The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
November 30, 2017
Vol. 17 Issue 48
In This Issue
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Sat. 12/2
CYRE All-Ages Holiday
Movie Night
6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Sun. 12/3
SHARE THE PLATE* with Faith In Action Alabama
 
Church Services
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
 
First Sunday Potluck  
Immediately after service 

Town Hall Meeting
12:15 p.m.  
 
Give Us Hope rehearsals
12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m.

Mon. 12/4
SoulCollage
6:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Adult RE Room   
 
Wed. 12/6
UUCH Choir Practice
7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Music Room

Thu. 12/7
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
We Can Do It,
AGAIN!
canned goods  
Last month, we surpassed our goal and had the largest collection ever! The Social Justice Committe e's goal is to collect at least 100 items during the month of November for the food pantry. Please put your nonperishable food item or personal care product donation in the basket in the church foyer for the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP).  
   
Thanks for all you do!  
The UUkulele Fun Group 

The UUkulele Fun Group meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. All skill levels welcome!
COME SING A SONG WITH US

The UUCH choir practices on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. in the Choir Room. Whether you know how to sing or would like to learn, we would love for you to join us!

SHARE OUR POSTS!
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Join Our Mailing List
UUCH 17-18  
Board Members
 
President:
Laurel Bollinger

Vice-President: 
Denise Runnels

Secretary:
Nancy Finley

Treasurer: 
Greg Howard

Trustees: 
Susan Coddington
Kathy Heath

Lynsie Lamitie


Ex Officio:
Reverend Alice Syltie


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, January 23rd.

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:  

Susan Coddington 

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.  
Monday - Friday

 

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.

 
Upcoming Service

Sunday, December 3, 2017
 
" Poetry and Spirituality"
Dr. Jerry Mebane   
 
We will focus on two poets: Rumi, a medieval Sufi mystic; and Kelly Cherry, a contemporary American poet who often draws upon theological images and concepts as metaphors. Both poets address the question of the extent to which human language can point us toward spiritual insights that ultimately transcend language .   
 
Dr. John S. (Jerry) Mebane is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He is the author of two books and a number of articles on English literature, principally on Renaissance literature and Shakespeare. Dr. Mebane earned his bachelor's degree at Presbyterian College and his Ph.D. at Emory University.
This Sunday in Children and
Youth Religious Education (CYRE)
  Christmas Pageant Preparation! This Sunday we will be making decorations and props, learning songs, and CASTING PARTS for the Christmas Pageant on December 17th. There are parts for everyone! Please join us and be part of this annual tradition.
 
Parents/guardians should plan to come to the RE area following the service to confirm children's participation. More information is in the article below.
 
If you haven't already, please  register your child/youth for this year's CYRE program. For more information, contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education, or Audrey Fox, CYRE Chair.
retutn 
Share The Plate*

This quarter, we Share the Plate* with Faith In Action Alabama (FIAA). FIAA is a 501(c)(3) statewide non profit organization with branches in Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile, and Montgomery. FIAA stands in witness with people across faith and race, working to achieve systemic change by creating pathways of opportunities for all Alabamans. One of its current thrusts is solving the problem of mass incarceration.

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!
Potluck Sunday!

Please join us for a potluck immediately after the Sunday worship services. Bring a dish and let us
enjoy the warmth of the weather as we eat together. Fellowship is served along with potluck food. Get to know your fellow UUs!

--Hosted by your Hospitality Committee
All-Ages Holiday Movie Night December 2nd, 2017
 
 
 
Join the UUCH YOUUTH group as we host our 2nd Annual UUCH All-Ages Holiday Movie Night! We will be showing a trio of treasured holiday favorites in the Fellowship Hall as we share freshly baked cookies, hot cocoa, and mulled cider. The shows will include Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (1964), Frosty the Snowman (1969), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966).  
 
Doors open at 6:00pm on Saturday December 2 and the movie will start at 6:30pm.
 
Childcare will be provided.
Town Hall Meeting  
Sunday, December 3rd
  gavel
A few weeks ago, we heard the Next Steps Task Force describe some of the options being considered for the next phase of our property renovations and that we would soon all get a chance to insert our opinions on where the priorities should be placed.  
This Sunday, we will receive information on the estimated cost of the projects and participate in a voting method to quantify our opinions. The task force will present a brief description of the options after we get our food and settle in. After eating, we will conduct a voting process in which we will each have a fixed budget for our choices.  
 
We need as broad a participation as possible. We encourage all church members to attend. Meanwhile, there are paper descriptions of the projects on a table in the Fellowship Hall so that you can review them to refresh your memory of the options under consideration.   
 
The Next Steps Task Force members are Tim Miller (chair), Lynsie Lamitie (Board representative), Reverend Syltie (presently on sabbatical leave), and Brad Korb. Laurel Bollinger ( Board President) and Denise Runnels ( Vice President), have also been involved in assembling the options.  Please contact any of us if you have questions or comments.  
 
Hope to see you this Sunday!
Calling All Children kids singing
Interested in singing a special song with the choir? The choir will be singing Give Us Hope on December 10th. This song has a special part for a group of children. If you have children (ages 7+) who would enjoy this experience, we invite you to sign them up. There is one last 30 minute rehearsal after church starting at 12:15 p.m. on December 3rd. If you have any questions, please call, text, or email the Music Director, Pam Siegler (931-307-4994).
Exploring SoulCollage® - Taking it to the Next Level
 
The process of SoulCollage® as presented by  Seena B. Frost, is some serious fun.  
 
