Un-Packing Day at Broadmor Road!
This Saturday,
Nov. 8th, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Everything has been moved--now it's time to put it where it belongs! Please come help us unpack and spruce up the church to get ready for our "official opening"! And remember to join us at 3921 Broadmor Rd. (not Governors Drive!) this Sunday for our first Service!
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This Sunday, November 9th, is a Sharing Sunday!
On the first Sunday of each month, we
Share the Plate during the offering,
Share our Lunch with each other during Potluck and
Share our Bounty by filling the Food Basket!
Please don't forget to bring non-perishable food and hygiene items for the food basket, to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program.
All donations are welcome and appreciated!
Here are some ideas for supplies that HAP needs: macaroni and cheese, pasta and sauce;
dry beans and rice, boxes of cereal,
bars of soap, canned meat, peanut butter!
Thanks in advance!
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First Potluck in Our New Home!
This Sunday, Nov. 9th, is our First Potluck In Our New Church Home!
In celebration of our new home coming, please bring your favorite Down Home Cooking entrée, side dish, or even dessert to share--
although celebratory cakes (one of which is gluten-free/vegan) are being provided by the Board! May our banquet tables reflect the best of our many places of origin as we create our new space together!
In a move to a more environmentally sustainable world, our Social Justice committee has suggested that we bring our own non-disposable plates, cups, etc. to our monthly Sunday Potlucks. We'll continue to provide disposables for those who need them. You may also want to remember to bring a bag for transporting home your dirty items!
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Fair Trade Chocolate
is Back!!Your Social Justice Committee is once again selling Fair Trade chocolate from Equal Exchange. Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Fruit & Nut, and Coffee Bean Bars!! Proceeds are used for social justice projects, and our congregation's purchase of Equal Exchange products supports UUSC. We also have Fair Trade, Organic, "Kaffeeklatsch" coffee for sale! These items will be available in the Fellowship Hall after Sunday services.
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Miles for Midwives Walk Postponed until November 8th!
The 6th Annual Miles for Midwives walk got rained out, so they've changed the date AND the venue. It's still 9:30-11:30 a.m. but now it's going to be indoors at the UAH Shelby Center--nice and dry!
Please consider sponsoring your UU friends. See Anna Bertone for details.
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Upcoming Services
Sunday, November 9th, 2014
"Magic Stones: Part Two"
The Reverend Alice Syltie
Last Sunday we each selected a special stone to carry with us through the week, as we contemplate the strong foundation on which we build our lives and our church community. This Sunday we will return with those stones to regather in our new location, 3921 Broadmor Road, and honor the way our foundation is built on our shared values and aspirations. Since our stones symbolize the hopes, dreams, values, and aspirations of all of us, our children and youth will remain with us during this part of the ceremony.
This service will also include a communal blessing for our new building and a celebration to recognize the long journey and our many accomplishments along the way. We will have extra stones available for those who missed our service last week or forget their stones this Sunday.
Also this Sunday, we Share the Plate with First Stop, Inc. For more about First Stop, please see the article below.
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This Sunday in RE
Hurray! This is our first Sunday at the Broadmor Church! Remember that your first stop at the new church is to check-in at the RE Welcome Area in the foyer and pick up a nametag. Children and youth will begin the service as usual with all ages and take part in the common ritual with their stones. After the story for sharing, they will make a special processional with their teachers to the NEW RE area in the South Wing! We are beginning this Sunday a new RE practice of joining together in the large RE room for our chalice lighting, welcome words, and song, and then will divide to our age-based rooms for RE lessons and activities.
Peace Room
Chalice Children: "Beauty of Nature"
Justice Room Signs of Our UU Faith: "We Share"
Searchers Room Toolbox of Faith: "Democratic Process: Chalk"
Over-Achievers Room A Place of Wholeness: "Nurturing the Spirit" A very important note on safety at the new church: The grounds are significantly larger, and we ask as always that children be in parents' or guardians' supervision at all times, especially on the playground.
If you haven't already, please register your children and youth online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WS8LDNP and check out our family agreements commitment. We're looking forward to your presence on this very special Sunday!
Nursery care (ages 0-3) will be provided as usual. For more information, contact Erin Reid, our Director of Religious Education (DRE) (256.694.6786 or eereid@hotmail.com).
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Everything has been moved--
Now we have to Unpack! HELP!
 All of our furniture and boxes, even the piano, has been moved to our new home at 3921 Broadmor Rd. So this Saturday, November 8th is All-church unpacking and "spruce-up" day. Come over to your new church and help us put things where they belong!
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Annual UUCH SERVICE AUCTION November 15th!
Are you ready for the Bountiful Bash at Broadmor? The first special event in our new church home will be the annual service auction. We have many wonderful items already donated, including:
- Group events such as bunko night, award-winning chili dinner, and dinner and multimedia tour of Thailand
- Lessons and tutoring in a range of activities from chess to knitting to schoolwork
- Numerous arts & crafts items
There's still room for more though, so if you haven't signed up to donate an item or service yet, please do--you're running out of time. We need donations locked in by this Sunday, November 9th, so we can prepare and print the catalogs before the auction itself.
If you've signed up to donate a tangible item, please bring it to the Broadmor building on auction day. We will have people there setting up from 10:00 a.m. forward. We need the items early enough to set up the silent auction area. Please don't wait for the last minute!
Auction night begins with the silent auction at 6:00 p.m., then the live auction beginning at 7:00 p.m. A $5 per adult entry fee is suggested. Food and drink will be provided. (If you'd like to volunteer to bring refreshments, please call or email Audrey Fox at 256-417-6197 or audrey.fox@gmail.com. For those who have signed up with hospitality to bring food or beverage for auction night, also please feel free to drop it by the church earlier in the day.)
