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Windows on west side of sanctuary. |
First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois
www.firstuualton.org
Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister December 2011 |
FIRST UNITARIAN FOCUS
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Windows on west side of sanctuary. |
First Unitarian Church, Alton, Illinois
www.firstuualton.org
Rev. Khleber Van Zandt, Minister December 2011 |
On Dec. 3 we’ll be celebrating 175 years as a congregation
– come to the party – 6 pm.
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December 4, 2011 – 175th Birthday Wrap-Up 9:30 and 11:00 am “One Seventy-Five and Counting” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Gathering as a 175-years-young
congregation, we’ve seen a lot but we still have a long way to go. Let’s see what we can learn from reviewing
our successes and enumerating our challenges. December 11, 2011 - Advent 9:30 and 11:00 am “Wait with Me” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Advent
is about waiting. As we wait together
for the holidays, we’ll discuss the traditional understanding of the season and
explore what waiting might mean in our own lives. December 18, 2011 9:30 am - “Gifts of the Spirit” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Hanukkah recalls God’s gift of light in the temple and
Christmas celebrates the gift of new light in the world. While we’re gathering up gifts for everyone
else, we need to take time to notice the gifts that are ours for the taking. |
Dec. 18 - 11:00 am - “Winter
Solstice Celebration” Intergenerational worship service – no Religious Ed
classes Today we celebrate the winter solstice, singing songs
and telling stories about the journey into darkness and back out into the
light. Participants include the December 24, 2011 - Christmas Eve 7:30 in the evening “Lights of the World” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Intergenerational worship service In
this traditional candlelight service, we’ll welcome the coming of Christmas
with readings from ancient texts about the birth of a child, and we’ll
celebrate hope and mystery on a very special night. December 25, 2011 - one service only - 10:00 am Intergenerational worship service – no Religious Ed classes “Our Very Own Christmas Stories” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt This Christmas morning, bring all the family and a few
of your own favorite holiday stories to share around the fireplace in the Kate
Wuerker Room. |
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January 1, 2012 - one service only - 10:00 am Intergenerational worship service – no Religious Ed classes “We
Begin Again” Rev. Khleber Van Zandt This New Years’ morning, bring all the family to let
go of past hurts and sing in the New Year. Adult Religious
Enrichment (ARE) Offerings at
9:30 & 11:00 am Nursery Care for
infants and toddlers as well as Activities for older children is provided at
9:30. Nursery Care and Religious
Education classes for children 3 and older are offered at 11:00. Dec. 4 – 9:30 am – Dr. Ron Glossop. We will focus on the Irish
Anglican Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753), the second of our British Empiricists. He argued that if we
are consistent empiricists, we have to admit that we know nothing of a material
world, a view known as subjective idealism. Dec. 4 – 11:00 am – Spirit in Practice – Cheryle Tucker-Loewe. This curriculum was created to help Unitarian Universalists develop
regular disciplines, or practices that help them connect with the sacred ground
of their being, however they understand it. Spirit in
Practice offers a forum for
learning, sharing, and growth that can enrich their faith journeys. Dec. 11 – 9:30 am – Bible Study
– Tracey Howe-Koch. This is a time of discovery, discussion,
and individual interpretation. The class
will be loosely based on the John Buehrens book Understanding the Bible, an Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and
Religious Liberals. Dec. 11 – 11:00 am – Spirit in Practice – Cheryle Tucker-Loewe. Dec. 18 – 9:30 am – Introduction to Paganism –
Michelle Bryant-Barbeau Dec. 18 – 11:00 am – Spirit in Practice – Cheryle Tucker-Loewe. Dec. 25 –
Intergenerational worship service – NO Adult Religious Education classes |
I
don’t like waiting. I don’t do it
well. I find myself in traffic and
check-out lines and on slow internet connections mentally drumming my fingers
or worse. I want what I want when I want
it, and I don’t react well when I don't get it. And
now comes the season of Advent, a time expressly set aside to practice the art
of waiting – waiting for the return of the light, waiting for the birth of a
child, waiting for the cycles of life to begin again. I
fear I’m not the best Advent practitioner.
Because I want it all to happen right now. Without waiting. On my schedule, darn it. Obviously,
I need to practice waiting. Perhaps it would help to remember the times
when waiting has born fruit. Like this
one: I
remember being eleven or so and staying over at my grandmother’s house with my
siblings and cousins. It was Christmas
Eve, and it had been a day of activity and anticipation - lots of scurrying around
with grandma for last minute shopping and then, after dark, the traditional
driving around to look at Christmas lights.
