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

August 1^st

"Shades of Blue: Navigating Through Fear and Privilege" - one transman’s journey continues to unfold

Sayer Johnson

Sayer Johnson, proud Partner, Papi, activist and First UU of Alton member opens up about his transition. He shares the discoveries he has made on his journey and sheds light onto his unique perspective and living his authentic life.

August 8^th

“For The Birds”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

One story I’ve read about us UU’s goes like this:  “A UU meeting must seem strange to outsiders:  one person will speak and not say anything, nobody listens, and then everybody disagrees.”  Are we “for the birds”?  Or can we do better than that?

August 15^th

“eat, pray, love”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

In her book eat, pray, love, author Elizabeth Gilbert details her year of travel away from home in the U.S.:  eating in Italy, meditating in India, and seeking healing in Bali.  Given the self-absorption of all this navel-gazing, what tidbits can we learn when focusing our attentions inwardly?

[The movie of “eat, pray, love” opens this weekend.]

August 22^nd

“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.

August 29^th

“Cash and Contradiction”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Few figures in recent history are more representative of American identity than the late music icon, Johnny Cash.  In a new book called Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction: Christianity and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation, author Rodney Clapp calls for a truce in our culture wars.  We’ll explore some of the contradictions inherent in the intersections between democracy and religion, using Cash as the spokesperson for us common folks.

UU MOVIE NIGHT:  Saturday, August 7^th

 6:30 pm

“To Kill a Mockingbird”

This year, 2010, commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the publishing of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, considered by many to be the greatest American novel of the 20th Century.  The book won the Pulitzer Prize and the film (1962) starring Gregory Peck won 3 Academy Awards and is recognized as a cinematic masterpiece.  Running time is approx. 2 hours.  If you need childcare, please contact Linda Van Zandt by August 1^st so that nursery/other arrangements may be made.  Bring snacks for self and/or to share.  Questions?  Contact Janice Joiner.

Ed. note:   Since our minister is currently on vacation, here’s a reprint of his column from July 2006.

A First Glance

A couple of years ago, my father gave me the inheritance I’ve looked forward to most of my life – a century-old roll-top desk.  This desk had belonged to my great-great-grandfather when he was president of Fort Worth National Bank, one of the businesses he founded as Fort Worth was becoming a trading center on the Texas frontier. 

My father remembers the desk residing in the foyer of the bank when he was a little boy.  After I was born, my dad acquired the desk from other relatives and I remember it being a fixture in our home as I was growing up.  In fact, my dad was sitting at this desk sometime in the late 1950’s when I asked him if he could help me buy a book about model rocketry.  For some reason, he said yes.  I don’t know how much that act contributed to my pursuit of degrees in engineering, but I know it helped me feel loved in a special way.

This month, I pulled the desk out of our basement and began the process of refinishing it.  I know, I know – refinishing lessens the value of antiques.  But this desk had already been poorly “refinished” at some point; big drips of shellac marred the finish and made the roll top unusable.  I scrubbed and scrubbed the solid oak with a chemical refinisher that doesn’t so much remove the finish as blend it back into the surface of the wood.  The result is a piece of furniture that, when completely done, I will be proud to use as my father had done and as my great-great-grandfather had done before him.

As I scrubbed the surface of the desk and worked at blending the finishes into the wood, it occurred to me how like our religious tradition this desk is. 

The desk, and our traditions, are solid and substantial –  we can and should be proud, as I am of this desk, of the traditions handed down to us.  But sometimes we may find that it takes a little scrubbing to make them usable –  not everything we’ve inherited works for us the way we need it to in our own day and age.

It is, in the final analysis, up to us to polish our heritage for our use today and then, when the time comes, to let it go and hand it on to those who will come after us.

May we know when to scrub and polish, and when to let go.

See you in church,

4^th Saturday Lunch

August 28^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.

The 4^th Saturday Lunch program is now under the auspice of Food Ministries, headed by Kathryn Chapman.

