ONE WORSHIP SERVICE:   June through September 2 – 10:00 am

Join us each Sunday at 10:00 am

August 5, 2012

“It's Not That Easy”

Steven Mead, Director of Religious Education

So there I was minding my own business when. . .

August 12, 2012

“How Far Our Reach?”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

The 6th Principle of the Unitarian Universalist Association states that our congregations “affirm and promote the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.”  What would such a world community look like?  And how on earth do we include “all”?

August 19, 2012

“Sunday, Bloody Sunday”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

It’s been 40 years since the day known as Bloody Sunday, when members of the British Army shot twenty-six unarmed protestors in the Bogside neighborhood of Derry, Northern Ireland.  Fourteen died;  deep wounds remain.  This Sunday:  a travelogue, and hope for the future.

August 26, 2012

“Gandhi’s in Heaven”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Mega-church pastor Rob Bell ignited a firestorm on the Christian right a couple of years ago when he came to the same conclusion that our Universalist forebears did:  everybody gets to go to heaven, even a Hindu like Gandhi.  We’ll see why this is an important debate in our culture.

Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle

Every 3^rd Saturday.

Saturday , August 18 at Princivalli’s Café (3^rd and Henry Sts. in Alton) 11:30 a.m. Parking is on Henry at the side or on the other side of the restaurant.  This lot must be entered from 4th Street.   Contact Beth Bourland for further information.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Every 3^rdSunday.

Sunday, AUGUST 19 from 11:15 to 12:30 pm in Emerson Place at Church.
Contact: Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson.

The GLBT Chalice Circle

The last Sunday of the month.

Sunday, AUGUST 26 at 11:15 am. Contact Staci Bratten.

A First Glance

     If you’re flying into Phoenix’s PHX headed for downtown, you can either pay twenty bucks for a shuttle or plunk down $2 for the mass-transit rail line.

     Being frugal, you decide on the $2 option and then find that you can’t take the Metro directly; you have to get a bus from the airport over to the Metro station.  Once there, you find the ticket machine, insert your card, take your ticket, and head to the platform.

     After only a few minutes of standing out in the early morning above-90-already heat, a big, shiny train pulls up and you follow the locals onto a clean, new car with plenty of empty seats.  Some seats are reserved for the elderly and infirm, which should be obvious, but you don’t see the signs telling you until you’ve unknowingly taken a reserved seat and struggled to get your luggage into a slot between your seat and a railing.

     A man seated next to the railing in a wheelchair barely glances your way and mumbles what you guess must be the local version of “Hi.”  Absent-mindedly, you respond in your best drawl, “Hey.  Wha’sup?”  He looks surprised, his eyes brighten, and he raises his head in yet another form of greeting between strangers on public transit.  You look around, read that you are in fact in a reserved seat, and then realize he’s talking to you again.

     “Where you comin’ from?” he asks.  “Saint Louis,” you say.  “Why you here?” he probes, and you feel your defenses rise ever so slightly.  “Working downtown,” you stammer.  Wanting not to appear unfriendly, you continue, “You stay around here?”  To which he retorts, “Yeah, since I got outta prison last month.  Sister died while I was inside so now I don’t got nowhere to go.”

     “Guess they didn't let you out to visit your sister,” you say.  He gives you one of those looks.  “Guess when you're inside, they don't care about stuff like that.”  “They don't care about nothing when you're inside.”  (He uses a more colorful phrase than this, and you know you’ll have to report a tamer version.)

     "So how you staying' alive?" you ask.  He pauses, "Okay, you asked, and I’ll keep it real - I admit it, I'm a panhandler.  I ask people for help and some of 'em give it.  Not everybody, but some."

     A voice comes over the speaker announcing a stop and the man says, "Well, this is me," and starts to roll away.  You offer a fist to bump and so does he but it gets confused and becomes a full-blown, overhanded, finger-lock handshake held aloft for all to see in the aisle of a Phoenix public transit train.

     And as he rolls out the door, you realize you've been touched by a man in a way many people never allow themselves to experience.

See you in church,

Medical Mission to Guatemala

Once again church member Mona Hebert will be going on a medical mission trip to Guatemala from August 4 – 12.  Last year they saw about 850 patients and this year they have added a dentist and a nephrologist to their team so they hope to be able to care for about 1000 patients.  For hygienic purposes, they want to be able to give person or every family toothbrushes, a large tube of toothpaste, and soap.  Mona would greatly appreciate any contributions of toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap.  If members of the church would prefer to give her money, she will purchase these items from Dollar Tree stores.

Mona and the people of Guatemala thank you!

Riverbender.com Community Center

Game Day Luncheon

Some of our church members have been actively supporting the Riverbender.com Community Center’s expansion into adult social activities.   Part of the focus is the monthly (3^rd Tuesday) Game Day Luncheon.

