Riding the Waves – Amy Stark

Amy Stark has been a member of Eliot Chapel since 2007 along with her husband Todd and their two children, Casey and Will. As a seminary graduate and a therapist at a local nonprofit, Amy’s passion is mental health and wellness education, particularly for faith communities.

Masks are required at the service for anyone over two years of age. Masks should cover both nose and mouth. We will announce any cancellations for inclement weather on our website and social media. In that event, worship will be recorded in the sanctuary and a video will be available by 11:00 am.

We have reservations available this week. Reservations for the week's services open after 3:00 pm on Monday. A separate email with reservation links goes out through our email list. Reservations will be made through Sign-Up Genius:

If all pods are reserved, you may call (314.821.0911) or email the front office to be put on a waiting list. OR you may come to Eliot and sit elsewhere on the lot (social distancing, of course). You may not have great visibility but you will be able to hear the service and be present in the experience. If you do this, you still need to check in with a greeter for contact tracing purposes.

We will be recording one of our services on Sunday. When it is available, you will find it at eliotchapel.org where it will remain all week. You can also find it directly on our YouTube channel.

Here’s how you can give:

Worship Services: Children in 7th grade and younger are invited and encouraged to attend the outdoor worship service at Eliot Chapel with their family and participate in Social Hour in the Meadow following the service. Supervised play on the nursery school playground is available for preschool-aged children during the 9:00 am service.   

Religious Education (RE): Children in grades K-7 and their families are encouraged to gather in Fillmore Park (340 S. Fillmore Avenue, 63122) on Sunday, October 24 from 10:30 – 12:00 for RE in the Trees and Popsicles in the Park.

We’ll be participating in an interactive opening circle, led by Amy Carre, experiencing the story Trout Are Made of Trees, and participating in a guided meditation led by Eliot member and leader Steve Swift, who will share about how meditation is an important spiritual practice in his life.

Following the conclusion of activities around 11:30, children and families can enjoy “Popsicles in the Park” and play on the park playground for as long as they wish.

How to RSVP: Families can sign up for this outing on Realm or by sending an email to Christie Lee at christie@eliotchapel.org.

Children and their families are invited to join Ms. Christie, Ms. Heather, and their Eliot friends at Simpson Lake Pavilion (1234 Marshall Road, 63088) on Halloween Sunday, October 31 from 10:30 – 12:00 for Halloween fun, fellowship, and UU connection.

Festivities will include Halloween jokes, a special Wonder Box activity and story to celebrate who we are, a Halloween walk on the nature trail, and more Halloween FUN. Children are invited to wear their costumes to this gathering if they desire. Simpson Lake Park is about 10 minutes from Eliot Chapel.

How to Sign Up: Families can sign up for this outing on Realm or by sending an email to Christie Lee at christie@eliotchapel.org. Advance registration is helpful, though definitely not required.  

Youth activities for youth in grades 8-12 continue on Sunday, October 24 at the Scout Shelter located in Kirkwood Park (111 S. Geyer Road, 63122). Arrival begins at 10:30, activities will start at 10:45, and should wrap up around 12:00 pm.

For more information about activities for children and youth, please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org or Christie Lee at christie@eliotchapel.org.

Zoom Coffee Hour takes place from 12:00 pm to 1:00 on Sunday. You are invited to “walk down the hall” 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. Please watch your email for "Eliot on Zoom" which will include a link to join the Zoom Coffee Hour. If you're not on our mailing list, sign up here.

Children's Religious Education – 10:30 am at Fillmore Park

Youth Group – 10: 30 am in Kirkwood Park

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 5:00 pm in front of Eliot (Note time change)

Immigration Justice Team – 7:00 pm via Zoom

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.

Please remember Paula Fulks and her family. Paula's mother-in-law Dolores Vonder Harr passed away Wednesday, October 13, 2021, of natural causes at the age of 92. Her sister-in-law, Susan Vonder Haar, passed away Wednesday, October 20, 2021 of pneumonia at the age of 62. They will be honored at a joint Mass on Saturday, October 23. Dolores' obituary, and visitation and Mass information for both Dolores and Susan can be found online here. Susan's obituary is not yet published.  

Please remember Camille Novak and her family. Camille's father Edward S. Arnold, Sr. passed away from COVID-19 on October 10, 2021.

The 2021 Board of Trustees survey for members and friends of Eliot Chapel is now open! Click to take the survey! We want to hear from you! Please complete this survey ASAP.

This survey is one of the most important tools the Board has to hear from you, and your responses will help Eliot ensure that we have the right ends (goals), and that we are making progress towards each one. Your input is important to us and we look forward to hearing from you! Accommodations will be made for those who cannot access the survey online. Contact the front office for assistance.

