Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, August 1 at 11:15 am
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Living Our Mission Through the Arts: Drama
Nurturing the Human Spirit and Making the World Whole Through the Arts: living our mission through the arts. The creative endeavor is more than the fluff of life. It is essential to our humanity to create, express, and process our struggles through the arts. During August we will explore five modes of artistic and creative expression and their centrality in making meaning in our lives. This Sunday we will explore Drama and how its various expressions impact us, inspire us, and connect us.
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From Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director |
We are fast approaching the reopening of the building on September 12. While the building has been well cared for and capital campaign projects continue, we find ourselves working at a quick pace to complete final details and prepare the space for you as we gather in our building again. This will be a joyous time to see each other and reconnect.
As many of you may know from your experience in doing home improvements, or perhaps through your work, it is increasingly difficult to get products and contractors in a timely way...
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"When We Return, We Will All Be Newcomers"
~ Nathan Kirkpatrick
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Welcome to Multigenerational Sundays at UCE!
Beginning September 12th All Ages Worship at 10:15 followed by All Ages Faith Formation at 11:30. Activities will vary week to week and be offered in dual formats (in-person and on-line) as much as possible. You may see the outline for the weekly schedule here. Please watch this video for more information and look to the website and future newsletters for more details.
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TOMORROW is the Deadline for the
2021-2022 Shared Plate Program
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The Social Justice Council invites you to submit nominees for the 2021-2022 Shared Plate Program. Each year, UCE’s Shared Plate Program donates half of the Sunday offering received to 13 organizations in support of their social justice efforts. The deadline for submitting a Nomination Form is July 31, 2021.
Organizations may be nominated by a UCE member or staff. For 2021-2022, in light of the reality of our present crises, in order to be eligible for the Shared Plate Program an organization must address systemic racism and/or the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the poor.
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Hats off to Andy Fisher, who is a tenacious advocate for the environment and avid singer. Andy has served on the UCE Green Team for many years and volunteers as the editor of the newsletter with the local chapter of UU's for Social Justice. He shares his photography skills with friends at UCE, documenting the natural world he loves so much. Andy is also a long time member of the UCE Men’s Group and a decades-long member of the UCE Choir. This year, he also sang with the virtual GA choir. When we meet in person, Andy often rings the chimes that herald the start of each service. Thank you, Andy, for sharing your gifts with us. |
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Green Team meets August 7 at 1 pm via Zoom.
Wednesday Zoom Gatherings Return on August 11 at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
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This Week's Events & Links |
Sunday, August 1
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Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 9:30 am via Zoom - Email Renee Hoff for details.
Monday, August 2
Tuesday, August 3
Wednesday, August 4
Thursday, August 5
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Virtual Meditation at 5:30 pm via Zoom. Email Andrea DeMers for the link.
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Senior Minister Time Away - July 18-31 |
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Rev. Eileen will be away from July 18 – 31 and not immediately accessible. For issues that need her attention, which can wait until she returns, please be patient. If you need immediate pastoral care, please contact Rev. Susan Frances sfrances@ucevanston.org. For issues related to the building and/or operations, please contact Sandra Robinson srobinson@ucevanston.org.
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Congregational Connections |
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Looking for a few good poets to help create a collective community poem for the August 15th service. Please send to ewiviott@ucevanston.org by August 10th, 15 words or less to complete this sentence:
"Peace comes when..."
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Share Your Interests & Skills on Realm |
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Did you know that you can share your unique skills and interests with UCE leadership through your Realm profile? UCE ministers, staff, and leaders can use this info to help connect you to volunteer opportunities, leadership roles within our community, and even new groups that may fit your interest. Login to your profile today and let us know your special talents so we can help you be better engaged at UCE. |
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Wednesday 5:30 Zoom Gatherings - Continue August 11 |
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Our weekly Zoom All-Church gatherings will resume in August twice a month. The gathering on August 11th, and 2nd Wednesdays of the month going forward, will be led by Rev. Eileen. Fourth Wednesdays of the month, beginning with August 25th, will be led by Rev. Susan.
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COVID Vaccination Resources |
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UCE Hosts Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic: August 24, 1-7 pm and September 14, 1-7 pm - We are hosting a Vaccination Clinic with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Look out for a registration link soon or Walk in on the day of.
- Ages 12+ are welcome
- No insurance needed
- 2 dose and 1 dose vaccines will be available
Please share about this opportunity with everyone you know! This will be a quick and easy way to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 Virus.
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Covid-19 Vaccinations for Homebound Residents - The City of Chicago is working to integrate mobile home health care vaccination services to reach home-bound individuals who are unable to go to the City’s COVID-19 vaccination sites to get the vaccine. To be eligible for this program you must live in the City of Chicago and be a senior OR a person with a disability who requires in-home assistance, have to use adaptive equipment (like a ventilator, crutches, a walker, a wheelchair, etc.) or accessible transportation to leave home, and leaving home is not an option for you because doing so requires considerable and taxing effort. If any of these apply to you, you may sign up for an in-home vaccination using this link.
Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People from the CDC - Click here, for guidance and recommendations for fully vaccinated people, including: How fully vaccinated people can safely visit with each other and guidelines for wearing masks.
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Try out Tai Chi at UCE - August 28 |
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Tai Chi is coming to UCE. UCE member Renee Gatsis has played Tai Chi for 40 years and taught it for over 20. She credits Tai Chi in large part for her equanimity and good health.
Renee will teach the Sun-style tai chi form adapted and popularized by Dr. Paul Lam. This meditation in motion is a gentle exercise with graceful, flowing movement performed at a slow tempo. The Sun style is a simple, upright form ideal for people of all ages. In fact, Renee has taught this form to teens as well as elders.
Regular Tai Chi practice yields many benefits including, but not limited to:
improved concentration, relaxation, balance, flexibility, fitness, immunity, pain relief and quality of life.
Classes start Saturday, September 11, from 11:00-noon, in the sanctuary.
Want to learn more? Please register below for the information/demonstration session on Saturday, August 28, from 11:00-11:45, in the sanctuary. Interested, but can’t make the info/demo? That's ok. Fill out the registration form and we'll add you to the email list.
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Registration for Beloved Conversations
Open through August 31
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The REAL Team highly recommends that anyone who has not taken the online version of Beloved Conversations sign up for "Beloved Conversations: Within". The Beloved Conversations in-person curriculum has evolved to be a three-part online curriculum divided into the Within Phase, the Among Phase, and the Beyond Phase. If you took the original in-person curriculum, the new online Beloved Conversations: Within is a restyled individual curriculum that will bring you something new. If you have not taken any form of Beloved Conversations, now is a good time to take the Within Phase curriculum, because the next phase, Beloved Conversations: Among, is a congregation wide curriculum that the REAL Team is exploring.
UCE has scholarships available for the Beloved Conversations: Within registration fee. Please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.
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Attention Chalice House Supporters! |
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You’re invited to "Barrington Gives Back - A Concert & Cookout for a Cause” sponsored by St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Barrington. As you will recall, St. Michael’s is a generous supporter of Chalice House, and this fundraising event is one way that they raise money for their extensive outreach program.
Friday, July 30, 5pm to 8pm
Fox River Forest Preserve, Shelter A
2 Food trucks or bring your own picnic
Band: Way Past Curfew -- a mix of professional musicians and St. Michael’s members
More details and ticket sales on EventBrite. Currently Lake County Forest Preserve is limited to 100 attendees but based on discussions with them, we believe the restrictions will be removed, opening up to 350 people.
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Green Team Meeting on August 7 |
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The environment is vast and there are many issues to learn about and act upon. Do you have ideas about a discussion topic for Forum or guest speakers you would love to hear from in the coming year? The next Green Team meeting is August 7, 2021, from 1-2 pm and you are invited.
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SAVE THE DATE for a three part workshop on Faith, Justice and Reparations in Evanston. Sessions will take place on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:30 pm on September 19, September 26, and October 3, via Zoom. We will explore what “reparation” means, how Evanston’s history of exclusion and discrimination calls for repair, what is happening with our current Reparations programs — and consider how we, as people of faith, are called to act at this significant moment in history.
The workshop is being presented by UCE and other faith communities in Evanston with the support of Interfaith Action of Evanston. More information will be coming later in August.
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This Summer with Faith Formation! |
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Welcome to our last Soulful Home packet for the summer! Our focus is on the segments At the Bedside and Blessing. Watch this short video or you can still check out the whole packet here.
Family Engagement Survey – Parents, please fill out this short survey regarding your family’s participation at UCE this fall. It should take 5 minutes or less!
Young poets wanted! We’re looking for poetry by young people for the August 15 worship service. Send your original poems to Kathy by August 8. Our theme is “play”, but your poem can be on anything that inspires you.
Worship and Faith Formation this Fall - If you haven’t seen the video about our worship and faith formation format for this fall yet, check it out here. And if you missed Kathy’s article about this last week you can find it here.
Registration for Faith Formation begins next week! This year more than ever, it is important that parents register their young people, so that we can plan according to current guidelines.
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UCE Fiction Book Group meets Friday August 20 at 7 pm by ZOOM to discuss Circe by Madeline Miller.
"A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story," this #1 New York Times bestseller is "both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right" (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times).
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The nonfiction book group won't be meeting in August to discuss books but we look forward to selecting books for the coming year at our Zoom meeting at 2 pm on August 22nd.
We're hoping that everyone who has a nonfiction book they recommend and, perhaps, would like to discuss with others at UCE, will add the title to this google document. We're hoping that this document will encourage UCErs to share their love of books by recommending titles. The nonfiction book group will consider all titles added to this google doc and we hope that many people who submit titles will join us at the August 22nd meeting and then continue with us throughout the church year.
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Unitarian Church of Evanston
1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1330
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