March 4, 2012

Speaker and Title To Be Announced

Wednesday, March 7, 2012 – 12 noon

College Avenue Presbyterian Church in Alton

A Community Lenten Service and Luncheon

“Caravan of Despair”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

The 13^th-century Persian poet, philosopher, and mystic known as Rumi knew deep despair in his life:  for one thing, his friend was murdered by Rumi’s own son.  Still, he knew God as the act of welcome, saying, “Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times, Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are.”

March 11, 2012 – Daylight Savings begins!

“Where Y’all Headed?”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

In David Olney’s song, “Jerusalem Tomorrow,” the protagonist attaches himself to a roving band of Palestinian miscreants, saying he guesses that “not too much can go wrong.”  Listening to the story today, we know they’ll end up having a bad week in Jerusalem.  But what about us:  do you know what we’re headed for down our road less traveled?

March 18, 2012

“Everywhere, Rocks”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Remember when the Hebrews were wandering thirsty in the desert and God told Moses to strike a stone to get water?  It’s only a story, of course, but maybe it will help shed light on the beliefs of our Universalist forebears and on the new universalists out there in our culture.

March 25, 2012

“The Good Life”

Rev. Terry Davis

In the St. Louis morning paper, Celebrity Reporter Robin Leach beckons from a full-page ad for us to sell our gold jewelry for cash and join him in a “taste of the good life.”  Of course, we’re not fooled.  But what do we really want when we think about the good life?  What does our faith tradition have to say about such a pursuit?  Rev. Terry Davis explores wisdom from Unitarian Universalists and others who seek to live lives that honor body, mind, and spirit.

Rev. Terry Davis serves as Minister of Pastoral Care at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, Missouri.

9:30 am – in Emerson Place

Spirit of Life classes seek to bring meaning, beauty, inclusivity, and growth to Unitarian Universalist adults as they deepen their spiritual awareness and connections.

A First Glance

“Sacrifice,” she said.  I looked at her, hearing the word but not understanding what she was talking about.  It seemed a total non sequitur as we sat together in that bright little corner coffeeshop, filled with sunlight streaming in on the multitude of individuals leaning alone into their laptops and sipping expensive, mood-altering beverages.

“Sacrifice,” she said again, “What are we willing to give up for the good of others?”

In the moment before I replied, I envisioned our early ancestors practicing human sacrifice at the mouths of their caves.  And then the stories told in the Hebrew Bible of the end of such barbarism and the switch to animal sacrifice.  And the arc of the New Testament away from sacrificial killing of any kind and toward the symbolic offering of oneself instead.

I thought of the Buddha leaving his early life of luxury and becoming an ascetic, depriving himself of worldly comforts of any kind, and then how he’d come in middle life to renounce not just a life of wealth but a life of poverty as well, in fact attempting to remove himself from any attachments to the world whatsoever.

It must have taken longer than I thought to think through these things because my companion said, “Where’d you go?”  “Oh, I was thinking about how hard it’d be to talk about a topic like sacrifice at church these days.  It’s not a word we’re used to hearing anymore.”

“Maybe that’s a problem,” she offered.  “Because I feel like my family is sacrificing some for this church of ours, and I wonder if other people need to hear our story, either so they know they’re not alone in their generosity or so they can hear some reasons to consider being more generous themselves.”

“Maybe,” I said.  “But what feels like a huge sacrifice for some of us might be a tiny pittance for others.  And when those of us who are more privileged start telling those of us who aren’t so privileged that we ought to give more of ourselves, I worry even more.”

Things are changing.  And some changes may feel more like sacrifices than others.  But I go back to my friend’s question, “What are we willing to give up for others?”

What, indeed?

See you in church,

“Restoring the Future”

Capital Campaign 2012

$400,000 goal

Stayed tuned!  You will be hearing a lot more in coming weeks about “Restoring the Future,” a major, three-year, $400,000 Capital Campaign we’re embarking on together to raise funds to make our building and grounds more accommodating, more attractive, more accessible, and more energy efficient. 

The church has not had such a Campaign for more than 40 years, and the renovations and repairs needed today cannot be made from funds brought in by the annual pledge drive, which go toward daily operating expenses.

As the Campaign begins, we have received a very generous $50,000 matching gift pledge.  That means that every dollar paid on a pledge (not just pledged) will be matched, up to a total of $50,000.

Members of the Capital Campaign Committee and the Ad Hoc Architecture Committee continue to be in conversation with church members and friends about which areas need special attention, and Committee members are talking with building trades professionals about how much the suggested projects will cost.

Over the next few weeks, the church Stewardship Team will be contacting everyone in our church community about making a three-year financial commitment to help in “Restoring Our Future.”  So, stay tuned!

