Congregation established 1836

Newsletter of the

First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois

www.firstuualton.org

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister

June 1^st

“The State of the Church”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Our Free Religion is grounded in a long tradition of democratic principles, and we will practice those principles in our annual congregational meeting today.  As we prepare to make decisions about governing ourselves in the upcoming year, we need to consider from whence we’ve come from, where we are now, and where we are called to go. –  Please attend the Annual Meeting after worship today!

June 8^th

“Cash and Contradiction”

Rev. Khleber Van Zandt

Few figures in recent history are more representative of American identity than the late music icon, Johnny Cash.  In a new book called Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction: Christianity and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation, author Rodney Clapp calls for a truce in our culture wars.  We’ll explore some of the contradictions inherent in the intersections between democracy and religion, using Cash as the spokesperson for us common folks.

June 15^th – Fathers’ Day

"Indispensable People"

Dr. David Breeden

Charles de Gaulle once said, "The graveyards are full of indispensable people." That's a true enough statement, and it may just be indispensability that is putting many of us into graveyards a bit earlier than required. But how do we stop being indispensable?

Dr. Breeden is the DuBois Ministerial Intern at Eliot Unitarian Chapel in Kirkwood.

June 22^nd

To Be Announced

June 29^th

“Signs of Life”

Rev. Susan Palmquist

Rev. Palmquist is Chaplain at BJC Hospice in St. Louis.

A First Glance

Besides trying to learn a bunch of new names, the first thing a new minister needs to do when they get to town is to find out about the traditions and culture of the congregation they’ve been called to.  This entails reading all sorts of histories and newsletters, bulletins and orders of service, all kinds of printed and written material.  More importantly, though, they needs to listen to the members of the congregation who’ve been around for a while and who remember the past and who can tell the story of the congregation from a very personal standpoint.

When I came to Alton, I began to listen to the personal stories.  And I learned quickly that this congregation has a long, proud history of deep involvement in the community and in social justice activities.  I learned that many long-time members of the church held their Humanist and atheist roots to be very sacred (if that’s the word).  I learned that there is a strong streak of independence sprinkled throughout the group of people who assemble themselves as the First Unitarian Church of Alton.

And I was told one more thing time and time again:  “This church does not talk about money.”

I have tried to honor that tradition when possible.  I believe I understand some of the stigmas, some of the reluctances, some of the reasons people do not want to talk about or hear about issues involving money:  insecurity about one’s own situation, the possibility of causing embarrassment to others, the just plain hard work of figuring out one’s relationship to one’s resources.  I honor those difficulties - I have often struggled similarly.

But a meeting was held recently that indicated to me that a sea change may be taking place in some of the attitudes and culture of this congregation.  In mid-May, the Board of Trustees called a meeting to be held after church and to which the entire congregation was invited.  The Board had wrestled hard with money issues at its May gathering and wanted to share what it had learned with the wider congregation.  Frankly, I was surprised when almost twenty people showed up to hear a presentation by our President and our Treasurer outlining the shortfall we face in this year’s and in the coming year’s budgets.

In years past, a problem of this sort might have been dealt with behind the scenes by one or two members.  But the cultural shift is this:  responsibility for a problem like this is no longer understood as limited to one or two people.  A problem like this is now seen as an opportunity for the whole community to get involved and help.

Please read our President’s column in this newsletter outlining the issues.  Please contribute your thoughts and ideas in this process.  And please rejoice that you have this opportunity to participate in the life of First Unitarian Church of Alton.

See you in church,

Message from the Church President

How much money does it take to keep a church up and running? Why does the church have a 10K budget shortfall?  How can we function with a budget cut down to the bare essentials?  And how many UU’s can squeeze into Emerson Place to discuss a taboo subject (money) and live to tell the tale?  All members in attendance tackled these and many other questions at our Congregational Budget Meeting held after service on May 18^th, and they not only lived, but want me to tell the tale.  So here goes.

