The Overlook
Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville 
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville, AL 35810  
February 6 , 2020
Vol. 20 Issue 6
In This Issue
Upcoming Event  
 
Sat. 2/8
Awareness Through Movement Class
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
 
Building Closed - Private Event
12:00 - 2:30 p.m.
 
Huntsville Vegan Discussion Group
5:30 - 9:00 p.m.
 

Sun. 2/9
Social Justice Committee Meeting
9:30 a.m.
 
Sunday Service
Rev. Ed Brock
10:45 a.m.
 
Music Committee Meeting
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.  


Wed. 2/12
Soul Circle  
Group C
1:00 -2:30 p.m.
 
UUkelele Fun Group
5:45 - 6:45 p.m.
 
Choir Rehearsal  
7:00 - 8:45 p.m.
 

Thurs. 2/13
PFLAG Meeting
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
 

Sun. 2/16
Soul Circle  
Group D
9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
 
Worship Service
Rev. Ed Brock
10:45 a.m.
 

Tues. 2/18
Council Meeting
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. 
 

Wed. 2/19
Choir Rehearsal
7:00 - 8:45 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.  

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 is scheduled 
for Tuesday, February 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:   
John Schulz    
Editor:   
Nick Wilbourn 
   
Office Hours:
Monday:  
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 
1:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
 
Minister's Office Hours:
Wednesday:  
10:00 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

"Reflections on Resilience, Part 2"
Rev. Ed Brock
February 9
 
I n harmony with this month's Soul Matters theme of resilience, I will continue my series of sermons on the subject.
 
In honor of Black History Month, this Sunday and next,  I will include in my remarks the stories of African Americans who embody resilience. For example, people like Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglas are some of the most remarkable examples of resilience in human history. They reflect the stories of many other oppressed and marginalized groups up to the present. 
 
I will continue to develop the idea that resilience has specific core characteristics and that these can be understood and developed. The essential qualities of resilience are most clearly seen in stories of people living under very difficult conditions, and who are nonetheless able to survive and even thrive.
 
The first characteristic of resilience I discussed last week was the importance of finding others who can listen with objectivity and compassion, without judgment or the need to 'fix' us. This week I will discuss a second essential characteristic of resilience using stories of people who symbolize the meaning of resilience.  
 
I hope you will join me in this exploration of resilience.   

Future Services     
February 16 - Rev. Ed Brock 
February 23 - Youth-Led Service 
 
February Theme: Resilience  
This Sunday in Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE)
Peace and Justice rooms will meet as usual in their age-based groups. Transformers and YOUUTH will meet together to continue planning our youth-led worship service that will be held Sunday, February 23.
  
The CYRE children and youth are excited to bring you their next Outreach Action Project. It's been brought to our attention that our Little Food Pantry is getting lots of use. We are glad it is providing help to those who need it. However, additional items have been requested. The CYRE program will be hosting a drive through March 29 to collect the following items (only new items please):
  • Warm socks (men's/women's all sizes)
  • Underwear (men's/women's all sizes)
  • Toiletries (travel size shampoo/conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes)
  • Menstrual products (pads, tampons)
  • Cough drops
  • Can openers (manual, small)
We are collecting items in the boxes in the Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary Foyer. 
 
CYRE registration is open! All families, new and returning, should register each year. Click  here
to register!  
 
Submitted by the Children and Youth Religious Education Committee
The Search for a New Minister

The search for our new settled minister has now reached the important "pre-candidating" stage. This means that the Ministerial Search Committee (MSC) has completed the first round of interviews of all of our ministerial applicants and selected three candidates who we will be bringing in for in-depth, formal interviews in February and March.

We are following the very thorough process developed by the UUA Transitions Office that has served the denomination very well. The process advises that we do in-depth interviews with three pre-candidates and from those, we select the candidate who we will bring in for an interview with the entire congregation during "Candidating Week."

Candidating Week will be in late April, during which time the candidate will conduct worship services, meet with congregants, talk to committees and staff, and spend a great deal of time getting to know our congregation. Everyone in our congregation will have a chance to get to know the candidate.

We are excited about getting close to the time to announce a candidate for you to meet and evaluate, but until then we still have a lot of work to do, references to check, and questions to ask to make sure we find the right candidate for UUCH. And we will continue to keep you posted.

