Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, June 19th at 10:15 am
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Juneteenth: Reclaiming Joy on the Long Journey of Freedom
We honor and celebrate Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday last year. This day marks an end to slavery in this country when, two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation, people enslaved in Galveston Texas finally got word that they had been freed. The struggle for true justice and liberation was then, as it is now, far from over. As we reckon with history, we hold in awe the power and joy that persists amidst suffering. Rev. Eileen leads the service with Annette Wallace as Worship Associate.
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No Faith Formation Hour this Sunday. Please join the upcoming All-Ages Faith Formation Events for the Summer! |
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Next Sunday, June 26 Worship Service will be at 11:30 am. Kinship Time will be held before the service. |
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Musical Friends of Alicia Concert - THIS SUNDAY |
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From Left to Right: Charles Hayes, Alicia Hempfling, Katherine Davis |
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Remember the Musical Friends of Alicia Concert is this Sunday, June 19, at 3 PM in the sanctuary. Among our musical guests will be the Rogers Park Community Singers led by Charles Hayes (including UCE Choir members), Blues and jazz singer Katherine Davis, the Musical Offering Blues Band, Gregory Shifrin, Jenn Wisegarver, Steve Courtright, and a special appearance by one of UCE’s favorite soloists. Celebrate Fathers’ Day afternoon with great music! We’ll also honor the Juneteenth holiday with donations accepted for Renaissance Social Services in Chicago, one of our shared-plate offering recipients.
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From Rev. Susan Frances, Assistant Minister for Congregational Life |
Dear Friends,
Happy Pride! This week I am reveling in the diversity of the queer communities living in and around Chicago. The photo is of me early this week on my next door neighbors’ porch. My entire block is decorated with a plethora of flags, signs, and banners. Many of which I’ve had to look up to find out what the colors represent. It has me feeling grateful for where I live and the communities of which I am a part. Thank you, to all of you who are part of our wonderful UCE and wider UU communities, for being exactly who you are!
This joy has been starkly contrasted by the realities being supported at the hearings being presented by the House Select Committee Investigating the January 6, 2021 Insurrection at the US Capitol. Right now, I am finding some hope that our democracy will continue to thrive and improve by looking back at some of our country’s history. I want to share the words of our UU ancestor Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, who was born a free African-American in Baltimore, Maryland, was raised in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, and became a Unitarian in 1870 when she joined the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia...
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Rising Covid Cases and UCE |
Covid cases have been rising and Cook County is once again in the high community risk level according to CovidActNow.org. We may be getting past this current peak, however, we will continue to require masking throughout the building on Sundays, other than when eating or drinking. Please maintain distance from one another when you are taking sips of beverages or bites of food, and then return your mask to cover your nose and mouth. For small groups, masking is strongly encouraged, though we understand that in some small groups meeting in the building on days other than Sunday, you may be comfortable removing your masks if everyone is in agreement.
Please monitor your health closely and if you have had exposure, experience symptoms, or test positive for Covid please follow your healthcare provider's guidance or visit the CDC website to determine when it would be safe to return to church activities.
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Join the UCE Team in the Race Against Hate
THIS SUNDAY, June 19
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The Race Against Hate will be held on June 19 at 7:30 am, and UCE will again be a part of it. Some of us run, some walk, some roll! However you roll, please be a part of our Race Against Hate by joining the UCE REAL Team 2022.
Didn't register ahead of time, no worries! Everyone is welcome to walk up and register on Sunday morning before the race. If you can’t be with us in the Race, but want to join in spirit, support the team through your donation. Dana Deane is coordinating the UCE REAL Team 2022. Please contact Dana through REALM or at ucerealteam@gmail.com if you have any questions.
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Hats Off to the UCE Choir! |
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This week’s hats off goes to the wonderful choristers who comprise the UCE Choir! While masked and social-distanced, these amazing people recorded 19 choir pieces – including pieces for 2 Music Services and for Rev Eileen’s Installation – and they sang in person (Yay! 1st time in 2 years) in 4 Sunday services. They also sang at the Alma Woods’ Ramp Dedication at last week’s picnic. And members of the UCE Choir sang in the Meadville Lombard Commencement Celebration service and they led the singing of “There is More Love Somewhere” at the 6/13 Community Launch Event for Evanston’s Interfaith Reparations Effort. And they did all these through the various vicissitudes that music making at this time has taken – online-only, online-and-in-person combo, and in-person only.
