The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
March 30, 2017
Vol. 17 Issue 13
In This Issue
Sharing Sunday 

This Sunday, April 2nd, is a 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 filling the Food Basket! Please don't forget to bring non-perishable food and hygiene items for the food basket, to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program.

All donations are welcome and appreciated!


HAVE YOU MADE 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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April's Theme: Transformation
     Upcoming Services
      
        Sunday, April 2nd, 2017  
      
"All of Us"

The Huntsville Feminist Chorus, directed by our UUCH Music Director, Pam Siegler, presents a story in song from their recent Spring Program. This chorus program is part of the UAH Women's and Gender Studies "Interfaith Conversations" series this spring. We celebrate the diversity of spiritualities that weave us all together and enable us to accomplish much more together than any one of us could on our own! 
                                            The Reverend Alice Syltie and
                                               the Huntsville Feminist Chorus

 
Flower Communion and Child Dedication Ceremony Sunday, April 16th
 
We celebrate the season of new life with flowers and a Ceremony of Dedication for Babies and Children. In our Unitarian Universalist tradition we honor new life and welcome children into the world in a special Ceremony of Dedication. In the words of Shelley Denham's song, "we dedicate our hearts and minds to the spirit of this child." This special Dedication and Naming service will be part of our Flower Communion Service on Easter Sunday, April 16th. If you would like to have your baby or child dedicated, or have questions about this, please contact Rev. Alice Syltie for information. 

Also this Sunday, we Share The Plate with New Futures, Inc. For more about the program, 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 TRANSFORMATION. 

For information or to register a child, contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education (DRE) at dre@uuch.org or Audrey Fox, CYRE Chair, at children.re@uuch.org.
Annual Budget Drive (ABD) Update

Thanks to everyone for the great turn-out for the ABD Fellowship Dinner this past Saturday! The enjoyable night of food, fun, and fellowship was also a tremendous start to our ABD process: we have already raised over $158,000 in pledges from 61 households! Thank you for your continued generous support of our church, and special thanks to all the volunteers from the Finance and Hospitality Committees who helped make the dinner possible.

However, many more pledges are needed. If you were unable to attend the dinner, you should receive your pledge form in the mail this week. We ask that you either mail your pledge form back to church before the end of this week, or bring it with you to church on Sunday to return to a member of the ABD team. Getting the pledge forms back quickly is essential to completing our budget planning process before the annual congregational meeting; we thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping us meet these deadlines.

Blank pledge forms will also be available in the Fellowship Hall if you did not receive a form or forget to bring your form to church. Thanks to everyone who has made or will make a pledge in support of UUCH!  

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
Exploring SoulCollage® - This Monday!

SoulCollage®
is a creative process that requires no artistic ability. Using collage techniques, cards are designed based on intuition. The cards reflect the numerous aspects of ourselves and hel p us discover our own inner wisdom.

This journey begins with the first card which often surprise s with the insight it reveals. It is never too late to get started with y our o wn SoulCollage® cards. The process is design ed to allow e ach person to work as deeply and intensely as they are comfortable doing, knowing the pace is right for them.

The only skill needed is the ability to use
scissors. That's it, just cut and paste images from the hundreds we've pulled from magazines to your 5" x 8" card.

Veteran card makers, bring the cards you've made to date. Newcomers, come prepared to be surprised at what you find.

Denise Runnels and Nancy Finley will co-facilitate the workshop. We will meet in the UUCH fellowship hall Monday evening, April 3rd, at 6:00 p.m. and create u  ntil
8:30 p.m. Check out   soulcollage.com for more information about the SoulCollage® process we are following, developed by Seena B. Frost. Or ask Denise ( Adult.RE@uuch.org ) for more information about the process and/or the workshop. 
Easter Egg Hunt at Alice & Betsy's! 
Sunday Afternoon, April 16th

You and your family are invited to spend Easter Sunday afternoon with
your fellow UUs in a day of relaxation and fun while welcoming the beginning of spring. (Rain or shine!) 
 
What:
  Easter Egg Hunt
Who:  Ev eryone is invited! 
When:   Sunday, April 16th2:00-5:00 p.m.
Where:  Alice Dilbeck and Betsy Applegate's home,
             in Harves
t.
Suggestions for what to bring:
Yourself and family--Eggs for the hunt (plastic filled
 and "real")--Baskets for the egg hunt--Goodies to share for munching--Lawn chairs and musical instruments. 

Fun for everyone. No children? No problem. We'll have badminton, croquet, and activities for all ages, including "sitting-on-the-porch-talking-as-we-watch-others-expend-a-lot-of-energy. "What could be more fun?!

