Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

September 2 - Labor Day Weekend

“Memento Mori: Life and Death, Moment by Moment”

Janet Grace Riehl

Remember the moment of life in order to remember the moment of death.  Remember to remember to remember.  Having “Memento Mori” in our lives frees us from grasping, helps us recognize and even welcome the workings of impermanence.  Janet will read from her book “Sightlines: a Poet’s diary” as part of her talk along with brief musical interludes. 

Janet Riehl is an award-winning author, artist, musician, performer and creativity coach.  Her poems, stories, and essays have been widely published in national literary magazines and anthologies.  Janet is related to Diane Thompson’s family as the sister of Diane’s mother, Julia Thompson.  Janet’s blog “Riehl Life: Village Wisdom for the 21^st Century” is at www.riehlife.com

September 9 - Ingathering Sunday

- an Intergenerational Service

From Liquor to Liturgy, or Prayer to Pilsner:

Natural Responses to Impending Doom

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

We hear of drinkers sobering up when faced with life-threatening circumstances; likewise, there are those pious among us who run for a drink when things don’t go well.   When catastrophe strikes, many turn from their normal pursuits to seek solace in supposedly salvific activities.   But we should be living this day as if it were our last.

September 16

By Faith Made Strong

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

This is the second of an intermittent series of sermons based on the lyrics of some of our best-loved hymns.  This one comes from #1 in our hymnal, May Nothing Evil Cross This Door.  Once known as Prayer for This House, the hymn asks for shelter from the storms of life and safety for those gathered together with us in faith.

September 23

 Necessary, but Deadly

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

In her novel, A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley tells the story of a family closely connected to a particular piece of farmland.  Many of our spiritual leaders preach that connecting too closely to ‘things’ is spiritually problematic.  What happens when the connections we most desperately need become the vehicle of our demise?

September 30, 2007

How Open the Hearts, How Open the Minds?

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

One of the signs we hang on the front of the church reads, “The Church of Open Hearts and Open Minds.”  Are you inspired or challenged by that statement?  How true is it in your experience?  What can we do to live out those words in the larger community?

John Crawford is the new Chair of the Adult Religious Enrichment (A.R.E.) Committee.  He writes, “Starting in September a revised Adult Religious Enrichment program will be instituted.  Our primary objective is the exploration of issues related to Social Justice with additional emphasis on spiritual development and current affairs.”

September 2^nd – 9:30 a.m. – Forum:  A discussion of current affairs and the impact of economic policy. 

September 9^th – 9:30 a.m. – Environmental Studies Series.  This is the first Sunday of this series.  Over the next months we will be reading and discussing the book Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben.  We will explore the impact of resource depletion and global warming and support participants as they attempt to resolve these seemingly insurmountable problems both individually and as a church community.

September 16^th – 9:30 a.m. – Social Justice Series.  Ongoing discussion of the book Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment in a Complex World.  Copies of the book are available in the church library.  We will be reading and discussing p. 80 - 124.

September 23^rd – 9:30 a.m. – Environmental Studies Series.  Ongoing discussion of the book Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future.

September 30^th – 9:30 a.m. – Forum:  A current affairs program.

October will introduce additional concurrent Adult Religious Enrichment programs starting with “Everything You Want to Know about Welcoming Congregations.”  This will be your opportunity to find out what it means to be in a “Welcoming Congregation.”

If you have ideas or suggestions about the A.R.E. program this year, please contact John Crawford at jghist@charter.net.  People interested in serving on the A.R.E. Committee are also asked to contact John.

A First Glance

As people were leaving the sanctuary after a recent worship service, one of our members stopped to offer a bit of constructive criticism.  It was obvious he was a little uncomfortable saying so, but he’d noticed a problem with either my voice, the sound system, or both, and wanted to make sure I took note of the issue.  I had noticed it, too, and told him I appreciated his comment very much and that I would do what I could to make sure the problem didn’t happen again.

The only way we can improve how we do things is to:  1) do them, 2) critique what happened, and 3) find a way to do better next time.  A critical step in this process is the critique - if we don’t notice that anything is wrong, we won’t know to fix it.

The Board of Trustees this year is reviewing the formal governance structures of the church.  As time goes on, we may need to reorganize some of the communication channels we use to run the programs we provide.  However, these formal reporting structures are just a part of the communications that need to flow through and around the congregation - there are many informal links that we use everyday to pass information along to each other.

The member’s comment after the worship service is just one example of the kind of informal communication that we need to maintain a healthy organization.  Other examples include conversations of all sorts - before church, during coffee hour, at committee meetings.  Every week, I get informal e-mails and phone calls and cards and letters letting me know about something that’s happening or how someone feels about some facet of church life.  These messages are indispensable in keeping me abreast of how things are going with individuals and groups and programs. 

