Here’s what’s coming up in our congregational life—opportunities to connect, learn, and participate in the weeks ahead

Sunday Service

February 1, 2026 at 10:30 am 

Children and youth will remain in the worship service today.

This Sunday…

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 8:45a-12p. 

Faith Formation Hour will resume February 8.

Faith Formation Registration

Please register your young person, ages 1-18 here.

Hearts & Arts activities are planned for all ages:

• Collaborate to recreate a large work of art
• Create Valentines: One to share in the Sanctuary and one to give to a loved one
• Find your inner artist: Design with Nature, Explore with Color, or Create Circles of Connection
• Add your contribution to an art piece honoring our UCE founders
• Decorate heart cookies

All ages are welcome as we re-imagine "Night of the Arts" with pizza, singing, dancing, games and kinship. The fun starts at 5:30. Dinner will be available at 6:30 followed by music, singing, and dancing until 8:30. Nursery care will be available during games and art making events before and after dinner. 

Click here to register

Click here to volunteer

Click here for the Pizza Poll! (Tell us your favorite kinds of pizza)

What's in a Name?

Who are we and how do we want to be known in the wider community?

These questions are guiding our conversations about whether UCE should have a different name. Several people in the conversations we’ve had so far have expressed that, whatever they feel about our name and whether or not it’s changed, they will remain a part of this congregation. I would hope everyone feels that way, but that may not be the case.

Words matter and how we project ourselves into the world has meaning and impact. There could be no perfect, pithy name to describe what this vibrant, active, and pluralistic faith community is or means to those already part of it. But asking the questions helps us realize the ways we want to transform and grow. I’m grateful for the healthy and productive dialogue that’s taken place so far.

Our hats are off to the worship volunteers that made this Sunday's service beautiful and meaningful, several with very little prep time. Chester Beck and Kiley Korey, with an assist from Kevin Barrow, offered their tremendous musical talents with a relatively short amount of time to prepare. Their solos were selected by our worship leader, Sophia Newman, to accompany her spiritual journey - a powerful reflection. She also wrote a Time for All Ages, and chose readings that made for a rich exploration of pluralism and finding inner peace amidst spiritual searching. And Steve Serikaku jumped in at the last minute to handle A/V when Adam was unable to make it to UCE. It's wonderful to know we have such a collaborative, creative, and generous congregation, willing to share their many diverse gifts.

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Friday, January 30th:

• NO EVENTS

Saturday, January 31st:

• Virtual Pilates, 9:30am, via Zoom
• Celebrate Jane Austen's Birthday!, 6:30-9:00pm, Sanctuary

Sunday, February 1st:

• Chris Isley Cancer Support Group, 9-10:15am, Room 6 & Zoom
• Worship Service, 10:30-11:30am, Sanctuary
• Kinship Time, 11:30-12:30pm, Back of the Sanctuary
• UCE Name Change Discussions, 12-1pm, Room 6 and Zoom
• Puzzle Palooza, 12:30-2:30pm, Room 3
• Imbolc Ritual and Potluck, 2-4pm, Sanctuary

Monday, February 2nd:

• UCE Addictions and Recovery, 6:45-7:45pm, via Zoom
• Bernstein Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom
• Durkin Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom
• Monday Night Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom

Tuesday, February 3rd:

• Membership Team Meeting, 12:30-1:30pm, via Zoom
• AI Workshop Series, 7-8:30pm, Room 3 and Zoom
• Caregiver Support Group, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom
• First Women's Circle, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Wednesday, February 4th:

• Yoga Online, 9:30-10:30am, via Zoom
• Executive Committee Meeting, 4-4:45pm, via Zoom
• Endowment Fund Committee Monthly Meeting, 4:30-6:30pm, via Zoom
• Pledge Ambassadors, 6:30-8pm, via Zoom
• Congregational Connections Team, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Thursday, February 5th:

• Evanston Near South Proximity Group, 1-2pm, via Zoom
• Beacons of Light, 4-4:30pm, Dempster and Ridge
• Meditation Group, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom
• Choir Rehearsal, 7-8:45pm, Sanctuary

Should We Change the Name of UCE?

