The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville, AL 35810  
June 6, 2019
Vol. 19 Issue 23
In This Issue
Upcoming Events  
 

Fri. 6/7
Concerts on the Dock
5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Lowe Mill Docks


Sat. 6/8
Open Mic Coffee House
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.


Sun. 6/9
Worship Committee Meeting
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Social Justice Committee Meeting
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Service
Rev. Ed Brock
10:45 a.m.

Renovation Meeting
12:00 p. m.

Music Committee Meeting
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.


Tues. 6/11
Finance Committee Meeting
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.


Wed. 6/12
Soul Matters Small Group (Group C)
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

UUkulele Fun Group
5:45 - 6:45 p.m.


Thurs. 6/13
PFLAG Support Meeting
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Adult RE Room


Fri. 6/14
Church Yard Sale
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Concerts on the Dock
5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Lowe Mill Docks


Sat. 6/15
Church Yard Sale
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Spirituality Workshop
9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
U Ukule le  
Fun Group
The UUkulele Fun Group is open to everyone, regardless of skill level.
 
The group meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 5:45 p.m.
Huntsville Assistance Program 
The Social Justice Committee has a goal to collect at least 100 items each month for the food pantry. In May we collected 182 items!

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
 

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UUCH 2018-19
Board Members
 
President:  
Susan Coddington  
 
Vice President: 
John Schulz

Secretary:
Nancy Finley

Treasurer: 
David Bollinger 

Trustees: 
Ed Bernstein
Theresa Miller

Nick Wilbourn
 
 
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 Susan Coddington  no later than one week prior to the meeting (i.e. the Tuesday before). You may text or call her, or send a copy of your request via email. The next board meeting will be Tuesday, June 25 .  

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:  

Susan Coddington   

Editor:  

Nick Wilbourn 

 

Newsletter deadlines are each Monday at midnight.
Any committee with newsletter announcements should send submissions to news collator Amanda Schuber at
uuch@uuch.org.  

 

Office Hours:

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 
Monday - Wednesday - Friday 

Office Phone: 
256-534-0508
Office 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 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
 
"The Really Big Picture, and Why It Is Important" (Part 2)

Sunday, June 9, 2019 
Rev. Ed Brock
 
I will continue to explore the Big Picture and why it is important in the second part of this sermon series.
 
All the great institutions of society, whether it be the educational, legal, medical, political or scientific institutions, serve purposes society is dependent on.
We live in a time when some of our institutions, such as our political institutions, are in decline, while other institutions, such as our medical and scientific institutions, continue to contribute significantly to the betterment of society.  
 
There is justified confusion about the role of religion in society and its purpose. It is sometimes difficult to believe that society is served by religion and that, in fact, religion does more harm than good. Mainstream religious institutions have been in decline for decades, even as fundamentalist churches -- the ones that create the most problems -- have increased significantly.   
 
For 26 years I have been a UU minister, and for four years before that I was a United Methodist minister. During this period, my opinion about, and understanding of, spirituality and the value and importance of congregations have gone through many fluctuations and changes.
 
Today I believe more strongly than ever in the importance of ministry, UU congregations, and the work we do together.  
 
Sunday I would like to explain why today I believe so strongly in the importance of our congregations and our way of "doing religion".
  
   
 Future Services 
June 16: Rev. Ed Brock   
June 23: Annual Pride Service 
 June 30: Amanda Schuber
 
June Worship Theme: Beauty 
 

This week is all about summer fun and learning through singing silly, fun, and meaningful songs! This session will be led by  Patti Lovejoy McKee , assisted by helpers  Jim McKee and Harper Goodman. The Sunday Supervisor is  Erin Reid .  
 
For more information on the Summer CYRE program, please contact Harper Goodman, RE Assistant, or Steve Rittenberg, CYRE Chair.
Building Renovations Meeting
 June 9
 
 
Dear Members and Friends of the Congregation:

After church this Sunday, June 9, we will have a special meeting of all members and friends of UUCH. I will facilitate the meeting, which will be about possible renovations of the church building.

Some background: For several years, there has been discussion about various renovations that could be made to the church building. The discussion has focused on renovations to the sanctuary and expansion of the fellowship hall, though other changes have also been discussed.

