HOME
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
NEWSLETTER
CALENDAR
DIRECTIONS
LEADERSHIP
PROGRAMS
OUR BELIEFS
SERMONS
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
SOCIAL ACTION
ABOUT US
CONTACT US


Previous Newsletters

Inside This Issue

What is Community Ministry?
- Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell, Lead Minister

Currently, there are three tracks of UU ministry:

• Parish ministry (what Bonnie and I do)
• Ministry of religious education
• Community ministry

Community ministers do their work in all sorts of locations: they are church consultants; chaplains in hospitals, prisons, camps, social service institutions, in the military, and other places. Even though their primary workplace is somewhere other than a church, UUs have long felt it important for there to be a substantive relationship between a community minister and a congregation. For one thing, it is the congregation that ordains, that confers the title of "Reverend." For another thing, it is important that all UU ministers have a relationship with a UU congregation in order to serve and be served by that congregation.

Eliot Unitarian Chapel already has two community ministers: Rev. Dick Haynes (ordained here in May 1995), and Rev. Dr. Susan Videen (ordained here in Nov. 1998). Both work as hospital chaplains in St Louis. Both have Eliot Chapel business cards, preach here at least once a year, do weddings, memorial services, baptisms, counseling, and other ministerial activities. They are listed whenever we list the ministers at Eliot, they are in the UUA directory, they have access to the building. Their accountability is to the Lead Minister, with reference to the UU Minister's Association Code of Professional Practice and Guidelines. The community ministers are not employed by the congregation; do not speak on behalf of the congregation; and are required to be members of the congregation to keep their status.

I have reviewed community ministry covenants from a half dozen different ministers and congregations, and they are all somewhat different and somewhat the same. The Board of Trustees and I are reviewing the current policy on community ministry here at Eliot and may propose some updates. This is a changing area of ministry. I believe the parish ministers at Eliot and the Community Ministers have a good working relationship, and that it serves us all well.

Destination: Ordination?
- Rev. Dr. Daniel Ó Connell, Lead Minister

Susan Heller, a member of Eliot since 1988, has passed many milestones on her the road to the professional ministry. Among other things, she attended Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, did an internship at Emerson Chapel (under the supervision of the Rev. Bill Haney, of the UU Church of Columbia, MO), served as a Student Minister at Eliot for two years, and is now employed as a chaplain at St. Luke's in Chesterfield. She has gone through all the hoops and barrels of the credentialing process with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Association and is ready to be ordained.

In the UU tradition, it is not a bishop, a synod, a presbytery, a convention, or a group of clergy who do the ordaining. It is a congregation. The idea is that a lay person is "called" out of a congregation and that the congregation recognizes this person has a call to ministry, and so enters into a new relationship with them.

In the meantime, Susan has requested that her home congregation, Eliot Chapel, ordain her. She will preach both services here on Sep. 25, 2005, and following the second service the next week, Oct.2, a congregational meeting will be held to vote on whether or not to ordain her into the community ministry.

If the vote to ordain is successful, we will ordain Susan sometime in the afternoon or evening on Sun., Dec. 4, at Eliot Chapel. Ordination, unlike say - marriage - only happens once in a lifetime. This is an important time in Susan's life, and Eliot Chapel can be proud to have helped this minister along!

Welcome!

Each Sunday, a member of the Eliot community delivers the Sunday Morning Welcome. They share a personal story about how they came to be at Eliot Chapel. Here is Rikki Techner's from June 12, 2005:

I've been coming to Eliot since I was 2. For the past 16 years, I've continued coming to Eliot for the amazing, accepting people, and the spiritual freedom Unitarian Universalism has to offer. The Eliot youth room is one place where I can be myself completely, without worrying about what anyone will think or say. Eliot has gently guided me towards my own paths in life, instead of forcing me to one that doesn't necessarily fit.

Thank you for coming to our graduation service. While I will be leaving St. Louis next year, my experiences at Eliot will continue to influence me next year and the years to come. To visitors and members alike, I hope you find Eliot to be a second home to you, as it has become mine.