In 2025, the Unitarian Church of Evanston Board of Directors held focus group conversations to hear what is important to the Congregation. One key theme that came up in every conversation we hosted was the desire to change our name. What do you think of the change to “Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston”?

We would appreciate hearing from you. Feel free to email or talk with any Board member. Or, better yet, join us at one of the remaining two opportunities for discussion:

Sunday, February 1, 12-1at UCE Room 6

Saturday, February 7, 10-11 on Zoom

Please register to attend one of these sessions.

We will also email out a survey to ensure we get all of your thoughts.

The next workshop on AI, “AI, Earth, and Equity” will be on Tuesday, February 3 in Room 3 and on Zoom at 7pm. You can drop in to any without attending all. Register here.

Mark your calendars and bring your appetite! Join us for Empty Bowls SOUPER Sunday coming up on February 8th! Choose & buy a handmade bowl (generously donated by local artists) after the service; We’ll fill it with delicious soup or chili for lunch…then you get to take it home. Meals include fruit, cheese, cookies and fresh baked bread from David the Bread Guy. Cost is $10/bowl with a $25 maximum per family. Additional donations accepted! Proceeds benefit those experiencing food insecurity in and around Evanston! Recipients include Hillside Panty, Interfaith Action of Evanston and Connections for the Homeless. Sign up here to set up, clean up or cook for this event as we need volunteers to make it happen.

We look forward to seeing you!

Solar Without the Panels?

Is that even a thing? Surprisingly, yes.

There are real ways to support—and benefit from—solar power even if you’re a renter, live in a condo, or simply can’t install panels yourself. Join us after service on Sunday, February 8, as our speaker T. Manning entertains and informs us about these creative solar options.

Attend in person in Room 3 or on Zoom. Bring your coffee or tea and learn how you can be part of the growing green energy economy—no rooftop required.

Sponsored by the Unitarian Church of Evanston Green Team.

The Music Team at the Unitarian Church of Evanston is sponsoring a Community singing event at UCE on Sunday February 15, 12:30-1:30pm in room 3.

Megan Eberhardt (Old Town School of Music and more) will help us join in an informal singing experience. All songs will be taught orally, on the spot. Experienced and non experienced singers are welcome! We will sing songs in unison, rounds, call and response and more. Come experience the simple joy of singing together and walk away revitalized, connected with some old and new singable songs in your heart and pocket.

This a free event with a free will offering to cover costs. Children accompanied by a responsible adult are welcome.

Here are 2 videos to give you an idea of what it is like.

Video 1

Video 2

PHOTO CREDIT: Tess Graham

 Attend A Journey Toward Membership Class

Are you interested in a brief survey of UU history and values, learning about what it means to be part of a covenantal faith tradition, or in figuring out how to get more connected at UCE? Join Rev. Susan and the Membership Team at one of our Journey Toward Membership classes. This 90-minute class is for folks interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism and UCE as well as folks planning to become a member. If you decide you are interested in becoming a member, you will need to have attended this class before signing our Membership Book. The next class dates are:

• Saturday, February 21, 2026, 1:00-2:30 pm, Room 12, no child care available. Click here to register. 
• Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 6:30-8:00 pm, via Zoom. Click here to register.
• Sunday, March 1, 2026, 9:00-10:20 am, Room 12, child care provided. Click here to register.
• Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 6:30-8:00 pm, via Zoom. Click here to register. 

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

The UCE Fiction Book Group is reading So Far Gone by Jess Walter.

Rhys Kinnick has gone off the grid, in deep disillusion about the world. His daughter, however, needs him to look after his granddaughter while she runs an errand. Thus, granddaughter shows up on his doorstep unannounced, except by herself. Thus the two, with the help of Rhys’s rag-taggle community, cope with the lunacy that is our modern American life.

Friday, February 20th, 7-8pm by ZOOM

Here's a recurring zoom link for the Fiction Book Group

Next read:

March 20: "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans

The Nonfiction book group will meet online at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 22nd, using our recurring Zoom link.