Almost all of what I hear is said with the best of intention and with a real concern for the life of the church and for the lives of church members.  Once in a great while, though, one might hear something that is mean-spirited or that borders on personal attack; I consider these kinds of communications, at best, unhelpful and, at worst, dangerous to our community.

The health of our church depends on us being honest and forthright with each other, fulfilling our covenant to honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  When we remember to use love as the basis of all we do, our lives and the lives of our institutions will be truly blessed.

See you in church,

              In sympathy

The Rev. Martha Newman, our minister from 1986 to 1993, has died in Skowhegan Maine after a brief illness at the age of 84.   Martha retired to Maine in 1993 to be closer to her daughter, and once there served several churches, including five years at the Universalist Church of Houlton, Maine.  She received her Master’s of Theology from Eden Seminary in the early 1980s and started her ministerial career in Iowa and then became an Extension Minister, splitting her time between Emerson Chapel in St. Louis County and our church.  Later she moved to Alton and became solely our minister.   Friends may make donations in her memory to the Universalist Church of Houlton (61 Military St., Houlton ME 04730) or to the Nature Conservancy (4245 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203).

CHOIR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

Rehearsals will be at 7 p.m. on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of each month and at 12 noon (or there abouts) on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of each month.

September’s rehearsals:

Sept. 6

Sept. 9

Sept. 20

Sept. 23

Contact Willis McCoy for further information.

wbmccoy@charter.net

Men’s Lunch Group

The Men’s Lunch Group is starting up again.  The first get-together will on September 6^th at 11:30 a.m. at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr. in Wood River.  It’s near the new Wal-Mart.  Contact Nelson Shaner nshaner@charter.net for further information or directions.

CRISIS FOOD CENTER

When you do your weekly grocery shopping, please remember to pick up some non-perishable food items to add to the Alton Crisis Food Center donation basket in the RE Foyer.  Wayne and Jen Politsch make sure the food donated is taken to the Center regularly.

August’s Community Outreach Offering from the 2^nd and 4^th Sunday collection was donated to the Crisis Food Center.

Chalice Circles

The LGBT Chalice Circle

(Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered)

Sunday, August 26 at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO (after summer service).  Please email Layne3030@hotmail.com if you have questions, need directions, etc.

Women’s Chalice Circle

Saturday, September 15 – 3 to 5 p.m. in Emerson Place

Contact:  Marcia Custer mcuster@siue.edu

Third Sunday Chalice Circle (note name change)

Sunday, September 16 – 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Contact:  Sandy Shaner sarapolarbear@hotmail.com

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Sunday, September 16 – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in Emerson Place.

Contact: Cheryle Tucker-Loewe chtucke@siue.edu  or Diane Thompson dianeelizabeththompson@gmail.com

Men's Chalice Circle

Tuesday, September 25 – 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Emerson Place

Contact:  Khleber Van Zandt kvanzandt@uuma.org

SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVITY

What:  “Walk for Mental Health” – fundraiser sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Madison County

When: Saturday, September 22^nd

Where: Tri-Township Park in Troy Illinois –

Pavilion #1

What time:  Check-in begins at 9 a.m. –

Walk begins at 10 a.m.

Walk route:  The trail is approximately 2

miles long – walk as far or as little as you’d like.

Contact:  Ruth Maskow –atruemiracle@yahoo.com

A signup sheet with further information and a donation container will be available at church.  NAMI will provide a free tee-shirt to those who sign up before September 10^th and a picnic lunch will be provided for all registered walkers.

Car-pooling to Troy can be arranged if desired.

Statistics indicate that one out of four people in America will suffer some form of mental illness in their lifetime.  You or a family member or a friend may know what it means to be in that 25% of the population.  Families may first turn to their church congregations and clergy for support when struggling with mental health issues, but often the stigma of being labeled makes people reluctant to ask for help.  The annual NAMI walk is to raise both money and awareness regarding the need for treatment and to rid the stigma that goes with brain disorders.

Anna D. Sparks

Women’s Alliance

Thursday, September 6^th at

Joan Hashimi’s home in Edwardsville. Nancy Sakaluski will co-host.

Contact Joan by September 3^rd to RSVP and for directions.  Her email is jhashimi@sbcglobal.net.

“Thank You” to everyone who contributed school supplies and cash in July to help youngsters in Alton with their back to school needs.   Our donations were taken to the Deliverance Temple Church of God in Christ to help fill 336 backpacks with all the necessities of starting back to school.  The woman in charge of the program at Deliverance Temple was very appreciative our assistance.  The Back Pack giveaway activity was written up in the Alton Telegraph and mention was made of our church’s contribution.

4^th Sunday

Sunday Potluck Lunch

September 23^rd

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.

Community

Outreach Offering

The collection on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays will be given away to charitable causes. The money donated will not include pledge checks or monies otherwise earmarked by the giver.  It will only include “cash offerings” or checks indicating that they are to be included in the donated funds.  

