Calendar of Events

January 12, 2023

Vol. 23 Issue 02

COVID Policy as of 10/25/2022

In This Issue



-COVID Policy


-Upcoming Service


-Nursery Care 


-Children and Young Adult News


-Letter from Kathy


-Letter from Sandra


-Fellowship Dinner


-"TED Talk"


-Shambala Open House


-Brainstorm Dinner


-2023 Chili Fest


-Calendar of Events


-Care and Concerns


-Little Food Pantry


-In Case You Missed It


-Donate Online or

by Text


-Amazon Smile


-Submit to the Newsletter


-Minister Info


-UUCH Board Members


-Church Info






Upcoming Service


Relationship at the Center

Rev. Jaimie Dingus

10:45 AM, Sunday, January 15, 2023


Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy of community organizing and activism put relationships at the center. Together we will explore the power of relationship to transform community, and remember the powerful impact of this important faith leader.

Worship Zoom Link

This Sunday Events Following Service


Coffee Hour

Fellowship Hall 


Choir Rehearsal

12:00 pm in the Santuary

Nursery Care

Nursery care will be available during the service
from 10:30-12:15.

Little ones can be signed in and out upon arrival and departure in the RE wing.


Children and Youth Religious Education News 


This month’s theme, “The Path of Finding Our Center” continues with a focus on MLK Day. In this lesson, entitled “Putting Racial Justice At The Center,” the children will explore decentering whiteness and putting racial justice at the center of our faith, our lives, and our world. We explore the meaning of equality and equity and emphasize that justice work is hard work. It is challenging and complicated but we work to reflect on and understand it in order so all may journey to wholeness.


Everyone will start together in worship, a special time for everyone to reconnect. Following the Story For All Ages, the children and youth will join their friends and adult leaders in the RE Wing. The the adult leaders include Andrew Warrington, Jessica Jackson and Eva Reese. Our thanks to them for sharing their faith with the young people at UUCH.


Sponsored by the Board

Letter from Kathy Fisher


Dear friends, after months of meditating and assessing, I decided I need to step down as your church pianist. I’m delighted to tell you Ron Guthrie has accepted the position.


Playing for choir and services has been my great honor, and we have been through many changes in the 26 years I’ve been with you! Our church has evolved from the little brown church in the wildwood to our present home with the renovations we’ve undertaken, we’ve had three settled ministers, three interim ministers, and more than half a dozen choir directors—a couple of them twice! 


You’ve seen me through my hearing loss scare and recovery, the death of my mother, two shoulder reconstructions, and one fractured wrist. Now it is time for me to relax, sing in the choir, and finally learn the words to the middle verses of our hymns! Ron will continue his beautiful playing as your pianist, and I will be his sub. 


In love and harmony,

Kath

Sponsored by the Minister

Letter from Sandra


I am filled with gratitude for the hospitality and graciousness I received last weekend as we spent the time envisioning faith formation and deepening our connection to each other and to our faith through worship.


The retreat on Saturday was attended by 24 people! Taking time on a Saturday to learn from and inspire each other is a big ask. And y’all rose to the occasion. Check out the timeline in the Fellowship Hall that documents much of the Religious Education History, starting in 1957. You will also find 22 short stories in index cards, 22 Faith Stories in six words.


The church and its programming have had more ups and than downs. The impact from the past few years has been devastating, especially to the children, youth and their families. I admire UUCH’s leaders for staying steady and investing time and treasure to provide a safe haven for deep personal discernment and faith formation.


Folks who attended the retreat made a variety of commitments to supporting the faith formation ministry, including the support of staff and volunteers. Here are the questions I asked and I invite you to answer for yourselves:


1. What do you want the children and youth in your congregation to gain from their religious education experiences? 2. What do you want the young adults and adults in your congregation to gain from their religious education experiences? 3. What does “lifespan faith formation” mean to you? 4. What personal strengths do you have that will help faith formation and its potential at this congregation? 5. How do you see yourself working with the settled religious educator? 6. What are your expectations of the settled religious educator? Of the parish minister (in terms of religious education)? Of the congregation? 7. Where do you see religious education/faith development going in five years in this congregation? How will you help in this process? 8. In general, how do you feel about the potential for lifespan faith formation to flourish in this congregation? 9. How might you demonstrate support for the settled religious educator? The RE Committee and volunteers? The parents and their children of your congregation?


