The worship theme for September is
Vision
.
Sunday, September 16 - 9:30 and 11:00 am
"The American Dream"
Rev. Barbara H. Gadon and guest speaker Areli Munoz-Reyes
The American Dream is a vision we are all familiar with – work hard, and anyone can create a happy and prosperous life for their family. Most variations on this idea include notions of a beautiful home. How much do you believe in the American Dream? Is it still something to strive for? Rev. Barbara is joined in the pulpit by Areli Munoz-Reyes, a Dreamer and activist for immigration rights.
Featured musicians:
Melinda Monroe, guitar and vocals; Chamber Singers; Dr. David Nalesnik, piano
.
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Sharing the Offering
In 1886, 15 courageous Unitarian women took a stand for the most impoverished children in St. Louis. These women founded a "day nursery" with a mission "to prevent pauperism by assisting bread winners with young children on their hands, to earn an honest living." South Side Day Nursery, as it was known then, welcomed children of every race, ethnicity, and income level.
Over the decades SouthSide has grown, and its mission has expanded. Today the mission is to nurture, educate and inspire children and families in a diverse and inclusive environment, promoting healthy development and a strong foundation for success. Their vision is that children develop a lifelong love of learning, flourish within a supportive family environment and contribute positively to their communities.
SouthSide can serve up to 140 children each day. We all know the value of early childhood education. SouthSide is doing an outstanding job of providing it for children that really need it. Their work gives children coming from difficult situations a great chance for success.
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 grades
go directly to their class.
Sunday at a Glance
Saunders/McVoy Covenant Group – 12:15 pm in the Bergfried Room
Madrigal Auditions – 1:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Eliot Meditation Group – 7:00 pm in Adams Hall
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Ingathering Picnic:
HUGE Thank You to Eliot Youth
A HUGE thank you to the Senior High Youth Group for hosting this year’s Ingathering Picnic on September 9 for Eliot members and friends of all ages. What a festive way to kick off the new church year.
In addition, thank you to youth group adult volunteers Joanne Prats, Lauren Mitchell, John & Laurie Chappell, Kim Swenson, Dave Day, Mary Hoehne, Justin Carney, and Travis & Angela Audet for their support in making the picnic possible.
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Pain-free Giving!
Stop by the Stewardship table on Sunday to pick up your Schnucks eScrip card and iGive information. Learn how your everyday purchases can help Eliot Chapel!
Right now, iGive is giving out bonus donations! New members who join by
September 15
(that’s tomorrow!) can get an extra $3 donation for Eliot Unitarian Chapel just by signing up. Give it a try! To learn more or sign up now,
go here
.
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Sign Up Now for Hands on Kirkwood
Join Eliot Chapel’s team as we tackle Hands on Kirkwood (HOK) again this year! This "mission blitz," primarily focused on Saturday morning, October 6, provides a variety of service projects that allow us to serve our neighbors and make our community better! Registration with both HOK and Eliot is requested. First, look at the
list of projects
,
choose one, and then
register here for HOK
. Please be sure to list your Eliot Chapel affiliation. Then, let the Eliot Chapel Social Justice in Action team know where you'll be. Sign up at
Eliot Chapel Hands on Kirkwood Sign Up
.
Some projects that SJA is focusing on are: Father Dickson Cemetery Clean-Up, Honeysuckle Removal in Kirkwood Park, and Donation Sorting and Packaging for Distribution. Feel free to select the project that suits you best. Check out the
HOK website
for the schedule – there are bagels and coffee for volunteers first thing Saturday morning at Kirkwood Baptist, the folks who started HOK eleven years ago! This will be Eliot Chapel’s second year participating so let’s supersede our 13 volunteer record!
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Eliot All-Reads Coming This Fall!
Groups are forming now for the next Eliot All-Read,
Justice on Earth
(Mishra-Marzetti and Nordstrom). You can join the discussion! Stop by the Social Justice table in Adams Hall to take a look at the book, purchase a copy, and sign up for a discussion group! We are also offering discussion groups for
Waking Up White
(Irving) for those beginning the All-Read journey.