Announcing a 'Volunteer Fair'
Kate Wuerker Room
Sunday, March 11
10:30 and 12:00

This will be a chance for every committee, team, and task force in the congregation to set up a display during Coffee Hour to let potential volunteers know about opportunities for service.  RSVP and/or direct questions to Sayer Johnson or Khleber.

DRUM CIRCLE!

The Drum circle met for the first time on Feb. 12 and had a fantastic time!  

We are now going to meet on the first Sunday of the month after church.  So come join us on March 4^th

Bring a drum, or percussion ally.   (We did have two representatives of the Bubble Gum Tub community there last time. Kitty litter tubs and Oatmeal boxes are welcome as well.)  Or just bring yourself.  There are always plenty of instruments to share.  Drum circle is also intergenerational!  So kids, bring your unruly parents or caregiver!  We'll be exploring beat patterns this time!  Questions? Contact Eric Johnson.

The General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association

“The Justice GA”

June 20 – June 24, 2012

Phoenix, Arizona

http://www.uua.org/ga/programming/14599.shtml?utm_source=UUA.org+Updates+RSS&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+uua

General Assembly 2012 will be a gathering with multiple ways of engaging in justice work for people of all ages. Joining with the people of Arizona, we will worship, witness, learn and work together. We will leave General Assembly grounded in our faith, energized for justice and with resources to bring this work home to our congregations.

Meeting and housing registration opens March 1 – check out the website for information about this General Assembly.

Chalice Circles

Belleville Chalice Circle

Every 3^rd Thursday.

T hursday, March 15 at 7 pm.  Contact Don or Jan Allen for the location.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

Every 3^rd Saturday.

Saturday, March 17 from noon to 2 pm

We are not going to be doing the Queen of Heaven curriculum but going back to our regular program and two-hour time frame.  Contact Beth Bourland for further information.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Every 3^rd Sunday.

Sunday, March 18 from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at Church.
Contact: Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson

The GLBT Chalice Circle

The last Sunday of each month.

Sunday, March 25 at 12:15

Layne Simpson will be stepping down as GBLT chalice group moderator after the February meeting.  Please let Layne know if anyone wants to take over this position starting in March, 2012.  Otherwise, the GBLT Chalice group will be disbanded and members may feel free to find other chalice circles to join.

Men's Chalice Circle

Every 4^th Tuesday.

Tuesday, March 27 at 7 pm at church.

Contact:   Khleber Van Zandt.

March Birthdays

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 at church@firstuualton.org) and give her that information.

03/02                   Ty'ria Payne (9)

03/03                   Jerry Johnson

03/04                   Lauren Johnson (10)

03/04                   Elizabeth Sellitto

03/05                   Eowyn Wolff (8)

03/06                   Kathryn Chapman

03/08                   Margaret Berkley (15)

03/09                   Michelle Hudson

03/13                   Louis Bailey

03/15                   Sarah Dothager

03/16                   Robyn Berkley

03/18                   William Lewis

03/24                   Audrey White (5)

03/25                   Gerry Gilman

03/27                   Steve Blount

WE NEED BEADS!

Mardi Gras beads to be exact!  Bring Mardi Gras beads to church that you would like to donate.  We need them first for the Mardi Gras party. Then the kids are going to put Standing on the Side of Love stickers on them, with our church info on the other side, to be handed out at the Pride Parade this year.  YOU KNOW how many people love us at Pride but we want to invite them HERE!  This is a big opportunity to reach a lot of people who might LOVE our church.  So please bring beads to church.  See Eric Johnson if you'd like to donate.

Fellowship Time on Sundays

At 10:30 am and at noon each Sunday.

Coffee hour is a meaningful gathering held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and noon.  It’s a chance for everyone to chat about the sermon, catch up with friends, and welcome newcomers.  A song that has long been a tradition in Unitarian Universalist circles is below.

Sung to the tune of “Holy Holy Holy”

Coffee, coffee, coffee
Praise the strength of coffee,
Early in the morn we rise with thoughts of only thee.
Served fresh or reheated
Dark by thee defeated,
Brewed black by perk or drip or instantly.

Though all else we scoff, we
Come to church for coffee;
If we're late to congregate, we come in time for thee.
Coffee, our one ritual,
Drinking it habitual,
Brewed black by perk or drip or instantly.

Coffee the communion
Of our Uni-union,
Symbol or our sacred ground, our one necessity.
Feel the holy power
At our coffee hour,
Brewed black by perk or drip or instantly.

Pot Luck Lunches

Our monthly lunches are held on the 4^th Sunday following the second worship service. In March that will be on March 25.  Everyone is asked to bring a dish to share and to help in setting up and cleaning up.

Meet our newest members

Home addresses, phone numbers and children’s names are not included here.  Check the print version at church for that information.