The Center has been helpful to our Homeowners Support Network, volunteering space for meeting with clients and displaying brochures.   You can help support the Center’s expansion by attending the Game Day Buffet Luncheon on August 21.   It’s $5.00 per person.   The Game Day hours are from 10 am to 2 pm, and the Center is located at 200 W. 3^rd St. in Alton.

You may make your lunch reservation by calling the Center at 618-465-9850 or by emailing Marcia Custer or by calling Lucy Bouton.

August 25

Work Day

There’s always outdoor work to be done around the church.   Join us on Saturday, August 25^th from 9 am to noon to lend a hand, and stay for the 4^th Saturday Lunch.

Bring gloves and personal yard tools if you have them.

Most people enjoy getting a card, 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.

8/03    Nan Adams

8/03    Mike Bechtol

8/03    Akilah Hudson, (10)

8/04    Jim Elliott

8/05    Erin Vigneau Dimick

8/07    Zoe Christodoulou Monroe, (11)

8/07    Jack McCall

8/10    Lorna McElhone

8/11    Robbie Reiheld, (8)

8/13    Edward Navarre

8/14    Lily Tade, (17)

8/15    Isis Payne, (8)

8/16    Anna Whitaker, (16)

8/18    Matt Koch

8/23    Paul Hebert

8/23    Kingston Sellitto-Brehm, (4)

8/24    Amelia McCarthy, (16)

8/25    John Barbeau

8/29    Eliot Bailey, (8)

    Don’t Forget the

                   Book Sale Shelf!

There’s lots of good fiction and non-fiction available on the Book Sale shelf.  Buy yourself some summer reading and add to the church’s coffers.

Also – don’t forget to check out the church library for a variety of titles dealing with religion and spirituality.

Fifty-Plus (50+) Forum

1^st Saturday of each month

The Fifty Plus Club will meet at church at 10:30 am in the Wuerker Room on August 4th. Dee Evans will be our speaker. Dee will speak on the subject of happiness.

She says about her research on the subject, "Research was done worldwide on happiness. My presentation will discuss the research and how it applies to us living in the U.S. in this area. It will also address what we can and what we cannot change relating to happiness. The presentation will be informal despite discussing research."

All over 50 are invited to attend this meeting and join us for lunch afterwards at a local restaurant.

Men’s Lunch Group

2^nd Thursday of each month

The Men's Lunch Group will meet on Thursday, August 9 at 11:30 am at a new buffet luncheon location, named Best Buffet & Grill at 615 Wesley Dr. Wood River IL. The previous meeting place, St. Louis Buffet, is no longer in business. The Best Buffet is located in a strip mall across the street from the previous meeting place.

Contact Dick Blanton for further details.   All Men in our Church Family are invited!

Spiral Scouts

Friday evenings from 6 to 8 pm

Spiral Scouts will meet every Friday evening this summer from 6 to 8 pm. 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.

Choir Rehearsals in August

The choir will resume rehearsals in August.   The dates are:

Sunday, August 5                           11:30 am to 12:30 pm

Thursday, August 9, 16 & 23         7:00 to 8:30 pm

We enjoy having new voices join us, so think about making the choir part of your spiritual practice!        For further information contact Willis McCoy or Joy Hoeft.

Note of Thanks.....

Janice Joiner expresses deep appreciation for all expressions of comfort and sympathy on the death of her mother. Your thoughts, prayers, and condolences were all much needed and appreciated. Thanks, also, to Eric Johnson for spreading the word to her church family.

Worship Associates

Have you wanted to share in bringing new perspectives to Sunday morning worship?  Are you interested in the “nitty gritty” of worship service planning [finding liturgists, guest speakers, guest musicians, ushers, greeters, or being filling one or more of those roles yourself]?

On the other hand, perhaps your interest is more holistic, and you would enjoy a deeper study of what happens (emotionally, spiritually, intellectually) during worship, and how to make those experiences more meaningful to yourself and the congregation. 

Either way, you are invited to explore a new vision of worship through joining the Worship Associates.  The introductory meeting will be at church on Wednesday, August 8, at 7 pm. 

Please contact:

Eric Johnson or Mary Johnson or Khleber Van Zandt for further information.
Please let one of us know if you are interested in attending this introductory meeting.

4^th Saturday Lunch – August 25

Trish Botsko is the 4^th Saturday Lunch Coordinator

There will be a “food needed” signup sheet in the Kate Wuerker Room.  Please contribute something to the meal and stay to share lunch with our guests.

Helping at our 4^th Saturday Lunch is a way you can contribute your time and talent and also share life stories with our guests whom you might otherwise never meet.

At these lunches we also give out personal care items such as toilet paper, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, etc.  Please donate some of these basic need items.  Sabrina Trupia collects and organizes the personal care items.

Community Outreach Offering

If you have a suggestion about an organization we should support with our Community Outreach Offering in the new church year please contact Cheryle Tucker-Loewe, our Social Justice Chair.

August’s COO will go to Khasi Hills group  This is the forth year we are supporting two Unitarian students in the Khasi Hills in India further their secondary school and college education. We are committed to paying $600 per year to cover educational expenses for these young people.

