The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
March 2, 2017
Vol. 17 Issue 9
In This Issue
Sharing Sunday

On the first Sunday of each month, we Share the Plate during the offering, Share our lunch with each other during Potluck, and Share our Bounty by filing the Food Basket! Please don't forget to bring non-perishable food and hygiene items for the food basket, to be donated to HAP. All donations are welcome and appreciated!
 
Great Opportunity to Help a Child!
  
Volunteer to Share Your Interests with Alabama  Hispanic Association (AHA) Children.
  
This is just a one time commitment!
      AHA needs YOU to help out with their tutoring program.  ONLY THREE SLOTS LEFT! On Saturday morning, 3/25, 4/1 and 4/15, we still need someone to share a hobby, craft, etc. with the kids during "special activity" time. Ten children, ranging from elementary to high school, are participating. The special activity is scheduled for 11 to 11:30 am.
        You do not need to speak Spanish, and several other tutors, some from AHA, will be present in the Fellowship Hall with you. You do not need to be a teacher to do this, just to have patience and enthusiasm.

To sign up, follow this link to Sign up Genius HERE  or contact Tonia Betts at (256) 882-9891. Thank you!
        
Sponsored by the Alabama Hispanic Association in cooperation with your Social Justice Committee.  
LAST CHANCE! 
Looking for It? Check Lost & Found  
 
Where is that blue jacket? The car keys with my fob? My pink tam and scarf? My lettuce keeper? In the Lost & Found, of course! There are several youth jackets, work gloves, stuffed animals, earrings, rings, lots of eyeglasses, and more. Take a look. After several more weeks, it will all be donated.
Movement Class on Fridays!

Our Awareness Through Movement® classes focus on gentle movement that can assist us in being more comfortable and pain-free in our everyday activities.
Come learn how to use the core of your body to improve movement, balance, and chronic pain. 
Everyone is welcome! Class is drop-in, no experience necessary,  and is led by Sally Locklear. Wear comfortable, loose clothing, and bring a bath or beach towel to use as head support for comfort in side-lying.
ATM is held on Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m., with the exception of March 10th. 
For more information, contact Adult RE chair Nancy Finley at
 [email protected]. UUCH Adult Religious Education focuses on the whole spiritual person--mentally and physically. Join us!


ARE YOU MAKING YOUR PLANS?
General Assembly 2017 
June 21-25, 2017
New Orleans, Louisiana
NOW IS THE TIME to begin planning your trip to our UUA's General Assembly! Important dates and programming updates may be found here:  http://www.uua.org/ga.
CLICK HERE to receive updates about General Assembly from the GA2017 New Orleans Local Arrangements Chair
This is close enough to drive from Huntsville! 

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March's Theme: Risk
     Upcoming Services
      
     Sunday, March 5th, 2017  
 
"Tending the Flame"
                                                 The Reverend Alice Syltie 

The Unitarian Service Committee adopted our Flaming Chalice for use in 1941. Among other things, it has been a symbol for us of freedom, commitment, sacrifice, courage, and illumination. We tend the flame of our faith by remembering the stories of our history and the vision they offer us for a future of justice, compassion, and equity in human relationships.

Also this Sunday, we Share the Plate with Manna House. For more about this organization, see the article below. Top
This Sunday in Children and Youth Religious Education

We continue our "Storysharing" curricula based on our Soul Matters monthly worship theme of RISK.

For information or to register a child, contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education (DRE) at [email protected] or Audrey Fox, CYRE Chair, at [email protected].
SIGN UP NOW!
What:     UUCH Church-wide Fellowship Dinner  
When:    March 25th, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Where:   Weatherly Height Baptist Church
               1306 Canstatt Drive, Huntsville, AL 35803
     
Why: Please mark your calendars for a night of food, entertainment, fellowship, and information as we kick off our Annual Budget Drive (ABD) with a church-wide fellowship dinner. This year's ABD theme is "Tending the Flame." We will celebrate the things that make UUCH special to us and look ahead to what we can accomplish together in the future. While in past years we have had a series of ABD cottage meetings or one-on-one discussions over several weeks, this year we are having the whole church come together for one big event, so please save this date and plan to attend!
        
Sign up this week after church in our fellowship hall, or  
click here   to sign up online. It is important for us to get an accurate headcount early so we can plan accordingly for dinner and childcare.

Please note: this event will be held at Weatherly Heights Baptist Church, not at UUCH. We are expecting a very high turnout for this event, and it would be a little too crowded if we try to squeeze it into our own Fellowship Hall. Our friends at Weatherly Heights are kind enough to let us use their facility free of charge, a "good turn" we can repay to some other group in the future if we ever have the right opportunity!

Best,
        
Kevin Betts (ABD Chair)
Glen Clark (ABD Co-Chair)
This is POTLUCK SUNDAY!   