The UCE nonfiction book group is reading Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life by Ferris Jabr. Jabr explores how Earth functions as a living system where all life forms—from microbes to humans—shape and transform the planet through complex interactions spanning billions of years.

The book has been described as a “page turner to people with a curious mind” and “easy and entertaining reading.”

Next read: March 22, 2026. Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church by Harriet Han.

Save these dates!

Family Friday – February 6, 6-8p

We’ll be making Valentine decorations for the

Hearts & Arts event on February 14.

And join us on Zoom February 9 at 7-8p!

              We’ll share ideas on ways to build connections and community.

You can see what’s coming up on our evolving calendar here.



Join us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/520586461667097

UCE Young Adult Group

Third Friday Faith Formation & Game Nights

Our next gathering is Friday, February 20th



The Young Adult Group at UCE is a group for young adults (18-35) interested in exploring spiritual deepening in community. We meet on every 3rd Friday from 7-9pm in Room 3 to discuss monthly Soul Matters themes, check in with each other, eat snacks, and play games.

Contact Kiley Korey (kileyekorey at gmail dot com), Kevin Barrow (kbarrow13 at gmail dot com) or Kathy Underwood (kunderwood@ucevanston.org) with any questions.

MEETING MORE INTERFAITH NEIGHBORS

A Faith Formation Series February, March, and April 2026

For UCE Adults and Youth, 14 and up

IF YOU VALUE RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND WANT TO GET TO KNOW SOME OF OUR INTERFAITH NEIGHBORS, this class is for you. We will have a visiting speaker from, and a visit to, three of our faith neighbors, and a concluding discussion of how that faith tradition connects to us as Unitarian Universalists.

On the 2nd Tuesday evening of the month (Feb – Apr), we’ll meet at UCE with a leader from the faith tradition. We will visit their community with varying dates based on their worship/learning schedule. Finally, we’ll return to UCE the 4th Tuesday of the month to discuss what we’ve learned together.

FEBRUARY: UNITED METHODISTS – Rev. Aaron McCleod, 

Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Church

MARCH: HINDUISM/KRISNA – ISKCON Chicago, Rogers Park 

APRIL: SIKH – Shiva Singh Khalsa – Minister of Sikh Dharma, 

Sikh Religious Society in Palatine

Register in Realm

Parent’s Time Out Survey

Based on your feedback, our Parent’s Time Out will be March 13 in the evening.

Details coming soon!

30 Days of Love

Activities to do as a family over the next month Each week has a different theme. 

Check it out here!

Our Shared Offering Program

Our Shared Offering Program is one of the ways that we live into our mission statement "for a world made whole." Each Sunday, the funds collected during our worship service either via text donations or in the collection bowls (and not otherwise designated for a pledge or something else) are shared equally between our operating budget and the current Shared Offering Recipient.

This Sunday's offering will be shared with Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU), which is committed to expanding the power and capacity of Black UUs within Unitarian Universalism; providing support, information, and resources for Black Unitarian Universalists; and justice-making and liberation for Black people through our faith. To donate follow this link.

Come be a Beacon of Light!

Join us at the corner of Dempster & Ridge, Chicago & Main, or Central & Lincolnwood on Thursdays from 4:00-4:30 pm to inspire a future grounded in our values. 

Inspired by Beacons of Light, bring a colorful sign with a positive message visioning a future shaped by love and justice (sign inspiration here) or include The Beacon’s QR code to spread the light even further. You may join the Beacons of Light WhatsApp group by filling out their form.

Whether we’re three people or 100, we continue to provide a source of hope and solidarity for the participants, those driving by, and our neighbors. All are welcome!

Rev. Michael Woolf and Anna Piela will host the launch of their new book, Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice, on February 4 at 6:30 p.m at Lake Street Church of Evanston.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event for those who wish to support their work.

Helping Our Immigrant Neighbors

UCE has a long history of helping immigrants and refugees in the United States. This is a particularly trying time for immigrants and refugees in our country. The Immigration Solidarity Team invites any who want to be more closely involved in helping immigrants to join us. IST has also assembled a list of resources for immigrants that is available to anyone in the congregation who is working with immigrants. To access that list, please see the IST bulletin board at UCE, or Michelle Novak, Anne Sullivan, or Maggie Wilson.