We had all gone to bed late but I couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning
and feeling deep inside that something was about to happen, something was about
to change, but I didn’t know what. When
I couldn’t stand the suspense anymore, I crawled out of bed and tiptoed past
the other bedrooms where my family slept, down the hall and into my grandmother’s
living room. And I stood still, a young
boy listening to a silent night. The
stockings all hung from the mantle with care.
A pile of presents lay at the base of the tree. The white lights on the green branches
twinkled and shone bright against the darkness of the bay window where, beyond,
the world lay sleeping. And there I
stood, alone, waiting for something, something, something to
happen. I
couldn’t have imagined then that it would take so long. I couldn’t have imagined then that the change
would happen, not out there far
beyond me but right here inside my
heart. And I certainly couldn’t have
ever imagined that the change would be so worth the wait. UU
author John Taylor writes, “If there were no Advent, we would need to invent
it. We human creatures, in spite of all
that has happened to us and been done to us, are still hopeful. Something new, something vital, something
promising is always coming, and we are always expecting… We are, after all, a hopeful people, and that
hopefulness deserves a festival. Advent
is a time of anticipation and as long as we expect, as long as we hope, someone
will light a candle against the prevailing darkness - and neither the winds of
haste nor the gales of evil will extinguish it.” I
hope you can experience the wonder of Advent this year, and I hope that your waiting
- whatever you wait for - proves
fruitful and fulfilling. See you in church,
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Belleville Chalice Circle Every 3rd Thursday. T hursday, December 15 at 7 pm. Contact Don or Jan Allen for the location. Renegade Women’s Every 3rd Saturday. Saturday, December
17 from Noon to 2 pm The Renegade Women's Parents Seeking Peace Chalice Circle Every 3rd Sunday. Sunday, December 18 from 12:15 to 1:30 pm in Emerson Place at Church. Contact: Diane Thompson or Sayer Johnson. Men's Chalice Circle Every 4th Tuesday. Tuesday, December 27 at 7 pm at church. Contact: Khleber Van Zandt.
The GLBT Chalice Circle GLBT Chalice will not meet this month
Look for them on facebook under
“GBLT UU Chalice Circle
- Alton, IL.”
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To
Contact Rev. Khleber Van Zandt Email:
kvanzandt@uuma.org Cell
Phone:
Meet
our newest member and add her name to your church Directory Jennifer Lewis (Home addresses are not given in the online
version of the newsletter. Check the
print version at church or contact Jennifer directly for this information.) Your Church Board 2011-2012 President – Sayer
Johnson President Elect – Marty Past President – Cheryle
Tucker-Loewe Secretary – Sarah
Lazarz Treasurer – Jerry Johnson Trustee – Jim
Moore Trustee – Don
Allen Youth Rep. – Lily Tade
Board meetings are the 2nd Wednesday each month at 7 pm
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Send Newsletter items by the 15th of each month to the newsletter editor, Mary Johnson - and also to Becky Green in the church office church@firstuualton.org. Church phone: 618-462-2462 Mail: PO Box 494, Alton IL 62002 |
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Coffee Hour: We are seeking a method of duty sharing that should hopefully help in keeping any one person from becoming burned out. We will continue to have signup sheets available in the Wuerker Room to let you volunteer to bring refreshments – to take a turn at setting up for coffee hour (making the coffee and other drinks and putting the cups, glasses, etc. out) – and to help clean up after coffee hour. EVERYONE needs to take a turn at each of these responsibilities. You may bring any snack you like (baked good, cheese, crackers, fruit, etc.) and we ask that you bring just enough to serve 24 people (2 dozen cookies or brownies, a loaf of bread that can be cut into 24 slices, one package of crackers, etc.). We are always looking for ways to better share the weekly tasks so that we can build community and save energy for the bigger tasks we all want to accomplish.
Pot Luck Lunches: Our monthly lunches are held on the 4th Sunday following the second worship service. Everyone is asked to bring a dish to share and occasionally we give the meal a theme. This is an all-church event so we all set up and clean up, but Food Ministries members are the people who help others find serving spoons, use the microwave, and give general kitchen guidance. 4th Saturday Lunch – DECEMBER 24 We are having a spaghetti and meatball meal for the 4th
Saturday Lunch on December 24th.
