Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

August 6^th

“Family Feuds: Challenges, Choices, and Change”

Wayne Politsch

In May of this year a Missouri community across the river from Alton attempted to prohibit an unmarried couple with children from living in the town because they did not meet the definition of “family.”   A conservative coalition in Illinois is currently collecting signatures for an amendment to the Illinois Constitution denying legal status for marriages of same-sex couples.   These are just a sampling of the heated debates about family issues we hear so much about nowadays.   Is the family alive and well or on the verge of a meltdown?  We will attempt to take the “vital signs” of the American family.

Wayne has been a member of this church for over a decade. He is currently on the faculty at Lewis & Clark Community College .

August 13^th

“From Cheers to Covenant: A community of Love”

Cheryle Tucker-Lowe

“ The God of Jesus”

The Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

In his book, “ The God of Jesus,” Dr. Steve Patterson discusses the religion of Jesus as distinct from a religion about Jesus.   Jesus, forever a Jew, reportedly had a special connection to the divine.  What aspects of Jesus’ religion might give us some special connection to something larger than ourselves?

August 27^th

  “Resurrection Blues”

The Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Even though we see summer’s bounty all around us, still we have a hard time with myths of bodily resurrection.  In this post-Easter sermon, we’ll examine the metaphor of resurrection and what new understandings may mean in our lives and in the life of our community.

COMMITTEE SUNDAY August 6 ^th

9:15 a.m.

Refreshments provided.

This is an opportunity for Committee Chairs to meet with the members of their committees to do planning for the upcoming months.   Some Committees or Committee task forces may meet at other times.   If you have not already volunteered and are interested in serving on a task force or committee please come to Committee Sunday or contact Beth Nalick bnalick@charter.net to learn where you may best use your talents.

August 13^th

Guest speaker:   The Rev. Rebecca Turner from the Missouri Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.   Rev. Turner will discuss how this religious coalition works to ensure reproductive choice through the moral power of religious communities

August 20^th

What the Bleep Do We Know ?

A workshop that explores the provocative questions, claims, and research cited in the film.   Facilitator: Paul Hebert .

August 27^th

Breaking Free: Women of Spirit at Midlife and Beyond

This program brings women together to discuss aging as the development of character, a breaking free of constraints, and an opportunity to deepen their spiritual lives. Continuation of Session 1: Creating Lifelines . Participants are required to purchase the book for $16 and complete homework assignments.   Come and join us even if you missed the first session.   Facilitator: Beth Nalick.

A First Glance

Khleber is on vacation during the month of August and will continue his column in September.

T Contact Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Email: kvanzandt@uuma.org

Cell Phone:

Missouri – 314-223-0551

Illinois – 618-520-0567

Welcome to Church Membership

Joining on July 2 ^nd

Katie Gibbs - from Collinsville

David Birchmier from Collinsville

Joining on July 9^th

Elise Rebmann from Edwardsville

Patrick Rebmann from Edwardsville

Lisa Smithe from Collinsville

Gary Smithe from Collinsville

We’re glad you’ve chosen to become members of our growing church family !

Our Webpage – http://www.firstuualton.org

was visited 547 times in June (this is more than any previous month so far this year) – and very interestingly – during the week of General Assembly week it received almost twice the number of daily hits as earlier in the month.   Possibly the local publicity about Unitarian Universalism caused people to “check us out.”

Building and Grounds News

We had a very successful workday on July 8.   Jobs accomplished or started on their way include: repair of broken railings, installation of new lighting in RE room, painting in several areas, various repairs, cutting of weeds on hillside, weeding, cleaning and organizing of kitchen, window washing, installation of pebbles in bare areas, organizing of garden tools, various repairs, etc. Thanks to the following people who came to help that day :  Mark Antieau, Marcia Custer, Jim Elliott, Gerry Gilman, John Herndon, Mary and Jerry Johnson, Nancee Maglison, Willis McCoy, Pat and Jim Moore, Jennifer and Wayne Politsch, Gary and Lisa Smithe, Khleber Van Zandt, Stacey and Mark Wolff.

Have you noticed the improvement in our landscaping by the ramp entrance?   Thanks to our master gardener Gerry Gilman.

