FIRST UNITARIAN FOCUS
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Congregation established 1836 |
Newsletter of the
First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois
www.firstuualton.org
Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister |
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December 6th – Advent “A
Festival of Hopefulness” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt UU author John Taylor writes, “If there were no Advent, we would need to invent one.” Even as we honor this season of darkness, we light candles of hope and begin the long wait for the return of the light. December 13th “I
Love to Tell the Story” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Legends
about the birth of a particular Palestinian child have been told down through
the centuries, but who knows what really happened so long ago? Even if there were eyewitnesses who could
tell us the story, would it make it any easier to believe? December 20th “Winter
Solstice Celebration” – an intergenerational worship service – Participants
include the Choir, the and Rev. Khleber
Van Zandt We will honor the winter solstice by singing songs and telling stories
to celebrate our journey into the darkness and back out into the light. |
December 24th – Christmas Eve 7:30 in the evening – an intergenerational worship service – “The Most Wonderfulest Christmas Ever” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt What would it take for this to
be, in John Henry Faulk’s words, the “most wonderfulest Christmas ever?” In this traditional candlelight service,
we’ll hear readings from ancient texts about the birth of a child, and we’ll
celebrate hope and mystery on a very special night. Our special musical guests will be Kathleen and Holly Mead. December 27th “Faith
Without Belief; or How Not to Be One of Einstein’s Snuffed Out Candles” John Herndon Most
people have it in their minds that faith naturally flows from belief. I will look at the difference between faith
and belief and describe how my own faith is shaped by non-belief; inspired by a
recent book by Harvey Cox entitled The Future of Faith. To Contact Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Email: kvanzandt@uuma.org Cell Phone: |
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Adult Religious
Enrichment (ARE) Sunday mornings @ 9:30 am in Emerson Place Childcare is
available. Dec. 6th – Non theist/ humanist group. Continuing look at Edward Ericson’s The Humanist
Way: An Introduction to Ethical Humanist Religion Dec.
13th – What Moves Us: William
Ellery Channing (program postponed from November) Dec.
20th – UU World Magazine Discussion Dec.
27th – Dr. Ron Glossop on Peacemaking
Semi-Annual Church Business Meeting Sunday, December 13th after the service The semi-annual meeting for members of this church will be held on Sunday, December 13th. At this meeting we will receive copies of reports from committees, vote on the appointment of Jason Dothager as President Elect (appointed earlier by the Board when the position fell vacant), and discuss the ramifications of holding two worship services each Sunday. Please plan to stay for this important meeting where we can act on the fifth UU Principle – affirming and promoting “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregation …”
Church Committee Meetings This Month
Program Council (For all Committee Chairs) – Sunday, December 6th after church. Religious Education (RE) Committee Monday, December 7th at 7 pm. Growth Committee “Brownie Circles” – sometime in December and January. |
If
you’ve been to church on any recent Sunday, you know it’s been a busy
place. Seating is often at a premium
during worship in the sanctuary, the Religious Education classrooms are full of
excited kids, coffee hour is a blast, and committees are working at full tilt. As
Christmas approaches, there’s a lot to keep up with around church if one feels
the need to do so. For myself, I never
want to get so busy trying to keep up that I miss the little indications of who
we are as a congregation and who we can be as we work together. As an example, I want to share three
situations that occurred during one week in November, all indicators of the
kind of church I belong to: –
When a water leak was found in the lower level of our RE wing, volunteers
traced the leak to its source: a copper
hot water line installed long ago that had disintegrated in the concrete
floor. Two other volunteers with
plumbing skills took it upon themselves to replace the piping, spending hours
and hours running new pipes and sweating new connections so we can have hot
water in the building as winter approaches. – A
small group of church members gathered to discuss policies for how to respond
to people who come to our door asking for help on Sunday mornings – sadly, a
more and more frequent occurrence in recent months. The group had developed a fine policy but,
when they found themselves faced on a Sunday with real people with real
problems, they decided to rewrite the policy to fully account for people’s real
needs and for the real mission of the church. –
When the Board of Trustees couldn’t find childcare for its Wednesday night
