See the Newsletter - Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel

THIS WEEK AT EMERSON – JANUARY 15, 2015
Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel -- A welcoming congregation of the UUA
If you’ve missed something - this week and last week editions are on the website: www.emersonuuchapel.org
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..Celebrating 30 years of transforming ourselves, our community, our world..
Sunday – January 18
17815 Wild Horse Creek Road (Barat Academy)
10:00 AM - Worship Service
“Voices of North County”
Rev. Krista Taves, Tim Martin, Kelly Waymire, Megan Demsky
Since August, the eye of the nation and the world has been focused on a small town in North St. Louis County. But in
our divided city, how many of us really know much about that part of the metropolitan region? In celebration of Martin
Luther King Day, Rev. Taves is joined by members of the congregation who live and work in North County to talk about
how this looks through their eyes and feels in their hearts.
Children’s Chapel follows the Story for All Ages
Check out the visioning clouds during coffee time this Sunday!
11:20 AM - Religious Ed for All Ages
Spirit Play – Room 140
Jr. Youth – Room 130
Sr. Youth – Room 231 (upstairs lounge)
Adults – Room 131 (conference Room)
Hospitality Area - Opportunity for informal discussion
about congregational meeting agenda items
The Nursery is staffed from 9 AM to 1 PM – Room 142
Barbara Woodruff, Nursery Care Worker
Our Outreach Partner is: Faith Aloud, which works for reproductive justice for all persons and families.
www.faithaloud.org
Serving this Sunday:
Liturgist: Lisa Parnell
Greeters: Brenda Ernst, Jake Lyonfields
Board Members: Jake Lyonfields, Charles Landauer
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Midyear Congregational Meeting
11:20 AM in the Sanctuary
Our Minister’s Message
This Sunday, in honor of Martin Luther King Day, we will return to our focus on racial justice in our city. Three members
of our congregation who either live or work in North County will be sharing their personal experiences of life during the
last several months. Tim Martin grew up in North County and has served as a firefighter in that area for 20 years. Kelly
Waymire lived in Florissant and her next- door neighbor and friend is Tom Jackson, Police Chief of the Ferguson Police
Department. Megan Demsky and her husband live in the home David’s grandparents own in Ferguson, blocks from the
marches that have taken place since August. I chose to ask Kelly and Tim in particular because their understanding of
events differs in significant ways from mine. I wanted their voices to have a place in our congregational life. That is
what a religious democracy looks like.
We have all changed since August. At the time the shooting of Michael Brown occurred and the community surged into
the streets, I would have been extremely uncomfortable using the phrase “police brutality.” It seemed so strident,
divisive, inflammatory and extreme. Then through the fall I began to see real evidence of police brutality at the protests.
Still, I would not use the phrase. I thought to myself that really, only black people should use that word. It’s their truth,
not mine. I have come to the feeling that it is a cop out. Those of us with eyes to see know that police brutality exists
and has deeply shaped the black experience. If we wish to be true allies for racial justice, we have to take our black
brothers’ and sisters’ word for it. We have to believe them and we have to share that we believe them. I, for one,
believe them.
At the same time, I know many police and their families have paid a steep price this fall. Some live in fear of their lives.
Kelly Waymire will testify to that in her sharing. In my opinion, there is no room for demonization of the police in this
struggle. We do not create justice by creating enemies. We do not create accountability by threatening more lives.
There is enough death happening already.
I know that many acts of violence have been committed in these last months, state-sanctioned violence and violence
from civilians, and that the type of violence each uses is different. State-sanctioned violence tends to be focused on the
bodies of the protesters – beatings, tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, incarceration. The violence used by some
civilians tends to focus on property damage – trashing cars, burning buildings, smashing windows, theft.
There is also something important to take into consideration that is very rarely spoken of. Some of the property damage
has come from white protesters who often self-identify as anarchists, and yet it is the black protesters as a whole who
are often blamed for it in the media and put in jail for it.