Children are advised to wear or bring play clothes
 to fully enjoy the outdoor activities.

Directions and map to Alice Dilbeck's and Betsy Applegate's home are in the fellowship hall by the kitchen door. Or you can call (256-534-0508) or email Willette at the church office (uuch@uuch.org) for a copy.

We're Egg-cited! We'll be HOPPY to see you!

This activity is sponsored by the Children and Youth RE Program as an all-church activity. All are welcome!
Opportunity for Spiritual Growth
(Our Third Principle )

UAH Women and Gender Studies is sponsoring a series of events on women and spirituality that emphasizes interfaith connections in our community. Both our Director of Religious Education, Erin Reid, and our Chair of Adult Religious Education, Nancy Finley, are on the organizing committee, and we thought UUCH members might be interested in attending some of these events:

UUCH Annual Yard Sale!

Good news to the spring cleaners among us! The annual UUCH yard sale will be held at the church on Saturday, May 20, 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 north wing where Willette will answer the doorbell from 10 to 2 weekdays. If you want to deliver them on Saturday, you can make arrangements with me; or you can always bring them when you come to church on Sunday. I'll eventually ask for help in sorting and displaying, and for participation on the actual date. Let me know if you have a pickup truck and are willing to collect large items the week of the yard sale. Email me with questions at bherold51@gmail.com or text/call (256) 289-1374.
NewFuturesWe Share the Plate with New Futures, Inc.

  New Futures, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded in 1990, addressing the need in Huntsville and Madison County for an organization that serves homeless, intact families. New Futures Inc. operates the Marilyn Mabry Family Lodge, a homeless shelter that allows families to remain together in a safe, family-friendly environment. They are the only homeless transitional housing program in Madison County that accepts families with children up to 18 of both genders, single fathers with minor children, and single mothers with sons over age 10. By keeping families together, the Lodge will enhance the positive outcomes for all family members, and ultimately for the community of Madison County. 

New Futures' shelter is dormitory style, with private rooms and shared bathrooms and common areas. Through its transitional housing program, New Futures acts as a catalyst for homeless families to obtain skills, education, and successes to empower themselves and overcome extreme poverty to achieve independence. Services include a Shelter Program--90 day program, job prep, job search assistance, case management; and a Transitional Housing Program--including Education Services (including GED, Certificate & assistance), Job Placement, Job Coach/Resume Building Classes, Transportation, Counseling, and Daycare assistance. For more information, see their website:
http://www.keepingfamiliestogethernf.org/  

*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the second quarter (April, May, and June), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with New Futures, Inc.
                                                                           return to top of page 
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, March 26th, 2017  
at our Circle of Candles:

LaDawn Edwards lit a candle of joy: "Thank you to Kevin Betts for inviting me to share my love of theater art at the ABD dinner last night. I felt so honored to embody this wonderful congregation for a few moments."

Kim Burrows lit a candle of joy: "There was plenty of 'dessert' at the ABD dinner last night! Lots of fun. Thanks to ALL."

Kathe Fisher lit a candle: Asks that we please lift up Kathy Heath, who had knee surgery last week.

Bryan Walls lit a candle: For my mother, Pauline Lawing. She is back in the hospital with a post-procedure infection, on top of Lymphoma, which caused kidney issues, and Alzhiemers. She is 89. Also for my 99-year-old Step-Dad who is her primary caregiver.

Maria Coble lit a candle of sorrow:  Please remember the family of James Townsend, my student who was murdered last week. James was 15. He loved children and had a caring spirit.

John Jeter lit a candle of sorrow: On March 14th, the day we arrived in Florida, Derelene's Brother-in-Law, Bill Evans, was severely injured in a car wreck at Clermont, Florida. His wife, Nan Carter Evans, died in the wreck.

Pam Korb lit a candle: Many thanks to Nancy Stetson, Gail Williams, Susan Coddington, and Sheila Burrows for making the beautiful rainbow curtains hanging int the hallway near the sanctuary lobby. The added color really brightens the hallway!

Alice and Betsy lit a candle of joy and gratitude: "For whomever made and hung the rainbow window coverings on the North Hall. They are lovely and make us happy as we walk by. Thank you!!"  
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 President@uuch.org.

The next UUCH Board Meeting has been moved and will be held
on Thursday, March 30th, to accommodate the "Interfaith Conversations" event. 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
uuch@uuch.org.  

 

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

Office phone: 256.534-0508, email: uuch@uuch.org .

Minister's email: Minister@uuch.org.

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.