FIRST UNITARIAN FOCUS
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Photo by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, 2015 Rev. Sunshine J. Wolfe, Pastor
March 2016 THEME: BROKENNESS
Sunday ~ Intergenerational Worship Services at 10:15 a.m.
Saturday ~ Soulful Sundown Vespers Service at 4 p.m.
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March 5 Vespers March 6 Keeping a Shelf for Broken Things - with Rev. Sunshine Wolfe Worship Associate Joy Hoeft March 12 Vespers March 13 In Search of a Shore: Beyond Body Shaming - with Rev. Wolfe Worship Associate Yomi Kinder March 19 Vespers March 20 TBD - with Sayer Johnson Worship Associate Dee Evans March 26 Vespers March 27 Keeping Saturday: An Easter Service - with Rev. Wolfe Worship Associate Tom Cochran |
March Monthly Theme: Brokenness This month our theme is Brokenness. Here are some resources to help ground our exploration. Adult: Trails of Hope and Terror: Testimonies on Immigration by Miguel A. de la Torre I Thought It Was Me, But It Isn’t by Dr. Brené Brown Fat! So?: Because You Don’t Have to Apologize for Your Size! by Marilyn Wann “Philomena” (2013)- a film Youth: you remind me of you: a poetry memoir by Eireann Corrigan “The Hunger Games” Trilogy Children: Hurricane by David Weisner |
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ADULT RELIGIOUS ENRICHMENT (ARE) March 13 - 9:15 am - Yomi Kinder will be leading the discussion of Jules Verne, PARIS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. This book, written in 1863 but not published until 1994, contains many predictions about technology and society that have proved to be remarkably accurate. Everyone is welcome to join us whether you have read the book or not. March 27 - 11:30 am Inspire Program - Introduction to the Enneagram Back by popular demand, this program provides an introduction to the Enneagram- a system that helps us to understand our underlying motivations and spiritual practices that can help us grow beyond them. A dynamic system, the Enneagram allows a person to grow and change- rather than simply placing them in a box. This program is open to youth and adults and will last one hour. This course is a requirement for the intermediate class which will be held again in April. March 13 & 20 - 11:30 am “The Seekers” will meet in The church theme for March is Brokenness. As UU's, we believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all people. Things happen that lead to brokenness. In light of the UU principle of the inherent worth and dignity, what does brokenness mean to you? Is there a good side to brokenness? Can a person fix brokenness or heal? Does our congregation play a role in that for you? These questions are a guide for discussion and are not meant to be answered sequentially. Pastor Wolfe Vacation Schedule Pastor
Wolfe will be attending a minister’s conference in
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Newsletter Deadline is on the 15 of each month. Send info. to Dorothy Wilson and to Becky Green at church. |
March 6th @ 11:30 am Gather ‘round to share food and fellowship. Bring a dish to share and stay to help clean up, while enjoying your church community. Intergenerational Sunday Activity for March On the first Sunday of each month, we will have intergenerational community building activities along with our monthly potluck. This month, we will be spring cleaning the church to help keep our space safe for all who may attend. There will be activities appropriate for all ages- and the more help we have the faster and more fun we will have. Basement Cleaning Task Day March 6th
Right after potluck, we will conduct our first basement cleanup. We are keeping the clean-up time to one and half hours. The task this time will be a sorting task--thanks to Ed Navarre's excellent suggestion. If anyone has large plastic containers, preferably with lids, we can do the sorting process easier. The more volunteers that we have the more we will get done. We welcome and need the help of our youth. Please for the safety of the children, no one under 10 should be in the basement. Anyone ten to 17 must have the permission of their parents to help. Children's RE Please contact Kayci to sign up to help in the nursery during service and afterwards for Religious Education. The kids in Spirit Play enjoy listening to stories and associated play. Elementary age kids continue to learn about UU principles and life skills by listening to Dr. Seuss stories and activities. If you are interested in reading, contact Ed Navarre. |