We know that 99% of the protesters are committed to non-violent resistance and have spent tremendous time, effort
and money training in the non-violent resistance used by Martin Luther King and Gandhi, and then translating those
methods into a response to today’s realities. If you want to learn more about non-violent resistance watch the movie
“Selma” and read about the history of the labor movement. Every tool that the resistance is using was refined in union
activism that raised the standard of living for ordinary Americans for more than 60 years and lead to many labor laws
that protect us today. These same tools of change and liberation are being used by The Movement today.
This fall, I was exposed to a piece of writing by Martin Luther King that not many whites pay much attention to. It has
made a deep impression on me and has influenced some of my decision making this year. It comes from King’s “Letter
from Birmingham Jail,” and was read during an interfaith service I attended with Vice-President of the Board Jake
Lyonfields in October:
“I
must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the
white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s
great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler
or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than
to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive
peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the
goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who
paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who
lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a
“more convenient season.”
Whenever I wonder what to do next, I go back to this and it gives me the courage to keep on. I don’t want African
Americans in the country to keep paying the price because I’m afraid and resistant. Whenever I get tired or afraid, I
think about that. What is happening in our city is not a simple story. On one level nothing has changed. Many of us go
to work, send our kids to school, shop for our groceries, live our lives. One another level, everything has changed. My
hope is that we resist the impulse to return to the status quo. I hope that we have the courage and vision to stay in the
complexity and to show up for the long haul.
Some of that complexity will happen this Sunday. I do hope you will come to church this Sunday and listen to our people
speak. I admire them for their courage and their focus, their willingness to share what is in their hearts. Let us open our
hearts to their stories. Let us be willing to be challenged by them.
Yours in faith and love,
Rev. Krista
Rev. Krista Taves is available for regular pastoral care on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday afternoon. She is
available for emergency pastoral care 24/7. If you have a pastoral care emergency, please leave a voice mail at
417-343-8657, 636-256-7393 and [email protected]. Someone should be in touch with you
shortly. A pastoral care emergency includes death, the proximity of death, or a life-threatening emergency.
If Rev. Krista Taves is on her weekend, vacation or study leave, please contact either the Office Administrator
([email protected]), or President of the Board Nancy Belt ([email protected]).
We’ve Launched Our New Website!
Get ready for a new look when you open emersonuuchapel.org. You may even see yourself in the photo on
the home page. Many thanks to all who volunteered many hours over many months to create the new site.
Special thanks to Jake Lyonfields, who spearheaded this effort, to Aja Lyonfields, who designed the site, to
Tom Kibby, who shot the home-page photo and others, and to Rev. Krista Taves and Nancy Belt, both of whom
provided verbiage and support. A special thanks also to Barb Brown, who, for many years, has served so well
as “webster” for our former site. To access password-protected parts of the new site, such as the directory,
ask the office administrator, a board member, or officer for the password. Some finishing touches will
continue to be added, but we hope you’ll be pleased with the site and that it will prompt even more visitors to
worship with us. Enjoy!
Important Upcoming Events
As Emerson begins 2015, we, as a congregation, will be looking for ways to put one of our basic programs—
religious education for children and youth—on solid ground for the new year.
Specifically, we’ll have several opportunities to discuss and vote on ways to fund a half-time Director of
Religious Education (DRE) position. Having a staff person dedicated to this role can strengthen relationships
with and between children, youth, and parents and help in customizing activities to meet changing needs of
students. Someone in this position can provide a consistent, guiding force and face for the program, as well as
provide support and relief for overstretched religious education (RE) volunteers.
The schedule is, as follows:
Jan. 18—11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., near hospitality area. Informal discussion on above and agenda items for Midyear
Congregational Meeting on Jan. 25. Adult RE will be held at same time in conference room.
Jan. 25—11:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., in the Sanctuary. Midyear Congregational Meeting, with vote on how to fund halftime DRE position. (Proxy form accessible via front page of Emerson website.) No “Linger Longer” or adult RE today.
Activities, instead of regular classes, will be provided for children and youth.
Prior to the meeting, please attend a discussion and read related Constant Contact messages and newsletter items, in
order to make an informed decision. If you have questions, please contact President Nancy Belt.
