The St. Louis Unitarian December 2015 Vol. 46 No. 6

Worship, RE and Nursery 10:00 a.m.

DECEMBER 2015 WORSHIP INFORMATION December 6 TBA

Rev. Thomas Perchlik

December 13 —"A Day For Dancing” Rev. Thomas Perchlik

Today our worship will be through the beautiful nine-movement choral work, "A Day for Dancing" by Lloyd Pfautsch, and performed by the First U Choir with several professional musicians. Rev. Thomas will help us draw out the meaning and sacred beauty of life that is embodied in this music.

December 16 - "Winter Solstice Vespers” 7:00 p.m. Rev. Thomas Perchlik

Again did the earth shift; Again did the nights grow long; And the days short. And the people of the earth were glad; and celebrated; each in their own ways." Come be glad and celebrate Winter Solstice and Yule with all your people this holy night in Hope Chapel.

December 20 — "Angels We Have Heard” Rev. Thomas Perchlik

This is our annual Christmas Pageant. People of all ages share in enacting our version of the Birth of Jesus. Each year unique elements are added to the sheep and shepherds, townspeople, centurions, Mary, Joseph and dancing angels . Rev. Thomas will help us listen to the angels again this year.

December 24 —"Christmas Eve Candlelight Services” 4:30 and 6:00 p.m.

Rev. Thomas Perchlik This night we will sing old songs, and traditional words, light warm candles in the darkness, remember the sacred stories and awaken the present hope, born again and again in our hearts, minds and actions.

December 27 —“A Little Lower Than Angels” Brian Mason, Ministerial Intern

The season of Christmas is quickly drawing to an end. The presents have been opened, leftovers fill every rack in the refrigerator, and you’re ready for a nap. All that awaits is a New Year and the rest of winter. So, before the cold envelops you there’s one last thing to do: Have a celebration of childlike proportions!

FAIR TRADE COFFEE SALES

DECEMBER 6 & 20

Dec. 24 & 25

Wonderful Wednesday December

16

SAVE THE

DATES

December 4

Hanging

of the

Greens

April 10, 2016

Church Get

Together

2

MINISTER’S COLUMN

Last year, on the first day of Hanukkah, a

mother gave her son a pair of winter socks.

The second night he made sure to wear them.

That night she gave him two sweaters. The

third night he wore one of the sweaters and

regular socks. ―What,‖ she demanded ―you‘re

too good to wear my socks?‖ Before he could

protest she added, ―And I knew you didn‘t like

the other sweat-

er I gave you!‖

Feeling

gratitude is

more difficult

for some than

others.

I hope you feel

appreciated for

the gifts you

give to First

Unitarian.

Some gifts are

of talents and

time or of crea-

tivity and pres-

ence. Other gifts are more tangible or financial.

Some gifts are immeasurable. Since the

church is made of people, your gifts support

budgeted expenses or church programs and

your giving enriches the lives of each person

who is served, inspired, challenged or

comforted by our shared exploration, worship

and work.

Your annual pledges, and regular financial

gifts, are the economic foundation of this

church. But there are other gifts you could

give which would increase in value over time.

You can give to one of our Endowed Funds

and that gift would give more every year.

For instance, the Norma and David Lewis

Fund was established years ago to support our

Ministerial Internship program. The amount

that comes from this fund has remained fairly

stable but the cost of an internship has

increased. Each year more and more of our

annual pledge money must be used to cover

internship costs. But, if we could increase the

total amount of the

Lewis Fund

principal, then the

amount the fund

gives us each year

would be greater.

In addition to the

Lewis Fund we

have our General

Endowment which

supports many

things. We also

have the Dodson

Fund which

supports

continuing

education for church staff. Also we celebrated

the work of the Community Action

Endowment Fund on November 15.

You don‘t have to wait for your will and estate

to give to these funds. A year-end gift to a

First Unitarian endowed fund will not only get

you a "thank you!" It will add to the religious

lives of hundreds of people, and more, for

years to come.

—Yours in Peace,

Thomas

3

CHURCH PRESIDENT

―Covenant‖ Defined

I was in elementary school the first time I

heard the word ―covenant,‖ courtesy of Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg. As far as

I could tell, the word had something to do with

a big gold box and Nazis and Indiana Jones

asking, ―why did it have to be snakes?‖ It

wasn‘t until later that I learned a ―covenant‖ is

at its heart an agreement between two or more

people. Synonyms include pledge, contract,

promise and – my personal favorite – commitment.

Within my interactions at our church, I define

―covenant‖ as a mutual agreement of how we

want to be together. Putting these thoughts

into writing in easy times provides us with

something to refer to in difficult times, the

same way that making a grocery list at home

when you‘re not hungry will help you stay on

track when you finally make it to the grocery

store at 9:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, when you

haven‘t yet had dinner.

Make no mistake, to ―covenant‖ with one an-

other does not mean that we have to agree. In

fact, a covenant gives us permission and even

encourages us to disagree in a respectful man-

ner. We have a covenant here at First Unitari-

an Church of St. Louis – do you know what it

is?

Covenant of the First Unitarian Church of

St. Louis

We, the congregation of First Unitarian

Church of St. Louis, embrace these principles

to foster a vibrant spiritual community to nourish one another, and return our energy to

the world as we work for justice and peace.

Specifically we promise to:

Welcome and integrate others into conversa-

tions and our community.

