Kirkwood United Church of Christ

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1 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 1 Kirkwood United Church of Christ Our Welcoming Statement Kirkwood United Church of Christ is called by God to be an open, diverse and caring community of Jesus disciples. In following Christ s commandment to love one another, we welcome all who wish to share in fellowship, membership, leadership, worship, ministry, sacraments, rites, responsibilities and blessings of our faith community. As we affirm every person is a child of God, no one is excluded, regardless of race, ethnic or socio-economic background, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality or faith background. We are an Open and Affirming congregation. A Word from the Pastor Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time. -Maya Angelou This week the world lost a source of living wisdom. Maya Angelou was as wise as they come, and while her spirit and words will live on for everlasting, the fresh water spring from which her wisdom flowed has come to an end. Her profound quotes, even those comprised of only a few simple words, evoked complex feelings that provoked action to change the world. Maya Angelou was wisdom against all odds: abused as a child, mute for several years, uneducated in the standard sense, of a skin color and gender that did not bear witness to power in our society. She was courage and love - that is to say, she was the opposite of fear - and in that respect, she reminds me a lot of Jesus. I especially like the Maya Angelou quote above because it points out that love isn t always a feel-good, happy, mushy emotion. Sometimes love is tough and scary and full of vulnerability. Sometimes love is so elusive and invisible that it takes trust and tenacity to believe it even exists. There are times when it takes true courage and strength to have, or be, love in this world. They don t call it falling in love for nothing. Jesus, it seems, was always calling us toward the courage it takes to trust love. He made no promises that bringing forth the kin-dom of God through love would be easy. He made no claims that the love he professed was a happy, mushy kind of love. In fact, he prepared his disciples, and us, for just the opposite. We are surrounded today, especially today, with new and courageous voices in the world, people who are willing to speak out against injustices, against all odds. The fresh water spring of Maya may have stopped bubbling up this week, but there is a spirit in the air that is carrying forward her living wisdom, and the living wisdom of our transformative, resurrected Christ. May we not lose hope. May we have the courage to trust, and the tenacity to love one more time, always one more time. God s peace, Betsy

2 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 2 Painting the Stars: Science, Religion and an Evolving Faith June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 July 6, 13 When I have a terrible need of dare I say, 'religion'? then I go outside at night and paint the stars." -- Vincent Van Gogh Mystery is a condition of awe, of resting precisely in an unknowing, long enough for the silence to have its way with us. The goal of this curriculum is to create some space for us to inhabit this mystery more deeply, and explore the relationship between science, particularly evolution, and religion. Celebrating the communion of science and faith, Painting the Stars explores the promise of evolutionary Christian spirituality. This sevensession DVD-based program features over a dozen leading theologians and progressive thinkers, and is part of the Living the Questions curriculum which KUCC has enjoyed in the past. During June & early July, we will view & discuss this intriguing curriculum in the KUCC Theatre. Join us! Summer Movies July 20, 27 How do we hear God still speaking to us, especially in the everyday activities of our lives? Is it ever through contemporary media messages? The movies? Or is it in conversation with others? Or could it be in conversation with others about the messages we see and hear around us? During July and August, the Sunday morning Adult Education classes will be held in the KUCC theatre, and we will view and discuss some contemporary movies. While you may have seen the movie already, did you think about what message it may have had for you about your faith? Your daily life? And how does your faith reflect on the contemporary issue brought up in the film? We will explore these and other questions, and what we may hear being spoken to us. Watch for future information as to which specific movies will be viewed. COFFEE HOUR HOSTS NEEDED We are in need of Coffee Hour Hosts to prepare coffee, set out treats and clean up afterward. This is a fun way to serve the church and meet new people! There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Gathering Area. Thank you to all our volunteers.

3 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 3 RAINBOW COMMA T-SHIRTS Orders are now being taken for the Rainbow Comma T-shirts (as modeled above by David and Brad) that are being sold by the Gateway Open and Affirming Coalition. On the bulletin board in the Gathering Area are order forms and an example shirt. The shirts all have a large rainbow comma (the UCC symbol) on the front, and on the back will have printed, so that when people wonder what the comma stands for they can know where to look! On the back of the shirt can also be printed Kirkwood United Church of Christ, or the UCC symbol, as each shirt is individually printed. The shirts will come in a variety of colors, as specified on the order form. Complete an order form for each shirt ordered, completing the front and back of each form. Cost: $15 per shirt (make checks payable to Gateway ONA.) Deadline for ordering: Sunday, June 8. This will allow the shirts to be printed and distributed in time for our participation in PrideFest, which is on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29. Turn in completed order forms and payment to the church office, or Barb Biedenstein.

