Sunday Service April 6, 2025 at 10:30am 

Passover and Easter Festivities for All Ages 

Passover Seder – April 18, 5:30-7p: Register here

Easter Sunday Brunch and Peeps Show: Bring a casserole, bread, or eggs to share 

during Kinship Time. Create a Peeps display for all to admire! 

Stop by the program table for inspiration and to pick up some Peeps. 

UPDATE FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

After months of introspection and discussion, our UCE Board of Trustees has entered the climactic phase of our “Big Questions” project, a year-long contemplation of the path before us. We are now reaching out to our Congregation on how to share this journey together, “Dreaming up the future of Our Community”.

After long discussions amongst ourselves to focus our inquiry, we have identified two “big questions” to consider together, in a journey of conversations with the Congregation:

· How can we foster connections that go beyond our comfort zones at UCE and in the larger community?

· What changes do we need to make so that UCE is more accessible in a variety of ways for all?

Continuing the Conversation

Join the UCE Board of Trustees to continue building on congregational conversations held over this past year. How can we increase accessibility and connections to build a wider sense of "us"? Join the board at one of these two events. All are welcome (you do not need to register on Realm to attend but registration is encouraged)

•  Friday, April 11th, from 6:30 - 7:45pm at UCE
• Tuesday, April 22nd 7 - 8:15pm on Zoom

• Refreshments will be provided at both in-person sessions.

Register HERE

Our hats are off to our wonderful volunteers!

We served as a Polling Place for three precincts again this past Tuesday. Thank you to Karen Courtright, Harry Hirsch, Kathy Foulke, Carolyn McMurray, Jane Bannor, and Ed Finkel who staffed the lobby on Tuesday to welcome voters and direct them into the wing. Thank you to Steven Baksa for staffing the lobby on Monday evening while the election judges set up the equipment and to Andy Fisher for being our back-up volunteer. Keep supporting Get Out The Vote!

The UCE Children's Choir is returning on May 4th

If your young person would like to sing with us in worship service on May 4th, please join us for 2 optional rehearsals or reach out for resources to rehearse on your own.

Sunday, April 13th, 12-12:30 pm (room 6)

Sunday, April 27th, 10-10:20 am (room 3)

Contact Norell Liddell for info and links to the music: NorellLiddell at gmail dot com

• NEW way to submit Newsletter requests! Please use our new Google Form found HERE to submit your articles and images.

• 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!

Our Shared Offering Program is one of the ways that we live into our mission statement "for a world made whole." Each Sunday, the funds collected during our worship service either via text donations or in the collection bowls (and not otherwise designated for a pledge or something else) are shared equally between our operating budget and the current Shared Offering Recipient.

This Sunday's offering will be shared with the Sanctuary Working Group (SWG) a solidarity organization supporting vulnerable migrants in their journeys toward sustainable independence. It is a consortium of faith based and other not-for -profit organizations working together to provide temporary assistance to immigrants struggling to survive in these perilous times...

Only 4 WEEKS until SALE DATE!

We need lots of helping hands to make the sale successful and fun. Here are some ways to get involved:

• Sign up online to volunteer to set up, work the sale, clean up, donate baked goods and/or help feed volunteer workers. 
• Organize your donations, using the Donation Tip Sheet as your guide.
• Spread the word by inviting friends & neighbors to DONATE and SHOP! Pass out a few flyers, and share the Donation Tip Sheet.

Visit the Rummage Sale FAQ page or email rummage@ucevanston.org with any questions or comments.

Meeting Our Interfaith Neighbors

We visit the Muslim Community Center on Saturday, April 5th at 6:30pm

We will share reflections on April 15 at 7pm at UCE.

You can register here to be included on future emails.

UCE Endowment Grant Supports Community Air Quality Monitoring

A UCE Endowment Grant is funding a project to help Evanston residents in areas with poor air quality monitor the air in and around their homes.

Join the Evanston Environmental Justice Conversation Series (EEJCS) on April 5, 2025, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at Loder Hall, Garrett/Northwestern campus (2121 Sheridan Rd, Evanston). Scan the QR code on the poster for updates.

EEJCS is a biannual forum amplifying the voices of environmental justice advocates and fostering dialogue between community members, leaders, and organizations. This spring, Alderwoman Maria Hadden (49th Ward, Chicago) will discuss equitable environmental advocacy and municipal-community partnerships, followed by a panel of Evanston youth and adult leaders.

The event will also feature an update on Evanston’s Environmental Advocacy Investigation (EEAI) and the Community Air Quality Monitoring Kickoff & Training. Attendees can learn to use new air quality monitors—available for checkout at Evanston Public Library—purchased through the UCE Endowment Grant.

You are invited to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and UCE. Our 90-minute Journey Toward Membership class will give you an overview of UU history and values, what is means to be part of a covenantal faith tradition, and the rewards and responsibilities of becoming a member of UCE.

