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Inside This Issue

Warm Your Soul
- Mary Quinn, Chair - Board of Trustees

In December, I spoke during a Sunday service about generosity in general, and specifically about a monetary gift that the Board of Trustees gave to Eliot Chapel. I also encouraged the whole congregation to share in the good feelings engendered by being generous and giving a gift to Eliot during the holiday season. The Board has received several comments along the lines of "That's nice, but why are you doing this?"

There are really two parts to this answer. First, each year the budget has a line item titled "Special Fundraiser". This is put in without specific plans as to how we intend to raise the money, but with the understanding that the Board will support some sort of event or method to raise that sum. Past fundraisers included auctions, raffles, and occasionally contributions. As the Board discussed how best to raise the $10,000 called for in this year's budget, we were also heavily involved in discussions of the book Creating Congregations of Generous People by Michael Durall. This book has shaped our thinking and has led to our major goal for the year - to determine ways we can build the practice of generosity and stewardship among the congregation. We believe that these practices are both spiritual and necessary for both individuals and the congregation as a whole.

In late November the two discussions - fundraiser and generosity - merged into one idea. As a Board, we decided that it was important to practice everything we had been discussing about generosity, step up and "give 'til it felt good." As a group of 10 we contributed $6,250 and as I said before - it was an amazing experience that warmed my soul. We decided that we shouldn't keep this good feeling to ourselves, and invited the rest of the congregation to join us in feeling good about giving a gift to Eliot. Some of you joined in and the total gift to Eliot is now at $8,500. These gifts will be entered on the Special Fundraiser line in the budget, which will take us very close to the needed amount for the year.

In the next months we will be sponsoring other fundraising efforts such as the Bring Your Change to Church Sunday and a small auction. Watch for details of these specific events, but most importantly, we encourage you to examine the role generosity plays in your spiritual practices. As you do so, please share your thoughts with Board members or the ministers. This is a topic that we are all passionate about and would love to extend the conversation throughout the congregation.

Coming Out and Back Again
- Susan Maginn, Membership Coordinator

We come to church to meet new people, to feel known, to feel that we can witness to each other as we all move through the cycles of life. We want to know that we are not alone in the world and in the questions we ask.

My hope is that we are not here just to make small talk and hide from the world for an hour to make ourselves feel better. Believe me; I want us all to feel better. However, my hope is that feeling better is a by-product of viewing the world with renewed clarity. My hope is that the closeness of our Eliot relationships is distinguished by supporting each other in living a daring life. We need to have support in order to see where we are afraid to go. We need to have support to be brave enough to name injustice and we most definitely need support if we are going to be one of the few in our culture to speak its name.

We cannot do this work without a safe place to emerge from and a safe place to return to. May Eliot Chapel be such a place for each of us - inspiring our voice into the wider world and when we have dared to move beyond our comfort zone, may Eliot also stand ready to welcome you home.

Nominating Committee

Reminder: We are looking for two new members (three year term) and two alternates (one year term) for members of the committee that nominates Board members and Treasurer. The Nominating Committee members will only need to meet over about one month each year, to create the slate of candidates that will be voted on at the annual meeting in May. If you are interested in this important role in shaping our future, or if you would like to suggest someone else for the Nominating Committee, we are taking nominations between Dec. 22, 2006 and Jan. 20, 2007. Nominations should be emailed to the Eliot Chapel office at . Ballots for the election of members of the Nominating Committee will be mailed in January to members of the congregation.

Our Sympathy

To Lucy Freeman on the death of her father.

Bring Your Change to Church
- Steve Lawrence, Treasurer

Ready for change? On Sun., Jan. 28 we will have "Bring Your Change to Church" Sunday. How many years have you been accumulating all that change? It's time to clean out piggy banks, drawers, cups, mugs, etc. of those excess coins for a great cause - Eliot Chapel. There will be a table in Adams Hall to collect all the change contributed. We will weigh your donation, and the top three weights will be recognized in the newsletter. All who donate are eligible to enter a drawing for a $10 Starbucks Gift Certificate. If you have accumulated so much change that you need help carrying it, please contact JoAnn Stephan or Joy Gordon at (314) 821-0911, and I will be happy to stop by your home to pick it up. The results of this fundraiser will be published in the Eliot newsletter.

