Sunday, October 8 – 10:00 am

“Balancing Heritage While Embracing Change”

Robyn Berkley, President, First Unitarian Church of Alton IL

We will discuss the challenges of holding onto traditions and heritage while recognizing the need for and embracing change. We'll discuss the importance of a strong culture, and the ways that the First Unitarian Church in Alton, now renamed the Metro East Unitarian Universalist Congregation, is moving forward with some radical changes ahead of us. After 187 years in Alton, the building has been sold and the church is moving to Edwardsville!  

Featured musicians: Bradley Johnson, guitar; David Nalesnik, piano.

Religious Education & Youth Group

The 2023-24 Religious Education and Youth Program continues this Sunday, October 8 during the 10:00 service. Children and youth aged four and older should attend the first 15 minutes of the worship service with their family. The nursery opens at 9:30 for children aged three and younger and those who need freedom of movement. Religious Education classes and youth gatherings will begin at 10:15.

Specific plans for each age group are shared with registered families via email each week. To learn more about this fall’s Religious Education program, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org.

Coffee Hour

Coffee Hour is an important tradition of fellowship at Eliot Chapel, taking place in Adams Hall immediately after the worship service on Sunday. It's a time to catch up with fellow members and friends and to greet newcomers. Please join us!

We keep this tradition of hospitality alive by taking turns hosting. This is a simple task (instructions are available in a binder in the kitchen) and a great way to serve and connect. Please check the SignUpGenius for coffee hour volunteers to sign up to host Coffee Hour on a Sunday morning after the service. If you need help using SignUpGenius, please contact Rebecca Schuder at hospitality@eliotchapel.org and she will help you get signed up. We have some dates in October that need help!

Coffee, Conversation, and Connections

Find Coffee, Conversation, and Connections on Zoom at 12:30 pm every Sunday! You are invited to join us online for conversation after the service! We'll take a few minutes to say hello and let people settle in, then we'll go around the room to check in and welcome newcomers. Look for "Eliot on Zoom" in your email on Sunday morning; it will include a link to join us for Coffee, Conversation, and Connections. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you!

Sunday at a Glance

Bergfried Congregational Campout – all day at Bergfried

Sunday Worship – 10:00 am in the Sanctuary

Coffee Hour – 11:00 am in Adams Hall

Exploring Spirituality Covenant Group – 11:15 am in the Susan Frederick-Gray Room

Young Adult Group – 11:45 am in the Triplett Room

Coffee, Conversation, and Connections – 12:30 pm via Zoom

In This Week at Eliot

This Week's Events & Meetings

Please Remember

Church News

Classes at Eliot Chapel

Helping Each Other

The Week Ahead

Next Week's Service

Shared Plate

Down the Road

ourEliot

Monday, October 9 

Environmental Justice Team – 7:00 pm in Adams Hall 

A Course in Miracles – 7:00 pm via Zoom

Tuesday, October 10 

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 5:00 pm on the front lawn

Wednesday, October 11 

Creative Spirituality Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in the Susan Frederick-Gray Room

Solecki/Boettcher Covenant Group – 7:00 pm in Adams Hall

Friday, October 13 

Friday Freethinkers – 10:00 am in Room 001

As we have new staff in the front office scheduling your events and meetings, it is more important than ever to make contact to get on the calendar and then to check your entry for accuracy!

Planning a meeting or event? Start with our Room & Event Request Form! 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 Debby Lovell to set up your group.

Please Remember

Please remember the Turner family. Genevieve Turner passed away on Tuesday, October 3 at Parc Provence in Creve Coeur. She was 109. Genevieve was a founding member of Eliot Chapel. Her memorial will take place on Monday, October 30 with visitation at 10:00 am and the service at 11:00 followed by a reception.

Please keep Todd and Cheryl Stein in your thoughts and prayers. Todd's sister Roseanne Burack passed on October 3, 2023 in Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Transforming911 Short Film Screening and Q&A

You’re invited to attend a showing of the film, "Transforming 911: Reimagining Public Safety in St. Louis" and two other shorts on Friday, October 20 at 7:00 pm in Adams Hall. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A featuring the films' Executive Producer, Jia Lian Yang (she/they), and Director, Cami Thomas (she/her). The event is co-sponsored by Eliot Chapel, Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice, and Metropolitan Congregations United and is the work of a local filmmaker, Cami Thomas and Forward Through Ferguson. A suggested donation of $5 will go to Forward to Ferguson and to My Friends and I Production Company.

Visit transforming911.org to learn more about how 911 works in St. Louis and understand why transforming the system is crucial for improving public safety.

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ACTION FORUM

Understanding the U.S. and Local Abortion Landscape

A presentation by Colleen Lee, Education Coordinator

with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region

Sunday, October 29 in Adams Hall after the service at 11:45 am

Colleen Lee will present a comprehensive, medically accurate overview of abortion that is designed to empower youth, adults, parents, and professionals to make informed decisions about reproductive health across the lifespan. It will be presented in a way that promotes social justice and freedom from all forms of oppression in keeping with Eliot’s values.  

