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

Sunday Service

July 5, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. 

This Country is a Piece of Me and I am a Piece of This Country

 The founding ideals of the United States of America have always existed alongside significant failures to live up to them. This Sunday, we will use the texts from the faith250.org interfaith initiative to acknowledge the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. We will hold up truth-telling, civic engagement, inclusivity, and bold imagination as we choose a path forward that is steeped in our values. Rev. Susan Frances and Annette Wallace will lead the service, alongside pianist Gregory Shifrin.

This Sunday…

Children and youth will remain in the worship service.

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10:15am-12:00pm

Phineas and Ferb Phartsy Fun



We’ll resume our summer program on July 12.

Hi Friends,

Rev. Eileen is officially on sabbatical for July and August. If you did not see her letter to the editor in the Chicago Tribune on June 23rd about reparations or the article in the RoundTable, please make time to read them. Our congregation was also mentioned in the RoundTable article about the Interfaith Family Pride Fest and being welcoming of the LGBTQ+ communities. It is important that we continue to be outspoken as people grounded in the values of our faith tradition about expanding reparations and inclusivity.

With our congregation’s appearances in the press, there have been opportunities this past month for me to talk about our name change from the Unitarian Church of Evanston (UCE) to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston (UUCE). In sharing the history of how our creedal based Christian denominations of Unitarianism and Universalism merged in 1961 to establish the covenantal based Unitarian Universalist faith tradition, I have found a parallel to the founding of our country and something to celebrate this 4th of July weekend.

Our hats are off to Margaret Shaklee and Kathy Talmage for the many years they have served as co-leads for memorial receptions. Each time one of our beloveds dies, Margaret and Kathy have ensured that their memorial service concludes with a spread of delicious noshes and beverages. They organize and oversee the volunteers, donations of food, set up and clean up. Thank you for making it possible for us to be the beloved community for one another in this way. Margaret and Kathy will be stepping down from this long and lovingly held ministry and we are looking for others who are familiar and trained in the kitchen to step into the role(s). Please contact Rev. Susan or Rev. Eileen if you think you can help. 

Newsletter Information

• To submit Newsletter requests please use our Google Form found HERE to submit your articles and images. The deadline is Noon on Wednesdays.

• 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!

Friday, July 3rd:

• UCE OFFICES CLOSED

Saturday, July 4th: Independence Day

• Virtual Pilates, 9:30am, via Zoom

Sunday, July 5th:

• Chris Isley Cancer Support Group, 9-10:15am, Room 6 & Zoom
• Worship Service, 10:30-11:30am, Sanctuary
• Kinship Time, 11:30am-12:30pm, Back of the Sanctuary
• Herried Covenant Group, 3:30-4:30pm, via Zoom
• Nominating Committee Meeting, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Monday, July 6th:

• UUCE Addictions and Recovery, 6:45-7:45am, 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, July 7th:

• Membership Team Meeting, 12:30-1:30pm, Room 2
• Caregiver Support Group, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom
• First Women's Circle, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Wednesday, July 8th:

• Yoga, 9:30-10:30am, via Google Meet
• THAT Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom

Thursday, July 9th:

• Evanston Near South Proximity Group, 1-2pm, via Zoom
• Meditation Group, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom
• Beacons of Light, 6-6:30pm, Dempster and Ridge

Rev. Eileen Wiviott is on sabbatical July - August 2026.

Light the Chalice and Bring the Chancel Flowers for our Sunday Morning Worship Service

Would you, your family, or your group enjoy bringing flowers for the chancel and then lighting and extinguishing the chalice during a Sunday morning worship service?

We’re in need of volunteers throughout July, August, and September. You may now sign up online by clicking this link, going to the Sunday that you would like to volunteer, and selecting the Flowers/Chalice spot. You may add a Comment indicating that you are bringing the flowers in honor of, in memory of, or in recognition of someone or something. You may also email Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org for assistance getting signed up on the Sunday morning schedule.

UUCE Campers!

At our campout last month, many folks expressed interest in camping this fall, October 16-18. For those interested, please complete a short survey to determine which campground to visit.

Movie Night at UUCE!

Consider relaxing and enjoying some snacks while watching this weeks movie night at UUCE in Room 6 on Friday 7/10 at 7:30 pm! This month Carlos will be presenting My Cousin Vinny for your viewing pleasure. The run time is 2 Hours, rated R, and is a hilarious movie from 1992 starring Joe Pesci.

The Work of LOVE!

