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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service

this Sunday, July 9th at 10:30 am

Faith Formation Hour this Sunday!

• Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10am-11:45am

• Wisdom Tales & Wild Games we’ll be “visiting” Mexico this morning! Helpers are needed for July 16 when we visit Saudi Arabia and August 20 when we visit Australia, so sign up here!

Families can explore our new theme, Delight, at home at their own pace with the Soulful Home packet.

Hats off to the UCE Abortion Access Team

Our Hats Are Off to the UCE Abortion Access Team - Co-leads Jean Butzen and Jon Siegel, and members Jane Bannor, Sarah Bloethe, Gretchen Brewster, Karen Courtright, Dana Deane, Susan Frances, Carol Johnson, Jeanne Kerl, Patricia Lenore, Janet Lipner, Christine Peters, William Phillips, Marjorie Rogasner, Gail Smith, Jessica Tomell-Presto, Marilyn Wroblewski, and Christine Yoo. Originally named the Reproductive Justice Team, this group narrowed their focus to promoting abortion access - specifically, raising funds to support the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) and have already raised a significant amount. The team continues to plan, facilitate, and host house meetings where facilitators share info, and answer questions, about the CAF and foster a safe environment for attendees to share stories about themselves or others. If you'd like to attend one of these events, please reach out to Jon or Jean. Thank you, UCE Abortion Access Team, for responding to the urgent need for reproductive justice with a collaborative, thoughtful and effective response.

Calling All Thespians and Wanna-bees

Plays are a great avenue for exploring what it means to be human. Play reading in a group is an easy and fun way to do that, get to know more of each other, and find an outlet for your dramatic flair. If you are interested in possibly joining a play-reading group at UCE, email Sarah Vanderwicken. Once we see how many are interested, we'll figure out a gathering time and place

New Sanctuary Chairs Feedback: Round Two

Thanks to the 106 people who provided feedback on the first round of test chairs. We listened to some of you who had further concerns and questions. So, this time we have a variety of wood chairs to compare with the winning ergonomic type chair. We sought to get samples that had colors more along the line of what we might purchase. We are running this feedback period from July 7-23rd .So please take a moment to join the fun of “putting your derriere in the chair” and give us your feedback.

Your feedback is sought on: Comfort, Attractive Design, Color Scheme and Weight

Results of UCE Annual and Special Congregational Meetings

UCE congregants gathered for the Annual Meeting on May 21st and a Special Congregational meeting on June 11th.

Actions taken at the May meeting included approval of the 2022-23 annual meeting minutes, the 2023-24 Fiscal Year Operating Budget, and changes to Article VIII Section 3 of the UCE Bylaws. Congratulations to those elected to serve as church leaders including Board Trustees Ben Kornfeld, Melanie Kitchner, Forrest Marie Linsell, Elaine Siegel, and Hoa Voscott; Endowment Trustees Jean Butzen, Susan Comstock, and Bob Seyfried; and Nominating Committee members Cheryl Mounts, Michelle Novak, and Mary Beth Roth. Thank you for your service and commitment to UCE. 

At the June 11th meeting the congregation approved changes to the UCE Bylaws Article XII and the Endowment Agreement. Updated Bylaws including the Endowment Agreement will be posted to the UCE website in early July. Minutes from the May 21 and June 11 meeting will be approved at the 2023-2024 Annual Meeting next June.

Many thanks to members and staff who assisted with planning and facilitating both meetings.

A concert to honor Gay Menges, Jon's mom, on August 20th. This is a free concert but if you're able to make a contribution of $10-$20, it would be greatly appreciated.

Tai Chi at UCE

Renée Gatsis is offering a new 8 week beginner’s Tai-Chi class on Saturdays from September 9 thru October 28, from 9:45-10:45 in the Sanctuary.

She has perfomed Tai Chi for over 40 years and taught for over 20. Renée credits Tai Chi in large part for her equanimity and good health.

Participants will learn the first part of a Sun-style tai chi form adapted and popularized by Dr. Paul Lam M.D. 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 from teens to elders

Regular Tai Chi practice yields many benefits including, but not limited to:

improved concentration, relaxation, balance, flexibility, fitness, immunity,

quality of life and pain relief.

