Sunday, August 2 – 10:00 am "Connectivity" – Rev. Daniel Gould  How do we stay connected in a world that's seemingly falling apart? Rev. Daniel Gould will share tools for how to stay connected. For more than 18 years, Rev. Gould has brought leadership and problem-solving skills to communities in Houston, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Birmingham, Bessemer, and Marengo County, Alabama, and in Accra, Ghana and Freetown, Sierra Leone. Rev. Gould is a youth minister and community organizer with Missouri Faith Voices and is the founder of Gaia Green Earth a multi-disciplinary firm that specializes in eco-inclusive environments. Our service video will be available at 10:00 am at  eliotchapel.org and will remain there all week. It will also be on the Eliot Chapel Facebook page which allows you to comment and interact. We welcome your participation there.

Sharing the Offering In August, we're sharing our offering with Kirkwood Area Every Child Promise (KAEChP). The Promise: Every child and family are prepared for success as they enter kindergarten. What does that mean? Families must be connected to the basic resources necessary to have stability and hope. Children must have access to the life and learning experiences that give context and meaning to new knowledge. To facilitate that, KAEChP offers: Preschool scholarships and connection to quality early childhood experiences Information and assistance navigating resources in order to meet the basic needs of the children and families we serve  Access to Promise Place, a clothing and supply closet where families get assistance with items to support the basic needs of their children ages 0-6  Coordination with resources such as Kirk Care, Parents as Teachers, Kirkwood Public Library, and Kirkwood School District in order to provide holistic support for families. Learn more about KAEChP. Text ELIOT SHAREDPLATE $X [$3 is the minimum for online giving] to 73256 to give to the shared plate recipient using your text messaging. Please indicate "KAEChP" in the memo to ensure appropriate allocation. Checking the box next to "Contribute an extra $X.XX to help offset processing fees" helps pay for the fees Eliot pays to offer this text service. Standard text message rates do apply. You can also donate from the Giving page on Eliot's website or send a check to the front office. In June, Eliot Chapel collected $210 for IFCLA. Religious Education The virtual Children’s Summer Meetup and virtual Summer Youth Group will not meet during the month of July.  More information about when virtual Religious Education meetups and youth activities will resume will be available in August. Please contact Scott Stewart or Christie Lee if you have any questions, or for more information about how to get involved. RE Resources for At-Home & Family Exploration: During the summer, children and families are encouraged to check out the RE Resources page on the Eliot website for UU activities to explore at home with their family. We’ve added several NEW UU resources for children and families, including: A packet of seven UU coloring pages, one for each principle A link where you meet UU friends Bear & Butterfly for stories and art Ideas for creating your own chalice at home Additional parent resources with insight into how Unitarian Universalism can support families during social distancing If you have any questions, please email Scott at eliotchapelre@gmail.com. Zoom Coffee Hour At 11:30 am, you are invited to “walk down the hall” so to speak 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. Remember: this is an experiment! We promise at least some technical glitches and awkward moments, but also laughter and maybe a few tears. Just like church. Please watch your email for a link to join the Zoom coffee hour. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here. Sunday at a Glance Online Church Service – 10:00 am on Eliot Chapel website Coffee Hour – 11:30 am via Zoom LeLaurin Covenant Group – 1:00 pm via Zoom

A Celebration of Life A memorial service for beloved member Robert Rice will be held Saturday, August 8 at 2 pm on Zoom. The Zoom access link will be emailed to the chapel email list. 

Monday, August 3 Immigration Justice Team – 7:00 pm via Zoom Tuesday, August 4 Women’s Alliance – 9:30 am via Zoom Vigil for Hope & Healing - 5:00 pm outside Eliot Avant Covenant Group – 7:00 pm via Zoom Wednesday, August 5 Eliot Connects: Meditation – 7:00 pm via Zoom SJA Steering Committee – 7:00 pm via Zoom Thursday, August 6 Grief Group – 3:00 pm via Zoom Saturday, August 8 Bob Rice Celebration of Life Service – 2:00 pm via Zoom Contact your group leader if you need login information for your meeting.

Reminder: Getting Involved with Groups 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.