I would like members and friends of the congregation to come together and explore the following questions:
  1. What is the level of interest in building renovations? Is there a high interest or low interest?
  2. If any building changes are made, which specific projects are most important to members and friends right now?
  3. What resources does the church already have at hand that can be applied to new renovation projects?
  4. What level of one-time gifts can be expected from the congregation?
Now is a critical time to address this issue. The subject of building renovations has been circulating for several years. Within a year, UUCH will be absorbed in welcoming and settling a new minister, and for at least a year after the new minister arrives, you will be in the process of beginning a new era of the church. Now is a good time to examine the issue of building renovations and see where things stand. There are no right or wrong answers. We just need to find out if this matter currently warrants the attention of church leadership or not.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

Rev. Ed Brock  
Open Mic Coffeehouse & Summer Celebration

Don't forget our open mic coffeehouse party this Saturday, June 8, at 6:30 p.m.  We will celebrate the beginning of summer with good food, entertainment, and fellowship.  Bring a finger food to share, savory or sweet. There will be coffee, tea, and non-alcoholic cold drinks for the whole family. We'll have an open mic and are encouraging entertainment of all kinds from our church members and friends of all ages. There will be nursery care for the young ones, and kids school age and older are encouraged to attend the event and enjoy the festivities with their family. See you there!
 
Sponsored by the Music Committee
Yard Sale
 
 
The 2019 UUCH Yard Sale will be held on Friday, June 14, and Saturday, June 15

Donations may be dropped by the church Monday, June 10, and Wednesday, June 12, between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  

If you are unable to bring your donations to UUCH between June 10-13, you may contact  Dan McKitrick  to arrange for pickup for  that week only

Dan still needs a yard sale co-chair; if you can help, especially if you have worked at a UUCH yard sale in the past, please contact Amanda Schuber in the church office.
Spirituality Workshop  

 
On  Saturday, June 15 , from  9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m .,
Rev. Ed Brock will lead a spirituality workshop.

The workshop will consist of a series of presentations by members of the church on what spirituality means to them and how it has played a role in their lives. Also, Rev. Ed will present several models of the spirituality journey as have come down to us through important historical figures. The workshop will have discussion, interaction, and didactic elements.

All are invited. If you have further questions, please  contact Rev. Ed through the church office. 

Submitted by Rev. Ed Brock
Our Gifts to Black Lives of UU    
Formed in the wake of several conversations among Black Unitarian Universalists in July 2015, Black Lives of UU (BLUU) is committed to expanding the power and capacity of Black UUs within our religious movement and providing support, information, and resources for Black UUs.   
 
We will continue to raise money for this cause during Sunday services on June 9, June 16, and June 23, dedicating our plate collection to this cause . Our contribution as a congregation will be $1200, which translates to roughly $10 per member. This is an important and pivotal time for the Black Lives of UU movement. They need our support and demonstration of commitment to them as a vital part of our religious movement, and we thank you for helping us support this important cause.
 
Submitted by the Board  
Annual Meeting 
   
 
Annual Congregational Meeting 
June 23 at 12:30 p.m. 
 
After Sunday services on June 23, we will hold our annual Congregational Meeting. Please make every effort to attend; we need a quorum for the meeting.
 
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 receive 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.
 
If you would prefer to receive the Annual Meeting materials in a different format than how you receive the newsletter, please notify Amanda Schuber in the church office (256-534-0508) as soon as  possible.
 
Submitted by the Board 
Mini MUUsic Makers  
   
 
This summer, youth Sarah Korb and Kristyn Smith will lead a four-week music course during RE for children 5th grade and under. The purpose of this program is to introduce the world of music to children with activities that will teach rhythm, pitch, identification of musical instruments, and more. The program will be held on July 7, July 14, July 21, and August 4. It will culminate in a musical presentation during the worship service on August 11. We ask that your child attends at least 2 of the 4 classes in order to participate in the presentation on August 11.
 
There will be a sign-up for the class in the Fellowship Hall. Please contact Harper Goodman for more information. 
 
Submitted by the Children and Youth Religious Education Committee  
UUCH Board Report - May 28


The UUCH Board conducted its regularly scheduled meeting on May 28, 2019. Bob Locklear, Chair of the Finance Committee, presented results from the Stewardship Drive. There was almost $220K in pledges, with 93 pledging households. This represents a 5.8% increase in pledges and a net decrease of 4 pledging units.

Bob also presented the proposed 2019-20 budget from the Finance Committee and answered questions from the Board. The Board approved the 2019-20 budget, to be presented at the annual meeting for a congregational vote.

The Board confirmed our pledge to contribute $1200 to Black Lives of UU. We will use half of the plate each week until we reach the $1200 amount.

