July 5^th

July 19^th

Presented by:   Jerry Johnson

Worship Associate:   Mary Johnson

July 26^th

Presented by:  Robyn Berkley

Worship Associate:  Eric Johnson

If people need help with doing their worship service videos for YouTube please get in touch with Alex J. Hoeft.   He would like to have the videos at least by the Friday before your service.

ZOOM COFFEE HOUR

Every Sunday at 10:45 a.m., following the 10:00 a.m. videoed worship service on the church’s YouTube app, YOU are invited to a live coffee hour through Zoom.   Please contact Robyn Berkley for information as to how to join the zoom coffee hour where you can see and talk with others (and often see favored pets).

In Memoriam

Phil joined our congregation on May 29, 2005 after learning about the church from his sister.   He hardly ever missed a Sunday service.   He shared his poetry with those meeting in chalice circles or other small group settings and enjoyed playing chess with the young people.   He always enjoyed a cup of coffee during fellowship time and appreciated the potluck lunches.

4^th Saturday Distribution

Due to the “shelter in place” and “social distancing” guidelines, the last care product distribution from the church was in February.

However, since there were no expenditures for four months (March – June), about $1000 in donations accumulated in the 4^th Saturday account.   In mid-June we were told that in keeping with some new church financial decisions, we needed to spend that money before the end of the fiscal year (i.e., June 30).   This is a very typical approach to finances in business and academic settings.

The Distribution Team decided that the easiest way to spend $1000 quickly was to buy gift cards and distribute them on the 4^th Saturday in July.   We ordered 100 gift cards ($10.00 each) from Dollar Tree and will be distributing them from outside the church building and setting up safety guidelines.   We hope to be able to have a process set up in August to once again distribute products.

If you want to help on July 25^th please contact Mary Johnson.

The ROMEOS (Men’s Lunch group) will meet at 11:30 a.m.  on Thursday, July 9th via Zoom.   If you’re not already on the Men’s Lunch email list contact Nick Pendergrass for the Zoom meeting ID.

A Bit of History & Our Church

The seventh debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas was held in Alton on October 15, 1858, a few blocks down the hill from our church.

In that debate, Lincoln commented that the disturbances raised in regard to slavery went far beyond politics and that the devisive effects of the controversy enters into churches and “render them asunder.”   He mentions the division of the Methodist churches, the troubles in the Presbyterian churches, and then he says “What disturbed the Unitarian Church in this very city two years ago?”

That was always a cryptic statement until I found that in July 1856, Rev. William D’Arcy Haley, the minister of the Unitarian Church, submitted his resignation because members of the congregation complained about his preaching politics when he took a stance from the pulpit on the “Kansas question.”   [Each new territory was to decide, by a vote of those living there, whether the terrifitory would come into the Union as a free or slave state.   Kansas became a battle ground between anti-slavery northerners who moved to Kansas to settle, and pro-slavery “border ruffians” from Missouri who attacked the settlers.]  Haley said in his sermon “The Kansas question is a question of right and wrong, it involves a struggle for civil and religious liberty, against heathenish tyranny, and that man is a moral coward … who dare not condem the wrong.”   He went on to say, “I denounce such enormous wrongs from root to branch … and that if I cannot be an honest man and be your pastor, I will at least remain honest.   If I cannot preach the whole truth I will not preach at all.”

Following the first vote to accept his resignation, a second motion was made asking that he remain and stated that “… as a Society we will never condemn a person for upholding the cause of Truth, Justice, and Morality…”    That motion was approved and Haley stayed a few more months, leaving in October 1856, three years after he began his ministry in Alton.

That second motion became the basis of our church policy of “freedom of the pulpit.”

A VOTER FORUM at the YWCA

Your Voice - Your Vote - Your Future

John Herndon and Ruth Maskow are
on the Planning Committee for this Social Justice event.

Thursday July 23^rd the YWCA is sponsoring a voter forum, a chance for voters to hear from the Candidates.   Invited guests include County Board Chair-Kurt Prenzler (R) and Bob Daiber (D); State’s Attorney- Crystal Uhe (D) and Tom Haine (R); and Circuit Clerk- Tom McRae (R) and Amy Gabriel (D).   This a chance for voters to engage with local candidates who will a direct impact on all the citizens of Madison County.   This election is a major focus of the UUA and our own local church social justice efforts.  Face masks and social distancing will be required and observed, but please consider joining in this important event.

See the flyer at the end of this newsletter for more information.

Several of the programs from this year’s Virtual General Assembly are available on the UUA’s Youtube site, including the Sunday morning worship service.

A major focus at this year’s gathering was UUtheVote.   Googling that term will give you links to several informative pages about this Social Justice ongoing activity.

CHURCH LEADERSHIP as of July 2020

2020 - 2021

Board Members

Resigned 6/25/20:   Lee Suarez - President

Resigned 6/25/20:   Char McAllister - President-Elect

Vacant - Past President

Sandy Shaner - Secretary

Phil Embree - Treasurer

Aiden Crist - Member at Large

Jennifer Lewis - Member at Large

Isabella Navarre & Ben Hoeft - Youth Representatives

Building & Grounds

Co-Chair - Tom Cochran

Co-Chair - Michael Tarabulski

Grounds - Char McAllister – Resigned 6/25/2020

Endowment Fund

Jerry Johnson

Tracey Howe-Koch

Fund Raising

Co-Chair - Peg Flach

Co-Chair - vacant

Membership

Co-Chair - Mary Weber

Co-Chair - vacant

Newsletter

Mary Johnson

Pastoral Care Associates

Rev. Amy Brooks

Dee Evans

Ruth Maskow

Pat Murrell

Sandy Shaner

Mary Weber

Pledge Drive

Resigned:   Char McAllister

RE Council

Joy Hoeft

Jennifer Lewis

Kayci Combs-Lueker

Social Events Coordinator

Co-Chair - Pat Moore

Co-Chair – vacant

Social Justice

Co-Chair - John Herndon

Co-Chair - Ed Navarre

Social Media

Nathan Brown

Alex Hoeft

Sunday Support Services

Paula Moore

Carol McGrew

Worship Associates

Chair – Amy Brooks

Robyn Berkley

Peg Flach

John Herndon

Joy Hoeft

Tracey Howe-Koch

Jerry Johnson