The worship service that Rev. Jaimie and I led used a different format. I still hold the vision of you facing each other as you spoke aloud The Words of Aspiration. It was a powerful moment. And everyone did a fabulous job providing sound effects during the story, The Hole Boy. Many of you asked for the source of the story. The story is in an anthology called “Ancient Stories for Modern Times (50 Short Wisdom Tales For All Ages), retold by Faye Mogensen and published by Skinner House Books.


I will be partnering with you as you search for a settled Director. I am glad to have been to the church and to have seen Huntsville. It was fun and it was helpful!


In faith,

Sandra Greenfield

RE Transition Consultant

sandra.l.greenfield@gmail.com

Sponsored by the Board

UUCH Fellowship Dinner:

Ol' Heidelberg Cafe on Thursday, January 19th @ 5:30pm


Does your New Year's resolution include more time with UUs? Here's a great opportunity to make that happen. Come join us for dinner.


When: Thursday, January 19 @ 5:30pm

Where: Ol' Heidelberg Cafe, 6125 University Dr NW Ste E14, Huntsville, AL 35806


Please sign up here so we know how many to expect.


Money will never be a barrier to participating in Fellowship at UUCH. If you need financial assistance to participate, please contact Rev. Jaimie at minister@uuch.org.


Contact Sarah Rody at sarah.rody@live.com or Steve Rittenberg at srittenberg@gmail.com if you have questions. Thanks!


Sponsored by the Fellowship Committee

UUCH "TED Talk"


Join us at UUCH on Friday, January 20 @ 6pm in the Fellowship Hall for dinner, a Ted Talk, and discussion.


Topic: Leadership is Love by Dr. Mark Rittenberg.

In this short 15 minute talk, Dr. Rittenberg teaches us that leadership is about the Power of Human Connection. After his talk, we will discuss what this means and how we can apply it in our lives inside and outside of UUCH.


Please RSVP using the signup genius link here so we have an idea about how many people for pizza dinner. BYOB.


If you have ideas for future Ted Talks or would like to facilitate a UUCH Ted Talk discussion, please get in touch.


Childcare can be arranged if sufficient notice is given. Please contact us if needed.


*** We are asking for donations towards the cost of this event. Please consider donating $5 per person or $15 per family. But don't let the cost push you away.


Teri Thomas (terit4u@yahoo.com), UUCH Adult RE Committee Chair

Sarah Rody (sarah.rody@live.com) and Steve Rittenberg (srittenberg@gmail.com), UUCH Fellowship Committee Co-Chairs


Sponsored by the Adult RE and Fellowship Committees

Shambhala Open House and Book Discussion


The Shambhala Meditation Group that meets in our Religious Education space on Saturdays is having an Open House on Sunday, January 22nd at 9:30am. The Open House will provide an opportunity to learn more about meditation, find out about what the group is studying and learning and meet some of the people in the meditation group. There will be a short meditation instruction provided for those that are interested in learning how to meditate. All are welcome.


Anyone who is interested is also welcome to join our book study which will begin on Jan 28th at 9am after our 8am meditation. We will continue the book study through March. We will be studying The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times, by Pema Chodron. This is an excellent book that offers practices to help us understand and get through the difficult times of our lives.


This group is an extension of the Birmingham Shambhala Meditation Center and is led here in Huntsville by Bill Elliott, who has been meditating and studying Shambhala Buddhism for 18 years. Shambhala is based on trust in human dignity offering a path of meditation practice and contemplative arts oriented towards modern life. The Shambhala communities around the world cultivate kindness, bravery, and genuine dialogue. The Shambhala vision is to inspire compassionate, sustainable, and just human societies.


Sponsored by the Adult RE Committee

Fellowship Brainstorming Dinner


Everyone (especially new UUs and those thinking about joining UUCH) is welcome to come to a brainstorming potluck dinner hosted by Cam Scales on Thursday, January 26. Arrive around 5:30 pm with dinner to begin at 6pm. We'll chat as we eat and finish up by 8pm. This will be potluck style with Cam providing the pasta, veggie sauce, bread, and drinks. Please use the Signup Genius link here to RSVP so we can have an idea about who is coming but also to round out the menu with meat sauces, salads, and desserts. (Please don't let the word "potluck" be a barrier to attending. You are welcome to sign up as just your own sweet, wonderful selves.)


