The worship theme for August is
Exploring.
Sunday, August 18 – 10:00 am
“Stepping into Asylum Seekers' Shoes” – Rev. Dottie Mathews
As a retiree, Dottie is spending most of her volunteer hours working for immigrant justice locally at her home in Central Missouri and across the nation – specifically in finding sponsors for asylum seekers as they are released from detention. She is often asked "What can we do? What can we claim as our own role in ending – or at least mitigating – the suffering?" In this message, Dottie will share some of what she has learned about the miasma of fear and confusion that surrounds our immigration system, and will describe the conditions she witnessed inside this nation's largest children's detention center in Homestead, FL.
Music by the Tri-Tones Vocal Trio, and
Liz Sale, flute
.
|
|
Sharing the Offering
Our collection in
August will be shared with two organizations:
Sherwood Forest is a youth development agency that provides year-round support for children in the St. Louis area and two counties in Illinois who live at or below the federal poverty level.
Cultural Leadership has been training the future generation of civil rights leaders to be “troublemakers of the best kind” since 2004.
Religious Education
Nursery care for children four and younger is available during the 10:00 am service. The Children’s Activity Room (adjacent to the nursery) is also open. The nursery and activity room are open beginning at 9:30 am and are staffed by Noel Burke, Tim Bubb, and Anna Beck.
Sunday at a Glance
Saunders/McVoy Covenant Group – 11:15 am in the Bergfried Room
Volunteer Teacher Orientation – 11:15 am in Rooms 001/002
Conversation with Rev. Dottie Mathews – 11:30 am in the Sanctuary
Sr. High Youth Group Kickoff – 11:30 am in Adams Hall & Room 006
Eliot Meditation Group – 7:00 pm in the DuBois Library
|
|
Religious Education Registration is OPEN
Registration for the 2019-20 Religious Education (RE) program at Eliot is now OPEN. All children & youth (nursery through high school) who are participating in the program must be registered each year. Registration is an easy process and can be completed
HERE.
Financial Expectation: It is the expectation that parents and guardians of enrolled children and youth will support their congregation financially, to the best of their ability, through an annual pledge to Eliot Chapel. If you have not yet made a financial pledge for 2019-20, please
access a current pledge card here. Pledge cards should be turned in to the Front Office or mailed to 100 S. Taylor, Kirkwood, MO 63122.
For questions, or to request a paper copy of the registration form, please contact Scott Stewart at
scott@eliotchapel.org.
Mark your calendar now and plan to help us
welcome the new church year on
Ingathering Sunday
September 8
Services at 9:30 & 11:00 am
Kirk Care Counts on You!
The pantry for Kirk Care is supported by the Kirkwood Ministerial Alliance, that is all churches in the Kirkwood R-7 attendance area. Currently,
there is a need for meal mixes like Hamburger Helper, chili, canned chicken, fruit, pasta sauce (cans or plastic containers), pasta, cereal and peanut butter. Protein sources are important – think “meal.” No one has to do everything, but you can do something. Consider putting a bag in your car that will spark a memory to buy one or more of these items that next time you grocery shop. Then, the next time you come to Eliot, just drop off your groceries in the small cart outside of Adam’s Hall. And by the way, did you know that if you live in Kirkwood, you can check the Kirk Care box on your utility bill and add an amount to the total. This money is used to help those neighbors who have fallen behind on their Kirkwood utility payments.
Choirs Start Soon!
See Jan now to join! Check out the summer newsletter for details of Eliot’s thriving choral program and your opportunity to get involved! We’re seeking wonderful volunteers for all our choirs. Please contact music director Jan Chamberlin at
music@eliotchapel.org
with questions or to sign up.
Volunteer for Coffee Hour
Please look at your calendar to see if you could be an Eliot Coffee Hero on an upcoming Sunday. It’s easy, instructions are available, and you’ll contribute to a vital tradition of community! See the sign-up sheet in the kitchen on Sundays or contact the front office to make arrangements.
If You Come to a Fork in the Road
Please return it to the kitchen in Adams Hall! We've recently noticed that the stock of forks in the kitchen has diminished greatly. If you have any knowledge about the whereabouts of the missing forks,
contact the front office
.
Power Washer
Do you have a power washer? If so, would you be able to volunteer to power wash some areas around Eliot Chapel? Please contact
frontoffice@eliotchapel.org
if so. Thanks!
|
|
Please, No Food or Drink in the Sanctuary
This week, we had the carpeting in the Sanctuary professionally cleaned. While we always plan to be careful, accidents happen and the stains remain. Please help keep the Sanctuary a sacred space and enjoy your drinks and food elsewhere in the building. This has always been policy but has not been enforced. Thank you!
|
|
Please Remember
Please remember Ken Dodds who is currently hospitalized.
|
|
Monday, August 19
Environmental Justice Series (Closed Group) – 6:30 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
A Course in Miracles – 7:00 pm in Room 001
Tuesday, August 20
Women's Alliance Speaker Series – 9:30 am in Adams Hall
Attitudinal Healing 8-Week Series (Closed Group) – 10:00 am in the Frederick-Gray Room
PCA Meeting – 1:30 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
Vigil for Hope & Healing – 6:00 pm outside Eliot
Earth-Based Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in the Frederick-Gray Room
Wednesday, August 21
Adult Spirituality Task Force – 7:00 pm in the Bergfried Room
Larson Covenant Group – 7:15 pm off-site
Thursday, August 22
Grief Group – 3:00 pm in the DuBois Library
Friday, August 23
Friday Freethinkers – 10:00 am in Adams Hall
Saturday, August 24
Bergfried Day Trip – all day at Bergfried
Sr. High Kickoff Lock-In – 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary & Adams Hall
|
|
Don't Miss Your Chance to Ask the Expert!
