Masks are required at the service for anyone over two years of age. Masks should cover both nose and mouth. Please remember, the congregation is not singing or humming yet during the service. 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.

Reservations are now available. 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.

In September, we're sharing our offering with Kirk Care.

Kirk Care is a non-profit organization formed to help the needy living within the boundaries of the Kirkwood R-7 School District. A hometown ministry, Kirk Care collects funds and food donations from area churches, businesses, civic organizations, and individuals and distributes these resources to families in need. They provide food deliveries (maintained at their local pantry), assistance with utility bills, funding for school supplies to be given out by Kirkwood R-7 school counselors, and Christmas food and gift box distribution to client families. Learn more about Kirk Care at kirkcare.org.

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 7th grade and younger, and their families, are encouraged to participate in the first Fall Family Field Trip this Sunday, September 26 from 10:30-12:00. We’ll gather for Religious Education at Powder Valley Nature Center where we’re exploring our connections with each other, with the outdoors, and ways we can be good stewards of nature. Activities include a nature walk on the paved, accessible trail.

The Religious Education for Children FAQs have more information about the fall program for children in 7th grade and younger. Please contact Christie Lee at christie@eliotchapel.org if you have additional questions.

Activities for youth in grades 8-12 resume on September 26 at 10:30 am at Greentree Park located off Marshall Road in Kirkwood/Valley Park. Note that we are gathering at the covered pavilion across from the soccer fields on Marshall Road. Arrival begins at 10:30, activities will start at 10:45, and should wrap up around 12:00.

The Youth Group FAQs have more information about the fall program for youth in grades 8-12. Please contact Scott Stewart at scott@eliotchapel.org if you have any questions about youth activities.

To accommodate the new service schedule, Zoom Coffee Hour now will take 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.

Fall Family Field Trip – 10:30 am at Powder Valley Nature Center

Youth Group – 10: 30 am at Greentree Park

Vigil for Hope & Healing – 6:00 pm in front of Eliot

Immigration Justice Team – 7:00 pm on Zoom

Grief Group – 6:30 pm on 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 the family of Jeanette "Penny" Wilma Nesbit. Penny passed away in Evansville, IN, on Friday, September 17, with her two daughters by her side. All of her children had been with her in her final week. There will be a private service.

Condolences can be left at www.alexandernorthchapel.com. 

The obituary can be found here.

How do you register for worship and what are we going to do in November?

Watch the video and find out!

A special thank you to Carolyn Burke who has been providing flowers for worship and sending get well and sympathy cards for Eliot members and friends for years! Many of us have received her thoughtful cards and appreciated her flowers. Thank you, Carolyn, for your steadfast service to our community.

We are building a new team of card writers to take Carolyn's place as she moves to other priorities. Please email pastoralcare@eliotchapel.org if this ministry would give you joy and meaning. 

As we have done for many years, Eliot Chapel participated in the Meacham Park Neighborhood Improvement Association's Back to School Rally in August. We collected donations of school supplies and hosted a booth at the rally. We received a message of thanks from the organization, signed by President Harriet Patton. It reads:

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 November 15 and makes a purchase by December 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!

Questions? Contact Jan Erdman (see Realm for directory). Bottoms Up!

Join Team Eliot for Hands on Kirkwood! Thanks to the volunteers who already have signed up for the Saturday, October 2 Hands on Kirkwood event. It's not too late to take part! We'd love to welcome more Eliot volunteers to this fun and rewarding time.

Please remember to sign up on the Eliot HOK event through Realm and on the Hands on Kirkwood site and choose the volunteer activity you'd like to do.

In September, we're sharing our offering with Kirk Care. In addition to monetary giving, you may wish to make a donation of unexpired, non-perishable food. Here is a preferred shopping list of needs for their pantry:

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.

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. 

ARE YOU SHOCKED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIONS TOWARD HAITIAN, AFGHAN, AND LATINX ASYLUM SEEKERS? We are, too. So come to the Immigration Justice Team meeting on Tuesday, September 28, at 7:00 pm via Zoom to learn more about what the community is doing and plans to do. We will share some background information, finalize team projects, form support teams for each of them and update you on community activities and learning opportunities. Whether you are fighting mad, curious, or just want to help – COME! We would love to see you. To attend, use the Zoom link in the "Eliot on Zoom" email or contact immigration@eliotchapel.org. Y'ALL COME!

The grief group, led by Rev. Krista Taves, meets every other Thursday on Zoom, 6:30 – 8:00 pm. The next meeting will be Thursday, September 30. This is an open group for anyone who is grieving and needs a place to talk and connect. People in this group are in various stages of grief, from very recent to years later, so be prepared for a wide range and strength of emotions and thoughts. We strive to hold each person in their own unique experience of grief. 

From August to March, we will be reading Holding Space: On Loving, Dying and Letting Go by Amy Wright Glenn, a Unitarian Universalist hospital chaplain, birth doula, and Kripalu Yoga teacher. Each session will be devoted to one chapter and guiding questions provided ahead of time to shape our conversation. The book is available on Amazon. If the cost is prohibitive to attending, please contact Rev. Krista at ktaves@eliotchapel.org. You may join the class at any time. Each session is stand-alone. Contact Rev. Krista to be added to the reminder email.