The worship theme for January is
Possibility
.
Sunday, January 13 – 9:30 and 11:00 am
The Risk of Possibility – Rev. Barbara H. Gadon
Much of the spiritual life is about seeing what is possible and moving toward it. It's why we create a mission for ourselves and for our community. But moving toward mission always involves risk: risk of discomfort, risk of failure, risk of what we would lose if we had what we dearly want. What allows you to take a risk? What must we risk together to create the beloved community?
Featured Musicians: Women’s Chorale
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Sharing the Offering
The International Institute is St. Louis’ welcoming center for new Americans. Their mission is to help immigrants and their families become productive Americans and champion ethnic diversity as a cultural and economic strength. Founded in 1919, the Institute has provided essential community integration services to each new wave of immigrants to St. Louis, without regard to country of origin, race, or religion.
More than 7,500 immigrants and refugees from 80 countries are welcomed each year, ranging from low-skilled to high-skilled and from non-literate to university-educated. Many are refugees who have fled war-torn countries around the world. We also work to build connections between foreign-born and long-time residents and produce Festival of Nations, our region’s most popular multi-cultural celebration.
Services include education, including English, citizenship and computer classes; refugee resettlement; and employment and training. Also provided are immigration assistance and services to vulnerable populations, including elderly refugees and victims of human trafficking. The Institute also operates four urban farms in the St. Louis area. For more information, visit iistl.org.
Religious Education
At
9:30, children in kindergarten and older should attend the first 15 minutes of the worship service. Preschool children (ages 3-5) and nursery children (2 and younger) go directly to their class.
At
11:00, children who are age 4 through 6th grade attend the first 15 minutes of the worship service. Nursery children (3 and younger) and youth in 7th-12th grade go directly to their class.
Note: 7th and 8th graders who aren’t participating in the Our Whole Lives (OWL) program should attend the worship service with their family.
Sunday at a Glance
Sanctuary Open House – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in Room 006
Women’s Weekend Planning – 12:30 pm in the Bergfried Room
Better Marriages – 4:00 pm in Adams Hall
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Weather Policy Reminder
While Eliot Chapel strives to be open and available, there are times when it is unsafe to do so. In inclement or extreme weather, the decision may be made to close the church and cancel activities. Regarding the impending weather this weekend, we should have a decision by 6:00 pm Saturday evening about Sunday morning.
Check the Chapel’s voicemail and/or
website
for news of closings. Information will also be shared on
Facebook
and with the local media. All members, friends, and staff are urged to use discretion when making choices about traveling in times of hazardous weather conditions.
IT’S HERE! Church Life App
You now have access to a free mobile app to stay connected with Eliot on the go.
Get the Church Life app
for iPhone & Android! With ACS Church Life™, you have instant access to the up-to-date Eliot’s Church Directory and Calendar. This easy-to-use app is free and available to all members and friends of Eliot. Once you download the app to your mobile device, you use the same username and password that you use for Access Online ACS™. Have contact information, event dates and times, and one-click mobile giving anytime, anywhere, from your mobile phone.
Contact the front office
if you have any questions.
February Newsletter Deadline
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Kirkwood's 5th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Musical Celebration
Reach out with love and friendship as you share our beloved community with attendees of Kirkwood's fifth annual Martin Luther King Celebration, taking place in the auditorium of Kirkwood High School at 1:00 pm on
Monday, January 21. Once again, we will be sharing lemonade and cookies for a donation to the Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association. Volunteer to staff our social justice display or to donate store-bought cookies without nuts by e-mailing
socialjustice@eliotchapel.org or signing up on the bulletin board. Bring the cookies on Sunday, January 13 or 20 to the MLK ticket sales table in Adams Hall or to Eliot Chapel between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm on Friday, January 18. The program includes musical performances, spoken word, and dance. Tickets to the celebration are $8.00 and will be available during coffee hour on January 13 and 20. Proceeds benefit Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association with a portion funding the annual scholarships presented at the MLK Celebration. Thank you for participating in this important work!
Spring All-Read Discussion Groups Forming!
Stop by the Social Justice table after services on Sundays to see the next All-Read selection for Eliot! We’ve chosen a book about immigration for the spring discussions,
Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal by immigrant rights activist Aviva Chomsky. The book explores what it means to be undocumented in a legal, social, economic and historical context. Don’t miss this powerful testament of the complex, contradictory, and ever-shifting nature of status in America. Sign-ups will be in January and early February. Discussion groups will meet in March and April. If you’re interested in becoming a discussion group facilitator, please contact Mary Meihaus at
socialjustice@eliotchapel.org.
MCU - Metropolitan Congregations United
Peter Wilson and Claudia Jean Potts met with Rev. Susan Sneed from MCU this week. Watch for upcoming ways to learn more about MCU and to become involved in 2019. January 31st will be the 2019 Membership Assembly. Watch for details at the Social Justice table in Adams Hall.