The Board voted to renew the contract for Rev. Ed Brock as Interim Minister for the 2019-20 year. Rev. Ed reported on efforts for leadership development. He hopes to have a workshop in late September, and then another between February and May 2020. The Board authorized Rev. Ed to generate a task force to pinpoint the best ideas from the recent Leadership Development Workshop and present them to the Board at the June board meeting.

The Board approved the slate of Board members and 2019-20 Nominations Committee members, to be presented at the Annual Congregational Meeting, which is scheduled for June 23.  We will propose two changes to the bylaws (March 31, 2019 version): 
  • Replace Section VI.06e with the following: "The Board shall have authority to make public statements related to social issues in the name of the UUCH Board."
  • To Section III.04a add the phrase "such as weddings and funerals" so that it reads: "Friends are those who support the mission of the Church but do not make and fulfill pledges of financial support and do not sign the membership book. They are not entitled to pastoral services such as weddings and funerals, nor can they vote, hold elected office, or be chair of a committee."
 The next Board Meeting will be June 25.
 
Submitted by the Board  
Poetry Sunday
July 7, 2019  
 
 
 
 
The theme for this year's annual Poetry Sunday will be "Spirituality", in connection with Rev. Brock's powerful sermon series.  
 
Everyone is invited to participate. If you would like to be considered for sharing, either a favorite or original poem, that speaks to this theme, please email the Worship Committee by June 30. Please include your poem in your email.
 
Submitted by the Worship Committee 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Beyond Categorical Thinking  
August 17 and 18
 
Beyond Categorical Thinking (BCT) is an anti-oppression program designed to help congregations in a ministerial search process. The program, facilitated by a trainer from the UUA, includes a 3-hour workshop and a sermon at a Sunday service. Issues around race/ethnicity, gender/gender identity, visible and invisible disabilities, health concerns, and sexual orientation are addressed in the BCT program. 

By completing the program, congregations send a message to all of their members and potential ministers about their commitment to full equality and ongoing learning about anti-oppression. We are fortunate to have the Rev. Keith Kron, Director of the Transitions Office for the Unitarian Universalist Association, coming to UUCH for our Beyond Categorial Thinking program on August 17 and 18. More information will be coming soon, but put this important weekend on your calendar now. All members are encouraged to attend.
 
Submitted by the Ministerial Search Committee
Gorilla Trekking Presentation 

You are invited to  join Barbara and Gary Hitt for a multimedia presentation of the Mountain Gorilla Trekking trip they took to Rwanda and Uganda in 2018. The presentation will be Saturday, June 22, at 7:00 pm, in the Fellowship Hall.

In addition to making a challenging climb to the top of the mountain to see the gorillas, they encountered other exotic African wildlife and met some local people, including visits to a school and a pygmy tribe. Gary is an avid bird watcher and maintains their "Life List", and Barbara is a master photographer with the Huntsville Photographic Society who documents their adventures to share with others. Drinks and refreshments will be served. 
 
This was offered as a Service Auction item, and if you did not sign up, it is not too late! There are still spaces available. We are asking for a donation of $25 for adults and $10 for teens, with no charge for children. All proceeds will go to UUCH. 
 
Contact Barbara for more information or to RSVP. If you don't drive at night, please let her know, and she will try to arrange transportation for you.        
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, June 2, 2019,  at our Circle of Candles:
 
Deborah Delacey lit a candle of joy and sorrow: School is out! Yay! But I was also notified that my job is gone for next year, so I am on the market. Hoping for a position that fits my skills and feeds my soul.  

Paul DeMoor lit a candle of sorrow: I ask for prayers for the DeMoor family as our mother is beginning to have dementia.  
 
Melissa Anderson lit a candle of sorrow: My grandfather passed away on the 20th. He was a truly wonderful man, and his presence and laugh will be greatly missed.
 
Bryan Walls lit a candle of joy: My 86 year-old uncle is home after open heart surgery and 6 weeks in the hospital/rehab.
 
Angela Arnold lit a candle of joy: My friends survived the 18 tornadoes (two F3 and one F4) in Dayton, OH.  Images of splintered neighborhoods and stories of terrified moments listening to a roar like a train passing overhead overwhelm me with gratitude. They ALL could have been lost yet are ALL alive and unharmed. 
 
Suzey Delacey lit a candle of sorrow: Feeling so much anxiety about climate change, following reports from European climate scientists.