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Being Broken Open The first time I read the story of Job, I was taking an undergraduate Intro to Religious Studies class. My thought was- who could believe in a God that would allow for so much violence? As a non-Christian, I really could not relate well to the story. Later, when I served as a Chaplain in a hospital, I found many Christian patients would refer to this story when they were talking about living with illness. For some, the story made them angry at God and for others it was a story of solace and strength. Regardless, the one thing they had in common? They could relate to the story. The things is that most of us can relate to a feeling of being broken down by life. Perhaps not every trial and tribulation that Job faced as God’s evidence of fidelity against Satan. Yet, the experience of trial upon trial piling up and making it hard to imagine life be whole again- that is something that most people will face in different ways at some point in their lifetime. For those in the hospital, they looked to this story to wonder if there would ever be an end to their brokenness. How can there be a beautiful sunset when the day has been so terrible? Unitarian Universalism has struggled in the face of the question at times. Our focus in the 1800s on God’s love did not always meet with the challenges that life would bring. In the 1960s and 70s as our religion became the home to those running from the fire and brimstone of churches that they felt judged them, there was a resistance to talking about struggles and focus on the positive. Not a bad thing, but not helpful if what you need is a religion that can help you survive the quiet night with chronic pain or unbearable grief. In recent years, we have recognized that we need to be able to speak to the deepest pain and most difficult life experiences. One of the things that we are learning as a religion is the importance of letting what’s true be true. Perhaps the best example of this comes from one of our congregations that provides support to Mormons considering leaving the Mormon Church. The one clear expectation of the program is that there is no effort to encourage or discourage people to leave the Mormon Church- some leave some return. The group meets, instead, to let people be with their difficulties, their uncertainties, and their fears. All come with a feeling of brokenness- something isn’t working. The group is a way in which we say- you are filled with inherent worth and dignity no matter what happens. You are worthy- you have value- broken or not. Your spiritual life is significant and we want all of you- the broken and whole parts. For each part of us teaches us something more about this amazingly complex experience we all have from birth to death. Your anger and pain and loss and emptiness is as welcome and valued as your joy and wholeness and vibrancy. |
In August, we talked about the ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi- repairing broken ceramic bowls with a gold infused glue. The bowls could be thrown away because they are broken, but instead they are made more beautiful for their brokenness. It is a worthy goal to have our souls become like these broken bowls. To be honest, we may never be fully whole again, but our broken places can be what holds us back or keeps us from moving forward in our personal journeys. And, our broken places can be what breaks us open to deeper empathy, understanding, and wisdom. Often they are both living together. So, make a space for that which is broken in your heart and soul. Let them be part of the sacred text of your life. May you hold your heart broken open by life. May you know that you are not alone. May we be there to be with the broken pieces of each other’s lives. May we know that we are loved- broken and whole- we are loved and enough and beautiful. May it be so. Pastor Sunshine J. Wolfe Race in Film: The Salt of the Earth (1954)
Each month, we will have a movie or documentary that involves race and racial experience with a discussion to follow. This controversial film was blacklisted due to the atmosphere during the McCarthy Era. All of those involved in the film were blacklisted and determined to be communists (see the documentary The Hollywood Ten). It tells the story of miners in New Mexico and the power of women to bring about social change.
March 13th 9:00 am Are you interested and/or already supporting the social service and social justice work of the congregation? This will be the final input session before determining our basic structure for Social Action within this congregation. All who are interested in supporting the social justice and social service work of the congregation are encouraged to attend! |
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CHURCH LEADERSHIP 2015 - 2016 Board of Trustees Board President - Debby Lovell President-Elect - Dee Evans Past President - Sabrina Trupia Treasurer - Lisa Strangeman Secretary - Pat Moore At-Large - Paul Fischer At-Large - Paul Hebert Committee/Team Leads Transitions Committee Marcia Custer Sayer Johnson Sarah Lazarz Social Events - Sayer Johnson Interfaith and U.U. - TBA Pastoral Associates Marcia Custer Sandra Shaner Religious Education Council Chair - Joy Hoeft Nursery - Kayci Combs Lueker Pre-K/Elementary - Ed Navarre Youth - TBA Adult - Pastor Sunshine Wolfe Administrative - TBA Stewardship Committee Building - Kelly Crone-Willis Grounds - Robyn Stranquist Canvass - Robin Crane Endowment Fund - Kelly Crone-Willis Finance - Matt Koch Membership - Mary Weber Sunday Support Ministries - Claudia Harju |
Search Committee 2015-16 Nancy Conniff (Chair) Robyn Berkley Kelly Crone-Willis Phil Embree Mary Johnson Layne Simpson Worship Associates Tom Cochran Robin Crane Dee Evans Joy Hoeft Yomi Kinder Rebecca Walters 2016 MidAmerica UUA Regional Assembly Friday, April 29 @ 4 p.m. to Sunday, May 1 @ – 1:00 p.m.
