Side view of the Church from the park.

Congregation established 1836

September 6^th

“Creative Imagination” – A Faith Rocket service

September 20^th

“The Pandemic Project”

Presented by Dennis Fisher

Worship Associate:   Peg Flach

September 27^th

Service presented by Tracey Howe-Koch

If people need help with doing their worship service videos for YouTube please get in touch with Alex J. Hoeft alex.j.hoeft@gmail.com (314-479-2764).  He would like to have the videos at least by the Friday before your service.

ZOOM COFFEE HOUR

Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.

Contact Robyn Berkley for zoom login information.

Your Part in INGATHERING – September 13^th

Eric Johnson writes:  In 1858 Abraham Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas in Alton, a few blocks down the hill from the Unitarian Church.  At that time there was turmoil and violence in the country and Unitarian preachers were standing up to speak against the wrongness of slavery, often at their own peril.  Mr. Lincoln said that the question of slavery was not only political but a spiritual issue as well, deeply affecting church congregations.  He asked, “What disturbed the Unitarian Church in this very City two years ago?”

Ingathering is important.  It’s maybe as important as it was in 1858 to not be silent about what is happening in our nation.  So, as we celebrate the beginning of a new church year, I want to invite you to our Ingathering service.  We gather as a religious community to be a community that seeks justice, stands on the side of love and holds each other in fellowship and support.  I just don’t know that there has ever been a more important time to come together.

This year Ingathering will be a virtual online service.  So, no matter where you are in the world you can join us safely on Sunday, September 13^th at 10 a.m. (CDT) on our YouTube app on our homepage:  http://www.firstuualton.org/

Not only join us but participate.  It’s easy.  Take a picture of yourself lighting a chalice, a candle, a tealight, a battery-operated candle, even a turning on a light.  You can include yourself and your family or just take it of the light.  Send that picture to ingathering@firstuualton.org.  These photos are going to be put in a collage at the beginning of our service.

Then, if you have the ability, take a short 3 second video of yourself and your family saying the words “Love, Light, and Grace.” These words will bless us as we end our service.  Just send it to the link ingathering@firstuualton.org.

I just don’t know that there has ever been a more important time to come together.  We welcome all faiths and those who are seeking or even feel that they have no faith.

Come to ingathering with us.  Feel the strength of solidarity.  I hope to see you Sunday, September 13^th at 10 a.m.

“Robyn’s Remarks” –

From the Church Board President

Greetings Members and Friends of First Unitarian Church of Alton!

For those who do not know me, I am Robyn Berkley and I will be serving the congregation over the next three years in the Board President rotation.   I have been a member of First UU for over 10 years.  I am honored to lead and serve this very special spiritual home, and I encourage everyone to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns about the congregation (robynberkley@yahoo.com).

Your Board and I are getting up to speed on our budget issues and will be working on a strategic plan for our congregation to get us through the next few years.   We plan to share this with you at our Annual Congregational Meeting scheduled for Sunday September 27^th.

What can I tell you right now?

(1)  Our pledges are down significantly such that we have decided to not have a minister for the upcoming months, given Amy Brooks’ resignation.   Worship services will continue to be led by our wonderful Worship Associates, and we will work with local ministers of all faiths to help us grow spiritually as a congregation.   We are also beginning a conversation with a ministerial consultant and look forward to the possibility of sharing some programming with Emerson Unitarian Chapel.   Look for emails and information from our Worship Associates how you can contribute to and better engage with our virtual services.

(2)  Based on recommendations from the UUA, we will continue to hold virtual services through the next congregational calendar year.   Presently our services are pre-recorded and then they premiere on YouTube Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.   We will be experimenting with live Zoom services over the next few months so we can better connect with congregants on a regular basis.   We will follow the guidelines from health professionals to decide when we can return to live services in the church.  We know you are all eager to return, as are we, and we will as soon as it is safe to do so.  Our congregation’s health and safety come first!

(3)  The questions we were grappling with before the pandemic have not gone away, and sadly, have only become more salient.   We have some hard decisions to make regarding our building and our future as a congregation.   I have faith in all of us that we will be able to move forward in a healthy way, assuming positive intent, with the best interests of our entire congregation in mind.   Our mission statement below will guide every decision we make.   I look forward to moving forward with this process with all of you!

We are creating and nurturing an intentional community that values acceptance, social justice, and the embodiment of UU principles.   Come, let us question together.

In Love and Peace,

Robyn Berkley

“Inspire Love Seek Justice”

CREDOS

“a statement of the beliefs or aims which guide someone's actions”

Several years ago, we invited members of our faith community to share personal credos … their “elevator speech,” so to speak.   The members of the Worship Committee would like to revisit this and invite members of the current congregation to share how they choose to answer the questions “What is a Unitarian?”  … or …  “What do you believe?” … or … simply tell us how you came to find a home in our church family.

We’d like this to be part of upcoming Sunday Services and we want to hear from YOU!  Please contact at Peg Flach (be forewarned:  she may already have you on her radar and will be contacting … you!).

