December 4, 10:00 A.M.

Reverend Dawn Fortune

Worship Associate:  Joy Hoeft

In celebration of our church’s 180^th anniversary, the quintet “No Strings Attached” will be playing special music during the service.  Tracey Howe-Koch and others from Eliot Chapel make up this quintet.

Following the Service, Share in our Potluck Luncheon
and Help Decorate Our Church for the Holidays!

December 11, 10:00 A.M.

“How International Partnership Changes the World”  Rev. Roger Bertschausen

Worship Associate:  Mary Johnson

International partnership between UU congregations around the world was rekindled in the early 1990s after the fall of communism in Romania.  Many American UUs--me included--had the sense that Transylvanian Unitarianism needed saving.  So we charged in to save it.  A funny thing happened:  our partnerships ended up saving us.  This sermon will explore how.

Rev. Roger Bertschausen was the Senior Minister of the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Appleton, WI from 1990 to 2015.  During his ministry, the congregation grew from 100 to 700 members.  He relocated to St. Louis in 2015 after his wife became Executive Director of Care and Counseling, an interfaith counseling program in the St. Louis area.  Roger became Executive Director of the UU Partner Church Council in July.

December 18, 10:00 A.M.

Rev. Dawn Fortune

Worship Associate:  Yomi Kinder

Christmas Eve Service

December 24, Saturday at 8:00 P.M.

Rev. Dawn Fortune

December 25 – Christmas Day, No Service

Reverend Fortune can be contacted by cell phone

(314) 399-1023 or at church email:  revdawnfortune@gmail.com

From the Prez

The November event, “Something Better,” planned by Peg was fun and raised $300 for our church.  She’s an awesome organizer.  She had the help of our official events planner, Sayer.  Many, many other people helped with everything from decorations to food preparation to holding workshops, and a donation of a basket that was raffled off.  It was a fun day and a coming together of our congregation.

We promised financial openness.  To accomplish that, the board learned how many accounts we had.  The capital campaign account was closed because we used that for the turret roof repairs.   The endowment account (which is NOT our endowment fund) was closed by putting the money in our checking account.  That amount will be subtracted from the endowment payment.  The ministerial discretionary account that has not quite $300 in it which is very little.  This account remains separate from the church’s accounts.

We now have two checking accounts:  The working checking account from which we pay our bills and the reserve fund checking account.  The accounts are now owned by the First Unitarian Church of Alton.  In our effort to keep you aware of our financial status, there is a financial report in the newsletter.   Please read it.  A big thank you to our administrator, Becky, for helping with all this.

The board can’t and won’t impose the practical ways to carry out this mission and vision.  So, we requested Rev. Dawn to do a workshop to provide a format for the congregation to decide on how to carry out our mission and vision statement.  They have graciously agreed to do so.  When?  Sometime after the New Year.

Some news about what our teams are doing:  The membership team is working on making a new welcome pamphlet, revising the visitor’s card, and making sure that every visitor is greeted and welcomed.  To help them, see Mary W.

Robyn S. is doing the grounds work all by herself.   She would welcome and needs help.   The building team, Kelly, hung our new light by the entrance to the Wuerker Room.  Kelly could also use help.  Michael and Ron are working on how to make our church more accessible.

The Sunday coffee group, Mike and Phil, make the coffee and put out treats people bring.  If there are no treats, it is because no one brought any.  It is NOT the team’s responsibility to provide us treats.  They are doing enough seeing that coffee is made and the treats are out.  Please help them with clean up by washing and drying your own dishes.

This is all the news from the board.  That does not mean other things are not going on.

Remember, board meetings are open to everyone.