“The WHO in the New Era of Unitarian Universalism” –
Regional Assembly Workshops We are pleased to let you know that there are many great workshops coming your way at this year's Regional Assembly in St Paul! So many people applied to do workshops that we sadly had to turn some down. Here's a sample of what you can find this year:
These are just a sampling - there are more on governance, funding social justice, planned giving, and faith development. All in all, there will be 23 offerings from which you get to choose. We wish there was more space, but these ones should give you insights and tools for living your UU faith more deeply. Check out our website pages-soon-about all the great things happening at Regional Assembly. For more information go to https://www.midamericauua.org/events/regional-assembly |
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General Assembly 2016 Is in Columbus, OH! Unitarian Universalist General Assembly will be from June 22nd - 26th. This is a great opportunity to meet UUs from all over the world and to get jazzed about the many ways our religion lives in the world. This year’s Ware Lecture will be given by Krista Tippett, the host of the Public Radio show “On Being.” There are many ways to participate in General Assembly including online and in-person. If you wish to be a delegate (online or in-person), please contact Debby Lovell or Pastor Sunshine ASAP. For those attending 1 day or all of the days, please know that housing reservations begin March 1st from the UUA website at www.uua.org/ga. The UUA Presidential Search Committee today announced two nominees for the 2017 election of a new president of the Unitarian Universalist Association: the Rev. Alison Miller and the Rev. Sue Phillips. Other candidates may enter the race by petition between February 1, 2016, and February 1, 2017. Delegates to the 2017 General Assembly in New Orleans will elect a successor to President Peter Morales. The Rev. Alison Miller has served as senior minister of the Morristown, New Jersey, Unitarian Fellowship since 2005. She chairs the board of the Church of the Larger Fellowship and serves on the boards of the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey and United Way of Northern New Jersey. Miller previously served as assistant minister at the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City; as intern minister at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and on the UUA Stewardship and Development staff. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College and from Harvard Divinity School. Miller lives with her husband, David Snedden, and their four-year-old son Asher. http://www.alisonforuuapresident.org The Rev. Sue Phillips has served as a district executive and, now, as New England Regional Lead on the UUA field staff since 2007. After graduating from Colgate University and Episcopal Divinity School, Phillips worked at Partners for the Common Good, a socially responsible loan fund; the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK; and the Housing Assistance Council, a community development loan fund serving the poorest rural communities in the United States. She served as minister of the Keene, New Hampshire, Unitarian Universalist Church before joining the UUA field staff. Phillips is married to the Rev. Tandi Rogers. Together they have five children. She lives in Boston and Tacoma, Washington. https://www.PhillipsforPresident.org |
SANCTUARY CLEANING and PEW Cushion Cleaning
Painting was completed. On February 7th, many volunteers helped clean the sanctuary. Many, many thanks to everyone who conquered the dust on the pews, floors, windows, lights and the great chandelier. Thank you: Paul Fischer, Emily Hall, Ken Hoeft, Mary Johnson, Jerry Johnson, Debby Lovell, Alex Reiheld, Robyn Strangquist, Mike Tarbulski, Rebecca Walters, and Mary Weber. We did not get the cushions cleaned on the 7th. On Saturday, February 13, Joy Hoeft, Mary Johnson, and Yomi Kinder helped vacuum and put the cushions back in place. Amazing work and cooperation to get everything done and back in place. Big Kudos to each of you. Changes in Worship Associates First, please offer your gratitude to Mary Johnson and Sabrina Trupia as they conclude their service to the Worship Associates. Their service has been exemplary in this first year of the program. Thank you! Second, please welcome Robin Crane and Rebecca Walters as our newest Worship Associates. They will receive training in March and you will begin to see them in the pulpit beginning in April. Their new energy are a welcome addition to the program.