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Bottoms Up!
Eliot Chapel Annual Diaper Drive
The Diaper Bank exists to help strengthen low-income families in the STL region by ensuring access to an adequate supply of diapers and by raising awareness about the causes and consequences of diaper need in our community. The majority of families helped by the Diaper Bank are low income families of color. In addition, most recipients are women who are single heads of household. As of the last survey, over 40% of women in the City of St. Louis alone choose between purchasing diapers or paying rent or utilities. WIC Funds and Food Stamps CANNOT be used to purchase diapers. The Diaper Bank currently distributes 100,000 diapers PER MONTH to try to meet the needs of families living in poverty.
YOU CAN HELP!
Purchase diapers – any size, any brand, any amount – and put them in the porta crib in Adams Hall in the month of September (Diaper Need Awareness Month). Our goal is 2500 diapers – a modest number, but think of the moms who are needing them for their children.
Bottoms Up! Questions? Contact Jan Erdman.
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Monday, September 17
A Course in Miracles – 7:00 pm in Room 001
Environmental Justice Meeting – 7:00 pm in Room 005
UU Christian Group – 7:00 pm in the Triplett Room
Tuesday, September 18
Church offices will be closed today for a staff retreat.
Women's Alliance Speaker Series – 9:30 am in Adams Hall
Attitudinal Healing 10-Week Course – 10:00 am in the Sanctuary
PCA Team – 1:30 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
Vigil for Hope & Healing – 6:00 pm outside Eliot
SJA Steering Committee – 7:15 pm in Adams Hall
Wednesday, September 19
Larson Covenant Group – 7:15 pm in Room 006
Women's Chorale – 7:30 pm in the Music Room
Thursday, September 20
Grief Group – 3:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Room at the Inn – 5:30 pm in Adams Hall and Rooms 001-006
Earth-Based Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in the Bergfried Room
Immigration Justice Team – 7:00 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
Peace and Tolerance Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Friday, September 21
Friday Freethinkers - 9:30 am in Adams Hall
Saturday, September 22
Strategic Planning Focus Group – 8:30 am in Rooms 001 & 002
Dr. Russell Saphian Celebration of Life – 11:00 am in the Sanctuary
Amy Camie Concert – 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary
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Sign-Ups for Covenant Groups
We welcome anyone interested in joining a Covenant Group--including the new Humanist Covenant Group--to sign up in Adams Hall. Group facilitators and sign up sheets are available after each service on
Sunday, September 16
and
23
.
In Covenant Groups, 6 – 10 people come together in a circle of trust, in covenant. We cultivate deep listening and a kind of sacred space for group members to nourish their spirits and connect with one another. We offer service projects to the church and wider community. Facilitators at the sign up tables can give you further information or e-mail
covenantgroups@eliotchapel.org
.
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Madrigal Auditions
This audition for all parts in Eliot’s 43rd annual Renaissance Madrigal – a festival of theater, music, and merriment – is open to anyone high school age and up. Come to the Sanctuary on
Sunday, September 16
at 1:00 pm. For more information, please contact
Ken Denson
.
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Week of Action for Release of Alex Garcia
September 21 marks one year that Alex Garcia has been living in sanctuary in Christ Church in Maplewood. Christ Church and IFCLA will conduct a week of action beginning this Sunday, September 16 to refocus public attention ON and emphasize community support for Alex’s fight to return to his family. See
Facebook
and
IFCLA's website
for details.
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Green Sanctuary
What is it? How do we create it at Eliot?
The Environmental Justice Team will meet on
Monday, September 17
at 7:00 pm in Room 005. We will be discussing the UUA designation of "
Green Sanctuary Congregation
," what it means, and how we can get there. Please join us in this "new to Eliot" endeavor. For more information, please contact
environmentjustice@eliotchapel.org
.
