The Overlook

Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville
3921 Broadmor Rd., Huntsville AL 35810

January 14th, 2016

Vol. 16 Issue 02

In This Issue

We CAN Do It!

Awareness Through Movement

Ala. Arise Meets

Fair Trade for Good

Upcoming Services

This Sunday in RE

GAYT Boxes Full?

Chili Cook-off!

Wonderful Wednesday Supper

ARE Explores Just Mercy

Social Justice News

Circle Suppers Set

R U UU 2?

We Need Your Books

Care List

We CAN Reach 100!

The Social Justice Committee's goal is to collect and donate 100 items per month. CAN you pick up an extra CANNED good, nonperishable food item, or personal care product next time you are out shopping? Please do, and put it in the basket in the church foyer to be donated to the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP).

To read more about the Huntsville Assistance Program, please visit their website.

Awareness Through Movement!

This Saturday!

Everyone is welcome! This Feldenkrais group class is designed to improve self-awareness and mobility. The class will be verbally guided through gentle movement sequences. These new movement patterns will enable you to move with greater ease and fluidity.

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. Classes start again on Saturday, January 16th! Classes will be held on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. until further notice.

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.

Plan to Attend the Alabama Arise 2016 Legislative Preview

To learn about the issues the Alabama Legislature will be addressing in their next legislative session (beginning in early February), come to the Main Library in Huntsville to attend the Alabama Arise 2016 Legislative Preview.

The event will be held on two dates: Saturday, January 16th from 10-11:30 a.m., and Thursday, February 25th from 7-8:30 p.m.

Discussion Topics will include: Stop and Debt Trap; Restore Voting Rights; Untax Groceries; Expand Medicaid; Ban the Box; Death Penalty Reform; and Fund the HTF.

UUCH is a member organization of Alabama Arise and we are encouraged to attend! These sessions should prove to be very informative for everyone.

Good for Everyone!

Your Social Justice Committee is selling Certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee from the Kaffeeklatsch, and Fair Trade chocolate from Equal Exchange. There are a variety of yummy flavors, and ingredients include a clear conscience! Pick yours up in the Fellowship Hall after Sunday morning services!

Remember, Fair Trade products help ensure that:

1) Unjust labor practices, such as child slavery, are not used.

2) Farmers and workers are paid fair wages and have a voice in the organization to which they sell their products.

3) Environmental sustainability is held as an important goal.

Plus, proceeds are used to help fund Social Justice projects!

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UUCH Calendar
UUCH Website

UUA Website

Mid-South District

Upcoming Services

Sunday, January 17th, 2016

"Who is Telling Our Story?"

The Reverend Alice Syltie

A few weeks ago I received a request from a member of a Unitarian Universalist congregation in California for information about one of our previous members. She was planning to tell a story about him as part of her congregation's worship service honoring Martin Luther King Jr. It was a story I don't remember us ever telling. It occurred to me that we should at least know the stories about our congregation that others are telling. So, this Sunday, as we remember Martin Luther King Jr., we will also remember how he inspired, and continues to inspire, people in our own community to act courageously for the sake of justice.

This Sunday in RE

If you missed it, here's your chance! It's GAME DAY! Bring a game from home or enjoy church favorites!

Nursery care (ages 0-3) will be provided as usual. 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.

Time to Return Guest at Your Table Boxes

Now that we are through the holidays, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) Guest at Your Table program is wrapping up and it is time to return your Guest at Your Table boxes!

There are three ways you can return your contribution to the UUSC:

Bring your box to church and place it in the basket in the Fellowship Hall (cash or check; if cash, provide the information on the side of the box)
Send a check directly to UUSC at UUSC, PO Box 808, Newark, NJ 07101-0808
Donate on-line at https://secure2.convio.net/uusc/site/Donation2?df_id=3640&3640.donation=form1

Thanks for your contributions!

UUCH Annual Chili Cook-Off is
This Saturday, Jan 16th!

Who Will Win the Coveted Red Ladle?

Great food, great company, great fun....and did we mention

GREAT FOOD?

The 2016 UUCH Annual Chili Cook-off will be held on January 16th!
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and judging begins at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $5 each for those 12 and older;
Children 3-11 are $3 each, with a family cap of $15.
Admission is free for Chili Cooks!

We are looking for volunteers to provide side dishes, chili accoutrements (cheese, sour cream, crackers), salads, cornbread or rolls, and desserts. Please sign up via this website (Sign up!)!

Chefs vying for the Chili Crown should preregister (via the same website ) prior to the event.

Open mike entertainment is an important part of the evening! Contact Vanessa Miller Mantis (vanessa.mantis@me.com or 256.585.0260) if you'd like to be part of the show!

Wonderful Wednesday Suppers!

Soup's on!! Enjoy a variety of soup selections and warm UUCH fellowship at the Wonderful Wednesday Supper on Wednesday, January 20th, serving 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Family-friendly pricing: ages 6 and younger are free, ages 7-12 are $2, age 13 and older are $5. Family max: $15.

Childcare and creative children's activities will be offered at 6:30 for families staying to attend Adult RE or choir activities. Adult RE will host a video discussion following the supper.

Do yourself and your family a favor! It couldn't be easier, so don't try to resist--just come join the fun!

Hosted by your UUCH Hospitality Committee.

UUCH Adult Religious Education presents:

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

(Right here in Alabama)

Film discussion:

Wednesday, January 20th at 7-8:00 p.m.

Book Discussion:

Sunday, January 31st at 9-10:30 a.m.

