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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service

this Sunday, April 23rd at 10:30 am

Faith Formation Hour this Sunday!

• Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 9am-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 Trees.

• Heads, Hearts, and Hands (1st-6th) in room 8 from ~11am-noon – The young people will explore our theme of Resistance in connection with Earth Day in Resisting by Changing Habits.

• 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.

Seeking Your Feedback on New Chairs

You asked for it! In the Capital Campaign you asked for new chairs for the sanctuary. The Capital Campaign Implementation Committee formed the Sanctuary Chairs Team to work on this project. After listening to input from a Focus Group, we researched MANY options, trying to meet as many of our needs as possible.

Your Feedback Please!

For 2 Sundays (April 23rd & 30th), we’ll have 5 sample chairs available for you to test for comfort. There are feedback forms to record your input. Please keep in mind these are warehouse samples, i.e. ignore the colors. We will choose colors later. Also, we’ll probably be ordering some with arms and some without. The main reason for this testing is to experience the comfort of each chair. Come join the fun and share your feedback!

Hats off to Our Soup Kitchen Volunteers!

Our hats are off to our Soup Kitchen volunteers, who provided a warm sit down meal for participants on April 5 and April 12. After 3 years of providing to go meals, we were able to provide seating in the sanctuary for a community meal.

Thank you for our lead organizers: Marilyn Wroblewski and Ellie Feddersen!

Thank you to our onsite greeters, servers, and kitchen attendants: Barbara Mesle, Johna Van Dyke, Janelle Brittain, Carol Nielsen, Meredith Haydon, Toni Rey, Laura Lothschutz, Susan Carlton, Tom Carlton, Jackie Seaman, Alice Chrostowski, Brian Nielsen, Nia Feddersen, Chris Yoo, Michael Skilton, Bob Mesle, Kevin O’Connor, Dana Deane, Mary Beth Roth, Jeanne Kerl, Steven Levine, Gretchen Brewster, Benn Greenspan, Ken Johnson, Jake Finkel, Ed Finkel.

Thank you to Robb Geiger and Mark Mershon for providing ambiance with their piano playing.

Thank you to everyone who delivered food or packed lunch bags for participants to take with them after the evening meal: Carol Johnson, Hòa Voscott, Lynn Kendall, Maggie Weiss, Christine Peters, Gerry Ketterson, Jinny Niemann, Jenny Walsh, Graham Blicharz, Barbara Butz, Barbara Ghoshal, Margaret Schatz, Julie Lamberti, Janice Milanovich, Diane Markel, Laura Cuzzillo, Brad Hollister, Sheila Holder.

Thank you all for your generosity in participating! It takes a community to care for our community and your care is appreciated!

Retired (But Not Retiring!) Women

Tuesday, April 25, 4:30pm in ROOM 3.

Spring is the time for new beginnings.

What did you do for your "new beginnings" when you retired? We will have our wonderful potluck also, but please bring your own drink. For more information, please contact Margie Rogasner.

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.

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. Submit your suggestions and ideas about the Article II revisions by April 30, 2023 here.

On May 7, 2023, join Cheryl Mounts with the Denominational Affairs Team for our final discussion of the Article II Final Report before General Assembly in June. There is no registration, you are invited to drop in from 9:30-10:20 am in Room 3.

Click the Read More button to find links to the Article II Study Final Report with the proposed Article II revisions, and to frequently asked questions.

Friday, May 12 ~ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm 

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

Visit the 2023 Rummage Sale FAQ page for more info

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

V for Volunteer!



If you’ve already signed up to volunteer at the 2023 Rummage Sale, thank you! If you have not yet signed up, please stop by Sunday’s Info Table or email your interest/ availability to rummage@ucevanston.org. Even if you can only volunteer for an hour or two, we need you! Once signed up, you’ll be contacted to determine a date/time from the following schedule:

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”.)

Nurturing Mother Earth

Plant Swap 2023

Sunday - May 14, 2:30-4:30 pm

Unitarian Church of Evanston

Parking Lot enter on Greenwood

1330 Ridge Avenue, Evanston

Plants, Seedlings, Divisions

Come with something you have,

Leave with something you want to grow

For any questions, please contact Doug Erickson via REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Spots Available for 2 Serendipity Auction Group Events

Square Dancing (June 9)

GUUrls’ Night Out (June 16)

Missed the chance to bid on these two group events from the UCE Serendipity Auction? There are still spots available, while they last. Put on your best “Wild West” outfit for a fun-filled, square-dancing event for age 8 years to ‘ageless’ on Friday, June 9 from 7:00-9:00 pm at $15/person and $30/family.

Join the annual GUUrls’* Night Out Party for delicious dinner, delightful desserts, wonderful wine and convivial conversation on Friday, June 16 at 6:30 pm at $45/person. Don’t miss this UCE tradition designed to honor the positive aspects of the feminine. Join us if you wish to spend an evening living up this side of you (*GUUrls=female, transgender, femme, womxn, non-binary). To reserve your spot, email us at: auction@ucevanston.org.

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. 

Young Adult Earth Day Gathering - TONIGHT 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.

Youth Sunday – next Sunday!

Be sure to come hear our awesome youth speak!

Family Friday – May 5 at 6pm –

Save the Date!

Bring a picnic supper – weather permitting we’ll be outside.

More details to come!

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

TONIGHT, 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.

Traditional Spring Pow Wow at Northwestern University

The Native Communities Solidarity Team invites you to attend the Spring Pow Wow at Northwestern University TOMORROW with events happening from 11:00am – 5:00pm. To learn about Pow Wow etiquette, please 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.

The YWCA Evanston/North Shore is hosting its annual Unite Against Racism along Ridge Avenue in Evanston on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 10:30 – 11:30 am.

On Thursday, April 27^th from 10:30 - 11:30 am members and friends of UCE will join folx across Evanston to demonstrate our commitment to racial equity.

Come to the UCE lobby around 10:20 AM on April 27^th. This will give you time to visit with others who will be standing on the corner of Ridge Avenue and Greenwood Street holding Black Lives Matter signs for everyone who comes by to see. Bring your signs! We will have extra Black Lives Matter signs.

Be a part of our collective work to fight against oppression and racism!

Tornado in Rolling Fork, MS March 24, 2023

The Evanston North Shore Branch of the NAACP is requesting relief items to assist families devastated by the disaster through May 8.

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.