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November 2013

Greenleaves

Our Mission

Eliot Chapel, a Unitarian Universalist community, gathers to foster free religious thought, nurture spiritual growth, and act for social justice.

Eliot Unitarian Chapel 100 South Taylor Ave.

Kirkwood, MO 63122-4310 314.821.0911

Sunday Worship

9:30 and 11:00 am

Office Hours

Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Sunday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

The Newsletter of Eliot Unitarian Chapel

Gratitude Alphabet So what better theme for November and Thanksgiving than gratitude? If you are having trouble feeling it, I recommend a practice I was taught years ago: the gratitude list. I recom-mend making a gratitude alphabet. What do you have that you’re not seeing? What makes life good? These are your gratitudes. Making it an alphabet is a little corny, I’ll admit, but it forces you to stretch and to see more than you did before – good sound spiritual discipline. Also fun, which makes doing a spiritual discipline easier. It can even be done in a group. Go around the room and hear everyone’s contributions, including children or grandchildren. Here’s mine:

Agates, Art-making

Books, Babies

Choir, Coffee, Cards!

Dragonflies

Ellington, Eliot

Fun, Friends

Glitter Glue, God

Hilarity

Independent Films

Jeopardy

Kitties, Kickboxing

Line Dancing

Morning Glories, Meditation, Mad Men

New Yorker Cartoons

Origami

Poetry

Q – 10 points in Scrabble

Rilke, Rain, Robert

Scrabble, Singing, Stories

Tigers (Robert’s from Detroit, I had to say it)

email: [email protected]

Leap of Faith Rev. Barbara Gadon, Lead Minister

Continued on page 2

Greenleaves Board of Trustees

William Lemon, Chair Steve Mennerick, Chair-elect Gary Gray, Treasurer Louise Bradshaw, Secretary

Lea Ann Baker Sheryl Foster Pamela Hermann Jordi Prats

Eliot Chapel Clergy

Rev. Barbara Gadon Lead Minister

Rev. Dr. Michael Hennon Minister of Pastoral Care

Rev. John Robinson Minister Emeritus

Eliot Chapel Staff

Scott Stewart Director of Religious Education

Christie Lee Asst. Dir. Religious Education

Jan Chamberlin Music Director

Dr. Leon Burke, III Choir Director

Pianists: Sue Goldford Dr. David Nalesnik

Charles Lewis Administrator

Nancy Spargo Social Justice Coordinator Jamacia Stanfield Administrative Assistant

Terri Burtin Communications Specialist Myron Simms Facilities Assistant

Ed Liebman Sunday Custodian

Eliot Unitarian Chapel is named in honor of William Greenleaf Eliot (1811–1887), founder of Washington University, who brought Unitarianism and

a progressive civic spirit to the American West.

In Sympathy Our condolences to Eliot families who have lost loved ones recently:

• Trina Priese and the rest of the family of Betty Marlowe, who

died peacefully on September 26. • Boyd Jones and family. Boyd’s niece Katie died on September 29. • Joanne Prats and family. Joanne’s brother, Russell Bordeleau,

died suddenly on October 9.

• Janet Frain and family. Janet’s mother, Mildred Jean Ball, died on

October 8.

• Jan Kilgen and family. Jan’s nephew Eugene Drain died October 10.

• Robin Spence and family. Robin’s mother, Frances Lee Sanders, died on

October 13.

• Flint Boettcher and family. Flint’s mother, Marilyn Boettcher, died

October 24.

• Miles Markusch, Wendy Brooks and the rest of the family of Dorothy (Dolly) Markusch, who died on October 27.

UU

Vindaloo Chicken, Vintage Clothing

Wagging Tails, Worship

eXcellent Company

Yoghurt

Zumba

I have never failed to feel better after creating such a list. And once I feel better, I can be useful to someone else. May it be so for you.

Gratefully Yours, Barbara

Leap of Faith, continued from page 1

Child DedicationsChild DedicationsChild Dedications A much-loved ritual in Unitarian Universalist congregations is the welcoming and dedication of infants and young children as part of Sunday worship. This ritual will be included as part of the 9:30 and 11:00 worship services on Sunday, December 8.

