The St. Louis Unitarian March 2015 Vol. 45, No. 3

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

MARCH 2015 WORSHIP INFORMATION

March 1 – “Generating Generosity”

How important is this church to your spiritual life? Is congregational life essential, or just an extra? How does what you give to this church shape what is of greatest worth? Reverend Sunshine Wolfe, transition minister

at First Unitarian of Alton, will help us explore these questions on this Generosity Sunday, with special music from First U Choir.

March 8 – “Partner Church: Who are My People?” Who are your people and are the Unitarians of Transylvania included in

that group? They draw heavily from a particular ethnic and cultural heritage, Sekely-Hungarian. In what ways are they different, and in what

ways are they the same as Unitarians of Saint Louis? Are they your people or not? If not, who are your people? Reverend Thomas is in the

pulpit, special music from First U Choir.

March 15 – “Education for the Soul” Special music from our joyful Hope Choir. One of the key values of

Unitarianism in Saint Louis has been a deep commitment to education. While we often limit education to increasing and integrating knowledge, the full purpose of education is always to develop the character and soul

of a person. Dr. Stefan Bradley and Rev. Perchlik will explore the spiritual dimensions of education.

March 18 – 7:00PM “Vespers: Spring Equinox”

The ERDE (from the German for ‘earth’, pronounced, air-du) group will

lead us in celebrating the balance of light and dark that is the

Spring Equinox.

March 22 – “Universal and Unitary Truth” Our long-standing friend and occasional minister, Rev. Jim Daugherty, will again speak from the liberal Christian perspective on the Universal

and the Unitary. Special music from First U Choir.

March 29 – “Palm Sunday” Our ministerial intern, Rose Schwab, will reflect on the universal

meanings of Palm Sunday, with special music from Aiden Haynes and friends.

FAIR TRADE COFFEE SALES

MARCH 15

Mark Your

Calendars for

March 27

March 18 See pg. 10

PARTNER CHURCH DINNER

MARCH 14 SEE PG. 5

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MINISTER’S COLUMN

When I began ministry, there was no such

thing as email. These days, I get an average

of 50 messages a day. Some days I just don’t

have time to sort through them all. I used to

respond to email immediately, now it can take

days.

It seems as though communication has

become more

complicated with

expanding modes of

modern technology.

Twenty-five years

ago, if I wanted to

reach someone I

would just pick up

the phone, call their

home number, and

perhaps I would have

to leave a

message.

Sometimes, I might

have to send a paper

letter. These days, I

may have to call ei-

ther a land-line, an

office number, a cell-phone or all three.

Perhaps, I should not call but send a text.

Then again, I might have to send an email, to

one or more addresses, post on Facebook,

send a text message via Facebook Messenger,

or Skype. All this seems to be a very recent

problem. On the other hand, in 1988 I was

told that to reach almost everyone in a church

one must say something at least nine times, in

three different forms, both in print and

verbally.

Of course, anyone who wants to reach me

must face the same complexity and challenge.

To tell me what you think or to know what I

think, you have many choices. You can:

listen to a Sunday sermon, listen to podcasts

of my sermons, read my written sermons, read

my newsletter column, read my reports to the

our Policy Board and Church Council, read

my Facebook posts and comments, check out

by latest blog:

thomasperchlik.wordpress.com

Send me an email

and await a reply,

or find time to talk

with me. I love to

talk with people.

Please, use any

technology

available to

schedule a

meeting of minds,

coffee and

conversation, walk

and talk, dinner

and discussion or

some other

alliterative form of

connection,

anytime. I will work to fit you into my crazy

communication schedule.

Yours in Peace,

Thomas

3

GENEROSITY SUNDAY IS COMING

Giving to this church is not about paying

bills, but fulfilling our mission to find

the spiritual resources that enable us to

work for love, decency, tolerance and

justice. Our congregation’s canvass team has selected a process that focuses on the spiritual

principle of generosity as the focus of the annual canvass this year. This process

focuses on education about giving and the spirituality of abundance and deep generosity. This

month of education prepares us for one single Generosity Sunday, which will be March 1, 2015.