meeting, one of the trustees brought her three kids to stay in the nursery
during the meeting. The kids played by
themselves for a long time, but after a couple of hours they came into the
fellowship hall needing a little more attention. The Board continued its meeting while the
kids ran around a little and then sat in laps and happily drew pictures until
the meeting adjourned. [One
more: When the youth member of the Board
during that same meeting brought up the possibility of our congregation hosting
a conference for the other youth groups around the Saint Louis area, Board
members responded immediately,
“What can we do to help?”] These
are just a few gifts of the spirit I noticed during one week this fall. Every week of the year, the people of this
congregation see what needs to be done and they do it. They are active in areas too numerous to
mention, volunteering their time, talents, and treasure to keep the church open
and running, to keep our children learning in a fun environment, and to reach
out to our neighbors and fulfill the mission of the church. If
you’ve volunteered for anything around church recently, thank you. If you haven’t, there’s no time like the
holidays to begin to do so. A
Very Merry Christmas to you and yours, And see you in church,
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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 (church@firstuualton.org)
and give her that information. 2 December – Jason Dothager 3 December – Isaac Nalick 4 December – Matthew O’dell 5 December – Benjamin Hoeft (2002) 7 December – Mary Weber 8 December – John Dunphy 16 December – Linda Van Zandt 18 December – Layne Simpson 20 December – Mary McGowan 22 December – Max Diamond (2005) 23 December – Britney Brunner (1986) 23 December – Marty Johnson 27 December – Kate Whitaker 28 December – 28 December – Joe Weaver 31 December – Eric Johnson
Coffee Boutique Check out the
Boutique every Sunday in December for Coffee, Chocolate and
introducing Gift Baskets
for the Holiday Season. $10
for one pound bags of Fair
Trade Coffee $3
for Fair Trade chocolate candy bars
Gift Baskets individually priced
Donations of non-perishable food (or cash) are always needed. Buy some extra canned goods during your weekly shopping to add to the donation basket located in the RE foyer. Jen Politsch |
Join the Party! Decorate the Church on Sunday, December
6th right after church. Stay and share the joy and excitement in
seeing the church
transformed. We will order Subway
sandwiches chips, fruit and
drinks for all the A light
lunch will be provided for volunteers.
Central Midwest District Women & Religion Winter WomanSpirit 2010 “Nurturing Ourselves – Sustaining Our World” Feb. 26 – 28, 2010 Keynote Speaker STARHAWK “Earth Spirit, Earth Justice” Information and registration - |
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UU
and You! An
Introduction to Unitarian Universalism This three-session adult education course will be led
by our minister, The Rev. Khleber Van Zandt. Here you will be introduced to the ideas, history, and
people that make up the First Unitarian Church of Alton, and the Free Church
Tradition of which Unitarianism and Universalism are a part. Learning about the church and its traditions
is a first step towards involvement in a community of faith dedicated to the
preservation of religious freedom and the uplifting of the human spirit. We will explore together the difference between the
orthodox and the liberal ways in religion, as well as a brief history of the
Western church. You will learn about our
approach to religion and the core ideas of Unitarianism and Universalism. You will also learn something of the rich and
enduring history of the First Unitarian Church of Alton. Hopefully you will also learn something about yourself
and the things you value and the things you believe, as well as meet and learn
about other newcomers who are on the same pilgrimage of self-discovery. DATES
& TIMES for UU and You! Tuesday
evening, January 12th – 7:00 to 9:00 Tuesday
evening, January 19th – 7:00 to 9:00 Tuesday
evening, January 26th – 7:00 to 9:00 There will be a signup sheet at church or let the
church administrator know by calling (618) 462-2462 or emailing church@firstuualton.org
by Friday, January 8th. Free
childcare will be provided if arranged when you indicate your intention to
attend the UU & You! classes. |
Total budgeted income for October 2009 was $7,465.15; this was 5.4% of our annual budget. Total budgeted expenses for October 2009 were $10,846.63; this was 7.9% of our annual budget. October’s income was somewhat less than that of the previous month, but my hope is that with five Sundays in November we will be able to make it up somewhat then. Most of our income categories are performing satisfactorily, except for 'Anticipated Pledges' and 'Interest.' My hope is that, with several new members joining, the 'Anticipated Pledges' will grow closer to the projections. Our main problem with expenses is in the 'Building & Grounds' category. We have had unfortunate luck with our furnaces and air-conditioners this fiscal year. The latest events were a repair for the Wuerker Room furnace in October and a water leak in a pipe coming from the hot water heater in early November.