Families interested in having their children dedi-cated are invited to contact Rev. Barbara Gadon at [email protected] or 314-821-0911 to learn more about this ritual. For planning purposes, it is asked that you notify Rev. Barbara no later than Sunday, Nov. 24 if you wish to participate.

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of Eliot Chapel who signed the membership book in October:

Jeremy Patterson Jess Patterson Daniel Silverman Shannon Silverman

www.eliotchapel.org

Rev. Michael Hennon, Minister of Pastoral Care


Sharing Our Bounty in November

The offering for the first three weeks in November will be shared with RE-MEMBER, a non-profit organization which works with the Oglala Lakota Nation on Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. Volunteers comprised of individuals and groups (adult and youth) from churches, high schools, colleges, and corporations join them at their facility on Pine Ridge for one week at a time. Volunteers participate in various work projects and cultural exchanges across the reservation, helping to rebuild relationships, homes, and lives in the poorest zip code of the United States. RE-MEMBER is an organization that exists to recall our country's treatment of Indian people and to repair pieces of that broken relationship. Guided by the aspirations of the Oglala Lakota Indian communities they serve, RE-MEMBER seeks to improve the quality of reservation life through relationships, shared resources and volunteer services. Through site visits and cultural immer-sion, they continue to develop a growing circle of advocates standing in solidarity with the Indian people of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

Gratitude Last year I began keeping a Gratitude Journal. I did it on a dare: a friend challenged us both to write down one thing we were grateful for each day, for three months. It started Christmas Day. The entries are the length of tweets rather than regular journal en-tries. At first they began with “I am grateful for. . .” then changed to “I am grateful I . . . .” Now I often begin, “I am grateful that . . .” (starting with an “I” seems too self-centered). No matter how I begin or end the entries, this practice has become a spiritual practice—enduring far beyond the challenge.

I have kept journals before, intermittently: when I moved into a farmhouse in the 1970s, in seminary, when I moved to the house I live in now, and after my wife died. We know many authors and writers through their published journals. David Sedaris says there’s a difference between keeping a journal and

keeping a diary. Both are daily efforts, but in a journal you pour out your thoughts on paper; a diary is where you pour out your heart.

So maybe it’s a gratitude diary. Whatever the name, I pour out my heart to keep me centered—to remind me that no matter what has happened, there’s at least one thing to be thankful for, each day. It doesn’t take much to name gratitude—to stop for a moment, to say: “Thank you, life; thank you world; thank you god,” for the one amazing gift of the day. It doesn’t even have to be written down; it just takes heart. In this season of thanksgiving, we each can practice gratitude, written or spoken, in our own way. May your gratefulness be named, and held in your heart and soul—today.

Once again this year, Eliot’s Bread Service collection on November 23 and 24 will go to providing bread for the needy elderly in our partner village of Nyaradszentmarton, located in the Transylvanian area of Roma-nia. This collection is a long tradition at Eliot Chapel. Eliot member Sue Blandford has visited our partner church and commented, “I know firsthand how grateful the older members are to receive a weekly loaf of bread. On our trip to Nyaradszentmarton (St. Martin) in June of 2005, several older people came up to humbly thank me for ‘the American bread.’ I was touched to learn that one poorly dressed man, whose job it is to pump the pedals of the church organ, regularly gives up his loaf of bread to a villager more needy than him-self.” Please give generously.

During

September

Eliot Chapel

raised $2,325

for the Southside

Early Childhood

Center

Greenleaves

In Touch with RE

Jobs, Ministry, and Yes, I Love It

Wow, what a wonderful turn-out for the Halloween Bash last month. 90+ Eliot folks enjoyed the hot dogs, Hallow-een festivities, magic show, and fall fellowship. I love watching children giggle and squeal with excitement at this event each year. I’ve now been a member of the Religious Educa-tion staff for five years and have enjoyed watching many of these kiddos grow up before my eyes. This is why I LOVE my job.

So let me pose some questions? How does the Eliot community fit into your family’s life? Are you “all in?” Do you attend sporadically? Are you actively participating in the life of the church com-munity? How so?