The basic idea is that we each give, to the church, and to others as part of our individual spiritual

development and worship. In our church, we think of worship as “shaping what is of worth”.

So the central question, we are helping each other answer, is “How does my giving to the church

shape what is of the greatest worth?” Our pledges are not “membership dues” for a social club,

nor are they “needed by the Church to keep the doors open.”

Every person in the church is encouraged to complete an Estimate of Giving Card by attending

morning worship on Generosity Sunday, the first day of March. On that Sunday, our Guest

Leader, Reverend Sunshine Wolfe, will lead us in estimating our giving as an act of worship that

day. There will be no follow-up visits. We will make every effort to inform, inspire, and

commit everyone to attend Generosity Sunday Worship.

Thank you in advance for your enthusiastic participation in Generosity Sunday!

Yours in the Spirit of Abundance,

The Generosity Sunday Team

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CHURCH PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Changes, changes and changes…The

Mid-winter Meeting has come and gone.

That’s the first milestone event of each

calendar year. Many were able to attend; the

preceding potluck was amazing, as always;

there were visual reminders of things we do

well; things we do to have fun; and many

dreams and hopes for the future. Thank you

to all who sent their thoughts regarding the

meeting and content. All are appreciated and

noted.

There are many kinds of changes; positive,

negative and those whose time has come.

Whatever the change happens to be it usually

will involve some challenge. How the

challenge(s) is/are addressed is important.

The leadership engaged in a process referred

to as Appreciative Inquiry (AI) at the

September retreat. This is a method of

determining what is done well, and how to

improve upon it; and if something is not

happening that is important to the pulse of

the community, how it may be

possible. AI is an alternative to the more

traditional method of problem-solving.

Using the AI approach can aid in seeking,

discussing, considering and finding more

effective means of overcoming challenges.

Here’s an example of how to use AI to

address a challenge. First Unitarian was

conducting two services on Sundays until

December 21, 2014 during the regular church

year. Based on attendance trends, and input

from a variety of sources, the decision was

made to move to a single service on Sunday

mornings for an undesignated period of time.

The comments received on this change are

varied and cover a broad spectrum ranging

from positive, not so positive, and

questioning. Use of the AI method to

address the challenges and a number of

alternative options that became available for

discussion and consideration that may allow

better use of time, talent and resources. Here

are some suggestions that might be

considered:

Encourage the use of Alternative

Transportation more regularly.

Choices might include:

Carpooling with others who live close to you

or on the way; using the Metro to the nearest

station and walking; parking in a CWE

public lot and walking a few blocks; and

many other alternatives that will allow

parking space to be available for visitors and/

or those with mobility restrictions.

Sit a little closer to your neighbor in the

pew, move toward the center aisle, and fill

from the front to the back. There are 15

pews on each side of the sanctuary. A

minimum of 7 people can sit comfortably in

Continued on next page

5

PARTNER CHURCH NEWS

Your Transylvanian Transport is

Standing By

Our fabulous dinner

event awaits you: mouthwatering smells

of home-cooked

Hungarian cuisine waft

through Fellowship

Hall; sounds of violin

and piano delight the ear; sip a glass of fine

wine with Rose Schwab as she tells of her

summer among our Unitarian friends in

Transylvania. You won’t want to miss this

wonderful evening! Save the date on your

calendar RIGHT NOW and don’t let any

other event get in the way!!

Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m.

$25 for adults

$10 for ages 15 - 30

under 15 free

vegetarian specialties also offered

This is our major fundraiser to support our

partnership with Unitarians in Transylvania,

historic cradle of our faith. Sign-ups begin

Feb. 22 in Fellowship Hall. Your presence is

requested.

each pew. That works out to room for 210

people in the pews.

Reconfigure the seating completely.

Consider the option of removing all pews

and replacing with individual chairs, similar

to those currently on the chancel and in the

Clark Room. This option allows for

alternative seating configurations within the

main sanctuary as well as the potential for

using the space beyond regular worship

services.

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on

the possibilities available to face the

challenges of this change. Feel free to send

them to me via email; talk to me at church;

or give me a call.

