Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, April 3rd at 10:15 am
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Awakening Curiosity
To nurture the human spirit and make the world more whole, we must practice together being open to all there is we don’t know. We will explore what it means to cultivate curiosity through cultural humility. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads the service and Robb Geiger is our Worship Associate.
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Faith Formation Hour for All Ages (11:35 am-12:30 pm) Following Kinship Time in the back of the sanctuary (11:15-11:35 am) |
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Forum: Immigrant Solidarity Team – Room 6 and on Zoom. The Immigrant Solidarity has much to talk to you about. Join them at the forum and learn what your congregation is doing to support better laws, and support for immigrants in Chicagoland. Click here to join.
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ENDS Statement Discussion – Minister’s Office and on Zoom. Click here to join. More info below.
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Zoom Technology Learning Session with Adam Gough - Rm 12: Do you want to learn more about using Zoom? Join Adam Gough on April 3 during Faith Formation Hour (11:35-12:30) for some helpful tips and tricks. Adam will share ways to use closed captioning and other exciting features of Zoom. Bring any and all questions to this learning session.
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Junior and Senior High School Youth Group (7th-12th grades) – Room 13
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Heads, Hearts, and Hands (1st-6th grades) – Room 3
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Pre-K – Room 9
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Nursery (ages 0-3) – Room 11
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Spring Awakenings
From Kathy Underwood, Director of Lifespan Faith Formation
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With signs of spring in the air and the earth, there is a feeling of hope and renewal. The encouragement in the lowering of Covid cases recently certainly helps as we can gather with others a little more comfortably and be outdoors more. Nature is awakening and is surely a salve for the soul!
Springtime is a time for celebration for so many faiths - Bahá'í, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. With two of our Unitarian Universalist Sources being “wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life” and “Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to love our neighbors as ourselves” we are called to learn about other faiths and their traditions. For many UUs, Easter is the holiday usually celebrated, although the reasons vary. And for children, it is a fun time with egg hunts. With being back in person this year, the Family Ministry Team will be coordinating a canned goods hunt with the collection of goods going to Connections for the Homeless. Be sure to look for upcoming announcements on where to drop off donations
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Mother's Day Child Dedications at UCE |
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If you have a child or children you would like to be dedicated to our UCE community on Mother's Day on Sunday, May 8 (regardless of the child's age), please contact Rev. Eileen at ewiviott@ucevanston.org.
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Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
responds to the war in Ukraine
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The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee responds to the war in Ukraine and demands an end to the bloodshed. Follow the link below to their response and for ways to help the Ukrainian people. |
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2021-2022 Pledge Payment Statements |
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2021/22 Pledge Payment Statements will arrive via email next week. Please open your email from UCE. Your payment for this fiscal year will be reflected there. We encourage every to get their pledge payments complete by or before June 30.
Thank you
Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director
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We Need Your Input On Our New ENDS Statement! |
Our Ends Statements are a map of where we hope to be in 5 years. They are a vision of who we want to become. These statements have been created with your input and we need your continued feedback to get them ready for the whole congregation to vote on at our annual meeting, May 15th.
This is the proposed draft of our Congregational Ends, offered by the Board of Trustees and Ministers:
We welcome, affirm, and promote the worth and dignity of people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, and identities in our physical and virtual spaces as we practice Beloved Community.
We support the spiritual growth and well-being of our congregational community, cultivating gratitude, joy, wonder, and an openness to personal and relational transformation as we strive to build a better world.
We bravely and lovingly engage in conversations that challenge us to explore our personal, congregational, and community history, and commit to anti-racism and anti-oppression with honesty, humility, and accountability.
We engage in our interconnected world, form diverse connections in the community, and act for peace, social, environmental, and economic justice, within, among, and beyond our congregation.
