Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, February 27th at 10:15 am
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Supporting the Whole Mission with the Whole of Us
“All of us need all of us to make it,” says the minister, poet, and activist Theresa I. Soto. Whatever your gifts, whatever your needs, whatever your resources, it takes the whole of us to make the world whole. Bring your scattered hopes, your partial wishes, your broken dreams, and your fragile commitments to the altar of this community. Together we will collect and expand them into a more beautiful whole. Rev. Eileen leads the service with Ann McCallister as worship associate.
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Faith Formation Hour (11:35 am-12:30 pm) Following Kinship Time in the back of the sanctuary (11:15-11:35 am) |
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Social Justice Program Fair for All-Ages – Sanctuary
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Nursery – Room 11
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The graph above is comprised of your answers during a recent Sunday morning service. Living our values out in the world is a foundational aspect of our community and you are invited to renew the ways you live into our mission of working toward a world made whole.
Several teams and affinity groups will be participating in our Social Justice Program Fair on THIS Sunday, February 27th from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary. Please plan to stay after the worship service to enjoy some fun and lively interaction with:
- BLUU Haven Chicago
- Food and Shelter Team
- Green Team
- Immigrant Solidarity Team
- Legislative Action Team
- Prison Ministry Team
- Racial Equity Action and Leadership Team
- Rainbow Alliance
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From Rev. Susan Frances,
Assistant Minister for Congregational Life
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Dear Friends,
Stewardship may be viewed as an ethic that embodies the responsible care for items that belong to someone other than yourself. For our faith community, it is our ethic for how we take care of UCE: its building, its grounds, its programs, its members, friends, and employees. Stewardship may take many forms. At UCE, we talk about giving of our time, treasure, and talent to support the stewardship of our faith community. Here are a few ways you can get more involved and share your:
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Time - Volunteer with one of our Hospitality Teams!
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Treasure – Pledge! Our pledge drive starts February 26th!
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Talent – Share your talents through our Faith Formation programs!
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Pledge Drive Kicks Off with a Party and Packets |
Join the Official Kickoff Party—Join in the fun for the Pledge Drive Kickoff Virtual Celebration on the evening of Saturday, February 26, 7 to 8:30 pm. Celebrate the WHOLE shebang to energize our spirits and to celebrate our generosity! To be part of the celebration via zoom, please click here.
Pledge Forms Are Out—and Already Coming In!—Pledge packet emails for “Support Our Whole Mission” went out last Saturday and many people have already returned theirs. Thanks to all the early-bird pledgers for getting the drive off to a strong start.
Reminder: A Special Incentive to Pledge Early— Submitting your pledge before 5 pm on February 25 entitles you to a dessert box filled with tasty treats. You can pick up your dessert box at UCE on Saturday between 10 am and 1 pm. If you submit your pledge on Friday but can’t make it to UCE on Saturday, you can get your “just desserts” on Sunday, after the service.
Pledge Now Please pledge today. If you have not submitted your pledge yet, you can easily do it online. To fill out your pledge form online, click here.
Pledge Help For help completing your pledge forms, please leave a phone message at 847-864-1330, Ext. 111, or email pledgeinfo@ucevanston.org. A member of our Support Team will contact you. Please submit your pledge by Sunday, March 13.
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Assata’s Daughters: Information for volunteering
and in-kind donations
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Assata’s Daughters, our February shared offering organization, organizes Black young people on Chicago’s South Side, addresses survival needs, helps them develop leadership skills, and provides a place of hope. Please contact Aisha at ourduty2@assatasdaughters.org if you can help with any of the following.
- Help in repairing our garden's shed, fixing loose and fallen wooden planks and possibly adding a new lock or securing the present one. This is needed in the spring, but please contact Aisha well ahead of time to schedule.
- Donate heavy plastic containers and storage/tote boxes in various sizes. Assata’s Daughters needs them for storage of donated items, and they recycle plastic boxes...
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Hats Off to our Volunteer Bakers! |
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We are indebted to these splendid bakers, who donated outstanding baked goods not only for this year’s Pledge Drive Campaign dessert boxes but also for boxes sold through the Auction: Josh Burnette, Barb Butz, Susan Carlton, Karen Courtright, Cathy Deamant, Dale Griffin, Meredith Haydon, Sheila Holder, Gleycy Lavanholi, Cheryl Mounts, Steve Serikaku, and Kathy Talmage. Thanks for your generous and sweet spirits. |
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UCE Building Availability -
The UCE Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am-5pm
If you have music to share in worship, we would love to add your to our list. We are looking for either live or recorded performances for Sunday mornings to enhance our worship. Reach out to Rev. Eileen or Vickie Hellyer.
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Wednesday Zoom Gatherings Continue on 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
Deadline to register for Beloved Conversations is Extended to February 28. More info below.