REMINDER: Did you fill-out the

RESERVATION CARD for your seat at the

Generosity Sunday Brunch?

There is still time. Call the office if you

have any questions.

SAVE THE DATE: It’s Coming…March

1st!

A very special and important date…plan to

be in church and be a part of this exciting

time!

--Diane Fawcett

Church President

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RECYCLING

Don’t

forget....the

church

belongs to a

recycling

program with Quill, our

office supply company.

The church receives rebates

for recycling ink jet

cartridges. So far this fiscal

year the church has

received $200.00 in “Quill

Cash” to use towards the

purchase of office supplies.

Please note, we also

recycle used batteries and

cell phones.

All 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

WOMEN'S ALLIANCE MARCH, 2015

MARCH 10

11:00: Meet in the library for the monthly business meeting

12:00: Meet in Fellowship Hall for lunch---coffee, tea and

dessert provided

1:00 : Our program presenter today is Lynn Hunt, Certified

Religious Educator at First Unitarian.

MARCH 24

12:00 : Meet in Fellowship Hall for lunch---coffee, tea and

dessert provided

1:00 : Let's Start Stories of Change, a play

All are welcome to these and other Alliance programs. Come

join us for socializing and enrichment.

Did you know? The Women's Alliance has awarded

twenty-five scholarships to Unitarian women pursuing higher

education. The program began in 1990. Several of the

recipients became Unitarian ministers (Carol Huston, Bonnie

Vegiard, Carol Dole). One recipient (Holly Mueller) is a

current theology student. The funds for the scholarship started

with a $10,000 gift from church member Edna Landzettl.

Information is forthcoming about next year's scholarship.

Administrator’s Note: To receive a scholarship application

packet, please contact the church office.

7

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, President Elect,

Secretary or Treasurer)

will meet you on the

Sanctuary chancel.

We welcome you to our religious

community

Welcome New Members:

ERIC TUCOTTE luminary@gmail.com

Joined 1/25/2015

First Church is a community that

challenges you to grow,

a loving community that supports you through life's

challenges and along your unique path.

Our theology is about creating community,

and there's no community without commitment.

ROAD TO MEMBERSHIP

Trinis Collins penned her name in the Membership

Book because she recognized in First Church a home

community for herself and her three children. A place

and people with unfenced-in spirits and minds. Trinis

was struck by the creative diversity of worship,

including having numerous service leaders, and our

social action. She and her children are putting down

roots.

Joel & Angela Minor were already UUs when they

started to come to services. First Church enfolded them

into a community with historic roots but one fully

engaged in the present with forward momentum. Rev.

Thomas Perchlik’s sermons and reverent nature along

with the RE program for their grade school children

completed the circle of belonging. They wished to

make it official by signing the Membership Book.

8

LIFESPAN FAITH DEVELOPMENT LYNN HUNT, CREDENTIALED RELIGIOUS EDUCATOR What is hope?

It is the pre-sentiment that imagination

Is more real and reality is less real than it

looks.

It is the hunch that the overwhelming

brutality

Of facts that oppress and repress us

Is not the last word. (excerpt from the poem

‘Tomorrow’s Child’ by Rubin Alves)

The Chapel in which our children gather is

named ‘Hope Chapel.’ This is not an

accident as Hope is one of the main reasons

that we come to church and that

we bring our children to

church. We remind ourselves

that Hope is a religious impulse

when we recite this line from

our Chapel Chalice Lighting

liturgy: So that we may be inspired to keep burning the light of goodness and truth, beauty and love, now and for the future, we light this candle of hope. We say these words in church to

remind ourselves that we are the imagination

incarnate that shapes the world. That the

world can be and will be a place of joy and

love. That everyone, no matter how young or

old, is a part of the process of creating this

reality.

Important work happens in our Religious

Education program. It might seem small, but

the results are immeasurable. Every week our

teachers are sparking the imaginations of our

children and youth. Amanda Kracen and

Jason McClure spend time with the

pre-schoolers doing things like making Gorp

that the children can share. Susan

Herzberg, Todd O’Boyle and Shannon

O’Boyle take the Kindergarten and First

Graders on journeys through the wonders and

wisdom of Hindu and Buddhist teachings.