Please join us at one of these times to offer your perspective on these statements:
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Sunday, April 3rd at 11:35 for Faith Formation Hour (in person and on Zoom)
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Tuesday, April 5th at noon (on Zoom)
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Saturday, April 16th at noon (on Zoom and in person)
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Hats Off to Jim Strickler & Rafael Hernandez-Arias! |
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Our hats are off to our pledge drive team, Jim Strickler and Rafael Hernandez-Arias. Thank you for the tremendous amount of effort you dedicated to serving our Beloved Community. Your planning, coordination, and communication with the support team helped make it easy for members to pledge. A well-run pledge drive is essential for the financial health and thriving of UCE, as member pledges make it possible for us to live our mission. Thank you for all you did to make our pledge drive so successful this year. Because of your hard work, we have almost reached our aspirational goal. For anyone who hasn’t been able to submit a pledge yet, it’s not too late. Please complete your pledge form here. Thanks again, Jim and Rafael!
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UCE Building Availability -
The UCE Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am-5pm
If you have music to share in worship, we would love to add your to our list. We are looking for either live or recorded performances for Sunday mornings to enhance our worship. Reach out to Rev. Eileen or Vickie Hellyer.
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Wednesday Zoom Gatherings Continue on 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
The Next Worship Planning Playdate is Saturday, April 9. More info below.
The Rosemary Zwick Afternoon of the Arts is Saturday, April 9 at 3-5 pm. More info below.
UCE Earth Day Celebration is Friday, April 22 at 7 pm at UCE.
Emma's Revolution Concert is Saturday, April 30 at 7 pm at UCE.
Plant Swap is Saturday, May 14 from 2-5 pm in the UCE Parking Lot!
UCE's Rummage Sale is May 20-21! More info below!
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This Week's Events & Links |
Saturday, April 2
Sunday, April 3
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Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 8:45 am in Room 6 and via Zoom. Contact Renee Hoff for the Zoom link.
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Worship Service at 10:15 am - Sanctuary & Youtube Livestream. Click here to join.
- Kinship Time at 11:15-11:35 am - back of the sanctuary
- Faith Formation Hour this Sunday:
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Forum: Immigrant Solidarity Team – Room 6 and on Zoom. Click here to join.
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ENDS Statement Discussion – Minister’s Office and on Zoom. Click here to join. More info below.
- More activities listed above.
Monday, April 4
Tuesday, April 5
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ENDS Conversation at 12 pm via Zoom. Click here to join.
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Why Do We Work So D*** Much? at 7 pm in Room 3 & via Zoom. Click here to join.
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Caregiver Support Group at 7 pm via Zoom. Contact Renee Hoff or Joyce Lofstrom to join.
Wednesday, April 6
Thursday, April 7
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Meditation Group at 5:30 pm via Zoom. Email Lisa Solomon for the link.
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If you're viewing the newsletter in your email inbox, click on "View entire message" at the bottom of the email to read the full newsletter!
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Congregational Connections |
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Upcoming Worship Planning Playdate - April 9 |
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Our next Worship Planning Playdate is coming up April 9th from 9 am - Noon in the UCE Sanctuary. All are welcome if you are interested in helping to shape the upcoming worship services. Registration is not required to attend but will help us in planning.
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The Rosemary Zwick Night Afternoon of the Arts
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Reviving a tradition started by artist and UCE member Rosemary Zwick, The Rosemary Zwick Night
Afternoon of the Arts will be Saturday, April 9 from 3:00-5:00 pm. The sanctuary will be filled with people of all ages enjoying a variety of art projects.
If you’re interested in hosting an art station or helping in other ways, contact Karena Nelson at karenaknelson@gmail.com….Don’t worry if you don’t know the project you’d offer--we can help with that!
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Chair Yoga - 2nd Sundays before Worship Service |
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NEW starting April 10 we will be adding in person yoga before the service 9-10 am in Room 3. This will be a gentle yoga, mostly sitting in chairs, inclusive for everyone, wear comfortable clothing that you don't need to change before service starts. We will continue on the 2nd Sunday of the month for several months, see how it goes.
We want to introduce yoga as spiritual/mindfulness practice and not concentrate on physical activity so much.
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2022 UCE Rummage Sale Update |
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When is the Rummage Sale?
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Friday, 5/20/22 from 9 am - 6 pm
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Saturday, 5/21/22 from 9 am - 1 pm
What is the format? How will it be different from previous sales?
