You have to look closely. Is it intern or interim? Even though the words look very much the same, there's a world of difference between them.   

An interim minister is an ordained minister who serves a congregation during the interim period between settled ministers.  An intern minister is a candidate for ministry who is fulfilling an important part of the educational process required for ordination in our Unitarian Universalist ministry.  

Denise Gyauch is on her way to becoming an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister.  She has already graduated from seminary and received her Master of Divinity degree.  She has completed her Clinical Pastoral Education, and been approved for candidate status by the UUA Regional Subcommittee on Candidacy, the committee I have served on for several years.  

In addition to completing an internship, Denise will meet with, and be interviewed by, the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee, usually referred to as the MFC.  The MFC has jurisdiction over all phases of ministerial credentialing. Upon approval by the MFC the candidate is granted Preliminary Fellowship. In our tradition, ordination typically occurs once Preliminary Fellowship has been granted. The MFC grants Final Fellowship upon completion of three years of satisfactory service in ministry. Both Preliminary and Final Fellowship are celebrated each year at the Service of the Living Tradition at our UUA General Assembly.

The internship is the opportunity for the ministerial candidate to experience, practice, and reflect upon the full range of responsibilities of ministry.  The candidate is supervised by a minister in Final Fellowship. The supervising minister and the candidate work together to create a Learning Serving Agreement that best meets the learning goals of the Intern. The intern also meets with an Internship Committee. 

Here is what the Internship Handbook says about the responsibilities of the internship site.  

The congregation or community-based site is expected to give the intern direct ministerial responsibilities, almost as if they were an assistant minister or chaplain, and engage the intern in a wide range of ministerial duties, including worship, religious education, pastoral care and counseling, programming, institutional management and finance, program development, and community and social action. A good teaching site:

* is dedicated to excellence in ministry
* perceives the formation of ministerial interns as part of its mission
* gives an intern the opportunity to make a significant contribution
* enables an intern to pursue learning goals in a supportive atmosphere
* provides opportunities for a variety of professional experiences
* understands the value of Unitarian Universalism in the larger community

In love and hope, 

Rev. Alice  

Halloween Spooktacular!
It's a boo-tiful thing!

Ghosts & Goblins, Creatures & Critters, Kids & Adults--come one, come all to our all-church Halloween party! Saturday, Oct. 26th, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Even though the Halloween party is sponsored by Children's RE, this is an all-ages party, for children and adults alike! We'll have dancing, a cakewalk, and "best costume" contests for children and adults. Favorite dance tunes for all generations will be provided by the Music Machine DJ. Fun for everyone!  

Feel Free to bring Halloween snacks, spooooky cakes for the cakewalk, and help with clean-up! For more information contact Erin Reid at  eereid@hotmail.com or Becky Ellingwood at  beckyel22@gmail.com.

The UUCH Service Auction will take place on Saturday, November 16th at the church. Please use caution as you approach the Community Construction Zone. Keep your eye on the dump truck that's delivering lots of donated services! Watch out for the bulldozer that's pushing all the donations into a big pile! Be careful around the road grader that's working on the expressway to good fellowship! Beware of the food and friendships you are likely to encounter there. Expect delays while you're having fun!

You, too, can be a construction worker. Think about an activity you enjoy and would like to share with other members in the church community. Turn that activity into a service that can be auctioned. Dinner parties, wine tasting events, backyard picnics, badminton tournaments--all of these make great donations. We encourage you to use your creativity and donate something new!

Please make your donation before midnight on November 10th. There are three ways to donate:

1. Paper--Fill out a paper donation form and drop it into the box in the foyer.
2. Email--Send your donation info in an email to stevendherold@gmail.com
3. Online--Donate online at www.CommunityAuctionServices.com/register/uuch2013

Don't miss the food, the fellowship, and the fun on Saturday, November 16th. The doors open at 6PM. Door prizes will be awarded during  the evening. You must be present to win. No need to get a sitter--childcare will be provided.

See you there!

Denise Gyauch, our Intern Minister, is jumping right in to provide additional support and leadership for our Small Group Ministry program.  This is actually one of the areas in which the UUA recommends Interns become involved.   

On Tuesday evening, October 29th, Denise and I will facilitate a Small Group opportunity based on the material from the Soul Matters Sharing Circle that I am a part of.  This material is based on the theme of the month and is being used by our current Chalice Circles, as well as by a number of congregations across the country.  If you have been waiting for an opportunity to become part of a Chalice Circle, or if this is the first you've heard of such and are curious, plan to join us Tuesday, October 29th, at the church.   

Please email me at revaluu@gmail.com to let me know you plan to attend, have additional questions, or will need childcare for the event. We will begin promptly at 7pm and conclude at 8:30.  We look forward to seeing you there.  --Rev. Sylite 

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."--Mahatma Gandhi 

Your Social Justice committee is coordinating participation by UUCH in CASA's TEMP$ weatherization program being held on Saturday, November 2nd.  This program has helped the elderly and homebound of Madison County keep their homes a little warmer and safer for thirty years. TEMP$ weatherization includes some or all of the following: covering windows and window air conditioning units with plastic, caulking, installing weather-stripping, installing storms doors, installing dead bolts, and installing smoke alarms. This will be a great opportunity for UUCH members to give back to the less fortunate in our community.