You are all invited! Join us on Sunday July 12th to create 200 care packages and notes for abortion care clients of Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF). The UUCE Abortion Access Team is holding its fourth event - this time creating 200 care packages instead of the usual 100. So we need as many helpers as possible. Enjoy a cup of coffee after service and then join us at 12:00 noon in Room 3. You can pack one or more care packages and/or write some sweet supportive notes to go with the packages. This is some of the work of LOVE! And there will be refreshments in Room 3 to keep our energy high.  

The UUCE Fiction Book Group is reading " The Things We Never Say" by Elizabeth Strout (May 2026). Artie Dam spends his days teaching history to eleventh graders, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear—and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.

Meeting Friday, July 17, at 7p.m. by ZOOM

Future reads:

August 21: "Taiwan Travelogue" by Shuang-Zi Yang, translated by Lin King (2024). International Booker Prize for 2026, National Book award for translated literature, highest prize in Taiwan. A young Japanese novelist comes to Taiwan to experience “real” island life. A friendship develops between her and her Taiwanese interpreter that is tested by separation.

September 18: "Whistler" by Ann Patchett (June 2026). Daphne Fuller accidentally encounters Eddie, a man who was briefly her stepfather when she was ten. The two rekindle their friendship, looking back over the choices they made and choices made for them, and working forward ultimately toward Eddie’s end of life. And yes, there is a horse named Whistler.

The Nonfiction Book Group will discuss A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson on Sunday, July 26th. Join us at 2 p.m. using our recurring Zoom link. The book has been described by many readers as hilarious. Bryson describes his travels as a neophyte hiker learning hard lessons about self-reliance.  The Appalachian Trail is clearly portrayed as a magnificent place.

Readers can choose to experience the beauty and the humor in print, audio or cinematic format. A 2015 movie starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte is available through the public library.

Wisconsin Voter Registration Training

Get trained to register voters in Wisconsin. Once trained, you will be invited to go to one of several Milwaukee DMVs to register voters as they wait for services.

All trainings are held via zoom and the next training date is:



• Wednesday, July 8 - 7:00 PM
• Tuesday, July 14 - 1:00PM
• Wednesday, July 29 - 7:00PM

The training is one hour and presented by the Milwaukee Voter Project. For more information, please contact Laura Kushner with the Milwaukee Voter Project at laurakushnerx2 at gmail dot com or Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances at ucevanston dot org. 

Family-Friendly Friendship Meals 

There are two family-friendly events coming up:

Concert at Millenium Park on 07/23 – sign up here

Backyard Chillin' and Grillin' Barbeque on 08/29 for children 6 and up  - sign up here

Social Action Project for National Underwear Day!

We’re joining Connections for the Homeless in collecting new, 

adult underwear this summer.

Drop off packaged underwear in the marked bin in the lobby.

Those interested are invited to help sort donations on August 8, 9-11a

Sign up here to claim a spot!

UUCE Young Adult Group

Third Friday Faith Formation & Game Nights



The Young Adult Group at UUCE 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.

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 something else) are shared equally between our operating budget and the current Shared Offering Program recipient.

This Sunday's offering will be shared with Zacharias Center, which works to mobilize the community toward ending systemic sexual violence while amplifying the voice of survivors through trauma-informed care, advocacy, and prevention education.

Volunteer to Support Voter Engagement

At this time of our country’s 250th anniversary of its founding, people are doing a lot of remembering and reflecting. A recent America 250 National Survey found that 68% of those surveyed want this time for reflection on our history and values vs. celebrating the nation’s achievements. Our congregation’s volunteers at the UUCE Table and participants in our UUCE Team in the Race Against Hate on June 21st heard Sherialyn Byrdsong (widow of Ricky Byrdsong and founder of the Race) express that “Positive change does not happen by standing still. It happens when ordinary people like you and me choose to walk together to build bridges instead of walls.”

In this important moment in our country, the UUCE Catalyst for Democracy team wants to know what you want to do with your power? How are you addressing voter engagement and the “deceive, disrupt, deny” strategy of the authoritarianism? Please stop by our Program Table on Sunday, July 5th, to share your ideas and sign up to participate in our UU the Vote initiative.

Shared Offering Program Nominations Open

Nominations for the 2026-2027 Shared Offering Program are now being accepted by the Social Justice Council. To nominate an organization, click here for the Shared Offering Program nomination Google Form. The deadline to submit nominations is July 14, 2026.

The UUCE Shared Offering Program divides the undesignated funds we receive each Sunday equally between the congregation’s operating fund and an organization selected by the Social Justice Council. Click here for the Selection Process Description that the Social Justice Council uses to review nominations. If you have any questions about the Shared Offering Program, please contact Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

LOVE RESISTS

ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330