Some folks may have received a friendly email

from me as part of RE Family Outreach. The purpose is twofold. One, Eliot cares about your family. If there are ways the Eliot community and church resources can support your family, we certainly wish to extend that outreach. Two, to acknowledge that you are a part of the Eliot community. When community members are absent from youth group, RE classes, or worship, the larger community is less than whole and church ministry cannot reach its full potential.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself truly thankful for those who invest their time and hearts into making the Eliot community a mean-ingful place for so many children, youth, and fami-lies. It’s a joy to serve you, and to watch your ministry serve others.

Christie Lee, Assistant Director of Religious Education


Christmas Pageant & Family Potluck: Saturday, December 14 Eliot members and friends of all ages are invited to join Eliot children and youth for the Christmas Pageant, which will be presented on Saturday, December 14 at 4:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Following the production, members and families

are invited to gather for a family potluck meal in Adams Hall beginning at 5:15. See the Pageant Day schedule below: 1:30 Directors & Lead Cast rehearse 2:30 Younger cast arrives and gets costumes 3:00 Rehearsal for everyone 4:30 Performance 5:00 Return to cast rooms, turn costumes in, etc. 5:15 Family Potluck Meal in Adams Hall (details and RSVP information to come) Children who are four years of age and older are invited to participate. Look for registration information online in early November. A big thanks to Denise Mussman, Lisa Beck, and senior high youth group members Phoebe Mussman, Colleen Lee, and Leslie Riggs for serving as this year’s pageant directors.

Congratulations to Heather

and Thomas Bechtel on the

birth of Leah Catherine

Bechtel. She was born on

October 10, weighed in at

7 lbs., 11 oz. and joins mom,

dad and big sister Megan.

We are proud to welcome

Leah to the Eliot Chapel

family!

www.eliotchapel.org

Music Notes

Friends of Music Concert At Eliot Sunday, Nov. 17 3:00 pm in the Sanctuary Free admission

Program includes Max Reger’s Serenade, Op. 141, for flute, violin and viola, performed by Paula Bernhardt, Tanya Couture and Anna Lack-schewitz; Matt Assel’s Psalm 1, a new composition for solo violin and electro-acoustic media with Katy Schaefer, violin and Peter Tchaikovsky’s Pi-ano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, for violin, cello and pi-ano, performed by Lindsey Miller Jones, James Nacy and Diana Umali. Learn more at www.fomcstl.org.

~ Jan Chamberlin, Music Director


Featured Musicians in November

Sunday, Nov. 3: Greenleaf Singers; Women’s

Chorale sings “A Wonderful Day Like Today”

Sunday, Nov. 10: Children’s Chalice Choir sings

“Tree Song;”Eliot Choir sings “Total Praise”

Sunday, Nov. 17: Guest jazz pianist Mark

Freundt from UUC of Greensboro, NC; Chapel

Singers sing “I’ve Got a Song.”

Saturday, Nov. 23:

• 11:00 am memorial service for Betty

Marlowe- Jennifer Stewart and Liz Sale,

flutes; Flo Reaves, violin; Bob Chamberlin,

organ; Sue Goldford, piano and the Eliot

Choir sings “The Lord Bless You and Keep

You” by Rutter.

• 5:00 pm Bread Service - Roger Netherton

and Friends String Band and Women’s Cho-

rale sings “Thanksgiving.”

Sunday, Nov. 24: Roger Netherton and Friends

String Band and Eliot Choir sing “The Harvest”

and “A Blessing.”

Guest At Your Guest At Your Guest At Your Guest At Your Table ProgramTable ProgramTable ProgramTable Program On Sunday, Nov. 10Sunday, Nov. 10Sunday, Nov. 10Sunday, Nov. 10, the Guest at Your Table pro-gram will kick off. Donation envelopes and bookmarks will be included in your Order of Service, and the Time for All Ages will include a message about this social justice program sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC).

Guest at Your Table is an outreach program in which congregation members of all ages have an opportunity to support individuals around the world who find themselves marginalized, op-pressed, or suffering from injustice. You can read more about some of this year’s “Guests” by picking up a Stories of Hope 2013-14 booklet, which will be available on November 10.

