Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

November 4^th

Theodore Parker’s Pistol

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Transcendentalist Unitarian minister Theodore Parker’s raspy personality and radical abolitionist stances were too much for most Unitarians in the time before the American Civil War.  In our time, would you see anything wrong with my keeping a pistol on my desk as I prepare sermons?

November 11^th  –  Veterans Day 

Those Who Fought

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Flags fly on Veterans Day, but the war in Iraq makes it difficult for many to wave the flag very high.   War is never good - it is chaos and violence, death and destruction.   And no one knows this better than a veteran.   This Sunday we will honor those who’ve served in our armed services.

November 18^th   –   Thanksgiving Bread Communion   –
 An intergenerational worship service 

Together at the Table

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

At the first Thanksgiving, people came together from different traditions to share a meal.  Our traditional Bread Communion offers us a time to share our gifts around a common table filled with the bread of many peoples.  Special music by Judy Lindquist, Jim Connolly, and others.

Please bring a small loaf of bread from your particular tradition, family or personal, to share during Bread Communion at this intergenerational worship service.

November 25^th

If UUs Printed Money, Whose Face

Would Be On It?

The Youth Advisory Group

It has been said that much is expected of those to whom much has been given.  That abundance becomes our responsibility, to share with all who call this earth home.  Come and celebrate our spirit of generosity as our new Youth Advisory Group leads the congregation into a day of awareness, experiencing what it means to give to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

November 4^th – Forum – “Thinking about Life after Death” – Presenter:  Dr. Ronald Glossop

November 11^th – To Be Announced
November 18^th – To Be Announced
November 25^th – To Be Announced

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 help all of us at First Church care for and minister to one another, the Member and Growth Committees are in the process of establishing Pastoral Care Teams.  The purpose of the teams is three-fold:

1.                     To check on one another if someone is not at church for an extended period of time.

2.                    To provide cards, calls, food, etc. in times of serious illness or life crisis.

3.                   To provide all members someone to call in addition to the minister when they experience illness, loss, or crisis.

Someone from your Pastoral Care Team will contact you soon in order to begin the process of helping everyone on your team to connect with one another.   There is a list of all the Teams and their members on the kiosk in the Kate Wuerker Room.   If you or someone you know is not listed, please contact Cheryle Tucker-Loewe so that this error can be remedied as soon as possible. 

A First Glance

It was mid-October.   The spray from the stormy surf of Lake Michigan soaked the sand and rocks on the beach as well as the jacket I had put on for the first time this autumn.   The UU Ministers’ Association retreat in Racine, Wisconsin, was to begin later that morning, so I took an early opportunity to stroll down to the water’s edge to see the sights, listen to the gulls, and breathe the cold, wet air blowing in off the great lake.

My ministers’ group has met each fall the past few years at this same retreat center run by Dominican nuns.  Apparently the program the ministers have usually chosen is quite intellectual in nature, but this year we were set to explore something different.  On the list of activities were offerings like Spirituality in Prayer, Relational Spirituality, and Embodied Spirit: Music as Spiritual Practice.

Sounded like a lot of spirit to me!  Of course I knew we would also take time to talk about other things - church administration issues, staffing questions, physical plant problems, as well as taking time to renew both old and emerging friendships.  But the bulk of the program was definitely going to be spiritual in nature.  And I guess I needed that more than I thought.

First off, we practiced Centering Prayer, a method of meditation designed to clear the mind and allow access to the deeper places of our being.  Then we discussed the possibility of finding the spiritual in relationship, not just as minister-to-minister, though that happened to be our focus.  Later, we sang together and played instruments and listened for the movement of the spirit in those activities.

You might suppose that these are strange things for UU ministers to involve themselves with.  Most of those at the gathering, however, thought we were just in time, if not a little late, in addressing these subjects. 