Develop an inclusive community by reaching

out and making everyone feel welcome

without regard to affectional or sexual

orientation, age, color, gender identity or

expression, nationality, origin, physical or

mental ability, race, sex, education level,

socioeconomic status, or political perspective,

and without requiring adherence to any

particular interpretation of religion or to any

particular religious belief or creed.

Nurture our individual and shared spiritual

journeys with curiosity, acceptance and

compassion;

Show respect and care for each other in words

and deeds.

Honor our Unitarian Universalist heritage and

values.

Be open to growth and change.

Discover and focus our efforts on what is best

for our church and broader community.

Seek out information about important issues in

our church;

Listen completely with an open heart and

mind, and express ourselves as clearly as

possible, sharing our opinions responsibly and

respectfully, so that we understand each other.

Work through issues and concerns using direct

communication and recognize that differences

and disappointments offer us the opportunity

to deepen our understanding and our

community.

-Continued on page 7-

4

FROM THE CHAIR’S CHAIR

―We unite to provide a hospitable sanctuary, in

this time and place, for seeking the sources of

spiritual strength, enabling people, in the

church and in the world, to work for love,

decency, tolerance, and justice. ―

The above statement is the mission statement

of our church as found on our website. Have

you ever read it? I don‘t think, prior to writing

this, that I ever read

it. Before I go any

further, let me say

that I have conflicted

feelings about mis-

sion statements. I

have read some that

tell me everything

about the ―why‖ be-

hind an organization

and other statements

that are nothing more

than a collection of

important sounding

words. Even if an

organization has a

good mission statement, that company still has

to back it up with their actions. An example of

a mission statement not reflecting the reality

was Enron‘s mission statement which refer-

enced respect and integrity.

Having issued that disclaimer let me talk about

our mission statement. I am not sure that it

truly reflects us, nor our aspirations, as a

church. The way that I read the statement, the

only thing that the church actively does is to

―provide a hospitable sanctuary‖. After that,

everything else falls on the individual and not

the church as a whole. Is that really us?

I, for one, don‘t believe that this mission

statement accurately reflects this church. I

spoke with someone who thought that the real

mission of the church was an educational one.

They cited examples such as the importance of

the Lewis intern, RE program, and the Clark

lectures. They also mentioned our past history

in which we birthed other UU congregations

and served as a home for homeless churches

and synagogues. While I agree with the above

examples, I don‘t know that it can be applied

universally across

the church. I think

of our music pro-

gram when I think

of an area of

opportunity. Up

until this year, we

had the Hope Choir

program for chil-

dren. Surely

helping develop

future singers and

musicians is a po-

tential educational

opportunity?

Is education our mission? I don‘t know. While

we were going through interim ministers, we,

as a congregation, were working towards clari-

fying our identity and our mission—not only

within the confines of these walls—but in the

greater community where our values are so

needed. We did not really finish that work. I

encourage you to think about our mission. If

you have any thoughts on it, please let me

know. In the meantime, I urge everyone to

follow the Golden Rule and be the hospitable

sanctuary.

—Mark Bruns

Church Council Chair

5

TRIP TO TRANSYLVANIA/PARTNER CHURCH NEWS

It's not too late to sign up for the trip to

Transylvania next September! The deadline

to register and to pay the $150 registration

fee is March 31, 2016, so you still have

several months to think it over and to gather

your dollars. Cost of the land travel portion

of the trip, including both Budapest

(Hungary) and Transylvania (Romania), is

$1755 (including the registration fee); ap-

proximate airfare is $1257, for an approxi-

mate total of $3012 per person. So far, six

people have registered, so it's a definite go!

We may also be traveling with a group from

Eliot Chapel, which would be a nice oppor-

tunity to meet people from another congrega-

tion.

All details about the trip are on the First

Church website under ―Partner Church

Committee‖ [firstuustlouis.org > ‖engaging‖

> ―special interest groups‖ > ―Partner Church

Committee‖]. These include the itinerary,

information on how to register, and infor-

mation on Transylvania. In addition, Partner

Church Committee members are currently

available to answer your questions at a table

situated between the coffee sales and the

bookstore nearly every Sunday during the

fellowship/coffee hour after the service.

Several people have expressed concerns over

the refugee crisis in Hungary. Regarding this

situation, I contacted John Dale, who is the

UU Partner Church Council travel

coordinator and who lives in Transylvania

part of the year. This was his reply: ―The

refugee crisis in Hungary seems to be over.

Hungary closed their borders a month ago.

The Croats and Austrians may follow soon.

Even at the height of that it only briefly

impacted Budapest, and then just the train

station. We won't do trains. Next year is

hard to predict, but no one [i.e., refugees]

wants to come to Romania. They are headed

to Germany, Sweden, and the UK. People [in

the States] are in a much larger danger on

their morning commute to work.‖

Upcoming events of the Partner Church

Committee are as follows:

--Sunday, December 13: Partner Church bake

sale

--Sunday, March 13: Partner Church Sunday

--Saturday, March 19 Partner Church dinner

All of these are fundraisers, the funds from

which we use to assist our partner church in

Csokfalva. Besides wonderful food, the

Partner Church dinner this year will include a

lively presentation of Hungarian/Romanian

folk dances.

Attached to this article is a photo of some of

the young people of our partner church in

Csokfalva. There are young people in

Transylvania! It would indeed be wonderful

to have some of our young adults with us on

the trip to Transylvania.

