Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole

Sunday Service November 5th at 10:30am

The Generosity of Shared Leadership

Description: We will explore the value of generosity as expressed in the proposed Article II revisions: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality. Rev. Eileen and the Nominating Committee will share reflections on the benefits of giving time, energy, and talents to help us all thrive. Betty Walker is our Worship Associate.

Sunday, November 19^th is our annual Bread Communion Service. Please bring a loaf of bread to share - it may be something that represents your heritage, your current family tradition, or just something you love. Please also bring something to go with your bread - a spread, jam, butter, or cheese.

Shared Offering with UUANI

Join the Service Livestream

Faith Formation Hour this Sunday

Please note that the 1^st-6^th group will go to the sanctuary after worship for the Program Fair. Pre/K will remain in room 9 until noon.

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10:15a-11:45a.
Chalice Children (pre/k) in room 9 – the children will celebrate diversity in We’re Different, We’re the Same.
Hearts, and Hands (1^st-6^th) in room 8 – our young people will explore the idea of extending their generosity beyond those closest to them in Widening Our Love.

Families can explore our new theme, The Gift of Generosity, at home and on their own timeframe with the Soulful Home packet. Send pictures to Kathy Underwood of your family as you explore the many ideas here: SEND PICS.

Young Adult Chili Supper

November 10th at 7pm – Room 6

Annette Wallace is treating the group with a chili supper! We need to get an accurate count of who can be there. So please sign up with the button below by Sunday Nov 5th!

RSVP HERE BY SUN 11/5

Families can explore our new theme, The Gift of Heritage, at home and on their own timeframe with the Soulful Home packet. Send pictures to Kathy Underwood of your family as you explore the many ideas here!

Registration time is here! Parents can register their children/youth for the Faith Formation Program here.

Would you like your child dedicated on Christmas Eve morning? Since Christmas Eve is a Sunday, we will have our usual 10:30 service and would like to offer the opportunity for families to have their children of any age dedicated to the UCE community that morning. Please contact Rev. Eileen as soon as possible if you would like to participate.

Greetings from Kathy Underwood

As I write this on Halloween with blowing snow outside my window, I’m reminded that we are entering the time of year when we tend to hibernate and not venture out of our cozy dens as much as we did in warmer weather. For me, it is a welcome respite, as I cherish listening to quiet music and reading, or doing needlework in front of the fireplace – things that I don’t make time for in the warmer months. However, I know for many people, it is not as welcoming of a time. The darkness gets wearisome at best and the cold is constant.

This leads me to wonder what I, and we collectively, can do to lift the spirits of those who need it in the coming months? One thing that comes to mind is simply to stay in touch – whether that’s a quick email or text, a phone call, or a cup of coffee or tea. For those with younger kids, it might be an offer to watch the kids for an hour or two while mom or dad run errands or go for a walk, or to take the kids on a short excursion and let mom or dad have some time to themselves.

Of course, there are also many events coming up at UCE and the greater community to help stay connected with others. Some offer a time for reflection and grieving and resilience, some offer joy and gratitude and the spirit of the holidays.

Monitoring Reports and Other Resources Available for Review

As a congregation, we are guided by our stated and shared values... And each quarter throughout the church year, I work with the Committee on Shared Ministry to write a report to our Board of Trustees on how we are doing with living these values. It is challenging, as you might imagine, to measure our success with quantifiable data, but we strive to gather input from members and teams in the congregation to gain a better understanding of our progress toward these aims.

Those quarterly monitoring reports are not just for the board but for the whole congregation to read and they are accessible to you through a google drive where you can review the past year’s reports as well as those that will be added as they are approved by the Board.

This week we tip our hats to the volunteers who organized our Halloween Party during Kinship Time on Sunday, October 29^th! And we give a festive shout out to everyone to who wore a costume!

Thank you to Norell Liddell for hosting the cupcake decorating, to Julianna Liddell for her excellent homemade frosting, and to Jim Dibble for his delicious homemade brownies, and to Wendy Herman for donating supplies. Thank you to Sara DeVaney for creating charades clues and hosting the game in her fabulous costume. Thank you to Gillian Lawrence, Wendy Drake, Janice Milanovich, and Norell with the Family Ministry Team for planning this party, along with Sara.

We are grateful for them all for encouraging us to play and feast in the spirit of Halloween!

Requests to have articles in the newsletter should be sent to newsletter@ucevanston.org by noon on Wednesdays.

This Week's Events & Links

Friday, November 3

No events scheduled.

Saturday, November 4

UUANI 10th Anniversary Celebration, 10am-3pm, Room 6
Prison Ministry Team, 10:30-11:30am, via Zoom

Virtual Pilates at 9:30am via Zoom

Beginner Tai Chi, 9:45-10:45 in Room 3.