Please consider coming to church to share a meal with our guests who may
be in less fortunate situations. Helping at our 4th Saturday lunches
are a way you can contribute your time and talent and also share a meal with
people you might not otherwise ever meet. We will have a sign up as usual and as an extra we will be handing out
hats, coats, and assembling plates of holiday treats such as cookies and breads
as a special gift for our guests. Sign up to help, or to
bring food – or both. Sign up early so
those organizing the lunch won’t have to scramble at the last minute to get
enough food. Kathryn
Chapman |
C
ommunity
General Information:
One-half of
the cash collection and one-half of
any undesignated checks put in the collection on the 2nd and 4th
Sundays are given away to charitable causes.
The entire amount of a check
designated for a specific cause is donated to that cause. The money donated does not
include pledge checks or money otherwise earmarked by the giver. December 11 – The COO will go to the Alton Community Christmas Program which provides Christmas to families in our region through the donations and charitable giving of churches, businesses, and individuals. December 25 – The COO will go to the
Most people
enjoy getting a card or email or phone call on their birthday. Below is the list we have 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 at church@firstuualton.org)
and give her that information.
12/02 Jason Dothager 12/05 Benjamin Hoeft (9) 12/07 Mary Weber 12/16 Linda Van Zandt 12/18 Layne Simpson 12/23 Marty Moore Johnson 12/28 Willow Christodoulou Monroe (12) 12/31 Eric Johnson |
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Happy Chalica!
Not sure what that means? You are not alone! Chalica is a somewhat new, totally UU founded, holiday. It starts the first Monday in December and continues for that whole week. Each day honors one of the UU Seven Principles. Last year, my family started celebrating this holiday and found it very rewarding. Each day, usually around the dinner table, we would light a chalice and discuss one of the principles. I often included activities or volunteer opportunities that would help illustrate the principle. It can be as formal or informal as you want. If you would like more information or are interested in celebrating and would like some ideas, send me an email! This one week provided my family a chance to really sit down and “discover” what it means to be a UU. Here is a link to the UU World article that discusses it: http://www.uuworld.org/news/articles/153582.shtml Tracey Howe-Koch
The Next meeting for “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” will be on January 21, 2012 from 10 am to 2 pm. For further information contact Peg Flach.
To all our friends at First Unitarian Church: Many thank you’s for the cards, visits, phone calls, reassuring words, and thoughts with the loss of our son, John on October 2nd.
Bob and Nancy Copley |
Below is the list of members of the Caring Ministries Committee.
You may always contact one of them in time of illness, loss, crisis, or
other need. Keep this list of contact
people available in case you or your family is in need of pastoral support.
Sharon Johnson (Chair)
;
Choir Rehearsals 1st
2nd & 3rd Thursdays of each
month 7 to 8:30 pm If you enjoy
singing, consider joining the choir this church year. Rehearsals in December will be Dec. 1, Dec. 8, and Dec. 15. We sing a variety
of musical selections, and participate in the Sunday worship services at least
once a month. For further information contact Willis McCoy. |
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The ANNA Ds
Women’s Alliance
Group
(Named for the first woman treasurer of the church – Anna Davenport Sparks 1830 – 1896) The Anna Ds will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, December 1 at Methodist Village (5201 Asbury, Godfrey, IL). MaryLu McManus is the hostess. The cost is $6.75 and a lunch ticket will need to be purchased at the reception desk before going to the dining room. Please RSVP to MaryLu by Nov. 28th. All women of the church are invited.
The
“Fifty Plusers” will meet on Saturday, December 3 from 10:30 am to noon in
the Kate Wuerker Room. As always those
who can will continue the discussion over lunch afterwards. We are continuing our prior
discussion of our “bucket and dump it” lists, always enjoyable topics. The
Fifty-Plus Forum is coordinated by Sandy Shaner, Pat Murrell, and Mona Hebert.
