June 6^th through September 5^th – One Service – 10:30 a.m.

July 4^th

"Source of Extraordinary Wisdom"

Nancy Copley

I was and am fascinated with children, not only my own, and those first graders that I taught, but reading a book in the past year titled Roots of Empathy by Mary Gordon was a real call of inspiration.

July 11^th

“Developing Your Own Spirituality:

Why It Is Important”

Tracey Howe-Koch

Our lives are busy enough, who has time to sit and sort out deep theological questions? You do! Exploring and developing your own spirituality can have surprising benefits.

July 18^th

“The Wife of God: Exploring

the Feminine Divine”

Stacey Wolff

It has taken nearly thirty years for modern researchers to accept evidence supporting the existence of Ashera, the pre-Israelite Goddess.  She was an important part of home life and worship in what is now modern Israel. To have a Goddess, a protectress in childbirth, a wise woman, a healing divinity must have been extremely reassuring for ancient women.  Yet even today, at times, who doesn’t find themselves in need of a woman’s support, friendship, and advice.  Here, in this church, there are many women we all rely on for their support, knowledge, and insight everyday. What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to celebrate the feminine kinship I have been blessed with and to consider the beautiful lessons of Ashera, the wife of God.

July 25^th

To be Announced

Don Allen

Chalice Circles

Belleville Chalice Circle

THURSDAY, July 15^th  – 7 pm

at the home of Jan and Don Allen in Belleville, IL.

Contact: Don or Jan.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

SATURDAY, July 17^th at church -- 2 to 4 pm

This will be a planning meeting for the Margaret Fuller Salon to be held in August and to discuss themes and Chalice Circle program ideas for the new church year.

Contact Marcia Custer.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

SUNDAY, July 18^th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at church.

Contact Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson.

Men's Chalice Circle

TUESDAY, July 27^th – 7 p.m. at church

Contact: Khleber Van Zandt.

A First Glance

What a peculiar group we are theologically - Buddhists, Religious and secular Humanists, atheists and agnostics, Christians, pagans, Jews.  Most of the time we do pretty well getting along socially in the face of our differences.  Some of the time, we reach a deeper level with each other either because of or despite the different ways we view the world and our places in it.  It’s good to be a part of such an experiment in human community, whether our deeper need is the comfort of feeling accepted or the challenge that difference affords us.

Karen Armstrong, author of The History of God, wrote another book back in 2006 entitled The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions.  It took me a long time to get through it (it’s 2010!), but Ms. Armstrong does a good job filling in the history that she says lies behind our ways of thinking.

Covering the period of 1600 BCE to just before the time of Jesus, Ms. Armstrong examines pivotal events in four societies and the changes in religious and social ideas those events brought about.  In China, society became highly ritualized in order to further marginalize those who tended toward violence.  The Greeks thrived on violence and competition, but developed a reliance on reason and a strong sense of the polis, the city-state that became the heart of individual and corporate identity and led to the central ideas of democracy.  The Jews lifted their god, Yahweh, first out of the pantheon of all the gods and then into the divine stratosphere as the one-and-only God, making it possible to understand oneself and one’s tribe as the Chosen Ones.  On the Indian subcontinent, yogis, gurus, and spiritual seekers became more and more introspective, reaching deep into the human psyche for answers to life’s persistent questions.

Those sages who changed the world in earlier times developed an ethic of compassion, not in the tranquility of peaceful times, but in the maelstrom of frightening, war-torn times when all the old values they had inherited from earlier generations were passing away.  They did so, not by averting their eyes from reality or by remaining above the fray in ivory towers, but by participating fully in life, by confronting society in all its ugliness, and by engaging the most difficult of life’s questions.

With today’s news as it is, of a world consumed by violence and environmental disaster, perhaps we can change the world if we participate fully, confront society, and engage the questions.

Our practice together as a congregation gives me hope that there’s still a chance, and that as we gather in a community of comfort and challenge, in a community of diversity, in a community of love, we will yet find a way forward that includes all our sisters and brothers and brings light to our broken world.

See you in church,

Friday, July 2^nd

6:00 pm

 “1776”

(2 hr., 46 min.)

In the days leading up to July 4, 1776, Continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coerce Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence as a delaying tactic as they try to persuade the American colonies to support a resolution on independence. As George Washington sends depressing messages describing one military disaster after another, the businessmen, landowners and slave holders in Congress all stand in the way of the Declaration, and a single "nay" vote will forever end the question of independence. Large portions of spoken and sung dialog are taken directly from the letters and memoirs of the actual participants.  Movie nights are coordinated by Janice Joiner.