Intermediate Tai Chi, 11-12pm in Room 3.

Sunday, November 5

Daylight Saving - turn your clocks back 1 hour!

Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 9am in-person Rm 6 and via Zoom. Contact Renee Hoff for the Zoom Link.

Worship Service at 10:30am in the Sanctuary & on YouTube

Engagement Fair, 11:30-1pm, in the Sanctuary & South lawn

Monday, November 6

Endowment Committee Mtg, 4:30pm, via Zoom

Food with Spirit Group, 5:30-6:30pm via Zoom

UCE Addictions & Recovery at 7pm via Zoom

Download UCE Zoom Backgrounds

Tuesday, November 7

Election Day!

Rainbow Alliance 7pm, via Zoom

Deepening the Spiritual Journey, 7-8:30 in Rm 3

Caregiver Support Group, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Family Ministry Team 7-8pm, via Zoom

Women's Circle #1, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Wednesday, November 8

Yoga via 8x8 Zoom, 9:30-10:30am

Please be aware Staff has a weekly Wednesday Meeting, from 11-12:30pm.

Abortion Access Team, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Committee on Shared Ministry Mtg, 7-8:30pm, Rm 2

Journey Toward Membership Class, 7-8pm

Thursday, November 9

Integrated Stewardship Council, 6-7:30pm, pm via Zoom

Meditation Group, 5:30-7pm via Zoom

Choir Rehearsal, 7-9pm, Rm 6, Rm8 Sectionals, and Zoom.

Check out the UCE Calendar for more events!

Congregational News

Room Request Form

Daylight Saving is this Sunday - don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour!

The end of daylight saving time will occur at 2:00am on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023.

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!

Congregational Connections

Click the image below for an enlarged printable pdf

Volunteer Needs:

Seeking EPT Members

Are you a fan of emergency preparedness? Adam Gough is looking for people to serve on the Emergency Preparedness Team as we enhance emergency plans and procedures for UCE. Contact him at agough@ucevanston.org if you would like to help make our congregation ready for anything!

Seeking Treasurer for UCE

Our beloved Treasurer Tom Carlton's term is expiring at the end of this church year. We are looking for someone in the congregation who Tom can mentor and who will then become our Treasurer. If you or someone you know is skilled in the area of tracking numbers, analyzing financial data and can prepare reports for the ISC and Board, please contact srobinson@ucevanston.org

Writers and Designers Needed for the Endowment Committee

Do you have experience writing or designing communications? There is very important work for you to do for the Endowment Fund Communications Team! Whatever time you can contribute, we will put to good use crafting communications to social action partners, donors to the endowment fund, and the congregation informing people about the activities of the Endowment Committee.

To learn more, please contact Jean Butzen: jeanbutzen@gmail.com.

45th Annual Serendipity Auction Preview Party Saturday November 11th!

The Auction is almost here!

Please come to the Preview Party Saturday 11/11 3:00-5:30pm to view 100+ auction items with wine, cheese and friends. Childcare is provided. The deadline to pre-order your UCE t-shirts is this Sunday 11/5 and the deadline to donate an auction item is Monday 11/6. Visit the UCE auction website for more information about the auction and celebration event.

NEW MEMBER CLASSES

Journey Toward Membership Class

Come get the details about the rewards and responsibilities of membership. This new member class is part of our 3-step process to becoming a member. Pledging and signing our Membership Book are the other two steps, which can be completed in any order. This class is one step toward getting more connected within our community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Join Rev. Susan online via Zoom on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, from 7:00-8:00 pm. Register to receive the Zoom link.

Request Zoom Link

Deepening the Spiritual Journey

Tuesdays, November 7, 21, and December 5

7-8:30 pm in person at UCE, Room 3

Join Rev. Eileen and Kathy Underwood in an exploration of the pathways we have all traveled in our lives; the pathways of the spirit which have led us to where we are today.

In this three-part workshop, we will reflect on, map out, and share our spiritual journeys, with the hopes that some will consider sharing theirs in worship. This is an extension of the new member journey class, open to members and friends, high schoolers and up, no matter how long you’ve been at UCE.

A Covenant Group is a small group of people who regularly meet to establish meaningful connections and further ground themselves in our community. 6-Month Covenant Groups will meet monthly from November 2023 – April 2024.

More than 100 congregants have participated in Covenant Groups since 2002. You are invited to be our newest member! Check out the UCE Covenant Groups webpage [insert link under “UCE Covenant Groups - or contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org to learn more.

Living into Our UU Values. Where are you on the journey?

