Masks are required at the service for anyone over two years of age. Please remember, the congregation is not singing or humming yet during the service. We will announce any cancellations for inclement weather on our website and social media. In that event, worship will be recorded in the sanctuary and a video will be available by 11:00 am.

All pods are reserved for this Sunday. Reservations will be available for next week's service (September 19) after 3:00 pm on Monday, September 13. Reservations close on Thursday, September 16, at 2:00 pm. Reservations will be made through Sign-Up Genius and a separate email will be sent with the links.

If all pods are reserved, you may call or email the front office to be put on a waiting list. OR you may come to Eliot and sit elsewhere on the grounds. You may not have visibility but you should be able to hear the service. If you do this, you still need to check in with a greeter to be placed on the contact tracing list.

We will be recording one of our services on Sunday. When it is available, you will find it at eliotchapel.org where it will remain all week. You can also find it directly on our YouTube channel.

In September, we're sharing our offering with Kirk Care.

Kirk Care is a non-profit organization formed to help the needy living within the boundaries of the Kirkwood R-7 School District. A hometown ministry, Kirk Care collects funds and food donations from area churches, businesses, civic organizations, and individuals and distributes these resources to families in need. They provide food deliveries (maintained at their local pantry), assistance with utility bills, funding for school supplies to be given out by Kirkwood R-7 school counselors, and Christmas food and gift box distribution to client families. Learn more about Kirk Care at kirkcare.org.

Here’s how you can give:

The Religious Education for Children FAQs have more information about the fall program for children in 7th grade and younger. 

SAVE THE DATE: The first Fall Family Field Trip is Sunday, September 26, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm. Children and families are invited to gather for Religious Education at Powder Valley Nature Center. We’ll be exploring our connections with each other, with the outdoors, experiencing a Nature Walk together, and spending time enjoying fellowship (and Popsicles). Look for sign-up information next week.  

Youth Group begins Sunday, September 12 at Fillmore Park. Gathering time is 10:30 am and activities will wrap up around 12:00 pm. Youth Group is open to youth in grades 8-12, or the homeschool equivalent, in 2021-22.

The Youth Group FAQs have more information about the fall program for youth in grades 8-12.

For more information about activities for children and youth, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org or Christie Lee at christie@eliotchapel.org.

To accommodate the new service schedule, Zoom Coffee hour now will take place from 12:00 pm to 1:00 on Sunday. You are invited to “walk down the hall” and come to our Zoom Coffee Hour! We’ll take about 10 minutes or so to gather and let people settle in. We'll say a few words of welcome and then create break-out rooms – random groupings of 5 or 6 people. Everyone will likely make a new friend at Eliot from this exercise! You’ll have the chance to introduce yourself and then share your answers to a few questions, like “How has this week been for you?” and “What feelings has it brought up for you?” Each person has about 5 minutes to speak; you are welcome to pass if you like. In half an hour, everyone will return to the big group and we’ll say our goodbyes for the week. Please watch your email for "Eliot on Zoom" which will include a link to join the Zoom coffee hour. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here.

Eliot Gardeners Grounds Cleanup – 9:30 am on the Eliot grounds

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 6:00 pm in front of Eliot

Grief Group – 6:30 pm via Zoom

Many groups at Eliot are meeting despite the distance between us all. Check with your group leader or get involved with a new group! Find contact information in our Getting Involved booklet.

Group leaders, have you set up an area for your group in Realm? You have a secure place to chat and share documents and photos. Contact Christie Lee to set up your group.

Please keep Louise Bradshaw, Mary Fitzgerald and their families in your thoughts. Their mother, Louise McKeon Belt, passed away on August 21, 2021, surrounded by her family. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Alban Roe Church on Saturday, September 11, at 10:00 am. (livestream: https://www.stalbanroe.org)

Please hold Ann and Evangelina Lemon in your thoughts. Their mother and grandmother Stella Papalos passed away on September 3, 2021.

Join Team Eliot for the Hands on Kirkwood event! There are many ways to volunteer before the actual big day, Saturday, October 2, and after that day. This is a time to show the Kirkwood community how dedicated to community service the members and friends of Eliot Chapel are.

You will need to sign up in two places: first, please sign up on Realm. This will notify coordinators Claire Robertson and Claudia Jean Potts that you are interested so they can connect directly with you.

Next, go to Hands on Kirkwood to sign up for the volunteer event(s) of your choice. You will be contacted directly by the leader of that volunteer activity with details. When signing up, you will be asked what group you're volunteering with – please respond with Eliot Chapel. If you wish to volunteer with friends from Eliot, you may list those names where it asks if you want to be part of a group. We encourage you to get a HOK t-shirt to wear. 

Please join us for this event – it will be a great time to see many people from Eliot and to help our Kirkwood community. Watch for further and more specific details after you sign up. You may also reach out to Claire or to Claudia Jean (contact information in the directory in Realm) with questions.

Thank you, Heather and David! We appreciate all you do to enrich our Eliot community!

In September, we're sharing our offering with Kirk Care. In addition to monetary giving, you may wish to make a donation of unexpired, non-perishable food. Here is a preferred shopping list of needs for their pantry:

Our COVID team is here for you. If you are quarantining and need support having groceries and prescriptions picked up, please email pastoralcare@eliotchapel.org with your contact information. 

In an email letter to members and friends, Rev. Barbara outlined "How We Do Church Now" as Eliot Chapel suspended face-to-face meetings. As a guiding document, it was always open to changes as we found out what worked and what didn't in our response to this extraordinary situation. You can find this document on our website now. We will keep it updated as things change. We'll also try to let you know here of any changes.

All staff are working from home. The building and grounds are closed for general use. A staff person is checking on the building and grounds periodically throughout the week for any facilities or maintenance issues. If you need assistance or have any questions, please email the appropriate staff person.

Join the Eliot Gardeners on Saturday, September 11, as we clean up the grounds in preparation for our opening service on September 12. While the Eliot Gardeners have been working all summer, the heat slowed us down and the weeds kept growing. Meet at Eliot at 9:30 am Saturday, and we will finish by 11:00. Bring water and gloves. Insect repellent is a good idea.  

All are welcome; wearing a mask is required as is maintaining the 6-foot social distancing guideline. Please remember that the building is not open so there are no available restrooms. 

The grief group, led by Rev. Krista Taves, meets every other Thursday on Zoom, 6:30 pm to 8:00. Our next meeting is Thursday, September 16. This is an open group for anyone who is grieving and needs a place to talk and connect. People in this group are in various stages of grief, from very recent to years later, so be prepared for a wide range and strength of emotions and thoughts. We strive to hold each person in their own unique experience of grief. From August to March, we will be reading Holding Space: On Loving, Dying and Letting Go by Amy Wright Glenn, a Unitarian Universalist hospital chaplain, birth doula, and Kripalu Yoga teacher; each session will be devoted to a chapter and guiding questions provided ahead of time to shape our conversation. The book is available on Amazon. If the cost is prohibitive to attending, please contact Rev. Krista at ktaves@eliotchapel.org. You may join the class at any time. Each session is self-standing. Contact Rev. Krista to be added to the reminder email.