Don’t forget, an easy way to contribute to the church is to use the
eScrip cards when shopping at Schnucks.
When you use this card at Schnucks they will donate from 1% to 3% of
your purchase to the church. You can pick up an eScrip card at Schnucks Customer
Service and register to direct your contribution to the church. For more information talk to me. Jerry Johnson, Treasurer
December 27th Bring
a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and
fellowship! Please bring a dish that
serves at least 6 to 8 people. A-Mc will do Clean Up M-Z will do Table Set Up PLEASE PLAN TO DO YOUR
SHARE IN SETTING UP AND CLEANING UP. |
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Interest Group Gatherings
The Green Sky Sangha meets every Wednesday at 7 pm and invites anyone interested in meditation to join them. No prior knowledge of meditation is required. The group practices various forms of meditation and discusses ideas related to Buddhism. Dee Evans
The Anna Ds will have their monthly lunch meeting on Thursday, December 3rd at 11:30 am at the church. It will be a brown bag lunch co-hosted by Brynda McCoy and Nancy Copley. Dessert and beverages will be provided. RSVP to Brynda by Monday, November 30th. .
Spiral
Scouts The next Spiral Scouts meeting will be on Sunday, December 6th at 1 pm at the church.
For more information go to the Spiral Scouts website, or contact Sayer Johnson or Jason Dothager. |
All the men in the church are invited to attend. The Men’s Lunch Group will meet on Thursday, December 10th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL. Contact Nelson Shaner for further details.
December’s 4th Saturday Lunch
will be on the 3rd Saturday – December 19th A Social Justice Venture December’s lunch for those in need of a hot meal will be on December 19th instead of December 26th. Jennifer Herndon will be coordinating December’s lunch. Please volunteer to help her in any way you can. 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.
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RE News and Notes December’s RE Theme: Winter Celebration Events! There are no structured learning classroom programs scheduled for December; instead, our curriculum consists of celebrating holidays and living out our UU values in social action activities: · December 6 – Children’s Chapel – Guest at Your Table · December 13 – The Mitten Tree and Candle Making · December 20 – Intergenerational Solstice Service · December 27 – New Year celebration Coming of Age—January 2010 Beginning in January, teens will consider their spiritual beliefs and values as they craft an original Statement of Spiritual Identity. Five theological themes frame the class: the nature of God, why we are here and what we must do, how we should understand death, our experiences with the sacred, and the role of community in our lives. Special thanks to the adult mentors and advisors who will walk this journey with our teens: Sarah and Jason Dothager, Cheryle Tucker-Loewe, and Joe Weaver. For more information you can visit:
Guest at Your Table 2009-2010 This year, join UUs around the country – and around the world – in welcoming a Guest at Your Table! This year, First Unitarian will begin our Guest at Your Table celebration on December 6th at Children’s Chapel. But Guest at Your Table is for everyone. For more than thirty years, the Guest at Your Table tradition has helped UUs build lasting connections to UU principles and support the movement for universal human rights. It is a simple and meaningful way to incorporate "faith in action" into your life. During Guest at Your Table, participants keep a colorful Guest at Your Table box – with photographs of special guests from around the world – in a prominent place in their home, like the dining room table. |
Throughout December, make daily contributions to your Guest at Your Table box, as if sharing with your special guests. We will collect the boxes in January; all contributions go to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in their vital work to advance social justice throughout the world. For more information you can visit: http://www.uusc.org/guest. The Mitten Tree First Unitarian’s Mitten Tree will go up December 6th with the annual “hanging of the greens.” The RE Committee is coordinating an all-church drive during the winter holidays to collect needed winter clothing items such as mittens, winter hats, and scarves for our 4th Saturday Lunch crowd and any remainders will be donated to Oasis Women’s Center, Alton. Bring in your donations throughout December and hang your contribution on the tree. Your donations will go those in need this winter. Volunteer Teachers Sought If you want to be involved in something important, want to meet people like yourself (or not like yourself!), want to make a difference, and want to feel connected, then consider teaching in our RE program. The only miracle that makes our