Daylight Savings Time begins early in the morning on November 1st! Please set your clocks BACK one hour before you go to sleep Saturday evening!

This Sunday, November 1st, 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!

New Flavors!

The word is out--there is a new batch of Fair Trade Chocolate at UUCH, including new flavors like Chocolate Raspberry!

Your Social Justice Committee invites you to visit the coffee table in the Fellowship Hall--where delicious Fair Trade chocolate is sold--to order your Certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee from the Kaffeeklatsch. All profits go in support of our Social Justice efforts.

Awareness Through Movement

Everyone is welcome! This Feldenkrais group class is designed to improve self-awareness and mobility.

This Adult RE class is drop-in, no experience necessary, and is led by Sally Locklear. Wear comfortable, loose clothing, and bring a bath towel to use as a head support. This class is held each Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

We will be taking a break from Movement classes for the holiday season.
The last one for this fall is Nov. 7th, then we will break, and start again in January.

For further information, contact Nancy Finley at finleyn@uah.edu. If you need childcare for this event, please contact Nancy at least a week before the event.

UUA Common Read: Just Mercy

The UUA's 2015-2016 Common Read is Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Author Bryan Stevenson advocates for those wrongfully trapped by the U.S. criminal justice system, including poor people, people of color, women, and children. The book speaks to justice, mercy, and compassion, timeless and important concerns for people of faith. UUCH Adult RE will host a book study on this in January, but you can order the book now from the UUA Bookstore! ARE also has a few copies to lend: See Nancy Finley (finleyn@uah.edu)
for details. For more about the Common Read program, see the website.

ThriveAlabama Dinner Theatre
Nov. 7th

If you are interested in enjoying this event with other UU's, Social Justice Co-Chair Tonia Betts is coordinating for a sponsored table. Please call Tonia at 256.882.9891.

Enjoy a fun evening of dinner and a play as Thrive Alabama presents a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at Campus No. 805, the former Stone Middle School. Lunch (or dinner) along with dessert, will be served by Bubba's Silver Spoon Catering. Dress for a southern wedding.There will only be two performances:
Nov. 7th at 1:30 for $35 and 6:30 p.m. for $50.

Buy tickets at thrivealabama.org. Advance purchase only by Nov. 3rd. Additional information at 256-536-4700 ext. 139

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Upcoming Services

Sunday, November 1st, 2015

"Empowering the Homeless"

Clete Wetli and the Reverend Alice Syltie

This Sunday we will welcome Clete Wetli, Executive Director of First Stop, who will speak to us about the work of his organization in responding to the needs of the homeless in Huntsville. Mr. Wetli holds a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling and has served as a substance abuse counselor. He recently spoke out on the extreme challenges facing those who find themselves caught up in the legal system due in great part to poverty, mental health issues, and homelessness.

First Stop is our Share the Plate recipient for this quarter and half of what is collected during the offering this Sunday will be shared with First Stop. For more about this program, please read the article below.

This Sunday in RE

We continue our shared journey with Heart Talk for Kids with all ages, this week focusing on Session 5: Requests. Children and youth in Peace, Justice, Searchers, and Transformers Rooms are given concepts and tools to grow in our ability to communicate with each other in empathy.

There are still spaces available in Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education for Youth, which begins on November 8th. If you are interested and were not able to attend the parent meeting on Oct. 18th, please contact Erin Reid, Director of Religious Education. There will be a make-up parent meeting after church this Sunday, November 1st, following the potluck.

Questions about Religious Education at UUCH may be directed to Erin Reid, our Director of Religious Education (DRE) (256.694.6786 or eereid@hotmail.com) or Jessica Zelaya, RE Chair (256.322.2210 or asuriai@yahoo.com). Register online for the UUCH Children and Youth RE Program at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WS8LDNP.

UUCH All-Church, All-Ages

Halloween Party! This Friday!

Ghosts & Goblins, Creatures & Critters, Kids & Adults--come one, come all to our all-church Halloween Party! Friday, Oct. 30th, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

The Halloween Party is an all-ages party, for children and adults alike, sponsored by the Children and Youth RE Program. We'll have dancing, a cakewalk, and "best costume" contests. 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 clean-up. If you want to help decorate for the party, come over Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. For more information contact Jessica Zelaya, RE Chair (256.322.2210 or asuriai@yahoo.com).