It was the mystic Thomas Merton who said, “At the center of our being is a point of nothingness … which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will.  This little point of nothingness … is the pure glory of God in us.”  Before we can become aware of this point at the center, we must confront and get beyond our own busy minds.  To paraphrase more of Merton, only in a desert of emptiness can the fear of death and the need for self-affirmation be seen as illusory; it is only there that one begins to realize that the emptiness is full and that the darkness is light. 

Wishing you fullness, light, and many more realizations,

Do You Enjoy Singing?

How About Singing in the Church Choir?

CHOIR PRACTICE SCHEDULE

You don’t have to be able to attend each choir practice to join the choir. Practice is held at 7 p.m. on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of each month and at 12 noon on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of each month.  

November’s rehearsals:

Thurs., November 1^st

Sun., November 11^th

Thurs., November 15^th

Sun., November 25^th

Contact Willis McCoy for further information.

wbmccoy@charter.net

Chalice Circles

The GLBT Chalice Group will be meeting the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays after church at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO.  Lunch is at 12:15 p.m. at Kaldis on Lindbergh, near Eliot Chapel.  The Chalice Group meets at the Chapel from 1:15 to 3:15 p.m.  Contact Layne Simpson layne3030@hotmail.com for more information.

Renegade Women

Saturday, November 17^th – 3 to 5 p.m. at Church

Contact:  Marcia Custer mcuster@siue.edu.

The Saturday afternoon Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle invites all who may seek lively fellowship to join us.  We rotate session leadership and topics have included general organization, two book discussions, an afternoon of poetry, exploring the development of deeper listening skills, and sharing favorite holiday memories; all within the context of getting to know each other more intimately.

Third Sunday Chalice Circle

Sunday, November 18^th – 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Church

Contact:  Sandy Shaner sarapolarbear@hotmail.com

This is a “general” chalice circle welcoming all.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Sunday, November 18^th – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in Emerson Place at Church

Contact: Cheryle Tucker-Loewe chtucke@siue.edu

or Diane Thompson dianeelizabeththompson@gmail.com

Men's Chalice Circle

Tuesday, November 27^th – 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Emerson Place at Church.

Contact:  Khleber Van Zandt kvanzandt@uuma.org

Central Midwest District (CMwD)

Board Meeting

Cheryle Tucker-Loewe is a trustee-at-large on the Board of the Central Midwest District of the UUA.  The District Board will meeting at our church on Nov. 16 - 17.  The CMwD is one of 20 districts working to further liberal religious values as part of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The district covers all or part of five states – Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan and Indiana – and serves nearly 80 congregations with over 12,000 members. 

St. Louis Area Unitarian Universalist (SLAUUC) Meeting on November 17^th

Jim Moore is our church’s representative on the SLAUUC Board and serves as the SLAUUC Secretary.

The SLAUUC meeting in November will be held at the First Unitarian Church in St. Louis from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17^th.  The meeting will be attended by a CMwD district consultant who will be asked to offer guidance to the Council as to how its work can become more useful and pertinent, especially in the eyes of the UU ministers in the District and to offer information about other Councils in the District and compare their effectiveness. The meeting is open to anyone wishing to attend.  This is a good way to get acquainted with members of other local area UU churches and fellowships.

Mark Your Calendars and Plan to Attend the

2008 CMwD Annual Assembly

The Central Midwest District’s Annual Assembly will be held in St. Louis from Friday, April 25^th through Sunday, April 27^th.  The keynote speaker will be Diana Butler Bass speaking on “Church for the 21^st Century – Shaping our Religious Future.”

Men’s Lunch Group

(New location)

The men’s lunch group will meet on Thursday, November 1^st at 11:30 a.m. at The China House, 615 Wesley Drive, Dr., in Wood River, near the new WalMart.  Contact Nelson Shaner for further details.  nshaner@charter.net

CRISIS FOOD CENTER

The Crisis Food Center provided 2,254 food orders from June to August - 467 more than in 2006. Their budget is always very tight in the summer resulting in spending $10,000 more to cover the cost for the extra food orders. They saw 411 new, first time families. In 2007, the center has received nearly 25,000 food items from churches, individuals, businesses, and clubs. It is extremely important for our church to continue to partner with the community in the weeks and months ahead as we enter into the fall and winter seasons.