In an effort to make this year’s program more envi-ronmentally friendly, the UUSC is no longer pro-viding boxes for donations. Families can participate by exploring the Stories of Hope 2013-14 booklet, the online resources, and making a family contribu-tion (if desired) with the donation envelope or online at http://www.uusc.org/guest.

Are You Interested in

Eliot Membership? You’ve been attending Eliot Chapel for a

while. You have taken an introductory

class, or visited with one of our ministers, or

perhaps you are coming to Eliot from an-

other UU congregation. You are supporting

Eliot financially within your means, or you

are willing to make a financial commit-

ment. Now you are ready to consider Eliot

membership. On Sunday, Nov. 3 come to

the Children’s Library, off Adams Hall just

past the Guest Center, after either service

to hear more about membership and get

your questions answered. There will also be an opportunity to sign the membership

book. Please contact Jeanne Olson at

[email protected] or

Rev. Gadon at [email protected],

if you would like more information about

membership prior to November 3.

Greenleaves

I hope everyone is having a wonderful autumn. As you may know, a team of Trustees developing proposed updates to the Bylaws invited the congregation to a meeting held in early October. We received feedback on their work and a few people attended the event. Thank you and know that the team will stay engaged with the congregation for the next several months and present the final recommendations to the Board so that we as a full Board can present them for vote at the annual meeting.

This is a prime example of our new approach to the Annual Meeting. Our goal is to have all the business that needs to be conducted at the meeting ready to go in advance of it, so that the meeting can quickly move through the approval process and focus on the suc-cesses and new initiatives of the Chapel. The Board feels strongly that the best governance practice is done via process that cannot be condensed into a few minutes. These things take time and care and the process is open. Everyone interested in these items is encouraged to stay engaged.

Consequently, expect the Annual Meeting to be more of a celebration than a business meeting. The business will be conducted as required, but if everyone has stayed engaged and is prepared, the voting process can be completed quickly. This will allow the meeting to focus on the shape our mission, values and ends have begun to take under Reverend Barbara's leader-ship. The Board can be expected to share the big picture of where we see Eliot headed and how we are doing toward our ends.

Expect to be challenged at the meeting, as we can only advance our ends if we act as a community and stay engaged beyond Sunday morning. To hear the great-est success at the meeting, get involved now with the programs you value most.

~William Lemon, Board of Trustees Chair


Transparency and Celebration

Tree Planted in Honor of

Eliot Search Committee

The Eliot Chapel Board of Trustees wanted

to express its gratitude to the Ministerial

Search Committee for their dedication to the

sustainability and continuity of the congre-

gation. The members made a considerable

effort to have an open process that gathered

input to help determine what was in the best

interest of the church. They sacrificed per-

sonal time to meet, visit other churches,

pore through applications and conduct inter-

views. After an unsuccessful first year of

search, they persevered to assure that the

congregation would be in good hands.

The Board planted a tree in honor of the efforts of our MSC. (You can see the tree in the grassy area to

the right of the entrance of the main parking lot). With the help of a local nursery, they chose an

American Hornbeam, a tree common to native Missouri forests and also Missouri Plant of Merit. This

tree, while somewhat slow-growing, is hardy, persistent and an important part of its community, much

like Eliot. Also like Eliot Chapel, this tree will nourish the community, in this case birds and squirrels

with its seeds, and rabbits munching on twigs and leaves. Its colorful leaves will welcome and provide

shelter for animal and human alike. Its very strong wood, used by pioneers for tool handles, bowls and

dishes, can be seen as a symbol of the strength of the Eliot community’s commitment to work for

social justice. As the tree thrives and nourishes, so will Eliot Chapel.

(l to r): Jordi Prats, Jan Erdman, Amy Stark, Trina Priese, Julie

Triplett, Ted Lau, Board Chair William Lemon, Kevin Mitchell

www.eliotchapel.org


Travel to Transylvania Travel to Transylvania Travel to Transylvania Travel to Transylvania The Partner Church Link is organizing a 10-14 day trip to Transylvania, a beautiful area of Romania full of Unitarian history and culture, in summer of 2014. We expect to spend about four days in our partner village of Nyaradszentmarton, staying in the homes of people from the church. We would also visit various cities and countryside attractions, including locations with a connection to the origins of Unitarianism.

