News from Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville

114 items, 5 complete homeless meal packs, lots of very nice toiletries products plus items for making meal packs were donated by you wonderful souls! Thanks to all!

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!

SAVE-THE-DATE

All-ages Camp-out!

Mark your calendars for Friday, May 18th, to Saturday, May 19th, for an all-church, all-ages camp-out at the country home of Amanda Schuber and Wanda Snoddy. The camp-out will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and end at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. You are welcome to come earlier on Friday afternoon for set-up and time on the farm. All church members and friends are welcome. Children and youth should attend with parents/guardians.

This event is sponsored by the Children and Youth Religious Education program. More event details are forthcoming. Email dre@uuch.org

to express interest.

Yoga at UUCH!

Adult Religious Education is offering a beginning Hatha Yoga Class each Tuesday evening at 5:15 p.m. led by Jessica Schulz. Yoga brings inner quiet and peace of mind, something that could enrich us all.

Each class will last around an hour, so there will be time to get to your important Tuesday evening church meetings afterwards.

Come dressed in comfortable clothes and bring a mat if you have one (we will have some extras). We will meet in the Adult Religious Education Room. For further information, contact Nancy Finley at adult.re@uuch.org.

Everyone is welcome!

Come Sing a
Song with Us

The UUCH choir practices on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. in the Music Room. Whether you know how to sing or would like to learn, we would love for you to join us!

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.

For more information, contact Nancy Finley at Adult.RE@uuch.org. UUCH Adult Religious Education focuses on the whole spiritual person--mentally and physically. Join us!

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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

President@uuch.org. The next UUCH Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 22nd.

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 uuch@uuch.org.

Office Hours:

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Monday - Friday

Office phone: 256-534-0508
email: uuch@uuch.org .

Minister's email: Minister@uuch.org .

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, April 29, 2018

Into the Light

Amanda Schuber

Approximately 42.5 million adults are impacted by mental health issues every year in our country. An even greater number love someone who lives with mental health issues. Yet we, as a society, rarely talk about the impact, the treatments, and the realities of mental health challenges.

Join us this Sunday, to learn more about the challenges of these struggles and the ways in which we, as a community of faith and action, are called to help shed light and provide support to families in our community who live every day in the shadows of our world.

This Sunday in Children and

Youth Religious Education (C Y RE)

Children and youth will meet in their regular Religious Education rooms to continue lessons on "Living Our Principles."

Transformers and YOUUTH will share a lesson together

Nursery (ages 0-3) and childcare (ages 4-12) will be available in the Religious Education area.

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.

Please join us on Thursday for our monthly training. The focus of this training is to help one another to learn how to listen effectively to the needs of the community. Whether you are active in FIAA or you are working with your own organization and/or congregation, this will be a worthwhile training. See you there!

--Social Justice Committee

The Knit Wits

The next Knit Wits meeting will be held on Thursday, April 26th, 6:00 p.m. at Jefflyn Weed's house in southeast Huntsville. The Knit Wits make Care Shawls for church members undergoing health challenges, make new baby gifts, and take on a variety of other projects such as the Yarn-Bombing on the playground fence.

This group is part of the Care Committee. You are welcome to join the group. No skill at knitting is required to participate. If you wish to learn to knit or crochet, there are good and patient teachers in the group who would love to help you learn. Email Barbara Hitt at care.chair@uuch.org for more information.

Find Out More About Our Search for an Interim Minister

Talk To the Board This Sunday, April 29th

The UUCH Board has filed a formal application with the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for an interim minister to join us after Reverend Alice's retirement. The obtaining of an interim minister is an exciting opportunity for a congregation to review, reorganize, and renew in consultation with a trained professional guiding the transition process. An interim enables a congregation to assess strengths, needs, and challenges before calling a settled minister. Used wisely, the interim period could help us build structures and inspire visions that expand us into new levels of effectiveness and growth. This type of examination is particularly useful when a congregation is growing from a small-size church to a mid-size church like we are.

Obtaining an interim minister requires a serious commitment of time and resources for a congregation and we want to make sure that everyone is familiar with the process and purpose as we move forward. We will be submitting a budget at the Annual Meeting on May 6th with funds dedicated to obtain an interim next year. We encourage all members to prepare for the meeting by learning more about the importance of interim ministries before the meeting. This can be done a couple of ways:

Please watch this fifteen-minute video to help clarify what we might expect from our experiences with an interim minister: The Interim Opportunity
Please join us on April 29th to "Talk to the Board." Members of the Board will be available for informal discussions about our search for an Interim. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We will meet in the Adult Religious Education Room immediately following Sunday services.

