This Sunday, April 12th, is Our Sharing Sunday!
(Our "first-of-the-month Sharing Sunday" was postponed for a week, but this Sunday is the Day!)
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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Wednesday Night Childcare!Childcare is now being offered at our Wednesday evening church programs: choir, chalice circle, and Adult RE programs. If you have any questions, please contact our Director of Religious Education, Erin Reid, at eereid@hotmail.com or 256-694-6786.
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Got Stuff?
Yard Sale is Saturday, April 25th! 
It's time to begin bringing your items to the church! Items may be dropped off during the Admin.'s office hours, i.e.10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. (Better call first, just in case: 256.534.0508.) Storage is in the north wing of the building, so park in the north parking lot for your convenience, and ring the doorbell so Deedee can open the door for you.
If you would like to help with sorting and pricing in advance of the yard sale, Bonnie Herold will be at the church at 9:00 a.m. on Monday the 13th, Tuesday the 14th, and Wednesday the 15th of next week. Come for as much time as you can spare--ALL help is appreciated!
Contact Bonnie Herold bherold51@gmail.com with questions.
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Wanted: New or Gently Worn Shoes
Does your family have shoes that are not being worn? Old or new, bag them up and bring them to church!
Donated shoes will be sent to developing nations for sale by micro-businesses. These businesses provide income for families in need. In addition, HAP is paid for shoes it collects. It's a win-win "sit-shoe-ation"!
We will collect shoes until May 1st. You can place them in the food collection areas in the foyer or fellowship hall. Questions? Please call Tonia at (256) 882-9891.
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Upcoming Services
Sunday, April 12th, 2015
"Liberty and Justice For All"
The Reverend Alice Syltie, Pam Siegler, Choir Director, and the Huntsville Feminist Chorus
The Huntsville Feminist Chorus will sing an uplifting array of songs selected from their spring program, "Liberty and Justice for All." These songs of peace and social justice explore the revelation of humanity's common ground amid our many and vast differences, and affirm our mutual ties to each other and all life in the interdependent web. We ask, "What can we do, and how may we hold hope in our daunting goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all?" Also this Sunday, we Share the Plate with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, in support of their "Safe Water" initiative. To find out more about the UUSC and their programs, please see the article below.
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This Sunday in RE
Peace Room Chalice Children: "Wondering About Stars"
Justice Room
Signs of Our UU Faith: "Signs of Faithful Leadership"
Searchers Room
Toolbox of Faith: "Resilience: Hard Hat"
Over-Achievers Room
OA's will meet in their room for check-in, before attending the service to hear the Huntsville Feminist Chorus.
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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 Baby Shower!
Please join us in celebration with Claudia and Mike Carson, who are expecting a baby boy in May. A baby shower for the couple will be held in the Fellowship Hall at UUCH on Saturday, April 11th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Please RSVP to Kathy Heath at kheath@comcast.net or (256) 457-1753 if you plan to attend.
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This Sunday, April 12th:
An Afternoon with Brett Jones
 On Sunday afternoon April 12th, starting at 2:00 p.m., local author and UUCH friend Brett Jones will be at our church to give a talk and read from his memoir Pride: The Story of the First Openly Gay Navy SEAL. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and Brett will sign books during the potluck and after his presentation. Brett has generously offered to donate all the proceeds from the book sales that day to UUCH! This event is free and open to the public. We've advertised to the public that it will begin at 2:00 p.m. However, we will have a potluck after church that day and Brett will be there to mingle and sign for us during that time too! Join and share the Facebook Event to help spread the word! https://www.facebook.com/events/794483803976906/
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Freedom of Speech Video Discussion, Hosted by Adult RE
 The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution states "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech." The recent news of the racist fraternity songs at the University of Oklahoma, and the Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris, raise moral issues about this freedom. What are the moral and legal limitations on free speech? What is legally protected and what is not by the first amendment? "Hate" speech? Obscenity? What is hate speech, what is obscene? What is "speech"? Flag burning? Political contributions? When are we morally obligated to say something that some may be considered offensive, and when are we obligated not to? How can our principles as UUs guide us with important decisions concerning these issues?
Vanitha Singh, retired from the UAH English faculty and now an instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UAH, has graciously agreed to give a video presentation that debates some of these issues, particularly the issues raised by the murders in Paris, followed by what promises to be a very interesting discussion.
Friday, April 17th beginning at 7:00pm, Gary Hitt and Ed Bernstein will co-facilitate this discussion led by Vanitha Singh. Please let Denise Runnels know at least one week in advance if you would like to attend and need childcare provided.