If you would like to learn more about the trip, please attend a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 5Tuesday, Nov. 5Tuesday, Nov. 5Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 pm in the Eliot library. We have been told many times that our partners in Transylvania appre-ciate the personal contacts from their partners in the United States. Earlier this fall, we received an email from Sandor Varga, the minister of the Unitarian church in Nyaradszentmarton. In response to a birthday card we sent, he wrote, "It was a great feel-ing to know that thousands of miles away, on the other side of the ocean, someone thought of me. I thank you for all the heart-warming work you do for the Partner Church relationship. May God bless all of you and all your families. Sending all of you a big hug as a friend, and as a brother in faith." If you would like more infor-mation prior to the meeting, please contact Beth Beth Beth Beth Rossow Rossow Rossow Rossow or email [email protected].

Prepare for Holiday Merriment!Prepare for Holiday Merriment!Prepare for Holiday Merriment!Prepare for Holiday Merriment!

38th Annual Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal 38th Annual Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal 38th Annual Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal 38th Annual Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madrigal The evenings of December 5, 6, and 7 will be filled with music and hijinks in the Grete Hall of Eliot Castle, as recorders will play, the Greenleaf Singers will sere-nade with madrigals and songs of the season, the Not-Ready-For-Reformation Players will unfold the latest intrigue in the Court of Queen Elizabeth I, and rumor has it that a few guests may need to play a more active role than usual.

The doors will open at 7:00 pm each night, with the performance starting at 7:30, and beverages, appetizers, and dessert will be provided. Your group might go out together for an early dinner before arriving, or guests are welcome to bring along any additional food that they wish. This year, seating will once more be around festively decorated round tables seating eight lords and ladies.

For reservations or more information go to http://www.eliotchapel.org/specialevents or email [email protected]. Net proceeds from the event go to Eliot Chapel. Volunteer signup will be available in Adams Hall each Sunday prior to the event.

Eliot Publication Deadlines:

• Order of Service announcement deadline – Wednesday at noon

• Weekly email announcement deadline – Thursday at noon

• Newsletter deadline – the 18th of the month unless otherwise noted in announcements

(the newsletter deadline is posted on the Eliot online calendar)

Transylvania Craft Sale Last summer Eliot member Robert Kokenyesi visited our partner church in Transylvania and brought back several craft items made by the women in the village. These items will be on sale in Adams Hall after both services on November 17 and November 24. All money collected will be sent to the women who made the items. Also on sale will be a few crafts that have been donated to Eliot Chapel over the years by various people in the village. We will send the money from these items to our partner church.

Greenleaves

Grateful Fall is my favorite time of year. Between the farmers bringing in the harvest (my farm roots are activated big time with the sight of combines in the field), the falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and the Thanksgiving holiday, it is a time for cele-bration and gratitude.

We all aspire to teach our children about the im-portance of gratitude and compassion. For me, the early lessons were inculcated at home, but reinforced within my religious community. There were 6 families in the Presbyterian Church where we actively participated- a sort of covenant group. We supported one another, we celebrated to-gether, and we served together. We put our faith into practice together.

I vividly remember many of the activities, which ranged from settling a refugee family to pulling weeds in a country cemetery. The list is too long to recite. Indeed it was a way of life for our fami-lies. Work could be fun when experienced to-gether. The connections we developed continue to run deep even today.

I am grateful for those experiences – they clearly helped shape the person I have become. Who I have become and who I will be would not matter however without the relationships I have devel-oped along the way; people who share some of

my values, people who put their faith into action.

Social Justice is a huge part of my life, but it is the relationships that sustain me and my efforts. It is the people who share experiences with me, sup-port my efforts, and engage in their own that are vital to my sense of hope, my energy, and my de-termination.