4 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 4 OUTDOOR MINISTRIES SUNDAY June 22 Sometimes you ve just got to get away! Camp MoVal and Shannondale Community Center have provided that opportunity for many of the adults and children from Kirkwood United Church of Christ. Whether it is overnight summer camp, retreat or Labor Day campout, Camp MoVal and Shannondale provide the opportunity to experience the beauty of God s creation, fellowship with others and a deeper understanding of your relationship with God. In recent years, these facilities have had to rely more heavily on the contributions of churches and individuals to continue their ministry. On June 22, KUCC will collect a special offering for Camp MoVal and Shannondale. Contributions may be placed in the special Outdoor Ministry envelopes in the pew pockets or simply designated for Outdoor Ministry. Camp MoVal is a Camp and Retreat Center located a few miles west of Union, Missouri. It is located on 280 acres that include forest, prairie, lake and streams. Its facilities provide services to hundreds of campers and their families through the summer camp programs. Shannondale Community Center is located in Shannon County, Missouri. In addition to serving as a site for camps and retreats, Shannondale is a Mission project of the Missouri Mid- South Conference UCC and serves the spiritual, educational and economic needs of the people of Shannon and surrounding counties. (For more information on Camp MoVal and Shannondale, go to ******************************** Kirkwood UCC has received letters of thanks from: The United Church of Christ for our 2013 contribution of $6,616 for basic support of Our Church s Wider Mission Chicago, United and Eden Seminaries for our donation of $282 to Eden Seminary Scholarships. ********************************

5 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 5 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL July 14-18, 2014 from 9:00am-Noon We re gearing up for Vacation Bible School coming up this July! There are many ways you can help...contact Cory Letchworth (letchfamily@gmail.com) Once again we will be teaming up with Trinity Lutheran Church.

6 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 6 DEMONSTRATE KUCC S WELCOMING SPIRIT! Have you felt welcomed into the life of KUCC? Want to share that good word with other people who may be longing for that same feeling? Help spread the good news of the extravagant welcome of our UCC churches by helping at PrideFest! The St. Louis area s Open & Affirming UCC churches (KUCC is one of them) host a booth at the St. Louis PrideFest, & march in the PrideFest Parade, & volunteers from the churches staff both activities. WE NEED KUCC FOLKS to help with this effort. You will be working with people from the other ONA churches, letting visitors know that we ONA churches truly welcome everyone. This year PrideFest is Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, in downtown St. Louis around the Soldiers Memorial. At the booth, open both days, we provide information to anyone interested, & help children make buttons that depict their family, emphasizing that we affirm ALL families, however they are comprised. We provide free candy & water, so lots of people stop in. It is very exciting to tell people that we are churches that TRULY welcome them into the full life & leadership of our churches. The parade is Sunday June 29, at 11 AM, and only ½ mile long. In the parade we have UCC banners & flags, throw beads, & aim to have a large presence letting people know about the UCC. Last year there were 70 people in our parade unit, of all ages, which was quite a testimony to our welcoming spirit. This year we d like to have even more people, & have our presence represent the diversity of the UCC! All volunteers again this year are encouraged to purchase a t-shirt ($15) that will display our UCC comma in rainbow colors on the front, & our church name on the back. The shirts will be made in a rainbow of colors. (If you do not want such a shirt, you can wear any primary-colored shirt of your own instead.) T-shirt orders are due no later than Sunday, June 8. Here are two opportunities to share with others the joy and sincerity of our welcoming presence. Sign up to volunteer in the booth &/or march in the parade by contacting Ron Hill, Volunteer Coordinator, at or hillr716@gmail.com. He will need your name, church, cell phone number (for late notifications) and (for additional information as the event approaches.) Questions? See Barb Biedenstein. ******************************** THANK YOU to everyone for your prayers, cards and condolences on the loss of our very small grandson, Samuel. We were not prepared to let him go, but we know where we will see him next. For those of you that remember our son, Phil, he said two things that touched our hearts deeply. First was that the two hours Samuel was with us were the best 2 hours of his life. He also was sure that his Grandpa Hish was there first in line to welcome him home. Rose & Doug Brockhouse

7 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 7 Did you know Nearly 20% of adults in the U.S. lack basic reading skills? A child who reads on grade level by 3 rd grade is 85% more likely to graduate from high school? 85% of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate? Almost 800 million people around the world can t read. 65% are women? Beginning in Sept. 2014, the United Church of Christ is initiating a literacy initiative, Reading Changes Lives, as a response to the crippling literacy gap in the world. This gap continues to be a persistent problem in the U.S. and abroad. As a complicated and broad social justice issue, literacy is an issue that touches (and addresses) other issues, including economic justice, gender inequality, criminal justice, and public education, racial justice, among others. But it affects very simple aspects of our lives, from being able to complete a job application to reading the instructions on a prescription bottle. In fact, limited literacy skills are a major contributor to poverty, illiteracy becomes a barrier for those marginalized by race and economic status. Reading Changes Lives acknowledges that literacy is essential to end the cycle of poverty, to close the schoolto-prison pipeline, and to create inclusive, healthy communities where all can be active and advocate for themselves. Kirkwood UCC will be participating in this literacy campaign by participating in One Read, an all church read with an inspirational book: Hotdogs and Hamburgers: Unlocking Life s Potential by Inspiring Literacy at Any Age by Rob Shindler. A discussion of the book will be held at KUCC on Sept. 21 st at 6:30 p.m. The KUCC Mission and Outreach Team is beginning to plan activities and projects for our participation in this initiative. If you have ideas or suggestions, please contact Judy Kamper or Emily Kuttenkuler. More information about the Reading Changes Lives go to

8 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 8 Walking with Guatemala An Update KUCC s Guatemala Planning team has been in contact with our partners at CEDEPCA throughout the winter and spring. From our many conversations with Judith Casteneda (director of CEDEPCA) we have decided that October 2014 would work best for our next exchange. CEDEPCA is planning to send 2 people to St. Louis for an immersion experience lasting for 4 weeks. The objectives for the CEDEPCA visitors will include: 1. Disaster Relief Response- to understand how to work with diverse groups and train them to work together. In addition, we hope to include opportunities for them to learn about pastoral care for clergy serving in crisis zones. 2. Cross Cultural- to understand how to deal with diverse populations in harmony, to learn the cultural context of our town, visit KUCC families and see the diversity in family make-ups, and how KUCC and others can learn about Guatemala and CEDEPCA. 3. Language-arrange for private English tutor 2 or 3 times a week, encourage opportunities for casual contact daily interaction, family visits, participation in the life of KUCC, and to arrange for the CEDEPCA visitors to speak to others. We are excited to be able to continue our partnership with CEDEPCA-Guatemala! In order for this exchange to be a success, our core planning team would like to invite interested individuals to become involved with planning the October visit. Please contact: Judy Kamper, Emily Kuttenkuler, or Theresa Goetz for more information, OR please come to our next planning meeting on Thursday, June 12, at 7:00pm.

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13 KUCC Newsletter June 2014 Page 13 Kirkwood United Church of Christ 1603 Dougherty Ferry Road Kirkwood, MO Visit us at Postmaster: Please deliver promptly (time-dated material June Newsletter 2014 No matter who you are or where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here! KUCC STAFF Betsy Happel, Pastor (betsy@kirkwooducc.org) Doug Potts, Director of Music (dougbpotts@aol.com) Donna Bay, Administrative Assistant (donna@kirkwooducc.org) Sonya Vann, Student Minister (sonyav@charter.net) MINISTERS - The Whole Congregation JOIN US FOR WORSHIP Sunday Worship & Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. (No Sunday School the first Sunday of the month) Adult Education at 10:45 a.m. (Sundays) CONTACT US Kirkwood United Church of Christ 1603 Dougherty Ferry Road Kirkwood, MO Website Phone (314) Fax ( All articles for the next Newsletter are due to the church office at donna@kirkwooducc.org no later than June 16th. Facebook us