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Women’s Alliance
Eliot women are invited to hear Judith Parker from the Clean Missouri Initiative talk about the need to make Missouri government more transparent on
Tuesday, September 18
. Coffee begins at 9:30 am.
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Join us for
Vigil for Hope and Healing #200
Tuesday, September 18
at 6:00 pm outside Eliot.
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Immigration Justice Team Meeting
We need volunteers for Sanctuary Space teams, Supper Club, accompaniment for governmental meetings, entertainment, advocacy, and education. But what we need most is YOUR idea for opportunities to listen to our neighbors’ voices and expand Sanctuary beyond the walls of Eliot Chapel. Help us create Sanctuary 2.0 at our team meeting on
Thursday, September 20
at 7:00 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
. For more information, contact
immigration@eliotchapel.org
.
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Bergfried Guided Day Trip
See summer turn to fall at Bergfried on
Saturday, September 22
! Come out on your own or meet in Eliot’s parking lot at 9:00 am to carpool/caravan. Your Bergfried guide will offer a guided hike or two but feel free to come out and do your own thing or do nothing at all. Bring sturdy shoes and provisions for the day.
Please RSVP
so we know to expect you.
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A Soul's Journey
Seasonal Reflections from the Fall Equinox to the Winter Solstice
Join us in the Sanctuary at Eliot Chapel on
Saturday, September 22
at 7:00 pm for a magical journey with Amy and John Camie through inspired harp melodies and lyrical spoken words that celebrate the beauty, joy, and memories of the changing seasons. This event is free but donations are gladly accepted.
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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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Children’s Chalice Choir
Sunday, September 23
10:30 am in the Music Room
The Children’s Chalice Choir for 1st through 5th grades begins next Sunday.
Years of Living Dangerously
Monday, September 24
6:30 in Adams Hall
Final episodes of this documentary will be shown. Each episode stands alone so you may join us without feeling like you have come in the middle. The information is as timely today as it was in 2016.
Fall into Fillmore Park!
Saturday, September 29
Fillmore Park at 9:00 am
As summer transitions to autumn, join us in community service as we work to maintain this recently rebuilt and replanted Kirkwood pocket park at 410 S. Fillmore, about half a mile south of Eliot in a multi-racial neighborhood. Eliot folks work together - weeding, chatting, deadheading flowers and pruning shrubs if needed, edging and sweeping walks and doing a “once over” for usually minimal trash. We will work on
Saturday, September 29,
and in October on
Thursday, October 11
and
Saturday, October 20
, and will include some leaf-raking before our season ends on
Thursday, November 1
. Meet and greet in the shelter at 9:00 a.m. It’s never too late to join us by emailing Claire Robertson at
socialjustice@eliotchapel.org
.
Inquirer Series
Sunday, September 30
11:00 am in the Triplett Room
Eliot Chapel will begin offering the 8-week Inquirer Series to visitors and newcomers. The goals of the series are to introduce potential new members to the history of our church and religious tradition, to provide a safe space for them to meet each other in a small group setting, and to make our church values, culture, and expectations clear so they can make an informed decision about membership.
Immigration 101: Fall Series
Thursday, October 4
7:00 pm
If you missed the immigration course that Eliot hosted in spring, the immigration justice team urges you to register for “Immigration 101,” a course offered by IFCLA on the four Thursdays of October, 7-9 PM, at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman Blvd, St Louis 63108. Everything you need to know and a link for registration (required) is located at
Immigration 101
.
Growing for Pantries: Fresh Food for All
Sunday, October 7 at 1:00 pm
Central Reform Congregation
First Unitarian Church of St. Louis invites us to a workshop with their neighbors. Our brothers and sisters across the St. Louis Metropolitan region struggle with food insecurity: 26% of St. Louis City residents and 16% of St. Louis County residents are food insecure. Our region’s food pantry network feeds over 200,000 people each month and are looking for ways to increase the amount of fresh produce, especially locally grown, they can provide. This inspiring workshop explores how we can work together to address this pressing need! Please
go here to register
. Free and open to the public.