Thanks for your support.

A Big Thank You
- Sue Blandford, Partner Church Committee

The Partner Church Committee and our partners in Transylvania, Romania thank you for your donations at our Thanksgiving Bread Service. Due to your generosity, we will continue to provide weekly loaves of bread to the sick and elderly of Nyaradszentmarton Church. If you were not at the Bread Service and want to contribute, you may send a check to Eliot Chapel with Partner Church Bread on the memo line. Thanks for your outpouring of care.

A Few Good Issues

The Social Action Committee is looking for lesser-known political policy issues that may not receive media attention and/or be widely known in the community and would benefit from a letter writing party to be held on Feb. 23rd. To submit a policy issue for consideration, please email a synopsis of the issue, why you are concerned, why you believe this issue would benefit from our letter writing efforts, and your name and contact information to Lori Allen at by Jan. 15th. You must be willing to provide a sample letter for participants to use as an example for writing their own letter, an educational fact sheet about the issue (minimum one page), and attend the letter writing party on the 23rd from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. and be prepared to answer questions about your topic of concern. Questions? Contact Lori or Helen McIntosh.

UUSC - Save Darfur
- Matt Koch

The UUSC has been acting on behalf of the victims of Darfur since 2005. This year it is the focus for the UUSC and UUSC Sunday and other events at Eliot. Following is some background on the situation as we begin our dialogue.

Darfur has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years. At least 400,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee their homes. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.

The Bush Administration and the UN have recognized these atrocities as genocide. The Sudanese government and the Janjaweed militias are responsible for the burning and destruction of hundreds of rural villages, the killing of tens of thousands, and rape and assault of thousands. Humanitarian aid agencies face growing obstacles to bringing relief. The UN Security Council has demanded multiple times since 2004 that the government of Sudan disarm the Janjaweed. Despite these actions, the Janjaweed are still active and free to commit the same genocidal crimes against civilians in Darfur with the aid of the Sudanese government.

International experts agree that the United Nations Security Council must deploy a peacekeeping force with a mandate to protect civilians immediately. Until it arrives, the under-funded and overwhelmed African Union monitoring mission must be bolstered. Governments and international institutions must provide and ensure access to humanitarian aid for those in need. (This information was edited from www.SaveDarfur.org.) Please let me know if you would like to help me organize an event here at Eliot.

Join Us at the Tables

Dealer's choice poker is played in Children's Chapel at 7:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month. We are looking for new members; so follow through on that New Year's resolution to become more involved and join us for a few hours of fellowship. The stakes are low and the camaraderie high. Bring your own refreshments and some loose pocket change.

Human Justice Sunday

"Dare to Make a Difference" is the topic of Human Justice Sunday on Jan. 14. Orvin Kimbrough, Vice President of Major Gifts with the United Way of Greater St. Louis, will be our guest speaker at both services.

Mr. Kimbrough lived with his mother in a rundown apartment in a poor neighborhood. When he was eight years old, he found his mother dead on the floor. The next decade found him in the foster care system. In spite of social pressures to do otherwise, he was able to make the right choices and to turn to people he trusted for advice.

Without financial resources, he set his sights on college; he has received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work from the University of Missouri, an MBA from UMSL, and a Master's in Theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis during the last eight years.

Prior to his position with the United Way, he was Executive Director of Interfaith Partnership/Faith beyond Walls. He also serves on the boards and committees of several Missouri-based organizations. Now 32, he sees being a husband and father as his most important achievement. Kimbrough and his wife Latriece have two children, Maddison Elizabeth and Matthew Jacob; they live in St. Louis City.

Trying Out a Covenant Group

Eliot Chapel has over a hundred members involved in small groups that meet monthly for spiritual conversation and support. The purpose of these groups is to find friendship and connection, explore our own beliefs and ideas by through conversation, and adding meaning to our lives through the resulting spiritual depth.