—Gwenne Hickman

6

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

DESIGNATED COLLECTIONS: As a way

of putting our faith into action, we as a church

periodically dedicate one of our collections to a

worthy non-profit or church program. December's

designated collections are the Robert Ford Haitian

Foundation (December 13th), 100 Neediest Cases

(December 24th), and Southside Early Childhood

(December 24th).

The Robert Ford Haitian Orphanage and

School Foundation serves the people of

Grison-Garde, Haiti. It began with the creation of

an orphanage and primary school and has

expanded to include secondary and technical

schools, Elderly Village, wells, meals, and health

care. Education is the key to emerging from

poverty in Haiti. The school takes the holistic

approach — education, clean water, food, and

health care. 100 percent of donated funds go to

projects, and all projects are initiated and

executed by the local community. For years, Lisa

Ross and Jane Hoekelman have been part of

medical trips. Lisa states, " I have seen

tremendous growth in all of the foundation's

projects, both in number of people served and in

types of projects developed. Many of the original

orphans and students are now going to college,

which is very rare in Haiti." Refer

to www.fordhaitianorphanage.org for more

information. This recipient was nominated by

church member Lisa Ross.

With roots that date to 1900,

the 100 Neediest Cases to-

day serves more than 10,000

families each year. Admin-

istered by the United Way,

and with administrative costs

funded by the St. Louis Post

Dispatch and over 100 other social service agen-

cies, 100% of every dollar donated goes to needy

families. Refer to https://

www.stl.unitedway.org/100neediestcases.aspx for

more information. This recipient was nominated

by church member Kimberly Perry.

Founded by Unitarian

women at the turn of

the century,

Southside Early

Childhood Center,

formerly known as SSDN, continues its mission

of serving needy families by providing nurturing

child care and supportive services families. First

Church has had a long relationship with Southside

and many of our members and friends have volun-

teered there. Refer to their website at http://

southside-ecc.org. This recipient was nominated

by church member Gina Hoagland.

First Church Sewing Project

Since June First Church volunteers sewed or

contributed more than 100 tops for individuals

admitted to temporary housing at Gateway 180:

Homelessness Reversed. Our efforts are joined

by those of other area churches to provide

clean, attractive clothing for individuals while

their own clothing items are laundered during

intake. Special thanks from the Social

Responsibility committee to Grace Munie for

donating scrubs top, Susan Morse and all who

contributed to the success of this project.

First Church Food Project

Donated packaged and canned goods (hearty

soups, stews, canned meats, beans, peanut but-

ter, powdered milk) can be left in the Ramp

room to be brought to our neighbors, Central

Reform Congregation and Trinity Episcopal

Food Pantry, for distribution to area needy.

We cannot accept items in glass jars or with

past due expiration dates. We appreciate your

help in ensuring those in need have access to

basic food items.

—Rosemary Lawton

7

Men’s Wellness Ministry

I am organizing an introductory men's

group meeting for Tuesday, December 8

from 7 – 8:30 p.m. At this meeting, I will

outline the basic guidelines for how the

group will be conducted, making use of

my 30 years of experience with the men's

wellness movement, the Mariposa Men‘s

Wellness Institute, and involvement with

a male survivors of incest group and the

men's group at First Unitarian of Albu-

querque from 1987-98.

This first men's group meeting will allow

the attendees to:

discuss where they would like to go

with the group

what kinds of subjects to address (at

least initially)

areas of discussion that are not perti-

nent to a men's group

which day of the week is most com-

fortable for meeting

how often to meet

how to encourage other men in the

congregation to join the group.

All males in the congregation are invited

to attend. If we have (thinking positively)

more than 10 men who wish to participate

[10 being the maximum number per

group, to maximize free-flowing discus-

sion], I'm more than willing to facilitate

multiple sessions. My intention is to open

the men's group process to both males in

our congregation and the other Holy

Ground Collaborative congregations

(assuming they display interest). If you

have any comments, questions or desire

further information, please contact me at

unitarianactivist@holyground-cwe.org.

—Donald Jeffries, Chair

Men's Wellness Ministry

-Continued from page 2-

Enhance the work of church staff and

volunteers, offering input yet respecting

their designated roles;

Allow time for discernment without forcing

decisions.

Forgive each other and ourselves when we make

mistakes;

Remind ourselves and each other of these prom-

ises as needed. This covenant, like each individ-

ual and our congregation, is a work in progress.

My ask of each of you this month is to read and reflect on

our covenant and what it means to you. Work to incorpo-

rate it in all of your discussions, and help one another

when someone needs a gentle reminder of how we have

agreed to be with one another. We don‘t have to agree on

anything to be kind to one another.

—Tiffany Sewell

IT’S TIME TO

THINK ABOUT

ORDERING YOUR

HOLIDAY

POINSETTIAS!

Help decorate the sanc-

tuary for the holidays by

purchasing one or more poinsettias. After they

create a festive atmosphere for December ser-

vices, you may take them home for your own

enjoyment anytime after the Christmas Eve

service. Orders must be received by Thursday,

December 3. Contact Dottie Kinscherf via e-

mail at dottiek@att.net or during coffee hour

for more details. Cost is $10 per 6‖ pot, paya-

ble at signup.

8

WOMEN’S ALLIANCE

Tuesday, December 8.

11:00 a.m. Business

Meeting in the Library. 2 Noon, Lunch: Bring

your own sandwich or salad.

1 p.m. Holiday Cookie Bake-Cathy Rezsinski,

Co-Ordinator.

Ready to bake cookies will be furnished at this

cheery event And, as in the past, members/

friends will bake and divide to share.

