Large-print orders of service and hearing assistance devices are available from the greeters on Sunday. We livestream our service; find it at eliotchapel.org. After the stream, a recording will be available there all week. You can also find it directly on our YouTube channel.

If you're worshipping with us on livestream, you can always find a digital order of service, including lyrics to the hymns, on our website. Also, check out This Week's Music from our music director Adam Kosberg. You'll get insight into the music selections for this week's service and find the lyrics to the anthem.

At Eliot Chapel, we follow CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19. When St. Louis County is at a Yellow or Medium Level, we will:

Read the letter that went out about the review of our policy and the change in measures in response to a change in levels. You may access the policy document on Eliot Chapel's website for more of the details. 

Every Sunday, Eliot Chapel shares half of the offertory with an organization in the community whose work reflects our shared values. This is one way that we care for our community and our neighbors. In April, we will share our offering with the Teen Pregnancy and Prevention Partnership which unites communities across Missouri to promote adolescent sexual and reproductive health. They educate parents, professionals and the community at large; they collaborate with stakeholders, including school districts, legislators, faith leaders, youth-serving and health care professionals; they advocate for and protect teens rights to accurate, high quality sexual health information and reproductive and sexual health services; and they support teens' self-determined ability to live healthy and fulfilling lives. See teenpregnancy-mo.org to learn more.

Let us be good neighbors. Let us be a generous people. You can give in one of three ways:

Specific plans for each age group are shared with registered families via email each week. To learn more about the 2022-23 RE program, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org.

Coffee Hour is an important tradition of fellowship at Eliot Chapel taking place in Adams Hall immediately after the worship service on Sunday. It's a time to catch up with fellow members and friends and to greet newcomers.

We keep this tradition of hospitality alive by taking turns hosting. This is a simple task (instructions are available in a binder in the kitchen) and a great way to serve and connect. Please check the SignUpGenius for Coffee Hour Volunteers to sign up to host Coffee Hour on a Sunday morning after the service. If there is no host by 3:00 pm on Thursday afternoon, there will be no coffee served on Sunday though we will still gather for social time. Please be respectful of Sunday staff as they have other responsibilities.

Zoom Coffee Hour takes place at 12:30 pm on Sunday. You are invited to "walk down the hall" and come to our Zoom Coffee Hour! We'll take a few minutes to say hello and let people settle in, then we'll say a few words of welcome and briefly review the service that day. We typically really enjoy the wisdom story and discuss how that story reflects on the theme of the sermon. Then we'll create breakout rooms of 5-6 people for conversation and sharing. We love making new friends and the small groups are great for that! In approximately 45 minutes, everyone will return to the big group and we'll say our goodbyes for the week. We usually end shortly after 1:30 pm, but those who wish to can stay a few minutes longer. Please watch your email for "Eliot on Zoom" on Sunday morning which will include a link to join the Zoom Coffee Hour. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you!

Our Whole Lives – 9:30 am in Room 006

Sunday Worship – 10:00 am in the Sanctuary

Religious Education – 10:15 am (after Time for All Ages) in RE wing

Coffee Hour – 11:00 am in Adams Hall

Covenant Group Development Team – 11:30 am in the Susan Frederick-Gray Room

Women's Weekend Team Meeting – 11:30 am in Rooms 001/002

Young Adult Group – 11:45 am in the Triplett Room

Online Coffee Hour – 12:30 pm via Zoom

Monday, May 1 

Kwentus Covenant Group – 10:00 am in the DuBois Library

Starting Point: An Introduction to UU – 6:00 pm via Zoom

Environmental Justice Team – 7:00 pm in Adams Hall

A Course in Miracles – 7:00 pm via Zoom

Immigration Justice: Book Discussion – 7:00 pm via Zoom

Women's Alliance – 9:30 am in Adams Hall 

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 5:00 pm on the front lawn

Avant Covenant Group – 6:45 pm in Room 001

Wellspring – 9:30 am in the Susan Frederick-Gray Room

Covenant Group Facilitators – 7:00 pm in Adams Hall

Transitions Support Group – 7:00 pm in the DuBois Library

SJA Steering Committee – 7:00 pm via Zoom

Friday Freethinkers – 10:00 am in Room 001

Planning a meeting or event? Start with our Room & Event Request Form! Group leaders, have you set up an area for your group in Realm? You have a secure place to chat and share documents and photos. Contact Christie Lee to set up your group.

Please keep Nancy Spargo and Melinda Monroe in your thoughts and prayers. Bob Spargo passed away on Thursday, April 20, 2023. His memorial will be held at Eliot Chapel, Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 11:00 am with a meal to follow. The family will be there at 10:30 if you wish to come pay your respects. 