Community

Outreach Offering

In August, the Community Outreach Offering will go to the Bay Area Food Bank.  Established in 1981 the Food Bank serves the Central Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.  This Food Bank, recommended by our local Sierra Club, has an increased need for financial support in their efforts to assist families directly affected by the loss of income

due to the oil spill disaster.  http://www.bayareafoodbank.org

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 to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of her birth.

Who was Margaret Fuller and why

are we celebrating her life?

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.  Every week the women discussed and explored topics of importance to them.

The Conversation Salon will be an opportunity for you to bring your questions, concerns, and hopes for yourself and your UU sisters.  Questions such as:

• What are we talking about, thinking about, reading about?
• What does women’s leadership look like today?
• How integrated are feminists into our religious movement?
• How does this all fit in with our individual spiritual journeys?

For more information about Margaret Fuller see the May 2010 issue of the UU World either in print or online, or watch a one-woman drama – “Men, Women, and Margaret Fuller” – presented this year at General Assembly at:

http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2010/ga2010/167322.shtml

Please let Janice Joiner know by August 11^th if you plan to attend the Salon.

Chalice 

              Circles

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

SATURDAY, August 14^th at church –

NOTE DATE AND TIME:  7 to 8:30 pm

At this evening meeting we’ll participate in the Margaret Fuller Conversation Salon organized by the Central Midwest District UU Women’s Connection.
All women are invited – RSVP to Janice Joiner.   Regular contact is Marcia Custer .

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

SUNDAY, August 15^th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at church.  
Contact Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson.

Belleville Chalice Circle

THURSDAY, August 19^th  – 7 pm at the home of Jan and Don Allen in Belleville.

Contact: Don or Jan.

Men's Chalice Circle

TUESDAY, August 24^th – 7 p.m. at church

Contact: Khleber Van Zandt.

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

Suggested donation to support this fundraiser: $5 for students; $10 for adults; or what you feel you can afford.  Childcare will be available.

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.

A Note of Appreciation

. . . To all those who helped with Nelson Shaner’s Memorial Service luncheon;

. . . To Willis McCoy for cutting down the overgrown sumac shrubs in the back yard of the church and working on eradicating the poison ivy growing along the park side the church;

.  .  . To Jen Politsch for serving as the lead teacher for the 1^st and 2^nd graders in the UCM Alton Area Cluster’s two week Summer Institute.  Mary Johnson volunteered as a teacher’s aide in Jen’s class.

.  .  . To Khleber Van Zandt and his son, John, for removing the wet carpets and rugs that were molding in the furnace area.  They also re-channeled the water coming off the steep hill to go around the stairwell instead of straight down into it.  Kris & Cheryle Tucker-Loewe offered their truck for hauling and disposing of the rugs.

The church is a story. It is the story of lives that are interwoven, brought together in this place and this time for the simple purpose of caring for one another, and helping one another along the arduous path from birth to death.      

–Victoria Weinstein

In an effort to provide for the pastoral care needs of our growing congregation, the Caring Ministries Committee works in conjunction with our Minister to help ensure that all of our members have someone available to them in times of need.  All church members are invited to contact any member of the committee in times of illness, loss, crisis, or other needs.  Also, you may hear from one of the committee members occasionally just so we can know how you’re doing.  Please know that anything you share with us is held in confidence unless you say it is okay for the information to be shared. 

Members of the Caring Ministries Committee are Marcia Custer, Sharon Johnson, Pat Moore, Ronnie Schoenborn, Cheryle Tucker-Loewe, Audrey & David Wiseman, and Khleber Van Zandt who, as our minister, is of course  available to all. 

So give one of us a call and let us know how you are doing.  And if you are interested in joining us in this rewarding work and developing your own strengths in pastoral care, please let one of us know that as well.

See you in church!

Cheryle Tucker-Loewe

The condolences of the congregation are extended to Sandy Shaner upon the death of her husband Nelson.   He passed away on June 25^th, one month short of his 77^th birthday.  A Memorial Service attended by Nelson’s extended family and friends was held at the church on July 11^th.  Nelson and Sandy joined our church in March of 2004.