I am grateful to have found a faith community and a new lead minister that shares some of my values, creates opportunities for putting our faith into action, and the relationships that I have devel-oped in the process. It is because of you—the people I have come to know and esteem—that we are building a Social Justice program that is sustainable and creates change at a systemic level. It is because of putting our faith into action that we have yet another opportunity to develop meaningful relationships. And for that I am grateful.

~Nancy Spargo, Social Justice Coordinator

We can’t do it all, but what CAN we do?


Let Us Break Bread Together

Eliot Chapel's traditional Bread

Sunday services take place at

5:00 pm Saturday, Nov. 23, and 9:30 and 11:00 am Sunday, Nov. 24. You are invited to bring

bread to share with the congre-

gation. Especially meaningful are loaves

reflecting ethnic background and loaves you associate

with Thanksgiving, harvest, and extended family. This is a

service for all ages - a celebration spanning the genera-

tions. If you would like to bring bread to share at one of the services, please decide in advance which service you will attend and sign up on the bulletin board between the Sanctuary and Adams Hall no later than Sunday, Nov. 17 to reserve a spot.

Call For Quilts

As part of our preparation for the annual

Bread Service (5:00 pm Saturday,

Nov. 23rd and 9:30 and 11:00 am

Sunday, Nov. 24th), we invite you to

share any and all quilts for decoration in

the Sanctuary. Quilts need to be clearly

marked with your name, and be deliv-

ered to the front office at Eliot no later

than noon on Sunday, Nov. 17. If your

quilt has a story, please feel welcome to

print or type it on a small card, and affix

the card to the front of your quilt, so the

story can be shared with members and

friends. Questions? Contact Flo

Reaves.

www.eliotchapel.org

The winter months provide ample opportunities for connection and reflection at Bergfried. Plan a visit on your own or join us for one of the upcoming events below. The heated cottage remains available during the season as well (reserve by writing to [email protected]). Please note however, that the property closes during deer hunting season as a safety precaution; please avoid visits to the property from November 15 through December 31.

Our next day trip is Saturday, Nov. 9. Mike Kenney will lead a hike or two and will provide a chance to tour the Bergfried cottage. Or feel free to come out and do your own thing. Bring sturdy shoes and pro-visions for the day. Meet at the Eliot Chapel parking lot at 9:00 am to caravan/carpool or come out on your own if you know the way. Please RSVP to Wendy Brooks at [email protected] or on our Facebook page ("Bergfried Forever") so we know to expect you.

Mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Bergfried Winter Warm-Up in Adams Hall to be held Satur-day, Jan. 25 beginning at 6:30 pm. The Bergfried team will host a potluck gathering featuring a Bergfried-style music circle and a slide show of recent Bergfried events. More details to come.

Keep up with Bergfried happenings and upcoming events by following us on Facebook (search "Bergfried Forever").


Dear Eliot Family

:

We are powerful. And at Eliot Chape

l, we have

already made a terrific difference in

the life of a nearby

UU congregation. This summer, it

was for the First

Unitarian Church of Alton, sufferin

g from a crippling

budget shortfall. In just one Sunda

y, we raised $11,000.

Their minister, Rev. Khleber Van Za

ndt, (homegrown

at Eliot Chapel) tells the story:

Our people were in the middle of an annual

meeting last

May, heatedly discussing possibilities, at

tempting to choose

the least bad of many poor options… I received a text a

lert-

ing me that one of our sister churches had

just raised a

large amount of money specifically for First Church, Alton

.

When I rose to announce what I’d learne

d, the energy in

the room turned on a dime, from cries of lament to tears of

joy. If you’ve never heard Unitarians s

hout praises and

‘amens’ in large numbers, I can tell you it is a moving

experience!

Just think what we could do for lib

eral religion in

Missouri and Illinois with a little stra

tegic effort! I urge

you to join Robert and me in becom

ing a Chalice

Lighter today.