Belk Benefits Brownies

Our new UUCH-sponsored Brownie troop has the opportunity to raise money this Sunday by selling entrance tickets to the Belk Charity Sale on Saturday, November 7th from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. 100% of the $5 ticket price is kept by the troop to fund outings, activities toward earning merit badges, and community outreach activities such as Foster Grandparents and participation in the Holiday Parade. Also, the ticket serves as a $5 coupon during the sale--get an early start on holiday shopping! (Anyone with a Belk Rewards Card who doesn't want to get up early on a Saturday may shop the presale next week and pick up merchandise after 1:00 p.m. the day of the sale.)

Look for the Brownie booth during Coffee Hour this Sunday to support UUCH Brownies. We will take cash or checks made out to Brownie Troop #10507. Thanks in advance!

UUCH Service Auction 2015!

Just under 3 weeks until Treasure Island magically appears and is loaded with bounty! The UUCH Service Auction takes place Saturday, November 14th at 6:00 p.m. We need your donations of time, talent, and treasure to make this annual event a success. Donation deadline is November 8th. The food, fun, and fellowship are not to be missed!

As we heard from Pirate Jim Hawkins* during last Sunday's service:

This treasure, 'tis a funny thing,

Cause when you give you get

So first things first. Have you signed up?

It's easy! There's no sweat!

Want to volunteer on Treasure Island? We need table monitors, spotters, and runners as well as people to help with setup and cleanup. If you can volunteer to help, sign up on the poster in the Fellowship Hall.

Remember, there are 3 ways to donate:

1) Fill out the paper forms available in the Fellowship Hall and drop them in the Treasure Chest,

2) send an email to Bob Locklear (boblocklear@mac.com) with details about your contribution, or

3) fill in an online form at http://communityauctionservices.com/register/uuch.

The forms and email also let us know you're coming, and pre-register you as a bidder. Pre-registration will make sure you "sail in" and "sail out" on auction night!

Childcare will be provided. Door prizes will also be given away throughout the evening. You must be present to win!

*For the full ballad Jim Hawkins shared with us on Sunday, click here.

Final "New UU" Class:
You Can Still Attend!

What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist? This class focuses on introducing newcomers to Unitarian Universalism, but those who have been at UUCH for a while will also be able to share and connect with others as we explore our own beliefs and how they intersect with the UU tradition. Everyone is welcome!

Each class stands alone and focuses on different aspects of the UU tradition or specifics related to UUCH. Even if you missed one or both of the classes so far, please join us this Sunday (November 1st) for this chance to learn and share. Meet for coffee, juice, and snacks at 9:00 a.m. in the Adult RE room located at the end of the Religious Education (South) wing; discussion starts at 9:15. Pam Korb and Bobby Hall will facilitate. Childcare will be provided for each class. Handouts for any missed sessions will be available.Contact Pam Korb (bradkorb@mindspring.com) for further info.

Adult RE SoulCollage� Workshop

This Coming Monday!

This month we will make cards for the Community Suit. This suit includes images of people and animals that have inspired, guided, uplifted, or even challenged you at some point in your life. So be looking for some images (probably photocopies) from your photo albums to bring.

This Adult RE experience exercises, in a safe, affirming space, the creative aspects of personality many logic-oriented people often neglect. The resulting cards are not only beautiful, but offer profound insight to our own inner depths.

The only skill needed is the ability to use scissors. That's it, just cut and paste images from the hundreds we've pulled from magazines to your 5" x 8" card. The great part about the process is it encourages you not to think critically about what you are creating while you are creating it, rather let your intuition guide you. That takes the pressure off of us less artistic types.

If you do not have any images to bring for your Community Suit, not to worry. You can use backgrounds and other images of things that remind you of the person (or animal) you feel inspired to make a card for. And as always, newcomers are very welcome!

Denise Runnels and Nancy Finley will co-facilitate the workshop. We will meet in the UUCH fellowship hall Monday evening, November 2nd, at 6:00 p.m.

and create until 8:30 p.m. Check out soulcollage.com for more information about the SoulCollage� process we are following developed by Seena B. Frost. Or ask Denise (drrunnel@gmail.com) for more information about the process and/or the workshop.