Janet Oriatti and Grace Munie explore our

Unitarian Universalist values with the

Second and Third Graders. How we project

our inner values to the world is examined by

the Fourth and Fifth Grade with Tara Perry

and Sarah Francois. After delving into

Why Do Bad Things Happen, Jim Kirby and

Claire Weichselbaum are

creating ways of Making Good Things

Happen with the Sixth Graders. Our Seventh

and Eighth Graders are discovering how to

have a healthy relationships in the Our

Whole Lives program with Teresa Deshields

and Josh Peck. Our High School Youth

Group continues to chart their course of

discovery and community with the guidance

of Ben Rosenweig, Sara Collier and

Victoria Bonvento. These teachers and

many others create an atmosphere which

fosters Hope and that we have the ability to

actualize the hope we see. Thanks to all of

you for invigorating Unitarian Universalism!

Calling All Girl Scouts!

Religion in Life Program for Girl Scouts

Calling interested Junior and

Cadette Girl Scouts! Did

you know you can earn the

Religion in Life Girl Scout

award? This award connects

Girl Scouting to the

Unitarian Universalist faith, heritage and

values.

9

More information on the Girls Scouts go to:

www.uua.org/re/children/

scouting/169558.shtml or

girlscouts.blogs.uua.org/younger-girls/

You are welcome to join a group of girls who

will meet for five sessions to focus on

completing the requirements for the award.

The group will meet at 11am in the lower

classroom on five upcoming Sundays (Feb

22, Mar 8, Mar 29, Apr 12, Apr 26). Heidi

Meister will facilitate. Contact Lynn Hunt for

more information.

Garden Clean Wake Up

March 22nd – 11:00-12:00

Religious Education Families

are invited to stay after church

on the 22nd of March to help

wake up our garden. We will do

some soil prep and initial plant-

ing. Everyone invited!

Trivia Night!

Thanks to everyone who helped plan and

implement the Trivia Night. Special thanks

to Jim Kirby for creating the questions and

being the M.C. Also, gratitude to the winning

table (organized by Kathy Wire) for

donating back the cash winnings and to Matt

for donating back a large portion of the 50/50

raffle winnings. Your generosity is greatly

appreciated.

UnFish Fry

Volunteers needed!

The Unfish Fry is

back and we need

your help! Coming

to First Church on

Friday March 27th we will be offering

another all-vegetarian dinner this year as a

family fun event; profits will benefit the

church. Fun, good times and good food are

promised for all who join the

Unfish Crew. If you are in-

terested in helping in any way

-from cooking or baking to

selling

desserts or helping wash dishes and cleaning

up, please join us! Being part of the Unfish

Fry crew is a great way for new or long-term

members to have fun getting to know each

other by working together. Please sign up in

Fellowship Hall, the Unfish Fry Crew needs

you!

Covenant Groups

In Covenant Groups people come together in a

circle of trust, in covenant, to be in right rela-

tion with one another with respect and care.

We cultivate deep listening as each person

takes a turn in a kind of sacred space to ex-

press what stirs in them about the topic of the

session. The careful listening enriches the

lively back and forth interchange that follows.

If you would like more information about

joining a group you can: sign up in Fellow-

ship 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).

COVENANT GROUP MIXER

March 21, 5:00-8:00 PM

Come learn about Covenant Groups and enjoy

mixing with others. Pot Luck begins at 5:00

followed by a brief presentation about cove-

nant groups and an experience of being in a

group. The theme of the evening will be the

meeting of our common human

Continued on pg. 10

10

experience. We will explore the interweaving

of our individual selves and our connecting to

one another and the Universe.

Covenant Groups facilitate a close sharing of

our spiritual/human lives with a focus on

Deep Listening as well as lively meaningful

interchange.

There are several covenant groups in our

church with 6 – 10 members each. Some

have a theme or demographic (i.e. young

adults, metaphysics) and some are general in

nature. New members are always welcome!

Sign up in Fellowship Hall!

Wonderful

Wednesday

March 18,

2015 –

6:00pm till

8:30pm Plan to join our once a month mid-week

gathering for fun, connection and learning.