COME TO THE MOVIE …

STAY FOR THE FIREWORKS

Fireworks Display

in Alton

Friday July 2, 2010

Alton’s annual fireworks show will be on Friday evening, July 2.  Our church yard is a favored spot for the community to watch the fireworks out over the river.  Once again we’ll be selling lemonade, soda, and sweets starting at 7 pm.  The fireworks begin around 9 pm. 

Donations of cartons of soda (regular or diet), cans of frozen lemonade concentrate, and brownies or home-made cookies are requested.

By Tuesday, June 29^th, please let Jennifer Herndon know what item(s) you will be donating so we will have time to purchase whatever else is needed.  The more donations we have, the greater the profit.

4^th Saturday Lunch

July 24^th

Watch for a signup sheet at church and emails requesting volunteers to provide food and help.

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. Usually we have between 30 and 40 guests, including children ranging from toddlers to teens.

This month’s lunch is being coordinated by Kevin McCarthy and Michelle Hudson representing the Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle.

Community

Outreach Offering

July’s Community Outreach Offering will go to the Alton chapter of the NAACP to support their “Back to School – Stay in School” school supply distribution program scheduled for August.

Crisis Food Center

This summer the Crisis Food Center is providing extra breakfast and lunch foods for families with school aged children through the 3rd annual “Kid Box” program.

The easiest way to participate in this program is to go to the Alton Shop ‘N Save grocery store, request a Kid Box be donated, and pay $5.00.  The store will handle the rest.  If this is not convenient for you, donations are always welcome.  A special container for collecting donations will be in the Kate Wuerker Room during July and August.

The center is always looking for volunteers.  Call Susan Jolley, Executive Director at 462-8201 to request an application. They are willing to accommodate your schedule.  Thank you for supporting this food mission.

Jen Politsch

Treasurer’s Note

Total budgeted income for May 2010 was $8,260.29; this was 6.0% of our annual budget.

Total budgeted expenses for May 2010 were $13,211.09; this was 9.6% of our annual budget.

As is indicated by the numbers above, May was not a very good month for the church's finances. It appears that we will have a deficit at the end of the church's fiscal year. The only question is how bad will it be.

At the 91.67% of the way through our fiscal year, our expenses are at 92.72%. Our income is at 90.50%.

We must thank the men of the Men's Lunch Group, who donated $340 to help out with buildings & grounds expenses. That money came in handy recently when we had to have one of the church's air-conditioners repaired at a cost of $744.38.

Jerry Johnson, Treasurer

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.

   1 July – Stacey Wolff

   6 July – Joan Hashimi

   7 July – Lois Fischer

   8 July – Kay Ott

   9 July – Lucy McAneny

   9 July – Jonah Koch (2001)

10 July – Sharon Opp

14 July – Brian Salisbury

15 July – Paul Berney

18 July – Dick Blanton

19 July – Katie Gibbs

20 July – Kevin McCarthy

21 July – Elise Rebmann

21 July – Paula Tarbell

22 July – Hugh Hallett

22 July – Kati Prado (2004)

23 July – Veronica (Ronnie) Schoenborn

24 July – Irene Mondhink

24 July – Midge Hallett

25 July – Nelson Shaner

26 July – Cheryle Tucker-Loewe

26 July – Lyric Johnson (2007)

28 July – Erkin Baker

29 July – Grace Madison

30 July – Alex Hoeft (1993)

30 July – Tom Sakalauski

There will be no choir rehearsals in July.  Rehearsals will resume in August.  All those interested in joining the choir are invited to join us in August as we prepare music for the new church year.   For further information contact Willis McCoy.

COFFEE HOUR

The Alton Unitarian Church was not founded on creed, scripture, or dogma, but rather on “Coffee Hour,” the inspiration for great Religious, Philosophical and Irreverent discussions.

Week by week fragrant beverages and tasty snacks appear after each worship service.  However, the coffee-hour goddess needs help from our ever burgeoning congregation to nourish our “Donation” jar with spare change and dollars, (there is no coffee hour line item budget), and volunteers to help with preparation and cleaning-up.

It would be a slam-dunk if each able bodied member and frequent visitor volunteered to provide refreshments, set-up, clean-up, and/or feed the coffee donation jar from time-to-time, or at least once a year.  Please contact Kathryn Chapman to arrange for a convenient date to take a turn.