Tuesday, January 12 11:00 a.m. Business

Meeting

12 Noon Lunch in Fellowship Hall. Please

bring your own sandwich or salad.-Dessert

and coffee are provided.

1:00 p.m. Library The Reverend Thomas

Perchlik will talk. His subject, "As Minister,

Thoughts and Goals for and of the

Church." There will be opportunity for discus-

sion.

Interested women have a standing invitation to

lunch and the program.

Tuesday, January 26 12 Noon, Lunch in

Fellowship Hall. Please bring your own salad

or sandwich. Dessert and coffee will be pro-

vided.1:00 p.m. Library- Lynn Hunt, First Uni-

tarian credentialed Religious Educator, will

talk. Her subject will be "Voices in Religious

Humanism." There will be opportunity for

discussion.

Interested women are always invited to lunch

and the program.

REFRESHING NEWS

The next time you take a refreshing sip from

the new water fountain in Fellowship Hall,

give thanks for the generosity of Doris Pree

and the Women‘s Alliance who provided the

funds for its purchase and installation.

—Judi Crouch

January Blanket Collection

From Sunday, January 3

through Sunday, January

31st, the Social

Responsibility committee

will collect blankets to sup-

ply St. Louis volunteers who check on the

homeless living on the streets during the winter

cold. All donated blankets must be freshly

cleaned and can be left in the Ramp room

outside of Fellowship Hall.

Thank You! Years ago a member of

this church, who is Vice-Chairman of a

local paper company, arranged for his

company to donate paper to the church.

This has been a great gift which the

office staff has acknowledged every

year. This year he is selling the com-

pany, and thus is no longer in charge of

its charitable giving. For this very val-

uable contribution over many years, we

thank Richard Kniep.

9

TOWARD JUSTICE INFORMATION

The Toward Justice Group that was formed in

the wake of the Ferguson events meets on the

first Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm to

discuss racial justice actions in which we can

participate and reform issues for which we

will advocate. The group is a member of the

Don’t Shoot Coalition. We also attend

various education events that are offered in

the metropolitan area and offer education to

congregation and public. If you are interested

in being on the email list for notifications con-

tact Lynn Hunt or you can join our Facebook

group. The next meeting of the group is De-

cember 1st at 7:00pm. Come and join us!

In the last several months members of the

group have: canvassed in Kirkwood in sup-

port of Anti-Bias Police Training State Legis-

lation, attended the Governmental Account-

ability to the Ferguson Commission Report

meeting organized by Metropolitan Congrega-

tions United and follow-up action outside of

St. Louis City Hall, hosted a Don’t Shoot Co-

alition Town Hall on police body cameras,

offered the Whiteness and Racism class, read

the book of poetry ‗Citizen: An American

Lyric‘ by Claudia Rankine, attended a

performance on mass incarceration at the pris-

on in Pacific, MO and sent a letter to Gover-

nor Nixon, Mayor Slay and County Executive

Stenger asking how they plan to implement

the Calls to Action of the Ferguson Com-

mission. We also regularly participate in the

standing meetings of the Don’t Shoot Coali-

tion. Find out more at our December

meeting!

—Lynn Hunt

GROWING OUR FUTURE……

Long Range Planning at First Unitarian Over the past year, the Long Range Planning

Committee has been in discovery mode, listen-

ing to you concerning our future. We have con-

ducted meetings with the leadership, staff, the

various cluster committees, as well as sought

feedback from the congregation. Through our

efforts of assessing our Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, Threats, and Vision of what we

would like our church to look like in the next 3-

5 years, a number of themes have emerged:

Stewardship

Improve our church governance

Increase our financial resources

Enhance and maintain our facility and site

Community

Engage our community in social change

Recruit and retain new members

Integrate new members

Increase unity and participation

Communicate effectively

Over the next few months, guided by our mis-

sion and values, the committee will be work-

ing with the Board/Council to prioritize goals

and objectives. We will then present and dis-

cuss our recommendations to the congregation

in the spring. Part of our effort has been to

develop a process that will help in creating and

monitoring plans to achieve these goals.

I encourage you to contact me if you have ad-

ditional thoughts and stories to share con-

cerning ―The Kind of Church WE Want to

Be‖

—Larry Dusenbery, Committee Chair

10

LIFESPAN FAITH DEVELOPMENT LYNN HUNT, CREDENTIALED RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR

This is the time of year that we tell ourselves

powerful stories from our religious heritages.

Stories of improbable light and birth. Stories of

hope in the darkest of times. Stories that

recognize despair and longing and, at the same

time, courage and tenderness. That these stories

endure is testament to the importance they still

hold as metaphors to guide us through the troubles

of our personal lives and of those in the world

around us. I hope you find time to enjoy, take

comfort and enliven our living faith tradition in

this time of story. May each of you have a warm

and safe holiday season. Here are some dates and

upcoming programs. –With peace, Lynn Hunt,

Credentialed Religious Educator

For Children and Youth

December 6th – Nifty Gifty – This is our annual

gift making Sunday. Children will come to the

Chapel for lots of fun and creativity. Please bring

shoe boxes to the church for one of the projects

(they can be placed on a shelf in the Ramp Room

leading to Fellowship Hall). Also, remember to

bring a new unwrapped toy on this morning to

support our annual toy drive for Project Ark.

December 6th is the last Sunday we can accept

donations.

The Youth Group will prepare and serve the hot

lunch for hungry people in our community at

Trinity Episcopal Church.