Voter Registration Drive

The United Congregations of the Metro East Alton Cluster is sponsoring a voter registration drive. People from our church who have attended the meetings on this are Jennifer Lewis, Brenda Collman, Mary Weber, Trish Botsko, Layne Simpson, Spiral Blanton, Sarah Lazarz, and Brynda and Willis McCoy.  These people have all been deputized as registrars and are able to register any Illinoisan otherwise qualified to vote. If any of our members and friends need that service, any of these people can do that. Some are going out door to door in neighborhoods with particularly low voter participation and others are working events and going to places such as the food pantry and places where disenfranchised people are likely to be found. We will have one or more of us at each 4th Saturday Lunch for example. If anyone has suggestions of other places or events that would be good to include in this effort to register voters, please contact any of these deputy registrars.

Newcomer Party

Save the Date ~ Sept. 15 7:00 – 9:00 pm

     We will be having a very casual get together to welcome our most recent Newcomers.  It will be a Pajama Party, with late night snacks, pajama games, and an evening serenade. Bring a snack to share, BYOB, and BYO pillow or stuffed animal.  We'll also have care and fun for the very young ones, so bring the whole family.

Below is the current list of members of the Caring Ministries Committee.   You may always contact one of them in time of illness, loss, crisis, or other need.   Keep this list of contact people available in case you or your family is in need of pastoral support.

Staci Bratten
East Alton, IL.  62024
sabrat10@gmail.com

Board Meeting Update

Once upon a time (or so I've heard) the Board sent its minutes to the newsletter so everyone could know its activities.  And then, the story goes that nobody wanted all that information in that form.  So, as the newest Board member, I'm going to give it another go, send some notes to the newsletter and see how you like it.  This means I need feedback in the form of the like/don't like/want/don't want variety. So here goes.

The Board met on 7/9 to pass the gavel from Sayer Johnson to Marty Johnson for the coming fiscal year. Here's a summary of what we did the rest of the evening.

-- Set the calendar to meet at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Monday of each month in the Wuerker Room.

-- Reviewed the Treasurer's report and discussed the fact that the Church ran a $5,000 deficit for the fiscal year that ended last month which rolled up with prior years' deficits to total around $15,000 over the last few years. As a result, we talked about Stewardship Committee, fundraising, cash flow analyses, ideas to help people stay abreast of their pledges (or understand if they can't), etc., etc., etc.

-- Reviewed the Minister's Report and Committee Reports and, building on progress with both systems over the last few years, decided that we want to focus on

what the committees have done,

what they're going to do, and

whether they need help with anything.

-- We further agreed with the Construction Committee's recommendation that Capital Campaign activities -- for now -- be funded from cash on hand rather than securing any loan or line of credit. At some future point we may want to change that recommendation, but that's where we are -- for now.

-- Spiral also led a discussion of potential participation in the Alton Street Bazaar, and we agreed it was a good outreach effort if enough volunteers helped with the effort.

Now it's your turn: let me know if this helps you know what the Board is doing and if you have questions about this report or any other Board matter.

Sandy Shaner

July RE Program News & Notes

Summer RE Program Calendar

Summer program continues through September 2

·         Grades 1-6 — Keepers of the Earth July 15-Sep 2 — A Native American look at the nature of earth and human society; 10 a.m., in the Emerson Place Room, led by Steven Mead, DRE

·         Pre K-K — Spirit Play July 15-Sep 2.  Several times during the summer, we will offer Spirit Play led by Amelia McCarthy.  Watch the weekly church announcements e-mail for which weeks.

·         Youth Group does not plan to meet during the summer

·         Nursery care is provided all summer long

2012-2013 Teaching — Participate on First Unitarian’s Teaching Ministry Team

The religious education of the children and youth in our church school is the responsibility of the entire congregation.  This cooperative concept implies that everyone is invested in a commitment to excellence in religious education — the nurturing of young minds and sacred souls.  Teachers are supported throughout the year by materials, curriculum, staff, and fellow teachers.  Deepen your relationship to one another, to our community, and your faith experience.  With a full complement of teachers (around 30+), teaching is a commitment of about 12-15 Sundays out of 52.  There are many gaps yet to fill for next year.  To volunteer, put your name on the sign-up sheets in the Kate Wuerker Room or contact Steven Mead, Director of Religious Education (DRE).

Coming of Age

Coming of Age (COA) helps youth discern for themselves what it means to live a life of faith, individually and as part of the larger Unitarian Universalist faith community.  It involves individual activities, community service, family participation, and working with a mentor.  This program initiates a process of life-long learning and promotes right relationship with one’s self, with others, and with the wider world.  This individualized program is for 8^th-10^th grade youth.  We will offer COA this year, beginning in August and ending in April.  The program ends with participating youth delivering a personal Credo during Youth Sunday next spring.  Interested youth and mentors should contact Steven Mead, DRE.

Steven Mead, DRE

314.239.5694 (cell)

dre@firstuualton.org