If you think you might be interested in a Covenant Group, but want a chance to see what it might be like, our Covenant Groups invite you to dinner and a "trial" group on Fri., Jan. 19. We will have dinner at 6:00 p.m. and begin the groups at 7:00. Our current group members will provide the meal. If you are interested in trying these groups out, simply come and enjoy! Please let Rev. Bonnie Vegiard know if you plan to attend by Jan. 16. We can have childcare available if you request it by Jan. 5.

Bridge
- Sue Webster

The first game of the new year will be Sat., Jan. 20, at 7:00 p.m. in Adams Hall. Please note this is the third rather than the fourth Saturday in January. Contact Sue Webster if you have questions.

Couples Communication Skills Workshop
- Trish Williams

ACME (Association for Couples in Marriage Enrichment) will be sponsoring a one-day, 8-hour workshop on couple's communications skills on Sat., Jan. 27 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:

ACME is an international, not-for-profit, non-sectarian organization. Cost per couple is $50.00 for workshop and materials. Make checks payable to A.C.M.E. If you are interested in learning more about the workshop and/or ACME, please contact Linda or Steve Techner at . To register fill out registration forms, found in Eliot's Visitor's Corner and mail with payment to Linda & Steve Techner, 1444 Westbrooke Meadows Lane, Ballwin, MO 63021.

UU Alternative Medicine

In the olden times during the long, dark winters, Cabin Fever, an affliction considered more of a threat than the Plague, Smallpox, or Dengue Fever, was successfully treated with this deeply spiritual UU practice: CHILI AND GAMES!

Join the FUN Committee on Jan. 27 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. for the annual Chili and Games Night and combat the threat of Cabin Fever with Bunko, Charades, POKER, and kids' games plus a contest for the best chili, veggie chili, and desert. (Chocolate has many health properties of which the curing of cabin fever is lesser known!) Bring your best and sample the rest. Plus, the Traveling Poker Trophy is back! Upon whose mantle will it reside in 2007?

Announcing Adult E&E

Two upcoming Adult E & E programs, both in the sanctuary at 7:00 p.m.:

Jan. 28 - "The Secret Bible." Rabbi Joe Rosenbloom will be sharing his thesis that the Bible was originally a secular history with God added after the fact. Come for what is sure to be a provocative discussion and book signing.

Feb. 11 - "Verklaerte Nacht." Configurations, a chamber music group, will be performing this work and providing interpretation of the German poem it is based on: a conversation between a man and a woman about the "illegitimate" child the woman is carrying.

Singles Group

The Eliot Singles Group will have its first get-together on Sun., Jan. 28, in Adams Hall at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Jan. 21 to Cara Sanning at or call Kelly Birmes.

Crucial Conversations
- Rev. Bonnie Vegiard, Program Minister

Have you ever been in a conflicted conversation where you could not seem to make your point or understand the other person? Most of us don't have to go back any further than, oh, say, yesterday to remember such a conversation. Conflict is simply a recurrent part of our lives.

There are many conflict management books or DVDs out there. They teach important skills. But skills aren't learned by reading about them. They are learned by practice.

The Constructive Engagement Team invites you to come practice these skills on Sat., Feb. 10, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. We use the book Crucial Conversations and engage in exercises aimed at practicing these skills. We think that better understanding of oneself and others in conflict significantly improves your own sense of peace and confidence. Good communication skills help home life and church life flow more smoothly. We offered this seminar two years ago to a full room of 20 people, who were impressed and excited about the new skills.

Please sign up for this day-long seminar. We ask you to read the book in advance. Rev. Vegiard will have 10 copies available for $12.50.

Partner Church Trivia Night
- Sue Blandford

The Partner Church Trivia FUNdraiser is coming Sat., Feb.10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with trivia starting at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale for $15 per person after both services on Jan. 21. You can organize a table of 8 people or just buy a single ticket and we will seat you with other singles or doubles. Get your covenant group or a group of friends to buy a table together. The emphasis is on FUN. This year we will offer babysitting for a nominal fee if you let us know by Jan. 28 that you will need a sitter.

This is a FUNdraiser for our partner church, St. Martin, in Transylvania, Romania. Popcorn, brownies, soda and coffee will be provided, but you may bring your own food or drink of choice.