Summary of October and November Board Meetings

Board Members:  President Dee Evans, President-Elect Michael Schmidt, Past President Debby Lovell, Secretary Pat Moore, Treasurer Lisa Strangeman, At-large Robin Crane, At-large Paul Hebert

Accessibility:  The Board has had a generous offer from Ron Glossop for use to make the church more accessible.  Mike Schmidt did some investigation regarding turning the park next to the church into a small parking lot and turn-around drop off.  We would need approval from the city, since we lease that park from them for $1/year in exchange for maintaining it. Mike found that doing the lot would be much more expensive than we originally thought, which had also been the reason we could not do it with capitol campaign money. We decided to pursue the idea of an elevator on the Alby Street side, which would have the advantage of providing access to both floors.  A group from the Board is seeking advice from the Alton director of IMPACT to give us an idea of what they would require, and some ideas about an elevator.  If an elevator is built on the exterior it would require approval of the historic commission, as well as changes in the parking and sidewalk to accommodate wheelchairs. If you have more questions or suggestions, talk to Mike or any Board member.

Banking:  Due to problems in working with US Bank, and following an extensive search process by Robin Crane and Sandy Shaner, all the church accounts are being moved to Liberty Bank.  We may be able to get automatic withdrawals for your pledge payment, if you are interested. We were able to eliminate the Capital Campaign account, as that money has been used.  We were also able to eliminate the Endowment Fund account by putting that money into the Checking Account as a line item. Signatories on our accounts will be Lisa Strangeman, Becky Green, Dee Evans, and Jerry Johnson.  This bank will make it easier to change names when needed.

Minister’s Discretionary Fund:  This fund gives the minister a little money they can use to help members with small needs, and even non-members sometimes.  A small amount was budgeted to start the fund, and additional money will be added from the non-designated Sunday collection when a fifth Sunday occurs in a month.  The next collection date will be January 29, so you might want to put something extra in the collection that day, or you can donate money anytime by labeling it for the Minister’s Fund.

UU-UN:  Ron Glossop is our official envoy to this council, and he has recruited a small team of helpers.  You can join or make a donation anytime by contacting Ron, and you can find out more about what the council does by looking at its website.

Tower Roofs:  The new roofs on the towers have now been completed, and no more leaks have been detected.  The destroyed inner ceiling repairs of one tower still needs to be completed. If you could help with that drywall project, contact Kelly Crone-Willis. The total cost of the roof repairs was $3200, which came from the remainder of the Capital Campaign Fund, and from the Reserve Fund.

Ghost Tours:  Our church continues to be a popular “haunted” spot.  This use does provide a little money to our church, and there have been no problems. Rev. Dawn has seen that those giving tours have the proper insurance.  We also want to check our new Building Use Policy to make sure the tours are in compliance.  In order to satisfy our insurance company requirements; we may need to start having a church member present. We could start charging $1 per person more, and use that money to pay someone to be present.

Web Site:  Debby Lovell has been working on making some improvements to our site.  If you have looked at the site and have some ideas for improvements, see Debby.  If you have skills in that area, please volunteer to help Debby.

Ministerial Search Team:  We will have a three-person team of Chris Strangeman, Pat Murrell, and Tracy Howe-Koch.  Debby Lovell has been working on some ideas to get them started.  The Board has decided that we would like to hire a half-time minister who only serves our church. This search would not be the same as a search for a full-time minister.  The job would be posted on the UUA “Opportunities” page.  Rev. Dawn thinks that there will be applicants for the job.

Treasurer’s Report:  Look for more information on our finances elsewhere in this newsletter.  The Board has approved Dee Evans and Robin Crane to have access to the church Quickbooks account, in addition to Lisa and Becky Green.  Hopefully they can get a better picture of our financial situation soon. (see report in this newsletter)

Incorporation:  The church does have incorporation with Illinois, and has a tax-free number for purchases.  We are looking into what would be required to have Federal approval, so that we could seek bulk donations from corporations of personal care items for our give-away program.  This month, in addition to other things, we would like to give away socks.  You can donate socks for adults and children.

Bank Lock Box:  We found that our box contained only old papers which could be kept in the church office or thrown away.  The box is still paid through December, so in the meantime the Board will decide if we should keep the box or purchase a fireproof box to be kept in the office. The cost of the office box could be made up in time by not paying the bank $75 per year.