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Monday, January 14
A Course in Miracles – 7:00 pm in Room 001
Tuesday, January 15
Women's Alliance Speaker Series – 9:30 am in Adams Hall
PCA Team – 1:30 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
Vigil for Hope and Healing – 5:00 pm outside Eliot
Avant Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in Room 006
Earth Based Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
SJA Steering Committee – 7:15 pm in Adams Hall
Wednesday, January 16
Larson Covenant Group – 7:15 pm in Room 006
Women's Chorale – 7:30 pm in the Music Room
Thursday, January 17
Room at the Inn – 5:30 pm in Adams Hall and Rooms 001-006
Peace and Tolerance Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
Friday, January 18
Youth Social Justice Assembly – all day off-site
Friday Freethinkers – 10:00 am in Adams Hall
Saturday, January 19
Youth Social Justice Assembly – all day off-site
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Sanctuary Open House
Our Sanctuary Open House scheduled for Sunday has been postponed due to weather. Please plan to join us at a future date to celebrate!
Festival Del Cine Dignidad LatinoAmericana
Join the immigration justice team at an IFCLA film festival featuring “stories that center on the experiences of Latin American immigrants and refugees.” Gather at Christ Church in Maplewood, 2200 Bellevue Avenue, at 5:00 pm for soup and empanadas; stay for a film and discussion from 5:30-7:30 on
Sunday evenings, January 13 & 27 and
February 10 & 24. See the
Facebook event page for details.
Women's Weekend Planning Session
The first 2019 Women's Weekend planning session is scheduled for
Sunday, January 13
from 12:30-2:30 pm in the Bergfried room. Please plan to attend if you have a workshop idea or any other suggestions for Women's Weekend. We would love to have your input! If you can't attend the meeting but have ideas/suggestions, please email them to Jennifer Stewart or Karen Gottschalk at
womensweekend@eliotchapel.org.
Women's Alliance
On
Tuesday, January 15,
Women's Alliance will welcome Cathy Gilbert from Moms Demand Action to speak on broadening awareness of gun violence and its impact on American communities. Barb Jones is coordinating. Coffee and conversation begin at 9:30 am.
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Join us for
Vigil for Hope and Healing #217
Tuesday, January 15
at 5:00 pm outside Eliot.
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WE CAN in Kirkwood
All are welcome to the monthly Black Lives Matter vigil in front of Kirkwood City Hall on
Saturday, January 19 from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. They will have some signs but you may bring your own. From 1:00 to 2:00, return to Rooms 001/002 at Eliot Chapel for WE CAN’s annual New Year community potluck gathering to celebrate last year's progress and reflect on and recommit to what 2019 holds. WE CAN looks forward to returning participants and welcomes new people from Eliot!
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Click on the links below to learn more about the events listed and sign-up information, or
check the newsletter
for more details.
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UU Christian Group
Monday, January 21
7:15 pm in the Triplett Room
“We are called to embody the love of God in our lives ...We manifest that love when we share the ordinary rhythm of life with others who are likewise seeking to grow in love and compassion.” – Fr. Richard Rohr
If this quote resonates with you and you are interested in Christianity as a part of your spiritual practice, you may want to join the UU Christian Group (UUCG). Our gatherings build on the Christian lectionary and frequently incorporate ritual and the works of Christian theologians and authors. We share responsibility for leading the group. We meet on the first and third Mondays of the month from 7:15-8:30 in the Triplett Room.
Please contact Peter Wilson if you have any questions or just want to discuss UUCG.
6th Annual Bergfried Winter Warm-Up
Saturday, January 26
6:00 pm in Adams Hall
The Bergfried team will host a potluck gathering featuring a Bergfried-style music circle and a slide show of recent Bergfried events. Sign up on the bulletin board or
via email.
Friends of Music
Sunday, January 27
3:00 pm in the Sanctuary
The next concert will feature the renowned Kim Portnoy Jazz Trio, with our own Ric Vice on bass, and The Linjadi Trio. All FOM concerts are free for the love of music!
Understanding Systems
Saturday, February 9
8:30 am in Adams Hall
The Nominating Committee is offering a leadership development session based on the UUA’s
Harvest the Power
leadership training series. Current leaders and those interested in exploring leadership opportunities are encouraged to attend. Sign up on the bulletin board.
Couple Communication Workshop
Saturday, March 9
Gateway Chapter of Better Marriages will be holding another workshop at Eliot. Learn to listen to your partner! For more info, contact Linda Techner at
bettermarriages@eliotchapel.org.
Montgomery Trip
Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24
Plans have been finalized for the bus trip to Montgomery, Alabama to visit freedom and justice sites including the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Send questions to or make reservations with
March22@eliotchapel.org. See all
details about the Montgomery trip on Eliot's website.
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Sunday, January 20 – 9:30 and 11:00 am
Possibilities – The Rev. Daniel Gould
Rev. Gould will take us on a journey of possibilities, as we examine the
expansion of our being when we tap into the power of the impossible.
Featured Musicians: Eliot Choir
For more than 18 years, Rev. Daniel Gould has brought leadership and problem-solving skills to communities in Houston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Birmingham, Bessemer, and Marengo County, Alabama, and in Accra, Ghana and Freetown, Sierra Leone. Rev. Gould is a youth minister and community organizer with Missouri Faith Voices , and is the founder of Gaia Green Earth, a multidisciplinary firm that specializes in eco-inclusive environments.
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The ourEliot team promotes and enables healthy communications as promised to one another through the Congregational Covenant. If you have a compliment, suggestion or concern that is important to communicate to a responsible party, look for an on-duty member of the team in Adams Hall wearing an ourEliot badge or contact them via email at
ourEliot@eliotchapel.org
.
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