December 13th -- Pageant Scenery Set-Up

(11:15) – All hands on deck to assemble our stage

set for the Pageant!

December 19th – Pageant Rehearsal (9:30 –

noon) – details of the rehearsal will be mailed to

all families.

December 20th – Pageant – Sunday School chil-

dren will present a traditional Christmas Pageant

during the 10:00am service.

December 27th – RE Winter Break – no

classes/child care only

Book Fair – Just in time for your holiday shop-

ping the Religious Education program is once

again holding a Book & Craft Fair with proceeds

supporting our Boston Trip Fund. We will be

offering Beacon Press and Skinner House books

on Sunday mornings December 6th and 13th.

In addition, there will be lovely handmade

jewelry and craft items. As usual you can also

support our own John Learned Library by pur-

chasing one of the books on their wish list. Plan

to support this great sale. All proceeds support

the Boston Trip Fund. This fund supports the 8th

grade Coming of Age class trip to Boston where

they visit sites important to the development of

Unitarianism in America. Many thanks to

Dahven Doctor for once again organizing this

event.

Second Semester

Religious Education Teachers The second semester of Religious Education is approaching and there are several teaching open-ings. Teaching is one of the greatest and funda-mental gifts to the congregation, our children, and the tradition of liberal religion that you can give. It is also one of the best ways to get to know the families in the RE program, develop a closer con-nection with the children and, also, a great way to learn yourself. Look for the sign-up sheet in Fel-lowship Hall or contact Lynn Hunt if you would like to participate. Thanks in advance.

Special Thanks to everyone who has been

teaching in the Sunday School:

Karen Siegrist, Lynda Mueller Drendel, Steve

Wilke, Claire Weichselbaum, Kathy Wilke, Dan

Wilke, Danielle Kozemczak, Joel Minor, Shan-

non O’Boyle, Janet Oriatti, Tara Perry, Jon

Fisher, Kevin Pumm, Sarah Francois, Brian

Mason, Laurel Heddens-Kocher, Heidi Meister,

Vicky Goodwind, Sara Park, and Ben

Rosensweig

It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve

with all of you.

11

For All

Project Ark is committed to providing

services that enhance the lives of children,

youth, young adults, women and families

infected, affected and at risk for HIV disease

through coordination of medical care, social

support and prevention services. They are the

only organization in the St. Louis metropolitan

area that specifically coordinates medical care,

social support and prevention services for these

population groups. You can support this or-

ganization’s holiday toy distribution project

by bringing in a new, unwrapped toy for a

child between the ages of one and fourteen.

We can accept donations through December

6th.

Wonderful Wednesday Solstice Celebration

with ERDE, December 16th –

Join ERDE (Earth Reverence Dedicants Ex-

traordinaire) in celebrating the Winter Solstice,

the time of the longest nights and the rebirth of

the Sun. Meet in the chapel at 7:00 p.m. We

will release what we're ready to be let go of,

and offer up our heartfelt wishes for the future.

All ages are welcome. If weather permits we

might be outside part of the time, so please

dress for the weather! (Please note – bring your

own meal to enjoy with others from 6:00 –

6:45pm prior to the Winter Solstice celebra-

tion.) Bring cookies to share with one anoth-

er after the service.

For Adults

Covenant Groups In Covenant Groups people come together in a cir-

cle of trust, in covenant, to be in right relation with

one another with respect and care. We cultivate

deep listening as each person takes a turn in a kind

of sacred space to express what stirs in them about

the topic of the session. The careful listening en-

riches the lively back and forth interchange that

follows. If you would like more information about

joining a group you can: sign up in Fellowship

Hall, call the Faith Development Office (314-361-

0595 ext 25) or send a message through the website

(http://www.firstuustlouis.org/engaging/covenant-

groups).

Great Books – Please note that Great Books will

not meet in December. The group will have their

discussion of Antony & Cleopatra in January at

United Provisions in the Loop.

Buddhism Book Discussion Group Second Tuesday of the month (December 8th –

6:30 – 8:00pm)

Want to learn more about Buddhism? Have you

read about Buddhism and would love to discuss the

concepts with others? We are partnering with The

Pragmatic Buddhist group (that meets on Thursday

evenings) with a Buddhism book discussion group.

The December selection is

Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of

Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

(ISBN-10: 1572246952 or ISBN-13: 978-

1572246959)

If you change your brain, you can change your life.

Great teachers like the Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Mo-

hammed, and Gandhi were all born with brains built

essentially like anyone else‘s—and then they

changed their brains in ways that changed the

world. Science is now revealing how the flow of

thoughts actually sculpts the brain, and more and

more, we are learning that it's possible to

-continued on page 15-

12

From the Stewardship Corner: a monthly column by our members and

friends on topics related to nurturing, sus-

taining and growing our church communi-

ty

The True Story of Doug, the Miracle Tree

Once in recent times a newlywed couple

bought a Douglas fir to grace their home for

the Christmas season. They placed angel and

star ornaments on it to remind them of the

story of the birth of Jesus. They put icicles on

it to remind them that the cold, dark winter is

still beautiful. They put Santa on it because

they loved giving and receiving gifts. As they

decorated their tree they decided it must have

a name. They called him Doug.

Anyone who has had a real Christmas tree

knows it must be watered every day for as

long as it will drink. It is an easy-to-forget

chore with all the excitement of Christmas.

But the young couple thought of Doug more

as a pet than a decoration. They watered him

faithfully. They worried, though, that one day

he would stop taking water. Christmas would

be over and Doug too would have to go.