Our Chalice-lighter Flame Is Growing
A big “thank you” to the 12 persons who, last Sunday, generously pledged to donate a minimum of $60 per
year to the Chalice-lighter program of the MidAmerica Region, to which Emerson belongs. Adding them to our
previous total of 15 Chalice Lighters brings us to a total of 27, which amounts to 27 percent of our
membership. Details of this program appear in a separate article in this newsletter. If you haven’t signed up,
you can easily do so at church on January 18 or 25. Let your light shine!
Let’s Pay Our Dues
Emerson enjoys many benefits, such as receiving religious-education curricula at no charge and having access
to hymnals and other support, through our national and regional affiliations with other Unitarian Universalists
(UUs). Our national organization, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and our MidAmerica Region,
which includes 13 states, offer many online and in-person resources. In return, we’re asked to pay annual dues
based on our number of Members. For 2014-15, based on 108 Members, we owe the UUA $6,480.00.
(Because of budget constraints, we’ve paid only $150.00 so far.) And we owe $2,484.00 to MidAmerica. (So
far, we’ve paid nothing toward that.) Each Member’s portion of the combined dues amounts to $83.00. So,
we’re asking each Member and willing Friends to donate at least that amount during the Offertory on Sunday,
January 25. In many previous years, we’ve paid our dues, being a Fair Share congregation. Let’s move toward
being in right relation once again with the UUA and MidAmerica.
About the Chalice Lighter Program
You may not have heard about our region’s Chalice Lighter program. It uses gifts from Unitarian Universalists
in the 13-state MidAmerica Region to award grants for growth projects to congregations it chooses from those
applying for such. Chalice Lighters, including 15 from Emerson, donate from $20 to $250 three times a year, to
support MidAmerica grants. (See chart below.) The grants apply to one of four purposes—starting a
congregation, adding professional staff, building new or enhanced space, or implementing outreach and public
relations programs.
We’d like to increase Emerson’s number of Chalice Lighters to show our support for Unitarian Universalism in
our region and because, by February 15, we’ll submit an application for a grant to support a Director of
Religious Education into our next church year. Having a sizable number of Chalice Lighters from Emerson
shows our commitment to the Region and will put our application in a favorable light. If the Chalice Lighter
Committee approves our application, we would receive a grant in June.
Become a Chalice Lighter today by . . .


enrolling at http://www.midamericauua.org
mailing in the brochure provided at worship on Jan 18 and 25 or by the church office
You may participate at one of four suggested levels, as follows:
Believer – $20 three times a year, or $60 per year
Builder –
$50 three times a year, or $150 per year
Benefactor – $100 three times a year, or $300 per year
Beacon –
$250 or more, three times a year, or $750 or more, per year
If you opt to donate three times each year, you’ll receive a Call Letter in the fall, winter, and spring. If you prefer, make
one donation per year to cover the next three Calls. (You may make payments via the website above, or mail your check
to the MidAmerica office.) Annual donations will be divided equally among the three Calls. If you wish to change your
level of participation, you may do so via the website or brochure mentioned above.
For your information, Chalice Lighter programs were founded in the 1980s to raise funds from Unitarian
Universalists across the country to support growth of Unitarian Universalist churches. Since inception,
programs have supported almost 100 congregations and given out more than $300,000 in grants. For a list of
funded projects, contact Barb Brown, Emerson’s Chalice Lighter Ambassador. If you were a Chalice Lighter in
our former Central Midwest District, you continue to be one in our Region. If you are unsure if you remain a
Chalice Lighter, please ask Barb.
We hope you have found something special in your Unitarian Universalist faith and are moved to share it with
others and that your values guide how you live your life and your generosity to worthy causes.
Thank you for your generous spirit. Your current and future participation will help us grow into our own future and
continue to grow UUism in our Region! If you have questions, please contact Barb or President Nancy Belt.
To Rev. Taves and the people of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel:
Thank you so much for your generous donation of $944.74 to the Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response
Ministry. As you know, your donation will help us train more volunteers and allow us to provide assistance
and resources to congregations and communities that have experienced a trauma. Support from our
congregations always bolsters our volunteers as they answer these calls. Thank you.