All Men in our Church Family are invited! The Men’s Lunch Group will meet at 11:30 am on Thursday, December 8 at the St. Louis Buffet, 672 Wesley Dr., Wood River, IL. Contact Dick Blanton for further details. |
Book Group December 28 The Seekers meet at 7 pm on the last Wednesday
of each month. For December the group
will continue their reading from Dr. Martin Luther King's "Strength to Love." Spiral Scouts Meeting Dates
Sunday, January 8 from 1-3 pm
The SpiralScouts youth program includes interperson-al skills, traditional woodland lore, camping, and outdoor living skills. Over the past year, our SpiralScouts have learned a variety of life skills and earned badges in camping, cooking, knot tying, orienteering, hiking, sculpture, and more. New youths or adults may register any time. The meeting day and time for RiverDragon SpiralScouts Circle 254 is the second Sunday of each month from 1-3 pm at the First Unitarian Church of Alton. Although we try to maintain a regular meeting day and time, the meeting date is subject to change due to holidays or SpiralScouts field trips. To check on meeting times or for additional information you may contact Amy Eichen, Primary Contact for RiverDragon Circle 254.
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The Book corner has had a lot of activity the last few months with new books arriving and leaving soon thereafter with new readers. Please add to the activity by donating some books and buying more to enjoy. Now's the time to stock up on new reading material from the church
sale bookcase ($1 for hardbacks, 50 cents for paperbacks). AND it's the perfect
time to think long and hard about what you can recycle from your own
bookshelves to the church sale shelves. Look long and hard at your
bookshelves: this is the perfect time to
dust off those old books so you, the books and the dust won't be trapped inside
together all winter. Sandy Shaner
“Our Past, Present, and Future in Space” Ruth Shaw is inviting church members and friends to attend the 2011 William Shaw Memorial Lecture given by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who is considered American's best known astrophysicist. His broad expertise includes star formation and explosions, galactic structures and dwarf galaxies. He is the Director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and has received the NASA Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen. Dr. Tyson has also hosted the PBS program NOVA ScienceNOW. His lecture is part of the SIUE Arts & Issues series In 1955 Dr. William C. Shaw arrived in this area to join the physics faculty at SIU and became a member of the Unitarian Church in Alton. In 1962 he married Ruth Kitzmiller and she joined the church at that time. After Dr. Shaw's death in the late 1970s a Memorial Fund was set up in his name at SIUE to sponsor annual lectures for the lay public by well known physicists, astrophysicists other scientists. . |
Volunteers Needed for Kids' Activity Hour Sundays at 9:30 am Crafts and Games for kids in 1st through 6th grades.
The Kids' Activity Hour allows parents to
attend worship at 9:30 and Adult Religious Enrichment (ARE) classes at 11:00. Likewise, parents
could choose to attend ARE classes at 9:30 and worship at 11:00. Your assistance in overseeing activities for these
children will be greatly appreciated by all parents as it helps them to participate in the full spectrum of Sunday
morning programs. All activities are planned for you, and you will be serving with at least one
partner. Please volunteer for this important ministry, and let Cheryle know which Sunday works for you!
It is with sadness that we announce the death of Kit Schoenborn on Sunday, November 6, 2011. A memorial service was held at church on Friday, November 11.
Our thoughts and sympathy go out to Ronnie and her family. Flowers Needed for the 9:30 am Worship Service
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Join
us on Saturday, December 3, at 6:00 pm as we celebrate our historic church’s
past, present, and future. A catered
dinner will be served at 6:30 pm in the Kate Wuerker Fellowship Hall. Cost is 5$/person or $15/family. Come
one, come all! This is a family
affair: all children are welcome and
will be celebrating in
December Schedule
How About Our Youth! Congratulations and thank you to
the Youth Group for organizing and providing the all-church luncheon on
November 13. Let them know how much you liked it! They raised over $300 for the RE Program
budget. What a Chalica! Chalica is seven days long and
runs from the first Monday in December through the following Sunday. Each
day represents a different Unitarian Principle: a chalice is lit each day
and actions, gifts, or volunteering that expresses the day's Principle are
given and received. One can have seven different chalices or one common
chalice. To learn more about Chalica,
check out some of the resources at: http://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/174566.shtml Encore! Let’s Put On A Play! All the world’s a stage, and all
the men and women merely players. And
children too! Calling all young
thespians and old(er) techies, stage parents, and faithful audience members. This year’s Winter Intercession will be
devoted to rehearsing and presenting the play Good King Wenceslas! Each Sunday in January the RE program will be
devoted entirely to casting and rehearsing this short play (15-20 min) for a
performance before the whole congregation on Sunday February 12th. So, 1st-6th graders,
standby for a casting call for Actors, Chorus, and Singers (and kazoo
orchestra). The whole congregation can
get in to the act by volunteering for technical, moral, and audience support. More info to follow throughout December — watch
the weekly church e-mails. |
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Social Service Activities Acting upon our Unitarian Universalist values is an essential part of our children’s religious education. Our program includes year-long attention to social action in the community. Even, as we celebrate during this winter season, the RE program will participate in the following social service activities: Stone Soup! Sunday December 4 our Children’s Chapel will be devoted to social service. We will begin in the sanctuary through the Children’s Moment, and then retire to the Emerson Room to make Bean Soup kits for our 4th Saturday Luncheon neighbors and the Alton Food Crisis Center. We might even have time to re-enact the story, Stone Soup! In lieu of a collection, each child should bring a non perishable food item for the Alton Food Crisis Center . Guest at Your Table Fill your Guest at Your Table boxes with spare change and paper money, or alternately write a check for your contribution. Last year the church collected $900 to support the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in their vital work. UUSC advances human rights and social justice around the world, partnering with those who confront unjust power structures and mobilizing to challenge oppressive policies. This collection is an easy way for children to learn to share the bounty of our lives with others. For more information you can visit: http://www.uusc.org/guest.