Alternatively there is a coffee-hour sign-up sheet on the volunteer and message table along the exterior wall in the Kate Wuerker Room

Thanks so much for keeping the “Coffee Hour” tradition alive and well.

The (newly formed) Food Ministry

Summer WomanSpirit

August 6-8, 2010

Ronora Lodge

Watervliet, Michigan

Informational brochure posted at church.

Registration fee before 7/1 is $265 / after 7/1 $290.

Workshops, woods, walking, worship, and more.  For details and registration information go to:

http://www.womenandreligion.org/

Kids Night Out Weekly (KNOW) –

a mentoring program for children housed in temporary living quarters

Our eleven week pilot KNOW program finished on May 25^th with a supper for families and awards for the children who participated.  All of the children lived at the Stratford Hotel.   However one family has now moved into an apartment and the other family is supposed to be moving out of state.

If there are elementary school children living at the Stratford (or in some other nearby shelter) next fall we would like to continue KNOW, but we need someone who would be a monthly program coordinator – someone to plan, organize, and take charge of each week’s activities for one month.  Administrative and food details would be handled by others. 

If you are interested in learning more about what being a program coordinator would entail get in touch with Mary Johnson.

Church Participants in the Alton Bucket Brigade

Unlike the previous rainy Saturday which was the original date of the Bucket Brigade, May 22 was a perfect day for painting.  Under the direction of crew chief Kevin McCarthy, our team - Bob & Nancy Copley, Kevin, Margaret and Amelia McCarthy, Ben and Alex Hoeft, and Jerry and Mary Johnson – showed up bright and early and spent the morning and early afternoon painting the front porch and wheelchair access ramp of a home in Alton.  The house had been selected for Bucket Brigade work by the Alton Pride Committee from applications submitted to them.  

PLEASE

READ:

Note from

the Editor:

I spend a lot of time contacting people regarding if their group will be meeting or whether they have an item for the newsletter if they haven’t sent me anything by the newsletter deadline. I would sincerely appreciate it if everyone would make a special effort to get information to me by the 15^th of the month.  I know you’re all busy, and the church newsletter is the last thing on your mind.  But, rather than my guessing if your committee is meeting or my having to get in touch with you – if you have a committee meeting or are planning an event, or there’s a change from your “regularly scheduled” meeting or there’s something you want included in the newsletter, please get the information to me by the 15^th of the month, or contact me to let me know your info. will be forthcoming.

Thank You.

Mary

Anna Ds

Women’s Alliance

The Anna Ds will not meet in July and August.

Spiral Scouts

Men’s

 Lunch Group

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, July 8^th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL. Contact Dick Blanton for further details.   All men in the church are invited.

Confluence Covenant

of Unitarian

Universalist Pagans

(CUUPS)

Contact Kristen O’Steen or Jimmy Christodoulou for meeting information.

Margaret Fuller

Conversation Salon

Saturday, August 14^th

7 to 8:30 pm

The UU Women’s Connection of the Central Midwest District, along with the Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle, will be hosting a Margaret Fuller Conversation Salon.

Who was Margaret Fuller and why are we honoring her?  She was a UU foremother and feminist intellectual of the early 19^th century who held conversations in Cambridge each fall and spring as a means to support herself at a time when women had no public voice, higher education, vote or even a say in the custody of their children.

For more information about Margaret Fuller see the May 2010 issue of the UU World either in print or online.

This year is the 200^th anniversary of her birth and the UU Women’s Connection will offer a conversation salon in the evening following their quarterly Council meeting at our church during the day.

Women from other area UU churches will also be invited.  More details will be in the August issue of this newsletter.

Church Committee Meetings

Pastoral Care – 6 pm – Thursday, July 22^nd

Social Justice – 11:45 am – Sunday, July 25^th

Program Council – 11:45 am – Sunday, August 1^st

There will be no Church Pot Luck Lunches in June and July.

An EVENING of SONG and CELEBRATION

A Fun-Raising,

Fund-Raising Event

in support of

First Unitarian Church of Alton

August 21^st, 7-9 pm

Greg and Tanya Moore will present an evening of music in the air-conditioned confines of First Unitarian Church of Alton on August 21^st at 7 pm.  Dr. Greg Moore is the son of our long-time member Jim Moore, and is Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Superior where he directs the jazz program.  Tanya Moore teaches voice at the UW-Superior Conservatory and is the Youth Program coordinator at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth.

Khleber Van Zandt and Friends will provide some incidental tunes.

Please watch for more details in the next newsletter or in your email.