Submit your pledge form by March 13! More information above.
The Next Realm Training session is on March 15 at 2-3 pm on Zoom. More info below.
BLUU Havens Chicago meets next on Saturday, March 19. More info soon!
Emma's Revolution Concert is Saturday, April 30 at 7 pm at UCE. More info coming soon!
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This Week's Events & Links |
Saturday, February 26
Sunday, February 27
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Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 8:45 am - Rm 6/Zoom. Contact Renee Hoff for the Zoom link.
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Worship Service at 10:15 am - Sanctuary and Youtube Click here to join.
- Kinship Time at 11:15-11:35 am in the back of the sanctuary
- Faith Formation Hour at 11:35-12:30 pm
- Social Justice Program Fair - Sanctuary
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Non-Fiction Book Group at 2 pm via Zoom. Click here to join.
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Intro to Unitarian Universalism at 2-3:30 pm in Room 6. Register here.
Monday, February 28
Tuesday, March 1
Wednesday, March 2
Thursday, March 3
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Meditation Group at 5:30 pm via Zoom. Email Lisa Solomon for the link.
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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!
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Congregational Connections |
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Registration for Beloved Conversations
Extended through February 28
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Register at the link below.
The Beloved Conversations in-person curriculum has evolved to be a three-part online curriculum divided into the Within Phase, the Among Phase, and the Beyond Phase. If you took the original in-person curriculum, the new online Beloved Conversations: Within is a restyled individual curriculum that will bring you something new. If Beloved Conversations is new to you, it is a program that “focuses on the internal work that each of us needs to do as we engage in deeper personal understanding, explorations of race and racism, extracting our souls and spirits from white supremacy culture, and work for racial justice.”
UCE has scholarships available for the Beloved Conversations: Within registration fee.
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UUA Study of our Principles and Sources Seeks Your Input |
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The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has commissioned a study of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Article II is comprised of our Principles and Purposes and is the foundation for the work of our Unitarian Universalist (UU) movement. It encompasses the covenant to which all of our UU congregations and UU covenanted communities pledge themselves when they become members of our UUA. |
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Our New Sanctuary Cooling System is Coming!! |
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Remember sitting in the sanctuary in the hot Summer months, sweating and uncomfortable? Or even not coming to church because you knew it was going to be too hot?
This Summer we’ll have a new cooling system for the sanctuary, thanks to your generous contributions to the Capital Campaign. For the last 2 years, a subcommittee of the Capital Campaign Implementation Committee, called the Sanctuary Cooling Team (affectionately called the “Cool Team”) have been doing much research on just the right type of cooling system for us. This team is made up of Greg Grabowski, Michael Drennan and Sandra Robinson, with earlier contributions from Andy Schlickman.
We’ve decided on the right approach and are beginning the work now, with plans for it to be done by late May. That means you can look forward to coming to the church in the Summer and feel refreshingly cool. Additionally, we can have rental events like weddings, concerts, charity events, memorials etc., now with air conditioning. So if you know of anyone or group who might like to use our space, have them contact Sandra Robinson at srobinson@ucevanston.org.
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Pathway to Membership Classes |
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You are invited to deepen your connection with UCE. We just finished a round of virtual classes and our next round of classes will be in-person. We hope you can join us!
Introduction to Unitarian Universalism will be offered in-person on Sunday, February 27, 2022 from 2:00-3:30 pm in Room 6.
The two-part Journey Toward Membership class will be held in-person on Tuesdays, March 1 and 8, 2022 from 6:30-8:00 pm in Room 6.
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Next Realm Training Session - March 15 |
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Join Adam Gough and Jessica Meis for a Realm Training on Tuesday, March 15 at 2-3 pm on Zoom. We'll go over how to communicate with your groups and each other in Realm. We'll also explain how to manage and find new groups. This is a great session for group leaders and those that want to learn more about Realm!
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Help keep people facing homelessness warm |
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The Rainbow Alliance has teamed up with the Giving House to collect winter hats, gloves, and hand warmers for Connections for the Homeless. Connections serves people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity on the north shore of Chicago. The hats and gloves should be for men. Hand warmers are very much appreciated as well.
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Buy your item/s and bring them to the lobby on Feb 27.
- Place your items in the Giving House structure that sits in the lobby. (If you don't see it, please ask someone at the desk and they will help you locate it.)