Office Equipment:  The Board approved Becky’s request to purchase a paper shredder for the office.

Board Retreat:  The Board took a Saturday morning on Oct. 29 to discuss “How the church is carrying out our mission.”  Many ideas came out of that meeting, and some have already been implemented.

Reading:  The Board has been doing continued education by reading Beloved Community and When Sheep Attack.

Thanks to Kelly-Crone Willis for installing the bright new light over the ramped entrance, and for all he and Robin Stranquist have done to maintain and beautify our building inside and out.

Submitted by:

Pat Moore, Secretary

The Inside Story

Hooray!   The Board has undertaken a thorough analysis of our church’s financial state for the current year.   We still have much more analysis and planning work to do, but we want to share our initial findings.   We’ll keep you posted on further findings as we go along.

We all need to be aware of the current of our affairs so as to make wise decisions, and we ask you to pay attention to our fiscal reports.  This work is crucial for our future.

Many of us agree we need this church now more than ever.  Let’s take these numbers seriously.  Let’s respond as constructively as we can.  Only if we understand our finances can we make good personal decisions about how to support the place and people that nurture us so well.

Feel free to ask us about the church’s financial situation as we continue our financial analysis.

THE BOTTOM LINE:  (IF YOU READ NOTHING ELSE, READ THIS)

1.          In the first four months of this year, despite significant budget cuts and sharing a minister, our financial position declined by an average of almost $5000 per month compared to budget.

2.        If we continued this pattern, before the end of June, that $5000 monthly deficient would exhaust all cash-on-hand PLUS our reserve fund.   In other words, we’d be broke by the end of the fiscal year, with no cushion for next year.

3.        We are in the midst of reviewing all major expenses to determine which are NOT going to repeat later on this year.   That review may result in extending the date at which our reserve is exhausted, but we can’t be sure until we have explored every budget line item and it’s variation over time.   Unfortunately, the detailed review also seems to identify the need to increase the budget next year, as we are experiencing some costs that exceed our very conservative budget, some of which were budgeted at lower than the personnel contracts eventually specified.

PLEDGE STATUS:

As of November 18, 2016:

·         11 households were actually ahead in fulfilling their pledges for the year.

·        17 households were right up-to-date in fulfilling their pledges

·       20 households were behind in fulfilling their pledges, and six of these had actually paid nothing this fiscal year.

·       A total of 48 households have pledged for this fiscal year, out of a considerable larger number of official members.

Monthly Averages:

For those who want more detail, we have boiled our financial data into the most important key facts, and we present them to you on a monthly basis.

1.  During the July-October period, we spent $4600 more per month than was budgeted.

·          Part of this is having to pay two ministers as we were transitioning from a full time interim minister to a half time one.

·          Part is due to the cost of repairing the roof and a few other one-time items.

2.   So far this year, our revenue intake has been averaging $1200 less than we have budgeted.

·          Most of that shortfall is due to slow pledge fulfillment.

3.   After making some reasonable accounting adjustments, related to the dedicated funds, our net deficient thus increases by almost $5000 per month (This is the sum of front-loaded spending overruns and revenue shortfalls, after adjustments)

WHERE WILL WE BE BY THE END OF THE YEAR (Thru June 2017)?

We are trying to make a projection for the rest of the fiscal year.  To be realistic in that projection, we must identify all of those specific front-loaded expenditures that won’t continue throughout the rest of the year.  Then we should also try to anticipate expenditures not yet appearing in our financial reports that might be required toward the end of the year.  Though she doesn’t exactly have a crystal ball, our Church Administrator is very helpful in this task.

At present, the data suggests that we will continue to experience revenue shortfalls and unavoidable spending overages.  We will continue to spend down the reserve account.  It may be entirely gone by the end of this fiscal year in June.  We will keep you posted as our revenue and our spending projections are refined and we anticipate our financial situation for next year.

