The Overlook

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

August 4th, 2016

Vol. 16 Issue 31

In This Issue

Sharing Sunday

Safety First!

Upcoming Services

This Sunday in RE

Sunday's Summer Potluck

Music Needs You!

Knit Wits Bring Love

From Gail Stratton

We Share the Plate

Care List

This Sunday, August 7th, is a Sharing Sunday!
STP logo

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!

Safe Space for Children and Youth
For the safety and enjoyment of our all-ages community, parents/guardians are asked to supervise children and youth in the church facility and grounds when they are not in their planned RE activity.

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Quick Links...

UUCH Calendar
UUCH Website

UUA Website

Mid-South District

Upcoming Services

Sunday, August 7th, 2016

"Let There Be Songs to Fill the Air"

The Reverend Alice Syltie

This line from the Grateful Dead song "Ripple" inspires Tim, Theresa, and Vanessa Mantis, Howard Williams, Steve Lewallen, Erin Reid and Pam Siegler to fill the air this Sunday with music and songs that kindle meaningful memories from their life journeys. Remembering and rekindling is a ministry mission of worship. As their special songs and stories are shared, may we each find meaning and inspiration on our journey to become who we most want to be.

This Sunday we Share the Plate with Free2Be. For more information on this program, please see the article below.

This Sunday in Children and Youth Religious Education

Our Summer program continues with two fun activities this Sunday: "Pine Cone Owls" led by Autumn and Rose Betts, with help from Sarah Korb and Sage Betts: also, "Acting!" with LaDawn Edwards and Dan Nielsen.

Childcare for children age 3 and under 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). Register online for the UUCH Children and Youth RE Program at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WS8LDNP.

This Sunday's Potluck: Celebrating Summer's Bounty!

What is your favorite "Summer Bounty" food? Bring it for our August First Sunday potluck on August 7th in the Fellowship Hall, following Coffee & Conversation time (about 12:30).

We'll begin the potluck with chimes and thanks. We're looking forward to seeing you and your "Summer Bounty" story! --Your Hospitality Team!

Heart Song Invitation

The Music Program invites you to be a part of this year's Music Ministry by joining our choir in our Start-of-Season Gathering. We invite you to join us for a coffee and dessert planning social Wednesday, August 10th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will be selecting our music committee members and volunteers to help support us through the coming year. All are welcome; no experience required. Desire is more important than ability. Even if you can't sing, there are ways for you to help.

Knit Wits Bring the Love!

The Knit Wits, a subcommittee of the UUCH Care Committee, are seen in the above picture displaying a handmade Care Shawl. Pictured are Gail Williams, Nancy Stetson, Catherine Hall, Sage Betts, and Autumn Betts!

Not pictured, but regular members of the Knit Wits, are Audrey Fox, Denise Hunter-Gilbert, Mona Smith, Juanita Ashley, Jefflyn Weed, and Barbara Hitt.

The Knit Wits meet monthly to work together on shawls and comfort throws for members of our UUCH family enduring health challenges, grieving over a loss, or celebrating the birth of a first baby. The group has also made ground cloths for the homeless from recycled plastic grocery bags, and knitted prosthetics for mastectomy patients.

You are welcome to join us for a relaxed evening of crocheting, knitting, or just chatting with friends. Beginners are welcome, as well as you guys! We try to find an evening each month where most of us can attend rather than on any particular day of the month.

Email Barbara Hitt at Care@uuch.org to be added to the group and to receive notice of our next Knit Wits meeting!

A Letter from Gail Stratton

Dear UUCH,

It was so good to be with you again this last weekend to share a worship service this last Sunday! Both Pat and I deeply appreciate being able to visit and for me to be able to preach again for UUCH! We are grateful to Betsy and Alice for their hospitality. And I would like to say again that we admire and respect where UUCH is right now!! Your new digs are awesome! We both loved the spacious worship space, the fellowship hall, and the RE wing! But in addition to the building, from an outsider's perspective it seems that you are doing so many things well, including your share the plate, Wonderful Wednesdays, and awesome Sunday Services!

And it may not be widely known at UUCH but a few weeks ago, Alice Dilbeck gave a workshop to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Oxford to help us get a Financial Team organized. Your hard-won functioning committees are helping outside of your congregation!!! So thankful!

Warmly,

Gail Stratton and Pat Miller

This Sunday We Share the Plate with Free2Be GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services

Who does Free2Be serve? Good information from the Free2Be website:

"Free2Be is dedicated to engaging in effective advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. We are committed to ensuring the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of youth and young adults struggling due to sexual orientation or gender identity issues.

"Our direct social services which include counseling, support groups, public advocacy, and professional development are provided through the Free2Be Safe Anti-Violence Project. (ALL Social Services are provided free of charge.) This project is a regional endeavor to address Intimate Partner Violence, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Bullying, and other forms of violence which damage all of us as individuals and as a society. This project is the first of its kind in Alabama to be designed to meet the culturally specific needs of LGBTQ people.

"With your continued support we work to help survivors overcome trauma while providing public education and services to support the development of healthy relationships. We provide support groups for youth, young adults, transgender adults, as well as, counseling and resource referrals. In addition to the Free2Be Safe AVP we operate the Free2Be LGBTQ Resource Center. The Center houses our support groups, community meetings, volunteer workspaces, and the planning office for Rocket City Pride."

For more about Free2Be, please visit their website at http://free2be.org/

*When we "Share the Plate," all cash collected on the first Sunday of each month in the quarter (July, August, and September), along with any checks noted as "Share the Plate," will be halved with Free2Be.

Care List

At our Circle of Candles on Sunday, July 31st, candles were lit for:

Bette Goodman, a candle joy: "Sparky and I have been doubly blessed with two new granddaughters! Welcome Lucy Fowlen and Piper Keane."

Brenda Turner, a candle of hope: "Prayers for acceptance on my new home offer."

Barbara Hitt for the Care Committee, a candle of concern: "Please light a candle for Diane Scanland who has fallen and broken her hip."

Cheri Smith, a candle of concern: "My daughter Vicky's biopsy on the large lymph nodes was negative, which is good news. We return to Birmingham tomorrow for more tests."

Ilene Sparks, a candle of joy: "My cup runneth over! My friends Howard & Gail Williams took my cat to the vet for her shots and her exam and grooming while I was at the 39th Stewart family reunion at a lake resort. There were 36 present including my great-great-grandson, one year old, and my gay grandson Shannon and his partner (for the first time). I am regaining my memory. My overall health is better than it has been in five years, and lastly, my hero, Hillary Clinton, has shattered the latest glass ceiling by becoming the first woman nominated for President of America."

Lynsie Lamitie, a candle of joy and sorrow: "Sorrow that summer is over, but joy that students will be back Wednesday. We have a new leadership team at Chapman, and I'm excited about all the possibilities this year."

Amanda Schuber, a candle of joy: "The legal troubles my brother has been dealing with finally seem to be on the path to resolution thanks to his wonderful public defender. We are hopeful that now we can focus on his day-to-day mental health."

If you have pastoral care needs, please contact the Reverend Alice Syltie at revaluu@gmail.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 Care@uuch.org.

UUCH 16-17 Board Members

President: Laurel Bollinger

Vice-President: Denise Runnels

Secretary: Ed Bernstein

Treasurer: Greg Howard

Trustees: Susan Coddington, Kathy Heath,

and Lynsie Lamitie

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, August 23rd, 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.

Website: 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.