Alton Area Cluster Book Club YOU’RE INVITED! The Alton Area Cluster Book Club will meet on Thursday March 17th. They will continue reading “Ferguson & Faith: SparLasking Leadership & Awakening Community.” One need not have read the book to attend as we will be reading it together at the meetings.
Please remember to bring non-perishable foods
It’s the right thing to do. |
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News from your Board - December and January Debby Lovell, Pres; Dee Evans, VP; Sabrina Trupia, Immediate Past Pres.;
Pat Moore, Sec.; Lisa Strangeman, Treasurer;
Summary of February 9, 2016 Meeting Board of First Unitarian Church of Alton, IL The Board approved a policy on Dedicated Contributions. If you are interested in the details of any of the new policies created for our Policy Handbook, see Sandy Shaner or any Board member. The Ministerial Search did not get any interested ministers this time, but we were assured of getting ministers interested in us in the next round in April. In the meantime, the committee is working on some suggested improvements to the website. If we do not find a minister that fits our needs, the Board will find another temporary minster for another year. Rev. Sunshine gave a detailed report. Ghe has been doing a lot of research on the history of the church, which ghe will continue to share with the congregation. You are invited to add events that you know about to the temporary timeline on the wall in the Wuerker Room. There will be a meeting on Feb. 21 at 9:00 am regarding the future plans for the 4th Saturday Lunch program. There is a bulletin board in the Wuerker Room with the new church structure. If you would like to get involved in any activities to support the work of the church, please ask Dee Evans, Rev. Sunshine, or any Board Member. The Race in Film series continues with the viewing of Dear White People on Dec. 11. A map of all the area church displaying a “Black Lives Matter” banner is available on their website. Our church is now included on the map. Rev. Sunshine will be away a lot this spring, for a weeklong vacation, some seminars, and for UU General Assembly. The Board voted to pay $100 to the UUA as a good faith gesture toward our dues for last year. If nothing had been paid, members who go to GA would not be able to vote. Treasurer Lisa Strangeman noted that we are somewhat behind on pledges right now. Those members who have not paid their pledge are urged to pay what they can now, as our budget is based on the pledges made last spring. Our pledge drive for church year 2016-2017 will happen in April, so be thinking about how much you can contribute to the work of the church next year. |
The painting of the sanctuary is complete. Please come to church to see how great it looks. During painting, some of the plaster fell off the walls and had to be replaced due to the water leaks in the tower roofs. This was an unexpected expense. We are finishing up getting bids for the repairs to the flat roofs before leaks cause more damage. The cost may be as much as $13.000. We have about $3000 left from the Capital Campaign after paying for the painting. The rest of the money for repairs will have to come from our Reserve Fund, or perhaps some folks would be able to donate extra funds for the repairs. The Board is continuing to read and discuss Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times. It’s a worthwhile read for any leaders or future leaders. Rev. Sunshine has extra copies, plus it’s available from Amazon. Pat Moore Secretary of the Board Remember, if you have any questions about things going on at the church, please ask a Board member or Rev. Wolfe. We are YOUR board, and we want to serve YOU. Anyone may attend Board meetings. Our next meeting will be Feb. 9 at 7:00 PM. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST UNITED NATIONS OFFICE
In 2016 our congregation intends to become a Congregational supporter of the UU UN Office in New York. That requires a contribution of at least $100. Contributions to support this effort also can be made at any time by noting that purpose on the envelope or on the check. It is also possible to be an individual supporter of the UU UN Office. Envelopes to send such individual contributions to the UU UN Office are available in the Wuerker Room on a table or in the rack for brochures on the south wall. Also at any time you can send an individual contribution for the UU-UNO to: Stewardship and Development, UUA, 24 Farnsworth Street, Boston MA 02210-1409. When you do that, please indicate that you are a member of this congregation and provide your e-mail address and your postal address. You can get more information about the UU UN Office at <http://www.uua.org/international/un>. Ron Glossop, UU UNO Envoy for this congregation. |