Have you had time to appreciate how much time Mary and Jerry Johnson are putting in to get the rusty front fence repainted?

Save the date Sept. 30^th for our next workday .   We have many jobs to get completed, including painting, gardening, window washing, and a few repairs.   If you would like to work on completing a job any time before workday, contact me for information and I will arrange for you to get into the building if necessary.   I am posting a job list on the “Volunteer Board” in the Wuerker Room.

We could use some donations of rugs and carpet scraps to cover the bare dirt floor in the cellar in order to keep the dust down.   If you have any rugs or carpeting in any condition, bring them to the church and put them in RE room 7 before September.  If you bring them after September, put them in the back hallway downstairs.

We now have recycling bins in the kitchen for all types of materials – clean paper, aluminum, metal, glass, and plastic.   The bins are in the corner next to the refrigerator by the door.   Please rinse out food or sugary soda before putting containers in the bins.

Have anything to suggest for Building and Grounds?   Put a note in my mailbox or the suggestion box or email me at patjimmoore@charter.net.

Remember – we’re all members of the Building and Grounds Committee.

Pat Moore

Thumbnail Sketch of Upcoming Events

Read details in other parts of the newsletter.

Tues., Aug.  1^st – UU Pagans –7:00 p.m.

Tues., Aug.  8^th – Men’s Lunch – 11:30 a.m.

Tues., Aug.  8^th – Board Meeting – 7:00 p.m.

Fri.,   Aug. 25^th – International Lunch Group – 11:30 a.m.

Sun.,  Aug 27^th – Potluck Lunch – 11:45 a.m.

Here are the names of church members and friends who are celebrating birthdays this month.   If this is ‘your month’ and your name didn’t get included, we’re sorry.  For future months please let Mary Johnson know your birth month and day. ( mejohnson@mindspring.com )

  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

14 August – Lily Tade (1995)

23 August – Paul Hebert

International Lunch Group

Everyone is welcome to come to the international lunch group gathering.   The next get-together will be on Friday, August 25^th at 11:30 a.m.   The restaurant will be announced later.

Soda Pop for Sale

We have soda for sale in the refrigerator for those of you who need a little something to drink with Sunday snacks, potlucks, and at meetings.  This is a convenience as well as a little fundraiser.   Please put 50 cents per drink into the basket found in the refrigerator.   Donations of soda would be appreciated also.  Just put them in the refrigerator or next to the recycle bins.   We are also seeking a volunteer who would be willing to restock and keep track of the funds.  Contact Pat Moore or Jamie Gross.

Sunday Pot Luck Lunch

August 27^th – the 4^th Sunday

Bring a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and fellowship.

A-Mc will do Table Set Up

M-Z will do Clean Up

Everyone will be responsible for setting food out on the buffet table.

Join the CHOIR!

Choir rehearsals resume in August.   If you’re interested in learning more about joining the choir, contact

Willis McCoy wbmccoy@charter.net

Introducing ...

       Elaine and David Charlton

Elaine and David joined the church on June 11^th.   Elaine was born in Hannibal MO and came to St. Louis in the late 50s to attend Barnes School of Nursing.  Retired now, most of her career was as a research nurse at Washington University Medical School .   She is involved with the Komen Race and breast cancer issues.   Her hobby is sewing.

David was born in Granite City IL and attended SIU when it was still in Alton .   He has a degree in Government and History and worked as an accountant before taking early retirement.   His hobby is doing cross-stitch.

They were foster parents and later adopted three brothers in 1991 – Jonathan, Patrick, and Daniel.   The Charlton’s also have three cats and are thinking about adding a Bichon Frise to their family.

Anna D. Sparks Women’s Alliance

There is no August meeting.   The hostess for the September 7^th 11:30 a.m. meeting of the Anna D. Sparks Women’s' Alliance of the First Unitarian Church of Alton will be at Corinne Hawkins’ home.   All women of the church are welcome and invited.   All planning to attend should call to make a reservation by Sunday, September 2^nd.

The following is subject to change, but here is the list of meeting hostesses for the remainder of the church year.

