August 8, 2021
Bruce Almighty: "Give Me A Sign"
Rev. Lara Campbell, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Kennebunk, Maine
Throughout the ages, we humans have been flinging our arms to the heavens, crying out “give me a sign!” Join our guest Rev. Lara Campbell as we explore the idea of signs.
Rev. Lara K-J Campbell is the 26th called Minister at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Kennebunk, Maine. She has served First Parish since 2014. Lara is a fifth generation Unitarian, raised as a Unitarian Universalist in northern Minnesota. Previously, she served as the Sabbatical Minister for the UU Fellowship of Northern Westchester in Mt. Kisco, NY and the Minister of Worship for The Church of the Larger Fellowship. Lara serves our larger association by being a responder for the UU Trauma Response Ministry and by leading Adolescent and Elementary Our Whole Lives training. Prior to becoming a minister, Lara served as a Director of Religious Education and a Youth Advisor. She holds a MDiv from New York Theological Seminary, a MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Michigan State University and a BS from the University of Minnesota. Lara lives in Kennebunk with her spouse and their rescue dog, Maddy J. Beagle.
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Our service video will be available at 10:00 am Sunday morning at eliotchapel.org and will remain there all week. You can also find it directly on our YouTube channel.
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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.
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Here’s how you can give:
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Online: Click here. Make sure “Shared Plate” is your chosen fund.
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By Mail: Please write “KAEChP” in the memo line of your check and mail it to Eliot Unitarian Chapel, 100 South Taylor Ave., Kirkwood, MO 63122.
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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.
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Religious Education:
Children & Youth Registration Is Now Open
Registration for the 2021-22 Religious Education & Youth Program is now open. All children and youth planning to participate in Eliot activities in 2021-22 need to be officially registered. Having up-to-date information enables us to more effectively plan our program offerings, keep you informed about church events and activities throughout the year, and, most importantly, helps keep children and youth safe while under the supervision of staff and lay leaders.
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Zoom Coffee Hour
At 11:30 am 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.
Sunday at a Glance
Online Church Service – 10:00 am on Eliot Chapel website
Coffee Hour – 11:30 am via Zoom
Young Adult Group – 12:30 pm on Discord
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Tuesday, August 10
Vigil for Hope & Healing – 6:00 pm in front of Eliot
Contact your group leader if you need login information for your meeting.
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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. |
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Celebration of Life
Dear Eliot Friends,
Please join us for a memorial and celebration of life for Bruce Williams who passed away last December.
10:00 am – Thursday, August 12, 2021
Chapel Hill Mortuary
10301 Big Bend Road
Kirkwood, MO 63122
We hope you can be with us in celebration of Bruce.
Trish Williams and Family
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Eliot Chapel's Ride Team
Eliot's Ride Team is there for those unable to drive who may need a ride to Sunday services, a medical appointment, or another service. This is a simple way to care for each other. All drivers will need to provide a copy of their drivers license and insurance card for a driving check. Drivers can request that those you provide rides for are vaccinated. We ask that both driver and passenger are masked. Your safety and security are important. If this might be the volunteer opportunity for you, email ktaves@eliotchapel.org.
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Eliot Supports the Meacham Park Back to School Rally
Every August the Meacham Park Neighborhood Association holds a Back to School Rally for their children. Let’s help this year’s event be a resounding success! There are two ways to support the Rally:
1. Donate School Supplies. These are the supplies needed:
- new spiral notebooks
- glue sticks
- crayons
- scissors
- rulers
- erasers
- watercolor markers (both fat and thin)
- pens
- pencils
- backpacks
Donations can be placed in the large box located at the outside entrance to Adams Hall by Monday, August 9. Parents, this is a great opportunity to help your children experience service. Ask them to choose items to donate while shopping for their own school supplies.
2. Volunteer at Eliot Chapel’s Carnival-Style Booth at the Rally on August 14. There will be a cornhole toss, bead-stringing, play dough, balloon fun, and more. Masking and social distancing will be observed at our booth, in addition to the COVID protocol set out by the Meacham Park Neighborhood Association. To volunteer, email socialjustice@eliotchapel.org and Janet Solecki, our representative on the Meacham Park Neighborhood Association, will be in touch with you.
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Reminder: Video During Meetings
Please check with the front office if your group wishes to use video media during a meeting. Whether you're showing clips or a whole piece, whether you're on campus or not, the video needs to be covered under Eliot Chapel's media license. A very wide range of content is available so it shouldn't be hard to stay in legal compliance. Thank you!
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COVID Support Team
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.
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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. No changes were made 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.
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Vigil for Hope & Healing
Tuesday, August 10
6:00 – 7:00 pm in front of Eliot Chapel
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.
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August 15, 2021
"The Middle: In Which Everyone Gets Into a Tight Place"
Rev. Barbara H. Gadon
We thought we were at the end of the pandemic, or very nearly there. Then holy cow, look what happened in July! Are we now back in the middle? Who knows? How's everybody doing with all of this? Rev. Barbara explores how we keep our bearings when we feel stuck in the middle.
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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. |
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