Hello

My name is Jennifer DeBusk and I am excited to be the new intern minister here at Eliot Chapel. I am a California native with a love for travel. I arrived in St. Louis in June and have had a great time checking out the new sites - including a Cardinals baseball game! My ancestors are from St. Louis and traversed the Oregon Trail in the 19th century as part of the westward expansion. I am eager to integrate my West Coast upbringing with my Midwestern roots and plant my feet in a part of history.

I look forward to getting to know you all through the many different congregational opportunities here. I will be involved in teaching, preaching, counseling, social justice work, and conducting rites of passage ceremonies. I am particularly interested in weaving together storytelling into my ministry. I attended a storytelling retreat on faith and world religions that I loved. For me, ministry is about meeting people where they are and finding common ground through the stories and experiences that give life meaning and joy. Thanks for accompanying me on this internship journey!

My email address is .

Eliot Covenant Groups

Do you know about Covenant groups? Eliot has many small groups who meet monthly for spiritual support and sharing. It's a great way to have a sense of close friendship with a small group of Eliot folks, while considering what is of ultimate importance to you. To find out more contact Rev. Bonnie Vegiard at or (314) 821-0911.

Want Your Newsletter Sooner?

If you would be interested in receiving the Eliot Chapel newsletter by email as a PDF attachment, rather than via mail, please email with "PDF" in the subject line. If the number of positive responses is sufficient, we will start this in the fall.

If you're concerned that your paper copy of the newsletter is getting to you late, please know that local post offices are allowed to postpone processing of bulk mail. We take the newsletter to the post office on the Wed. before the Sat. it is dated. What happens to it after that is, unfortunately, beyond our control.

Our Sympathies ...

To John and Georgia Archibald on the death of their son, Michael Archibald.

To Sally and Luis Ortiz on the death of Sally's brother, Alan Pochowicz.

Thanks
- Jane Larson

I'm so proud of the wonderful variety and outstanding quality of Summer Services that came together this year, and would like to recognize, with gratitude, those who participated:

Presenters: Bob Coulter, Michael Cowen Nissen and the Young Adults, Michael Getty, Michael Hennon, Gene Hutchins, Rev. Ted Lau, Gail Rock, Julie Triplett and the rest of the Triplett-Denson Clan, and, especially, Lynn Murphy, who will, single-handedly, have been responsible for two services!

Musicians and other participants: Jan Chamberlin, Jeff Chamberlin, Bob Coulter, Judy Highfill, Kate Magrath, Kathie Price and Rich Heuermann, Sandra Riggs, Chuck Schuder, Dotty Storer, Mary Taylor, and Rich Vaughn.

I'm know that I've left out readers, and probably some others, but please know that your participation was greatly appreciated and a positive addition to the worship experience enjoyed by all who attended.

Youth in Community Service

Graham Boswell, Sam Hagne, and Gwen Smith, Eliot youth, participated in a service camp this summer. The camp was facilitated by Faith Beyond Walls and took place in Kinloch, MO. The Eliot youth joined other youth groups to learn about poverty, faith and the wonderful people and community of Kinloch. On the first day of the camp, there was a day of poverty simulation so that the youth could empathize with the challenges of living in poverty. The rest of the week the youth helped to clean up an area so that it could become a community garden. We are hopeful that we'll be able to continue to do projects with Faith Beyond Walls throughout the upcoming year. Many thanks to parents Holly Ingraham, Amy Joseph, and Jean Pollard for making this possible.

Casting Call

The Not Ready for Reformation Players are preparing for the 2005 Madrigal, scheduled for Dec. 1, 2 and 3. This year's play will take place in the court of Queen Elizabeth I and will feature 13 speaking roles, and will need crew members to help with stage management, lighting, sound and other non-performance duties. If you are interested in a performance role, you are invited to attend a script reading tryout to be held Sep. 18 at noon, after the second service. More details will follow.

Interested in any of the above and have any questions? Please contact Denise Maue Dreyfus.

Welcome to Visitors' Corner!

To greet and welcome visitors to Eliot Chapel -- two people following each service every Sunday--184 greeters are needed each year. Or, of course, two people could show up 92 times. If you'd consider being one of the two, or one of the 184, please notify the Chapel office. You have choice of dates and it's a very enjoyable experience for a few minutes after service. Relatively new members do very well greeting, and it's a good way to get familiar with other Eliot folk with a small commitment of time. If you have any questions, contact Rich Vaughn.