The Community Outreach Offering for September will be given to the Oasis Women’s Center in Alton.   Since it was founded in 1979, our church members have been involved in serving on the Oasis Board, working with the women and children, and volunteering at the Oasis Caravan Thrift Shop.

Oasis provides emergency shelter and services for battered women and their children. Usually 8 to 10 women and their children are at the Center at any one time.   Very generally speaking,   a woman’s average stay at the Center is one month, although each situation is unique and some may stay just overnight or a few days while others may spent several months.   The Center provides clothing for women and children who may arrive with only what they are wearing.   It provides emergency food and medicines.   Trained child advocates work with children staying at the Oasis span style='font-size: 10.5pt'> Center to meet their temporary educational needs and special needs that come about from living with or experiencing violence in their family home.   The center makes available a community referral system whereby access is available to lawyers, doctors, counselors, family education programs, and all areas where professional assistance is needed.

In speaking with Margarette Trushel, the Center’s Director, about a specific use for our Community Outreach Offering, she said that a great need was for funding to purchase prescription medicine and over-the-counter medicine for the women and children.  Usually when a woman leaves home in a crisis situation she is not thinking about bringing medicines with her.  So, the collection on the September 9^th and 23^rd will be earmarked for that need.

In addition, donations of liquid laundry detergent, diapers (any size), alarm clocks and towels and washcloths are always needed.   A donation box will be available in the RE foyer during September if you want to contribute any of those items.

Volunteers are also needed.  The Caravan Thrift Shop needs workers to spend 4 hours per month in the shop.   If you are interested in working with the women and children a training program of 40 hours is required.   For information about these or other volunteer activities with Oasis call 618-465-1978.

From the Treasurer …

Our church has begun to benefit financially from our participation in a program called “eScrip.”  This is a program in which Schnucks supermarkets donate from 1% to 3% of our home grocery purchases directly to our church. 

All you have to do is to pick up a free eScrip card from the Customer Service counter at your local Schnucks store.  Then go online to register your card and designate First Unitarian Church of Alton, ID # 164501344, to receive the donated percentage. (There are several “First Unitarian Churches” participating in this nationwide program so just enter the Alton zip code [62002] and search on that). If you do not have internet access call

1-800-931-6258 to register by phone.

Then, whenever your make a purchase at Schnucks, give your eScrip card to the cashier before you pay.

Currently our church has 34 people signed up for eScrip with Schnucks.  For the last two months we have received more than $50 per month from this program.  With more participants, the donations would increase.  So, if you shop at Schnucks, please consider participating in this program.

Macy’s is also starting a similar program with eScrip.   All you need do is go online and register your Macy’s card or Macy’s Visa card or call

1-800-254-5404 to register by phone.

Jerry Johnson

RE ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Please stop by the Book Hutch to see what is new.

2. Ink jet printer cartridges can be recycled by putting them

in the basket in RE foyer.

3. The Heifer International Summer Reading Program ends this month.

Have you made your pledge yet?

4. View www.chalicesetc.com for UU related items.                     

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

  1 September – Bill Fischer

  1 September – David Birchmier

  3 September – Jim Moore

  4 September – Elizabeth Leavell

10 September – Denise Maxwell

10 September – Mary Lu McManus

10 September – Roger Thorogood

13 September – Phil Finley

13 September – Bette Yakubian

14 September – Mona Hebert

14 September – Jackson Smithe (2004)

15 September – David Charlton

16 September – Janice Joiner

19 September – Jen Politsch

20 September – David Kraus

20 September – David Stacy

23 September – Matt Hallett

29 September – Camille Alton (1997)

RE NEWS

This is a very busy time of year for anyone with children.  School is starting, RE classes are starting again, and many other extra-curricular activities are starting at this time.  Our children will be spending more time away from us, some of them for the first time in their lives.  The safety of our children needs to be on our minds at this time of year.

I would encourage all of you to take this time of year as an opportunity to speak with your children about safety issues.  Do they know that it is not okay to talk to adults that they do not know?  Do they know the difference between secrets that are between school friends and secrets that are never okay to keep?  Do they know their own home phone number?  Do they know cell phone numbers?  This can be overwhelming to think about, but know that you are not alone.  We have many parent resources available in the RE library.  

You should also know what we are doing about safety in our church family.  We require that all teachers and youth mentors sign a code of ethics statement for working with children.  We also do routine back ground checks of adults that are working with children.  We do not have any identifying pictures of children up in the building.  We also have a fire safety plan posted on each level of the building as well as first aid kits, and there are flashlights in each classroom.

The safety of our children is always on my mind whenever we are planning new programming for the year.  If you are interested in knowing more about our safety policies or have any concerns, please feel free to speak to me directly about them.   Children are our most precious natural resource.  If we do not protect them, who will?

Thank you,

Jamie Gross, Director of Religious Education