In Good Faith,

Rev. Barbara H. Gadon

Lead Minister

You Can Make a Difference You Can Make a Difference You Can Make a Difference You Can Make a Difference The Chalice Lighter program is a way to put your faith in Unitarian Universalism into action. Those who donate to the program are called Chalice Light-ers because they share the light of Unitarian Univers-alism to Ignite Dreams. The program is sponsored by the region to raise money for congregations commit-ted to membership growth. The Chalice Lighters pro-gram now raises about $10,000 for each of three con-gregations three times each year. Imagine what a con-gregation committed to growth can do with that kind of money.

Chalice Lighters commit themselves to give at one of the following levels: Believer $20 Builder $50 Benefactor $100 Beacon $250 They donate three times a year (fall, winter, spring) to support congregations with a mission and a plan to grow. The congregations are chosen by a regional committee through a grant application process. A congregation’s financial commitment to growth, supported by a feasible plan, is the primary criteria

for selection. Every congregation in the region may apply.

Learn more: Learn more: Learn more: Learn more: stop by the Chalice Lighters table in Adams Hall to pick up a brochure, contact Dotty Storer Dotty Storer Dotty Storer Dotty Storer or visit http://www.midamericauua.org/programs/chalice-lighters.

Women’s Alliance November Events Women’s Alliance typically meets on the first, third, and fourth Tuesdays of the month from 9:30 to 11:45 am. Two of those weeks they meet in Adams Hall and one week is a field trip. If you would like to learn more about the group, please join them for an upcoming meeting or contact Beth Rossow at [email protected].

Tuesday, Nov. 5 – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Discussion leader- Debrah Stanford

Tuesday, Nov. 19 – Are You Prepared to Live to 100? Presentation by Ann Bennes, VP of Senior Solutions. Coordinator - Fran Ritzinger

Tuesday, Nov. 26 – St. Louis City Library Tour. Meet at Eliot at 9:45 am. 10:30 tour. Coordinator - Marilyn Fallert

Greenleaves

Thanksgiving Dinner at EliotThanksgiving Dinner at EliotThanksgiving Dinner at EliotThanksgiving Dinner at Eliot

Art4U The November artist in Adams Hall will be Sam Abatgis, who is a photographer of abstract, original and very colorful manipulated photography. He has shown his work in many galleries and at the Queeny Art Show. Thank you for all your kind comments on the art each month. We pass these along to our artists who also appreciate the purchases of their works by Eliot members. You can find more information about the featured artists on the poster next to the library window. You will find a bio and contact information for each artist.

~Maryann Mace, chair [email protected]

Thursday, Nov. 28 2:00 pm

Adams Hall Sign up by Nov. 24

In case of emergency … If you are aware of an emergency or

urgent situation at Eliot, please notify a

staff member right away. Our policy is

for staff to assess the situation and

determine if emergency care providers should be called.

You are invited to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner at Eliot Chapel this year on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28 at 2:00 pm in Adams Hall. Dinner will be followed by board games and fellowship (bring your favorite game!). Children are welcome. We ask all in attendance to bring a side dish, drinks or dessert and to help with set-up or clean-up. We are also looking for cooks for the turkey! Eliot will purchase the turkey, but we need someone to cook it. Look for the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the hallway between the Sanctuary and Adams Hall or contact the church office at 314-821-0911 or [email protected]. If you have questions, please contact Bonnie Kwentus at [email protected].

The Caring Team is looking for people who would be willing to help out at memorial service receptions. We already have about five people on the list but could use a few more. Duties involve helping to set up the food before the memorial service, helping to serve during the reception, and then helping with clean-up. The time involved is usually two to four hours. Please contact Beth Rossow, Rev. Michael Hennon at [email protected] or the church office at 314-821-0911 if you're interested.

www.eliotchapel.org

Fall Work Party Saturday, Nov. 9, is an opportunity for you

to join your Eliot friends in sprucing up our

building and grounds. From 9:00 am to

approximately 1:00 pm, volunteers will tackle

a list of projects both inside and out

from raking leaves to minor repairs or

painting. If you're feeling handy and

helpful come join us! Sign up on the

bulletin board in the hallway between

the Sanctuary and Adams Hall and

meet us in Adams Hall that morning.

A Timely Reminder:

Change your clocks

Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday, Nov. 2.