Room at the Inn

Thank you for all the support for the Room At The Inn program this summer. We have helped many families who otherwise might not have had two good meals and a place to sleep. Now it is time to think about the next three months. Sign-up sheets for Oct., Nov., and Dec. are on the bulletin board and we will have a sign-up table in Adams Hall on Sep. 18.

Time to Clean out the Videos!

Our Room At The Inn guests would greatly appreciate the addition of videos of movies and TV shows to our current library of items for them to watch--we have a grand total of ONE film, at present! Please leave donations in the marked box that you can find on the sill by the grocery cart.

PowerPoint Techie Needed

If you have experience with PowerPoint and DVD projection, your expertise could be put to good use at Eliot Chapel! Please contact Rev. Daniel ASAP at or (314) 821-0911!

Coffee, Tea, and Fair Wages
- Beth Rossow

Time to stock up on Fair Trade Coffee! We still have Regular/Beans, Regular/Ground, Decaf/Beans, and Decaf/Ground, all in Eliot Chapel's Special Blend. Also available to order are several Fair Trade teas and a selection of specialty coffees. The Eliot Blend coffees are $10 per pound and the special coffees are $11 per pound. Teas are $8 per box.

Please look for the Fair Trade table in Adams Hall after each service. If anyone is interested in helping to sell coffee and tea after either service, please contact Beth Rossow at . We'd welcome your assistance.

Remember, with Fair Trade, growers and workers are paid a fair wage. Most beans are organically grown under shade trees. And Eliot gets half the money that we collect from this terrific fundraiser. Thanks to everyone for your support.

Family-Friendly Service
- Lynn Murphy

Looking for something to do Labor Day weekend? On Sep. 4 at 10:00 a.m., you are invited to attend a family-friendly service on Native American Spirituality featuring some of the kindergarten through 4th grade children of this summer's religious education program and Nancy Collis and friends playing beautiful pan flute music. If you have young children who might like to see other children in the service, please bring them along. During one of the activities, children in the audience will be invited to participate in the service. This service is specifically designed for both children and adults. Childcare will be provided for the very young. Come join us in sharing this beautiful spirituality.

Beginning Musicians Beginning

Do you have an instrument lying around waiting to be played? The first meeting of the Beginning Musicians will be Tue., Sep. 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the Music Room. Players of auto-harps, dulcimers, baritone ukes, banjos, and even a clarinet have expressed interest. The only requirement for the first jam is to bring one song (with 8 copies) in the keys of D, C or G and try to have your instrument tuned. We will play for an hour. If you are interested but cannot attend on this date, contact Sue Stivers.

Eliot Hikers

There will be a planning meeting of Eliot Hikers on Thu., Sep. 8 at 7:00 p.m. at Eliot. Bring your ideas for hikes no more than a 2-hour drive from St. Louis. We plan one hike/bike a month from Oct. through May. If you are interested in getting more information by email, contact Sue Blandford.

Library Committee Meeting

On Sun., Sep. 11, following second service in the DuBois Library. At this meeting we will be electing officers and voting on the ratification of the committee charter. All present members and interested future members are urged to attend.

The Madrigal is Coming!

December 1-2-3. Anyone interested in helping to pull off another (30th) Madrigal Dinner at Castle Eliot is invited to attend the first meeting of the Madrigal Committee. Come listen to what we need to do from galley to gallery and find a way to help us! (PR and marketing, staffing, reservations, production, and much more). Join us on Sun., Sep.11 at noon and find your fit. Thanks for your help!

Please RSVP to Lydia Hopkins, Madrigal Chair.

Friday Flicks at Eliot
- Jane Larson

Tired of mainstream, pop-culture movies? Join us for "The Decalogue," a monthly series of hour-long videos by renowned Polish film director Krzysztof Kieslowski (of the widely acclaimed "Red, White, and Blue" film series).

Roger Ebert calls this work "extraordinary" and "memorable." Each uses one of the Ten Commandments to provide a theme for a "modern consideration of human frailties, moral dilemmas, and philosophical queries into the lives of ordinary people."