Oct.  5 – Lorna McElhone – At her house

Nov. 2 – Lorli Nelson – Brown bag at her house

Dec. 7 – Ruth Shaw – Restaurant

Jan.  4 – Marcia Custer – To be determined

Feb.  8 – Brynda McCoy – Brown bag at church

Mar. 8 – Liz Leavell – Restaurant

Apr. 5 – Audrey Wiseman – At her house

May 3 – Irene Mondhink – At her house

June 7 – Pat Moore – At her house

Board Meeting Summary

The treasurer announced a cash flow problem which needs to be addressed immediately.   The Finance Committee has met with the Endowment Committee to discuss moving funds around.

The church now has 95 members.

Jerry Johnson, as the webmaster, will head a taskforce to add a link on the website to make information about weddings at our church more readily available.   Someone also needs to be found to serve as a wedding coordinator.

A motion was made and approved to appoint Mary Johnson to the Endowment Committee.

At the General Assembly many congregations reported favorable results when standing committees were replaced with more time-limited task forces.  Beth Nalick will head a task force to look at this approach as an option for us.

Pat Moore has completed the Personnel Committee’s evaluation of Khleber and it will be sent to the Board members for their comments.

Minutes taken by Mary Weber.

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

I cannot believe that summer vacation is almost over, and it's time to think about when school and church classes start up again in the fall.   We have a few things coming up in order to help us prepare for this.   There will be a summer volunteer appreciation bar-b-que after church on Sunday, August 13^th.   This will be followed by the teacher training session for all of those people who have signed up to teach during the 1st semester and the youth mentors.   There will be another session in January for those who are teaching in the second semester.   I still have teaching spots available in both semesters at both the 9:30 a.m. youth group time and the regular 10:30 a.m. classes.  

On August 27^th, following potluck we will be having our classroom set-up day.  This is the event that many people signed up for at the Volunteer Faire.   Anyone is welcome to join us on this day, even if you didn't sign up already.  We will be outfitting and supplying all of the classrooms to get ready for the new classes.  There will be no painting or repairing.   This is just to make sure that everything is in place when classes resume downstairs in September.

We will have one more classroom in use than we did previously.   To that end, we could use some furniture.  If you have any furniture that you would be willing to donate, please come and talk to me.   Please do not bring in the furniture without talking to me, as it will be necessary to have a spot planned to put it before it arrives to ensure that it is not in the way.

We have also been doing our annual read-to-feed to benefit Heifer International.   More information is available on this program in the Wuerker Room.   We are asking that anyone who wishes to donate makes a flat pledge to the group as a whole instead of pledging on a by-the-book basis. The children really enjoy getting to pick out animals to buy for families at the end of the summer.  Last year they were able to buy a water buffalo which was their goal.   This year I hope that they can buy a cow ($500).

Thank you,   Jamie Gross

2006 – 2007 Church Directory of Members & Friends

The new 2006 – 2007 Directory of Members and Friends is being completed this month.
If you haven’t responded by mail or email, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you.

PLEASE PRINT

Are you listed in the current 2005 – 2006 Directory?       Yes       No

Is your listing correct?                          Yes        No

Does your listing include your current email address?      Yes       No

If you answered yes to all the above questions, please fill in your names and birthdays.
(Yes or no, if OK to have it listed in directory) and send this form back to the church office.

Would you like to be included in the new directory?               Yes        No   

Please provide the following information and send this form back to the church office.

Current listings - New listings – Corrections – Additional Information:

Name:________________________________________________

Birthday:_______________________Is it OK to list in the directory?    Yes        No

Spouse or Housemate:____________________________________

Birthday: _______________________Is it OK to list in the directory?     Yes     No

Address:___________________________________________________

City & State & Zip Code:_____________________________________________

Home Phone:____________________________________

Cell Phone:  ____________________________________

Work Phone:_____________________________________

Email Address:_________________________________________

Children living at home:

Name:____________________________________________(gender)      M      F        

Birthdate : ___________________________   Is it OK to list in the directory?    Yes    No

Name:____________________________________________(gender)     M     F        

Birthdate : ___________________________   Is it OK to list in the directory?    Yes    No

Name:____________________________________________(gender)      M      F        

Birthdate : ___________________________   Is it OK to list in the directory?    Yes     No