01/29/2012

ANDREWS, Ken* & Amy*

Ken:  stlstang@gmail.com

Amy:  ajrn07@gmail.com

02/05/2012

BLOUNT, Steve* & Chrissie*

Steve:  youvegotsteve@yahoo.com 

Chrissie:  cchapman@lc.edu

FISCHER, Paul*

pafish@hotmail.com

SELLITTO, Elizabeth* & Brehm, Brett

elizsellitto@hotmail.com

WHITE, Laura* & Jeff

Laura:  laurawhite46@gmail.com

02/12/2012

BRICE, Tenisha* (Blue)

badnisha1@yahoo.com

KIRK, Mandan* & Heather*

Mandan:  lifeisart83@gmail.com

Heather:  hthrkirk@gmail.com

02/19/2012

FERGUSON, Emily* & KOESTER, Christy*

Christy:  naturalwomyn@gmail.com

Choir Rehearsals

Help contribute to the joy of our Sunday services by singing in the choir.  All voices invited! 

We practice after church two Sundays each month and on two Thursday evenings each month.  This schedule allows people who can’t come out at night, or who can’t stay after church on Sundays to have more opportunities to rehearse.  The choir usually sings for services one Sunday each month.

Sunday – March 4 – 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Sunday – March 11 – 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Thursday – March 15 – 7 to 8:00 pm
Thursday – March 22 – 7 to 8:00 pm

For further information contact Willis McCoy.

CAMPFEST II

You are invited to the 2^nd annual congregation-wide campout at Pere Marquette State Park.  This inter-generational event will begin on Friday, June 1^st at 2 pm and end on June 5^th at 11 am.  Details to come …

Camping Ministry Meeting

Do you enjoy camping?  Looking for a way to get involved in the life of our church?  This may be the committee for you!  We’ll meet on Sunday March 4th and Sunday March 25th following the second service.  Questions?  See Sayer Johnson or Juliette Crone-Willis.

Homeowners' Support Network

The church has launched a new social justice project to help homeowners facing foreclosure.  Trained volunteers will meet with homeowners facing foreclosure to help them assess their options for avoiding foreclosure. 

A second training for volunteers will happen on March 10, 3 - 6 pm, in the Kate Wuerker room.  Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Diane Thompson.  Copies of the training materials and a video of the first training are available on the community website.

Homeowners’ Support Network at the First Unitarian Church of Alton:

• (618) 208-3780
• saving_homes@firstuualton.org
• http://www.firstuualton.org/HomeownersSupportNetwork

Report on Warming Center

From 10 am to 3 pm on Wednesdays in January and February drop-in visitors wanting a place to be warm for a while shared coffee, snacks, and life stories with church volunteers.  Two of our visitors came every week and a third stopped by now and then. Fortunately for those on the street, our winter has not been severe.

A big Thank You to our volunteers!

4^th Saturday Lunch – March 24

Please consider coming to church to share a meal with our guests who may be in less fortunate situations. Helping at our 4^th Saturday lunches are a way you can contribute your time and talent and also share a meal with people you might not otherwise ever meet.

There will be a sign up sheet as usual and appreciation to everyone contributing to this activity.

Community Outreach Offering

The offering in March will be given to the Equal Housing Opportunity Council.  EHOC is the only civil rights organization in the metropolitan St. Louis area that addresses equal access to housing for everybody, regardless of race, disability, national origin, familial status, or gender.  EHOC helps tenants and homeowners who are denied housing solely because of their membership in one of these protected groups.  So, for example, when a landlord refuses to rent to a single mom with kids, EHOC is the place she is likely to go to get help, or when a broker refuses to show an African-American family a home in a white neighborhood, EHOC again is the place people turn.  EHOC's been active in bringing credit to low-income communities and communities of color, has led the charge in the adoption of ordinances in several local municipalities to protect the rights of transgender people to housing, and has worked tirelessly at assessing the accessibility of new construction for the disabled.  Without EHOC, there would be no enforcement of fair housing rights in this area, and landlords, cities, and neighborhoods would continue to be free to tell folks that they are not welcome because they are black, or gay, or have kids, or are in a wheelchair.

Women’s Scholarship Fund

Women's Weekend April 21-22

Pallottine Renewal Center in Florissant

www.EliotWomensWeekend.com

Theme : A Single Branching Tree

The long tradition continues - Eliot Chapel sponsors a time to retreat, relax, and find community among other women.

Please join us at the Pallottine Renewal Center located in Florissant, MO. 

You have a choice to spend one night or just come for the day. 

Women's Weekend is a great time to relax, participate in exciting workshops, meet new people and more. 

The theme, "A Single Branching Tree", brings women together in one community.

Each woman is like a tree with many branches - branches of emotion, spiritual connection,

creativity, unique relationships with others, and diverse experiences.

Rev. Terry Davis will lead the Sunday worship service in the beautiful chapel at the center.