SoulCollage® - What is it?
...an intuitive process for creatin g an incr edible deck of cards with deep personal meaning.
 
SoulCollage® - How?
...create personalized 5x8 ca rds b y cutting and pasting im ages 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 inspir e you.
 
SoulCollage® - come to know your whole self.
This month we are taking it to the next level and exploring the tools offered by the SoulCollage® process for even broader, more complex insights; guidance for balancing the multiple facets of ourselves.
 
Denise Runnels and Nancy Finley will co-facilitate this Adult Religious Education workshop in the UUCH Fellowship Hall on Monday evening, December 4th, from 6:00pm - 8:30pm.
 
Check out soulcollage.com  for more information about the SoulCollage® process or ask Denise ([email protected] ) for more information about the process and/or the workshop.
Alabama Hispanic Association and UUCH Christmas Party Saturday, December 9th 
 
You can bring Christmas cheer to local Hispanic families. Alabama Hispanic Association (AHA) reaches out to selected families to provide a Christmas gift to children. UUCH provides a nice Christmas dinner and some of the gifts (from your donation gifts during the service).
Sign up online or on the Fellowship Hall poster.
 
So many ways to show your generosity in this community service event!
- Donate money to the UUCH youth for their  
  special shopping trip for some of the gifts
- Donate food (or money) for the lunch menu,  
  featuring turkey and ham
- Decorate Fellowship Hall (Friday)
 
- Food/kitchen setup (Friday)
- Serve and clean up
- Greet guests, especially if you speak a little  
  Spanish
 
Saturday:  

- Volunteers 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

- Guests: 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
 
Questions? Contact Betsy Applegate ([email protected]  ) or Gail Williams and Michele Clark ( [email protected] ).
 
There will be fewer guests this year (about 90) and only one meal sitting, so there's no need for additional space for play in the Religious Education wing.
 
You'll want to be part of this wonderful, heart-warming holiday event. You are giving a special gift to the Hispanic community and to yourself.
 
Co-sponsored by Social Justice, Hospitality, and the Alabama Hispanic Association.  

Guest at Your Table (GAYT) is the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee's (UUSC) annual intergenerational program to raise support for and awareness about UUSC's work to advance human rights around the globe. This year's theme, Small Change Is Big Change, celebrates the bravery, innovation, and reach of UUSC's grassroots partners. With your support, UUSC and our partners are not only responding to extraordinary challenges of today, we are also addressing root causes of injustice and building capacity to respond to future challenges.
 
The GAYT brochure describes four UUSC partners who can be the guests at your table. You are encouraged to set out a box at your table to represent one of these or another guest. Boxes and brochures are available in the Fellowship Hall. The GAYT program will run through the end of the year. We will collect the boxes in January.

Please contact Brad Korb at 256-895-9303 or [email protected] with any questions.
Happy Wishes!


Millicent Simmons sends happy wishes to everyone from her new home in Salt Lake City, where her daughters visit her often. Millicent and her husband Dil, who has passed, were extremely active for many years in Mid-South UU and UUCH activities and leadership.

From Betsy Applegate, who had the joy of visiting Millicent recently.
pagent
It's Pageant Time!
Our UUCH Annual Christmas Pageant will be performed during the Worship Service on Sunday, December 17th! Children who participate in the pageant should:  
  • be at least 4 years old (we have parts for youth and adults too!),
  • be able to attend a short rehearsal during Religious Education (RE) on Sunday, December 10th,
  • be able to arrive at church early (9:45 a.m.) on the day of the pageant (December 17th) for a quick run-through, and
  • be able to supply simple costume items (e.g., bath robes, etc.--no sewing or elaborate costuming required)
If you'd like to be part of this exciting production, please come to Religious Education (RE) this Sunday, December 3rd, for our Christmas Pageant Prep day and Casting of Parts. Parents should plan to come to the RE area and confirm children's participation following the service. You may also contact Erin Reid at (256) 694-6786 or [email protected].  
 
There are parts for Everyone!
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, November 26th, 2017, at our Circle of Candles:
 
Rachel Scheib, a candle of sorrow: Rachel 
Scheib is traveling to sit Shiva for her ex-husband with his family in Brooklyn, NY, this Sunday. He passed in his sleep from liver cancer on Black Friday at 10:30 a.m. Thoughts and prayers are needed. Thank you.   
 
Heather Kyemba, a candle of joy: Sophia and Torin are excited to perform in their school's play, Mr. Grumpy's Toy Shop. Opening night is this Friday at Academy for Academics and Arts (AAA).   
 
John Jeter, a candle of sorrow, John Jeter will be having his triple bypass surgery this week at Huntsville Hospital. Please keep John and his wife, Derelene, in your thoughts and prayers. 
 
Lydia Goodman, a candle of joy and sorrow: There are not enough words to express my love and appreciation to all of you for the care and love you have shown Larry and me over the last two years. So much food, so many cards and messages on Facebook through my cancer, Larry's stroke, and yesterday for my 82nd  birthday. Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!
Lots of love and peace to all.
 
Gary and Barbara Hitt, a candle of joy: Yesterday was our 50th Wedding Anniversary! We kept trying to think of something clever to add, but we are both speechless. Also, a candle of gratitude for everyone care during Gary's long and mysterious illness. We are happy to be back at UUCH.
 
Lynda Lamitie, a candle of sorrow: Please light a candle of sorrow for Maria McSherry, who has spent most of this weekend at the Crestwood ER undergoing tests. She has gastrointestinal pain of unknown origin.