LOVE RESISTS

This photo was taken at the Chicago protest on Sunday, January 25, 2026.

The sign reads: “ICE murders moms and nurses.”

It raises a difficult and urgent question: How are we, as people of faith, called to respond?

Across the country, Unitarian Universalists are responding by bearing witness and showing up in solidarity. On Friday, January 23, UU faith leaders joined interfaith partners, labor unions, business leaders, and community members in Minneapolis after a call to Side With Love.

This article from UU World describes what “bearing witness” can look like in challenging times and why it matters for people of faith:

Here at UCE, we are asking you to take the next step with us.

Our Catalyst for Democracy team is inviting congregants to:

• learn more about what is happening,
• reflect together on faithful responses, and
• explore concrete ways UCE can act in solidarity.

Please stop by the Program Table after Sunday service to talk with us, ask questions, and find out how you can be involved.

Community Support/Mutual Aid

These are a few ways to provide community support and mutual aid to our friends and neighbors. If you have another idea, please email it to Rev. Susan Frances.

Ongoing ways to provide mutual aid -

Donate to the Midwest Immigration Bond Fund, which is using donations to help pay release bonds for the hundreds of people currently detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and associated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Bond amounts for immigration cases range from $1,500 to $50,000 and must be paid in full before release. Release on bond allows people to reunite with family, access legal counsel, and prepare their case from home with safety and dignity—opportunities that are limited or impossible while incarcerated.

Donate to your local food pantry and soup kitchen. In Evanston, these include:

• Fill up the UCE Giving House located in our lobby. We are collecting pasta, rice, grains, beans, cereal, soups, canned fish, and canned meat to donate to C&W Market Foundation in Evanston. 

• Interfaith Action of Evanston (IAE) publishes the schedule of Soup Kitchens, sponsored by them and other nonprofits. We keep hard copies of this schedule, along with the IAE Overnight Shelter in the red folder in the Welcome Center cabinet.

• Support the Evanston Community Fridges. You may contribute funds online or donate food at one of the three locations in Evanston: 1601 Payne Street, 1335 Dodge Avenue, 620 Madison Street. 

Patronize local Mexican, South American, and Latin American restaurants, grocery stores, and street vendors, especially in neighborhoods that are predominately Hispanic and Latinx, in an effort to help those small businesses stay in business when so many of their customers do not feel safe being out and about.

Donate to Evanston Latinos, which is working with local Sanctuary groups to support local families impacted by ICE detentions. When you donate online, write in the memo line either “Sanctuary Evanston” or “Sanctuary Niles Township.”

Carry a whistle as part of local whistle brigades (short rhythm for ICE agent or vehicle sightings; long continuous rhythm when witnessing an abduction in process). Take photos or video of what you are seeing.

When ICE is active in your area, create a plan for transportation for anyone working inside or outside of your home and also plan to be at home to provide emergency inside space for outdoor workers who are tending to your yard, snow removal, painting, or other home improvements. ICE agents, or any other federal, state, or local agent, may not enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge with a valid date, the name of a specific person, and your address on it.

ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

 Make A Difference!

How does UCE make our voice heard? Through delegates to the annual UUA General Assembly, where we consider issues of major importance impacting UU congregations and the world at large. Delegates determine UUA justice work, developing “Statements of Conscience” and “Actions of Immediate Witness”, and identifying such areas of study as “Abolition”, “Transformation”, and “Faith Formation”.

You can help! Join delegates from UU congregations across the country and Canada, developing policy and taking action to keep our mission and values at the forefront of our social justice initiatives. 

Want to know more? Sign up to receive more information, or connect with the UU Networking Team and past UCE delegates. Dates for a program table to talk about the 2026 General Assembly during Kinship Time will be announced soon. 

Now's a great time to engage with other dedicated UU’s to make our world whole!

Unitarian Church of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330