What are you doing tonight? Thirty bucks gets you into Trivia Night! For a ton of fun, come to the Crestwood Community Center. Doors open at 6:30 pm; trivia begins at 7:00 pm. Prizes for best dressed table and best decorated table! Popcorn, soda, and water are provided. See you there!

Eliot Chapel is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

Eliot Chapel's annual meeting of members will be held at noon on Sunday, May 21. Join the Board of Trustees at 11:30 for sandwiches, chips, and drinks in Adams Hall before the start of the meeting. Childcare will be available until 2:00 pm.

The agenda for the annual meeting will include a budget discussion and approval of new members to the Board of Trustees and the Nominating Committee.

The board will offer the ability to watch the meeting via Zoom, but there will be no ability to vote unless in attendance at Eliot or by proxy.

Get all the details here.

Our phone callers have been busy and have had some great conversations with people surrounding their intent to pledge. As hard as making follow-up phone calls sounds, in reality it can be a very rewarding experience. Many thanks goes to Mary Meihaus, Kathy Becker, Trish Williams, Claire Wyneken, Toni Saunders, Lynn Murphy, Ann Marie Hutson, Madelyn Harris, Sara Fleming, Peter Wilson, Dotty Storer, and Susan Bell for making these calls!

The Stewardship Canvass Team planned a wonderful campaign this year and deserve a round of applause! Please thank the following people for their efforts when you see them: Kathy Becker, Mary Quinn, Sue Blandford, Lynn Murphy, Greg Johnson, Jim Lyon, Jan Chamberlin, Ann Marie Hutson, and Steve Mennerick. Many hands made light work and their time and talent was much appreciated. The support of our hard working staff is immeasurable: Camille Novak, Christie Lee, Debby Lovell, and Scott Stewart. Special thanks to Ahmed Eldarrat for his beautiful campaign logo and to Ken Denson for technical support. Finally, thanks to Reverends Doug and Krista who served as our cheering section and shared the box seats with us from their pulpit!

Pledges from our phone campaign are still rolling in, but we now have a total of 222 pledging units amounting to a total of $581,000.

It has been my pleasure to serve as Canvass Chair for three years, but, alas, it is time for fresh ideas and new perspectives! When someone asks you to get involved in the Canvass Campaign, say “Yes”! It is a great experience and a commitment that means so much to our beloved church.

Canvass Co-Chairs

The final scheduled community conversation around missional identity asks us to gather for conversation, fine-tune and explore our missional priorities, and discern together how best to engage in conversations with your current staff, your peers, and your future minister. This meeting will further synthesize, energize, and raise the questions and plans to move you forward in this new and powerful chapter. Let us converse after the service on June 4, 2023, in the Sanctuary.

Join the Eliot Chapel Nominating Committee to thank outgoing and incoming members of the Eliot Chapel Board of Trustees and learn a bit about how things get done at Eliot (i.e., governance). The happy hour discussion will be interlaced with plenty of wine, non-alcoholic drinks, cheese, and crackers. All are welcome, but please RSVP so that we can ensure sufficient supplies.

Eliot Chapel's Racial Justice Team will host Safiyah Chauvin, reparations activist, for May's Social Justice in Action forum. Ms. Chauvin is a descendent of the ragtime pianist Louis Chauvin who composed with Scott Joplin. In 2019, she learned of his parents who had been enslaved. She will speak of them and her work in reparative justice.

Have you considered joining a covenant group but weren't comfortable committing to meeting people you didn't know? Now is a good time to join a new group that is being led by Todd Stein. His group will meet on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm at Eliot.  

This group will initially focus on the seven UU principles, then expand to include other topics based on input from group members. If you aren't sure what a covenant group is, they are made up of up to 10 people who usually meet on a monthly basis. They provide an opportunity for group members to build strong relationships, be a part of interesting discussions and foster a sense of connection. Groups follow a format of chalice lighting, a check-in, discussion, and other rituals. They allow for a safe space to share life's joys and concerns.  

Covenant groups have been in existence at Eliot for 20 years and have played an important role in building new relationships and bringing Eliot members together. Please contact Todd Stein at covenantgroups@eliotchapel.org if you would like to learn more about his group.

Earlier in the month, we lost a tree near the Meadow during a storm. Bob Becker and Jim Lyons came to the rescue and did the hard work of removing the fallen remains. Thank you, gentlemen! That was a big job!

And while we can mourn the loss of the tree, we should also celebrate its reuse because Bob and Jim prepared and delivered stumps to Eliot Chapel Nursery School – they were a big hit! 