About 90% of our church’s operating budget comes from pledged contributions. At this time the total dollar amount of pledges for 2008-2009 falls short of the 90% needed by 10%. In dollars, that equals to a shortfall of approximately $10,000. The board has already taken the knife to next year’s budget, cutting expenses to the bare essentials. (See the Budget Discussion Sheet emailed earlier or pick up a copy at church). So how can we make up the difference? Members who attended the budget meeting suggested two ways:

1)       Every member makes a one-time additional donation of $100. 

2)       Members reconsider their 2008-09 pledge and increase it by 10%.

Just in case you are thinking about putting this message aside, I’d like you to consider this.  Prior to the budget meeting while doing a little on-line research, I discovered a very interesting fact about UU churches: It takes about $1,000 - $1100 per member or $2,000 - $2,200 for a family of two members to keep a church open and operating effectively.  This appears to be the magic number for all members in churches both large and small, with or without a minister, throughout the country. I was curious, so I did the math.  Our pledge budget is $108,000 and we have about 105 members. That equals to approximately $1028!  Half of our members give more; half give less.

Our church’s next fiscal year does not begin until July 1^st, so there is still time to make adjustments to your pledge.  Whichever of the two options above you choose, complete a new pledge form (available at church) to either change your pledge for the ’08 -’09 year or to make a one-time donation of $100.  We are aware and certainly very sympathetic to those of you who simply cannot give more than what you have already pledged.  But for those members who can, seize this opportunity to experience a generous heart by making a financial contribution to our religious community that so enriches our lives.

Blessings,

Beth Nalick, President, Board of Trustees

June   1 – TBA

June   8 – TBA

June 15 – TBA

June 22 -- Non-Theist-Humanist Roundtable.

A continuation of Religious Naturalism - Why we don't necessarily need a God to be religious.  Discussion Leader:  John Herndon.

June 29 – TBA

Suggestions for summer Adult Religious Enrichment programs are requested.  If you have a topic in mind that you’d like to present, or if you have a topic that you’d like to hear about, but don’t know who would present it, please talk to John Herndon or email him at herndonj@wudosis.wustl.edu.

Mark Your Calendars:

       A Quick Guide to this Month’s Happenings

Church Work Day

June 14^th

A workday is planned for June 14^th from 9 am until 3 pm. There is cleaning, window washing, paint-ing, repairs, and gardening to be done.  Everyone is encouraged to attend and work for all or part of the day.  Childcare can be provided with advance notification.

Pat Moore,  Building and Grounds Chairman

Chalice Circles

The GLBT Chalice Group will be meeting the 3^rd Sunday each month after church at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO.  Lunch is at 12:15 pm at Kaldis on Lindbergh, near Eliot Chapel.  The Chalice Group meets at the Chapel from 1:15 to 3:15 pm.  Contact Layne Simpson layne3030@hotmail.com for more information.

Third Sunday Chalice Circle

Sunday, June 15^th – 11:45 am to 1 pm at Church

Contact:  Sandy Shaner sarapolarbear@hotmail.com

This is a “general” chalice circle welcoming all.

Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle

Sunday, June 15^th – 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at Church

Contact: Diane Thompson at dianeelizabeththompson@gmail.com or

Cheryle Tucker-Loewe at chtucke@siue.edu.

Renegade Women

Saturday, June 21^st – 3 to 5 pm at Church

The Renegade Women Chalice Circle meets at the church from 3-5 pm on the 3^rd Saturday of each month.  Members include women across adulthood and we invite you to explore with us.  For more information

contact Marcia Custer; Circle Facilitator (mcuster@siue.edu ).

Men's Chalice Circle

Tuesday, June 24^th – 7 pm at Church

Contact: Khleber Van Zandt kvanzandt@uuma.org.

St Louis Pride Fest Parade

Members and friends of the church are invited to march in the Gay Pride Parade in St. Louis on Sunday, June 29^th.  This will be the second year we’ve participated in this parade.  At our recent Volunteer Faire, ten people expressed an interest in participating in this parade.  Hopefully those individuals and others will be able to join the parade on the 29^th.  The Parade begins promptly at noon near Gravois and Grand in south St. Louis City and it will proceed north on Grand until it ends north of Arsenal St. near Magnolia across from Tower Grove Park.  Further details and parade meeting place will be announced later.  If you have questions, or want to participate, contact our parade coordinator, Linda Van Zandt.  A signup sheet will also be available at church.