~

Paula Moore Tarbell’s father, Charles Moore, died on July 2^nd in North Carolina.  Our sympathy goes out to Paula, Nathan and Lily as well as to the rest of Mr. Moore’s family.

~

Our congregation’s condolences are sent to the family of Georgiana Raygor of Belleville.  Mrs. Raygor, who died on July 9^th, came to services here regularly for several years until she became too fraile to attend.  She was a charter member of the Park Forest Unitarian Church in Park Forest, IL.

After a two-month break, the choir will resume regular rehearsals on the first, second and third Thursdays of each month at 7 pm.

 In August those dates will be August 5^th, August 12^th, and August 19^th.

If you enjoy singing, please consider coming to a rehearsal or two to learn how much fun we have and what a “joyful noise” we make.

Our choir director, Ken Hoeft, is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City music conservatory, as is our pianist, Joy Hoeft. 

For further information contact Willis McCoy.

In August we’ll be resuming our Pot Luck Lunches on the 4^th Sunday of each month.  So, on August 22^nd please plan to bring a dish to share and stay after services to enjoy food and fellowship.

Please bring something to serve 8 to 10 people and PLEASE help with either set-up or clean-up.  We don’t want anyone having to work alone in the kitchen doing dishes after everyone else has left.

A through Mc will do SET-UP

Me through Z will do CLEAN-UP

Treasurer’s Note

Total budgeted income for June 2010 was $11,017.73; this was 8.0% of our annual budget.  Total budgeted expenses for June 2010 were $11,745.15; this was 8.5% of our annual budget.

Well, the numbers are in!  We took in $135,412.46 and we spent $139,187.75 in 2009-2010. That leaves a deficit of $3,775.29 for this year and an accumulated deficit of $5,022.78 over the last four years.

Why did we have a deficit this year?  We spent more than we budgeted ($1,737.75) and we didn’t take in as much as we had budgeted for ($2,037.54). The expenses are easier to identify: among other things, B & G went over budget by $1,883 because of needed repairs for heating and cooling, and child care went over budget by $482 (also needed).  The last two items would have been worse if generous donors hadn’t made donations to support these activities.  

The income part is harder to pin down – but, basically pledges fell $6,000 short.  Many of the other income areas exceeded targets, but not enough to overcome a $6,000 shortfall.  We had already discounted our pledge target by 5%, so this shortfall was supposedly anticipated. Why did pledges fall short?  Perhaps it was the economic downturn.  Perhaps many of our members do not realize how much we depend on their paying their pledges to keep the church going. Perhaps some of them have not developed a practice of paying their pledge at regular intervals and when they finally get around to dealing with it, they find the balance too overwhelming to tackle.  My hope is that a few of those 28 people who did not pay all of their pledge will make some effort to catch up.

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 August – Atticus Rebmann (2005)

  3 August – Akilah Hudson (2002)

  3 August – Nan Adams

  4 August - Jim Elliott

  5 August - Emily Loucks (1995)

  6 August – Bob Copley

  7 August – Jack McCall

  7 August – Zoe Monroe (2001)

10 August – Lorna McElhone

10 August – Bev Carter

11 August – Robbie Reiheld (2004)

14 August – Lily Tade (1995)

16 August – Anna Whitaker (1996)

18 August – Matt Koch

23 August – Paul Hebert

24 August – Amelia McCarthy (1996)

25 August – Benjamin Diamond (2007)

27 August – Random Lee Kerbel (2002)

29 August – Corbin Prado (2005)

29 August – Marilyn Prado (2005)

Updates to Your Church Directory

Home addresses and phone numbers are not included in the online newsletter.

Jimmy Christodoulou

jchrist.1@att.net

Sandy Shaner

wrgma2@gmail.com

Please let the office know if you have an address change, new email address, or have a cell number that you want listed in the church directory.  The new directory will be printed the first part of September.  Send corrections to Becky at church@firstuualton.org

August RE Program News & Notes

Teaching Ministry —

Volunteers Sought for Fall Semester

The fall Religious Education (RE) Program semester runs from In-Gathering in September through the end of the calendar year.  Our Sunday morning RE program is an opportunity for children and adults to come together to share in exploration of our liberal religious heritage, our common values, and our individual journeys toward truth.  Our goal is to cultivate and sustain in our young people a love of the spiritual life, a foundation for a personal theology, and a confidence in their ability to be stewards of their own souls.