Oasis Women’s Center — Adopt a Family Oasis Women’s Center provides housing for women and children that are victims of domestic violence. We will sponsor one family this year. That means 5 total items per family member with a value of less than $30 for each item. We will get more specific information about our family and what they really need and post a sign-up board in the Kate Wuerker Fellowship Hall.
Alton Crisis Food Center — cereals, oatmeal, breakfast bars, pancake mix and syrup, baby food, macaroni and cheese, rice, peanut butter, crackers, pasta and sauces, instant potatoes, soups, sugar, flour, jelly (especially grape), beans, canned goods — meats, tuna, vegetables, fruit, and milk. No glass or perishables! Take your children grocery shopping, have them pick out a few items for this program, and have them put them in the box in the foyer labeled Alton Crisis Food Center. The Center collects food year round — First Unitarian does too — if you can, make donating a habit. Alton Community Christmas Program In support of our wider church community, the RE program will contribute to the Alton Community Christmas program, which provides Christmas to families in our region through the donations and charitable giving of churches, businesses, and individuals. Fourteen local agencies have been chosen by the program’s sponsors – the United Way and the Alton Telegraph – to receive the toys and clothes we donate. There will soon be a contribution box in the Kate Wuerker Room so please bring in your donations during that period.
So, what to do? Take your children shopping, have them pick out a few items for this program, and put them “in the box” at church. Requested items include: toys, new coats, new socks, blankets, stocking caps, gloves, and mittens; also diapers and personal care items. This is a wonderful way for children and adults to share the bounty of their lives with needy Alton families. |
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The Library Fairy We moved our modest RE library into the Kate Wuerker Room this fall. But it covers only a few feet of shelf space. The UUA bookstore has a number of items that would make wonderful additions to our collection. We are seeking donations throughout the church year. Some of theses books are for children, some for parents, some for teachers, and some belong in our RE professional library collection. How to do this? Simply buy a book from the UUA and have them ship it to the church. (Free Shipping from Nov. 22 to Dec. 9.) We will add a bookplate dedication in your name. Just go to the UUA Bookstore website at www.uua.org/bookstore and pick out any of the following: 1043 Religion In Life-Boys 1044 Religion In Life-Girls 2015 Youth Group Handbook 2020 Bridging Program, The 3738 From Age-Ing To Sage-Ing 3823 Welcoming Children W/Special Needs 4202 Everybody is Important 4233 Cup of Light, A 4605 Harmony 4607 Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents 4608 Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents 4700 World’s Religion 5040 The Power of Kindness 4914 When Youth Lead 5276 Stories in Faith 5281 Journeys of the Spirit 5352 In This Very Moment: A Simple Guide to Zen Buddhism 5675 Stirring the Nation's Heart 6036 Claiming the Past, Shaping the Future: Four Eras in Liberal Religious Education 6301 Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings 7026 Growing a Beloved Community: Twelve Hallmarks of a Healthy Congregation 7094 Love and Help Activity Book 8075 Magic Wanda’s Travel Emporium 8138 Bucketful of Dreams And from Skinner
House: Meet Jesus Earth Day The Child’s Book of Animal Poems and Blessings The Child’s Book of Blessings and Prayers Or if something else catches your eye, buy that too! Steven Mead, DRE 314.239.5694 (cell) |
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Return to First Unitarian Church of Alton - Newsletter Archive Page
Fifty-Plus (50+) Forum
Sunday, December 11 from 1-3 pm;