Church News

Followup for Fall and Beyond from Rev. Barbara Dear Eliot Family, This is a follow-up letter to my video message about what will be happening at Eliot Chapel starting this fall. It repeats what I said on video, and it offers a few more details about how to do things at church. If you have already watched the video, you may want to skip down to the bottom section, “Added Information.”  After much reading and soul-searching and conversation with staff, other UU churches, and the Board, we have decided to operate this coming year as a primarily virtual church. Basically, this means that for the near future, all (or nearly all) of our church activity – worship, small groups, committees, religious education – everything – will take place online. We are planning to be primarily virtual through May 2021, or until there is a vaccine readily available. Read More

A Well-Deserved Break Our staff has done an amazing job this year, pivoting to virtual church not just on a dime, but on a penny. They have become video editors, managed complex projects from home, and worked like crazy to make sure everything is running smoothly in this strange, new COVID-19 world. They have been like the swimming duck, looking calm and nonchalant on the surface, while paddling furiously underneath. Add to this the anxieties we’re all facing during the epidemic, and managing households. They need a break!  We have decided to close the office August 1-16, so they can have some badly-needed time off. The business of the church will continue though some things may be altered or delayed. Watch for a follow-up letter with details.

Eliot Music Meetups Hello, Eliot Chapel musicians! I am very excited to be a part of the Eliot community. I have received many emails and notes of welcome, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I've had the opportunity to meet some of you during coffee hour on Sundays, but I am keenly aware that there are many of you I have not yet had the chance to get to know.  Because of this, I would like to schedule a Zoom meeting or telephone call (for those who don't use Zoom) with each household within the Eliot music community. Even if you and I have met briefly before, I'd love the chance to learn more about you, to know a bit of your history at Eliot, and to listen to what you're hoping for as we move into the future together. You are also welcome to ask any questions you may have about me or the program. These are informal meetings, so feel free to grab your favorite beverage, and let's chat! Click here to view the available times and to sign up. If none of the listed times work for you, please contact me. I plan to add additional meeting times as needed.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to be your music director, and I'm very hopeful for the future of music at Eliot Chapel! Be well, my friends. Sarah Price sprice@eliotchapel.org

Staff Anniversary We congratulate Anna Beck and thank her for her service to Eliot Chapel. Anna joined the RE staff a year ago in August.

September Newsletter Deadline The deadline for the September issue of Greenleaves is August 15. Please send any items to news@eliotchapel.org .

Eliot Connects Series Shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown began, Eliot’s Adult Education: Spirit in Practice Team developed a series of Zoom offerings to provide opportunities to engage with others in our church community with a focus on spiritual practices. These Zoom gatherings will continue during the summer. Make connections this season. Watch This Week at Eliot for sessions as they happen and check out the full lineup on our website.

Social Justice in Action – UU the Vote ONLY 4 DAYS UNTIL THE AUGUST 4 PRIMARY ELECTION! PLEASE HELP GET OUT VOTERS! Have you mailed your ballot? Do it today – mail delivery seems to be running slow! Be sure your vote is counted! If you haven't mailed your ballot, consider putting a first class stamp on the envelope, even though the official ballot envelope is postage paid. Postage paid envelopes are not a priority, but those with a first class stamp are. This was verified at the post office by one of our members. There are also drop-off locations for ballots; find your local election board here.

Operation Clean Stream Please join the Environmental Justice team in Operation Clean Stream. Eliot has had a team work this effort for several years. This year is different: due to COVID-19, The Open Space Council for the St. Louis Region is inviting immediate households and families only to clean up a site of their choice between August 15 and 23, 2020. To keep volunteers safe, there will be no group cleanups or picnics this year. But folks from Eliot Chapel can still make a difference in our community! After registering with Operation Clean Stream, please contact environmentjustice@eliotchapel.org and let us know that you plan to participate.

Reminder: Staying Up to Date 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. There were no changes this week. 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.

Making a Difference! Eliot folks are holding a Texting for Change Party on  Saturday, August 1 from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. On August 4, Missouri voters have the chance to make history by approving Amendment 2 to expand Medicaid coverage in our state. This would provide health insurance to 230,000 Missourians and save 1000s of lives. At Eliot Chapel, we are committed to doing our part to get out the vote because expanding Medicaid engages our core Unitarian Universalist values of justice, equity, and compassion. With cell phones, tablets, or computers at hand, we start at 11:30 am on Zoom for a short reflection time together to prepare our hearts and spirits for the work. Then we head over to GET OUT THE VOTE where any needed training will happen on the spot before text banking begins. We will text Missouri voters the information they need to vote Yes on 2. At 2 pm, we’ll head back to our Zoom room for a quick connect to reflect on what we learned. Eliot Chapel makes a difference!

FAMILY OPPORTUNITY: A Kid's Play About Racism Families, check out A Kid's Play About Racism , which is available for FREE streaming online on August 1 and 2. This performance, based on A Kid's Book About Racism by Jelani Memory, is designed for families and explores what racism is, how to recognize it, and ways to respond to it.   Check out this link for more information. To watch the performance online as a family, click the link and then set up a free account with Broadway on Demand.