"We are hardwired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering." —Brene Brown

Among the ways to connect with others at Eliot are Covenant Groups. Most groups meet monthly, either in person or online. They provide a way to meet new people, engage in deep conversations and feel genuinely heard! If you would like to join one of the groups listed below, email covenantgroups@eliotchapel.org.

Eliot Chapel has several gardens on the grounds but we have no master plan for them. Terry Jones and the Eliot Gardeners have been weeding and watering as best as they can, but some of the gardens are in need of a make-over. A number of the foundation plants (bushes, etc.) have died in the past 2 years. In addition, we have been working with the St. Louis Audubon Society's "Bring Conservation Home" program. If you are a Master Gardener and would like to draw up a plan for one (or all) of the gardens at Eliot, please contact Terry Jones at environmentjustice@eliotchapel.org or Rev. Krista Taves at ktaves@eliotchapel.org.

Thanks to a hardy group of volunteers, Bergfried has received some needed TLC and is all set for your fall visits. Our brand new trail map kiosk was damaged by a tree-fall, but is now repaired and ready to help guide your explorations. Trails have been cleared and re-marked to keep you oriented, and picnic tables have been rehabbed so you have a place to rest and connect between adventures. The cottage got a new water heater, and the siding had a thorough cleaning. We are still holding off on organized events, but we encourage you to go out and enjoy the property solo or with friends and family (while following safe practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19). Make the most of the beautiful weather we are having and get out to Eliot’s retreat in Gasconade County. If you need information or directions before heading out just write us at bergfriedinfo@eliotchapel.org or connect with us on Facebook. Contact frontoffice@eliotchapel.org if you are interested in reserving the cottage for overnight stays.

Bergfried wouldn’t offer its full potential were it not for the efforts of dedicated volunteers like those who spent a weekend recently to help keep the property in shape. Thanks so much to Rich Heuermann, Rick Walters, Carl Serbell, Jordi Prats, Alden Audet, and Alden’s friends Jake and Tristan. Special thanks to Travis Audet who organized the work, called for volunteers, purchased supplies, provided tons of technical skill, and installed the water heater.

– Shawn Cummings (I helped too!) for the Bergfried Stewardship Team

As the holiday season approaches, now is the perfect time to join iGive in support of Eliot Chapel. Did you know your online purchases can equal donations to Eliot? And now is the perfect time to join because each person who signs up before Nov. 15 and makes a purchase by Dec. 1 earns a bonus $5 donation in addition to anything your purchase earns.

And it's easy to join! Just scan the QR code here with your smart phone or click through to the iGive website.

Shop at 2300+ stores you already know and benefit Eliot Chapel!

Our COVID team is here for you. If you are quarantining and need support having groceries and prescriptions picked up, please email pastoralcare@eliotchapel.org with your contact information. 

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.

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.

With colder weather coming, we are going to need to make some decisions about worship starting in December. It will help a lot for us to talk together about what is important to our community. We invite you to a congregational meeting on Zoom on Sunday, October 24 at 1:00 pm. We will share in small groups our responses to the following questions regarding worship: 

Your input is so important! Join us as we contemplate Sunday mornings in our near future. Get connection information in Sunday's Eliot on Zoom email.

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 restrooms. 

You can't go online without reading about Afghan refugees, Haitians at the border, Latin American asylum seekers – the whole world seems to be on the move. As huge as the problems seem, there are things we can do to educate ourselves, advocate for whole government solutions and more humane policies, and provide financial, in-kind, emotional, and psychosocial assistance. Your Eliot Immigration Justice team has many concrete plans for this work. So come to the Immigration Justice Team Zoom meeting on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:00 pm to find out how YOU can be the solution. Find connection details in Sunday's "Eliot on Zoom" email. See you then!

The New York Times hails Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste as an ‘instant American classic’ about our abiding sin. The American Prospect says, “Wilkerson’s work is the missing puzzle piece of our country’s history.” NPR calls it a masterwork of writing, a profound achievement of scholarship and research that stands also as a triumph of both visceral storytelling and cogent analysis.

On Sunday, November 7, vaccinated adults are invited to meet at the fire pit in Kirkwood Park from 1:00 to 3:00 pm for a discussion of the seminal book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. Bring a chair and any food or drink you’d like. Face masks must be worn. Register on Sign Up Genius. Directions to the fire pit will be e-mailed to those who sign up.

Monster Theory – Rev. Barbara H. Gadon

Who or what is a monster? Why do we love monsters so much? How do cultures create monsters specific to their time and place? And perhaps most importantly, who is scarier, Dracula or a zombie?