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UU Social Justice Supports ASAN's "Beehive Design Collective"
The Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network is hosting a presentation of the Beehive Design Collective's "Dismantling Monoculture" picture-lecture, Thursday April 16th at 5:30p.m. at Lowe Mill (2211 Seminole Dr.).
The event starts at 5:30p.m. with food, mingling, and time to peruse the murals. The presentation starts at 6:00p.m. This event is FREE and open to all ages! Donations are greatly appreciated!
 The Beehive Design Collective is a wildly motivated, all-volunteer, activist arts collective dedicated to "cross-pollinating the grassroots" by creating collaborative, anti-copyright images for use as educational and organizing tools. With giant portable murals and an engaging narrative, the Bees take audiences on an interactive visual tour of the connections between colonization, militarization, and resource extraction.
More about the Beehive Design Collective and the specific murals that comprise this presentation at http://beehivecollective.org/.
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This Sunday, We Share the Plate* with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Water is essential to human life. Yet, almost three-quarters of a billion people around the world lack clean drinking water. The United Nations has reported that more people now die from contaminated water than from all forms of violence.
UUSC defends and promotes the human right to water by working with grassroots groups and activists to push for new laws, challenge violations, and create new models for implementation.
UUSC collaborates with innovative groups who are protecting water resources and increasing access to services in law and practice. Recognizing that too many people are denied the human right to water because of discriminatory policies and procedures, UUSC puts special focus on working with people in the following populations:
- Rural communities and low-income urban residents
- Indigenous people
- People of color, women, children, and people living with disabilities
Access to water shouldn't depend on your race or bank account. UUSC envisions a sustainable future in which all people have access to water for basic human needs and water supplies are safe from industrial contamination, over-extraction, and climate change.
UUs consider safe access to water a human right and your contribution to our Share the Plate program will help support the UUSC in their efforts to ensure the human right to safe, clean drinking water. In addition, UUCH will be holding a Climate Justice Sunday on April 19th where the right to water will be discussed as it relates to climate change.
*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the quarter (April, May, and June), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with the UU Service Committee.
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Board Notes for March 31st, 2015
The Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, March 31. Among the topics discussed were:
- Requests for rental space
- Status of Annual Budget Drive
- Increasing funding for childcare next year (with Erin Reid joining us to present information)
- Preparing for the annual meeting, including possible changes to the by-laws necessitated by our move
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 Care List
At our Circle of Candles on Sunday, April 5th, candles were lit for:
From Bob and Jefflyn Weed, a candle of Joy: "Bob and Jefflyn's son Ben has had his Ph.D. for two years and he now has a real job! And Jefflyn has pictures of her beautiful grandchildren."
From Jo Broussard and Jeanne deFrance, a candle of Joy: "Thanks to Pam Korb, Brad Korb, and Will Garrison for our nice, clean church sign resurrected from our Governor's location."
From Betsy Applegate and Alice Dilbeck, a candle of Joy: "Thank you to Brad and Pam Korb for taking their Saturday to move the sign for the church."
From Alice Dilbeck, a candle of Joy: "Joy at Catherine Hall's gift of music. So wonderful!"
From Samantha Minor, a candle of Joy: "My first article has been published for Journalism in my school's newspaper. I now currently have three articles and couldn't be happier."
A candle of Concern: "Please be with Ginny Leasure in spirit as she has back surgery this Thursday, April 9th."
Via Tim and Theresa Miller, a candle of Concern: "Howard and Gail's grandson Elijah (daughter Rachael's nearly two-year old) fell and broke his leg this past week."
From Susan Locklear (daughter of Sally and Bob), a candle of Concern: "My Grandan, who is 91, is having radiation for throat cancer. He is expected to make a full recovery, but is struggling with treatment a little."
From Jerome Belcher, a candle of Concern: "Nancy Stetson has hurt her knee and is on crutches. P.T. is helping and she sees a doctor at TOC in three weeks."
If you have pastoral care needs, please contact the Reverend Alice Syltie at revaluu@aol.com. Care Chair Barbara Hitt will be out of town for a few weeks. Please contact Care Committee members Jefflyn Weed (256-882-9604), Tim Miller (256-880-6792), or Nancy Stetson (256-650-6116), should a need arise.
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UUCH 14-15 Board Members
President: Denise Hunter-Gilbert
Vice-President: Angel Hundley
Secretary: Bobby Hall
Treasurer: Jerome Belcher
Trustees: Millicent Simmons, 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.
The next UUCH Board Meeting will be held Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 at 6:30 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: 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. Mon-Tue-Thu-Fri.
For Wednesday access, please call in advance.
Office phone: 256.534-0508, email: uuch@uuch.org.
Minister's 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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