FIRST UNITARIAN FOCUS
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Photo by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, 2015 Rev. Dawn Fortune
September 2016
Sunday Worship Service at 10:00 a.m.
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Theme for September is Action September 4 Rev. Dawn Fortune Worship Associate: Dee Evans September 11 Dee Evans Worship Associate: Yomi Kinder September 18 Rev. Dawn Fortune Worship Associate: Joy Hoeft September 25 Ron Glossop Worship Associate: Robin Crane ADULT RELIGIOUS ENRICHMENT (ARE) “The Seekers” As we begin a new church year, with a new minister, our theme of the month for September is Action. Come join us for a chance to catch up with your church family and an on-going discussion of how we can best put our faith to work in the world. |
Religious Education for Children and Youth We are looking forward to an exciting year with our children and Youth. Children / Youth Religious Education will begin September 25. Please fill out and return registration forms as soon as possible so that we will have some idea of how many children and youth will be in classes. We are also still looking for several more people to facilitate our Youth Group. I am asking that you volunteer one Sunday a month from September to December. The curriculum that the Youth will be using is called Popcorn Theology. They will be watching segments of particular movies associated with various themes. Afterwards, there will be discussion and activity. We have a great group of Youth. Help keep them engaged in wanting to come to church. At this age, if there isn't anything that they feel excited or drawn to, they will stop coming to church. Let's be the reason that they want to come to church. If you have any questions or comments about RE, please contact Joy Hoeft.
Nursery services are available
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Church Potluck Lunch Sept. 4, 11:00 am
Start fall out right! Celebrate the coming of cooler weather with your church family; bring food to share and enjoy time together. And always remember to do your share to wash, dry, and put away.
OUR HEARTS GO OUT to Dee Evans, who lost her husband, Richard, and to Layne Simpson, who lost her mother, Rosemary. Please keep these church family members in your thoughts and prayers.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Newsletter Deadline is on the 15 of each month. Send info. to Dorothy Wilson and to Becky Green at church
Please remember to bring non-perishable foods to contribute to the Alton Crisis Food Pantry. It’s important to our neighbors.
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." |
CHURCH LEADERSHIP 2016 - 2017 Board of Trustees
Board President - Dee Evans
Committee/Team Leads
Transitions Committee - TBA
Pastoral Associates
Marcia Custer
Religious Education Council Chair - Joy Hoeft Stewardship Committee
Building - Kelly Crone-Willis
Tom Cochran
The Worship Associates Team is happy to announce that Kayci Combs-Lueker has joined us to assist in leading worship. We are looking for one or two (or more) people to join the rotation, as we have lost a couple of people to very busy work schedules. Please contact Rev. Dawn Fortune at 314-399-1023 or revdawnfortune@gmail.com. Since Dee Evans' two year term as a Worship Associate is up in December, she will be resigning from that as of September 1st although she will be at the meetings, at least through December. This leaves Dee free to attend to the duties of the Board. It also allows a new associates to apply and work with Reverend Dawn starting in October. Worship Associate is a wonderful way to serve our church. The next Worship Associate meeting will be September 17 at 3 pm. |
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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)
“Beyond Boundaries: Controversies, Frontiers, and Growth in Unitarian Universalism” Thursday, Oct. 27 – Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 At the Airport Hilton, Bloomington MN Put on by the UU Collegium for Liberal Religious Studies and the Unitarian Universalist History & Heritage Society. Papers, panels, posters, and workshops related to the study of Unitarian Universalism past, present, and future. Registration: $285 This fee includes meals from Thursday dinner through Sunday lunch (no breakfasts) (Some financial aid up to $150 is available for students or those with limited means.). Housing: Airport Hilton: $99 per night. For further information go to www.uuconvo.org. |
Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2016
The women of Eliot Chapel would like to invite the women of the First Church of Alton, IL to join us for a weekend at Bergfried, Eliot’s beautiful pastoral location about eight miles west of Hermann, Mo. There is unlimited camping space available in the meadows at Bergfried. There are also limited indoor sleeping spaces available in a small cottage and two newly built bunkhouses next to the meadow. These spaces will be available upon registration, on a first come, first served basis. There will be campfires in the fire pit under our comfortable open shelter on Friday and Saturday evenings. A number of activities (all optional) are planned for Saturday and there will be a service on Sunday morning. There will be lots of time for relaxation, reconnecting with old friends and making new friends. Women who would like to join us for this fun weekend should send an email to either of the emails on the registration cards, which are available in the Wuerker Room or to bergfriedwomen@eliotchapel.com. Registration information and a schedule of activities will be sent to registrants in the next two weeks. No email? No problem. Call Kathie at 314-962-9231 Sincerely, Kathie Price and Cindy Haynes Bergfried Women’s Autumn Weekend Committee
September 18th: Our Annual In-Gathering
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INTEREST GROUPS:
Anna Ds – Women’s Alliance
September 1st, 11:30 am
September meeting -- Mary Weber scoped out the Villa Maria Winery located off IL 159 in Maryville, IL, 6633 East Main Street, Maryville, IL <62062; telephone number 618-345-3100. It sounds like a great location for our September 1st meeting. Here's a link to their web site http://www.villamariewinery.com/ You might want to carpool with a designated driver because Mary says you can taste three wines for a dollar! Please RSVPs to Mary by Monday, 8/29 so she can give them a better head count.