Each year, the Unitarian Universalist Association "Common Read" invites participant congregations to read and discuss the same book in a given period of time. A Common Read can build community in our congregations by giving diverse people a shared experience, shared language, and a basis for deep,

meaningful conversations. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (2014) is this year's selection. A significant part of this book deals directly with cases that are right here in Alabama, and UUCH readers will find this a challenging glimpse of justice in our state.

Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, has dedicated his legal career to defending those who are trapped by an often capricious, political, and willfully unjust criminal justice system--poor people, people of color, children, and others over whom the system has run roughshod. This award-winning book speaks to justice, mercy, and compassion--themes of concern to us as Unitarian Universalists and as human beings. It is a compelling read from a brave activist and a gifted writer that will inspire you, and will give you hope that something can be done.

Adult Religious Education will host two events related to Stevenson's work:

The first is a viewing of a short 20-minute TED Talk video by Stevenson about his experiences, followed by a 30 minute discussion. This will be held Wednesday, January 20th at 7:00 p.m., immediately following the Wonderful Wednesday Night Supper. Everyone is welcome, no advanced preparation is necessary; just join us in viewing the film. Childcare will be provided.

The second is a more in-depth look at Just Mercy in a book discussion group on Sunday morning, January 31st, at 9:00 a.m. Read the book in advance, and join other UUCH congregants to discuss some of the important topics explored in the book. Books may be purchased at the UUA Bookstore Just Mercy site, or at many on-line bookstores. There are also a few copies in our fellowship hall available to borrow. Coffee and snacks will be provided. Childcare will be provided if needed; please notify Nancy Finley finleyn@uah.edu

at least a week in advance if you would like childcare provided.

Everyone is invited to either or both events. We encourage all of you to read this amazing book. Please contact Nancy Finley if you have any questions.

Social Justice News

Our next Social Justice Committee Meeting will be held Sunday, Jan. 24th at 9:30 a.m., in the Fellowship Hall.

Do you have an idea for a Social Justice project UUCH should work on? Would you like to get involved with current projects? If so, please join us for our next meeting; we'll discuss spring activities. If you need child care, please let Tonia know at (256) 882-9891.

Please keep the donations coming for the HAP food pantry--they are greatly appreciated. With holiday busy-ness, we collected 61 items in December. Let's try to reach our monthly goal of 100 items in January. Thank you for your generosity!

Circle Suppers! Jan. 28th, 29th, & 30th!

Do you enjoy potluck but find the room too crowded for conversation? Do you yearn for a more intimate setting to dine and chat with your fellow UUs? If so, join us for Circle Suppers--the opportunity to share a potluck-style meal in the home of one of your church friends!

We have many different locations and meal themes from which you can choose. Sign up online or on the poster in the Fellowship Hall. Please be sure to include your contact information so your host can coordinate what type of dish for you to bring. Children are welcome at many events and require a reservation as well. Sponsored by your UUCH Hospitality Committee!

Are You Ready to Become a Member?

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 welcome new members during a Sunday service in late January 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.

SAVE YOUR BOOKS!
Donate them to the UUCH Book Sale!

We Want Your Books! Save your books to donate to the UUCH Book Sale to be held in April. NOW is the time to start saving and boxing up your tax-deductible books, CDs, and DVDs. You still have time to read your more recently acquired books before donating them.

At each of our prior book sales, members and friends have collectively donated over 5,000 books. We need thousands of books to have a successful sale. So look through your shelves and stacks, and box up what you've already read. You may end up replacing them with books that you'll purchase at the sale (for a steal of a deal!).

Whenever you're ready, BOX up your books and bring them to church. Boxed books are preferred because they stack better for storage. Drop your boxes off near the door to the North Wing hall (storage wing) near the Sanctuary foyer.

We'll accept all types of books (subject only to some basic ethical considerations)...fiction, non-fiction, hardback, paperback, textbooks, children's, picture, how-to, religious, political, etc. We want your best books, your boring books, your big books, your small books, fancy books, plain books, intellectual books, silly books, any and all books you can bear to part with!

Care List

At our Circle of Candles on Sunday, January 10th, candles were lit for:

Jefflyn Weed, a candle of joy: "My friend Annie is visiting from Tucson this week."

The Kyembas, a candle of joy: "We are thrilled that Sophia will be in her school's spring play as Freckle Face Strawberry, a story about being comfortable in your own skin."

LaDawn Edwards, a candle of joy: "This year I resolved to spend more time doing things I love, so I joined the Huntsville Feminist chorus."

Michelle Clark, a candle of sorrow: "My grandmother's breast-cancer has recurred. She is having a mastectomy on the 18th and has to do chemo. Please pray for our family."

Carey Snowden, a candle of sorrow: "My grandmother passed away in late December. She was a big part of my and my sister's lives, and she will be missed."

Rev. Alice: "A candle for Evelyn Falkowski, who passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Jan. 5th, at age 90. Evelyn was a founding member of UUCH and had been living in the DC area for the last 30 years. Evelyn remained active in political and social issues until her very last years. Our property on Governors Drive was purchased from Evelyn, whose own house was next door. Information about the memorial service planned for April, in the DC area, will be available at the website being created by the family at evelynfalkowski.com."

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.

UUCH 15-16 Board Members

President: Laurel Bollinger

Vice-President: Angel Hundley

Secretary: Ed Bernstein

Treasurer: Jerome Belcher

Trustees: Millicent Simmons, Jon 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 on Tuesday, January 26th, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. 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.