The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
March 1, 2018
Vol. 18 Issue 9
In This Issue
This Week

Fri. 3/2
Awareness Thru
Movement Class 
10:00 a.m.
   
Sun. 3/4
Church Services
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Sanctuary

Share The Plate*
with New Futures

Potluck Sunday!
Immediately after service in Fellowship Hall

Talk to the Board
After service in Adult Religious Education room 

Wed. 3/7
UUCH Choir Practice 
7:15-8:30 p.m.
Music Room

Fri. 3/9
Awareness Thru
Movement Class 
10:00 a.m. 
HAP Collection 
We CAN Do It! 
canned goods

The Social Justice Committe e has a monthly goal to collect at least 100 items during each month for the food pantry.

Please put your nonperishable food items or personal care products donation in the basket in the church foyer for the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP).  
   
THANK YOU for your continued generosity!   
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!
The UUkulele  
Fun Group

The Ukulele Fun Group occurs every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. and is open to everyone, regardless of skill level.
Awareness Thru Movement Class 
   

For a healthy new you, join our
Awareness Through Movement (ATM) class.

These classes focus on gentle movements 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!

Classes, led by Sally Locklear, are drop-in with no experience necessary
. 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. However, the class will not be held this week. Please join us next week.
   
For more information, contact Nancy Finley at [email protected]. UUCH Adult Religious Education focuses on the whole spiritual person--mentally and physically. J oin us!

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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
[email protected]The next UUCH Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 3rd.

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, March 4, 2018
             
               "Games People Play" 
  
              The Reverend Alice Syltie 

The theme for March is Balance. This Sunday's sermon is based on a topic suggested by John Schweinsberg, who won the bid for Sermon Topic of Your Choice at a UUCH Service Auction. John's interest in Game Theory led me to questions about morality and the balance between cooperation and self-interest. What does game theory say about how we balance our own needs and the needs of others? As always, my exploration of the topic will include a perspective from our U nitarian Universalist tradition.

This Sunday, we welcome a special guest musician, Anthony Conception. Anthony is a native of Huntsville who now serves as the Choral Accompanist at the UU Church in Studio City, CA.

* 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!
return
This Sunday in Children and
Youth Religious Education (C YRE)
 

Children and youth will continue their exploration of Living Our Principles in their regular RE rooms.
 

Nursery care (ages 0-3) will be offered as usual.
 
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.
Paving the Path! 
Click here to Sign Up Online 
 
 

The 2018 UUCH Annual Budget Drive (ABD) has started with the theme of "Paving the Path!" This year we take time to celebrate some of the great things we have accomplished together over the past few years, like the move to our new building, selling the Governor's property, and growing our congregation. We also prepare for the future as Reverend Alice retires and we continue down our shared path together. What an exciting time for UUCH!
 
Your support, my support, all of our support together is what makes current and future programming possible at the church.
 
The ABD Cottage Meetings are scheduled throughout March in the homes of UUCH members. These Cottage Meetings are here to give you an opportunity to complete your forms for your Pledge of support while you enjoy food and fellowship with others who value and support the church.
 
Whether you are a long-time member or someone who only recently started coming to UUCH, your support is the key to all the great things UUCH can accomplish. The Pledge form you'll complete at the Cottage Meeting, along with the Pledge forms from everyone else, will be the basis for creating the annual operating budget for the 2018-2019 church year that starts in July.
 
SIGN UP this Sunday in the Fellowship Hall or by following the link above. Several of the meetings are designated as "(CF)" (child-friendly), so your whole family can attend. Special diets will be accommodated so that everyone is welcome. We look forward to seeing each of you at a Cottage Meeting.

John Schulz, 2018 ABD Chair
David Bollinger, 2018 Finance Chair
Why Support UUCH During This Year's Annual Budget Drive?

Steve Rittenberg delivered a very touching testimonial this last Sunday. His story is not to be missed! So if you were not in attendance, please read his testimony here.
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
Talk to the Board
 
It is always important to promote healthy communication between the leadership and all members of our church community. As Reverend Sytlie is planning her retirement and this is a transitional year for our church, it is especially important that we 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 on the many issues that relate to this transition. 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 February "Talk to the Board" meeting will be held this Sunday, March 4th, in the Adult Religious Education Room immediately following the church service. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Social Justice Opportunities


The Social Justice Committee is collecting new or gently used shoe drive to benefit Friends of Rescue and Funds2Orgs supporting micro-enterprises in developing countries. Bring shoes to donate to the UUCH Fellowship Hall. We will deliver the shoes to Friends of Rescue.

Volunteers are needed for the Food Line. If you would like to give of your time, please see the poster in Fellowship Hall for more information.

Homeless meal pack items are needed for the March 24th Religious Education work day. Items to consider for donation are fruit cups, Vienna sausages, pudding cups, small cartons of juice, peanut butter cracker packs, energy bars, etc. Please see a complete list in the Fellowship hall.

Social Justice Committee meetings are the last Sunday of the month at 9:30 a.m.   Our next meeting will be on Sunday, March 25th. Join us!
Save The Date
As you all know, Reverend Alice has announced her plans to retire at the end of this church year. Although she will be with us until the end of July, we plan to start celebrating her a little early, to begin the process of saying goodbye to someone who has made such an impact on our church and to allow for participation from members before we all embark on our summer vacations. 
 
Please mark your calendars for a celebration of Reverend Alice's legacy of service and leadership on April 22nd.
 
We will have an opportunity during that worship service to look back at the many gifts Reverend Alice has given our church. You will not want to miss it!
share
Share The Plate*
 
We Share the Plate* this month with New Futures, Inc. , a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1990 that is addressing the need in Hunt sville 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 tr ansitional housing program in Madison County that accepts families with children up to 18 years old of both genders, single fathers with minor children, and single mothers with sons over age 10. By keeping families together, the Lodge enhances 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 including job preparation, job search assistance, and 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.
 
*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 New Futures, Inc.
 
All donations are welcome and appreciated!   Return  
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, February 25, 2018, at our Circle of Candles:
 
Torin James and Mpaji Kyemba; a candle of joy: Saturday, I took my friend to skating class. After that we went to Kid's Space on Old Airport Road. We played a few games when we met Timothy and his brother. When we dropped off Jeb, his parents weren't home so we took him with him to check out cars at Jerry Damson Acura. It was fun! 
 
Kathy Fisher; a candle of  joy: Joy and Glee! Friday was the first day since the fall of 2014 I haven't needed pain relief!  
 
Suzey Delacey; a candle of joy: The Tulip Trees, oh! The Tulip Trees! Our beautiful early bloomers singing us back to life for Spring!

Heather Kyemba; a candle of joy: Good to see Abi's Dad, Dan Nielsen, here for a visit.

Theresa Miller; a candle of sorrow: My 79 year old sister, Janet, fell this week and broke her elbow and hip and is in the hospital now. So, love and good thoughts for her. Also prayers are requested for my older sister, Lois (78), who continues to have healing problems she has had with a skin graft from a month ago. (This was her "good" leg, the other was amputated.) My oldest sister, Rosemary (Romey, 81), who raised me, is doing pretty well, but says to light a candle for her too; she didn't want to be left out.

Gloria Guay; a candle of hope: Prayers for my neighbor, Al Blair, who has been in the hospital for over a week now after colon surgery and having to have over nine pints of blood from surgery and other procedures.