What is our purpose as a congregation and a faith community? Why is it necessary to evolve our 8 Principles into the proposed Values of generosity, justice, equity, transformation, interdependence, and pluralism? Join members of the Denominational Affairs and ministerial staff for six conversations to explore what it means to center love and live into our UU Values. Sessions 1-5 will be held via Zoom. Session 6 will be held in-person at UCE.

What is generosity and how does generosity help create the Beloved Community? The first session on Generosity and Inspirations will be held November 14th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. ZOOM

Click for Schedule of Sessions and Article 2 Information

Lifespan Faith Formation

Parent’s Perk – November 19th at 9:30am in room 13. Whether you’re a parent or grandparent, you’re invited! Our topic will be “Bringing UUism to the Holidays”. We’ll share ways to connect our faith to the many holidays coming up. Bring your favorite morning beverage and enjoy some sweets and company!

Ornament Sunday ’23 is Coming!

December 3 during Kinship Time

This is a fun way for all ages to get creative by making simple ornaments for home and for the UCE Christmas tree. If you’d like to host a craft or share a craft idea, sign up here.

Social Justice & Action

UUANI 10th Anniversary Celebration:

Building Community, Bending the Arc Toward Justice

THIS Saturday, Nov 4th from 10am to 3pm

In-Person at UCE, online & at Abraham Lincoln UU Congregation, Springfield, IL

Click the flyer for full details.

Please register through UUANI for the online event or for UCE's in-person watch party! UUANI will celebrate its 10th Anniversary AND honor UCE's Margaret Shaklee and Dale Griffin for their long service to UUANI. Refreshments will be served in Room 6.

GIFTS SIGNUP

VOLUNTEER HERE

Mitten Tree Update!

Beginning this weekend, you will have the opportunity to sign up To fulfill gift requests.

(Please note, if you click on either of these sign-ups the moment the newsletter hits your inbox and they look incomplete, check back in a day or two! We’re working on it!)

This longstanding tradition is a beautiful snapshot of our community’s shared values and a privilege to help organize.

Read on below about where your gifts will go this year, AND MAY WHAT YOU GIVE BRING YOU JOY!

Afghan Refugee Family Update

Early next month, our family from Afghanistan (mom age 28, daughter age 2 and nephew age 11) will be celebrating the second anniversary of their arrival in Chicago. Despite the pain of having the rest of their family still in Afghanistan, both mom and her nephew report how grateful they are to be in the United States. They recently recalled their long journey to get here: harrowing packed cargo flight from Kabul to Qatar with medical treatment there for injuries they sustained during the bombing at the airport; a flight to Washington, DC two weeks later; then another flight to New Jersey and finally a 5-hour bus ride to Fort Dix for medical clearance. They remained there for eight weeks. A distant cousin who they did not know who lives in Morton Grove landed them in Chicago and then an apartment in Skokie.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ MORE:

UCE Book Clubs

UCE Non-Fiction Book Group

Participants can choose to listen to this podcast or read the transcript:

The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Love the Free Market by Naomi Oreskes. July 14, 2023 podcast

Naomi Oreskes addresses what she calls a disastrous dogma, the “magic of the marketplace”, a myth created by American big business that has successfully persuaded many people that government regulation “distorts” the market and prevents it from doing its “magic”.

We’ll discuss the podcast but anyone who chooses to read the book is welcome to add to our discussion.

Zoom discussion Sunday, November 19th at 2 pm

Click here to join Zoom

12/17: Dark Waters videorecording. 2020. 127 min.

UCE Fiction Book Group

We are reading Search by Michelle Huneven. A sharp and funny novel of a congregational search committee (UU), told as a memoir with recipes.

Dana Potowski is a restaurant critic and food writer and a longtime member of a progressive Unitarian Universalist congregation in Southern California. Under pressure to find her next book idea, she’s asked to join the church search committee for a new minister and agrees, resolving to secretly pen a memoir, with recipes, about the experience. That memoir, Search, follows the travails of the committee and their candidates—and becomes its own media sensation.

Zoom discussion Friday,

November 17, at 7pm

Click here to join Zoom

12/15: Good Night, Irene by Lius Alberto Urrea

All Congregation Read

This year, we will spend 6 months reading the book, Mistakes and Miracles: Congregations on the Road to Multiculturalism, by Nancy Palmer Jones and Karin Lin.

The book shares how five different congregations encounter frustrations and disappointments, as well as hope and wonder, once they commit to the journey to create multicultural, antiracist Beloved Community.

We have enough people registered to have two groups. One will meet the 2nd Sunday of each month,12:30-1:30 and another will meet on the first Thursdays, 7-8pm from November 2023 through April 2024. Rev. Eileen and Rev. Susan will take turns facilitating a monthly conversation using the congregational case studies provided in the book.

If you are interested in being part of this book group, please register here or email Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org by November 5th.