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
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Update from REAL on Child Care |
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Heartfelt thanks to all the UCE members and friends who offered help during the Evanston school closure that left families in a bind in the thick of the Omicron surge. Unscheduled closures hurt families who are already pushed to their limits, especially parents who face job loss if they miss even one day of work. Thinking of our District 65 neighbors, Jennifer Crosby approached Reverend Eileen and the REAL Planning Group about creating a pop-up child care. We reached out to the Joseph E. Hill Head Start program and they sent out an announcement. Jennifer identified a trained child care provider from the community and we scheduled volunteers in teams of three covering nine shifts. Volunteers gathered supplies, snacks, and meals. We figured out COVID protocols and testing with advice from Rev. Eileen and UCE’s COVID Task Force. Members gave cash donations for snacks, supplies, and the child care worker’s stipend. We reconfigured a classroom downstairs and made pop-up child care available for the three days before Christmas Eve... |
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Taproot: A National UU BIPOC Space |
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The work of spiritual community is complicated in the 21st century. From busy schedules to the ever-pressing tension brought on by systemic injustice, the need for faithful leadership that is grounded and resilient is imperative. This is all the more true for leaders within our congregations who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC). BIPoC Leaders rooted in Unitarian Universalist congregations are invited to take part in a monthly virtual gathering as we explore these pillars in creating means by which to ground ourselves in resilient communities of care:
- Rest & Renewal
- Analysis Building
- Leadership Development
Dates: March 10, April 14, and May 12, 2022.
Time: 7 PM CT
This space is explicitly for people identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC).
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What's Happening in Faith Formation? |
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Faith Formation Hour this Sunday…
All ages are invited to come to the Social Justice Fair at 11:35 am! There will be activities for young people and young-at-heart people in the sanctuary featuring teams such as Black Lives of UU, Green Team, Legislative Action Team, Rainbow Alliance, REAL, IST, and the Prison Ministry Team. Come learn about ways your family can get involved in some of these social action efforts at UCE.
Nursery care is available for ages 0-3 from 10 am-12:30 pm.
...and beyond!
March 1:
Climate Change: From Anxiety to Action - 7:00-8:30, via Zoom. Mark Mesle, from the National Parks Conservation Association, will give a presentation followed by discussion on the environmental and human impacts of climate change with a particular emphasis on the Chicagoland area, and how to address these shared threats through communal and democratic action. Older youth and adults are invited to join us!
Family Ministry Team – 7 pm on zoom. Contact Kathy Underwood if you’d like to hear what we’re planning!
March 6: We begin exploring a new Soul Matters theme, Renewing Faith. We will have age-based programming for Faith Formation Hour.
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Upcoming Adult Faith Formation Class
"Climate Change: From Anxiety to Action"
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Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 7-8:30 pm | Virtual session on Zoom | Facilitated by Mark Mesle, National Parks Conservation Association
A presentation on the environmental and human impacts of climate change (with a particular emphasis on the Chicagoland area) and how to address these shared threats through communal and democratic action. While climate risks are everywhere, so too are opportunities to take action. Learn and share ideas on how to be an effective part of the climate movement, empower others, and take actions that will have exponential benefits for our communities and future generations.
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Delegates and Democracy - A Delicate Balance! |
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Did you ever wonder how your voice is shared at the UUA General Assembly? Join the Denominational Affairs Team at the March 6 Forum for a rollicking and frolicking discussion about UCE's participation in our faith's collective governance experience. Held in June, the UUA General Assembly is a fabulous event with educational, spiritual, community building, and governance sessions. On March 6 we will share information about UCE's representation and participation in the governance side of GA, including delegate selection, roles and responsibilities. Hope you can join us!
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Registration Open for this summer's
Chalice Sparx Family Camp & Retreat for UU Families
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Registration for this summer’s Chalice Sparx Family Camp & Retreat for Unitarian Universalist families is now open. Join us July 8-10 in Cassopolis, Michigan for an amazing all-ages experience at lovely Camp Friedenswald in southwestern Michigan -- only 90 miles from Chicago. As an intentional UU covenanted community, we are especially welcoming to Trans children, youth and their families.
We are a non-profit organization run by Unitarian Universalist religious educators, ministers, and lay persons from all over the Midwest.
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UCE Book Groups- February |
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Join the Nonfiction Book Group via Zoom at 2 pm on THIS Sunday, February 27th to discuss Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard.
The world's leading forest ecologist blends science with memoir as she shares the wisdom of a life of listening to the forest. The book is available in libraries in print, eBooks and eAudiobooks. Everyone is welcome to join us.
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UCE Fiction Book Group will be discussing The Anomaly by Herve LeTellier, translated by Adriana Hunter on Friday, March 18 at 7-8:30 pm on Zoom.
A "best thriller of the year” in the “Twilight” mode, says The New York Times. The central conceit involves 243 people whose plane mysteriously appears four months after it already landed, and the appearance of 243 identical copies raises some interesting issues, including some science fiction tropes. But the plot simply supports a bunch of fascinating characters taking a new look at who they have become. An ingenious, timely variation on the doppelgänger theme.
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Unitarian Church of Evanston
1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1330
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