Immigration Justice Team Meeting and Update on Kency Centro Evangélico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro América (CEDEPCA), host for the visit to Guatemala that Mirjam Collegeman and Lary Mohl took last year with members from Kirkwood United Church of Christ, is keeping its allies connected via Zoom meetings. In July, the topic was "Migration, Deportations and Covid-19" presented by Lizbeth Gramajo Bauer at the Rafael Landivar University. This is an excellent overview of the history of migration and current situation in Guatemala. We’d love to show you this presentation. We also want to update you on our sponsored asylum seeker, Kency, who has been a St. Louis resident in the time of COVID-19 for the last four months. A lot has happened! Join the Immigration Justice Team meeting Monday, August 3 at 7:00 pm via Zoom. Email immigration@eliotchapel.org  for the link to the meeting.

Women’s Alliance Women’s Alliance will meet Tuesday, August 4, at 9:30 am via Zoom for a discussion of The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington. Discussion will be led by Trish Williams. Women’s Alliance meets twice a month and all Eliot women are invited to join in. Email wa@eliotchapel.org for details.

Vigil for Hope & Healing Tuesday, August 4 5:00 pm outside Eliot 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 bathrooms. Black Lives Matter signs will be for sale for your use at the vigils and to display in your yard. In case of a thunderstorm, the vigil will be cancelled. Please join us! As of July 3, St. Louis County is under a mask order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Eliot Chapel has required masks and social distancing at our Tuesday night vigil since the event returned on June 2. Eliot Chapel closed its building in March and has worked hard at creating alternate ways to be the church in this time. The vigil is a special case that is vital to our mission and cannot be accomplished in other ways. We welcome the mask requirement as the science points to its effectiveness. ( Photo courtesy of Ava Smith, Eliot Youth Group member )

Social Justice in Action Steering Committee Join a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, August 5, at 7:00 pm. Watch your email for the agenda and link to the meeting.

Eliot Connects: Meditation Practice with Jeanne Kloeckner Wednesday, August 5 7 to 8:30 pm This drop-in session will promote creating and holding space for the quiet stillness within as a form of self-care during our ‘safer-at-home’ time. We will share a centering topic each week that will provide a foundational base for our meditation practice and our discussion.  Sign up to receive the group login information.

Grief Group The Eliot Chapel Grief Group is held every two weeks and is facilitated by Rev. Krista Taves. This support group is open to all members and friends. Please email ktaves@eliotchapel.org to receive the Zoom invitation.   We next meet Thursday, August 6 at 3:00 pm. Our video resource is How Grief Feels by Robbie Stamp which can be watched ahead of the meeting. These will be our guiding questions: Robbie Stamp describes the first pain of loss as a broiling storm. How have you experienced this storm of grief? When did you experience the first calm in that storm? How was that for you? How do you experience joy in the midst of loss? Robbie offers the question “How are things today,” as a way to give space to a grieving person to say what they need to say. Would this question create that for you? If not, what would? Robbie speaks of both the need to be dignified in our grief and undignified in our grief. How does this speak to you in your grief?

Sunday, August 9 Online Church Service with Foothills Unitarian Church – 10:00 am on Facebook Coffee Hour – 11:30 via Zoom Tuesday, August 11 Eliot Connects: Gratitude – 11:00 am via Zoom Wednesday, August 12 Eliot Connects: Healing – 3:30 pm via Zoom Eliot Connects: Brené Brown Book Discussion – 7:00 pm via Zoom Sunday, August 16 Online Church Service – 10:00 am via Zoom Coffee Hour – 11:30 via Zoom LeLaurin Covenant Group – 1:00 pm via Zoom Tuesday, August 18 Women’s Alliance – 9:30 am via Zoom Vigil for Hope & Healing - 5:00 pm outside Eliot Avant Covenant Group – 7:00 pm via Zoom Earth Based Covenant Group – 7:00 pm via Zoom Thursday, August 20 Eliot Connects: You’ve Got a Friend – 11:00 am via Zoom Grief Group – 3:00 pm via Zoom

Sunday, August 9 – 10:00 am via Zoom or on Facebook Sunday Worship with Foothills Unitarian Church Join Rev. Barbara in attending worship at Foothills Unitarian Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. Their services are amazing, and they love hosting other churches. They meet at 10:00 Central Time, so we can scoot back over to Eliot for Zoom Coffee Hour at 11:30! You can access their worship service here or on Eliot Chapel's Facebook page.

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