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Each year, our congregation participates in the Wednesday Lenten Lunch Services. A different congregation hosts each Wednesday (with one congregation hosting Good Friday, as well). Donations are given to Oasis Women’s Shelter and The Crisis Food Pantry. Lunch costs $5. This is a great opportunity for interfaith engagement and welcoming our Alton and Godfrey religious neighbors. The schedule for all of the Lent services is as follows: March 2 - Unity Fellowship Church, Pastor Burton March 9 - First Presbyterian Church, Pastor Crowley March 16 - Godfrey First United Methodist Church March 23 - Morningstar Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Goins March 25 - Greater St. James M. B. Church, Pastor Webb On February 17 our church hosted one of the Alton Community Lenten Services and Lunches organized annually by Church Women United. Pastor Sunshine gave a well-received sermon to over 50 people from a wide-range of congregations. The free-will offering netted $318 to be divided between Oasis and Crisis Food Center. People seemed to enjoy lingering over their lunch of soups, sandwiches, and desserts and spending time conversing with their table mates.
If you’ve ever had a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of water or lemonade, or had a snack during coffee hour, or enjoyed a potluck lunch at church, please take YOUR turn at doing coffee hour cleanup. It should not take more than 30 minutes to take care of the dishes following our policy of “wash, dry, and put away.” There is a signup sheet for March through May on the desk in the Wuerker Room. Thanks! |
What’s “in” a ministerial search interview? Happy Almost Spring!! I spoke with Rev. Keith Kron, Director of the UUA Transitions Office on Feb. 12. He told me there is still a possibility that we could hear from an interested minister between now and the 2nd round of applications! Keith said the official 2nd round goes from April 18th through the 25th--a much briefer time span than the 1st round. If we do not have a ministerial candidate on the horizon by then, the Board will need to submit an application for another interim minister. The interim application would need to be submitted by April 22nd, but Keith suggests that we wait till mid-March before the Board has to focus on that application and make the decision on who will be on the interim search team because of the ongoing possibility of a ministerial candidate coming forward within that month. He also suggested that the previous interim application can be re-used, updating just a few things using the ministerial search information. Keith shared that the pattern the UUA Transition Office is seeing with this year's search pretty closely matches the search from two years ago, when they had 18 churches without ministers stating interest. However, this time there are fewer ministers searching for a new settled church. Our church reminds him of another small church who ended up having the right minister call on them at the very end of the cycle! We just need to be patient and let things happen like they're supposed to. :) Please contact any of us on the search committee if you have questions! As a reminder, that includes Robyn Berkley, Kelly Crone-Willis, Phil Embree, Mary Johnson, Layne Simpson, and myself. With warm Regards, Nance Conniff MSC Chair It’s Coming April 17th!!! Our annual Abundance Sunday will be on April 17th! Look for more information in the coming weeks and be sure to put it on your calendar to be at church that day. Your presence matters! |
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INTEREST GROUPS:
March 3rd, 11:30 am Lorlee (Eleonore Nelson) is graciously hosting us and has made the advance arrangements. The address is 5201 Asbury Ln, right off North Alby. She is asking that we arrive at the front reception desk around 11 so that the staff person can take our money ($8.75 in cash) and give us our tickets. That way we can be downstairs in the private room by 11:30 when the serving staff will tell us about the daily specials and take our orders. Remember, they can't take tips. Please confirm your attendance with Lorlee or just respond to me and I'll give her the electronic count. She needs to hear from you by Monday, 2/29. We're probably safe from snow by then but, if the weather sours, check your e-mail for updates about our plans. Hope to see you there! Sandy