Rummage sale veterans told the planning group that, although they loved the sense of community surrounding their volunteering in years past, the workload has become too burdensome. The new rummage format is a streamlined version of the way we used to do it. The sale categories have been narrowed down to those yielding the highest sales and the sale will be inside the building (first floor only/no basement sales.)
Our theme this year is “share the work”
This means that we are all joining in as a congregation to make this the most successful, easy to manage and interactive event as possible as we transition from the traditional sale to this new, condensed version...
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Emma's Revolution Concert at UCE - Saturday, April 30 |
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UCE is excited to host Emma's Revolution CD Release Concert In-Person & Livestreamed on Saturday April 30th at 7pm! Tickets can be purchased on their website.This is a special evening of music and an important fundraiser for UCE. Please plan to join us.
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Grief Group Begins April 25 |
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Ellen Rieger will be facilitating a grief group beginning on Monday, April 25. This group will be for anyone grieving the loss of a person, a decline in health, or any other loss that is problematic. The group will be part education and part support. It is very hard to grieve alone so come join us as we travel the ups and downs of loss. We will meet every other Monday on Zoom from 7:00 to 8:15 pm. For more information contact Ellen Rieger ellenerieger@gmail.com.
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What's All This I Hear About Shared Ministry? |
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The UUA describes Shared Ministry as the concept that the “ministry of the congregation does not belong exclusively to ordained clergy, but to everyone.” As a faith community we believe that all have equal access to the divine. Shared ministry means that each of us--ordained minister, staff, UCE member—contributes to carrying out the mission of the congregation. You might serve on the Board, sing in the choir, participate in a covenant group, join a social action group—the list is long at UCE.
What is the COSM?
The Committee on Shared Ministry helps the congregation live into shared ministry. That is, it helps members recognize and improve the contributions we each make to UCE. Shared Ministry has a sacred quality to it: it is not just “what we do'' but also “how we do it.” As both the “great covenant” that we say each Sunday and the Covenant of Engagement state, we agree to engage with each other with compassion and respect as we strive to carry out our mission.
What are the Main Goals of the COSM?
The COSM focuses on three goals:
- Greater Transparency: identify groups contributing to UCE’s shared ministry, share information about them, and provide additional channels for congregants to share feedback on our shared ministry.
- Greater Accountability: work with the ministers, staff and Board to assess how well the congregation is meeting its goals and identify needs we should address.
- Greater Partnership: serve as a sounding board for the senior minister and support their continued development.
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Help Grow Food for the Hungry |
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Volunteers needed for planting session at the UCE Cahill Food Pantry Garden May 14th, 10 am - 12 pm
Join an intergenerational social justice effort in the garden! Last year UCE gardening at John J. Cahill, Inc. (on Church St.) resulted in almost 300 pounds of produce donations to Edible Evanston (for Harvest Pantry and Hillside Pantry). Be a part of the experience this season starting with a planting session Saturday May 14, 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Young gardeners with adult supervision also welcome. Help later in the season with cultivating, weeding and harvesting is also needed. Please contact Dale Griffin or Barbara Butz to register or express interest for later. Thanks!
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Endowment Funds UU Prison Ministry of IL |
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Endowment grants come in different sizes and the impact of each may be difficult to measure. The use of Endowment funds by the UU Prison Ministry of IL for Solidarity Circle grants clearly shows that a small amount of money can make an impactful difference in an individual’s life.
These Endowment grants, distributed over the past year, benefited four Solidarity Circle leaders making their way back into society after being in prison.
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13 States Participate in Regional Assembly.
Can You Name Them?
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The MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association includes nearly 200 UU congregations and lIke UUA, provides numerous services and support to UU congregations. These services include relationship building, leadership development, faith formation, cultural competence, and support for dismantling systemic white supremacy culture, as well as coaching in stewardship and conflict transformation.
Regional Assembly is MidAmerica’s annual gathering and will happen virtually on April 30. The keynote speaker is CB Beal - if you have participated in the Beloved Conversations program in the last few years, you know CB! In addition to the keynote, we will hold worship, the Annual Business Meeting, and there will also be time for break out rooms for connection and conversation.