Topics will include: 

• Framing appropriate language
• Smashing abortion stigma
• Action steps that can be taken  

Please RSVP for this important program by emailing socialjustice@eliotchapel.org.

Board Notes

The Eliot Chapel Board of Trustees met Monday, September 25 in Adams Hall for our September meeting. The Board finalized a new Board Handbook and voted to require all board members to be background checked. We are working to schedule a strategic planning workshop with a representative of the Unitarian Universalist Association later this year. We hope to create a rolling three-year strategic plan for Eliot.

Rev. Krista updated us on some of the staff transitions as well.

A team of board members and Rev. Krista are interviewing candidates for the new congregational administrator and choir director roles.

Currently, an executive team comprising Sara Fleming, Carole Glauser, Susan Bell, Gary Gray, Mary Meihaus, Debby Lovell, and Rev. Krista is regularly meeting to manage finance and operations while the church is searching for the new congregational administrator.

A newly-formed music team is working to fill the special music when the choir is not singing and to arrange for song leaders for non-choir Sundays. Long-term this group will look closely at the musical choices we make both consciously and unconsciously.

A front office team is in place to staff the office from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday to answer the phones and help manage the office.

The board also voted to approve Dee Evans as a new affiliate community minister at Eliot. Community ministers in the UU tradition must be affiliated with a congregation to be in good standing. Dee is in preliminary fellowship, which means they can serve as a UU minister. Preliminary fellowship is a time of mentored supervision.

As part of their role as an affiliate minister, Dee will preach at least one sermon a year, and also teach an adult religious education class. This position is not paid by Eliot.

News from the Eliot Library

Thanks to Bill and Lori Kesler for donating a laptop to the Eliot library for the purpose of searching for books or other materials onsite by Title, Author or Subject. If the call number has JUV in front of the number, it will be found in the children's library in the RE wing.

If you want to check out a book, we do it the old fashioned way, by writing your name and phone number on the card found inside the book, and putting the card in the file box next to the search computer. Please return the book in about two weeks. 

Sue Blandford

Thank You, Neighbor!

Adams Hall was filled with a vibrant atmosphere at the Welcome Neighbor STL Supper Club dinner on Saturday evening, September 30 – a wonderful opportunity to explore international cuisines, make connections, and hear about the journeys the immigrant chefs have taken. Thank you to all who came to enjoy the delicious meal that the Welcome Neighbor STL cooks from Morocco, Syria, and Afghanistan prepared.

We sold out all 100 tickets, including in-person and carry outs, generating $3,500. Ninety percent of the proceeds go to the chefs! Contact immigration@eliotchapel.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities through Welcome Neighbor and our other Partner Organizations.

Thank you, Volunteer Village!

At last count, there are 102 active and wanna-be volunteer positions filled with people willing to take care of our beloved church and community. Thank you for all you are doing and what you are willing to do. You will be hearing from the volunteer coordinators about the next steps.

There are still several tasks that need help. You can peruse these and sign up at this SignUpGenius link. If you are using SignUpGenius for the first time, you may be asked for your name and email address.

Mary Meihaus & Dotty Storer

Eliot's All Ages Game Night Potluck

Saturday, October 14, 6:00 – 9:00 pm in Adams Hall

The Fun

Come one, come all, to a night of games of all kinds sure to delight the inner and outer child! Bring a favorite game or two or three to the event, and be ready to make merry with Eliot members, old pals and soon-to-be-friends across the age spectrum. We'll have quick card games as well as in-depth strategy games, old classics and new challenges – something for everyone!

The Food

This event will be a potluck affair. Bring a dish to share, but be sure to label it with ingredients for those with food allergies. A food sign-up sheet will be on the bulletin board outside of Adams Hall.

For more information, please call Kathy Becker. You can find her mobile number in the directory. 

Congratulations to Our Emmy Winner, Nicholas!

Eliot Chapel AV Tech Nicholas Rousseau won the Emmy for Short Form Content in the Arts & Entertainment category at the 47th Annual Mid-America EMMY Awards on September 30 in Branson! “The Animated Works of Marlon West” profiles University City High grad Marlon West as he talks about his animation career, his inspirations, and working for Disney. You can watch it on the HEC website. HEC-TV is St. Louis’ leading producer of education and arts television programming. 