A suggested donation list for November includes: canned hams, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, cake mixes, icing, and fruit juices. Donations of money is always welcome. Thank you for your support.

Jen Politsch

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) News

The UUSC has reaffirmed its opposition to continuing U.S. – led military action in Iraq.  In a new statement, UUSC calls on the U.S. government to withdraw military forces from Iraq, working in close coordination with international bodies to ensure that this process is orderly and minimizes as much as possible further harm to Iraq, its people, and U.S. military personnel.  UUSC also calls on the U.S. government to declare that we have no intention of maintaining a long-term military presence in Iraq.  As part of UUSC’s expanding participation in the peace movement they are partnering with a range of groups, including Appeal for Redress which provides a vehicle for men and women in uniform to oppose the war.  For more about UUSC’s statement on the Iraq war go to www.uusc.org/civilliberties.  UUSC is also working in Darfur to help establish women’s shelters and other humanitarian work. 

See www.uusc.org/drumbeatfordarfur

ANNA Ds

T he November meeting of the Anna D. Sparks Women’s Alliance will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 1^st at the home of Lorli Nelson, in Godfrey, IL. This will be a brown bag lunch (attendees bring their own lunch and the hostess provides beverages and dessert). Please phone Lorli by October 29th to make a reservation.

Community

Outreach Offering

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

The Community Outreach Offering in September totaled $720 and was given to the Oasis Women’s Center in Alton along with donations of detergent, diapers, towels and clocks.

The Outreach Offering in October will be given to two different organizations.  The offering of $320 on Oct. 14^th was sent to the Unitarian Universalist Association for its anti-racism initiatives and publicity campaigns.  The offering on October 28^th will be given to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Cape Girardeau, an emerging congregation.

All God’s People – November 6^th

Meeting in Emerson Place at church

6:00 p.m. – Meditation

6:30 p.m. – We will finish discussing the book “The Tent of Abraham” and talk about Rev. Bill Veith’s three week series on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how Dr. King’s works and words might be relevant to our efforts in Alton.  Everyone is welcome to come to one or both of the evening’s events.

CHURCH WORKDAY PLANNED

Our next workday will be Saturday, Nov. 10^th from 9:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m.   We need volunteers to come out and help with some cleaning, window washing, interior and exterior painting, yard-work, and a few repairs.   If you can help for even part of the day, come on over.  You can bring your own lunch if you plan to work all day.  

Pat Moore

Building and Grounds Chair

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 November – John Hoad

 1 November – Gary Smithe

 2 November – Sandy Shaner

 3 November – David Weber

 5 November – Severine Rebmann (2000)

11 November – Marissa Stacy (1996)

12 November – Jamie Gross

15 November – Eilene Taylor

17 November – Diane Herndon

25 November – John Herndon

^4th Sunday

Sunday Potluck Lunch

November 25^th

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.

Knitting for Peace –

A Social Justice Project

Under the guidance of Sandy Shaner the knitting group will start in late October or early November. No experience in knitting is necessary to participate.   Sandy will teach you the basics or help you improve your knitting techniques.   Please watch for an announcement of the first meeting in the Sunday Bulletin and/or online at “Church This Week.”

New Trash Pickup Procedure at Church

After years and years of either hauling trash home ourselves or having the cleaning staff-person disposing of it, we now have trash pickup from Sanders Waste Systems.  There is a large trash bin with a locking lid by the handicap ramp.  If you are doing cleanup on Sunday (or anytime after an event at church) please bag and put trash in the outside trash bin.

Making the Connections

There’s a new movement afoot in some Unitarian Universalist churches.  It’s all about making our congregations more inviting, more welcoming, and more engaging.  And it involves mystery, top-secret investigations, and detailed analyses.  No, it’s not CSI – UU.