Looking to connect with other UCE members attending Regional Assembly? Send an email to a member of the Denominational Affairs Committee: Shirley Adams, Lee Bannor, Peggy Boccard, Melanie Kitchner, Cheryl Mounts, Betty Walker or Carla Williams.
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Come to General Assembly 2022!! |
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Friends, now is your opportunity to join thousands of other UUs at the annual General Assembly! The steps are easy. For information about GA, go here. At that GA website you’ll find links to everything you’d want to know. But for what you need right now:
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2) Sign up for Housing. If you’d like to take advantage of the special offers assigned to UUA GA participants, go to the sign-up page to select your hotel and room.
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Call for UCE Delegates to the UUA General Assembly |
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Now is your opportunity to join thousands of UUs, both in-person or virtually, at the 2022 UUA General Assembly (GA). UCE is looking for members interested in serving as delegates. Whether attending in-person or virtually your participation supports your personal development and our congregation’s growth and development, which in turn supports our mission to nurture the human spirit for a world made whole.
Delegates are asked to commitment to the following:
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Study: https://www.uua.org/ga/congregations/delegates
- Read and review the proposed issues for the assembly
- Attend Preparing for General Assembly workshop(s) about planned issues to discuss and understand the congregation’s response/concerns
- Attend plenary sessions (business meetings) at assembly and vote as appropriate
- Contribute to a consolidated report back to the Board and congregation after the assembly (major vote results, new resolutions, significant theme messages)
Funds Available for Delegates and Non-Delegates Attending General Assembly
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UUA Study of our Principles and Sources Seeks Your Input |
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The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has commissioned a study of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Article II is comprised of our Principles and Purposes and is the foundation for the work of our Unitarian Universalist (UU) movement. It encompasses the covenant to which all of our UU congregations and UU covenanted communities pledge themselves when they become members of our UUA. |
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What's Happening in Faith Formation? |
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Faith Formation Hour this Sunday at 11:35 am…
- Nursery (ages 0-3) in Room 11 from 10 am-12:30 pm
- Pre/K in Room 9
- Heads, Hearts, and Hands (1st-6th grades) in Room 3
- Youth Group (7th-12th grades) in Room 13
- Forum Discussion Group in Room 6 and on Zoom
- Reflection with the Minister in the Sanctuary
- Zoom Training with Adam Gough - Room 12
Welcome to our new monthly theme, Awakening! Families can explore this in their own timeframe in the Soulful Home packet.
...and beyond!
Afternoon of the Arts – April 9, 3-5 pm: All ages are invited for an afternoon of art and fun! Come make a fairy house, collage, air-dry clay, recycled bicycle-part jewelry, paper quilts, and more!
Adult Playdate – April 26 at 7 pm on Zoom - Adults are gathering for a “playdate” of sorts for an hour of imagining what programs and events we can offer adults at all stages of life! We will have a “no-holding-back” brainstorming on what you need and want to experience in the coming year at UCE. Educational? Social? Religious? Experiential? Register here. More details to come!
Youth Group Gathering at Busse Woods - Saturday, April 23, 2022
3-7 pm (Times are still tentative). Come with your peers and spend an afternoon with UU teens from Elgin, Geneva, Hinsdale, Naperville and Palatine.
Earth Day Justice Fair – April 24 during Faith Formation Hour
We’ll be making lunch bags for Connections for the Homeless using earth-friendly sandwich bags. There will also be many family-friendly activities facilitated by the Green Team.
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Why Do We Work So D*** Much? Begins April 5 |
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Computers and robots were supposed to make our lives easier, our work days and weeks shorter, but Americans are working harder and longer and getting a lot less satisfaction from it. How did we get here? What will work look like in the future? And how can we make a better and more fulfilling life for ourselves and our communities?
This class will be facilitated by UCE Members, Betty Walker, Carol Nielsen, and Brian Nielsen on Tuesdays, April 5, 12, and 19 from 7-8:30 pm in Room 3 & on Zoom.