program work is the commitment of our community members to raise our children to become people. We will do our best to assure that you know clearly what is expected of you, the level and duration of commitment necessary, and what resources will be available to you. You may find, as many have before you, that the greatest change in the classroom is not that of the student, but that of the teacher. Teaching can deepen your understanding, develop your own spiritual authenticity, and satisfy your need to give back to this very special place. Right now, we are seeking one teacher for 1st –3rd grade and a few more substitute teachers to help out when regular teachers must be absent. Next year’s semester will have many opportunities beginning in January. Contact Steven Mead or any member of the RE Committee. Volunteer sought to inventory and create a database of our RE books – work at your own pace – data entry into MS Excel. Interested? Contact Steven Mead. Volunteer sought to collect and deliver our Mitten Tree donations. Interested? Contact Steven Mead or Cheryle Tucker-Loewe. (continued next page) |
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Reminder: Enroll Your Child in
RE If your child is regularly attending the nursery or the RE program, please register them if you have not done so already. We need to keep an accurate count of the program size for short and long term planning purposes. See Steven Mead. New Book UU author Richard Bellingham has a new book for children ages 6-11– The Fables of Boris: Invitations to Meaningful Conversations. “Boris is a mythical character, a dog that happens to be experiencing the same life challenges as kids do when they are between the ages of 6 and 11 and every problem seems like an overwhelming conundrum, or at least a terrific drama opportunity.” You can find more information at http://www.fablesofboris.com/. Our RE Program is Growing! Enrolled Children: 56+ Average Sunday attendance: 30-40 Steven Mead, Acting RE Administrator “Our arms are never as strong as when we shelter a child.” —Mick Byrd
Once
again our church is participating in the annual Community Christmas sponsored
by the There is a large box in the Wuerker Room marked Community Christmas. LET’S FILL IT UP! Please bring your donations by December 13th. |
Friday, December 11th at church – 6 to 8 pm Contact Kristen O’Steen. – NEW 2nd Monday each month Newcomers
Monday,
December 14th at church – 7 to 8:30 pm. Contact Joe Weaver or Kathryn Chapman. Covenant Group Chalice Circle Thursday, December 17th – 7 pm at the home of Jan and Don Allen in Belleville. Renegade Women’s Chalice Circle Saturday, December 19th at church – 2 to 4 pm. Contact Marcia Custer. Parents Seeking
Sunday, December 20th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at church.
Men's WILL NOT MEET IN
DECEMBER
CHOIR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE The choir rehearses on the first three Thursdays of each month from 7 to 8:30 pm. December’s rehearsals are on December 3rd, December 10th, and December 17th. The choir will be participating in the Solstice Service on December 20th. We’ve had several new choir members join us recently. If you enjoy singing, come to a rehearsal and see what fun it is. For more info. contact Willis McCoy. |
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Please introduce yourself to our newest members
Beneze, Amanda* [11/1/2009] & Sharon Opp Johnson, Eric* [10/18/2009] & Marty* Moore Johnson [11/15/2009] Morgan, John* [11/8/2009] & Anne Darek* [10/4/2009] Murphy, Patrick* [11/15/2009] Reiheld, Alison* [11/15/2009] & Bert Schnirring, Susan* [11/15/2009] & Beth Miller Timpe, Bob & Jennifer* [11/1/2009] |
AS CHURCH FUNDRAISER
Erwin Thompson, grandfather of member Diane Thompson (and great-grandfather of Maggie and Amelia McCarthy) [also known to many of us as a fiddle player and square dance caller – editor’s note] has recently published a book of poems, "Worth Remembering: The Poetry of Our Heritage." It is an anthology of his poetry as well as poems by other friends and family members. The book received a Gold Medal Award at the 2009 Branson Stars and Flag book awards during Veterans Homecoming Week. This 360-page family and friends poetry anthology gives readers a slice of living history during the past 100 years. Stories, song lyrics, and commentary add context to Thompson's sense of what makes life worth living.
If you enjoy reading, talking about books, and
learning about new titles, you might enjoy attending the next Liberal Readers’ Book
Club gathering. It will be at 2 pm on Wednesday, December 16th. The place is still to be determined. Fiction and non-fiction books will be included in our monthly discussions. For more information, contact Don Allen. |
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Most people enjoy getting a card or email or phone call on their birthday.
THOMPSON POETRY ANTHOLOGY FOR 