Ornament Sunday, December 3rd 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.

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.

UCE will host the overnight emergency shelter in partnership with Interfaith Action of Evanston from the evening of Sunday, December 3 until early Sunday morning December 24th. Guests will be in rooms 2 and 3 from 9pm to 7am each night during that period of time and cots will stay in place during the day so rooms 2 & 3 will not be available in December.

This is an important ministry of care and justice that UCE is grateful to be a part of. If you would like to volunteer with this program, you can do so through Interfaith Actions sign ups. Contact them at ia@interfaithactionofevanston.org.

Last Week!

Mitten Tree gift sign-up is up and running. Gifts are due back at UCE for sorting and wrapping by SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, so don’t delay in signing up! Don’t want to shop? You can donate money and the mitten tree elves will shop for you–you may Zelle or Venmo Sheila Holder, skholder8@gmail.com or 224-235-1621, or write a check to UCE with Mitten Tree in the memo, click VOLUNTEER HERE.

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!

Staying Healthy

During this winter holiday season when many of us are gathering again with friends and family, please remember those who are immunocompromised or who have pre-existing conditions. Here are things you can do to keep our entire community healthy from COVID-19 and in general:



• Get vaccinated or boosted
• Stay home if you don't feel well
• Test yourself for COVID-19 if you aren't sure what you have
• Wear a mask if you've been exposed or are on the mend
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds

Wishing you happy and healthy winter holidays!

We always have much to celebrate at UCE, and on December 10 we’ll have a double celebration! Join us after worship as we celebrate two major renovations in the lower level:

· A toilet-paper cutting ceremony of our two renovated bathrooms that are bright, fresh, and more accessible and inclusive, funded by the Capital Campaign and transformed through the efforts of Sandra Robinson and Michael Skilton.

· A crepe-paper cutting ceremony of the renovated nursery, transformed into a children’s wonderland by the vision of Gillian Lawrence and through the efforts of Gillian, Robb Geiger, and Dan Lawrence.

Come celebrate!

So Much to Celebrate!

We had so much to celebrate at last Saturday’s Serendipity Celebration Event and we are very grateful to the many people it took to make this important fundraiser a success. Thanks to your generosity, hard work and love for UCE - we have raised $34,200, 22% more than our $28,000 Goal. Every bit as important is that we have deepened and widened our community - while volunteering on the many auction committees, at the Celebration Event and during the 27 group events that 534 guests will attend during this upcoming year. Your raffle ticket purchases raised $3,305. Congratulations to Jenny Walsh for winning the American Club Resort raffle, Jean Durkin for winning Rev. Eileen's Sermon Topic raffle and Laura Etchen for winning the Oceanique Dinner for Two raffle. There are still items available for purchase, click here to see the catalog of fixed-price items. Thank you again to all who made donations, purchased items and volunteered to make this year's Serendipity Auction & Celebration Event such a great success.

Christmas Pageant – December 17 during worship. All ages are invited to participate in this annual tradition of re-enacting the birth of Jesus from our UU viewpoint. Costumes provided or bring your own. Plenty of parts to choose from: people and animals! There are non-speaking and speaking parts. Sign up here to claim your favorite!

The Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders will be presenting on their coordinated campaign and the interfaith support for reparations in Evanston on Friday, December 1^st in the afternoon.

To learn more and to register, visit First Repair.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) is hosting a special community conversation on December 7th bringing together leaders working on the ground in Black and Brown communities to discuss current tensions and how to build the solidarity we need to create a society that cares for everyone.

December 7, 2023 | 12pm

 Live from University Church Chicago

on ICIRR’s Facebook and YouTube  

This landmark event is recommended to you by our Immigrant Solidarity Team and our Racial Equity Action and Leadership Team.