Singing the Spirituals; Black History According to our UU Hymnals

In this worship service, Amanda M. Thomas will help to explore how Spirituals became a part of American History. This will be an interactive service, as we sing Spirituals from our UU hymnals. Amanda currently serves as Interim Choir Director at Dupage Unitarian Universalist Church in Naperville, Illinois. As an active UU for 23 years, Amanda has served on the Board of Trustees for the Association of UU Music Ministries, on the UUA’s Music Leadership Certification Committee, and currently serves on the UUA’s Appointments Committee. Amanda is very active in the wider UU world and has been choir director, songleader, workshop leader, and choir member at our annual UU General Assembly.

Children & youth will remain in this special service.

Our UCE World Made Whole Casserole is bubbling with deliciousness as we enter the final weeks of the annual pledge drive! We are 29% or $187,142 away from our pledge drive goal of $642,000, with 128 households submitting their pledge form as of February 16th. The Pledge Drive Support Team is doing follow-up calls the next two weeks and team members are available at the back of the sanctuary during kinship time on February 18th and 25th.

Please mark your calendars to plan to join us for the Pledge celebration potluck on March 3rd after worship. Bring your favorite recipe to contribute to our abundance!

If you did not receive the email with your personalized pledge packet, and it did not land in your spam or junk box, please contact the pledge team by calling 847-864-1330, Ext. 111, or emailing pledgeinfo@ucevanston.org.

Don't forget, there will be two Budget Town Halls in March to answer your questions about the proposed 2024-2025 Operating Budget:

Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00 pm CT via ZOOM (click here for link)

Sunday, March 24 at 12:30 pm CT in the sanctuary after kinship time.

Join the Beloved Conversations Bandwagon!

It's time to register for the spring sessions of Beloved Conversations classes. It's taught by experts from the UU Fahs Collaborative and is richly rewarding! Register here:

Registration will run from February 1st through February 29th and the Spring Term will kick off on March 12th, 2024.

Join us for a deep dive into the personal, transformative, spirit-growing work each of us needs to do around issues of race, identity, and justice, in relationship with other folks who share some similar experiences!

Within is a 12-week spiritual formation program that mixes multi-media learning and reflection at your own pace, processing in small groups, and worshipping together in community! You can access it entirely online and the materials are accessible for up to a year after the start of the program.

Check out our Beloved Conversations website for lots of information about Within and all of our exciting programs!

UCE has scholarships available for the Beloved Conversations: Within registration fee. Please complete an application here or contact Rev. Susan.

Have you already taken Beloved Conversations? If so, please complete these three questions. We are trying to get an accurate count of UCE alums. If you have questions, please contact Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org. 

Get ready! Plans are already underway for the 2024 Rummage Sale.

As winter winds down and spring-cleaning approaches, please set aside items for donating to this year’s sale and encourage friends and neighbors to do the same!

Key dates to mark on your calendar:

2024 Sale Dates: Fri 5/3/24 – Sat 5/4/24

2024 Donation Dates: Sun 4/28/24 – Mon 4/29/24

2024 Setup Dates: Sun 4/28/24 – Thurs 5/2/24

What items are being accepted? As we have in the last two years, we will soon publish the 2024 Donation Tip Sheet.

Beginning in mid-March, the rummage sale planning committee will sponsor an informational table on Sundays at the back of the sanctuary. Likewise, we will post announcements to this newsletter.

Thank you for your past support of the sale. We look forward to your participation once again!

Email rummage@ucevanston.org with questions,

comments or suggestions.

The 63rd General Assembly will take place virtually Thursday, June 20 through Sunday, June 23, 2024. "Love Unites, Stories Ignite" celebrates the profound impact of love as a binding force that transcends boundaries and fosters connections within our faith community and beyond. Will you join us for this year’s virtual GA featuring prominent speakers, dynamic worship, and exclusive access to on-demand programming? If so, reserve your space by registering now.

Registration Full Time: $280 through Feb 29th

Mar 1 – May 15 Registration: $315

After May 15th $400

Business Only: No Fee

Scholarships Available

Questions, contact Cheryl Mounts in the Realm directory or anyone on Denominational Affairs Committee.

Save the Date: April 19th

The MidAmerica Region is coming together - both online and at the First Unitarian Society of Madison, WI on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 of 2024 for a multiplatform Regional Assembly! 

The Keynote address will be given by the Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, and Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. There will be workshops, the Annual Business Meeting of the MidAmerica Region, and opportunities to meet many UU Leaders from across our faith tradition. 

For those who are in person, there will even be opportunities to tour this historic church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. But most importantly, it is a time for us to come together as Unitarian Universalists from across the MidAmerica Region. Please join us, online and in-person for our first-ever multi-platform MidAmerica Regional Assembly!

TransParentsy Group - Sun Feb 18th from 12:30-2pm in Room 2

Parents and grandparents who have trans children of any age in their lives are welcome to share experiences and resources in a safe space.

Special Invitation from Beth Emet –

February 25, 12-3pm



The 4-6th graders of Beth Emet are inviting UCE families of 4th-6th graders to an Interfaith Family Recipe event! In this program everyone is to cook a food that tells a story that is a part of their family history and bring it - along with ingredients and allergy notes.

We may have everyone submit their recipes through a QR code at the event to build a cookbook! It is a big Melting Pot event. No registration required.

Volunteer Meet-Up

March 10, 12-1pm

All of our wonderful volunteers in the faith formation program are invited to a gathering to share our joys as well as the insights we get from our young people in this shared ministry. Light snacks and childcare provided.

WI Voter Registration Training

Get trained to register voters in Wisconsin!

There are two upcoming training dates:

• Wed, February 21 at 7:00-8:00 pm -
• Fri, February 23 at 3:30-4:30 pm

To register, email Laura Kushner with the Milwaukee Voter Project at laurakushnerx2 at gmail.com.

You only need to attend one. The trainings are one hour, on zoom, and presented by the Milwaukee Voter Project. If you have questions, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.