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

The last date is

In-person, Sun. Apr. 6, 2025, 9:00-10:20 am, Room 12, child care provided.

To register, click here.

Collective & Creative Ideation for a Better World! Cultivating Hope: a Justice Revival

One way to resist the chaos of the current moment is to participate in UCE’s Justice Revival on April 12th from 9:30-12:30 pm. Hosted by the Anti-Oppression Task Force this event will uplift, encourage, and equip us in our ongoing journey of anti-oppression work. 

• Coffee and Welcome in the Sanctuary at 9:30 am
• Childcare available 9:15 am - 12:45 pm
• Music and singing!
• Discussion facilitated by experts from the YWCA Equity Institute 
• More singing!
• Tips, tools, and resources to support us in our work for justice, equity, and inclusion
• Hope, energy and commitment as we head home
• Register now!

The Anti-Oppression Task Force has been meeting for more than four years to determine ways in which our congregation can answer the call to be more inclusive, equitable, and diverse, and to accountably realize justice and liberation in our congregation and beyond. Links to learn more about the Anti-Oppression Task Force: History of AOTF, Work of the Anti-Oppression Task Force, and Status of AOTF Projects.

Please join in this collective effort as we gather to create a better world. See you April 12th!

Soup Kitchen Needs Your Help!

Wednesday, April 16th



There are multiple ways to get involved—whether by bringing food, preparing meals, or serving. Time commitments vary, and we’d love to have you join us!

➡️ Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/mrDaZEb

Important: Be sure to click "SHOW MORE SPOTS" on the sign-up page to view all available opportunities. Some spots may not be visible at first.

If you have any trouble accessing the link or have questions, please reach out to:

Ellie Feddersen – elliefeddersen at gmail. dot com

Thank you for your support!

 TONIGHT! April 4th at 6 PM

Even though we don’t have mulch yet for the playscape, we can still gather for a fun evening!

Join us for an impromptu game night, and for those feeling creative, we’ll have supplies available for making protest signs. Bring a favorite game and/or a snack to share!

Looking ahead, please note that our May gathering has been moved to May 9th due to the Rummage Sale on May 2nd.

 Adult Game Night

Got a game that’s not exactly kid-friendly? Or just want a night of fun with other adults? This is your chance to laugh, compete, and unwind with games made for the 18+ crowd!

• BYOB & bring a snack to share
• Play your favorite games (the ones best saved for grown-ups!)
• Need childcare? Register HERE by April 6 - TODAY
• Friday, April 12 | 7:00 – 10:00 PM

UCE Young Adult Group

Third Friday Faith Formation & Game Nights

Our next gathering is April 18, 7-9pm



The Young Adult Group at UCE is a group for young adults (18-35) interested in exploring spiritual deepening in community. We meet on every 3rd Friday from 7-9pm in Room 3 to discuss monthly Soul Matters themes, check in with each other, eat snacks, and play games.

Contact Kiley Korey (kileyekorey at gmail dot com), Kevin Barrow (kbarrow13 at gmail dot com) or Kathy Underwood (kunderwood at ucevanston dot org) with any questions.

Passover Seder

Friday, April 18, 2025 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

UCE Sanctuary

1330 Ridge Ave, Evanston

All ages are invited to participate in a family-friendly Passover Seder to experience aspects of this Jewish celebration, taste the foods, sing the songs, hear the stories and prayers, and search for the afikomen. You need not be Jewish to participate.

Feel free to bring a side dish to share that doesn’t contain yeast (such as bread/rolls) or pork. 

Please register with the number of people that will be joining us from your family so we can prepare.

Register HERE

Picnics in the Park resumes in April!

Weather-permitting, families of all ages (not just littles!) are invited to meet up at 

Penny Park after worship on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month.

Save the Date!

UCE Campout 2025 – June 6-8

Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park Campground

Reserve your site here.

Or stay at the nearby Illinois Beach Hotel!

More details to come!

The next meeting of the UCE Fiction Book Group

is Friday, April 18th, 7-8pm using our Recurring Zoom link

The Fiction Book Group is reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Pecola Breedlove longs for blue eyes so her world as a Black girl will open up with the privileges of her white counterparts.

Future reads:

May 16: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. In 18th century Ghana, half-sisters are born into different villages and different fortunes, following the lives of their families through eight generations of the American Black experience.

June 20: Bear by Julia Phillips. Sisters living in the wilds of Washington State respond differently when a bear adopts their encampment.

The Nonfiction Book Group will meet at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, via our recurring Zoom link to discuss Liberalism as a Way of Life by Alexandre Lefebvre. In this book, Lefebvre explores liberalism as a personal approach to life—one that fosters a good, enjoyable, meaningful, and fulfilling existence.

Upcoming discussions:

• May 25: We Are Free to Change the World: Hannah Arendt’s Lessons in Love and Disobedience by Lyndsey Stonebridge
• June 29: The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution & How We the People Can Take It Back by Madiba Dennie
• July 27: Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

Unitarian Church of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330