Congregation established 1836

Newsletter for
Members and Friends of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Nursery care is available for small children. The Activity room is open for older children - reading and art materials are available.

August 7^th - “Translating Jesus” - a new sermon sent to us on audiotape and in print from Dr. John Hoad.

August 14^th - “The Entire History of the Unitarian Universalist Movement and Institution in Twenty Five Minutes Flat” - a sermon written by the Rev. Mark Belletini which will be read aloud by various members of the congregation.

August 21^st - “The Strength of a Loser”

Khleber M. Van Zandt

Our American culture values winning above all else - losers are relegated to the scrap heap of history.  But we can find spiritual lessons in those times when we didn’t come out on top.

August 28^th - "The Secret Life of Bees"

Khleber M. Van Zandt

The novel by this name is about love, race, class, and growing up with violence.  We'll focus on author Sue Monk Kidd's treatment of forgiveness and what it might mean in our individual and communal lives.

THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF

SUMMER CHURCH EVENTS

August 13^th - Saturday - Church Picnic and Swim Party.

August 14^th - Sunday - RE Teacher training and teacher lunch - 12:30 p.m.

August 20^th - Saturday - Workday at church -

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

August 21^st - Sunday - RE hosted Bar-B-Que for everyone following church services.

August 23^rd - Tuesday - Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m.

August 27^th - Saturday - “Radical Hospitality” workshop at Emerson Chapel.

A First Glance

A warm breeze blew the night of July 3^rd when many of us gathered in the park next to the church. The hotdogs grilled in the foyer were sold from the entryway steps, drinks and candy were a big hit, and Alex and Max strolled through the crowd hawking brownies to all comers. In the crowd were many present-day members as well as lots of folks who have been associated in one way or another with the church in the past. Surely there were people who had no link to the church, but they were very hard to find.

Kids ran up and down the hill and played together to their hearts’ content. Parents sometimes ran after them but most folks just mingled with friends in chairs and on blankets as they sipped cool beverages and waited for the fireworks celebrating our country’s birth to begin.

At the first burst of light and shower of sparks, the gathered dozens ooh-ed and ahh-ed, all looking toward the same spot in the night sky just above the river. Fireworks have gone high tech in recent years, and the multitude of colors and shapes attested to that fact - there were even a few smiley faces among the pyrotechnic designs. Time seemed to stand still as the display went on and on, until finally, after all the bombs had burst in air, a hearty round of applause rose from the crowd and people began to say their goodbyes and pack up for the trek home.

It is sometimes difficult to feel patriotic when immersed in the sturm und drang of today’s politics. Sometimes it takes a civic fireworks display to bring us together and help us to feel civil again.

It is always good to be connected to a church that for so many years has helped so many to cope with the stresses and strains of life - spiritual, religious, social, political - even if some of those we’ve helped have moved on in their journeys.

As the dog days of summer approach, may we remember the seasons that our church has been through, and may we envision a new springtime of hope for the future.

Faithfully,

ALL CHURCH PICNIC AND SWIM PARTY

There has been aslight change of venue since the July Newsletter announced that we would be hosting a church picnic and swim party at the Belleville YMCA Outdoor Center. While the date is the same, we will be picnicking and swimming at the outdoor pool at SIUE from 6-8 PM Saturday afternoon/evening August 13th. We will have a potluck picnic in the picnic area directly surrounding the pool itself. Bring your our non-alcoholic beverages and a dish to share (we'll be providing hot dogs). We can gather as early as 5:00 PM for picnicking, but must wait until 6 PM to swim. There will be more information forthcoming regarding directions.

You are free to bring friends, children, friends of children, etc. The cost does vary slightly according to the projected number of swimmers, so it would be helpful to let me know who all probably plans to come (however, don't stay away just because you didn't sign up). A dollar a head will be assessed to help defray the rental cost. Call or email me regarding questions, suggestions, etc. Marcia Custer mcuster@siue.edu

VAN Needed with a Wheelchair Lift

If anyone has a van with a wheelchair lift please contact Nelson Shaner. He is interested in helping someone get to church who requires the use of a wheelchair. Nelson’s email address is nshaner@charter.net

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

I can hardly believe that it is already August, and that it is time to begin the new RE year. We will be starting the RE schedule a bit earlier this year than we have in previous years. When we have our first service back in the sanctuary on August 21, RE activities will start as well, but they will not be regular classes until after Labor Day.

On August 21 we will start out in the sanctuary, and when we are sung to our activities, we will be doing a summer project wrap-up for Heifer International. We will be talking about how much money was raised and what kinds of animals to purchase with it. The final update for this project will be posted in the September newsletter.

On August 28 we will have our first children's chapel of the season. We will not be in the sanctuary at all that day, but will instead be having a full hour welcome back children's service. There will be no service or RE programming on Labor Day weekend. After Labor Day, regular RE classes will begin. We will again be divided into pre-school, primary, and middle school. Please see the new RE brochure for complete details on what these classes will be covering this year, and relevant safety information and policies.

There will be a mandatory teacher training scheduled on August 14 at 12:30 p.m. at the church. Lunch and childcare will be provided. This orientation is for anyone who has signed up to teach at any time during the upcoming church year. It is also for anyone who has not yet signed up to teach, but may be interested in learning what the roles and responsibilities of RE teacher are. I still have many teaching spots open that need to be filled as soon as possible to ensure uninterrupted classes for the children. Please RSVP to uujamie@sbcglobal.net or to me directly by August 12 to ensure that there will be enough food available.

There will be a barbeque hosted by the RE department on August 21 at 12:30 pm at the church. The RE committee will provide burgers and hotdogs, both meat and veggie varieties. You are asked to bring a dish or drinks to compliment. There will also be both indoor and outdoor activities available for everyone.

In September, we are planning on having a booth at Heritage Days at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. We will have historical information on our church available to the public, and we hope to be able to do some fun demonstrations with flour grinding and composting education. Anyone who is interested in participating in this event should contact Stacey and Mark Wolff or me. Period costume is required. Again see either Mark and Stacey or me for information on costuming. This should be both a fun and educational event, and I hope that we have good participation from both children and adults.

I am looking forward to this new year with our new minister and, hopefully, some new families to add to our community. I always welcome any questions or feedback that any of you may have.

Thank You

Jamie Gross

Director of Religious Education

4 August - Jim Elliott

4 August - Rosemary Mullikin

5 August - Emily Loucks (1995)

7 August - Jack McCall

10 August - Lorna McElhone

13 August - Ginny Allred

23 August - Paul Hebert

30 August - Lumpy Peters (1990

Men’s Lunch Group

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 9th at the Chinese Buffet at 2610 Homer Adams Parkway in Alton. This lunch meeting is planned as a regular event on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month.