CYRE News



Hello, CYRE Families! This week we depart from our usual routines by moving our multi-generational service forward a few weeks up to December 17th. All of that is to say, UUCH will be having CYRE classes this Sunday. This month, our children and YoUUth will be performing a Pageant written by our very own Deborah Delacey! If you think your child might be interested in reading a few lines, please email Kristen at dre@uuch.org. The parts for our readers are very short and, though we would like to do a rehearsal, we also don't want to place an additional chore on anyone's holiday to-do list!

Due to some unforeseen germs incidents, First Friday for December is going to be moved to next Friday (12/8). It will still be from 5PM-8PM, there will be food and drinks, and plenty of holiday festivities!

Welcome Newest UUCH Members!

On Sunday, Nov 19th, UUCH welcomed new members into covenant during a brief ceremony. The new members are pictured above as follows (left to right):

Back (standing): Rev. Jaimie Dingus, Holly Baker, Jojo Efimenko

Front (seated): Natalie Euley, Alex Chinigo, Peyton (daughter of Holly), Katya Efimenko

Not pictured: Janet Varner

We appreciate the commitment these new members have made to our church community with their gifts of time, financial support, and talents. We look forward to working together to fulfill the mission of this church.

Share the Plate with Village of Promise

During the fourth quarter of 2024, UUCH will be sharing our plate proceeds with Village of Promise. All plate proceeds received from the Thursday before the first Sunday through the Saturday after the first Sunday will be split with Village of Promise. In December, this includes plate donations received from November 30th through December 9th.

Village of Promise empowers families to advance out of poverty using a multigenerational approach, promising support through a continuum of services and inspiring them to achieve their goals and contribute to their community. Village of Promise is a Family Advancement Center. Together, with their community partners and investors, they provide educational programs, sustainable tools, and opportunities that empower children and their families to advance out of poverty.

Each Village of Promise family develops an “individualized family advancement plan” that addresses four key areas of their lives: Education, Social and Emotional Growth, Physical Health & Wellness, and Professional Development. Village of Promise provides programs and a support system that empowers each family as they strive to reach their goals, advance out of poverty, and give back to the Huntsville community. Village of Promise is committed to supporting families who want to move forward in their lives.

Please consider giving generously to this important local organization.

Alabama Hispanic Association Dinner and Christmas Party

The 9th annual Alabama Hispanic Association (AHA) dinner and Christmas party is scheduled

for December 16th! This is an all-church event and we need your help to make this a success!

You can get involved in 3 ways:

1) Make a financial donation for teen gifts: We will be sharing the plate for the AHA party during the Sunday services on November 26th and December 9th to collect donations to cover the cost of presents for about 30 teenagers. Please note on checks that it is for the “AHA Christmas Gifts.” (The AHA provides gifts for the younger kids.)

In addition to sharing the plate, online donations are also being accepted now through December 9th. You can donate online by following these steps:

1. Click this link: https://engage.suran.com/uuahuntsville
2. If you have an Engage account, sign in Select “New Gift” from the menu in the upper right corner Enter your gift amount in the “AL Hispanic Assoc Christmas Gifts” line Select “Continue” and check out like normal
3. If you do not have an Engage account and want to proceed as a guest Click on “Create a Gift” Enter the amount of your gift in “AL Hispanic Assoc Christmas Gifts

Another option for donating online is to scan the QR code in the weekly Sunday Order of Service.

2) Donate a stuffed animal for children: We are collecting stuffed animals to be given out to the children at the party. You can bring new or like-new stuffed animals to church and put them in the boxes in the Foyer or the Fellowship Hall.

3) Donate food and/or your time: We need help with food for the dinner, setup, clean up, decorating, and working the dinner. Sign-up sheets are available in the fellowship hall and at this link.  



Please contact social.justice@uuch.org if you have any questions.

Fellowship lunch at Walton's Southern Table

Please join us for lunch at Walton's Southern Table on December 21 @ 11 am. As the name suggests, this restaurant has great Southern food!

When: Thursday, December 21 @ 11:00 AM

Where: Walton's, 4901 Whitesburg Dr, Huntsville, AL 35802

Please sign up so we know how many to expect. SignUp Genius link here.

Money will never be a barrier to participating in Fellowship at UUCH. If you need financial assistance to participate, please contact Rev. Jaimie @ minister@uuch.org.

Contact Sarah Rody at sarahsrody28@gmail.com or Steve Rittenberg at srittenberg@gmail.com if you have any questions or need assistance.

Invite Guests to Your Table

We are encouraging UUCH members and friends to participate in the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s (UUSC) Guest at Your Table program now through the end of December. The UUSC is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization advancing human rights together with an international community of grassroots partners and advocates. Striving to center the voices of people most affected by injustice, UUSC creates eye-to-eye relationships with frontline grassroots movements across the world that support marginalized communities in determining their steps for the future.

Guest at Your Table is UUSC’s annual intergenerational program to raise support for and awareness about key human rights issues. Since UUSC works in more than 20 countries, with over 50 grassroots partners, there are thousands of individuals involved in and who benefit from the work that our members make possible. The Guest at Your Table program is an opportunity to celebrate grassroots partnership, support human rights, and learn about just four of these individuals—the “guests” in Guest at Your Table.

This year’s Guests are fighting for the right to seek safety in Mexico and the United States, convincing the UN’s International Court of Justice to address the human rights threatened by the climate crisis in the South Pacific, and replenishing the energy of human rights activists in eastern Europe by addressing burn-out. At this extraordinary juncture in history, we think their stories will offer inspiration and guidance on the path toward justice and liberation for all.

In the Fellowship Hall, there is a table with boxes and information about this year’s Guests. You are welcome to pick up a box and have it represent one of the UUSC Guests at your dining table. The information sheets provide a background on these individuals along with data on how your contribution can help these people.

We will keep these Guests at our table through the holidays and then return the boxes to the church in January. If you prefer, you can send donations directly to the UUSC using the envelopes on the table or via the website below:



https://donate.uusc.org/give/75595/#!/donation/checkout

If you have any questions, please contact Brad Korb at social.justice@uuch.org.

New 6-week Covenant Group

Contact Teri Thomas (terit4u@yahoo.come) for questions/signup or utilize the ARE table in fellowship hall. Please note: as this group is for discovery and growth, no new members will be admitted after the first meeting.

Soul Matters for family and loved ones

Have you ever wondered what to talk about with certain people? Run out of topics for those phone calls to family? Want some good prompts for conversations that aren’t just about safe topics like the weather? Are you a member of a Soul Matters group? No? Not a problem. Every month the church has access to a different topic, such as generosity, mystery, etc. You may even have noticed that Rev Jaimie has this topic integrated into her sermon. If you would like a copy of the packet which contains questions, quotations, and activities, contact Teri Thomas at terit4u@yahoo.com.

Circle of Candles

LaDawn Edwards lit a candle of Joy: "I am overflowing with Joy following my step-daughter's engagement party Friday. The Clarksville, TN contingent included 4 grandparents, 2 parents, and a handful of aunts and uncles of my future son-in-law. Despite my jitters, we had the best time, sharing compliments, stories, and love for the happy couple."

The Delaceypants Family lit a candle of Joy: "1. We are happy to welcome Ben back home. 2. Deb and Suzey are celebrating their 7th wedding anniversary. 14 years together, 7 years married."