Cooperatively, Rev. Craig Schwalenberg, UUTRM Board President
NOTE: UU Trauma Response Ministry was the recipient of our September- October offertory.
REad all about RE!
REmember these dates!
January 21st – 6:30 PM RE Team Mtg
February 7th – RE Service Rehearsal – 3:00 PM
February 8th – RE Service
Next Pathways Series will begin April 12, 2015
You are Welcome...to Join a MESH Team!
We need your help to continue Making Each Sunday Happen (MESH). Our teams have settled in pretty well to
the routine of Setup and Takedown each week, but we've also had some transitions that have left some critical
gaps. Below is a list of 5 opportunities to join one of the teams. Training is available for each role so you will be
well prepared to contribute to the success of our Sunday services.
Please contact Nancy Fish at [email protected] for more information and to join a team.
2 Greeters (1 each on the 1st & 2nd Sundays)
1 stage & drapes (4th Sundays)
1 Chalice Guild (4th Sunday)
1 Team Leader (3rd Sunday)
CIRCLE OF CONCERN
Thank you for your support of the food pantry throughout the year! Please place your donated items in the
red wheelbarrow in the entry.
Current Needs:
Jams & Jelly, Dry Dinner "Helpers" , Canned Fruit, Canned Meat,
Pasta Sauce, Dry Pasta, Rice (1 lb. bags), shampoo & conditioner
Easiest Fund raising ever!! Grocery gift cards and GL Scrip are on sale Every Sunday
See how ALL your shopping can benefit Emerson. Gift cards are available from Dierberg’s and Shop & Save.
Spend what you normally spend each month and give 5% to Emerson.
Great news for sandwich lovers! Effective immediately, SUBWAY®Restaurants are increasing their rebate to 6%. This
applies to all SUBWAY® Restaurants scrip, including ReloadNow®.
This Week’s Calendar of Events
SUN, JAN 18
10:00 AM - Worship - 17815 Wild Horse Creek Road, Chesterfield (Barat Academy)
11:20 AM – RE for All Ages & congregational discussion in hospitality area
MON, JAN 19
Martin Luther King Day
7:00 PM – Reader’s Circle
WED, JAN 21
6:30 PM – RE Team Meeting
Midyear Congregational Meeting
Following Worship Service at 11:20 AM
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Meetings are held at the Chapel Office, 16233 Westwoods Business Park in Ellisville unless indicated ** as offsite.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Mid-Year Congregational Meeting – January 25th
RE SERVICE – February 8th
Notices & Invitations from our Outreach Partners, our Wider UU Community
& Sister Congregations
The UU College of Social Justice’s summer youth programs are enrolling now. This summer, we have expanded our teen
programs. Please share the information below with young people who are committed to social justice and eager to grow
in community.
Activate General Assembly: A One-Day Sampler, June 24
Join us in Portland, Ore., to dig into climate justice and plan how to be part of change. Perfect for passionate
environmentalists as well as youth new to climate issues.
Activate New Orleans, July 18–26
Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, there’s still work to be done. Help rebuild a thriving New Orleans in this program run
in partnership with the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal.
Activate Boston, July 18–August 1
Gain a broad foundation of justice skills through mini-internships and work with groups like Boston Mobilization. You'll
explore ways to advocate for change, all in a city rich with UU history.
Learn more and register today at uucsj.org/youth!
How/Where/When to find us:
Sunday Morning 10:00 AM
17815 Wild Horse Creek Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005
(Barat Academy)
Mailing & Meeting Address:
16233 Westwoods Business Park Drive, Ellisville, MO 63021
The office is staffed
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 AM to 2 PM
Phone: 636-256-7393
e-mail:
[email protected]
[email protected]
“Belie
Rev. Revving
Emerson UU Chapel 2014-2015 - Board Members
President: Nancy Belt
President Elect: Mary Murphy
Vice-President: Jake Lyonfields
Vice President Elect/Secretary: Mark Fish
Members-At-Large: Debbie Baumoel; Jeff Gidday; Charles Landauer
Treasurer: Jake Lyonfields
Assistant Treasurer: Melissa Grizzle
Minister: Rev. Krista Taves

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