In our first offering, on Fri., Sep. 16, a university professor trusts in the infallibility of the computer and instructs his young son in its use. Anxious to try out a new pair of ice skates, the two consult the computer to calculate the safety and thickness of the ice on a nearby pond. Come find out what happens!

The film will begin at 7:00 in Adams Hall with a discussion to follow. But plan to come early - like, 6:30ish - to socialize and nosh! Snacks and beverages will be provided by your Adult E & E committee.

Circle Suppers

Let's get to know each other at a Circle Supper! Circle Suppers are intimate potluck dinners in members' homes where conversation flows, friendships are made, and children are welcome.

Please come to the sign up table, which will be available in Adams Hall after the services on Sun., Sep. 11 and 18 and choose from one of these scheduled dates for your Supper: Sat, Sep. 24; Sun., Sep. 25; Sat., Oct. 1.

Please indicate if you will be bringing children, and if you will be a host or a guest. The host will contact the guests with directions and a time to meet. If you are not able to sign-up on Sep. 11th or 18th, please e-mail Doris Yohe at .

Bridge, Anyone?

The September open Bridge date is Sat., Sep. 24. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. We will play in Rooms 002 & 003, Lower Level (NOT Adams Hall). Both couples and singles welcome. Please call Sue Webster for reservations. Call deadline is Sunday night before the game.

History
- Lynn Murphy

The Welcoming Congregation Forum is excited about the warm and enthusiastic reception it received for the Aug. 21 service. Our presentation, "Upside Down and Inside Out," offered a look at a world where heterosexuality was not the norm and a heterosexual daughter had to "come out" to her two lesbian mothers.

The next Welcoming Congregation Forum workshop will be on Sun., Sep 25 in Adams Hall from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. We will look at the history of the bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgendered civil rights movement to help us better understand these issues today. Refreshments will be served; join us for this thought-provoking workshop. --

Secret Pals

On Sun., Sep. 25, adults who would like to be Secret Pals should stop in Adams Hall to choose their pals. The Secret Pals program is a month-long exchange of cards and small gifts between children (Kindergarten through 5th grade) and adults. It is not necessary to be a parent of a child in the program to participate; in fact, we'd love to have non-parents participate. By being a Secret Pal, you commit to attend the Halloween Party at Eliot Chapel on Fri., Oct. 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This is when you will meet your Secret Pal and all will be revealed!

On Sundays from Oct. 2 to Oct. 23, a table will be set up in Adams Hall for adult and child Pals to leave surprises, notes, postcards, small gifts, etc., along with information about themselves. We are asking everyone to limit spending to $10 for the entire month.

For more information about being an adult Secret Pal, please pick up an information sheet located in the pocket on my office door. To be a child Secret Pal, please fill out a form and return it to Joan Casey no later than Fri., Sep. 23. Forms will be passed out in class Sep. 11 and Sep. 18. If you need one mailed to you, please contact me.

Couples Communication Skills Workshop

ACME (Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment) will be sponsoring a one day, 8 hour workshop on couples' communication skills on Sat., Oct. 22 at Eliot Chapel. This is a participatory workshop for a maximum of 8 couples. Confidentiality and respect are basic ground rules for all ACME events. The workshop objectives include:

• Taking an honest look at our own relationship - with emphasis on the positive,
• Assessing the potential for growth in our relationship,
• Gaining new insights and communication skills,
• Practicing a model of communication that enhances intimacy.

Adult E&E

The calendar of Adult Education and Enrichment programs for 2005 - 2006 may be viewed here: Adult E & E.

Women's Alliance

We meet on the first, third, and fourth Tuesdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Adams Hall, unless otherwise noted.
Tue., Sep. 6 - Discussion of Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner. Leader - Jacqui Buchmiller.

Scrip: The Gift Card that Keeps Giving
- Richard Bell

The Scrip program at Eliot consists of gift cards for groceries from Schnucks, Dierbergs, Shop and Save, and Whole Foods which are sold after both services by the Scrip Committee.