Info from Ruth Shaw

The Shaw Sky Lab at SIUE will offer public viewing for astronomers, with a favorable sky, from 9 - 10:30 pm on May 28^th, June 25^th and July 30th.

For more information and a map go to http://www.siue.edu/PHYSICS/astroviewing.html.

All Men in the Church Invited to the

Men’s Lunch Group

The men’s lunch group will meet on Thursday, June 5^th at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL.  Contact Nelson Shaner for further details nshaner@charter.net

Anna Ds

The Anna Davenport Sparks Women’s Alliance will meet for lunch at “E.F. Carpenters” http://www.efcarpenters.com/

208/210 State Street, Jerseyville, IL on Thursday, June 5^th at 11:30 am.  Directions:  Take Route 67 (it becomes Godfrey Road) to Jerseyville.  Go through 4 traffic lights.  Carpenters is in the 2^nd block after the 4^th light.  It is a brick building with green awnings on the left side of the street.  There is plenty of parking in the rear.  If you plan to attend call Irene Mondhink or email Liz Leavell lleavell@charter.net by June 3^rd.

4^th Sunday

Sunday Potluck Lunch

June 22^nd

Bring a dish to share and plan to stay after church to join in food and fellowship!  If possible please bring a dish that serves at least 6 to 8 people.  With an average attendance of almost 80 people on a Sunday we need to make sure there’s food for everyone.

A-Mc will do Clean Up

M-Z will do Table Set Up

Everyone helps put food out.

CRISIS FOOD CENTER DONATIONS

Food is always needed.  Please remember to bring your donations of non-perishable food in regularly.  Perhaps add a few items in your basket for the Crisis Food Center as you do your weekly grocery shopping.

Jen Politsch

CARE AND CONCERN

Corinne Hawkins is home recuperating following shoulder surgery.  Cards and company are welcome. 

Davona Paul has returned to Rosewood Care Center in Alton following a recent hospitalization.   She would appreciate cards and visitors

Please contact your Pastoral Care Team Leader or Rev. Khleber Van Zandt if there are concerns that need to be brought to their attention.

Community

Outreach Offering

The collection on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays is given away to charitable causes. The money donated does not include pledge checks or money otherwise earmarked by the giver.  The Outreach Offering only includes “cash offerings” or checks indicating that they are to be included in the donated funds.

In June the outreach offering will go to Heifer International http://www.heifer.org/.

Starting in July the Outreach Offering will be done a little differently.  Only one half (1/2) of the offering on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays will go to community efforts.  The remaining half will go to the church.

CHOIR   PRACTICE SCHEDULE

You don’t have to be able to attend each choir practice to join the choir.  Practice is held at 7 pm on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of each month and at 12 noon on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of each month.

June Rehearsals:

Thurs., June 5^th

Sun., June 8^th

Thurs., June 19^th

Sun., June 22^nd

Contact Willis McCoy for further information.

wbmccoy@charter.net

Meredith and Isaac Nalick joined the church on Sunday, May 18^th.   Meredith and Isaac have been serving as part of the church’s Youth Advisory Team.  Please welcome them and get to know them better.

NAMI Presentation “In Our Own Voice”

Twenty-one members and friends of the church, along with thirteen people from the community, attended an evening presentation at our church on May 20^th given by members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  This program was designed to de-stigmatize mental disorders, giving us facts about mental illnesses and personal accounts of living, coping and recovery.  This program was the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing congregational series in learning better how to support people with mental illness and their families.

RE NEWS

Dear Parents and Friends,

Nice weather is finally starting to be here.  School is finally ending.  Children are excited and want to be outside as much as possible.  As parents we are thinking “Wow, time spent being active not in front of an electronic screen of some point is a great thing.”  As a church community we should also want to support this kind of development and group interaction (all of the children want to be outside together).  However, safety concerns must also be addressed. 

