The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
November 9, 2017
Vol. 17 Issue 45
In This Issue
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

Thu. 11/09
Essential Spirituality
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Adult Religious Education Room

Fri. 11/10
Awareness Thru Movement  
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Adult Religious Education Room

Sat. 11/11
Veteran's Day!

Sun. 11/12
Services
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
 
Talk to the Board
12:00 p.m.
 
YoUUth Group
12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Wed. 11/15
Wonderful Wednesday Supper!
6:00-6:45 p.m.

Film Discussion on "Abundance"
7:00-8:00 p.m.

UUCH Choir Practice
7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Music Room
 
Thu. 11/16
Essential Spirituality, The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind (last session)
6:00-8:00 p.m.
AL 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
   & 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 (hospitality@uuch.org) or Gail Williams and Michele Clark (socialjustice@uuch.org).
 
There will be fewer guests this year (about 90) and one meal sitting, so there's no need for additional space for play in the RE wing. You'll want to be part of this wonderful, heart-warming holiday event. You're giving a special gift to the Hispanic community and to yourself.
 
-- Co-sponsored by Social Justice, Hospitality & AL Hispanic Association 
The Social Justice Committe e's goal is to collect at least 100 items during the month of October 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. 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!
Awareness Through Movement

 
Fridays at 10:00 a.m.

The Feldenkrais Method of Aw areness Through Movement meets each Friday at 10:00 a.m. in the Adult Religious Education Room. This Adult Religious Education (RE) class is drop-in, no experience necessary.  The class will be led by Sally Locklear.

Everyone is welcome.
 
For further information, contact Adult RE chair, Nancy Finley . If you need childcare for this event, please contact Nancy at least a week before the event.  

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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
President@uuch.orgThe next UUCH Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 28th.

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
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.

 
Upcoming Service

Sunday, November 12, 2017
   
"All Lives Matter, but..."
                              Brad Korb
 
Our first principle states that we believe that all lives have inherent worth and dignity. However, we live in a society that operates on the foundation that the color of your skin matters. How do we as UUs live out our beliefs in a society based on white privilege? How can we, as mostly white UUs, affirm and promote "Black Lives Matter" while acknowledging that all lives matter?
 
This Sunday in Children and
Youth Religious Education (CYRE)
  
CYRE groups will meet to continue our exploration of "Living Our Principles."
 
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.    
 
Welcome to our Newest Members!
 
On Sunday, November 5th, UUCH welcomed several new members into covenant during a brief ceremony. The new members are pictured above as follows (left to right):
Back (standing): Fred Arce, Andrew Hogan, Jonathan Creekmore, Shiela & Kim Burrows, Rachael Scheib
Front (seated): Laura Arce, Rebecca Aycock, Ashley & Emily Creekmore, Michele Rich, Harper Goodman
 
We appreciate the commitment these new members have made to our church community with their gifts of time, financial support, and talents. We look forward to working together to fulfill the mission of this church.
 
The UUCH covenant that members make with each other is as follows:
 
We, as members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville, covenant to work together to create a supportive, affirming, sustaining community that inspires and challenges each of us to become our best selves. To further our goal of creating such an intentional community, we promise each other to: 
  • Affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every member of our community, valuing our differences and supporting each other in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
  • Listen to one another with the intent of understanding, and speak to one another with respect and kindness, so that all may be heard;
  • Recognize that forming an intentional community may at times require us to place the needs of the community above our own needs;
  • Foster caring relationships by assuming the best intent in others, disagreeing in love, and empowering one another to speak for ourselves;
  • Affirm the work of the church to the best of our abilities, valuing the work of others, and supporting those who voluntarily accept leadership roles in the church;
  • Promote an environment where all people feel safe, both physically and emotionally;
  • Use the energy and support we thus create to bring our vision of justice, equity and compassion in human relations into our wider community, our nation, and our world.
"Talk to the Board"  
November 12th
 
It is always important to promote healthy communication between the leadership and all members of our church community. As Reverend Sytlie is on sabbatical and is planning her retirement next year, it is especially important that we on the board strengthen our commitment to being available to the congregation. Over the next few months, our Board, our Leadership Council, and Reverend Syltie will be working closely to finalize plans relative to her retirement. While our leadership is still in the very early stages of planning, the Board recognizes that members of the congregation may have questions.
 