Schedule for the evening:

6:00-6:45 – Come anytime during this

time-frame to purchase a simple meal.

7:00-7:20 – Vesper Service – Spring

Equinox service led by ERDE

7:30-8:30 – Programming

Marching in the Arc of Justice: Re-Visiting

Selma – The Unitarian Universalist

Association is holding a conference in honor

of the 50th Anniversary of the Selma Voting

Rights Campaign and to affirm our solidarity

with all those engaged in the ongoing

struggles for human dignity, rights and social

justice. Lynn Hunt will report on the

activities of this conference.

Constructing Blends in Wine There are classic wine blends and more mod-

ern non-traditional blends. What goes into

the decision making process behind

constructing a blend. Wine makers in

Bordeaux have spent centuries crafting

classic blends of

Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet

Franc and the other allowable

grapes. New World wine

makers take chances with

interesting varietals, matching

flavor profiles. In this class

we’ll taste through some of

these blends and discuss the

decision process made in con-

structing a blend. Presented by

Mike Ward, Certified Wine

Educator from Ward on Wine.

Great Books Discussion Group

Sunday, March 22, 2015 -- 12:30pm

Great Books Discussion Group – Exodus

from the Hebrew Scriptures

This epic piece lays out the

two central experiences in

the religious history of

Israel – the leaving of

Egypt and the revelation

on Mt. Sinai. The book of

Exodus “bears witness to

the meaning of these

seminal experiences: God’s action to liberate

a band of slaves from bondage and to make

them a community, bound in covenant with

their liberating God.” (The New Oxford

Annotated Bible). Join the discussion! Great

Books meets on the 4th Sunday of the month

from 12:30 -2:30pm at the Café Ventana

(3919 West Pine – intersection of West Pine

and Vandeventer), and is using the collection

Great Books Reading and Discussion 2nd

11

FLOWERS NEEDED FOR SUNDAY SERVICES

There are still open dates,

particularly in March, to

donate flowers for Sunday

services this year. If you

are interested in helping to

beautify the sanctuary for

an upcoming Sunday

service while honoring a special person or

occasion in your life, please contact Dottie

Kinscherf either by

e-mail (dottiek@att.net) or phone (314-727-

0740) for more information.

FITNESS: BODY, MIND AND SOUL...

Qigong combines mindful, gentle, physical

postures and movements with

meditation, breath-work, sounds (mantra)

and self-massage techniques to revitalize

your VitalLife 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.

Series, which can be ordered through the

Great Books Foundation Site

(www.greatbooks.org ). Facilitators

Margaret Weck and Mike Nolan. (Sign Up

in Fellowship Hall for more information)

Elder Housing March 29 (11:30) in the Chapel

Sponsored by the Care and

Concern Committee

Presenter: Diane Smith In this presentation, you will learn about all

the issues surrounding housing for

elders. What are the options and differences

from Independent Living to Continuing Care

Retirement Communities. Information on

how to pay for the various levels will be

covered and what you need to do to prepare

for end of life issues. This presentation is

designed for individuals who are exploring

the options themselves and/or for those who

may be helping an elder in their life with

these decisions.

Diane Smith is a professional geriatric care

manager with more than 17 years’

experience providing personalized and

compassionate services to older adults and

persons with disabilities. Ms. Smith holds a

B.A. in Gerontology and received her

Master’s degree in health care management

both from Lindenwood University in St.

Charles, Missouri.

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.

12

CLARK LECTURE MARCH 15

Dr. Stefan Bradley,

Director of the African

American Studies

Program and Associate

Professor of History at Saint

Louis University, will deliver

the 2015 Clark Lecture at First

Unitarian Church on

Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m.

Dr. Bradley’s timely topic will be "The

Democracy Experiment: Black Youth in

America." He has been a featured guest on

local and national news programs following

Michael Brown’s death.

Dr. Bradley’s presentation will draw upon his

knowledge and research on the role of young

people in the civil rights movement.

Dr. Bradley’s work in this area led to his

important study Harlem vs. Columbia

University: Black Student Power and the Late

1960’s, published by University of Illinois

Press.