As a faith community we strive to create a safe space for all to explore in developmentally appropriate ways.  In order to further this goal our Summer Sunday Sessions of RE will incorporate a lot of outdoor time and activities as the weather allows.  The children will be supervised outside during RE time and exploring what nature has to teach us with the curriculum “Keepers of the Earth.”  This will allow the children to commune with each other and the natural world at the same time while also being in a safe environment.

At times when they are not participating in RE it is up to you to make sure that the time they want to spend outside at church is a safe time.  While we are fortunate to have a large lot full of grass next to the church that the kids like to play on, it is important to remember that this same lot also contains things like poison ivy, stone walls, holes, and no fence between it and the streets. 

Many things can happen when children are unsupervised in such a setting.   Accidents can happen, especially when they are in a large group.  Sometimes what an individual child would not consider doing, a group of children will do in the excitement of being together and having a good time.  I have seen children walking along the tops of stone walls or very deep window wells, climbing up stone walls, and running around and through anything that may be growing outside, including poison ivy.  Accidents are not the only possible outcome of unsupervised children.  We all like to think of our church community as a loving community where no harm would come to a child, but in reality we are also open to the public.  As the adults who are responsible for the children of this community we owe it to them to make sure that they are safe and supervised whenever we come together to celebrate this wonderful community that we have here at church.

Thank you, Jamie Gross, DRE

1.  Please stop by the RE Book Hutch for all of your Beacon Press and Skinner House books and support the RE department at the same time.

2.  Please remember to bring in your used ink jet printer cartridges for recycling.  Help the Earth and RE department by putting these items in the bins in the foyer.

3.  Teacher Appreciation Luncheon for all those who served as teachers, mentors, or advisers this past year will be held on June 8 at the Alton Holiday Inn.  Please RSVP to Jamie if attending so that reservations can be made.  Families are invited as well.

4.  RE Summer Camp will be held on July 14 - 18 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm with an Intergeneration Celebration to be held on July 19 at 6 pm.  Volunteers are still need for this camp.

Happy Birthday

Most people enjoy getting a card or email or phone call on their birthday.  Below is the list 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.

  3 June – Kris Tucker-Loewe

  4 June – Marcia Custer

  4 June – Mark Wolff

  4 June – Jennifer Herndon

  8 June – Ruth Shaw

  9 June – Wayne Politsch

  9 June – Eric Sturley

17 June – Jeanne Sturley

21 June – Joy Hoeft

23 June – Bailey Brunner (1991)

23 June – Jackie McDonough

29 June – Beth Nalick

30 June – Ruth Maskow

50^th Wedding Anniversary
Celebration

To celebrate their love and their lives together, Kit and Ronnie Schoenborn invite family and friends to an Open House on Saturday, June 14 from 2 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, June 14^th at their home.

What you'd say when you're going from the sixth floor to the lobby and somebody asks you, 'What's a Unitarian Universalist?'

Unitarian Universalism challenges us to seek the spiritual truth which lives within our own hearts and minds, and it supports us with a loving community of faith and hope even as we journey together with those whose truth may appear different from our own.  Cheryle Tucker-Loewe

Possible Future Social Justice Initiatives

At the Volunteer Faire held in May many people expressed interest in several of the possibilities listed for social justice ventures in the upcoming church year.

High on the list was working with Habitat for Humanity.  In April a small group of us met with Jan Goodwin, the President of the Piasa Chapter of Habitat and were very impressed with their current projects.  We hope to be able to be on Habitat’s next work project.  We don’t know when that will be because their work progress is dependent on funding.  If they don’t have money they can’t build.  But we will keep in touch with Habitat and let you know.

Another popular interest group was a series of classes on Voluntary Simplicity.  This will be taught at our church by Kevin McCarthy sometime in the fall.  We will be inviting members of other churches to participate as this is part a “Green Academies” program that is being developed by the Alton Cluster of the United Congregations of Metro East.

We also hope to join in or initiate a “feed the homeless and hungry” program.

Also along with other churches in the Alton Cluster we will be starting an “Anti-Racism” initiative which is to stretch over ten years. 

These are just some of the programs that you expressed an interest in.  If you have other ideas for Social Justice efforts, or you want to work on the Social Justice Committee in planning such activities, please let Mary Johnson know mejohnson@mindspring.com.