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Ornament Sunday Potluck – This Sunday!

Join us after worship for this fun tradition at UCE! Bring a snack or hearty finger food to share!

UCE Supports Reparations in Evanston and Beyond

In May of 2022 we resolved as a congregation to support reparations locally and nationally, and in June I stood in Fountain Square with clergy and leaders of 16 other Evanston congregations to make that commitment public. Each of us faith leaders signed onto a statement that held us to the promise that we will continue to educate ourselves and our community about the need for reparative justice, to own and begin to redress the enormous harms that have taken place nationally and locally, including the devastation of chattel slavery, the oppression and trauma of Jim Crow laws, the ongoing injustice of mass incarceration, and the insidiousness of redlining and housing discrimination in this city.

The compounded impacts of these and so many other injustices have created a wealth disparity and incalculable harm to Black citizens. Evanston is the first U.S. city to provide reparations since Reconstruction and we are called by our own resolution and the eighth principle of our faith to take an active part in what has been thoughtfully put forth.

Please send to Rev. Eileen via email photos (in high resolution jpeg format), names, and dates of birth of babies that have been born into your lives since last Christmas Eve.

These will be shown during the Christmas Eve service. I'll be able to include photos I receive by Thursday, December 22nd. Thank you!

We're gathering photos of you lighting, holding, or extinguishing a candle or chalice in your home for our annual Fire Communion, which will be held on Sunday, January 1st.



Send your photo to Rev. Susan by December 19th.

Our Hats are Off to Jean Butzen

Our hats are off to Jean Butzen this week for the many hats she wears in the congregation. In collaboration with the REAL Team this fall, Jean led an insightful book discussion on Octavia Butler's Kindred. As a member of the Endowment Committee, she is working to reinvigorate the Endowment's fundraising and education efforts. As someone who values the sacred right to bodily autonomy, Jean is one of the co-leaders of our newly formed team dedicated to making abortion access available to all.

Thank you, Jean, for leaning in by offering your time, energy, and insights to many endeavors within and beyond our congregation, helping us all to live our values more fully.

Retired (But Never Retiring!) Women

Tuesday, Dec 13 at 5pm

After our Yummy Potluck, we will have our "semi-traditional" White Elephant event! All are asked to bring a wrapped "gift" from home or to spend not more than $5. Each person will choose a "gift" to open, which can, possibly, be "stolen" by another participant! We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday at the back of the sanctuary,

For more information, please contact Margie Rogasner.

UCE Parents of Trans Kids Group

to begin meeting on January 22nd at 12:30 pm at UCE

Many of us know the joy and pride of having children (of all ages) who identify as trans, non-binary, or gender non-conforming. Rev. Eileen will host a monthly gathering for parents, grandparents, or caregivers of people in their lives who are transitioning or have transitioned. This will be a space for connection, support, questions, and holding of complexity and questions. Please let Rev. Eileen know if you plan to join us or if you have questions.

Unitarian Men's Retreat Friday, January 27 to Sunday, January 29, 2023.

Join other UU men to explore Turning Points In Our Lives. Cabrini Retreat Center, 9430 Golf Road, DesPlaines 60016.

Cost of $200 includes private room for two nights, three meals Saturday and breakfast Sunday, plus pizza party on Friday night.

Scholarships available. We welcome all who identify as male. Our goal is to encourage each other to share, learn and support each other in looking into the meaning of our lives. Men from Unity Temple, UU Church of Evanston, and Countryside UU are already participating.

For the flyer, signup sheet and more information,

Contact Mark Johansen - markeric-j@hotmail.com

UCE builds Beloved Community and offers care to one another in several ways.

The Congregational Care and Support Team, or CCST, is the umbrella for the following teams:

· Caring Team - Meals: Members who bring meals to your home in difficult times 

· Pastoral Care Team: Works with the Ministers to provide spiritual and emotional support for the congregation

· Memorial Reception Team: Coordinates receptions following member memorial services

· Caring Team - Rides: Coordinates rides for members to church and for medical appointments 

The CCST is led by an Intake Coordinator, currently Ellie Feddersen. She forwards requests for care to the appropriate sub-team.

You can access support or offer support through the google form on the website: https://ucevanston.org/care-support-committee

You may also contact Ellie Feddersen at: elliefeddersen@gmail.com

We are a caring community. If you or a fellow member needs support with meals, rides or emotional/spiritual issues, please don’t hesitate to contact Ellie by filling in the form (preferrable) or emailing her.

To volunteer on one of the CCST teams, click here to Offer Care.

2023 UUA General Assembly

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

Registration is now open. Click here for details.

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

If you are interested please contact a member of Denominational Affairs via REALM.

We will continue to provide information via the Newsletter. 

Christmas Pageant and Treats – December 18

Another annual tradition you can participate in! We still need angels, stars, shepherds, and animals. We have a few speaking parts too. Sign up here to claim your spot. Or bring your favorite treat to share!

Photo by Rick Oldland on Unsplash

Starting in January, Adult Faith Formation will be running two classes on Caregiving, in-person and on Zoom.