Welcome Neighbor STL Supper Club
Friday, October 12
6:00 pm in Adams Hall
Eliot Chapel and Cosecha will host a home-cooked Mexican dinner and conversation with local DACA recipients. Help build bridges, not walls, in our hometown! Watch for registration information – these dinners sell out fast!
Green Burial
Wednesday, October 17
7:00 to 8:30 pm in Adams Hall
Green burial is the return to pre-19th century practices in which an unembalmed body is laid to rest in a biodegradable container. It is the most environmentally friendly method of burial, producing a smaller carbon footprints and releasing fewer toxins into the environment than other options. Come hear Gracie Griffin, Vice President at Bellefontaine Cemetery, answer our questions about green burial and tell us what Bellefontaine is doing to encourage this eco-friendly practice. This event is sponsored by Eliot’s Spiritual Aging Covenant Group. Registration is not necessary, but is appreciated so we know how many to expect. To register, please
email here
or sign up on the bulletin board.
Green Burial Field Trip to Bellefontaine Cemetery
Monday, October 29
9:30 am to 1:00 pm
After hearing about green burial in Adams Hall, we invite you to travel with us to Bellefontaine to see this beautiful historic cemetery and explore the possibilities it offers for green burial. We’ll meet in the Eliot parking lot to carpool at 9:30, travel to the cemetery where Gracie Griffin will meet us and give us a tour, and then have lunch at a nearby restaurant before returning to Eliot by 1:00. NOTE: You do not need to attend the October 17th talk to participate in the field trip. Registration is required! Please
email here
or sign up on the bulletin board.
7th Annual Bergfried Women's Autumn Weekend
October 19-21
Join Eliot women for a weekend of fellowship and friendship while enjoying the beautiful autumn colors of Bergfried. We have moved the weekend back into October so we will have cooler weather. Camp or stay in the cottage or a bunkhouse. Come for the day or for the weekend. Plan to join us this year! Registration begins in September. To sign up or for questions, email
bergfriedwomen@eliotchapel.org
.
Showtime with Eliot Chapel, the 1st Annual Trivia Night and Auction
Saturday, October 20 at 6:00 pm
Sunset Hills Community Center
Join us for trivia, an experience auction, and a gift basket raffle. Tables of 8 will enjoy complimentary wine, beer, soda, and water along with all the movie-themed fun, games, and prizes of the night. Tickets are $25 per person or purchase a table of 8 for $200. Tickets can be purchased
here
. We currently are seeking donations of amazing intangible experiences that share your talents or favorite pastimes! Or contribute a physical gift basket. Contact us
for more information
or to
make a donation
.
Living the Pledge to End Racism Workshop
Saturday, October 27 and November 10
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Deepen your understanding of systemic racism and create your own action plan for racial justice in this two-day workshop. Advanced registration and attendance throughout workshop is required. Questions? Contact Allison Hibbs, Peter Wilson, or Tim Gardner at
socialjustice@eliotchapel.org
.
Within, Among, and Beyond
A Potluck Gathering
Saturday, November 3
5:00 to 7:30 pm in Adams Hall
Please join the Board, your hosts for a fun evening of family, friends, food, and good conversation for all ages. Special musical entertainment provided by Ken Denson. Sign up with a Board member on Sundays or on the bulletin board between the Sanctuary and Adams Hall. Childcare will be provided if requested by October 28.
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Sunday, September 23 – 9:30 & 11:00 am
“A Principled Vision” – Rev. Jim Crawford
We live in a time of competing visions, protests, counter protests and great upheaval. This Sunday we look to the Sixth Principle of our Unitarian Universalist faith to guide us – the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. Using this principle as our lens, we will look to our past and to our present to see how and where this principle is at work. We will do so in order to reflect upon how we might use this principled vision to create a better world.
Featured musicians: Amy Camie, harp; Women’s Chorale.
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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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Connect with Eliot Chapel
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