Meal-Pack Supplies Collection--Now! 

On Sunday, March 22nd, the children and youth in RE will prepare meal packs for the homeless. In advance of this date, we are requesting donations of canned fruit, cracker packs, pudding cups, juice boxes, canned meat (pull-tops, e.g. Vienna sausage), granola bars, and travel-sized hygiene products. Items can be placed in the foyer or the south wing entrance hallway collection baskets. Thank you so much!

This Sunday, March 1st After Potluck

Bags to Blankets! 

 We need your helping hands!

UU's are joining a city-wide effort that involves recycling plastic bags into sleeping mats for the Homeless. 

There is a job for everyone--flattening, cutting, looping, crocheting. Please bring plastic shopping bags if you have them. If you have questions or if you would like childcare, please call Tonia at (256) 882-9891.

A Letter about Stewardship
from our Board President

Dear Members and Friends,

On November 9th, 2014 we ceremonially crossed the threshold of our new church. We Are Here, and we are happy! There is so much to enjoy about our new church and so much more we can do because of your demonstrated commitment to church stewardship. Take a moment to consider the WHY. Are we dedicated, committed stewards because we need to cover increased operating costs, support two properties, wait on Phase 2 renovations, and grow our infrastructure to support bigger programs and begin wider outreach? Or are we strong stewards because of WHY we gather together--our dream of a continued welcoming liberal religious tradition in Huntsville and of being a church community that works to create a better world? I ask you this: know your own WHY and, regardless of income and circumstance, consider it a privilege to give generously to our work for the greater good.  

Our 2015 Annual Budget Drive is focused squarely on our church mission: "We Are Here, and we welcome diversity" by reaching out. Due to our tradition of strong stewardship, our church is dynamic and, in many ways for a church of our size, exemplary. We are growing and envisioning more ways to be of service to our church and to our wider communities. This year, we return to holding cottage meetings to discuss our pledge decisions for the upcoming church year. Cottage meetings are fun get-togethers with current and new friends-to-be, in groups of 10 or so, for a meal and a presentation by volunteer hosts. These presentations go into the details of our target pledge amount and what we hope to accomplish in the upcoming church year when we reach our financial goals. Come be a part of the discussion! And to our new folks: we understand financial diversity too. Just as some of us have more or less time to commit, some pledge more, others less-but together, we have pledged enough to do great things in the past and to hope for the future. All are welcome!

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. We will recognize new members during a Sunday service next month as they "sign the book" and officially join our church.

If you are ready to become a member or would like to find out more about the process, please contact Pam Korb (membership chair) at bradkorb@mindspring.com.

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. 

New Futures, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, founded in 1990, addressing the need in Huntsville and Madison County for an organization that serves homeless, intact families. New Futures Inc. operates the Marilyn Mabry Family Lodge, a homeless shelter that allows families to remain together in a safe, family-friendly environment. They are the only homeless transitional housing program in Madison County that accepts families with children up to 18 of both genders, single fathers with minor children, and single mothers with sons over age 10. By keeping families together, the Lodge will enhance the positive outcomes for all family members, and ultimately for the community of Madison County. 

New Futures' shelter is dormitory style, with private rooms and shared bathrooms and common areas. Through its transitional housing program, New Futures acts as a catalyst for homeless families to obtain skills, education, and successes to empower themselves and overcome extreme poverty to achieve independence. Services include a Shelter Program--90 day program, job prep, job search assistance, case management; and a Transitional Housing Program--including Education Services (including GED, Certificate & assistance), Job Placement, Job Coach/Resume Building Classes, Transportation, Counseling, and Daycare assistance. For more information, see their website: newfuturesriseabove.org

*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the quarter (January, February, and March), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with New Futures, Inc.