You can buy a card for any of the stores in denominations of $25 or $100. When you get to the checkout at the grocery, you run your card through the card reader as a gift card and the reader automatically subtracts the amount of your purchase from the card. The next time, you go through the same process until the face value of the card is used up. The cashier will provide you with a sticker to put on your card and write down the remaining balance so you don't have to excessively challenge your memory.

Let's say the average family at Eliot spends $600 per month at the grocery story. Eliot has a membership of about 400 families. This means we buy about $240,000 worth of groceries per month, or over $2.8 million of groceries per year. Five percent of this amount is not trivial. If we all used gift cards all of the time, Eliot would receive $144,000 per year from the Scrip program. This is very close to one third of the total annual church budget. Last year, Eliot received only about $12,000 from scrip sales.

Clearly, we all won't use only gift cards all of the time, but if we all did so only one quarter of the time, Eliot would receive $36,000 per year from Scrip sales. This would be $24,000 more than we are now receiving from this program. And, $24,000 equals last years projected budget shortfall.

Think how much simpler this would be than having all of the fundraisers we had last year and how much nicer than having to cut back hours and programs as had been planned.

Please give it a try. It is so easy and would help Eliot so much with little effort on your part.

Please overrun the scrip table with requests for gift cards! -

Art 4 U 2005-2006

The Art 4 U Committee has made arrangements to display art from local artists in Adams Hall during 2005-2006. Each month the Committee will present a different collection:

• Sep. - Mixed woven textiles from around the world
• Oct. - Kirkwood High School Art Dept. mixed media
• Nov. - Leslie Loving, photos of original oil paintings
• Dec. - Jeane Vogel, hand altered Polaroid photography
• Jan. - Marilyn Fallert, quilts
• Feb. - Richard Skow, watercolors
• Mar.- Carol Hoff, mixed media
• Apr. - Annie Marshall and Maryann Mace, photography
• May - Tim Harvengt, relief sculpture

Book Fair 2006!

The Library Committee & Women's Alliance are now accepting book donations for the Book Fair (March 2006). Donated items should be in saleable condition (no mildew or paperbacks with missing covers.) Please, no magazines, periodicals, or outdated textbooks. We request waiting until February to donate LP's. Items may be left in the DuBois Library any time the building is open. Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Fundraising Event Seeks New Host
- Irmgard Voss

The Library Committee has decided to discontinue the calendar sale event held in October. If there is any other Eliot group interested in adopting this fundraiser, we would be happy to help you get started! Please contact the Library Committee.

RE News
-- Joan Casey, RE Director,

I hope everyone has had a wonderful summer. We've had a busy summer here at Eliot Chapel, with Summer Camp and Summer RE classes and so we have many dedicated volunteers to thank:

Summer RE - We had great attendance for the summer program for kindergarteners and older called "Native American Spirituality" that was led by Debbie Fechter and Lynn Murphy. They planned and co-led the class all summer! Thanks also to the following RE Council and Curriculum Committee members who assisted Lynn and Debbie: Lisa Beck, Susie Bradley, Dave Day, Ben Gleason, Tracey Howe-Koch, Rich Wagner, Lisa & Paul Wilhelms and Nancy Williger. We are also grateful to Sue Videen for helping out at the animal blessing. We also opened a preschool room and have a rotating group of parents to thank: Catherine Burgess, Wendy Cutshaw, Ellen Cowell, and Renae Quinn.

Summer Camp - Once again our tireless and remarkably creative Summer Camp volunteers fashioned an incredible experience for 37 children aged K - 5th grade. We hope that many more of you will join us next year. Thanks to: Lisa Beck, Christy Berger, Nancy Collis, Tracy Drissell, Debbie Fechter, Jeanne Kloeckner, Amy Kruger, Anne Meneely, Marlene Mestres, Marissa Nauman, JoAnne Polley, Renae Quinn, and Dianne Wagner and to our youth helpers - Jordan Berger, Bryan Burke, Misha Davydov, Claire Gavin, Alex and Kyle Hunstein, Lena and Michelle Maguire, Hannah Meneely, Kayla Quinn, and Maya Robin.