New Years passed and Doug kept drinking

all the water they gave him. One day the

couple noticed that Doug had new branches

with bright green needles. They were excited

to learn they could grow new trees from those

branches. Soon they had lovely Douglas Firs

growing in their yard, and they grow there

still, keeping the Christmas spirit alive all

year.

First Unitarian Church is my Doug, the

Christmas tree. Like the newlyweds watering

Doug, I nourish my church with a sustaining

pledge. I came to church seeking help to

share my faith traditions with my son and

to find my own beauty and grace in cold,

dark times. Now I see my son and his peers

live the values they learned at church. And

as I stand in this community that is stand-

ing on the side of love, I am always finding

beauty and grace. My joy in giving is in-

creased by the unexpected new growth that

I receive in return.

—Sarah Dashner

Church Canvass Team

Money Matters We are almost at the

half-way point in our

present fiscal year

and First Church‘s

Canvass Team is

working with other church leadership to

identify needs and goals for the 2016-17

year. The Team now meets twice monthly

to reflect and plan for our all church canvass

which formally kicks off on March 10 and

ends with an all church event on April

10th.

In the next weeks and months, the Team

is hosting a series of reflections in the news-

letter and pulpit on all that First Church of-

fers its members and friends and its meaning

in our lives. Team meetings are open to all;

our next scheduled meetings are November

22 and December 5th at 11:30 am in room

C1. The Canvass Team may be contacted

with your comments and suggestions at:

canvass@firstuustlouis.org. We welcome

hearing from you.

—Jeanette Myers

13

Public Relations & Marketing Committee

With the holidays coming soon, now is a

great time to add to your gift lists with mer-

chandise from the PR & Marketing Commit-

tee. We have many different kinds of First

Unitarian of St. Louis ‗branded‘ apparel for

sale.

In addition to our regular stock of short-

sleeved t-shirts, baseball-style hats, coffee

mugs, and window decals, we‘ve recently

added long-sleeved t-shirts and hooded sweat-

shirts (great for those cold winter days!),

book backpacks, and canvas shopping bags (a

great way to display the church when you‘re

out shopping). We now order all items on an

‗as needed‘ basis, so if it‘s not in-stock, we

can have it to you within a week.

Drop by the PR & Marketing Committee ta-

ble in Fellowship Hall in November & De-

cember to purchase these great First Church

‗branded‘ items for all the people on your

holiday gift list!! —Donald Jeffries, Chair

John Learned Library

at the RE Book and Craft Fair

this December!

When the Religious Education program holds its

Book & Craft Fair in early December, you can

triple dip in holiday fun!

-Buy a book published by Skinner House or Bea-

con Press (publishers of the UUA).

-Support the Boston Trip Fund, since this is a

fundraiser for the 8th grade class trip.

-Support the John Learned Library by buying one

of the books from our Wish List and donating it

to the church library. These are books that have

been pre-approved by the library committee.

Budget constraints this year mean that we have

funds to buy only a very limited number of books

to add to the collection, but you can help! A book

plate will be placed in each donated book in hon-

or of the donor.

We‘ve chosen seven books for our Wish List:

1.Listening Hearts, by Christine Robinson and

Alicia Hawkins

2.Gatherings, by Bill Hamilton-Holway and To-

ny Bushman

3.A Dream Too Wild, edited by Barry M. An-

drews

4.Thoreau as Spiritual Guide, by Barry M. An-

drews

5.Voices from the Margins, edited by Jacqui

James and Mark Morrison-Reed

6.A God That Could Be Real, by Nancy Ellen

Abrams

7. A History of Religion in 5½ Objects, by S.

Brent Plate

We invite you to explore the John Learned Li-

brary on Sunday mornings. You can browse the

general collection and our New Books shelves,

then take a look at our displays on Race & Diver-

sity, Buddhism & Meditation, Leadership Re-

sources, Sermon Resources, and Unitarian Uni-

versalism. A library committee member is availa-

ble to help you.

—Terry Yokota

14

The Holidays are Upon us.....

...And as in years past,

we will take up a collection for monetary Christmas gifts for our

hourly and contracted staff members:

Augie Underwood,

Rhonda Buergler,

Elliott Smith,

Mary Thompson,

Ashley Cox, and

Connie Taylor

as well as our parking

lot security guard.

A collection box will be at the

Sign Up Table in Fellowship Hall through

December 13th.

Contributions can also be

mailed to the church office,

Attn: Yvette Clemons

Or

Call Mary in the church office or visit the church website

to use your credit card!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

From the office staff

15

100 Women STL - Invitation for the women of First Unitarian Church: Amanda Kracen

and Teresa Deshields have formed a local

chapter of 100 Women Who Care, a

charitable giving organization with the goal of

supporting local charities. The group meets

four times per year to hear about three local

charities. Members then vote to select one

charity, and each member writes a $100 check

to the selected charity. Thus, while the total

commitment per member is $400 per year, by

combining our efforts the selected charity gets

a substantial gift. The next meeting is Mon-

day December 7 @ 7:15 pm. If you are

interested or have questions, contact Amanda

(akracen@hotmail.com) or Teresa

(tld2593@bjc.org).

—Teresa Deshields

Poetry in the Bible Mondays January 11, 18, 25 and February

1, 8 | 6:00-7:30 | Clark Room

This informal course will look at poetry in the

Hebrew Bible, specifically in some of the

Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Songs

(and maybe Genesis, Isaiah, and Job, too).

