Before you "Articulate your Faith"--Explore and Deepen It

A common assumption about Unitarian Universalists is that they "can believe whatever they want" or that they "don't really believe in anything." Is that true?  A description of our rich and complex tradition, and our place in it, deserves judicious expression not just cavalier phrases. We honor ourselves, our community at UUCH, and the daring foremothers and fathers of UU when we carefully articulate our faith. But this articulation requires deep and ongoing exploration. Fortunately, in the process of learning how to articulate our faith in different settings, we are actually deepening our visions, values, and commitments. We grow as humans.

Please join Adult RE this Sunday as we gather for the third in a three-part series which provides resources to guide us in our "Articulation of Faith." Through a series of easy and engaging exercises and personal reflection, this course can equip us to communicate about Unitarian Universalism and help us find our specific place in it.

Meet for coffee or tea at 6:15 p.m.; discussion starts promptly at 6:30. Nancy Finley and Denise Runnels will facilitate the discussion. Contact Nancy Finley (finleyn@uah.edu) for further info. 

Brookdale Place Jones Farm, First United Methodist Church, Hospice Family Care and Laughlin Funeral Service are pleased to announce a new six week grief support group "Life after Loss: A Journey to Healing"! The group will meet on Thursdays, 3:00-4:00 pm, September 25th to October 30th, in the third floor chapel of Brookdale Place Jones Farm, 2815 Carl T. Jones Dr. SE. It is open to the entire Huntsville community at no charge. The facilitator will be the Reverend Carl Malm of The Center for Loss, Grief and Change. Reservations are requested but not required. Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to make a reservation, please phone Jana Seikel at Brookdale Place, 256 881-6111 or Rev. Malm at 256 883-6539.

Mark your calendars for the 6th Annual Miles for Midwives walk on October 11th! 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Big Spring Park in downtown Huntsville. This event serves to raise funds for the Alabama Birth Coalition, and to spread awareness of our need for access to the Midwifery Model of Care in all birth settings. Join us! 

UUs and many others at last year's M4M Walk!

The fun begins at 6:00 p.m. with a silent auction featuring better items than ever before. Don't get too relaxed while you sip your favorite beverage and partake of the scrumptious buffet--you'll want to keep one eye on the bid sheets to make sure you are not outbid! The live auction follows, with its focus on the most popular items. As in years past, it promises to deliver fast-paced fun!

To make this auction work, we need your help--certainly as an attendee and bidder, but also as a donor. In the past, people have donated gourmet dinners, backyard picnics, wine-tasting parties, card parties, music lessons, garden design, computer repair, and a long list of other unique services. Items such as handmade foods, clothing, pottery, jewelry, and other goods also make excellent contributions. Donation forms will soon be available, so start brainstorming now! Be creative! What can you do or make that you'd like to share with your UUCH family?

So remember to mark your calendar for Saturday, November 15th. Childcare will be provided. While the kids enjoy themselves in the RE area, you'll enjoy the festivities in the sanctuary and fellowship hall.

Yes, you read that right--we expect to be in the Broadmor building by then, and so are planning to hold the service auction in our new facilities. We look forward to seeing you there!

As our move-in date draws nearer, volunteer efforts have ramped up at our Broadmor facility! This past week the new floors in the RE wing were finished. We also held preliminary inspections of the work that our contractors, Lee Builders and The Hutchens Company, have been working to complete. Those contractor efforts should be done in the next two weeks.

At the same time, the volunteer efforts continued with a number of small tasks in work throughout the building. We had volunteers at Broadmor every day last week and more than 20 people contributed their time and efforts on Saturday, September 20th! The Renovation Committee maintains an evolving list of the remaining tasks that can be accomplished individually with no particular skills required. We will be working at Broadmor every Saturday and select weekdays in September and October until we move in. This week we are preparing for floor refinishing in the fellowship hall, kitchen and office areas by moving some furniture and continuing cleaning and other projects.

New swings on the playground!

Additional information about upcoming tasks will be available at the workday this Saturday, September 27th, starting at 9:30 a.m. and going until 1:00 or 2:00 p.m.  A signup list will also be available after the church service this Sunday. We need everyone's help to get our new church home ready to move in.  We hope you will consider giving some of your time and effort towards completing these tasks!

--Brad Korb, Renovations Chair

At our Circle of Candles on Sunday, Sept. 21st, candles were shared with: 

Dan Nielsen: "My dad went into the hospital last night. According to my sister, he had lost the use of his hand, and he has pneumonia due to constricted airways. She said there do not seem to be viable treatment options for what seems to be late stage cancer."

Gail Williams: "This candle is in memory of my Dad, Fred, who died three years ago today, and my great nephew, Stuart, who passed two years ago yesterday."

LaDawn Edwards: "I feel very blessed to participate in cleaning the new church. It has given me the chance to deepen connections with other members. For example, while scrubbing bricks with Barbara Hitt, we learned that we both have sisters who live in the same very small town in Wyoming!"

Kathy Fisher: "I'm happy to tell you my granddaughter was on her way home from the hospital last Sunday about the same time we were lighting a candle for her. All is going very well."

Ilene Sparks: "Tomorrow I will be 93 years old." UUCH wishes you a very happy birthday, Ilene!

Jon Fox: "My sister is hospitalized with an infection. She takes an immunosuppressive therapy, so this is very worrisome. "

If you have pastoral care needs, please contact the Reverend Alice Syltie at revaluu@aol.com. Barbara Hitt is Chair of the Care Committee, and may be reached at home, (256) 881.2531; on her cell, (256) 348.5845; or by email at bghitt1@comcast.net.