Interested in learning more?

Come to the first class on September 9 and experience the power of tai chi for yourself OR contact Renée.

To reserve your spot in the 8 week class, please click below.

Looking ahead in Faith Formation...

Summer Concert Meetup – July 12 at 7pm on the Green in Skokie to hear Sushi Roll – a unique blend of high-energy dance music, infused with rock ‘n roll swagger, then topped off with memorable stage costumes inspired by Cosplay and Anime.

Kristen Durning is our point person, so look for her and the UCE sign!

The Family Ministry Team is planning a beach day at 12 - 3pm on July 23 at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston! Bring a picnic or snack. More info on the beach here.

Want to know more about Faith Formation this year? Read our brochure here.

UCE Fiction Book Group 

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

The Fiction book group will meet Friday, July 21, 2023 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

Birnam Wood is a self-described guerrilla gardening collective that sometimes legally, and sometimes less so, cultivates wherever it can, “along verges and fence lines, beside motorway offramps, inside demolition sites and in junkyards filled with abandoned cars.”  Through “doing instead of talking,” these feisty idealists hope for widespread, lasting social change. They want people to see how much fertile land goes to waste.

Then the outlaws come to town. For an especially delicious spread of fertile land recently freed up by climate devastation, Birnam Wood is up against an American billionaire doomsteader intent on acquiring the land to support his end of the world bunker. For starters – the land is also, of course, rich in minerals. Environmentalists among us will be in their element in this rodeo!

Shared Offering Nominations DUE TODAY!

Nominations for the 2023-2024 Shared Offering Program are now being accepted by the Social Justice Council. If you have any questions about this Program, please contact Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

What’s New for the Anti-Oppression Task Force?

Our Anti-Oppression Task Force work is underway! We recently shared our ongoing priorities for Aim 1 (“Expanding the Congregation’s ownership of the anti-racism and anti-oppression work”) and Aim 2 (“Increase Power Sharing at UCE”). For the 3rd and last Aim, “Radical Inclusion and Hospitality,”  our three priorities are:

• Train ALL members of the congregation on the meaning and implementation of radical hospitality, as a way of engaging with each other. We’ll be identifying white supremacy behaviors and antidotes; examining racial identity; ensuring we make space for people of all identities; managing unconscious bias; and understanding what it means to work in solidarity.

• Provide (or identify) low-stakes opportunities that allow people to meet others, during projects or activities within or outside our building. 

• To make it easier for visitors and new members to become engaged, standardizing procedures for new members; familiarizing everyone with the welcome packet; effectively using welcoming tables and kinship time; and creating a system to help orient and include visitors and new members.

To be a part of fulfilling this aim to expand, in every gathering, our ways of inclusion and hospitality, please contact Maggie Wilson via the Realm Membership Directory, or Rev. Susan Frances.

How to Help Refugees and Asylum Seekers Locally

Chicago-area organizations have responded quickly to assist immigrants to our region. UCE’s Immigrant Solidarity Team (IST) and other Evanston-based faith groups are working with the Sanctuary Working Group (SWG) of the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN) to help.

You can support the SWG of CRLN in three ways:

1. Donate Money: Your contribution helps purchase basic necessities such as toothbrushes, shoes, etc. To donate, click HERE.

2. Provide Short-Term Housing: Welcome an individual or family into your home for a night or two while they wait their turn to move into a shelter. To sign up, click HERE.

3. Provide Long-Term Housing: Share your home for several weeks or months with individuals or provide ongoing financial support to people who are moving into their own apartments. For more information, click HERE.

Separately from CRLN, people in Rogers Park, with the help of Ald. Maria Hadden, are organizing emergency overnight housing for people who are currently sleeping on the floor of the Rogers Park police station.

For more details, please contact Michelle Novak or Jim Strickler of the UCE IST through the Realm Membership Directory or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Giving House Continues...

For the month of July, we are accepting donations of rice in the Giving House.

The Giving House is a small wooden "house" that is located in the front lobby. We are partnering with C&W Market & Ice Cream to distribute free foods to those in need.