To donate:
To pre-register (getting you a lower auction number and faster checkout) talk to Todd as above, or go to the registration link above and choose to create an account (which just means getting your name in the system, there's nothing financial about it).
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 Help Brighten Christmas
for Local Teenagers!
Make a Donation for Gifts to be Given through the Alabama Hispanic Association
On the Sundays of November 16th and 23rd, the Social Justice Committee will collect money to buy gifts for teenagers in need. UUCH is partnering with the Alabama Hispanic Association (AHA) to bring Christmas cheer to some of the poorest in our community. Youth from our RE program will shop for the gifts.
On December 6th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the AHA will have its annual Christmas party at our new church home on Broadmor Road. Our gifts for the teenagers along with other gifts for the younger children will be distributed then. UUCH members and friends are encouraged to attend the party--it will be a great opportunity to get to know the AHA and their work!!
What is the Alabama Hispanic Association?
The AHA reaches out to help meet needs in Madison County's Hispanic community through education and support. AHA made its home in the Highlands United Methodist Church building, which is now our new UUCH facility at Broadmor! We are happy to continue partnering with the AHA as we move into our new church home.
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SoulCollage Inspires Adult RE "Creators"
 Over 20 people attended the recent "SoulCollage" workshop, and at the end of the evening, no one wanted to stop creating cards!
Adult RE received a lovely letter from Jean DeVenney, the facilitator of our recent "SoulCollage" workshop: "Hello my new southern friends!I have been looking at photos of the beautiful evocative cards you all made at the UUCH Adult RE workshop last week. I am so fortunate that I get to introduce good people to this powerful process! "If you would like to connect to my SoulCollage® Facebook page it can be found at www.facebook.com/soulcollagebycatalyst4life Click on the LIKE button in the image header and you will get occasional postings from the page in your News Feed. That gorgeous header image is a card done by BJ Andersen, Executive Director of the Humane Society in Salem, Oregon. Scroll down to see postings from the team/professional development workshop I led for the staff at the animal shelter. This work takes me to some surprising, interesting, and lovely places!  "If you would like to connect to me personally on Facebook you will find my homepage at www.facebook.com/jean.devenney. And, if you are ever in or near Portland, Oregon, please let me know! Some of you may be coming there for the UU General Assembly next spring, so I expect to hear from you! "With gratitude (and a special thanks to Rev. Alice, Nancy, and Denise), Jean"
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We Share the Plate* with First Stop Inc.
First Stop, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation established in 2001 to reduce the number of homeless persons in Huntsville/Madison County, Alabama communities.
First Stop's overarching goal is to promote the overall rehabilitation of homeless citizens in Huntsville and Madison County communities. That includes facilitating their transition from the "street" into permanent housing and assisting with their reintroduction to their workforce. 
First Stop provides its homeless clients with life-management-skills training and seminars to enhance their personal well-being. Individualized case management is the most critical element to our long-term solution in promoting continued stability and growth--insuring physical and mental health monitoring, referral to proper health care, and access to available social service benefits. Since our incorporation, we have maintained a 90-percent retention rate among clients placed in permanent housing.
First Stop's efforts are funded through federal, state, and local grants, planned outreach/fundraising efforts, generous contributions from organizations, and gifts from interested individuals.
More information is available on their web site www.firststop.org.
*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the quarter (October, November, and December), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with First Stop, Inc.
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Board Report for October 23rd, 2014
The Board of Trustees met on Thursday, October 23rd. Discussion included aspects of our upcoming move, related events, and plans for the future in our new facility. These topics included:
* Plans for a celebratory, Home Coming-themed potluck after the first service in our new building on November 9th
* Acceptance of Denise Runnels' offer to continue as Webmaster
* Setting a date for a Board Retreat (Jan. 10th)
* Approval of a drafted statement of purpose and responsibilities of the new Safety Committee
* Approval of one of the many designs for the street sign at Broadmor
* Approval of draft text authored by Erin Reid for a sign for our new playground
* Review of the Facility Rental/Building Use Policy and Fee Schedule
Your Board is excited and enthusiastic about the opportunities, challenges, and ministries on the horizon...
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 Care List
At our Circle of Candles on Sunday, Nov. 2nd, candles were shared with:
Jack and Echo Long, who were "Glad to be back at church after a trip to Gatlinburg and a bout of illness for both of us. We are feeling better."
Jack and Echo also told us that Anne Rutledge is sorry to have missed our last Governor's Drive service, but she had a bad cold on Sunday.
Mari Hinckley, who said "My grandma Dot turned 95 this last week."
Meagan Lykins, who got married and is now Meagan Gooding! She and her new husband eloped to Washington DC.
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.
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UUCH 14-15 Board Members
President: Denise Hunter-Gilbert
Vice-President: Angel Hundley
Secretary: Bobby Hall
Treasurer: Jerome Belcher
Trustees: Becky Ellingwood, John Fox, & Laurel Bollinger
Do you have an Agenda Item for the Board?
The Board respectfully requests that all agenda items for the meeting be submitted to Board President Denise Hunter-Gilbert, no later than one week prior to the meeting, i.e. the Tuesday before. You may leave a copy of your request in her Mailbox at the church office, or contact her at UUCHBoardPresident@uuch.org.
Notice: Next UUCH Board Meeting will be on Thursday, November 20th, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.
Thanks for your cooperation!
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From the Overlook is a publication of
The Unitarian Universalist Church,
3921 Broadmor Rd. Huntsville, AL 35810
Minister: The Reverend Alice Syltie
Board President: Denise Hunter-Gilbert
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 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.; Thursday 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.; Friday 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Office phone: 256.534-0508, email: uuch@uuch.org.
Minister's Phone: 256.539-9607, email: revaluu@aol.com.
Web: www.uuch.org
Sunday Services are held 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 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.
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