Participants will learn to identify some of the

forms, structures, and dynamics of biblical

poetry. This exploration is meant to be in-

formative, but more than that it will be fun!

Along the way we will learn the Aleph Bet,

explore ancient cultures, and meet some an-

cient poets whose hearts and minds continue

to shape modern artistry to this very day!

Presented by Brian Mason, Ministerial In-

tern– Sign-Up in Fellowship Hall.

-continued from page 11-

strengthen positive brain states.

By combining breakthroughs in neuroscience

with insights from thousands of years of

mindfulness practice, you too can use your

mind to shape your brain for greater happi-

ness, love, and wisdom. This book presents

an unprecedented intersection of psychology,

neurology, and contemplative practice, and is

filled with practical tools and skills that you

can use every day to tap the unused potential

of your brain and rewire it over time for

greater well-being and peace of mind

Left Bank Books has created a website for the

discussion group, with a link to purchase the

book. They'll also stock the book, so folks can

head to the bookstore to buy it, if they'd

like: www.left-bank.com/buddhist-book-club

Sign-up in Fellowship Hall to receive more

information about this group.

Everything you wanted to know about church finances but were afraid to ask! Sunday December 6th

11:30 – 12:30 in Hope Chapel

Please join members of the Finance Committee

at our first program to help raise members‘

awareness and understand of church financial

workings. We'll try to make it understandable

and interesting. We will look at where the

church‘s money comes from and where it goes,

and especially on how it helps support our wor-

ship and ministerial services.

The meeting will run about 40 minutes with 20

minutes available for questions, answers and

discussion. Hope to see you there!

—Steve Smidowicz

Finance Committee Chair

16

RECYCLING

Don‘t

forget....the

church

belongs to a

recycling

program with Quill, our

office supply company.

The church receives rebates

for recycling inkjet

cartridges. Recycle bins are

found in the copy area of

the church office.

DON’T FORGET TO LIKE US, FOLLOW US

AND CHECK-IN ON

FACEBOOK

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FITNESS: BODY, MIND AND SOUL....

QIGONG OFFERED AT FIRST UU Qigong combines mindful, gentle,

physical postures and movements

with meditation, breath-work,

sounds (mantras) and self-massage

techniques to revitalize your Vital

Life Force energies and to

enhance physical, emotional,

mental, and spiritual healing.

Qigong techniques help to dissolve

accumulated stress and fatigue,

increase energy, and strengthen the immune system.

Accumulated daily practice of Qigong movements and

meditation build up a storehouse of Qi energy and also lead to

enhanced concentration, improved mental focus, and greater

intuitive functioning.

Hour long Qigong classes on Tuesdays

at 2pm in Hope Chapel.

These are pay-as-you-can classes.

TOASTMASTERS CLUB Join us each first and third Sunday at 7 p.m.

in the Clark Room. For information contact

Stan Veyhl at (314) 863-3229 or

sveyhl@earthlink.net.

17

DO YOU SHOP ON-LINE? When making your on-line purchases be

sure to log on to GoodSearch.com. Search

for your items through Good Search, each

search earns money for First Unitarian

Church. The potential is SO MUCH

higher...cost to you...ZERO!

Simply go to the GoodSearch

website, log-on and input ―First Unitarian

Church of St. Louis‖ into the field that asks

for what group you want to support. It‘s

that easy.

It‘s a free and easy way to raise money for

our church and get some of your shopping

finished.

Each month, GoodSearch sends the church a

check!

Don‘t forget to use your eScrip card when

shopping at Schnucks. The church receives

a percentage each time you shop. Don‘t

have an eScrip Card? Stop by the sign-up

table in Fellowship Hall and pick up one

this Sunday. Simply register on-line and

you are ready to earn money for First

Unitarian Church.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS ALICIA CLAIRE LLOYD

10-25-15

SUSAN NOVAK-TIBBETT

11-15-15

SUSAN FAZIO

11-22-15

ROAD TO MEMBERSHIP

Anyone who wishes to join our

congregation as a member

may sign the

membership book on the last

Sunday of each month

shortly after the service.

The minister or a board officer

(President, Church Council Chair,

Secretary or Treasurer)

will meet you on the

Sanctuary chancel.

We welcome you to our religious

community

18

MEMORIALS AND SPECIAL GIFTS TO THE CHURCH

THANK YOU FOR THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL DONATIONS:

A total of $379.56 was donated to our

Designated Collections on October 25

for UU-UNO. On November 1

UNICEF received $222.48 and on

November 8 Men‘s Wellness Ministry

received $434.00. $400 was donated to

the Memorial Fund in memory of

Nick Detering.

JOYS AND CONCERNS FROM NOVEMBER 2015

Let us keep in our minds all in our church

who live and struggle to heal from illness and

surgery, and let us remember all who have

family members who are ill or who have

died.

—Congratulations to new members, Eric

and Jessica Boswell on the birth of their 6lb

4oz –20 inches baby boy, Bennett John Bos-

well, born September 22 at 12:36 pm.

—Please send well wishes to Carol Iglauer

who broke her heel.

—Lynn Hunt’s, Religious Educator, mother

-in-law, Rose King, died on Sunday, October

25 after being diagnosed with a terminal

illness two months ago. Services were held

at Hoffmeister Mortuary Thursday, October

29, 2015.

—Mimi Hubert is recovering at home and

feeling stronger after a recent stay at Mercy

hospital. We send all good wishes for a

steady recovery.