A FINAL NOTE

If you’ve read this far, CONGRATULATIONS!  We can probably solve our financial problems, but it’s going to take careful work and real commitment.  The Board needs your help.  Pledge fulfillment statements will be going out after Thanksgiving, but please consider increasing your giving right now, especially if you know you're behind on your pledge.  It would help.

We need this church more than ever these days.  Most of us have offered thanks for this church and these people.  They are perhaps the most valuable and necessary influences in our lives.  We will need each other as we go forward.  Please support us as we try to find our way thru difficult times.

Submitted by Robin Crane, on behalf of the Board.

180s years Ago!

            Unitarianism came to Alton by the early 1830s with the arrival of Dr. William Samuel Emerson and his wife Olive from Kennebunk Maine.  Dr. Emerson was from a long line of Emersons who were either physicians or ministers.  He was the second cousin of Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Dr. Emerson was listed as the community’s first physician in records from 1832.

            Alton was a growing community due to the many professional and businessmen moving to Alton from New England and New York and buying land, especially in Upper Alton.  Jobs were plentiful, land sales were high, and construction boomed.  However Alton was still a rough and tumble town, especially in Lower Alton.  That was where the river trade and commerce took place that gave wealth to Upper Alton residents.

            Dr. Emerson wished to bring his Unitarian religion to Alton and so brought together interested New Englanders and held Unitarian meetings in his office. By 1835 and afterwards, the Rev. William Greenleaf Eliot, founder of the Unitarian church in St. Louis, would on occasion take a steamboat upriver to Alton and preach to those gathered.

            Emerson’s wife Olive, in a letter to her brother in 1832 wrote “Thank you for telling me about the hymns and tunes that you sing [at the Unitarian church in Kennebunk]. There is nothing that reminds me so forcibly of home as that.  Oh how I long every Sunday morning to be in Kennebunk and go to my own meeting.  It is so different here.”

            By 1836 the Unitarians in Alton were great enough in numbers to call a minister through their contacts back east.  Rev. Charles Andrew Farley, a 1832 graduate of Harvard Divinity School, arrived in Alton in late fall and preached his first sermon, entitled “What is Unitarianism” on December 7, 1836 in the Methodist church, rented by the Unitarians for the event.

            His words were unlike the usual words spoken by Christian ministers in Alton.  He said:  “Do you now ask, ‘Which is the true church?’ I answer, not the Episcopal church, not the Presbyterian church, not the Baptist church, not the Methodist church, not the Unitarian Church, but the good in all these churches.  All who live under the light of nature or under the more blessed light of revelation; the child of the Ganges who worships the river, and finds healing in its waters; he who adores the Sun in its Majesty; he who cries out for help of the great father and whose dying eyes are lit up with the hope of hunting again in the Spirit land; all, all are the children of God.  All are members of the church universal of that vast temple which the broad skies cover and the broad earth sustains and whose doors are open to the illimitable heaven.”

            So, December 7, 1836 is the date we mark as the founding of the Unitarian congregation in Alton.

A Time to Engage, by your Board of Trustees

The Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) has fought for over 25 years against the dominant root causes of inequality. Our core work is centered on the intersection of economic inequality and our 7 UU Principles.  We observe that the escalation of economic inequality over the last 30 years has created widespread insecurity and a fertile breeding ground for racism, sexism and religious/ethnic intolerance.

This current distress leads to a nostalgic yearning for an imagined time in history when things were “better.”  However, current and many proposed policies result in better only for the already privileged, not for the disenfranchised. The conscience of our nation continues to be compromised and our political process exacerbates this dilemma.

What can our progressive religious community do to help heal the soul of America?

For the UUJEC, now more than ever we need to come together and organize against those elements of our society that encourage intolerance and inequality to grow.  We need to continue building the foundation of an open, multicultural, multiracial and equitable society.  Moving towards a kind and compassionate environment in times of stress is difficult to achieve but even more necessary to strive for. Tough times create abundant opportunities:  opportunities to broaden coalitions, to listen and share with a full and open heart, and to envision and work toward a just community.