Dr. Stefan Bradley wrote an essay for the

St. Louis American on Martin Luther King

and the Selma campaign's relevance to

Ferguson. Here is the address for the

essay: www.stlamerican.com/mlk/

article_47e6e31c-9d9e-11e4-89a0-

9307affa27b5.html.

—John Knoll

Clark Lecture Chair

WINDOW UPDATE

The board would like to

share the good news and

thank you for your

support of the Full Glass

Campaign to restore our

sanctuary windows. We

are grateful to the

Women’s Alliance for

their support of the

campaign with the

challenge grant of $5,000

and we are grateful to

you the congregation for

meeting and exceeding

that challenge.

We have received 64 new

donations since

December for $9060 for a

grand total of $14,060 We are truly grateful

for all you have done, but we are not finished.

We still hope to fully fund the restoration

with new capital improvement funds . We

will continue to add names to the honor roll

and create certificates as we work toward

raising the remaining funds.

It’s not too late to donate. You can send your

donations directly to the church office, drop it

in the Full Glass Campaign box in

Fellowship Hall or use PayPal or Vanco from

the home page of the church website. We

have figured that each pane of glass costs

$40.00. Any donation is appreciated. You can

make you donation in memory or honor of

someone or something special.

13

Women’s Alliance Scholarship

The Women’s Alliance of the First Unitarian Church of St. Louis

Announces its Scholarship Competition for the academic year 2015-16

Initiated by a generous bequest from the estate of Edna Landzettel, a lifelong teacher and proponent of the importance of education in a

woman’s life, the scholarship will be given to a woman who is 25 years or older, financially responsible for continuing her education, a member of a greater St. Louis area Unitarian Universalist church

or fellowship and a registered student.

The award of $3,000 will be made on the basis of scholarship, character and need.

Application packets are now available. Please request them from:

Attn: Scholarship Committee The Women’s Alliance

First Unitarian Church of St. Louis 5007 Waterman Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63108

or email: office@firstuustlouis.org

The deadline for completed applications is April 24, 2015.

First Unitarian Church of St. Louis Women’s Alliance

14

Louis. Project volunteers (our adults, teens,

and children) gather twice monthly in

Fellowship Hall before and during services to

prepare bag lunches for the homeless in

downtown St. Louis. The lunches are

distributed through Gateway 180, the largest

Missouri shelter serving women and

children, and the Centenary Methodist

Church Bridge Program. All First Church

members and newcomers are invited to join

in the Sandwich Project which springs into

action each second and fourth Sunday of the

month, year-round. This recipient was

nominated by church member Rosemary

Johnston- Lawton.

Known as CAEF, our First Church

Community Action Endowment Fund has for

over twenty years funded local non-profits

through small grants each fall. CAEF focuses

on direct service and social projects in our

community-looking at need, effectiveness,

service area, financial leverage, possibilities

for involving church members, and visibility.

CAEF operates on an endowment income,

plus donations. This recipient was nominated

by our late member Renni Shuter.

Renni helped establish this endowment when

she sold her stock in the West End Word,

where she was an early owner and author of

the column, "Candlelight and Crumbs."

Renni brought dynamic energy and light to

those lucky enough to be in her path.

As a real estate pioneer for over 40 years,

Renni committed herself to revitalization and

integration in the West End. In a West End

Word interview, Renni stated, "I went into it

(realty) to save the houses, to save the West

End."

However, it wasn't only neighborhoods that

Renni's zeal impacted. As Vice-President on

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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. Our March designated collections

are Partner Church (March. 8th ), First UU

Sandwich Making (March 15th ), and CAEF

(March 22nd).

The mission of Partner Church Committee is

to maintain and foster the relationship

between our church and our partner church

in Csokfalva, Transylvania (Romania), a

relationship dating from 1991. First

UU supports the small congregation of

ethnic Hungarians by promoting liberal

religion, developing international friend-

ships, creating opportunities for pilgrimage

and hospitality, learning, and service.