—Danny Milam, had surgery for prostate

cancer on 11/9/15. Surgery went well and he

is recuperating at home.

A Bike Ride For Sound

Our November bicycle ride fundraiser raised

$650 to help fund our much needed sound

system upgrade.

A big thank you to those who enjoyed a fun

ride on Madison County Trail System and to

those who contributed.

—Charlie Kindleberger, Chair

Inventory Reduction Sale

Feasts and Festivals committee presents its

first inventory reduction sale on Sunday,

November 29 starting at 9am. Items for

sale will include beautifully decorated

Christmas wreaths, tablecloths, battery-

operated and wax candles, Christmas bows

and assorted gently-used decorations from

previous events.

All proceeds will go towards funding a

Christmas tree for Hanging of the Greens!

Bring your cash or checks and prepare

to pick this fun collection!

19

CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Please keep in mind that the calendar is updated daily

and does not show outside rentals. Refer to the Web

Site calendar for up-to-date information.

Tuesday, December 1 2:00 p.m. - Qigong Class (CH) 7:00 p.m. - First UU of St. Louis Buddhist (CH) 7:00 p.m. - Toward Justice (CLK)

Wednesday, December 2 6:00 p.m. - Long Range Planning Committee, C1 7:00 p.m. - Worship Committee, Library 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, December 3 5:00 p.m. - Facilities Meeting, C1 6:00 p.m. - Hanging of the Greens setup 6:30 p.m. - Center for Pragmatic Buddhism, Chapel

Friday, December 4 4:00 p.m. - Hanging of the Greens setup 6:00 p.m. - Hinging of the Greens (DR, S, FH)

Saturday, December 5 9:30 a.m. - CRC (All Rooms) 9:30 a.m. - Moppet Swap (CLK)

Sunday, December 6 Fair Trade Coffee Sales/Youth Group Trinity Hot Lunch/Nifty Gifty 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 11:15 a.m. - Book Fair, C1 11:15 a.m. - New to First U Covenant Group, C8 11:30 a.m. - Everything You Wanted to Know About Church Finances, (CH) 11:30 a.m. - Whiteness and Racism Adult Ed. (DR)

Tuesday, December 8 11:00 a.m.- Women’s Alliance 2:00 p.m. - Qigong Class (CH) 6:30 p.m. - Policy Board Meeting (C1) 6:30 p.m. - Buddhist Book Discussion Group (CH) 7:00 p.m. - Men’s Wellness Ministry (CLK)

Wednesday, December 9 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal

Saturday, December 12 9:30 a.m. - CRC (All Rooms)

Sunday, December 13 Newsletter Deadline/Designated Collection: Robert Ford Haitian Foundation/Fair Trade Coffee/Partner Church Bake Sale/Music Sunday 9:00 a.m. - Sandwich Making for the Homeless 11:15 a.m. - Knitting Ministry (C8) 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 11:15 a.m. - Pageant Scenery 11:30 a.m. - Covenant Group (C8) 11:30 a.m. - Whiteness and Racism Class (CLK)

Tuesday, December 15 2:00 p.m. - Qigong Class (CH) 6:30 p.m. - Finance Committee (C1)

Wednesday, December 16 6:00 p.m. - Wonderful Wednesday 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal

Saturday, December 19 9:00 a.m. - Pageant Rehearsal

Sunday, December 20 Fair Trade Coffee/Pageant 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 11:30 a.m. - Covenant Group (C8) 11:30 a.m. - Emily-Jeremy Colton Covenant Gr. (C7) 7:00 p.m. - Toastmasters (CLK)

Tuesday, December 22 9:30 a.m. - Newsletter Folding (C1) 2:00 p.m. - Qigong Class (CH) 6:30 p.m. - Church Council Meeting (C1)

Wednesday, December 23 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, December 24 Church Office Closed– Christmas Designated Collection: 100 Neediest Cases/South Side Early Childhood 4:30 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.- Worship Service (S) Thursday, December 25 6:00 p.m. - Young Adult Vespers & Fellowship (CH)

Sunday, December 27 9:00 a.m. - Sandwich Making for the Homeless 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S)

Tuesday, December 29 2:00 p.m. - Qigong Class (CH)

Wednesday, December 30 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal

For updates to the church calendar visit firstuustlouis.org

20

www.UUSTL.org

Member, Unitarian Universalist Association

The St. Louis Unitarian Volume 46, Number 6

December 2015 December newsletter deadline: December 13

Fold: December 22 @ 9:30 a.m. Submit news to office@firstuustlouis.org

(314) 361-0595/96 • fax: (314) 361-0712

Minister

Rev. Thomas Perchlik

ext. 22

tperchlik@firstuustlouis.org

Ministerial Intern

Brian Mason

ext. 24

bmason@firstuustlouis.org

Religious Education Team

Lynn Hunt, Credentialed Religious Educator

ext. 25

lhunt@firstuustlouis.org

Rhonda Buergler, Sunday Assistant

Augustine Underwood, RE, Admin. Assistant

Music Team

Joel Knapp, Choir/Music Director

music.director@firstuustlouis.org

Earl Naylor, Organist/Accompanist

Administrative Team

Yvette Clemons, Church Administrator

ext. 23

yclemons@firstuustlouis.org

Membership

Dan Livengood, Membership Coordinator

Mary Thompson, Sunday Sexton

Elliott Smith,/Constance Taylor Custodian

Donald Jeffries, Newsletter Proofreader

Office Hours Mon — Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday Closed

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