Ø  Become a member of UUJEC to live your UU values.

Ø  Participate in this discussion on our blog. Please register on our site to do so.

Ø  Share materials with your congregation on the root causes for intolerance and inequality.

Ø  Attend our upcoming conference in Washington DC on Reversing Inequality.

Join a community that stands for love and justice.

This time of year brings special pain to people who are food insecure.   Please do what you can – donate non-perishable foods items for the Alton Crisis Food Pantry.

Religious Education for

Children and Youth

RE classes are in full swing.

The kids collected over $75 when they Trick or Treated for Unicef on Sunday Oct 30!  That was amazing.

We are still in need of teachers to volunteer for Elementary and Youth Group for January - May. Please talk to Jennifer Lewis or Joy Hoeft.

Elementary classes are continuing with UU Super Heroes:  bible people.

Youth Group will continue to do popcorn theology. Some movies they will watch you watching are Life of Pi, Jesus Christ Superstar, Spider-Man, Forrest Gump, and Field of Dreams.

If you have any questions or comments about RE, please contact Joy Hoeft.   "Please support programs for all ages to keep them interested in coming to church – they’re our future!"

Nursery services are available for children
under 4 years of age.

Our congregation now has a four-person team of Envoys for the UU-United Nations Office.  The two new ones are Kayci Combs Lueker and Sheia O'Brien.  The two continuing ones are Paula Lafond and Ron Glossop.  There is no limit on the number of Envoys a congregation can have, so if you would also like to be one, contact Ron.

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

Newsletter Deadline is on the 15 of each month. Send info. to Dorothy Wilson and to Becky Green at church

Bookkeeping Help

Please remember to specify your offering
Envelopes for cash remittal are available near the hymnals.

4th Saturday Personal Care Item Distribution
Saturday, Dec. 24th, 11 A.M

This month we need extra helping hands to do the distribution. Many of the “regulars” will be traveling for the Holidays, so come help our friends and neighbors by giving out much needed items that cannot be purchased through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
With Christmas and cold weather coming, we would like to have plenty of socks, of all sizes to distribute.   (we’ve also have received requests for basics like towels and washcloths also)   As always, cash or check donations are also gladly accepted.   Please be sure to indicate that the funds are for “personal care items”.

Items Needed for the Dec 24^th Distribution:

(Please purchase fragrance, die free versions if possible)

African American hair products (oil, shampoo)
Baby Wipes
Bath towels
Bleach
Deodorant (for men and women)
Dishwashing soap for hand washing dishes
Hand Lotion
Hand warming packets
Hand Wipes (like Wet Ones)
Laundry Detergent (purchased, not home-made)
Shampoo (less scented shampoo preferred)
Socks (for men, women, children)
Toilet Paper
Wash cloths

Is It Your Turn?

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

December Potluck Lunch

Dec 4^th, after service, there will be a special 1^st Sunday luncheon, celebrating 180 years of history for our church.   Please bring food to share and take part in decorating the church for the Holidays!

50+ Group / Free For All Winter Schedule

Dec. 3rd, 10:30 A.M.

There were just 4 of us at the November meeting (and lunch), and we enjoyed the next reading in the Landscapes of Aging & Spirituality, edited by Kathleen Montgomery. We decided we're a small enough group (even when everyone on the distribution list comes) that we can plan on meeting through the winter BUT understand that any prediction of bad weather would prompt a cancellation.

My point:  if weather seems unpredictable, check your e-mail before leaving the house to see if we've already decided to stay home and safe.

So, weather permitting, we'll get together again on December 3 for the next chapter in our book.

Sandy

Anna Ds – Women’s Alliance

Dec. 1st , 11:30 am

We've moved to our winter schedule for the three months most likely to bring us weather that can keep us in our homes for our own safety. Every 1st Thursday of these three months, we have a "come as you are" gathering at 11:30 at Best Buffet in Wood River on the hill across from Wood River Wal-Mart; the formal address is 615 Wesley Drive and the phone number is 618-258-1888. They are always open, we don't need a reservation and won't disappoint anyone if 2 or 12 arrive. If the weather is good, please come and join us. If the weather turns sour or is predicted to do so, stay safe and warm at home.

