Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, July 3rd at 10:15 am
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Circle of Love
with Rev. Allison Farnum
This Sunday we gather in the Universalist spirit and are reminded that no one is outside the circle of love. Joining with guest speaker, the Rev. Allison Farnum, we are invited to feel the power of our living tradition through the lens of the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois.
Rev. Allison Farnum (she/her/hers) is the Director and Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois and an affiliated community minister at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago, Illinois. She lives with her partner and two children in Evanston, IL.
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Please join us after the service this Sunday for
Kinship Time in back of the sanctuary!
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General Assembly, then and Now
Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Senior Minister
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Seven years ago, I was in Portland, OR for our Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly. I remember being in the convention center with thousands of Unitarian Universalists from around the country when the Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality was announced. I was so glad to be among UU kin in that moment of celebration and joy. The President of the UUA at the time, Rev. Peter Morales, called LGBTQ people who were present up onto the convention hall stage to affirm of their marriages and relationships and celebrate that victory.
This last week, exactly seven years later, I was again in Portland for General Assembly, when the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn almost 50 years of federal legal protection for reproductive health and bodily autonomy came through. For a very different reason, I was again grateful to be surrounded by Unitarian Universalists. “Because we need one another,” a refrain among the UU Minister’s Association, resonates deeply in this moment when despair threatens to draw down my spirit.
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Hats Off to the Denominational Affairs Team! |
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Our hats are off to Denominational Affairs for their coordinated efforts to deepen our involvement with the Unitarian Universalist Association. Carla Williams, Shirley Adams, Cheryl Mounts, Lee Bannor, Peggy Boccard, Martha Holman, Melanie Kitchner, Linda LaPlante, Michelle Novak, Tom Ticknor, and Betty Walker. We are grateful for your work to coordinate delegates to attend and get the most out of General Assembly in Portland and on-line. Thanks to Shirley Adams for making sure the banner made it to the General Assembly hall. Thanks to your efforts to show the Ware Lecture featuring Ibram X. Kendi at UCE on Saturday, and encouraging youth participation. We are grateful for your efforts to keep us all engaged in the vital work of our larger movement.
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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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The Next Worship Planning Playdate is July 30th from 10 am - Noon in Room 3. More info and registration link below.
Fair Trade Cart Closing for the Summer beginning July 17. More info below.
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This Week's Events & Links |
Saturday, July 2
Sunday, July 3
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Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 8:45 am in Room 6 & via Zoom. Contact Renee Hoff for the Zoom link.
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All-Ages Worship Service at 10:15 am - Sanctuary & Youtube. Click here to join.
- Kinship Time after the service in the back of the sanctuary
Monday, July 4
Tuesday, July 5
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Caregiver Support Group at 7 pm on Zoom. Email Renee Hoff or Joyce Lofstrom to join.
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Wednesday, July 6
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Yoga at 9:30 am on 8x8. Click here to join.
- Rain Garden Scavenger Hunt at 5:30 pm on the South Lawn.
Thursday, July 7
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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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Upcoming Memorial Services for
Jo Jones and Jerry Galich at UCE
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UCE Members and Friends are invited to join with family to honor the lives of two of our members who have recently died. These services will be held in the UCE sanctuary and livestreamed at the links below.
Thursday, July 21st at 2 pm - Jo Jones Celebration of Life
Sign up to volunteer at the service & reception.
Saturday, July 23rd at 11 am - Jerry Galich Celebration of Life
Sign up to volunteer at the service & reception.
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New Sanctuary Hearing Loop |
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Stay tuned as the launch has been delayed until Sunday, July 17. An upgrade in the system required a part which our company is waiting for.
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Fair Trade Cart Closing for the Summer |
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The Fair Trade Cart wants to thank everyone for your patronage these past months and announce that we will be closed for the summer beginning on Sunday, July 17. Stock up on coffee and chocolate and find the perfect summer accessories and gifts before we disappear until September!
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Next Worship Planning Playdate - July 30 |
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Our next Worship Planning Playdate is coming up July 30th from 10 am - Noon in Room 3. All are welcome if you are interested in helping to shape the upcoming worship services. Let us know if you are interested in joining by registering below.
