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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service

this Sunday, April 16th at 10:30 am

Faith Formation Hour this Sunday!

• Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10:15am-11:45am

• Chalice Children (pre/k) in room 9 from ~11am-noon – Our youngest will explore how we care for the earth by looking at Plants and Seeds.

• Heads, Hearts, and Hands (1st-6th) in room 8 from ~11am-noon – The young people will explore our theme of Resistance through the lens of Buddhism in Resisting By Breathing.

• Youth Group (7th-12th) in room 13 from ~11am-noon – The youth will be finalizing their plans for their Youth Sunday worship service on April 30.

Families can explore our theme, Resistance, at home at their own pace with the Soulful Home packet.

Rev. Eileen Wiviott is currently on a scheduled sabbatical until Sunday, May 28th. In her absence, please contact:

• Rev. Elizabeth Harding (eharding@ucevanston.org), Sabbatical Minister covering pastoral care: Wednesdays, 11:00am-4:30 pm, Thursdays, 10:30am-2:00pm, or by appointment.
• Rev. Allison Farnum (afarnum@ucevanston.org), Sabbatical Minister covering worship and staffing: Tuesdays, 10:30am-3:30pm, or by appointment.
• Rev. Susan Frances (sfrances@ucevanston.org), Assistant Minister for Congregational Life: Thursdays, 10:30am-3:30 pm, or by appointment.

Do Not Get Scammed: Rev. Eileen will not be sending or receiving emails or text messages during her sabbatical.

Peter Mayer Concert

Friday, May 19 - 7–10pm

Minnesota's Peter Mayer has been singing and songwriting full-time for over 20 years, performing in venues across the United States and beyond. He writes songs for a small planet--songs that celebrate life on earth and the mysterious and wondrous fact of our existence. Peter wrote and produced Blue Boat Home which is in the UU teal hymnal. Peter Mayer performed days before we closed for the pandemic. He played to a full house and it was a memorable experience.



Tickets are $30 and can be purchased through Eventbrite by following this link. Tickets will be available at the door for $33.

Child Dedication Ceremony

Our next Child Dedication Ceremony will be on Sunday, May 14, 2023. This is a ceremony in which our community dedicates ourselves to the care of our children and to supporting families as they try to live our shared values in community. A child dedication can happen at any age/stage of childhood. If you would like to have a child in your family dedicated on May 14, 2023, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org by April 20, 2023.

Hats off to David Bates-Jefferys

Hats Off to David Bates-Jefferys who is a beloved ready-at-the ask volunteer at UCE. 

David serves on the Board of Trustees. His many roles include ushering and counting the collection with the Money Counters Hospitality Team, Co-Organizer of Bike-the-Ridge event, Co-Leader of the Emissions Reduction Task Force, member of the Green Team, and member of the Buildings & Grounds Team. David formerly served on the Nominating & Recruitment Committee. Amidst his work life, being a loving husband and father of two small children, David finds time for the church he holds dear. Thank you, David, we appreciate you so.

UUA Board announcement about the

Article II Idea Submission Form

The UUA Article II Study Commission has released its report and the proposed revision of Article II and invites suggestions and ideas from individuals. You are invited to use the link in the article below to access the form before April 30 to suggest specific language changes, using a separate form for each section of the proposal.

Links to the Article II Study Report, including the proposal, and to frequently asked questions are also included in the article.

Further opportunities for discussion include:

• Our sixth and final Zoom session on Reimagining Article II on April 19, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, led by Betty Walker, Carla Williams, and Cheryl Mounts. The theme is Article II Connecting. Register HERE.

• May 7, 2023, 9:30-10:20 am, in-person in Room 3, led by Cheryl Mounts with the Denominational Affairs Team. The theme is Reviewing the Article II Report. There is no registration, you are invited to drop in.

Grief Group starting at UCE on Thursday April 27

7 to 8:30pm in Room 2.

This group will provide support and education for those who have had a loss either recently or in the past. For questions or to register please contact Ellen Rieger LCPC at elleneriegr@gmail.com or admin@ucevanston.org.

Friday, May 12 ~ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm 

Saturday, May 13 ~ 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 pm

This week’s Rummage Sale message is brought to you by the letter 

P - for Publicity!

There are two EASY ways in which you can help with PUBLICITY:



•  Share and post flyers with friends and neighbors:  Stop by the Rummage Sale Info Table any Sunday to pick up flyers for distribution to friends and/or for posting on community bulletin boards in condos, grocery stores, laundry rooms, coffee shops, schools, libraries, community centers, etc. Also, click here for a virtual copy of this year’s flyer to email or post on social media.

