chocolate bars will be offered in February for your special valentines.  Buying these products benefits our church, also. Over $100 was made on December/January sales.

Look for Linda Van Zandt at the Equal Exchange table in the Kate Wuerker Room.

Please join us on Saturday, Feb. 7 for a day of working together to do some of the little jobs around the church.  We will have our quarterly Building and Grounds Workday from 9 am until 3 pm.  Come for all or part of the day.  We will be concentrating on indoor work like cleaning, painting, plumbing, and small repairs.  Contact Pat Moore if you have any questions.

Green Sky Sangha

The Buddhist Group meets in Emerson Place every Sunday at 6 pm and invites anyone interested in Buddhist forms of meditation to join them.

Dee Evans

POSTPONED

Walking – Yoga – Meditation

The WYM group has decided to not meet in January and February due to the cold weather.  The Group will start up again in March when Mother Nature can be more accommodating.  We will meet every Friday from 8 to 9:30 am, beginning on March 6^th.  Please contact Paula Tarbell for information.

All Men in the Church are Invited to the

Men’s Lunch Group

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet on Thursday, February 12^th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL.  Contact Nelson Shaner for further details.

Sandy Shaner is recuperating at home following knee surgery.
Cards and calls would be welcomed.

CRISIS FOOD CENTER DONATIONS

Winter is a difficult time for the many  who depend on the Alton Crisis Food Center, located on Alby St., a block away from our church.

You have been so generous during November and December with donations of over 200 food items and $200. The center will need our continued support this month.  Please remember your donations.

Jen Politsch

Join the Choir!

We’d like to expand the choir and we encourage all who enjoy singing to come to a rehearsal and see how much fun we have.  All voices and ages are welcome.  Rehearsals begin at 7 pm on Thursday evenings.

The choir will not meet on Sundays in February because the choir director will be helping teach middle school OWL (Our Whole Lives) classes at 1 pm at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood.  Children from our church, as well as from Emerson Chapel and Eliot Chapel will be attending the classes.

The choir will meet every Thursday night in February – Feb. 5, 12, 19 & 26.  The regular rehearsal schedule, alternating Sundays and Thursdays, will begin again after March 8^th

Contact Willis McCoy for further information.

Directory Update

Contact church office for this information or check a print version of the newsletter found at church.

Dave Kraus

Chris and Kristen O’Steen

RE MINDERS

Please stop by the RE Book Hutch for all of your Beacon Press and Skinner House Book needs.

Remember to bring in your empty ink jet printer cartridges for recycling.  They can be placed in the blue bin in the foyer.

The 1st Friday Youth Group meeting will be held on February 6.

The 2nd Sunday Youth Group meeting will be held after service on February 8.

CHALICE CIRCLES

Third Sunday Chalice Circle

February 15^th

11:45 am to 1 pm at church.

Contact Sandy Shaner Sandy Shaner.

This is a “general” chalice circle welcoming all.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Sunday, February 15^th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at church.   Contact: Diane Thompson Diane Thompson or Cheryle Tucker-Loewe.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

Saturday, February 21st –

2 to 4 pm.  

Contact Marcia Custer for more information.

Men's Chalice Circle

Tuesday, February 24^th – 7 pm at church.

Contact: Khleber Van Zandt.

February 22^nd

After church

Potluck Lunch

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

In an effort to be more conscious of the environment and to reduce the trash that our church might add to the ever growing area landfills, we are using the church’s china plates instead of disposable ones.

A-Mc will do Clean Up

M-Z will do Table Set Up

Everyone needs to help.  Please do your share in setting up and cleaning up.  Kitchen camaraderie helps you know someone better.

“4^th Saturday Lunch”

A Social Justice Venture

February 28^th is the date for our next “4^th Saturday Lunch” for those in need of a hot meal.  A signup sheet will be available so you can decide how you would like to help us with this lunch program.  Our guests seem to have enjoyed each of our past lunches and we encourage you to participate by bringing food and joining our guests for lunch.

If you have questions contact Mary Johnson mejohnson@mindspring.com

Anna Ds

(Anna Davenport Sparks Women’s Alliance)

All women in the church are invited to the February meeting of the Anna Ds on Thursday, February 5^th. We will meet at 11:30 am at the

Klingel House Tea Room and Restaurant http://www.klingelhouse.com  –

1801 North Main, Edwardsville, IL (near the intersection of Highway 143 and 159).

Ginger McCall is host for the lunch.  Please notify her by Monday, February 2^nd if you plan to attend.

Anna Ds Hosting schedule February – June, 2009

March 5 – Pat Moore – At restaurant.

April   2 – Audrey Wiseman – Place to be decided.

May   7 – Brynda McCoy – At restaurant.

June   4 – Lorna McElhone – At church – Book discussion of “A Mercy” by Toni Morrison.  Try to read the book ahead of time.

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 February – Mary Johnson

  3 February – William Loucks (1998)

  6 February – Nancy Brunner

  6 February – Kristen O’Steen

11 February – Gene Eaton

11 February – Chris Sutton

14 February – Yvonne McCall

17 February – Ron Glossop

23 February – Beth Bourland

28 February – Tom Allred

28 February – Rachel Berg

28 February – Max Sutton (1996)

Community

Outreach Offering

One-half of the cash collection and one-half of any undesignated checks put in the collection on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays are given away to charitable causes.  The entire amount of checks designated for a specific cause is donated to that cause. 

The money donated does not include pledge checks or money otherwise earmarked by the giver. 

From July through December 2008, the total amount given by the congregation to Community Outreach efforts was $2,475.00. 

The Community Outreach Offering in February will be given in support of our spring work week in Louisiana. It will assist congregational members who need financial support to be able to make the trip, and it will allow purchase of any needed equipment or supplies.   The remainder will go directly to the agency we work through, Southern Mutual Help Association

http://www.southernmutualhelp.org/.

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

Every month the Religious Education department undertakes a social action project.  At the beginning of the church year, it was only the middle school class working on these projects, but starting last November all kids in grades 1-8 have been working on them together. 

This year we have been tying the social action projects to the monthly theme of the Religious Education classes.  In September they passed out Guest at Your Table boxes for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.  In October they prepped the containers for the all-ages Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF project.  In November they sorted donated clothing to be shipped to impoverished Native American Reservations.  December had the fund raising Children’s Holiday Gift Shop and the Mitten Tree.  In January they cooked and served a vegetarian lunch to the congregation as a fund raiser for a Hindu charity.

This month’s project will require help from all of you.  We will be collecting donations of clothing to be given to the Reform Jewish Congregation of St. Louis.  The Congregation is located on the corner of Waterman and Kingshighway, and is right across the street from the 1^st Unitarian Church of St. Louis.  They are in a very urban area with a lot of poverty.  The Reform Congregation runs a free store for people in the area.  Anyone can come in and “shop” in the store.  They can take anything that they may need free of charge. 

Donations may be brought in during the month of February and placed in the Religious Education Office downstairs.  Gently used clothing and shoes for adults and children will be accepted.  Please take this time to look in your closets and drawers.  This is a great opportunity for us to help those in need.

Thank You.  Jamie Gross, DRE