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What's Happening in Faith Formation? |
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This Sunday -
Nursery care (ages 0-3) during worship in room 11 from 10:15 - 11:30 am.
This summer, all ages are invited to remain in the worship services. Look below for gatherings happening this summer!
And Looking Ahead...
The Family Ministry Team is making summer plans!
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Water Games and/or Sidewalk Chalk Games – July 10 at noon
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Penny Park Picnic – August 7 at Noon
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Wednesdays on the Lawn returns! Mark your calendars for the following dates:
- July 6 – Rain Garden Wonders and Scavenger Hunt – 5:30 for picnicking, 6:30 program
- July 20 – Indoor/Outdoor Games – bring a family favorite – 5:30 for picnicking, 6:30 program
- August 3 – Dance Party - 5:30 for picnicking, 6:30 program
- August 17 – Back-to-School Bonfire – 6:30-8p
- August 31 – Movie on the Lawn - 6:30 for picnicking, 7:15-ish showtime
More Summer Fun - Concert Meetups!
Join a group of UUs at Evanston-area outdoor free concerts. We are arranging a point person for each of the following concerts, and ways of identifying them, such as a flag or balloon. Meet any time after 6p. Concerts start at 7p.
- July 12 at Canal Shores Golf Course (NE Evanston 1030 Central St.) - Norell Lidell is the point person
- July 26 at Larimer Park (Near UCE, Crain & Oak) - Marcy Hicks is the point person
- August 9 at Mason Park (Near ETHS, Church & Florence)
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The UCE Fiction Book Group is reading Grey Bees by Ukrianian novelist Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk. Join us for the book discussion on Friday, July 15 at 7pm by ZOOM.
Sergey Sergeyich, a beekeeper, and his friend Pashka are the last residents of a small village in the grey zone between Ukraine and Russia during the 2014 war. The two curmudgeons spar with good nature through the winter, then Sergey decides that when spring comes, his bees will need meadows to source pollen, so he must pack them up and travel through Ukraine west to more peaceful climes. In his travels, Sergey encounters combatants and civilians on both sides of the battle lines and must armor himself in his strong moral compass in order to maintain equilibrium. Kurkov is hailed variously as “a post-soviet Kafka,” “a kind of Ukrainian Kurt Vonnegut ,” “carrying top notes of Beckett and Pinter,” “a modern-day Odysseus.”
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The nonfiction book group will not meet in July.
We invite people to read nonfiction books over the summer and attend our Zoom meeting at 2 pm on Sunday, August 28 when participants will recommend and decide on books our group will read and discuss in the coming months.
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Transgender Inclusion in Congregations |
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Transgender Inclusion in Congregations is a 6-part series created by the Transforming Hearts Collective, featuring instructors Rev. Mykal Slack & Zr. Alex Kapitan and presented by Rev. Eileen, Christine Peters, and Carla Williams. This course is for anyone (ages 12 and up) who wants to contribute to building Beloved Community and help UCE become fully inclusive and actively affirming.
Over six sessions we will deeply explore the intersection of trans identity, spirituality and faith community in order to gain grounding, context and skills to transform ourselves and our congregation. The course meets people where they are and will move us toward welcoming, relationship-building, and skills-building. Each session will include a webinar video, individual and group reflection, and discussion on topics ranging from what does Beloved Community really mean; the ways trans folks have been and remain marginalized; and ways our congregation can more fully celebrate and nurture the spirits of all people.
Wednesdays October 5th – November 9th from 7-8:30 pm on Zoom. For your benefit and the benefit of all participants, the expectation is that you attend all sessions. However, we understand that schedules can be challenging and unexpected conflicts occur. Please register for this event so we can plan and send you required materials.
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This July - Help UCE with Plastic Free EcoChallenge |
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Each action you take during July earns our team points. You can do as much or as little as you are comfortable with. Young people can join on their own and update their dashboard, just like older adults. This competition is a game that educates and challenges us. Our Green Team will check our team's progress during the month of July to see how we are performing in comparison to other faith communities in and around the Northshore.
