News from Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville

Please put your nonperishable food items or personal care products donations in the basket in the church foyer for the Huntsville Assistance Program. Please, no canned corn, beans, or peas! They are currently overloaded with those items.

Sponsored by the Social Justice Committee

UUCH Free Food Pantry

UUCH's Free Food Pantry is installed in the parking lot and is now stocked. The Social Justice Committee will restock the pantry with non-perishables, as needed, and you can, too.

See the Social Justice Committee for more information on what items are in need.

Sponsored by the Social Justice Committee

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UUCH 2019-20

Board Members

President:

John Schulz

Vice President:

Denise Runnels

Secretary:

Nick Wilbourn

Treasurer:

David Bollinger

Trustees:

Ed Bernstein

Jack Long
Bryan Walls

Interim Minister:
The Rev. Edward L. Brock

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 John Schulz via email no later than one week prior to the meeting (i.e. the Tuesday before). The next board meeting will be Tuesday, November 26 .

The Overlook is a publication of The Unitarian Universalist Church, 3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville, AL 35810

Interim Minister:

The Rev. Edward L. Brock

Board President:

John Schulz

Editor:

Nick Wilbourn

Office Hours:

Monday & Wednesday:

7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Sunday:

7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Minister's Office Hours:

Wednesday:

10 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Thursday:

8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Other times by appointment.

Office Phone:

256-534-0508
Office Email: uuch@uuch.org

Minister's E mail: minister@uuch.org

Website: www.uuch.org

Sunday Services are held 10:45 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. Children's Religious Education held concurrently. Nursery available for ages 3 years and under.

For more info on any event, contact the church office.

Upcoming Service

November 3

Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos means "day of the dead" and is a traditional celebration in Mexican and Mexican-American cultures used to remember those who have passed away, honor their ancestors, and consider their own mortality.

Mexican people throughout North America gather at the cemetery on D ía de los Muertos with candles, flowers, photos, and favorite foods of their ancestors or loved ones, and sit and tell stories and sing songs of remembrance. In churches and homes, a D ía de los Muertos ofrenda, or altar, is set up with photos and beautifully decorated skulls made of sugar.

YOU are invited to bring a photo, memento, or trinket in memory of ancestors, loved ones, friends, and pets who have passed away, and place those items on our ofrenda.

Future Services

November 10 - Rev. Ed Brock

November 17 - Rev. Ed Brock

November 24 - Annual Bread Communion

November Theme: Attention

This Sunday in Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE)

All ages are invited to participate in the multi-generational worship service in honor of Día de los Muertos . Regular CYRE groups will not meet. Nursery care for children (ages 0-3) will be offered as usual.

As is our tradition at Thanksgiving, the Social Justice Committee and CYRE hold a creative action day on Sunday, November 10, during RE time, where
children and youth will assemble meal packs for distribution by First Stop in Huntsville's homeless community. You are invited to donate items in the
food collection bin in the Fellowship Hall. Needed items include individual servings of canned fruit (pull-tops) and pudding cups.

All donations need to be received by this Sunday, November 3. We thank you for your generosity in supporting the outreach work of our children and youth!

For more information on the CYRE program, please contact Harper Goodman, RE Assistant; or Steve Rittenberg, CYRE Chair.

Submitted by the Children and Youth Religious Education Committee

Ministerial Search Committee Update

Thank you to all those who attended the Ministerial Search Committee cottage meetings the last few weeks, and to the hosts who provided pleasant settings for our discussions. The meetings were well-attended, and the MSC learned much from your comments and questions. We intend to include some of the information from these discussions in our "Congregation Record" that will be previewed by our minister candidates. We were pleased to see that many of you now are learning more about the search process and feel confident that it will identify the minister that fits our needs at UUCH.

We are still analyzing the data from the congregational survey that we administered recently. Thank you to the 109 individuals who completed a survey online or in paper copy. We will share much of this data in the future, but we presented some of data at the cottage meetings. Here were some early summary answers to a few questions on the survey:

What are the top five reasons you attend UUCH?

* Community 77%

* UU Values 67%

* Intellectual stimulation 41%

* Spiritual growth/healing 31%

* Social action/service activities and adult education/enrichment 29%

What are the top five reasons you attend worship services?

* Celebration of common values 75%

* Sense of belonging 74%

* Personal reflection/meditation 61%

* Intellectual stimulation 61%

* Music 54%

What are the most important parts of the worship service?

* Sermon 84%

* Sharing joys and concerns 53%

* Instrumental music 40%

* Choir 35%

* Singing hymns 35%

What are the most important Sunday sermon topics?

* Spiritual growth 53%

* Values and perspectives on social issues 51%

* Philosophical ideas 48%

* Personal growth 47%

* Coping with life 44%

Watch our newsletter for more summary data from our survey and cottage meetings. If you have any questions about the search process, please contact the MSC.

Submitted by the Ministerial Search Committee.

Awareness Through Movement

A 5-week course of Awareness Through Movement® classes recently began and continues on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. through the month of November.

Awareness Through Movement® (ATM) classes are a learning process that invites a person to explore how they move and function in the world. The one-hour session consists of verbally directed movement sequences that encourage participants to explore motions within their own capacities and comfort range. As awareness and movement improve, the means to change patterns of thinking, sensing, feeling, and interacting with others also improves.