This retreat is open to all UU women and friends    including Alton, Emerson, and First UU St. Louis.

Register on-line at www.EliotWomensWeekend.com in February or call Carolyn Burke at (314) 821-4844 or womensweekend@eliotchapel.org.

Word has been received from Corinne Hawkins about the death of Thom Strohecker, son of former members Gin and Chester Strohecker of Arthur, Illinois and the death of Nina Johnson, widow of Orval Johnson, of Boulder Colorado.   Both the Stroheckers and Johnsons were member of the church in the 1960s.

Melba McAdams , formerly of Alton, died peacefully in Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 2, 2012, at the age of 96.   She and her husband, Henry Harold McAdams, were very active members of our church.   A memorial service and celebration of life will be held in Alton at a future date when the family will gather from around the world to honor Melba and to say their final goodbyes.

The ANNA Ds

(Women’s Alliance Group)

1^st Thursday of each month

The Anna D's will meet at 11:30 on March 1 at Grace Manor in Edwardsville. It is at 1801 N. Main.  If you follow Edwardsville Road out of Wood River it will lead you directly to the restaurant. Please contact hostess Brynda McCoy or call her by the end of the day Monday Feb. 27.   All women are invited.

Fifty-Plus (50+) Forum

1^st Saturday of each month

The “Fifty Plusers” will meet on Saturday, March 3 from 10:30 am to noon in the Kate Wuerker Room. 

Afterwards, as always, those who can will continue the discussion over lunch. The Fifty-Plus Forum is coordinated by Sandy Shaner, Pat Murrell, and Mona Hebert.

Spiral Scouts

2^nd Sunday of each month

Spiral Scouts will meet on March 11 from 1 to 3 p.m.   The SpiralScouts youth program includes interpersonal skills, traditional woodland lore, camping, and outdoor living skills. To check on meeting times or for additional information you may contact Amy Eichen, Primary Contact for RiverDragon Circle 254.

Men’s Lunch Group

2^nd Thursday of each month

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, March 8 at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL.  Contact Dick Blanton for further details.  All Men in our Church Family are invited!

The Sierra Club is a non-profit, member-supported, public interest organization
that seeks to:

Are you concerned about environmental issues in Madison and surrounding counties?  Then, you may want to join The Piasa Palisades Group.  It is involved in numerous conservation efforts in the River Bend region.  They hold monthly educational meetings about environmental topics, many of those meeting are held at our church.  They offer local outdoor outings that anyone can participate in.  They are also active in issues that affect our community such as air and water quality, land use, and forest issues. 

For more information go to http://www.illinois.sierraclub.org/piasapalisades

March RE Program News & Notes             March RE Program Calendar

March 24^th Alton Youth Host First-Ever Mini-Conference

Unitarian Universalist youth from five St. Louis region congregations have been invited by our Youth to participate in a one-day-only Mini Con here at Alton.  Events begin at 10 a.m. with meet-and-greet activities, followed by a light luncheon (separate from the 4^th Saturday Luncheon), and then all pitch in to help with the Fourth Saturday Luncheon.  After clean-up, we have rented the RiverBender Community Center for two hours, to be followed by a worship service, and dinner.  Activities conclude by 8 p.m.  Our youth are very excited by this event.  Although visiting youth are chaperoned, we could use a few extra adults at each of these times to help with hospitality and logistics:

o   10-2 pm - 2-5 pm - 6-8 pm

Please see Cathy Tade, Youth Advisor if you can help.

March 24^th RE Parents Sponsor the Fourth Saturday Luncheon

An important part of our RE program is social service.  From time-to-time we set aside our regular classroom learning to participate in social and community action activities.  Our March Social Service Sunday, March 18^th, will relate to the following 4^th Saturday Luncheon served at the church to the hungry Alton community.  RE parents are sponsoring the March 24^th luncheon.  Children are invited to attend on the 24^th with their parents and help in age-appropriate ways.  More information will become available through worship service announcements, and the weekly Church bulletin e-mail, and Sunday take home notes.  Save the date!  Last year, we threw a fiesta — what a party!

RE Thank Yous!

Good King Wenceslas — the play.  In one of my favorite cartoons, there are two earnest scientists who have filled the chalkboard with dense and impenetrable equations, and then down in the corner it says:  “Then a miracle occurred.”  Outside of our stupendous kids, the play’s miracle was the workers who made this possible:  Neil Hershey, Tracey Howe-Koch, Eric Johnson, Tony Grippi, Mary Weber, Michelle Hudson, Trish Botsko, Khleber Van Zandt, Erin Dimick, Leah Bailey, Ken Hoeft, and Becky Green.  What a great team!

Spring Teacher Volunteers - And for our next miracle!  Here are our spring teacher volunteers:

Steven Mead, DRE   314.239.5694 (cell)