Help Prepare Our Senior Citizens for Winter: Work with TEMP$ on Nov. 7th

Your Social Justice Committee invites you to participate in a community service project with CASA (Care Assistance System for the Aging) in Madison County. For several years, UUCH has participated in the annual Taking Energy Measures Personally = $avings (TEMP$) program sponsored by CASA.

The TEMP$ program is an annual one day event in which teams of CASA volunteers weatherize the homes of clients by putting plastic on windows, insulating pipes, caulking breaches, installing smoke detectors, replacing storm doors, and performing other small repairs. Special skills are not required, but an interest in basic household type repairs and/or interest in interacting with seniors in our community are desired.

UUCH will be working at two homes near our church this year! We have selected two homes near Pulaski Pike and Stringfield Road with low income, elderly residents needing our help to prepare for the winter.

The TEMP$ program workday will be held Saturday, November 7th, starting at 9:00 a.m. and lasting for 3 to 4 hours. We will meet at the church at 9:00 a.m. to divide into two teams and then go out to work on our clients homes.

Please contact Brad Korb at bradkorb@mindspring.com or 256-895-9303 if you have any questions or are interested in participating.

Compassionate Communications
Adults Can Learn, Too!

The youth and children of UUCH are spending their Sunday mornings learning about "heart talk," a program based on Marshall Rosenberg's model of Compassionate (Nonviolent) Communication. And now, we adults have a chance to catch up to the wisdom of the kids.

Adult Religious Education at UUCH is offering a two-part series on Compassionate Communication using the original book from Rosenberg as our starting point. This step-by-step approach, with exercises and real examples, will assist us in our development of a new philosophical model for interaction. Sometimes we don't even know that we are using patterns that undermine the outcomes we want. This practice can help liberate us from adversarial and competitive patterns of power and communication, and replace them with non-violent ways of interacting. It potentially provides an important piece in our efforts for conflict resolution in our families, work environments, church, and even national and international relations.

There is something in this program for everyone. So save the evenings of Sunday, November 15th and 22nd at 6:00 p.m. to join us. Erin Reid, Sara Cline, and Nancy Finley will be facilitating. Childcare will be provided. Contact Nancy at finleyn@uah.edu for further information..

Please Save the Date!

The Alabama Hispanic Association Christmas Dinner will be held Saturday, December 12th, 2015, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., here at UUCH

We will need lots of volunteers to help spread Christmas cheer to those in need in Huntsville's Hispanic community. We will serve dinner, distribute presents, and entertain.

There is a job for everyone! Please put this fun event on your holiday calendar!

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.

Care List

At our Circle of Candles on Sunday, October 25th, candles were lit for:

Cheri Smith, a candle of Sorrow: "My dog, King, is very sick. Would like healing thoughts and prayers."

Jessica Jackson, a candle of Joy: "My husband and I are expecting another baby in May!"

Scott & Jessica Zelaya, a candle of Joy: "We are very happy that Jessica's stepfather Rick has come through his bypass surgery feeling all right. He is coming home this weekend and we ask that you keep him in your thoughts as he continues to recover."

Michelle Clark, a candle of Joy: "It is so great to be back at UUCH with one fully functional knee! I still have a long way to go, but all my issues with that knee are gone. It's a miracle of modern science."

Steve Rittenberg, a candle of Concern: "My wife, Gina, begins chemotherapy tomorrow."

If you have pastoral care needs, please contact the

Reverend Alice Syltie at revaluu@aol.com. Care Committee Chair Barbara Hitt will be out of town for a few weeks. Please contact Care Committee member Tim Miller (tim.miller.hsv@gmail.com, 256.880.6792) should a need arise.

UUCH 15-16 Board Members

President: Laurel Bollinger

Vice-President: Angel Hundley

Secretary: Ed Bernstein

Treasurer: Jerome Belcher

Trustees: Millicent Simmons, John Fox, & Denise Runnels

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 Laurel Bollinger, 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 jointly with the Council, on Tuesday, November 17th, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. December's Board Meeting is on the 15th. Thanks for your cooperation!

From the Overlook is a publication of

The Unitarian Universalist Church,

3921 Broadmor Rd. Huntsville, AL 35810

Minister: The Reverend Alice Syltie

Board President: Laurel Bollinger

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.