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Faith Formation Listening Circles in May |
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Rev. Eileen and Kathy Underwood want to hear from you! As we near the end of this experimental church year, we want to hear what your experience with faith formation hour has been for you and how we can make it better for next year. Please join us for one of these gatherings:
- May 1 at 11:35 am at UCE
- May 4 at 7 pm on Zoom
- May 10 at 7 pm on Zoom
- May 14 at 10 am at UCE
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April 15, the UCE Fiction Book Group will discuss Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jessmyn Ward.
Sing, Unburied, Sing journeys through Mississippi’s past and present, examining the ugly truths at the heart of the American story and the power—and limitations—of family bonds. Jojo is thirteen years old and trying to learn from the men around him how to be a Black man. When Jojo’s white father is released from prison, the family travels through Mississippi to Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. At Parchman there is another thirteen-year-old boy, the ghost of a dead inmate who carries all the ugly history of the South with him. He, too, has something to teach Jojo about fathers and sons and the legacy of families. All are Welcome!
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Join the nonfiction book group at 2 p.m. on April 24th to discuss Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World by Katharine Hayhoe.
Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe knows how to navigate all sides of the conversation on our changing planet, negotiating distrust of data, indifference to imminent threats, and resistance to proposed solutions. She has found that the most important thing we can do to address climate change is to talk to others to find shared values and plan for a better future. We invite members of the Green Team and others concerned about climate change to join us.
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Registration Open for this summer's
Chalice Sparx Family Camp & Retreat for UU Families
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Registration for this summer’s Chalice Sparx Family Camp & Retreat for Unitarian Universalist families is now open. Join us July 8-10 in Cassopolis, Michigan for an amazing all-ages experience at lovely Camp Friedenswald in southwestern Michigan -- only 90 miles from Chicago. As an intentional UU covenanted community, we are especially welcoming to Trans children, youth and their families.
We are a non-profit organization run by Unitarian Universalist religious educators, ministers, and lay persons from all over the Midwest.
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Have you heard the buzz about a reparations vote at our congregational meeting in May? At UCE’s annual meeting members will have a chance to vote on a resolution supporting reparations at the national and local level, and how UCE can support these programs and make further inroads against racism and promoting racial healing. We welcome your feedback on the planned motion for our May congregational meeting.
Please join us at one of the following congregation wide conversations with a short presentation followed by open discussion:
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April 10, 2022, Town Hall from 1:15-2:15 pm, via Zoom. Join here on Zoom.
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April 15, 2022, Discussion with the Board from 6:00-7:00 pm, via Zoom. Join here on Zoom.
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April 27, 2022, Wednesday Gathering from 5:30-6:30 pm, via Zoom. Join here on Zoom.
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May 1, 2022, Faith Formation Hour from 11:35 am – 12:35 pm, in-person and via Zoom. Join here on Zoom.
You may also plan to have your covenant group or small group discuss Reparations when you meet in April or May. If you would like to talk with someone from Team 8th one-on-one to understand more, please contact Gretchen Brewster through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.
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UUtheVote Launch on April 10, 2022 |
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This year UCE’s UUtheVote team has a 40,000 Points of Love initiative that we will live into through our partnerships with the UUA Side With Love Organizing Strategy Team, Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI), Reclaim Our Vote (ROV), and local non-partisan non-profits organizing around getting out the vote and voting our values!
Shirley Adams is our lead organizer. We will be engaging in the following 4 areas:
- Get Out The Vote (postcard and letter writing from home or in small groups), led by Carolyn Laughlin.
- Voter Registration (in-person at various locations).
- Advocacy/Education Virtual (phone banking or text banking).
- Values Conversations (in-person at community locations or door-to-door).
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Taproot: A National UU BIPOC Space |
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The work of spiritual community is complicated in the 21st century. From busy schedules to the ever-pressing tension brought on by systemic injustice, the need for faithful leadership that is grounded and resilient is imperative. This is all the more true for leaders within our congregations who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC). BIPoC Leaders rooted in Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in a monthly virtual gathering as we explore these pillars in creating means by which to ground ourselves in resilient communities of care:
- Rest & Renewal
- Analysis Building
- Leadership Development
Dates: April 14, and May 12, 2022.
Time: 7 PM CT
This space is explicitly for people identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC).
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Unitarian Church of Evanston
1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1330
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