What will we do this year? That's up to you! We currently go out to dinner once a month. We'll arrange a UUCH night at a Trash Panda game. Want to attend a game night at UUCH, see a movie at church or around town, or go to an event? Hike, bike, walk, jog? Dance, sing, buy some bling, take a fling? All possibilities are open! Please note that at our dinner you are not committing yourself to host, sponsor, facilitate, or plan anything. You are always welcome to provide that support but first let's decide what we want to do and then we'll figure out how and when.


Cam's address:



Cam Scales

19 Georgetta Drive (up on Monte Sano)

Huntsville, AL


We look forward to seeing you!


Sponsored by the Fellowship Committee

Annual Chili Fest on Saturday, January 28th


Our Annual UUCH Chili Fest is scheduled for Saturday, January 28th in the UUCH Fellowship Hall. The supper begins at 6:00 pm. You are encouraged to bring your own personal version of chili, whether it’s red, white, spicy, mild, vegan, vegetarian, or meaty. You can help with decorating and/or clean up, as well as bringing side items such as cheese, cornbread, etc. by signing up on the poster in the Fellowship Hall or by going to our SignUp Genius here.


There will be an Open Mic for those who want to perform; please contact Tim Miller.


Sponsored by the Hospitality Committee

Circle of Candles


Jordan Randles lit a candle of Joy: "I finally got the job at TOYOTA, and I not only completed the three week training but also got placed in an assembly position that works for me! The benefits are in and the pay is great, so I am filled with gratitude and can start making videos on YouTube again!"


Upcoming Events
Click the calendar to see all of our upcoming events!
Little Food Pantry

The food pantry is a huge success, being utilized by numerous people!
If you are able to pick a day to re-stock the pantry, please do so, using the Sign-Up Genius link below.

There are also baskets in the Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary entry foyer for food collection. The collected food will ultimately be used to fill the pantry on days not chosen on the sign-up genius.

Canned meats, soups, veggies, mac-and-cheese, bread, fruit, fresh veggies--all kinds of foods are welcome.

Thank you for being so generous. We are making a difference!
Sign-Up Genius
Submitted by the Social Justice Committee
In Case You Missed It

Unfortunately, we have had some issues updating the website from the church office. This means we haven't been able to provide you with the most recent worship service recordings. Hopefully, they will be back soon!

In the meantime, you can find the newest recordings here:

01/08

01/01

12/24

12/21

12/18

Donate Online

via CDM+ Engage

Online:
 Like our other online and mobile giving options, this option is through CDM+ Engage, is secure, and has a good option for "plate" donations as well as "pledge".
Donate

When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to the UUCH. Support us every time you shop.


If you have any questions about how to use the link, please contact Ryan Gonzales , Office Administrator, during office hours or send an email to the church office at uuch@uuch.org

Go to smile.amazon.com

Submit to the Newsletter


Do you have news to include in the newsletter next week? Please submit your article to the newsletter through our request form no later than 10:00 am each Wednesday. Please make sure to complete a new request form each time you make a submission to the newsletter.

Minister
Rev. Jaimie Dingus

Office Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday by appointment.
Make an Appointment with the Minister

UUCH 2022-23

Board Members

 

 President:

Betsy Applegate

 

 Vice President:

Brad Korb


Secretary:

Nancy Finley


Treasurer: 

David Bollinger


Trustees: 

Will Garrison

Shalin Mody

Nancy Pettus


Minister:

Rev. Jaimie Dingus


Do you have an agenda item for the Board? 

The Board respectfully requests that all agenda items for the meeting be submitted to Board President Betsy Applegate via email no later than one week prior to the meeting (i.e. the Tuesday before). The next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 6:30 pm.

Office Administrator

Ryan Vidal Gonzales


Main Office Hours:

9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Monday; 9:30 PM to 1:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday


*Please call/email the office in advance if you need building access.


Phone: 

256-534-0508

Email: uuch@uuch.org


For more info on any event, contact the church office or visit our website.

Contact the Office
Visit the UUCH Website

The Overlook is a publication of The Unitarian Universalist Church,

3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville, AL 35810


Editor-in-Chief:

Laurel Bollinger


Copy Editor:

Ryan Vidal Gonzales

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Huntsville, AL 35814
(256) 534-0508
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