If you have questions or information you'd like circulated to the group, just let Sandy Shaner know.

Men’s Monthly Lunch

Dec. 8th, 11:30 am

The men’s lunch bunch (Retired old Men Eating Out) meets on the second Thursday of each month.   Join us at the Best 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

Healing Energy Meditation

Dec. 12^th and 26th

6:30 P.M. by the Fireplace at church

Alton Area Cluster

Book Club

Social Justice

Thursday, Dec 15

3 – 5 P.M.

Congregational Covenant

Approved May 17, 2015

To strengthen and nurture with love, compassion and respect, we covenant to:

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)

Work as Worship:  Emerson’s Emancipating Religious and Political Journey

Thomas Lamb Eliot Lecture with
the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University

December 7 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm.

Professor David M. Robinson will deliver the inaugural Thomas Lamb Eliot lecture in Umrath Lounge at Washington University in St. Louis on December 7, 2016.  His lecture, “Work as Worship:  Emerson’s Emancipating Religious and Political Journey”, offers a spiritual autobiography of Emerson that traces the struggles and crises that led him from spokesman for a newly emerging spirituality to a prominent role in the antislavery movement and the political battle for the principle of emancipation.

http://rap.wustl.edu/events/thomas-lamb-eliot-lecture/

All are invited to this new lecture series, named for a member of the first class (1862) of Washington University in St. Louis. Eliot, the son of the university’s founder, William Greenleaf Eliot, graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1865 and entered the Unitarian ministry. He went on to become a major religious and civic leader in Portland, Oregon, and played a pivotal role in the founding of Reed College. The lecture is intended to focus attention on the religious and political worlds out of which Washington University emerged, while at the same time reaching well beyond that immediate educational and institutional setting. The lecture is designed to explore the broad cultural, intellectual, and political frames of Eliot’s cosmopolitan faith—for example, the complex politics of benevolence and reform, the role of religion in westward migration, the value of the liberal arts, the relationship between religion and democracy, the development of pluralism as a cultural value, as well as the entwining of religion, place, and nature. The lecture ranges temporally from the nineteenth-century milieu of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe, and Theodore Parker to twenty-first-century expressions of religious humanism and social activism.

Cam Archibald and Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, Director of UUA Stewardship and Development will be in attendance at the lecture and would love to meet members of our congregations there.

Coffee Hour Goodies

If you want goodies for our Sunday coffee hours, please bring some to share.  We have no more goodies, like fruit, cookies, cheese, left.  Any donations of coffee, tea, creamer, lemonade, and so on are welcome.  Mike Tarbulski is doing a great job of keeping coffee and goodies out on Sunday.  So, if you like goodies, please help us out by bringing some every so often.

CHURCH LEADERSHIP

2016 - 2017

            Board of Trustees

            Board President - Dee Evans
            President-Elect - Michael Schmidt
            Past President - Debby Lovell
            Treasurer - Lisa Strangeman
            Secretary - Pat Moore
            At-Large - Robin Crane
            At-Large - Paul Hebert

            Committee/Team Leads

            Transitions Committee - TBA
            Social Events - Vacant
            Interfaith and U.U. - Vacant

            Pastoral Associates

            Marcia Custer
            Sandra Shaner

            Religious Education Council

            Chair - Joy Hoeft

            Stewardship Committee

            Building - Kelly Crone-Willis
            Grounds - Robyn Stranquist
            Canvass 2017 - TBA
            Endowment Fund - Kelly Crone-Willis
            Finance - Matt Koch
            Membership - Mary Weber
            Sunday Support Ministries - TBA

            Worship Associates

            Mary Johnson
            Robin Crane
            Kayci Combs-Lueker
            Joy Hoeft
            Yomi Kinder