As always, please contact us via email if you have questions, or talk to any MSC member.

Submitted by the Ministerial Search Committee
Plant-Based Living & Discussion Group 
February Meeting

The February meeting of the Huntsville Plant-Based Living & Discussion Group will be held this Saturday, February 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the UUCH Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited to attend -- even if you don't consider yourself a vegetarian or vegan.

The program will be a showing of the popular film Forks Over Knives. This film is always insightful, whether you've seen it before or not! There will be a potluck dinner with many delicious vegan foods. First-time attendees do not need to bring anything.

We hope to see YOU Saturday! If you have questions, you may contact Cam Scales via email or phone (256-783-9485).

Submitted by the Social Justice Committee
New UU Classes

What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist? Guided by the Tapestry of Faith Curriculum, we will offer a three-part series that explores important themes in UU congregational life - our worship and theology, history, covenant and polity, faith development, social justice, and membership. This program is focused on introducing newcomers to Unitarian Universalism, but those of us who have been here for awhile will also be able to share and connect with others as we explore our own beliefs and how they intersect with the UU tradition. Everyone is welcome!

Mark your calendars now for the Sunday mornings of February 23, March 1, and March 8 for this chance to learn and share. Meet for coffee and breakfast snacks at 9:00 a.m.; class runs from 9:15-10:30. Lynsie Lamitie and Pam Korb will facilitate.

Contact Adult RE or Membership for further information. If you need childcare during the class, please contact Lynsie or Pam at least one week in advance.
 
Submitted by the Adult Religious Education and Membership Committees
Share the Plate

During February and March, we will share half the Sunday offering each week with Habitat for Humanity of Madison County!
 
Habitat for Humanity of Madison County is an ecumenical, grassroots, Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing from our community and make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. The need for affordable housing in Huntsville and Madison County is great. Of the families in our area who make less than $48,000 a year, 42% of them pay 50% or more of their gross income for housing. This is a statistic that needs to change. Only a few organizations are working to solve this problem -- Habitat for Humanity of Madison County is one of the largest and most effective. We are all better off when our community has better homes for our families.
 
Submitted by the Social Justice Committee
votives
Care List
 
This Sunday, February 2, 2020,  at our Circle of Candles:
 
Maria Rhamstine lit a Candle of Sorrow: I finally will get a root canal on Tuesday. 
 
Maria Rhamstine lit a Candle of Sorrow: My cousin Kristen Brown had a stroke this week. Recovery is a long road. She is 51 and in a hospital in Oklahoma.
     
Maria Rhamstine lit a Candle of Sorrow: Grissom High School band member Riley had two strokes this week.  He is 17 and a friend of my daughter. He is currently at UAB.
 
Maria Rhamstine lit a Candle of Sorrow: My cousin's wife was buried yesterday. Her kids are 9 and almost 11, named Serena and Josh Ablin. 
    
The Delaceys lit a Candle of Joy: February 1 marks our four-year adoptaversary, also known as "Gotcha Day", when we became a family in the eyes of the law, surrounded by friends and family.
 
Nicole Sharp lit a Candle of Joy: Help! I have recently gotten insurance for the first time. I am very excited, but now I need to pick doctors. I am looking for a dentist, an eye doctor, a therapist, and a doctor who is open to alternative medicine. I am all ears and so grateful.  
 
Kristen Clark lit a Candle of Sorrow: This week, a non-English speaking Hispanic mother was separated from her newborn son due to a false-positive on a drug test administered at Crestwood when she gave birth. This heartbreaking story has brought to light the unethical hospital policies around drug testing birthing mothers.  My nonprofit Alabama Cohosh Collaborative is organizing an effort to protest the human rights violations of their policies. Please contact me if you would like to help. 
 
Kathy Fisher lit a Candle of Sorrow:  Peggy Mansfield, the wife of our former minister and dear friend Doak Mansfield, is in hospice care.  I have contact information if you'd like to reach out to them. 

Kathy Fisher lit a Candle of Joy: My grandson was accepted to Purdue University. My granddaughter was accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta!

Theresa Miller lit a Candle of Remembrance: Thinking of my sister Lois, she died a year ago today and is missed by her five sisters and other family.