• Place a yard sign: Yard Signs are also available at the Info Table for those who have front yards in well-traveled areas. Or, if you know of a busy intersection where signs are permitted, place a sign there. NOTE: This year, we will be recycling the signs for reuse in 2024 so PLEASE remember to return your sign to the church after the sale. (There will be a designated spot in the lobby.)

2023 UUA Presidential Forum Hosted at UCE

UCE is honored to be one of four congregations hosting UUA Presidential Candidate, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, for a Presidential Forum. The forum will be in-person and livestreamed.

(Under “What is your geographical location within the UUA regions?” Select “MAR – Mid America Region”.)

2023 UUA General Assembly

The 2023 UUA General Assembly will be held in Pittsburgh, PA from June 21 – 25 online and in-person. 

Registration is now open. Click here for details.

The Denominational Affairs Team is asking you to consider being a Delegate to this General Assembly. Delegates will be considering changes to the UUA Bylaws, Article 2, that address racism, non-human life, and the inclusivity of the democratic process in our Principles, Purposes, and Sources. Delegates can attend in-person and virtually.

If you are interested, please contact Peggy Boccard via REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.

We will continue to provide information via the Newsletter. 

Family Friday – Tonight, 5:30-7:30p in the Sanctuary



Join us for an Earth Day celebration! Bring an Earth-related snack to share – this could be something grown on the Earth, something green or blue, something round – use your imagination!

April Showers…The Forum Discussion Group invites you for a special guest appearance, Dr. Gray from Northwestern University, to talk about UCE’s rain garden and the research she is doing.

Sunday, April 16 at 9:30am in room 3 and on Zoom.

A Scientific Thought Experiment on the Birth of Meaning: How the Universe Gave Us Our Mojo

Wednesday April 19, 7-8:30 pm. In-person + Zoom. Facilitated by Robb Geiger.

Daniel Dennett wrote in his book, Darwin's Dangerous Idea, that "evolution creates meaning out of nothing". This class will explore the theories of Terrance Deacon about how life may have emerged from inanimate matter, and the philosophical ramifications. We will be thinking at the intersection of science and philosophy. Participants will see how the emergence of life gives birth to information, intentionality, purpose, and meaning. Register HERE.

Young Adult Earth Day Gathering - April 21 7:00-9:30pm  

Bring a game or snack to share that relates to the environment. Use your imagination! We’ll end our evening with a short Earth Day vespers worship - UU style. Register here.

Chalice Sparx July 7-9, 2023 We are a multigenerational community that is intentionally welcoming for LGBTQ+ families, and families who have a member who is trans* or non-binary make up a sizeable portion of the families who have attended over the years. We have nurtured several trans kids in their journey toward adulthood and offer a time out of time and a place out of place experience for Unitarian Universalist families to connect and support one another.

Camp Marwood July 16-22, 2023 - Marwood is designed to be a 4-year experience for youth aged 12-15 (rising 7th graders - rising 10th graders) and the majority of campers choose to attend for all four of the summers they are eligible. Therefore, a potential camper’s best chance to “get in” is the summer before 7th grade. Some years, we have spots for rising 8th or 9th graders.

UCE Fiction Book Group 

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Friday, April 21, 7-8:30pm on ZOOM

When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions.

Next Read: May 19: I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart.

UCE Non-Fiction Book Group: American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer.

The nonfiction book group will meet Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 2 p.m. via Zoom.

Award-winning journalist Shane Bauer embedded himself in a private prison in Winnfield, Louisiana as a prison guard  for four months in 2018 and wrote about what he experienced. He also shares with readers a thoroughly researched history of for-profit prisons in America from their origins in slavery and Southern prison farms.

The New York Times Book Review rated this book as one of the ten best books of 2018.

Congratulations, UCE! Let’s Celebrate!

Sunday, April 16, 11:30am, Sanctuary/Café

Last fall, postcards from our UCE UUtheVote team flooded southern states to protect the vote and strengthen progressive values in those elections. Last month, UUtheVote postcarders again rallied to protect reproductive rights and create fairness in Wisconsin voting districts. Together, we made a difference! Let’s celebrate together on Sunday, April 16, after the worship service in the back of the sanctuary.

Cake for all, and prizes for postcarders! Join us!