Regular RE classes at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. will start up again on Sep. 11. If you haven't already gotten in your registration, please do so as soon as possible. It's really helpful for our teachers to know whom to expect on our first Sunday morning. While you're filling out your registration form, don't forget to sign up to help out - in order to keep the programs we have up and running, we need plenty of help from each of you!

Music Notes
-- Jan Chamberlin, Music Director,

Happy New Year! Our church year begins anew with 2 Sunday services on Sep. 11. Leon Burke and I are excited about the new music we'll be sharing with you! We had some excellent workshops and reading sessions both in Ft. Worth and in Denver this summer.

The new hymnal supplement, "Singing the Journey" turned out even better than we hoped! (You can hear all the songs online at www.uua.org/publications/music). It is not intended to replace our current hymnal, but to enhance it. Order forms are available in Visitors' Corner. The cost is $15 per copy including bookplate acknowledgement. Until we have enough copies of "Singing the Journey" for the whole congregation, we will be using it for choirs, and sharing some of the simpler songs on Sundays.

Rehearsal Starting Dates:

Chamber Choir - Wed., Sep. 7, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Eliot Chorale - Sat., Sep. 10, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Hand bells - Tue., Sep. 13, 7:00 p.m.
Children's Chalice Choir - Sun. Sep. 18, 10:15 - 10:40 a.m.

Volunteers Are Needed For Music! Our music expresses the various styles of sound that speak to our spirits. We celebrate classical along with jazz and folk. Volunteers are encouraged to share their rich talents in worship. This is one way we can minister to each other. There are many ways to participate:
1. Play an instrument or sing for prelude,
2. Join a choir,
3. Help with hymns: as a song leader, or accompanist,
4. Run the sound system,
5. Serve on the Music Committee,
6. Perform or assist with the Coffee House,
7. Attend a concert: our series this year includes

Oct. 22, 2005 - Chamber Music $10
Nov. 19, 2005 - Coffee House $5
Jan. 14, 2006 - Musical Revue $20
Apr. 22, 2006 - Earth Day Celebration

Contact Jan Chamberlin for more information or to volunteer.

Parking

The Farmers' Market is still open; please do not use their parking spaces for church services or events during their business hours.

New Directories

The new 2005-2006 Eliot Members and Friends directories will be available in Adams Hall Sep. 11.

To protect your privacy, as a general rule, staff members will not give out phone numbers or addresses over the phone, so make sure to pick up your copy.

Web Site

Committee Chairs and Others: As the new year begins, please review your committee or group's page on the Eliot web site, and send updates to . (And have a look at some of the other pages - you might find something new and interesting.)

Newsletter Articles

Newsletter articles should be less than 200 words. Notices of events, meeting, etc. generally appear in the newsletter two times - once as an introduction to the event and again as a reminder immediately preceding the event. Please submit either via email to or legibly print your article on the forms located in the red "in" tray in Visitors' corner. Completed forms should be left on the top of the tray.

Office Hours

The office will be closed on Sep. 5, Labor Day. Beginning Labor Day week, we will return to normal office hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Pledge Statements

As a reminder, and for those new to Eliot, that the church office does not send bills or invoices for pledge payments. We do send quarterly statements, showing pledge contributions received during the period. The first statement for the fiscal year that began Jul. 1, 2005, will be sent for the first quarter (Jul. - Sep.) early in October.

We send the statements for the second quarter (Oct. - Dec.) and the fourth quarter (Apr. - Jun) early, as many people try to maximize their payments for year-end tax purposes and/or want an early fourth quarter statement in order to complete their payments before the end of the fiscal year in June.

Annual statements of all tax-deductible contributions (pledge or other) are sent early in January for the calendar year just ended.

Newsletter Deadline

With this edition, we return to our bi-weekly newsletter schedule. The next newsletter deadline is 12:00 noon on Sep. 7 for the issue dated Sep. 17 to Sep. 30.

The newsletter is the best way to publicize upcoming events. Over 500 households receive Eliot's print newsletter.

Weekly Emails

The weekly email of announcements and coming events will resume Labor Day week. If you are not currently receiving this weekly update, please send a request via email to .

 Home   Sunday Schedule   Newsletter   Calendar   Directions   Leadership   Programs   Our Beliefs   Sermons   About Us   Contact Us