Please join us for a potluck immediately after the worship services. Bring a dish and let's eat together! Fellowship served up with potluck food. Get to know your fellow UUs! 
 
Hosted by your Hospitality Committee
UUCH All-Ages Movie March 4th
  weathered-movie-reel.jpg
The UUCH YoUUth Group will host the all-ages movie night on Saturday, March 4th, in the Fellowship Hall.  Kiki's Delivery Service is an animated film which follows Kiki, a young witch, as she leaves home to find her place in the world. This heartwarming story is fun-filled and can be enjoyed by all ages. 
 
Bring your favorite movie-themed snack to share. Kiki-related suggestions include baked goods, cat- or witch- themed food, and pancakes. Popcorn and drinks will be provided. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the movie begins at 6:30 p.m.
 
The YoUUth Group invites your donated items for its collection for Children's Harbor of Birmingham, a not-for-profit that supports long-term, seriously ill children and their families. Bring to movie night any item on this list here.  

We will especially be collecting: paper towels, Pine-Sol, toilet paper, trash bags (8-, 13-, and 55-gallon), Clorox, air freshener, 60-watt light bulbs, and dish-washing liquid.


Or you may contribute to the ongoing collection for UUCH Social Justice homeless meal packs ( see article in this newsletter).
 
All-ages movie nights are sponsored by the Children and Youth Religious Education Program. Please contact Audrey Fox ([email protected]) or Erin Reid ([email protected]) if you have any questions. return 
Final "New UU" Class  
This Sunday at 9 a.m.
  
What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist? This program focuses on introducing newcomers to Unitarian Universalism, but those who have been at UUCH for a while will also be able to share and connect with others as we explore our own beliefs and how they intersect with the UU tradition. Everyone is welcome!

This last class in the 3-part series is designed to provide specific information about UUCH structure and history. Even if you missed one or both of the classes so far, please join us this Sunday (March 5th) for a chance to learn and share. Meet for coffee, juice and snacks at 9:00 a.m. in the Adult RE room located at the end of the Religious Education (South) wing; discussion starts at 9:15. Nick Wilbourn and Pam Korb will facilitate. Handouts for any missed sessions will be available. Contact Pam Korb (
[email protected]), for additional information.

Hosted by your Adult Religious Education committee  
Exploring SoulCollage® 
Have fun and be inspired!
   
The 7th UU principle calls us to respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. When we reflect upon this principle, we understand this web to be complex and multidimensional. The process of SoulCollage® as presented by Seena B. Frost reveals a scaled down yet similar complexity within ourselves. As we build our deck of cards and come face-to-face in a visual way with the various aspects of ourselves and our own complexity, we may have a better understanding of how the innumerable and various aspects of all existence is similarly interconnected.
    
SoulCollage® -- What is it?
...an intuitive process for creating an incredible deck of cards with deep personal meaning....
SoulCollage® -- How?
...create personalized 5x8 cards by cutting and pasting images from magazines
SoulCollage ® -- Why?
     
...discover and remind yourself how complex, talented, versatile, and unique you are. Show yourself to others and connect with the larger spiritual dimensions that inspire you.
SoulCollage® - come to know your whole self.
        
Everyone is welcome! No experience necessary! All you need to know is how to use a pair of scissors and a glue stick.
       
Denise Runnels and Nancy Finley will co-facilitate this Adult RE workshop in the UUCH fellowship hall on
Monday evening, March 6th, from 6:00pm - 8:30pm.   
food
ONGOING HOMELESS OUTREACH COLLECTION
 
As a congregation-wide social justice activity, all are invited to bring to church an item to share with the church's homeless outreach.

The Social Justice Committee and Children and Youth Religious Education Program will be holding an RE Creative Service Sunday in March where children and youth will assemble meal packs for distribution in the community. Needed items include individual servings of canned fruit, cracker packs, pudding cups, juice boxes, canned meat (pull-tops, e.g. Vienna sausage), travel-sized hygiene products, and gallon-sized Ziplock bags. This will be an ongoing collection through  March 12th. 
        
Sponsored by the Alabama Hispanic Association in cooperation with your Social Justice Committee.
 
                                                                                 return

  "Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War"   
To Be S h o wn at UUCH
March 15th 7:00 - 8:30 pm

In March, we
will have a special film for our Wednesday night Adult RE Film Series. Martha and Waitstill Sharp, two young Unitaria ns, stood up against inju stice to defy the Nazi s and res cue dissidents, Jews, and other refugees during W or ld War II. Over two dangerous years, they helped to save hundreds of people fleeing the Nazi occupation across Europe. Their bravery and sacrifices have inspired a new do cumentary, "Defying the Nazis: The S harps' War." This powerful film is directed by Ke n Burns & Artemis Joukowsky, and narrated by Tom Hanks.