Submitted by the Adult Religious Education Committee

Service Auction 2019

The UUCH Service Auction is this Saturday, November 2, at 6 p.m. The food, fun, and fellowship are not to be missed!

Not able to make it? Pick someone to proxy-bid for you who will be there. You should have received an email with a preliminary catalog on Wed.

If you want to help, have a last minute donation, or didn't get the catalog, please email us.

Childcare will be provided, and door prizes will be given away throughout the evening. You must be present to win. And of course, there's the quilt raffle. We hope to see you there!

Submitted by the Finance Committee

Food Sign-Up for Service Auction

It's that time again! This Saturday, November 2, we will gather for our annual Service Auction, a favorite fun- and fund-raiser! You can help by signing up to bring a snack to fuel our bodies while we bid on amazing items and services.

You may use the sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall or sign up online. Contact Hospitality co-chairs Jessica Schulz or Kathryn Heath with questions. Thank you in advance!

Submitted by the Hospitality Committee

Picture Directory

The Membership Committee sends a huge THANK YOU to the 80 families and many volunteers who participated in our picture directory project.

You showed up on time, even on one really rainy day, with big smiles. Some of you brought cherished items to include in your photograph, and others brought beloved pets.

We enjoyed seeing the creative poses you and our photographers created and know that our new directory will be a great resource for you and the church.

If you purchased photos, they will be mailed to your home within two to three weeks. If you did not buy pictures, you will still receive a free 8x10 photograph. Those will be sent to the church, and we will distribute them to you.

Submitted by the Membership Committee

CASA Home Winterization Day

This Saturday morning, November 2, UUCH will participate in the annual CASA home winter-ization day. This year we have selected 3 houses to winterize by applying plastic to the windows and making minor home improvements.

Extensive skills are not necessary to participate. This is a fun and rewarding experience. If you are interested in helping, please contact Gail Williams or the church office.

Submitted by the Social Justice Committee

Coffee House to Showcase

UUCH Talent

Please join us in the Fellowship Hall on November 9 at 6:30 p.m. for a night of fun and great entertainment. It will be like The Moth Radio Hour, a poetry slam, an open mic music night, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Comedy Store all wrapped into one event. And probably more!

You will be treated to coffee house-style light desserts, with coffee and espresso. Other drinks will also be available. We are working to put together an eclectic night of entertainment featuring the very talented members of the congregation and friends.

Please contact John Schulz with any questions, and especially if you want to sign up to present your personal style of art -- be it spoken word, music, dance or anything else. There is a sign-up poster in the Fellowship Hall.

Our goal is a great night with friends, sharing our many forms of personal expression. Be there, or be square!

Submitted by the Music Committee

Property Work Day

Join us for a Property Work Day on Saturday, November 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Help to maintain our church property through fun, accomplishment, camaraderie, and pizza, with a bit of work! Transform the playground and courtyard, brighten the church, and beautify the grounds. Tasks will range from cleaning the playground and weeding flower beds to replacing light bulbs and painting.

No special skills are needed for most tasks, but if you have experience installing doors or doing minor electrical work or painting, all the better. Help out for an hour or several hours. Childcare will not be provided, but children are welcome to help.

Submitted by the Property Committee

Ready to Become a UUCH Member?

If you've been attending UUCH long enough to know that this church community feels like your spiritual home, you may be ready to take the next step and become a member. During an upcoming November Sunday service, we will welcome new members as they "sign the book" and officially join our church.

If you are ready to become a member or would like to find out more about the process, please contact Pam Korb by this Sunday, November 3.

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP Because we are a democratic community, members are collectively vested with responsibility for the congregation. Members may vote at all congregational meetings, be elected to the governing Board, be appointed as committee chairs, and participate in all activities of the congregation.

Because we are a covenanted congregation, members have certain responsibilities to the congregation and to each other. These responsibilities are best fulfilled by:

* Regular attendance at worship

* Voting at congregational meetings

* Making financial contributions

* Contributing time and talent

* Spiritual growth and development

Submitted by the Membership Committee

Care Committee Services

In cases of injury, infirmity, or illness, the Care Committee furnishes and delivers meals to members and friends of UUCH. Other available services include driving congregants to a doctor's office, a hospital, or a drugstore; visiting those who are homebound or confined to nursing or assisted living facilities; sending "get well" and sympathy cards; and assisting the Hospitality Committee at funerals and memorial services.

If you, or someone you know, needs assistance from the Care Committee, please contact us.

Submitted by the Care Committee

Care List

This Sunday, October 27, 2019, at our Circle of Candles:

George Fletcher lit a candle of sorrow: October 8 was my 30th wedding anniversary, and October 26 marked 12 years since the day I became widower. October is a fraught month for me.

Deborah Delacey lit a candle of gratitude: I went through a procedure this week to remove a cancerous growth on my face. I am grateful for the doctor and all who helped with the procedure.

Dan McKitrick lit a candle of joy: Thanks to Kelli, Fred and Laura, Monica and Denise, and especially to face painters Lynsie and Rachael, for making UUCH's Rocket City Pride Fair booth a success.