It’s the Mystery Visitor program. 

The Mystery Visitor program gives congregations the opportunity to have a trained “visitor” attend worship services and later provide feedback to the church leadership.  This program has not been established in our area yet, so First Church won’t have any “mystery visitors” any time soon.  But we do have very real newcomers who arrive at our church each Sunday seeking information, connection, and transformation.

So do newcomers to First Church find that which they seek?  What would a “mystery visitor” say about us?  When a newcomer enters our doors, do they find that “the people they meet in the foyer, the ones they sit next to in the service, the people in coffee hour, they’re all about looking for the new folks and they make eye contact and walk over and strike up conversations and then they invite these folks back the next week?”  Or is it possible that sometimes “we leave welcoming to other people.  And hope they’re not leaving it to us?”  (InterConnections, Fall 2007.)

I hear people say, “I’m afraid to approach someone I don’t know because that person might not be a newcomer, but might instead be a member that I’ve not met.  I don’t want to insult them or embarrass myself.”  The truth is that if you don’t know them or don’t remember having met them, then they probably don’t know or remember you either.  It doesn’t matter if this is their first time at First Church or if they have been here for fifty years.  The important thing is that the two of you meet and talk.  Church is about connections. 

Here is a challenge for you to try this Sunday:  Walk up to someone you don’t know, smile, and say, “Hi, I’m _______.  I don’t think we’ve met before.”  See what happens.  It will make a difference for both of you – and for our congregation.

Cheryle Tucker-Loewe

Growth Committee Chair

Parents and Friends,

What does it mean to be connected to a community?  It is my hope that this is what our children are learning as they go through our new Religious Education classrooms.  Over the last month we have had a considerable increase in the attendance in the nursery and preschool classroom.  By having our children together in the church from such a young age, we will be able to allow them to grow up with their very own peer group of fellow UU kids.  This is very important to the faith development of our children.  Many of them are the only UU kids in their neighborhoods or schools.

This community of children that our programs are creating can become a lasting connection to each other, this church, the wider UU community, and beyond.  Under our current models of Religious Education, children engage in team building activities during at least one class period per month. 

Our Way Cool Sunday School Middle School class is also engaging in the wider community each month by participating in a social action project that relates to our monthly RE theme.  So far this year they have created supply kits that have been distributed to teachers in area low income school districts.  They have also prepared the annual Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF fundraiser for the entire RE program in October.

Our YRUU youth group will be attending their first youth con at 1^st Unitarian Church of St. Louis.  This will allow them to make connections with over 200 other UU youth from across the Central Midwest District.  They will also be participating in the work of the church by connecting with the leadership of this church by joining committees.

The RE committee has been working very hard to make all of our new RE classes work well, and in doing so have created a new mission statement for the RE department.

“The purpose of the Religious Education Committee is to work as a team with the RE Director to bring intentional and meaningful experience to both the children and adults of our church.  The RE committee seeks to be dynamic, creative, and to foster positive relationships among all age groups when creating RE programs.”

We have also decided that to help implement these new classes it is necessary for us to meet more often than Committee Sunday allows.  We will begin meeting during potluck every month.  If our new mission and class structure interests you, feel free to join us.

Thank you,

Jamie Gross

Welcome to Our Newest Members

who joined on Oct. 7, 2007

Dee Evans   [husband is Richard]

Laura Southcombe

Teri Brickey and Erin Fry

Please add their names to your church directory.  We do not list addresses and phone numbers in the online newsletter.  Check a print issue of the newsletter at church for address information.

Annual Pot Holder Sale

November is here and it’s again time for Corinne Hawkins’ Annual Unitarian Pot Holder sale.  All proceeds go to the church.  

Start your list of small Christmas gifts that you will need for friends, family, teachers, beauticians, neighbors and others that you want to remember.  This year the Sale Days will be November 11^th and 18^th, in the Kate Wuerker Room after the church service.