Our family campout is held annually on Memorial Day Weekend (this year May 26-29) and brings together all Eliot members and friends. You are welcome to come out for any part of the weekend whether you plan to camp or not. There is plenty of hiking, relaxing, and connection to enjoy! The weekend includes these main events (all optional):

Most choose to camp in tents or trailers; spaces in the cottage (with running water and electricity) are available by reservation with priority given to those with medical needs or physical limitations. Eight beds are also available in the rustic bunkhouses. To sign up for the weekend, to reserve a cottage or bunkhouse space, or for any information contact bergfriedinfo@eliotchapel.org.

Spring also promises great weather for individuals and families to visit and enjoy nature on their own. The Bergfried cottage, with air conditioning, electricity, and running water, is available for rental ($35/night). To reserve the cottage, or whenever you are planning a trip on your own, contact bergfriedreservations@eliotchapel.org.

Once a year, the Unitarian Universalist Association, our national body, holds its General Assembly. This year, GA is in Pittsburgh, PA. GA is like a big family reunion with so much celebration! There is amazing worship, more workshops than you can imagine, and our annual business meeting. As a democratic denomination, every congregation sends delegates to represent us at the business meeting. If you would like to be a delegate for General Assembly, let us know! Contact Camille at DFO@eliotchapel.org.

The Eliot Ride Team provides rides to church and to medical appointments for Eliot members and friends who cannot drive themselves. If you need a ride, email ineedaride@eliotchapel.org with your name, your address, where you need to go, and the date and time needed. We will be in touch to make arrangements. 

The Eliot Meal Train provides meals to Eliot members and friends who need some love and care. For example, we will provide meals for those who have recently lost a loved one or are recovering from medical care. If you would like to request meals or offer to provide meals, please email mealtrain@eliotchapel.org with your contact information and someone will be in touch with you.

At Eliot Chapel, we care for our earth and our building! One way you can express this is by joining the Eliot Recycling Team! This committee is responsible for taking the recycling from Eliot to the Kirkwood Recycling Depository at 350 S. Taylor Avenue each week. Sign up for a week that works for you and plan to grab the recycling after service to drop it off. Thanks for being part of the team!

Book Discussion on Sunday: Javier Zamora's Solito

Javier Zamora's memoir Solito is a gripping and moving description of his two-month journey as a nine-year-old boy from El Salvador to reunite with his parents in California. But even in the midst of the perilous and near-impossible journey there are joyful moments and deep connections, and as a poet, his descriptions of all touch your heart.

What is your takeaway? Come and join the Immigration Justice Team to share your thoughts, feelings, and questions in one of these sessions:

Sign up online today! A sign-up sheet is also posted in the corridor to Adams Hall.

This series offers those considering Unitarian Universalism as a spiritual path the opportunity to experience UUism through a small group experience. You will learn about our faith tradition, explore your own spiritual journey, and connect with others who are also seeking a spiritual home or faith. Longtime members and friends seeking a small group experience are also welcome.

Session 3: Our Journey Together – The Three Paths of Unitarian Universalism Part 1

Session 4: The Three Paths Part 2 and Finding Your Journey Group

Women’s Alliance will meet Tuesday, May 2, at 9:30 am in Adams Hall and on Zoom. We’ll gather for conversation and a brief business meeting before discussion of this month’s book, The Maid by Nita Prose. Sue Blandford will lead the discussion. Please feel free to join us, whether or not you’ve read the book. For more information contact womensalliance@eliotchapel.org.

The Transitions Support Group is for anyone who is experiencing a significant life transition, such as death of a loved one, transitioning relationships, children leaving home, having children, getting married, transitioning gender, changes in career/employment to name a few. This is a place to share your story and give and receive support for the journey we are on. The meetings are facilitated by Rev. Krista Taves. There is a short reading with focusing questions sent out a few days before the meeting, which is on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month, 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the DuBois Library. Please email ktaves@eliotchapel.org if you want to learn more or receive the reminder emails. The next meeting is Thursday, May 4. 

The Welcome Team warmly invites all our new members and friends to dinner on Saturday May 6 at 5:30 pm. Spouses, partners, plus ones, and children are welcome. This is a potluck so please bring something to share and let us know what you’re bringing by emailing welcome@eliotchapel.org so we can plan accordingly. There will be a table with crafts and activities for children in the Garden Room. RSVP here. We look forward to seeing you!

Warmly,

In this beautiful service, we dedicate our children to our values and dedicate ourselves to the children. We celebrate our youth who are bridging into adulthood. We will be exploring our own bridges in life.