Men’s Monthly Lunch March 10th, 11:30 a.m. The men’s lunch bunch - (Retired old Men Eating Out) - meets on the second Thursday of each month. Join us at the Buffet at 615 Wesley Dr. in Wood River. All men in our church are invited (retired or working, old, or not). For further information contact Paul Herbert
The Kitchen Klub
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March 26th Fourth Saturday Outreach Event
4th Saturday Luncheon and Personal Care Item Distribution Serving starts at 11:30 Our youth group has volunteered to be help in March but will require additional help. Please contact Paul Fischer to find out what you can do to support this important mission of our church. Another meeting will be held in April to discuss the direction of this ministry. Meals, most likely, and product distribution will continue for now. Free For All (formerly 50 Plus) March 5th at 10:30 am
Free For All (formerly 50 Plus)
We’re Back! On March 5th, 10:30 a.m., we’ll again take up the DVD series on UU history “Long Strange Trip: A Journey Through Two Thousand Years of Unitarian History” Each DVD is about an hour long. We will have a brief check-in, watch the DVD and lunch afterward for those who would like to go. A brief outline of what we’ll learn: Part IV - Universalism Part IV - Documents the development of Universalism churches across America during the first half of the 19th century. Part V – Evolution Part V Follows both Unitarianism and Universalism through the late 19th and 20th centuries as they evolve. Part VI – The hundred Year Waltz Part VI Documents the century-long courtship between Unitarianism and Universalism that culminated in their merger in 1961. |
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Congregational Covenant Approved May 17, 2015
Honor and make space for our diversity, respect our volunteers, leaders and staff by Supporting balance in their lives and in their personal and professional pursuits; Encourage each member to develop a personal spiritual practice that cultivates honesty and acceptance; Remembering our humanness we acknowledge our imperfection and extend forgiveness to ourselves and others; Engage within our own and larger community with integrity, by taking responsibility for our actions, facilitating right relationships, and living into the Journey. (The acronym for our Covenant is HERE)
Small Group Ministries Goals of Small Group Ministry are to develop a growing network of small groups that: 1. Draw us into mutual ministry 2. Strengthen our congregation 3. Deepen our understanding of Unitarian-Universalist principles and values 4. Continuously develop lay leadership 5. Challenge us to action and spiritual growth 6. Express our principles and values in the community 7. Help members identify their own calling and expression of lay ministry The members of the small groups have decided to continue through the winter, but only once per month, rather than every other week. Both groups would welcome new members. Jennifer Timpe’s group will now meet one Sunday per month, at 11:30 a.m. with the following date to be determined at each meeting. Sandy Shaner’s group is meeting the 2nd Wednesday of each month, at 5:30 p.m. subject to weather |
Regional Assembly will be from April 29th -May 1st in St. Paul, MN. Guest Speakers Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen, Rev. Jeremy Nickel, and Kenny Wiley will present on the future of Unitarian Universalism and the ways we are living into that future. If you would like to be a delegate at Regional Assembly, please contact Debby Lovell or Pastor Sunshine. All are invited to attend. To register go to https://www.midamericauua.org/events/regional-assembly.
Joint Sierra Club/Audubon Program on “Plight of the Monarch” (Butterfly) On Monday, March 14, Cindy and Kirby Pringle will present their 22-minute documentary film concerning the causes behind the declining population of the monarch butterfly, its lifecycle, and what people can do to help reverse the trend. The husband-and-wife team will also talk about how they became interested in monarch butterflies and why they decided to make the film, which has been shown on the PBS affiliate in Charleston, Ill. The program starts at 7:30 pm at the Riverlands Audubon Center in Alton. Attendees and friends are invited to have dinner and meet the speakers at Princivalli's Restaurant, 602 E 3rd St, Alton, IL 62002, starting at 5:30 p.m. Call Chris Krusa at 410-490-5024 for questions. |
Return to First Unitarian Church of Alton - Newsletter Archive Page
Friday, March 11th at 7:00 pm
Social Action Meeting
Lenten Services and Lunch
To strengthen and nurture with love,
compassion and respect, we covenant to:
