A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Join us for worship and religious education!  Services and Religious Education Classes take place on Sunday morning at 9:15 and 11:00am
April 21, 2017
Sunday, April 23
Worship Service  -  9:15 and 11:00am
 
"Living the Interdependent Web: Earth Day"
 
It is both scientific fact and spiritual stance that we humans are part an interdependent web, together with all living things. Reflections for Earth Day on what it means to respect, revere, and participate in the interdependent web. A worship service for all ages. Rev. Connie Grant leading.

Religious Education
All children are invited to attend our worship service on Living the Interdependent Web. Childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is available from 9:00-12:30. 

Crackerbarrel - 9:30am
"Accessibility and Hearing at UCE"
Discussion Leader: Jim Kepler. Click here for upcoming topics.
 
Join us to stand in support of Black Lives Matter
12:10pm-12:30pm
You are invited to stand on Ridge Avenue between 12:10pm and 12:30pm to support the Black Lives Matter movement.  Signs and buttons are available for purchase at the back of the sanctuary. Signs and song lyrics will be provided for use.  Sponsored by the REAL team.

The Chris Isely Cancer Support Group -  9:15am
The group is open to anyone facing cancer, either personally or through a family member or friend. This lay-led group is a safe place for sharing and hope. Interested participants are encouraged to drop in any time. Questions? Contact Renee Hoff or Brian Meister.

Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6

Volunteers needed!

We need volunteers Sunday, April 30 after church from 12:30pm-3:00pm and 3:00pm-6:00pm, Monday and Tuesday, 9:00am-8:00pm, Wednesday 9:00am-5:00pm. Generally, jobs are setting-up, organizing, and sorting.  We also need volunteers to cook for noon meals M-F for workers and to make home baked goods for sale on Friday and Saturday. 

Another important need is people to work during the sale - Friday, May 5 9:00am-5:00pm and Saturday, May 6 9:00am-12:00pm. We also need desk attendants M-Th 9:00am-9:00pm.  Please help make our rummage sale a success!

ATTENTION BAKERS!  We're looking for tasty treats to sell at the Cafe. Some items that sell well are: bars, cookies, breakfast & savory breads, muffins, cupcakes, rice crispy treats, gluten-free and vegan items, and savory snacks.
 
Items can be dropped off in the kitchen on Thursday evening before the sale or at the Cafe early Fri/Sat morning. Please label item with your name and "CAFE". Thank you.  For more information, contact Donna Schiller or Sheila Holder Many thanks for supporting Cafe Rummage! 
 Rummage Sale Donation Instructions donationinstructions
DONATIONS will be accepted on Sunday, April 30, from 2:00- 6:00 pm, Monday, May 1, 9:00 am - 8:00 pm and Tuesday, May 2, 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
 
ALL donations must be in good condition and in working order.  Please hang all adult clothes, except blue jeans, shorts and lingerie. We can give you wire hangers if you need them.
 
We CANNOT accept large appliances, mattresses, sofa beds, children's car seats, medicine, household or garden chemicals, or live plants.


FURNITURE AND LARGE ITEM PICK UP
 
Need help transporting furniture? Contact Kay Gibbs-Novy - (847) 328-9184 or [email protected] by April 19 to request assistance. On April 29 and 30, UCE will pick up furniture for people who cannot otherwise get these items to UCE. Large items include things like furniture and bikes. Space on the truck is limited, so we cannot pick up boxes or other small items.
Stand Against Racism standagainstracism
Friday, April 28
11:30-11:55 Stand on Ridge
12:00-1:00 lunch and discussion Room 3
Calling all moms and babies, dads and toddlers, grandmothers, grandfathers, proud singles, lovers of spring, singers and dancers, drummers and mummers, come one, come all - to the Friday April 28th Take a Stand Day in front of UCE!  

Dogs, bikes, strollers, canes, rollers and wheelchairs are all welcome.  We will fill the block in front of our church and down to Dempster Street with members and friends and friends of friends and neighbors!  We will say no to racism and oppression of any kind - with our presence, our joy, our neighborliness! Then join us in Room 3 afterward for a bite to eat and good conversation, led by our own Mike Takada!
 
We will be part of a nationwide action to say love instead of hate.  We will join thousands of other people in Evanston and Skokie who will be lining the streets (Ridge and Church in Evanston) at the same time.  Be a part of something big!
 Radical Hospitality Workshop 101
Saturday, April 22, 9:00am to 1:00pm radicalhospitality
The workshop was developed by the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois to give individuals and congregations some of the tools they need to successfully undertake the work of being a Radically Welcoming Congregation.

The workshop will examine the ways that the prison industrial complex is more than just prisons and jails. There will be an opportunity to explore transformative justice and the relationship between UU theology and the criminal legal system. The four-hour experiential training incorporates the voices of formerly incarcerated people and gives attendees a background in why we are called as UUs to do this work. 

For more information on the Radical Hospitality workshop and to register to attend the April 22 event please visit www.uupmi.org or contact Dale Griffin
Applications are due by April 30 for the second round of Endowment Funding considerations. Don't despair if you aren't ready, as there are two more deadline dates-July 30 and October 30.  If you have questions please write Carol Nielsen.
5:00 potluck then discussion. This will be a kind of continuation of the last 2 months' discussions, related to thinking, generally, about being audacious. Now: What are we each passionate about? What will it take for us to achieve that dream? How can we learn from others about their dreams? Liz Kennedy will be guiding us in our thinking and in our talking. We all have dreams about something, so all women in this category please feel free to attend. For information, contact Margie Rogasner.
Join us for the UCE Spring Coffee House! Free will offering accepted. Snacks and beverages provided. Come for music, poetry, story telling, and a great time!
If you have an idea for an Adult Religious Education class or workshop that you'd like to present in the upcoming church year, please contact one of the the Learning Associates  - Bill Irons, Dick Whitaker, Dan Solomon, Tom Ticknor or Julia TakaradaIn your proposal, please include: presenter(s) name(s) and brief bio(s); a catchy title; and a description of your proposed topic (and why it's relevant).  Also, please let one of the Learning Associates know if you are interested in being part of the team to help plan and implement adult religious education programming.
Members of the Rainbow Alliance are going to go help out Black & Pink on Monday, April 24, 6:00pm at Second Unitarian,  656 West Barry Avenue.  If you want to join us, please contact Jeanne Kerl  for the details. We will be helping them out with administrative work.  Black & Pink supports LGBTQ+ folks who are in prison.
Members of the church attended a conference in Washington, DC  April 3-5 titled "Healthcare as a UU Value".  At the conference they heard from Sister Simone Campbell, one of the "nuns on the bus," about the importance of telling our stories and from author and activist Chuck Collins, who's just written a book titled Born on Third Base

The conference was co-sponsored by UUs for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) and the DC chapter of UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ).  It included speakers who highlighted the importance of bringing our spiritual values to our activism work and experts from Americans from Tax Fairness and Nurses United who presented details on the current health care plan.  On the final day of the conference, attendees met with 22 US Senators and their staff to lobby for the rights of every American to affordable and effective health care. Click here to read more.
If you are in a caregiving role of any sort, we invite you to drop in at the next Caregiver Support Group.  In April, we meet on April 25 from 7-8:30pm. If you have questions, please contact Renee Hoff or Joyce Lofstrom.
Caregivers' Journey  caregiverjourney
Tuesdays, May 9, 16 & 23, 7:00pm
Energy Management for Caregivers: Being a caregiver is a deeply stressful and meaningful experience. In our first session, we will explore questions about stress, energy management, and ways the caregiver can use mindfulness techniques to help them help themselves-and then become more comfortable caregiving as a result.

Conversations with our Loved Ones: In our second session, we will help the caregiver think through different situations and levels of care, navigate your loved ones' wishes for their own care, and have difficult conversations with them about advance directives.

Making Meaning: In our third session, we will explore questions of meaning and purpose-how do our Unitarian Universalist values help shape our understanding of caregiving as an important part of our beliefs and values?

Facilitated by Rev. Elizabeth Harding, A.M., M.Div., LSW. Elizabeth grew up Unitarian Universalist and is a bereavement counselor with JourneyCare, the state's largest nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider. She is an affiliated community minister with the Second Unitarian Church of Chicago.  Click here to register, or sign up on the Religious Education bulletin board.
Regional Assembly  regionalassembly
UCE members and staff will be participating in the Friday night worship service at our upcoming Regional Assembly in Oak Brook IL on April 28. Vickie Hellyer will lead our choir during the service. Rev. Bret will also have a part in the service; and Rev. Scott Aaseng will be installed as the director of UUANI, with Rev. Alan Taylor leading the installation. After the worship service, we will hear all 3 of the UUA presidential candidates talk about their visions for the UUA. There are 12 or us already registered for this weekend event now. You can still register. Click here for details about the event.    Contact Lee Bannor or Shirley Adams or Peggy Boccard if you have questions.  
Upcoming UCE Events

Saturday, April 22, 9:00am
Radical Hospitality Workshop 101


Sunday, April 23, 12:15pm
Veggie Lunch


Tuesday, April 25, 5:00pm
Recently Retired (but never retiring!) Women


Tuesday, April 25, 7:00pm
Update on Atheism


Saturday, April 29, 7:30pm
Spring Coffee House


Friday, May 6 and Sat. May 7
Rummage Sale


Tuesdays, May 9, 16 and 23
Caregivers' Journey


Thursday Nights, 7pm
UCE Addictions and Recovery Group


Sunday Mornings, 8:15am & Wednesday Mornings, 9:30am
Yoga


Saturdays at 10:00am
Open Drumming Circles

Community Involvement
Click each event for more information.

Sunday, April 23, 3:30pm
Youth Choral Theater Concert - a UCE rental featuring pianist Gregory Shifrin


YWCA Let's Talk at Lunch
Third Thursday of the Month
 
Veggie Lunch Sponsored by the Green Team

Sunday, April 23 12:15pm


Please join us on Sunday April 23 for a Green Team-sponsored, organic and meat-free luncheon to celebrate Earth Day and our green accomplishments at UCE.  

Lunch will be in room 3 immediately after the second service, and we will have informational tables from local energy consumer and climate advocacy groups. 

A donation of $7 per person or $15 per family is requested. For questions or if you would like to volunteer to donate a food item, contact  Heather Brown.
Fiction Book Group

Friday, April 21 7:30pm


Members and guests are invited to read and discuss
 
The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild.
UU Identity Discussions

Continued learning opportunities offered monthly by the New Member Committee; open to all who want to better understand what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist, no matter where you are on the membership journey:

Principles and Sources Class 
1st Sundays 10:15 - 11am
Whether you are new to Unitarian Universalism or you would like to better understand the seven principles and six sources of our faith, join us for this rich 45-minute discussion led by members of the New Member Committee. We ' ll use thought provoking metaphors to dive deeper into the foundations of being a UU.  Next Principles & Sources Class: April 2 between services.
 
Spiritual Journeys - 
a 3-part conversation
2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays 
at 10:15-11am 
We'll explore our religious and spiritual backgrounds, where we come from, what we want to cherish and what we want to release as we continue our journeys. This is a conversation open to all no matter where you are on the path - exploring membership, new members and long-term members alike. You can participate in any one or all three in any order. 
Next Spiritual Journeys Sessions:  4/23.
 

Yoga at UCE


Join us every Sunday at 8:15am and every Wednesday at 9:30am.

Yoga at UCE is designed to reduce stress, bring relaxation, increase range of motion, and find balance - restorative yoga. If you never have done yoga before, this is your opportunity. Drop in, wear comfortable clothing for stretching, and try it. Yoga is learned by doing. Community yoga mats provided if needed.

Hands on Habitat Restoration with the Evanston Interreligious Sustainability Circle


Harms Woods Forest Preserve

Sunday May 7, 2017 1pm - 4pm

Contact Dale Griffin or Susan Comstock for details
UCE Rental

North Shore Choral Society Presents


Saturday, April 22, 7pm at UCE

Come watch UCE members Robb Geiger,  Lynn Kendall, Jane Kenamore, Andy Fisher, and Inge Kistler in this concert.
Opportunities
 for Spiritual Practice

Upcoming Membership Classes

For those who are thinking about becoming a member of the church.

Intro to Unitarian Universalism 
Sat. May 6,  10:00 - 11:30am
Led by Rev. Bret Lortie, we'll look at our history, our principles, the sources of our faith, and the meaning of covenant. (This is the first step in the membership process.) 

Orientation Toward Membership 
Sat. May 13, 9am - 12pm
Led by Rev. Connie Grant, Membership Director Eileen Wiviott, and members of the New Member Committee. An interactive class exploring our spiritual journeys, the diversity of our beliefs, and what it means to be a member of this congregation. (This is the second step in the membership process.)

Sign up at the Guest & Member Table in the lobby or email  Eileen Wiviott. There will be childcare available upon request in advance for both of these classes. 
Ministers' Schedules

Rev. Bret Lortie  is available on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and by appointment. Monday is sabbath and Friday devoted to writing. To send a message or read Rev. Bret's blog, visit  www.liberalfaith.org .
 
Rev. Connie Grant is generally in the office during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and often has evening meetings on those days. She takes Mondays off and works at home on Fridays. Please email or call Connie for an appointment.
[email protected]. (847) 864-1330 ext. 103 (office); (847) 840-8542 (cell).
| 847-864-1330 | [email protected] | http://www.ucevanston.org
1330 Ridge Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201