Environmental Lobby Day

Advocate for environmental issues in Springfield on April 19, 2023!

For the first time in three years, environmental groups from across Illinois are coming together to advocate on critical environmental issues. We'll be in Springfield from 10:00am - 2:00pm. A bus for this day will depart from our own UCE parking lot - making this journey both convenient and impactful!

(Under "Organization/Affiliation," select the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois. Under "How will you be getting to Lobby Day," if you select "Take a Bus", you may pick up a bus at UCE, departing at 7:00 am, returning around 7:00 pm. Please park your car in one of the two west rows of parking spaces and leave the two rows closest to the building empty for evening events.)

Questions? Contact Rev. Susan at sfrances@uceanston.org.

Thank you for living our values out in the world!

Traditional Spring Pow Wow at Northwestern University

The Native Communities Solidarity Team invites you to attend the Spring Pow Wow at Northwestern University on April 22, 2023, with events happening from 11:00am – 5:00pm. To learn about Pow Wow etiquette, please join the University’s Lunch & Learn session on April 19, 2023, from 12:00-1:00 pm by registering here. or read through the Pow Wow Etiquette section on the University’s website.

FAST & REAL Team Co-Sponsor

Open Communities Workshop

On April 25, 2023, from 6:30-8:00 pm, our Food & Shelter Team (FAST) and our Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Team are co-sponsoring a collaborative workshop put on by Open Communities, Dino Robinson, and The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County. Please join us in-person or online.

Join the UCE Team in the Race Against Hate

Now in its 24rd year, the Race Against Hate will be held on Fathers’ Day, June 18, 2023, at 7:30 am in Long Field, Evanston, and UCE will again be a part of it! 

Some of us run, some walk, some roll! Please join us for the Race Against Hate by joining the UCE Racial Equity Team 2023. (The YWCA has generously offered UCE 2 free registrations. So, the first 2 people to register using the code unitarian23, will be able to register for free!) If you can’t be with us in the Race, but want to join in spirit, support the team through your donation. Click this link to get to our Team page where you can register or sponsor the UCE Racial Equity Team or one of its members. 

Dana Deane is coordinating the UCE Racial Equity Team 2023. Please let her know if you have any questions at Dddeane847@gmail.com .

Abortion Remains Legal in Illinois

No one should be confused – abortion remains available and legal in Illinois. Illinois has strong legislative protections for people who are pregnant. Know your rights to abortion access.

On April 7, 2023, a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling to block a two decades old approval by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) of mifepristone. The medication is widely used to terminate early pregnancies and manage miscarriages. There is also an existing preliminary ruling by a federal judge in Washington State that requires the FDA to keep medication abortion drugs available in 17 states where it is legal, including Illinois. Both cases are ongoing.

Our Unitarian Universalist faith supports Reproductive Justice and affirms that our bodies are sacred, that we are each endowed with the twin gifts of agency and conscience, and that each of us should have the power to decide what does and doesn’t happen to our bodies at every moment of our lives because consent and self-determination are holy.

To get engaged with how our congregation is supporting abortion access, contact Jean Butzen through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Abortion Access Fundraising

The UCE Abortion Access Team is seeking individuals to host informational and fundraising meetings to benefit the Chicago Abortion Fund, which provides support for people facing barriers to accessing abortion care. Hosts invite congregants and friends to either a Zoom or in-person gathering during April, May, or June. The Abortion Access Team will provide the invitation, a facilitator, and a script for the meeting. Thank you for taking action to reclaim abortion access! Please contact Jean Butzen or Jon Siegel through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org to learn more.

Giving House Continues...

April is BEANS month

We are accepting donations of canned or dried beans in the giving house for the month of April.

The Giving house is a small wooden "house" that is located in the front lobby. We are partnering with a new free food supplier for the food insecure.

Clarence Weaver and his wife Beverly in March 2020 responded to the covid crisis by setting up a nonprofit organization and using 

their storefront (C&W Market & Ice Cream) to distribute free foods to those in need.

They provide fresh meat, vegetables and fruit along with nonperishable food items to seniors, District 65 families and those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. They serve almost 50 people every other Saturday morning. They are continuing this service to our community

Since they have plenty of storage, we can support their generous work by providing nonperishable items. We will be collecting one type of non-perishable food each month. April is Beans month.

 C&W Market & Ice Cream is a Black owned business on the corner of Dodge and Church. This is a prime location for food distribution.  You can also support this business by buying Ice Cream and/or other sundries there. Thanks for your donation.