"Honoring Rev. Alice Syltie at her retirement celebration"

A Message from Our Minister

My Dear Congregation,

I'm not sure my words will do justice to the immense gratitude I feel for the wonderful worship service and reception last Sunday honoring my time with you as your minister. Thanks to Lynsie Lamitie, Kathy Heath, and Diane Walls for imagining and planning the perfect day. And thanks to each and every one of you who said yes to them when they asked you to help or participate. I saw so many of you working hard to make the day all it could be.

Each word spoken, each song sung, each story told, each picture shared, each fun surprise, down to the delicious offerings of food, selection of flowers, and my favorite colors on the cake showed thoughtful attention to the things you know I enjoy, or that bring meaning to my life. Each element of the worship service with Nick Wilbourn's chalice lighting words, Lynsie's call to worship and benediction, Erin Reid's participatory and much fun story for sharing, Pam Siegler's choir and hymn selections, Kathy Fisher's musical accompaniment, the stories, memories, and affirmations shared by Lynsie Lamitie, John Czachurski, Jan Hosey, Erin Reid, and Pam Siegler, along with the surprise dance with Bobby Hall to my all time favorite hymn and theme song, "Let It Be A Dance," reflected the connection, creativity, and commitment to meaningful work we've shared in this congregational ministry over the last sixteen years.

I left with an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude for each and every person who showed up to celebrate my ministry, participated in the worship service, helped prepare the wonderful reception, including a slide presentation put together by Bryan Walls, wrote a note, or a poem, said a kind word to me, gave me a hug, or in any other way expressed appreciation for my ministry with you. The beautiful chalice painting presented by Harper Goodman on behalf of the children who made it, was yet another lovely surprise. Together you succeeded in affirming my call and demonstrating church community at its best. I will be eternally grateful for your kind and generous expressions of love and thanks.

My thanks also to my colleague and friend, the Reverend Carlton Smith, for the letter of congratulations he sent on behalf of the Southern Region Staff, as well as the larger UUA Association, in recognition and appreciation of my years of dedicated service.

In addition to everything already mentioned, I was blessed by the presence of my sweet daughter, Janet, and my precious grandchildren, who were there to share every moment with me. Janet and I were especially touched, when Tim Miller led us to the plaque now hanging in the vestibule in memory of David Syltie. Apparently, Diane Walls and Tim made sure all the memorial plaques were up for this special occasion.

On May 6th, I will deliver my last sermon. I will be present to lead worship as we celebrate two of our important ministries, Religious Education, on May 13th, and Music, on May 20th. The following weeks will include my customary annual leave time. I will remain in touch should there be any pastoral emergencies. The official close of my ministry with UUCH will be July 31st.

There is still time for conversation and farewells.

With great respect, love, and hope for future success and happiness wherever out paths lead,

Rev. Alice

Annual Congregational Meeting

May 6th, 2018 at 12:30 p.m.

After Sunday services on May 6th, we will be holding our Annual Congregational Meeting.

This date represents a change from the calendar, for which the Board apologizes. To meet both the terms of our bylaws and the deadlines for applying for an Interim Minister, we have had to revise our planned schedule. Please make every effort to attend; we need a quorum.

Per our bylaws, we will send electronic copies of the mailing containing the information for the meeting to all members, using your newsletter preferences as a guide. If you currently get a paper copy of the newsletter, you will receive a paper copy of the agenda and other information. If you receive the newsletter electronically, you will receive the materials electronically. Please make sure that the church office has your correct email address.

If you would prefer to receive the Annual Meeting materials in a different format than you get the newsletter, please notify Willette Battle in the church office ( uuch@uuch.org or 256-534-0508) as soon as possible. Thank you!

Care List

This Sunday, April 22, 2018,

at our Circle of Candles:

Reverend Alice: lit a candle of joy; Thank you! A joy to have had the privilege to serve and be served in this wonderful place. I love you all!

Torin James and Mpaji Kyemba: lit a candle of joy; On Saturday, AAA had a Fine Arts Festival. When I was there, I won Bingo, made a mirror, made a jellyfish, colored a CD disk, etc. The theme was "Diving Into The Arts." I hula-hooped, too, and the whole process was fun! It's only once a year. * This note was accidentally overlooked and Lynsie Lamitie would like to congratulate Torin!

John and Anita Czachurski: lit a candle of joy; We have a new grandson! Coen Miles McDermott was born last Tuesday. He came somewhat early and has developed jaundice, but they are able to treat him at home. We are sending love to proud parents, Anna and Mike.

Theresa Miller: lit a candle of sorrow; Asking for prayers and good thoughts again for my sister, Lois, the one who is an amputee, fell again (this time backward in her wheelchair), hitting her head and hurting her T-1 vertebrae. No treatment currently, just healing needed.

Katie Smith and Matt Jordan: lit a candle of joy and gratitude; We are beyond grateful for Rev. Alice. Especially for being with us when Katie's mom died and for marrying us a month later. We wish you much happiness in your retirement. Love, Katie and Matt.