Eliot Holiday BazaarEliot Holiday BazaarEliot Holiday BazaarEliot Holiday Bazaar Sunday, Dec. 15Sunday, Dec. 15Sunday, Dec. 15Sunday, Dec. 15 Eliot Chapel will hold its annual Holiday Bazaar in Adams Hall on one Sunday in December. At this sale, either 100% of the proceeds go to a charity or 50% of the proceeds go to Eliot Chapel. If you are a vendor interested in participating, please contact Mecy Stanfield in the church office at 314-821-0911 or [email protected].

Estate Planning Sessions in November On Sunday, Nov. 3 after each service, the Stewardship Team will offer you the opportunity to sign up for adult religious educa-tion sessions on November 10 and 17. Classes will be an intro-duction to estate planning and legacy decision-making, including ideas on how to make the Eliot Chapel Endowment Fund a benefi-ciary in your planning.

Eliot Chapel attorneys will lead the sessions, and will be available for questions. They are offering the class four times: during each service on November 10th and 17th. Eliot is launching a campaign to pump up our endowment. If you notify the Chapel that you have made a provision for Eliot at death in your estate plan, you will be-come a member of the Abigail Adams Eliot Circle. Watch the weekly email for more information and stop by the Stewardship table in Adams Hall on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Eliot Chapel Bad Weather Policy It is the policy of Eliot Chapel to serve the mission of the church by being open and available on Sunday mornings, weekdays, and at other times when programs are scheduled. However, on rare occasions, extreme weather conditions may require the cancellation of scheduled Chapel activities in the interests of public safety. • If travel advisories have been issued by state and/or local government asking that people stay off the

roads and not drive, all activities are automatically cancelled and Eliot will close. • If the Lead Minister, or his or her delegate, concludes that road conditions or other weather-related

consequences present a danger to travelers, Eliot will close. In the event the decision is made to close Eliot and cancel events, the recording on the Chapel voicemail system will be changed and a notice will be posted on the home page of the website. • The Lead Minister, or his or her delegate, will contact the Administrator regarding the decision, who

will then notify appropriate staff. • In extreme weather conditions, Sunday morning volunteers should check the Chapel’s voice mail and/

or website.

All members, friends, and staff are urged to use discretion when making choices about traveling in times of hazardous weather conditions.

Church Office Closed The Eliot Chapel church offices will be closed Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. The offices will also be closed on Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29, for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. On behalf of the Eliot Chapel staff, we wish you a safe and wonderful holiday.

Worship in November

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

ST. LOUIS, MO

PERMIT NO. 1238

100 South Taylor Avenue Kirkwood, MO 63122-4310

Dated material. Please deliver by November 1, 2013

Sunday, November 3 – 9:30 and 11:00 am “A Grateful Heart” – Rev. Barbara H. Gadon Gratitude is good medicine for what ails us. Twelve-step wisdom tells us to practice gratitude whenever we don’t feel it. Resentment, fear, envy, anger are all killers of the spirit. And yet cultivating a grateful heart is no sugar-frosted, cheer up, look-on-the-bright-side sort of thing. It helps us to face the hard stuff. What is a grateful – and honest – response to life?

Sunday, November 10 – 9:30 and 11:00 am “Grateful for the Challenge”– Rev. Barbara H. Gadon Join Rev. Gadon and members of Eliot Chapel for “powerful stories.” We will hear members’ accounts of some of their most challenging and life-changing moments, and the values that have come from them.

Sunday November 17– 9:30 and 11:00 am "A Jazz Faith" – Mark Freundt How is faith like jazz? And how is jazz like faith? Our guest worship leader is the Director of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro, NC, jazz pianist and arranger of two songs in our teal hymnal.

Saturday, November 23 – 5:00 pm Sunday, November 24 – 9:30 and 11:00 The Bread Service Rev. Gadon is excited to join us in this Eliot intergenerational favorite. We are spreading the love - and the bread - over both Saturday and Sunday, to make sure everyone is fed. On Saturday, a quieter (we think!) service with an interactive story. Sunday will feature a “radio drama:” Molly’s Pilgrim as performed by the Eliot Chapel Players.

November’s

worship

theme is

Gratitude

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