Bergfried Fall Campout

October 6 to 8

Mark your calendars now for our annual fall campout, open to all members and friends. You are welcome to come out for any part of the weekend whether you plan to camp or not. The days will be wide open for hiking, camping, relaxation, and connection. The weekend includes these optional events:

• Traditional bonfire and campfire, Saturday evening.
• Worship Service, Sunday at 11:00 am: If you don’t choose to camp, this is a great time to come out and connect afterwards, Adams Hall-style.
• Sunday Potluck: Directly after the service, enjoy food and connection with the Eliot camping community. The Bergfried Team will provide hot dogs and chips. Campers and day trippers are encouraged to bring a dessert or side dish to share. Please let us know if you plan to attend by emailing bergfriedinfo@eliotchapel.org and let us know how many will be joining you so we may plan the potluck accordingly.

Most attendees choose to camp in tents or trailers; spaces in the cottage (with running water and electricity) are available by reservation with priority given to those with medical needs or physical limitations. Eight beds are also available in the more rustic bunkhouses. To sign up for the weekend, to reserve a cottage or bunkhouse space, or for other information contact bergfriedinfo@eliotchapel.org.

Hands on Kirkwood 2023 Needs Volunteers!

Eliot Chapel is once again participating in the Hands on Kirkwood one-day community service blitz. HOK collaborates with local churches, organizations, and individuals to assist with projects related to household and community needs.  

Volunteers are needed to help with yard work, donation storing, gutter cleaning, bag pickup, car check, Father Dickson Cemetery clean-up, and trash and yard waste hauling. The event will be held on Saturday, October 7 between 9 am and 1 pm and will begin at Kirkwood Baptist Church. If you are interested in participating, go to HOK | Hands On Kirkwood (www.handsonkirkwood.org) to register and indicate which activities you would like to participate in. Please indicate that you are part of Eliot Chapel, and additionally, email socialjustice@eliotchapel.org so we know who will be volunteering. If you have questions, you can email Janet Solecki or Liz Sale at HOK@eliotchapel.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

Caring About Immigration and the Environment

Did you miss Eliot's recent screening of "The Letter," the social justice film? If you would like to watch it at home, it is available on YouTube, or on its own website. After watching the film, if you would like to discuss it, come to the Environmental Justice meeting on Monday, October 9 at 7:00 pm in Adams Hall. 

Join us for

Vigil for Hope & Healing

Tuesday, October 10

at 5:00 pm in front of Eliot Chapel.

Sunday, October 15 – 10:00 am

“The Burdens and Gifts of Finishing

What our Ancestors Started” – Rev. Krista Taves  

However our ancestors came to this land, some thousands of years ago, others just recently, there are gifts and burdens that come to rest on our souls and our shoulders. What now?

Sharing the Offering

Every Sunday, Eliot Chapel shares half of the offertory with an organization in the community whose work reflects our shared values. This is one way that we care for our community and our neighbors. We are very pleased that October's recipient is the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project (MICA Project). MICA is a community organization committed to working with low-income immigrants to overcome barriers to justice. Learn more at www.mica-project.org.

Let us be good neighbors. Let us be a generous people. You can give in one of three ways:

• Online: Click here. Make sure “Shared Plate” is your chosen fund.
• By Mail: Please write “MICA” in the memo line of your check and mail it to Eliot Unitarian Chapel, 100 South Taylor Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122. 
• By Text: Text "Eliot SharedPlate $(enter the amount)" to 73256. A link in the reply text will take you to our secure database webpage where you can complete your transaction. Please note, "SharedPlate" must be entered as one word to reach that preferred option.

St. Louis Area TrUUnk or Treat!

Get on your costumes, decorate your vehicle, fill the trunk with PEANUT-FREE goodies, and head over to First Unitarian Church of St. Louis for our first ever ALL Congregation TrUUnk or Treat! See you on Saturday, October 21 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at 5007 Waterman Blvd., St. Louis MO 63108.

Eliot Life Quest

Used by many cultures and given shape in many ways, Vision Quest is a time of deep reflection, transformation, healing, and a method to experience authentic and profound encounters with Spirit. There are three core elements of a Vision Quest – Solitude, Fasting, and Nature. When these core elements are coupled with preparation and integration, dormant states of creativity and connections come to the surface creating possibilities for deep change and transformation in participants.

Eliot Life Quest brings a Vision Quest into the Eliot community. This spiritual offering will lead you through the preparation phase, support your journey during your solo, and help you start your path in consolidating what you have gained during this process. People in any life stage and with any personal/spiritual growth goal can find meaning in the powerful process of a Solo Fasting Quest.

Some transformative goals that people bring to Solo Fasting Quest are: stepping away from past trauma, solidifying sobriety, developing a deeper relationship with themselves, nature, and Spirit, marking transitions such as becoming a parent, moving to elder status, and for life events that typically do not have a culturally established way of being acknowledged such as releasing a dead name, loss of an affair, committing to a life without children . . . and more.

Come to the Life Quest Informational Meeting on Sunday, October 22 at 11:30 am in Room 006 to meet facilitator Lisa Dahlgren and hear more about this unique opportunity.