UUCH Chalice
The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810  
December 15th, 2016
Vol. 16 Issue 50
In This Issue
 
We CAN Reach 100!  The Social Justice Committee's goal is to collect and donate 100 items per month. CAN you pick up an extra CANNED good, nonperishable food item, or personal care product next time you are out shopping? Please do, and put it in the basket in the church foyer to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP).  Suggested donations: macaroni and cheese, pasta and sauce, dry beans and rice, boxes of cereal, bars of soap, canned meat, and peanut butter! Thanks in advance!   
 

Do You Have Trouble Hearing During Worship Services? 
UUCH has purchased a number of devices to help hard-of-hearing members of the congregation listen to services. Need one? Just ask the greeter Sunday as you come in and return the device after the service!
 

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December's Theme: Presence  
Upcoming Services
UUCH Chalice
Sunday, Dec. 18th, 2016
 

"Sing We Now of Christmas!"
Our Annual Christmas Pageant
The Reverend Alice Syltie and
Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education
 
This musical, multi-generational service celebrates the spirit of the holiday season. The Children's and Youth Religious Education Program will present our own adaptation of Joyce Poley's service, "The Spirit of the Christmas Tree," retelling the story of the Nativity from a Unitarian Universalist perspective and inviting the congregation into reflection on its meaning for today. The service features special musical selections from the choir, congregational caroling, a Christmas   pageant   of all ages, and a surprise! Thanks in advance to: CYRE Chair Audrey Fox, Music Director Pam Siegler, the UUCH Choir, and the "cast and crew of thousands" in the Christmas Pageant.   (Cast and Crew: please remember to arrive at church at 9:45 a.m. on the day of the pageant for a quick run-through!) For more information, contact Erin Reid at (256) 694-6786 or  [email protected].

Upcoming Services for Your Holiday Planning

This Friday, Dec. 16th:
"Winter Solstice Candlelight Service"  Rev. Syltie 
Musical Prelude 6:45 p.m.;
Service begins at 7:00 p.m.
Open your spirit to the poetry and mystery of the winter season. Let yourself be present to the music of the harp, the chorus of voices, and the wisdom of the ages. In this darkest season of the year, surround yourself with the soft glow of candlelight, and the warmth of community. Our Winter Solstice Service brings us together in a moment of contemplation on the meaning of this season. This is easily the most beautiful and unique service of the year. All ages are welcome. Nursery care will be available for babies and toddlers.

December 25th: "A Carol Service," a time to sing all the favorite Christmas Carols.
January 1st: "Annual Fire Communion Service," a time to consider what to leave behind, and what to carry forward into the New Year.
January 8th: "Imaged Edges," Huntsville Feminist Chorus presents songs from their Solstice Program.
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This Sunday in Children and Youth
Religious Education 
        
Children and youth will participate in the all-ages Christmas Pageant!
 
Nursery care (ages 0-3) will be offered as usual.
 
Register for the UUCH Children and Youth Religious Education program by going to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WS8LDNP. Paper registration forms are also available at the church.
For more information, contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education (DRE) at [email protected] or Audrey Fox, CYRE Chair, at [email protected].
They're here! Pick Up Your UUCH Picture Directory This Sunday!
 
The long awaited UUCH Picture Directory has arrived and will be available for pick-up in the Fellowship Hall after church this Sunday. If you had a picture made or included in the directory, pick up your free copy after the Sunday service.
 
Pam Korb, Membership Chair
Wonderful Wednesday Soup's On! 
 
Celebrate Wonderful Wednesday with warming soup, salad, bread/crackers and peach cobbler. All homemade: chicken noodle, lentil carrot and Indian seasoning (vegan), and taco soup. Yum! 
 
Wonderful Wednesday Supper on Wednesday, December 21st, 6:00-6:45 p.m. 

Family-friendly pricing: ages 6 & younger are free, ages 7-12 are $2, age 13 & older are $5. Family max: $15.

Childcare and creative children's activities will be offered at 6:30 p.m. for families staying to attend choir. Adult RE is not meeting in December.
 
This is an easy and delicious way to get to know others! 
 
Hosted by your UUCH Hospitality Committee

Christmas Day Potluck! 
 
Yalda...Yule... Habari Gani... Christmas... Hanukkah.... Malkh...Saturnalia...Dies Natalis Solis Invicti...Panacha Ganapati...Bah Humbug!

Whatever you celebrate at this time of year, Kim and Shiela Burrows, Mari Hinckley, Steve Rittenberg, Barbara and Gary Hitt invite you to join them for a potluck lunch immediately following the service December 25th. They will provide ham, hashbrown casserole, dressing, sweet potato casserole, dinner rolls, salad and drinks.

Contributions of Vegan/vegetarian dishes and desserts would be welcomed but are not necessary. If you are planning to attend the service on December 25th, please plan to have lunch with your "Church Family." Potluck on December 25th will not affect the usual potluck on the first Sunday of January (January 1st, 2017).
UU Youth Plays Santa
Our UU Youth and Children had fun gift shopping for the kids from the Alabama Hispanic Association. Gifts were given to the AHA children during their Christmas Dinner held last Saturday. Ho, ho, ho! 
Soul Circles are Forming!
 
Don't forget--Soul Circles are forming! We are bringing small groups into the Soul Matters shared thematic ministry alongside our Worship and Religious Education ministries. Our "Soul Circles" will meet monthly. Each month, prior to meeting, group members will receive preparatory information designed to help them engage more deeply with the monthly theme we are experiencing in our congregational worship. Group members covenant with one another to practice deep listening, speaking from both the heart and the head as they share their soul-journeys through living into the monthly themes. Monthly meetings are scheduled to last no more than two hours.
 

If you would like to join a Soul Circle please contact John Czachurski at [email protected] and let him know which of the following times you can be available: 

  • Sunday Afternoons (after Sunday Worship or Potluck)
  • Sunday Evenings
  • Wednesday Afternoons
  • Wednesday Evenings
Please indicate all of the days/times that could work for you, so that we can more smoothly match available group members with available facilitators.
votives Care List
 
At our Circle of Candles on Sunday,  December 11th:
 
Betsy Applegate , a candle of joy: "Celebrating seeing UUs living their principles, partnering with the Alabama Hispanic Association for a Christmas celebration for 170 children and 55 families. Each child received a present from Santa, and families enjoyed a hearty meal and play activities together. So many hands; so much joy."
 
Tim Waskerwitz , a candle of joy: "Please light a candle of thanksgiving for making it through my surgery okay, and gratitude for the wonderful food from the caring folks at UUCH Care Committee to help me during my recovery."
 
Mari Hinckley , a candle of joy: "A big thank you to Dan Wiederecht, Steve Rittenberg, and George for helping me move into my new apartment yesterday. And happy birthday to Millicent Simmons!"
 
Maggie , a candle of joy: "My baby brother Everett was born two months ago. He has very good big smiles."
 
Betsy Applegate and Alice Dilbeck , a candle of sorrow: "Celebrating the joyous life of Betsy's uncle, Capt. Samuel Planck, and mourning the sorrow of his passing this morning."
       
If you have pastoral care needs, please contact the Reverend Alice Syltie at [email protected]Barbara Hitt is Chair of the Care Committee, and may be reached at home, (256) 881.2531; on her cell, (256) 348.5845; or by email at [email protected].
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 leave a copy of your request in her Mailbox at the church office, or contact her at [email protected].

The next UUCH Board Meeting will be held
on Tuesday, December 20th, 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 Deedee Moore at
[email protected].  

 

Admin. Office Hours: 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri.

For Wednesday access, please call in advance. 

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.