Romania's recent austerity measures make

our financial support especially

important. On-going activities included

providing financial assistance with room and

board expenses to students from our partner

congregation attending high school,

university, or Hungarian Middle School

outside the village, providing a small

supplement to our partner minister's salary,

providing financial assistance for the church

building and projects as needed. This

recipient was nominated by church member

Carolyn Nolan.

First UU Sandwich

Making is a multigenerational

social justice

activity that informs and pro-

motes the issue of hunger in St.

15

Because of your financial support

of First Unitarian…

The Clark Lecture brings a speaker to our church annually – a speaker who is an out-standing leader of opinion, thought and creativity.

We have the freedom and

responsibility to adapt our bylaws and develop a new governance structure.

Our congregation had an organized and measured means of responding to the events in Ferguson.

the St. Louis Board of Education and as a

member of the Desegregation Committee, she

worked to continue the implementation of the

desegregation plan in place. She was a force in

creating the magnet schools of St. Louis. She

served on the St. Louis Preservation Board and

she was active with Interfaith Partnership.

First UU was in Renni's path. Actively

involved in the church( President of the Board,

Religious Education Director, Chair of the

Annual Auction and Dinner Committee--

to name a few beneficiaries of her

light), Renni lived generously. Her courage in

the face of obstacles and her fierce

commitment to helping others are models for

us to follow.

TOWARDJUSTICE (ANTI-RACISM) GROUP

The Toward Justice Group that

was formed in the wake of the

Ferguson events meets

monthly to discuss justice ac-

tions in which we can partici-

pate and promote reform issues

for which we will advocate. We are now re-

searching several other justice groups in the

metropolitan area in order to decide with whom

to best partner our energies. We also attend

various education events that are

offered in the metropolitan area. If you are

interested in being on the email list for

notifications contact Lynn Hunt or you can join

our Facebook group.

The next meeting of the group is March11th at

7:00pm. Come and join us!

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GENEROSITY SUNDAY IS COMING

MARCH 1

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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. So far this Fiscal Year, the church

has earned $42.35. 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 yours

this Sunday. Simply register on-line and

you are ready to earn money for First

Unitarian Church.

ON-LINE NEWSLETTER

The St. Louis

Unitarian is now

available on-line.

Check out our

website home page.

NEWSLETTER FOLDING

Come and join our newsletter folding group

on Tuesday, March 17 at 9:30 a.m. as we

ready the newsletter for bulk mail. This is a

wonderful way to meet church members or

reconnect with those you already know.

Mark Your

Calendar May 2

Fellowship Dinner

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MEMORIALS AND SPECIAL GIFTS TO THE CHURCH

THANK YOU FOR THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL DONATIONS:

A total of $716.00 was donated to our

designated collection on January 18 for the

UUSC.

A total of $549.03 was donated to our

designated collection on February 8 for the

Pathways to Independence.

Many generous donations have been

coming in for the Full Glass Campaign.

To date our total is $9060.00.

JOYS AND CONCERNS FROM FEBRUARY 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

passed away.

--Marietta Hunsche, the longest standing

member of our church, is at Sunrise of Des

Peres. Marietta would love to receive cards

and visitors. Contact the church office for

more information.

--We mark with sorrow the death of Jamie

Ryan, who passed away quietly and at home

on January 20. Her memorial service is be-

ing planned for sometime in April.

--Our Vice President, Alice Crowder,

welcomes all good thoughts, hopeful prayers

and kind words to help her face the last stage

of chemotherapy and radiation beginning this

week.

--Brandy Lax, the fiancé of our custodian,

Elliott Smith, continues to heal at home after

being seriously wounded by a gunshot.

Your prayers and good wishes for healing are

deeply appreciated. Please send any written

or verbal messages through our Church Ad-

ministrator, Mary Ward.

--Catherine Grace Watson was born Feb. 5,

to John and Eileen Watson, in Falls Church,

VA. She is the granddaughter of Carole and

John Watson. They write, "We are over the

moon!!"

ENVELOPES NEEDED

Does your place of business

have envelopes that are out

dated, unusable or un-

wanted? The church office

is in need of envelopes. #9 or #10 would be

best, but we will take any size or any color.