2007 UUSC Holiday Card
Design Contest!

Creative Unitarian Universalists of all ages are invited to submit original designs for UUSC holiday cards for the 2007 holiday season. Each year, UUSC holiday card sales help support their worldwide work for human rights. Create an original design that reflects the joy of the holidays, as well as the spirit of justice, equity, and compassion. Visit www.uusc.org/ia/holiday_cards/2006/contest2007.html for submission guidelines and to see the 2006 award-winning card.

Submissions must be received on or before Apr. 27, 2007. Contact Matt Koch with any questions.

Women's Alliance

The Women's Alliance meets on the first, third, and fourth Tuesdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. in Adams Hall.

Tue., Jan. 16 - "The Home Stay Program" - Mary Widmer. Julie Triplett, coordinator.

Tue., Jan. 23 - "Movies that Influenced our Lives." Ellen Luckow, coordinator.

Religious Education (RE) News
- Joan Casey, RE Director,

Hey kids - have you got a talent you'd like to share with us? Love to sing or dance? Do magic? Play an instrument? Here's your chance to strut your stuff! The annual Kids' Coffeehouse is on Sat., Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. Sign up sheets are available on the RE bulletin board outside Adams Hall and outside of the Senior High classroom. You may also contact me if you'd like to sign up. Please let me know your name, age, and your talent. Here's looking at you, kid!

Also on Feb. 3, the Family Support and Outreach Committee will again sponsor a spiritual retreat for some our youngest members and their parents from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. We invite children from ages 3 to 6 to join us as we celebrate Dads and the men in our lives. Parents will also indulge in a little winter renewal and rejuvenation during the morning. Registration forms must be returned by Jan. 28.

Youth News
- Mishael Eastabrook, Youth Programs Director,

I hope everyone was able to find some time for rest, relaxation, and quality time with family and friends over the holiday season. I had a wonderful time with my children before leaving on my school trip to Israel. I will be gone until Jan. 24. Here is the January schedule for Senior and Junior High (also posted on the bulletin board outside the Senior High youth room). If you are in need of assistance in my absence, please contact Rev. Bonnie Vegiard, Joan Casey, or the advisors in charge of your youth's class. Until we meet again…Peace to all!

Junior High Youth
Jan. 14 No Class / Social Justice Sunday

Senior High Youth
Jan. 12 - 13 Lock In
Jan. 14 No Class / Social Justice Sunday

Upcoming Events for 7th to 9th graders
OWL (Our Whole Lives) program - Begins Jan. 21

Upcoming Events: for 8th to 12th graders
Mar. 2 - 4 Spring Youth Conference at Eliot Chapel

Music Notes
-- Jan Chamberlin, Music Director,

Coming up:
Jan. 14 - the Metro High School Jazz Ensemble. Combined choirs sing Down by the Riverside.
Jan. 21- preludes by bassoonist Ann Fessenden. At 9:30 a.m., the choir sings Treasure; at 11:00 a.m., the choir sings Blow, Blow, Thou January Winter Wind.

Minister's Sabbatical

Reminder: Rev. Ó Connell will be on sabbatical and study leave during January, February, and the first 2 weeks of March. Should an emergency arise, he is available by cell phone (314) 397-2383.

Save Time - Send Money

If you've been writing out checks by hand to Eliot every month in payment of your pledge, of course, we thank you. But have you considered setting up an automatic payment with your bank? Bank of America, Commerce Bank, U.S. Bank and others all offer a free service, typically set up via their internet banking system. You set up a repetitive payment to Eliot, specifying the day of the month and the amount of your payment, and the bank takes care of the rest. There is no cost to you, and no fee deducted from the amount of the payment to Eliot. You may not save enough time to let you start teaching (another) RE class, but it would be one less thing to have to remember.

Scholarship Available

The Women's Alliance of the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis invites members of Eliot to apply for a 2007 scholarship. Deadline for application is Mar. 31, 2007.

Details are posted on the bulletin board or you may contact Helen Cadoret of the Women's Alliance at .

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