This EcoChallenge is sponsored by the Coalition of North American Aquariums and Zoos. Have fun and clean up our oceans!
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Sack Lunches at Connections for the Homeless
Pick up Sites Still Needed
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Connections for the Homeless has an urgent need for sack lunches to be provided at its three pick-up locations. Food insecurity is ever present in our community and making lunches is one way we can help!
Please note the different delivery instructions for different locations. If you have any questions about how to sign up on the Connections calendar, please contact Sheila Holder through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org. Sheila also has packets of mayo and mustard to include in your prepared lunches.
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UUtheVote 2022: Connecting with Voters |
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Pick up Postcards at UCE on Sundays, July 3 – August 7
UCE is partnering with Reclaim Our Vote (ROV), a non-partisan organization which targets potential voters in states experiencing aggressive voter suppression. ROV sends specific information to voters on how to validate their registration, obtain mail-in ballots, and get transportation to distant polling locations. The time for us to act is NOW! Pick up postcards in the back of the sanctuary this Sunday, July 3, or contact Carolyn Laughlin through Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org.
Register Voters in Milwaukee, WI, July 9th and July 12th
UCE is linking with Supermarket Legends to make a difference in the Wisconsin elections. The governor's race will impact issues we care about including abortion access, racial and economic justice, and the environment. Volunteers are needed at the Interchange Food Pantry on July 9th, especially from 9:30-11:30 am, and July 12th, especially from 2:00-4:00 pm to register voters and distribute literature. Volunteers are needed at this location for literature distribution only on July 23rd and 26th. Please contact Greg Grabowski through Realm or at admin@ucevanton.org to participate.
Distribute Voter Information in Racine, WI, Now – August 6
UCE is linking with Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC) and Turn Up The Vote to distribute voter information between now and August 6. Training is provided 1 hour before each shift starts. No prior experience needed! Snacks and drinks will be provided. Shifts available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays: 9am-12pm or 1pm-3pm. Register below! Melissa R. Michelson states in Scholars Strategy Network that personal contact urging individuals to vote has “strong spillover effects within households, boosting participation by others as much as 60 percent.”
Thank you for living out your values in the world!
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Reproductive Justice Action of Immediate Witness |
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One of the Actions of Immediate Witness (AIW) passed at the UUA General Assembly last week was “We Do Not Consent: Rejecting Legal Challenges to Abortion.” This AIW is a clear statement that our Unitarian Universalist faith affirms that our bodies are sacred, that we are each endowed with the twin gifts of agency and conscience, and that each of us should have the power to decide what does and doesn’t happen to our bodies at every moment of our lives because consent and self-determination are holy.
The AIW also points out how the change in law will cause greater hardship for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), people of low financial resources, those with disabilities, and those in the LGBTQAI+ communities, who are most harmed by legal and systemic barriers to comprehensive reproductive health care. This AIW calls upon us to act individually and collectively to organize, advocate, witness, support, educate and fundraise.
Here are some of the many ways to live into this AIW and our UU values:
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Sign Petition to Support Local Housing Program |
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Please consider signing a petition to support the purchase of the Margarita Inn by Connections for the Homeless in order to operate their Bridge Housing program. Throughout the pandemic, Connections heroically stepped up to provide shelter for more than 300 people experiencing homelessness. Since 2020, 184 homeless individuals have been served at the Margarita Inn, including men, women, and children. Currently, 86% are Evanston residents. We believe all our neighbors deserve a safe, stable place to call home. The services provided by Connections for the Homeless at the Margarita Inn create the path to stable housing and a brighter future.
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Save the Date - Interfaith Action of Evanston's
Vision Keeper's Dinner
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Sunday, September 18 at 5:30 pm
DoubleTree, Versailles Room
Tickets: $75
Join the IAE Board in honoring members of our faith communities who exemplify the IAE vision of interfaith social action and dialogue. Tickets include a donation to support IAE's direct services to homeless and hungry people in Evanston.
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Unitarian Church of Evanston
1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1330
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