We use these envelopes for inter-office

correspondence and deposits into our safe,

so envelopes with company logos or return

addresses are great. If your place of

business is set to recycle old envelopes,

please bring them to the church office. We

would rather reuse them and THEN recycle

them.

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.

Sunday, March 1 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. - Generosity Sunday Brunch (FH) 11:30 a.m. - Care and Concerns Meeting (CLK) 11:30 a.m.. -Emily-Jeremy Covenant Group (HR) 12:30 p.m. - Writing Group (C1) 1:00 p.m. - Covenant Group (L) 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week 7:00 p.m. - Toastmasters (CLK) Monday, March 2 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week Tuesday, March 3 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week 7:00 p.m. - First UU of St. Louis Buddhist (CH) Wednesday, March 4 Church Office Closed 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal Thursday, March 5 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week Friday, March 6 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week Saturday, March 7 9:00 a.m.– CRC (all Rooms) 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week Sunday, March 8 Newsletter Deadline / Designated Collection: Partner Church 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. - Girl Scouts Religion in Life Meetings (C5) 12:30 p.m. - Knitting Ministry (C8) 1:15 p.m. - Canvass Week Tuesday, March 10 11:00 a.m. - Women’s Alliance 6:30 p.m. - Policy Board (C1) 7:00 p.m. - Examining Whiteness Class (CLK) 7:00 p.m. - First UU Buddhist Group (CH) Wednesday, March 11 Church Office Closed 7:00 p.m. - Toward Justice (CR) 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal.

Thursday, March 12 7:00 p.m. - Feasts & Festivals Comm. Meeting (FH) 7:00 p.m. - Lyon University Choir Concert (S) Saturday, March 14 6:00 p.m. - Partner Church Dinner/Program Sunday, March 15 Fair Trade Coffee (FH) Designated Collection: First UU Sandwich Making (tentative) 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 12:30 p.m. - Covenant Group (C7,C8) 7:00 p.m. - Clark Lecture (S) 7:00 p.m. - Toastmasters (CLK) Tuesday, Mach 17 9:30 a.m. - Newsletter Fold (C1) 6:00 p.m. - IT Task Force (CLK) 6:30 p.m. - Library Committee (L) 7:00 p.m. - First UU Buddhist Group (CH) Wednesday, March 18 Church Office Closed 5:30 p.m. - Wonderful Wednesday 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal Saturday, February 21 Covenant Group Mixer Sunday, March 22 Designated Collection: CAEF 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 12:30 p.m. - Great Books Discussion (Café Ventana) Tuesday, March 24 12:00 p.m. - Women’s Alliance 6:30 p.m. - Church Council/Policy Board (C1) 7:00 p.m. - First UU Buddhist Group (CH) Wednesday, March 25 Church Office Closed 6:00 p.m. - Long Range Planning Committee (C1) 7:30 p.m. - Choir Rehearsal Saturday, March 28 9:00 a.m.– CRC (all Rooms) Sunday, March 29 10:00 a.m. - Worship Service (S) 11:00 a.m. - Girl Scouts Religion in Life Meetings (C5) 11:30 a.m. - Elder Housing Presentation (CH) For updates to the church calendar visit firstuustlouis.org

20

Www.UUSTL.org

Member, Unitarian Universalist Association

The St. Louis Unitarian Volume 45, Number 3

March 2015 December newsletter deadline: March 8

Fold: Mar. 17 @ 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

Rose Schwab

ext. 24

rschwab@firstuustlouis.org

Religious Education Team

Lynn Hunt, Credentialed Religious Educator

ext. 25

lhunt@firstuustlouis.org

Rhonda Buergler, Sunday Assistant

Augustine Underwood, Childcare, RE Asst.

Music Team

Joel Knapp, Choir/Music Director

music.director@firstuustlouis.org

Administrative Team

Mary Ward, Church Administrator

ext. 23

mward@firstuustlouis.org

Yvette Clemons, Administrative Assistant

ext. 21

yclemons@firstuustlouis.org

Mary Thompson, Sunday Sexton

Elliott Smith, Custodian

Donald Jeffries, Newsletter Proofreader

Office Hours Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Fri. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday Closed

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