One of the vital components that makes First Unitarian a “special place,” the RE Program runs only by the dedication of volunteers who teach our children.  We have adopted team teaching consisting of at least four teachers per class.  To join a Team is a semester commitment.  The advantages of the team teaching approach as we see it are:

·          The adults on the team are able to attend worship services one or two Sundays a month and the children get to know more adults and share mutual interests and ideas with them.

·         New people can ease into teaching this way, without bearing the full responsibility for the class.

·         The team approach can adapt to those people who say they are willing to help, but do not want to lead, or they want to teach only every other Sunday, or just for a month at a time.

·         Working with a team is inspiring and builds friendships.

·         Can readily accommodate the need to find substitutes so that teachers can go hiking over the weekend, or visit relatives, or go to church without creating a big problem.

·         Can readily accommodate one child or a group of children who are demanding too much of the teacher's time and attention—a teammate will be able to deal with this situation without holding up the entire class.

Please consider signing up for this fall.  It takes a least 22 volunteers per semester to run our program.  We need at least five more teachers for this fall.  So far, the following people have agreed to teach this fall:

·         Spirit Play, Pre Kindergarten and Kindergarten - Amy McMurray;

·         1^st through 3^rd graders - Marty and Eric Johnson; Amanda Grippi

·         4^th through 6^th graders -Tracey Howe-Koch; Don Ingram; John Carpenter

·         Youth Group - Cathy Tade; Paula Tarbell

·         Substitutes -Sayer Johnson; Annie Morgan; Linda Van Zandt; Cheryle Tucker-Loewe; Mary Weber

To volunteer, please contact Steven Mead, Director of Religious Education (DRE).

Fall 2010 Religious Education Program

In order to insure that our children are well grounded in the many different aspects of our religious tradition, we have chosen three basic areas of religious education content that we want our children to become familiar with.  We call these areas Pillars.  On an annual basis, we rotate the focus of our instruction from one pillar to the next.  Using this approach, our children can build on what they have already learned, without structured learning becoming obviously repetitive.

This fall we switch our “Pillar” from Unitarian Universalist Heritage to World Religions and Wisdom Traditions.  This pillar explores many sacred and secular sources from which Unitarian Universalism draws from and is informed by.  This includes familiarity with Jewish and Christian scriptures and stories, how these stories came to be written, and what they teach us about living in today’s world.  Curricula may include basic tenets of the faith, symbols, events, people, rituals, and for older children, the differences and similarities to other religions.  Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are included as are Chinese and Japanese religions, and Native/Earth centered religions.  Here is what is planned:

Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten ages continue with Spirit Play by Nita Penfeld, 2008; http://www25.uua.org/lreda/content/Spirit%20Play%20Brochure.pdf

First through third grades begin with Picture Book of World Religions by Kate Tweedi Erslev, 2006; http://www.uure.com/picturebooksWR.html#anchor_12880

Fourth through sixth grades begin with Spirit Play Holidays and Holydays; by Nita Penfeld, 2008; http://www.spiritplay.net/HolidaysHolydaysforSpiritPlay.html

The Youth Group grades 7-12 continues a self-directed program which may include a variety of curricula—but one that is particularly appropriate to our studies this year is Sacred Threads—Asian Religions by Jeff Liebman, 2004, http://www.pitt.edu/~jdl1/UUcurric.htm#Sacred%20Threads

Steven Mead, DRE

Anna Ds

Women’s Alliance

The Anna Ds will not meet in July and August. 

Church women are invited to attend the Margaret Fuller Conversation Salon on Saturday, August 14^th from 7 to 8:30 pm

Spiral Scouts

Men’s Lunch Group

The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, August 12^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.