Along with other Unitarian Universalist churches around the country, we will be hosting a showing of this film as a tribute to our UU principles and values. It is appropriate for ages 7th grade and up; childcare will be provided for smaller children. Everyone is welcome, so bring a friend or neighbor and join us on Wednesday, March 15th immediately following the Wonderful Wednesday Supper. For more information, contact Nancy Finley
[email protected].
 
  New People Welcome in the  
        UUkulele Fun Group
Meeting 3/8!
 
Anyone interested in getting together with other UUs to play the ukulele? We meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 5:45 to 6:45 pm to enjoy ukulele playing. This group is for all levels of familiarity with the ukulele -- from the "very beginner" to more "seasoned" players. We will learn from each other, jam, share music, and simply enjoy this lively instrument. No prior  experience necessary; this is an easy instrument to learn.
All ages welcome.

So join the ukulele bug that is sweeping the country, and come make a little music with us!

This group is sponsored by UUCH Adult RE.
Contact Nancy Finley ([email protected]) or Glen Clark ([email protected]) for further information.
It's that time of year again!

The time when you're ready and willing to clean out your closets, your drawers, your attics, and your garages. Toward that end, we'll be hosting the Annual UUCH Yard Sale at the church on Saturday, May 20th, 7 a.m. - 1 p.m.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Mark the date, gather your goods (after making sure they're clean, stain-free, and intact), and start delivering them to the church where they'll be stored in the north wing. By early May, I'll ask for help in sorting and displaying. Finally, I'll urge you to sign up and help on May 20th. We haven't set up anything yet, but it's likely we'll be able to pick up large items the week of the yard sale. If you have questions, e-mail Bonnie Herold at [email protected] or text/call (256) 289-1374.
MannaHouseWe Share the Plate* with Manna House  

The Social Justice Committee selected Manna House as the First Quarter Share the Plate Charity.

Manna House provides families in the Huntsville/Madison County area with food, clothing, hygiene & baby items.

*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the quarter (January, February, and March), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with Manna House. 
 
Tonia Betts (Social Justice Co-Chair)                                                                          Return  
votives
Care List
 
At our Circle of Candles on Sunday,  February 26th, 2017:   

Barbara Hitt for the Care Committee,
lit a candle of gratitude for John Jeter and Care Committee members who helped to provide care while she was gone for three weeks. She was asked to light a candle of gratitude, on behave of Lydia Goodman, for everyone who has provided meals during her many months of chemotherapy. She honored an additional request  to please light a candle for Jack and Echo Long. Echo has had a recurrence of cancer and will be receiving radiation treatment.

Kathy Fisher,
lit a candle of sorrow and asks to please hold her son and his family in your hearts as they mourn the loss of their beloved old dog. On a celebratory note, "Today is my daughter's son's 13th birthday! So proud of Joshua!"

James Riddlesperger,
lit a candle of joy as James and Roger celebrated their 23rd anniversary on Friday! A voice of concern for our friend William Brown who is having open-heart surgery on Monday in Atlanta.

Kirsten Clark,
lit a candle of joy. "I am honored to begin serving families in this community as a trained birth Doula! Birth ia a sacred event and it is a privilege to be invited to bear witness to it."

Maggie,
lit a candle of sorrow. Her friend Cherokee had to have his Grandma taken to the hospit al. His Grandma has cancer.

Brad Korb,
lit a candle of sorrow . My step-mother, Kay Brown Korb, had a stroke last week and is in critical care at a hopital in Biloxi, MS.  
UUCH 16-17 Board Members
 
President: Laurel Bollinger 
Vice-President: Denise Runnels  
Secretary: Ed Bernstein           
Treasurer: Greg Howard   
Trustees: Susan Coddington, Kathy Heath,
   and Lynsie Lamitie 
 
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 Laurel Bollinger, no later than one week prior to the meeting, i.e. the Tuesday before. You may phone her at home or send a copy of your request to [email protected].

The next UUCH Board Meeting will be held
on Tuesday, March 28th, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Thanks for your cooperation!

From the Overlook is a publication of

The Unitarian Universalist Church,

3921 Broadmor Rd. Huntsville, AL 35810

Minister: The Reverend Alice Syltie

Board President: Laurel Bollinger  

Editorial Board: Laurel Bollinger, Kathy Heath 

 

Newsletter deadlines are each Monday at midnight.
Please send submissions to news collator Willette Battle at
[email protected].  

 

Office Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mon-Fri.

Office phone: 256.534-0508, email: [email protected] .

Minister's email: [email protected].

Website: www.uuch.org 

 

Sunday Services are held 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon;  

Children's Religious Education held concurrently.   

Nursery available for age 3 years and under.

For further info on any event, call the church office:
256. 534-0508.