Annual Congregational Meeting

The Annual Congregational Meeting, usually held in June, will be held on Sunday, September 27^th

at 11:00 a.m. to approve the budget and attend to other church business.   The zoom link will be sent out closer to the date.

Church Board Highlights

The church board had two zoom meetings in August.

On August 4^th, the meeting focused on getting church functions back on track.   Finances and Office Management were the main topics.   Our CPA, Katherine Valley, and Buddy Stricker, our IT consultant were on hand.   Each board member volunteered to take on one or more administrative duties (e.g., checking the church’s emails and phone messages, picking up mail, depositing money in the bank, reading the copier meter monthly, arranging to meet the pest control employee monthly, and the like.)

At the August 25^th meeting the Board’s oversight of Committees was discussed, with plans for Board Members to be Committee liaisons.  Alex and Nathan will be the Social Media/Website/Tech liaisons.   Carol will Chair / liaison with the Pastoral Care Committee.   Robyn will liaison with the Worship Committee.   Pat will coordinate virtual social events.

Nathan has made several updates to the church’s homepage making it more user-friendly.

The development of a new church Directory is underway with a draft copy being sent out to members hopefully early in September.

The Board is planning to have a zoom meeting on September 2^nd with Dr. Claudia Hall, a ministerial consultant who is also working with Emerson Chapel.

The next Board meeting will be September 8^th where the budget for the 2020-2021 church year will be the focus.

The Board is planning a zoom retreat on September 16^th.

The Annual Congregational Meeting, usually held in June, will be held on Sunday, September 27^th

at 11:00 a.m. to approve the budget and attend to other church business.   The zoom link will be sent out closer to the date.

Mary Johnson, Board Secretary

Electronic Financial Donations

You can now make a financial donation to the church through PayPal.

The blue logo icon is  in the upper right hand corner of the church’s homepage http://www.firstuualton.org/.

Nathan Brown, one of our media gurus, has also put an envelope icon up in that right hand corner.   By clicking on the envelop you can send an email directly to the church.

Building and Grounds Report

Several projects have been completed or plans are in the works.

A plumber installed a turn off value for the leaking spigot at the back of the church.   This installation had to be done in a crawl space inside the building.   The plumber also ran a camera through the drainpipes under the building but was only able to get partly through due to a massive clog of leaves and debris.   We are uncertain about the cost of having that clog removed.

Michael Tarabulski filled in the large crack on the top step of the RE entrance porch with Redi mix.  He also blow-torched the many weeks growing in the brick sidewalk in front of the church.

Bids will be gotten for the trimming of the evergreen shrubbery along the Alby St. and 3^rd St. walls.

Nathan Brown is looking into safety issues around the crumbling and uneven long stone steps with the idea of gating them off.

Bids will be gotten for re-shingling the roof over the church’s front porch as the shingles are continually coming off.

A workday may be scheduled for some time in September.

4^th Saturday Distribution

Planning Team

Volunteers are needed to help figure out how we can start again to provide personal and home care products to those in need.  We must consider safe distancing, mask wearing, and not allowing people to come into the building as they are used to doing.  If you have some ideas to share on how we can keep everyone safe and still distribute products, please get in touch with me.  Mary Johnson.   Due to the current rise of covid-19 in Madison county it is doubtful that we will have a distribution in September.   However, it would be nice to have a plan in place once we can start some sort of distribution.

The Men’s Lunch group will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 10^th via Zoom.  If you’re not already on the Men’s Lunch email list contact Nick Pendergrass for the Zoom meeting ID. 

CHURCH LEADERSHIP as of September 2020

2020 - 2021

Board Members

President:   Robyn Berkley  robynberkley@yahoo.com

Secretary:   Mary Johnson    mejohnson@mindspring.com

Treasurer:  Nathan Brown  nathan.brown0621@outlook.com

Member at Large:   Aiden Crist    arexboi@gmail.com

Member at Large:  Alex Hoeft    alex.j.hoeft@gmail.com

Member at Large:  Carol McGrew  carol_mcgrew@yahoo.com

Member at Large:  Pat Moore  patjimmoore@charter.net

President Elect:  To be Determined

Youth Representatives:  To be Determined

COMMITTEES

Building & Grounds

Co-Chair - Tom Cochran

Co-Chair - Michael Tarabulski

Grounds  - TBD

Endowment Fund

Jerry Johnson

Tracey Howe-Koch

Fund Raising

Co-Chair - Peg Flach

Co-Chair - TBD

Membership

Co-Chair - Mary Weber

Co-Chair - TBD

Newsletter

Mary Johnson

Pastoral Care Associates

Carol McGrew - Chair

Ruth Maskow

Pat Murrell

Sandy Shaner

Mary Weber

Pledge Drive

TBD

RE Council

Joy Hoeft

Jennifer Lewis

Kayci Combs-Lueker

Social Events Coordinator

Co-Chair - Pat Moore

Co-Chair - TBD

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

Robyn Berkley

Peg Flach

John Herndon

Joy Hoeft

Tracey Howe-Koch

Eric Johnson

Jerry Johnson