In keeping with our goal of open communication, some Board Members will be available once a month after Sunday services to talk to members about any concerns about the church. These "Talk to the Board" meetings will be informal, with no agenda but to provide a forum by which we can make sure we are hearing the congregation. The November "Talk to the Board" meeting will be held November 12th in the Adult Religious Education Room immediately following the church service. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Wonderful Wednesday Supper!
  
Join your old friends and make some new ones as we break bread and enjoy each other's company. Wednesday, November 15th, at 6:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.  
veggie Renoir
Family friendly pricing: Adults $5, 3-12 $2, under 3 free. Family maximum is $15.
 
For Adult Religious Education, there will be a film discussion after the Wonderful Wednesday Supper.

--Hosted by your Hospitality Team 
Film Discussion on "Abundance"
 
The church theme for October is "Abundance." In keeping with that theme, Adult Religious Education will have a film discussion on abundance on November 15th at 7:00 p.m. (right after the Wonderful Wednesday Supper) until 8:00 p.m. All are welcome for a stimulating film and discussion. Join us.  
 
Childcare will be provided.
Essential Spirituality, The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind
 
Every Thursday evening through November 16th at 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Join UUCH Adult Religious Education as we read, discuss, and explore some exercises in Essential Spirituality - The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind by Dr. Roger Walsh, M.D., PhD. Based on over twenty years of research, Essential Spirituality shows how we can apply the seven practices central to all the world's major religions in our daily lives to cultivate kindness, love, joy, peace, vision, wisdom, and generosity. Dr. Walsh, who is both a spiritual practitioner and an award-winning scientist, believes that each of the major spiritual traditions has both a common goal and seven common practices to reach that goal. Essential Spirituality integrates the spiritual principles of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism into what Walsh believes is one truly rewarding way of life in which kindness, love, joy, peace, vision, wisdom, and generosity become an ever growing part of everything you do. Come join us as we discover how his views might be consistent with our principles as Unitarian Universalists.
 
We have four copies of the book available for loan and they can be signed out in the Fellowship Hall or by contacting Shiela Burrows . The book is also readily available on-line to purchase. We will continue to meet each Thursday evening through November 16th in the Adult Religious Education Room from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. If you need childcare, please contact Shiela Burrows or Nancy Finley at least one week before the event.    
 
Everyone is welcome!
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 will be two more 30 minute rehearsals after church starting at 12:15 p.m. on November 19th and December 3rd. If you have any questions, please call, text, or email the Music Director, Pam Siegler (931-307-4994).
CA SA TEMP$ a Success!     
   
Many thanks to the following people who came out on Saturday to help winterize the homes of two elderly reside nts in north Huntsville: Sage Betts, Kev in Betts, Brad Korb, Tim Miller, Gail Williams, and Howard Williams. CASA and the residents greatly appreciate your efforts!

---- Social Justice Committee
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, November 5th, 2017, at our Circle of Candles:
 
David Bollinger, a candle of joy: Thanks to everyone who helped to make the Service Auction such a success! Hard work by all that resulted in highest donation amount ever! Over $13,300 raised on Saturday.
 
Kathy Fisher, a candle of sorrow: Saturday was the 6th anniversary of my Mother's passing. I spent the day celebrating her life and her many gifts to me. I was richly blessed to have had Janice Bowen Fisher as my mother and friend!
 
Cheri Smith, a candle of sorrow, My brother, Jeff, has been given a few weeks to live. I will be going to Illinois to see him soon.
 
Torin Kyemba, a candle of joy, Saturday, I played with Elijah, our new neighbor. Towards the end, me and Elijah dug a hole in our backyard. Then, we filled it up with water until it started overflowing. So, we dug up a little stream where the water could go and got a refill. Soon mom came and told us to cover up the stream.