Advanced Directives - January 10th

If something happened to you and you weren’t able to speak and make your own medical decisions, do you have a plan in place? Attend this session and learn why it’s so important to have an advance directive for healthcare. You will leave the session with the tools and document to create your own.

Care for Caregivers - January 24th

Taking care of a friend or family member is definitely a labor of love. However, caregiving can also be extremely stressful. This presentation will discuss the physical, emotional, and financial stressors that caregivers may face. We will also explore tips and strategies for self-care. Caregivers need to take care of their own well-being in order to be able to care for another person.

UCE Fiction Book Group: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

Join us on Friday, December 16th at 7 p.m. via Zoom to discuss My Name is Lucy Barton.

Lucy Barton is recovering slowly from what should have been a simple operation. Her mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken for many years, comes to see her. Gentle gossip about people from Lucy’s childhood in Amgash, Illinois, seems to reconnect them, but just below the surface lie the tension and longing that have informed every aspect of Lucy’s life: her escape from her troubled family, her desire to become a writer, her marriage, her love for her two daughters. Knitting this powerful narrative together is the brilliant storytelling voice of Lucy herself: keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable.

UCE Non-Fiction Book Group: How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

Join us on Sunday, December 17th at 2 p.m. via Zoom to discuss Odell's ideas about how we can and must actively and continuously choose how we use our attention, the most precious and overdrawn resource we have.

In a world where addictive technology is designed to buy and sell our attention, and our value is determined by our 24/7 data productivity, it can seem impossible to escape. But in this inspiring field guide to dropping out of the attention economy, artist and critic Jenny Odell shows us how we can undertake bolder forms of political action, re-imagine our role in the environment, and arrive at more meaningful understandings of happiness and progress.

Wanted: Interfaith Action Evanston (IAE) Needs Volunteers for Hospitality Center and for the Overnight Shelter.

• Hospitality Center - Door Greeter Needed - Monday-Friday: 7:00 am - 11:00 am ( two-hour shifts) at St. Mark’s, 1509 Ridge, Evanston. Click HERE to sign up!

• Overnight Shelter - this shelter moves to a different faith community every three weeks. Three shifts: Setup 8:30pm - 10 pm, Overnight 9:30pm - 7am, Clean up 6am-7am. Beth Emet - 12/5-12/25/22. Click HERE to sign up!



Questions contact Sue Murphy Berube, ia@interfaithactionofevanston.org.

Walk for Warmth

Mark your calendars! Please join us for Interfaith Action of Evanston’s Walk for Warmth on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday January 16th. Walking together, we are a physical embodiment of Dr. King’s vision of the beloved community. His commitment to service is reflected in the route we take past the many faith communities that house Interfaith Action’s overnight shelter. Whether in person or in spirit through a donation, you can help raise awareness and provide a warm, safe, and welcoming place for our unhoused neighbors to sleep on cold winter nights. For more information, to register to walk and donate, go to the Walk for Warmth 2023 website. There is no charge to register.

Save the Date: January 21, 2023

9am - 12pm - Sanctuary and Online

12-1pm, lunch to follow in Sanctuary

Anti-Oppression Task Force All-Congregation Workshop: 

Daring to Hope, Risking to Love

Sponsored by the Anti-Oppression Task Force,

the Board of Trustees, and

our Consultants with the YWCA Equity Institute



Join us to hear the results of the Anti-Oppression Congregational Survey which many of you completed in August, leading into an exploration of where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we’re going on the journey of building Beloved Community.

On December 1st the state legislature successfully protected the Pretrial Fairness Act, so that on January 1, 2023, Illinois will become the first state in the nation to eliminate the jailing of people who are awaiting trial simply because they can't afford to pay bail. We are grateful to everyone at UCE who worked with communities across the state to make this happen.

Giving House Continues... December is PASTA month

We are accepting donations of PASTA - Dry Pasta and Mac 'n' Cheese Mix - in the giving house for the month of December.

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 Wendy 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. December is Pasta 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. 

Endowment Grants Approved

The Endowment Committee is delighted to report that four additional grants have been approved by the Committee and the Board of Trustees from our October 31 application cycle.

• Food and Shelter Team: $1,000 to cover the cost of supplies and some food for the two spring Soup Kitchens held at UCE.

• Immigrant Solidarity (Refugee Support Team): $2,160 to cover the cost of childcare for the family's mother to attend ESL classes.

• Food and Shelter Team: $4,320 to Interfaith Action of Evanston to cover the cost of a new weekend breakfast program for shelter residents.

• Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL)/Anti-Oppression Task Force/Social Justice Council: $20,000 as matching funds for UCE fundraising for the Evanston Reparations Community Fund.

This brings the total amount of grants approved for this fiscal year 2022-2023 to $65,760!

We have approximately $10,000 of funding left for this fiscal year (and many worthy causes)! Our last application deadline for this year is January 31.

Questions? Check out our webpage, email us at endowment@ucevanston.org, or contact one of our co-chairs Bill Hartgering and Susan Comstock.