Rev. Dottie Mathews is the coordinator of a network of congregations that become sponsors for asylum seekers as they are released from detention. Our Immigration Justice team is developing a plan for Eliot Chapel to join this work. Unlike Sanctuary, sponsoring an asylum seeker is precisely complying with the law. But like Sanctuary, asylum sponsorship is a concrete response to the needs of an asylum seeker. Vast numbers of asylees can leave detention in a few days after being paired with a sponsor. We have not received a Sanctuary request during the year that we have offered it. After her sermon
this Sunday, Dottie will conduct a question and answer session about sponsorship. This is YOUR opportunity to ask the expert about the benefits, commitments, and details. The meeting will begin at 11:30 in the Sanctuary. The Immigration Justice team will provide light refreshments before the meeting. If you cannot attend but have a specific question you wish to ask, send it to
immigration@eliotchapel.org. We will compile an updated Q&A document.
Voting Issues
Stop by the SJA table on
Sunday, August 18 for updated information about training to be a collector of signatures on petitions for ballot initiatives. Contact Claudia Jean Potts via
sjacommunications@eliotchapel.org for more information.
Women’s Alliance
Women’s Alliance Speaker Series presents Captain Sean Quinn on “Creating a Household Emergency Plan” on
Tuesday, August 20. Coffee and conversation begin at 9:30 am in Adams Hall. All Eliot women are welcome to attend.
|
|
|
|
Join us for
Vigil for Hope and Healing #248
Tuesday, August 20
at 6:00 pm outside Eliot.
|
|
|
Eliot Gardeners
Eliot Gardeners will be on the grounds
Wednesday, August 21 at 9:00 am. If you'd like to learn more about the Audubon Society's "Bringing Conservation Home" program, or to help us "green up" our grounds, stop by the Social Justice table in Adams Hall or email us at
environmentjustice@eliotchapel.org.
ICE Accompaniment Program Training
Now, more than ever, people are asking “what can I do to welcome immigrants and fight white supremacy?” One answer: learn to accompany immigrants attending scheduled meetings with ICE. IFCLA will hold a training session on
Wednesday, August 21 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman Blvd., St Louis, MO 63108. Accompanying individuals to these check-ins in solidarity can be a successful tool to protect against unfair treatment and the elevated threat of deportation and can offer a space of community and comfort during traumatic times. Attending the training does not commit you, and it provides a useful background for understanding current immigration issues.
Click through to their Facebook event for more information.
Bergfried Day Trip
Join us at Bergfried on
Saturday, August 24. Come out on your own or meet at Eliot’s parking lot at 9:00 am to caravan/carpool. A guided hike or two will be offered, but feel free to come out and do your own thing or do nothing! Bring sturdy shoes and provisions for the day. Hikers are welcome to camp overnight. Please RSVP to
bergfriedinfo@eliotchapel.org so we know to expect you.
Operation Clean Stream
Join the Environmental Justice Team for Operation Clean Stream, proudly celebrating 52 years of river stewardship in 2019! The event will take place at various locations throughout the Meramec River Watershed on
Saturday, August 24. We hope you will volunteer with us to improve local rivers and open spaces! There are a variety of locations still in need of volunteers. Go to
openspacestl.org to register for the location of your choice.
|
|
Click on the links below to learn more about the events listed.
|
|
Rigged – The Voter Suppression Playbook
Tuesday, September 17 at 7:00 pm
The SJA Assembly will feature the movie
Rigged – The Voter Suppression Playbook
and will have a panel discussion about issues in the movie. Check out this
link for more information
about the movie. There have been several showings in the St. Louis area; however, this is an opportunity to see it at Eliot Chapel and get involved with SJA to prepare for the 2020 election. Eliot is leading this charge with co-sponsors of Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice, MCU, WE CAN, and Peace UCC.
Luncheon for New Americans
Thursday, October 17
11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the International Institute of St. Louis
Plan to join the Immigration Justice Team to help provide and share lunch with new Americans at the International Institute of St. Louis. We will be one of several organizations collectively bringing American food for 200+ people. Needed will be meat (no pork), salads, fruit, vegetables, starch (rice is more popular than pasta), and desserts. Are you willing to make a dish to serve 10 or more, and carpool from Eliot to serve it? Please contact immigrationjustice@eliotchapel.org to volunteer or ask questions.
Bergfried Women’s Autumn Weekend
Friday – Sunday, October 18-20 at Bergfried
All women are welcome! Bring your friends, daughters, granddaughters, mothers, nieces, your hairdresser, and pediatrician! Enjoy a potluck dinner Saturday evening. Lodging options include camping, cottage, and bunkhouses (mattress space available by reservation). Come for the weekend or come for the day for an informal gathering. October is a beautiful time at Bergfried! Questions? Contact bergfriedwomen@eliotchapel.org.
|
|
Sunday, August 25 – 10:00 am
“What to Do When Your House Is on Fire” – Amy Stark
Inspired by seeing Greta Thunberg’s speech and school strikes for climate change, the younger generation has asked us all to do better. How can we respond?
Music by Clan Shenanigans.
|
|
|
|
ourEliot 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, please email
ourEliot@eliotchapel.org.
|
|
Connect with Eliot Chapel
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