We are selecting which homes to work on this week, so we need to know how many people are interested.  Please contact Brad Korb at (256) 895-9303 or e-mail Brad by Sunday, October 27th, and let him know if you would like to participate in the TEMP$ program November 2nd. 

  If you've been attending UUCH long enough to know that this church community feels like your spiritual home, you may be ready to take the next step and become a member.  On Sunday, November 3rd, we will recognize several new members early in the service as they "sign the book" and officially join our church!

Rights and Responsibilities of Membership

Because we are a democratic community, members are collectively vested with responsibility for the congregation. Members may vote at all congregational meetings, be elected to the governing Board, be appointed as committee chairs, and participate in all activities of the congregation.

Because we are a covenanted congregation, members have certain responsibilities to the congregation and to each other. These responsibilities are best fulfilled by:

• Regular attendance at worship. Weekly worship cements the bonds of community, and keeps our attention directed to our highest values, while nurturing our spirits.
• Voting at congregational meetings. Responsible participation includes imagining the needs of the entire congregation, rather than focusing only on one's own needs or desires. Consider how issues affect all members of the congregation, as well as potential members and others in the world outside the congregation.
• Making financial contributions. Not only does this provide for the support of the congregation, but it also serves as a spiritual discipline.
• Contributing time and talent. Congregations succeed because their members find ways to give of themselves, whether through singing, financial management, educating children, sharing their passion for social justice, organizing, cooking, greeting, maintaining the building and grounds-the list of tasks goes on and on. Finding ways to give back that nurture your own soul helps support your personal growth along with the growth of our congregation.
• Spiritual growth and development. Working deliberately at your own spiritual development is a gift to yourself, to the congregation and to the larger world.

If you are ready to become a member, or would like to find out more about the process, please contact either Rev. Alice Syltie at revaluu@aol.com or Pam Korb (our Membership chair) at bradkorb@mindspring.com by Wednesday, October 30th.

The Adult Religious Education committee is sponsoring a Video Discussion based on a lecture series by Robert Solomon, a philosophy professor at University of Texas, Austin. We will watch one of the video lectures from "The Passions: Philosophy and the Intelligence of Emotions" series; then afterwards, expect to have a reflective discussion on human emotions as ways of engaging with each other and with the world .

Join us at 6pm on Wednesday, November 6th for an hour or so. Gary & Barbara Hitt will co-facilitate. Contact Nancy Finley at least one week in advance if you need child care.

Your Social Justice Committee is promoting the Miles for Midwives Walk on November 16th, 2013. The walk will benefit the Alabama Birth Coalition, which is an organization founded to promote the legalization of midwifery and out-of-hospital births in the state of Alabama. Many rural counties in the state do not have access to obstetrical care.

We will have a table at the event with UUCH information. Please see Gail Williams for more info on how to sign up for the walk, donate, or participate!

About Registration:

"There is one week of pre-registration remaining for Miles for Midwives Family Fun Day on Nov.16! The only way to get a shirt this year in Huntsville is by pre-registering by October 24th.  

"Go to alabamabirthcoalition.org and click "Get Tickets" for the Huntsville walk. Be sure to list what shirt size(s) you want in the 'Notes' section BEFORE checking out. After Oct. 24, tickets will be available the day of the event but no t-shirt will be included.  

"Admission includes live music, lunch for the whole family (provided by local restaurants), kids' activities, door prizes & vendors! It's gonna be awesome! Call Anna Bertone at 919-428-6918 with any questions."

Broadmor Briefing

The main activity at the Broadmor facility this week was performed by volunteers from our Monday night and Wednesday night Chalice Circles. Our Chalice Circles typically perform a yearly service project as a group and this year the Wednesday night group decided to renovate the playground at the Broadmor facility as their service project. Since this project was anticipated to take a fair amount of work, the Wednesday night group decided to invite the Monday night group to participate in this project.

This past Saturday, members from both Chalice Circle groups met at the Broadmor facility and spent 4 hours scraping, sanding, cleaning, and priming the five metal playground structures. They also removed rotten boards and pulled weeds from the wooden castle structure in the playground. The playground looks much better and we anticipate that the remaining final painting and castle renovation will be completed in the next couple of weeks.

The Renovation Committee was impressed by the work done by the Chalice Circle members in such a short time and really appreciates their efforts! Many thanks go out to the members of both Chalice Circles!

--Brad Korb, Renovation Committee Chair

From the Overlook is a publication of

The Unitarian Universalist Church,

2222 Governor's Dr. Huntsville, AL 35801

Minister: The Reverend Alice Syltie

Board Pres: Kevin Betts 

Editorial Board: Laurel Bollinger, Kathy Heath 

Newsletter deadlines are each Monday at midnight!
Please send submissions to news collator Deedee Moore at uuch@uuch.org  

Admin. Office Hours:  

Monday 10am- 1pm; Thursday 9:30am-12pm ; Friday

Minister's Phone: 256.539-9607, email: revaluu@aol.com

Web: www.uuch.org 

Sunday Services are held 10:45am to 12 noon;  

Children's Religious Education held concurrently.   

Nursery available for age 3 years and under.

For further info on any event, call the church office:
256. 534-0508.