September 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.
2nd & 4th Monday each month 6:30 pm at the church
Our first meeting was a success - we had a nice turnout, lots of laughter and some powerful meditation. Alas, our goal of bringing about a kinder, peaceful, healthy world and healed planet is not complete. Are you open to the idea that directed human intent can bring about changes we all would love to see? Then please join us for a new group, “Healing Energy”. Each member will be asked to take a turn leading the group (if they’d like to, it’s not a requirement). We are hoping to use meditation, drum-circles, chanting, earth-centered rituals, music, and humanist understanding, pretty much any practice to connect with our power. Come share with us.
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And that is why I am starting a group to go through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises in a way that can make sense for UUs. It will be lots of fun, translating a spiritual tradition into another!!!!!
Once a month, we will get together after service and discuss a spiritual exercise or two. Then for the next month, we will practice that exercise on our own and then reconvene to discuss, compare notes, read texts, and start a new exercise. I expect this monthly meeting to take an hour or so. Maybe two. We'll see.
There are no special requirements for this class. All the materials will be supplied. If you are keen, there are many places on the internet where you can download a copy of St. Ignatius' Exercises for free. The Exercises are from the catholic tradition, so keep that in mind if you venture out there. :)
The scope of this group is to explore a different spiritual existence in our UU community, even if it turns out we change the Exercises a little bit. Interested? Email Sabrina. We will gather for the first time on September 4th after service (say 11:15 or so). Bring your potluck dish and an open mind. :)
Free For All
We are looking forward to starting our monthly get together again on October 1st. Plans are to choose a book for us to read on our own and discuss it with the group. Come join us – all are welcome to take part. |
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Joint Church Service & Potluck with Emerson
Babler State Park in Wildwood Missouri
Our congregation will be having a joint church service with Emerson on October 2nd. This will be an all day event (10am - ?) at Babler State Park in Wildwood Missouri. There will be a service followed by a potluck/cook-out. Emerson will be providing hotdogs to grill and we are encouraging people to bring dishes and items to grill. This event would be an excellent opportunity to meet our fellow congregation. For questions, please contact Michael Schmidt.
Please use the envelopes available in the pews for cash donations that are designated as pledges or for specific funds like for the Minister's Discretionary Fund, 4th Saturday Lunches, Sacred Grounds, etc. Write this information along with your name on the envelope. All other undesignated or unrestricted cash donations can be placed in the collection plates.
The church needs more contributions of personal care products, particularly toilet paper, any size packages, for distribution to homeless and economically disadvantaged neighbors. You could leave your contributions under the coat racks in the front foyer off, the Wuerker Room and nursery. We are preparing a list of needed supplies and will find a way to make copies available to those who would enjoy shopping for products to help our homeless and under resourced neighbors. Remember, that the Food Stamp program, now called SNAP, provides benefits that are so limited they tend to run out before the end of the month, and it does NOT pay for paper products, personal hygiene products, diapers, or cleaning products.
Please be sure that the products are new, not beyond expiration dates, and also that they are properly sealed. We don't want anyone to be harmed or disappointed by expired or opened products, and that would also put the church at risk.
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WHAT: Time for Something Better, WHERE: First UU of Alton WHEN: Saturday Nov 12 and Sunday Nov 13, 2016: Veteran’s Day weekend This is an all-gender church and community event Saturday afternoon mini-retreat Saturday evening catered dinner Saturday night concert featuring The Troubadours of Divine Bliss Sunday Spoken Word service featuring local writers and the Troubadours. WHY: Because we all need a Weekend of WOW
Wellness,
Here is a link to the Troubadours performing their song, as well as the lyrics: |
Return to First Unitarian Church of Alton - Newsletter Archive Page
5th Annual Women’s Autumn Weekend at Bergfried
Men’s Monthly Lunch
Healing Energy Group