Thank you to all 48 wonderful choristers who have participated in the UCE Choir program this year: Alexa Avery, Rob Avery, Tory Bassani, Tom Beck, Kera Beskin, Peggy Boccard, Eleanor Boyer, Gretchen Brewster, Barbara Butz, Lynn Clark, Cheryl Clayton, Jo Lynn Cotton, Mike Dickenson, Bonnie Dickinson, Thom Duncan, Connie Eyer, Ellie Feddersen, Sophia Feddersen, Andy Fisher, Robb Geiger, Jane Handy, Woody Haynes, Tom Hempfling, Tomo Hillbo, Harry Hirsch, Bruce Kallick, Dennis Kalup, Jane Kenamore, Lynn Kendall, Kiley Korey, MaryBeth Kurnat, Vicki Lang, Diane Markel, Ann McCallister, William Phillips, Judith Ramey, Jeanne Rhodes, Gay Riseborough, Dave Schroeder, Amy Seidenbecker, Jon Siegel, Anne Sullivan, Kristen Tang, Amanda Thomas, Michelle Thompson-Hay, Luanne Vanderpool, Sue Widell, and Jenn Wisegarver.
Your singing, spirit, and energy greatly enhanced our services and touched our souls! Thank you all!
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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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Sunday, June 26 worship service will be at 11:30 am CST. Instead of UCE's service, we will join the UUA General Assembly service. You may join the livestream from home or the UCE Sanctuary.
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Shared Offering Program Nomination forms are due June 30, 2022! More info below.
This July - Help UCE with Plastic Free EcoChallenge. More info below under "Social Justice & Action."
The Next Worship Planning Playdate is July 30th from 10 am - Noon in Room 3. More info and registration link below.
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This Week's Events & Links |
Friday, June 17
Saturday, June 18
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Virtual Pilates at 9:30 am on Zoom. Email Janelle Brittain to join.
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Tai Chi at 9:45 am and 11 am in Room 3.
Sunday, June 19
- The Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate begins at 7:30 am at Northwestern University's Long Field
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Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 8:45 am in Room 6 and via Zoom. Contact Renee Hoff for the Zoom link.
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Worship Service at 10:15 am - Sanctuary & Youtube. Click here to join.
- Kinship Time in the back of the sanctuary following the worship service
- Musical Friends of Alicia Concert at 3 pm in the Sanctuary
Monday, June 20
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Grief Group at 7 pm on Zoom. Contact Ellen Rieger to join.
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Addictions and Recovery Group at 7 pm via Zoom. Click here to join.
Tuesday, June 21
Wednesday, June 22
Thursday, June 23
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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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Thank you for joining the Reparations Launch Event! |
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Thanks to those who participated in the Reparations, Reconciliation, and Repair interfaith community launch of our efforts to support reparations locally and nationally. It was an inspiring event and only a beginning of the next phase of the work. If you'd like to read the full statement that clergy and leaders signed onto, you can read it here.
Moving forward, the board is planning for the ways we will financially contribute to reparations and many discussions are taking place about how we examine our history, share our stories, tell the truth, build relationships of repair, and continue to learn and grow together. Stay tuned and let me or Rev. Susan or any members of the REAL team know if you'd like to get involved.
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Unitarian Universalists Association 2022 General Assembly
is NEXT WEEK June 22-26!
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Registration is still open for the 2022 General Assembly. Whether you wish to attend in-person or virtually UCE has made funds available for registration, travel, accommodations and food. Contact Shirley Adams or Peggy Boccard for information on how to apply for funds.
This year’s program is jam-packed with exciting speakers like Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. He is the author of five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, including How to Be an Antiracist and the National Book Award-winning Stamped From The Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. GA offers a variety of worship choices throughout the meeting. These include spiritual practices, Sunday morning worship, and Youth and Young Adult worship. The Service of the Living Tradition honors fellowshipped and credentialed religious leaders, remember those who died, recognize those who have completed active service, and welcome those who have received fellowship or credentialed status in the past year.
And there is always music to lift your spirits and fill your heart. Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout is the choir director for the GA this year. You can expect and participate in wonderful musical experiences. Take the time to register and join your friends at the UUA 2022 General Assembly!
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Celebrate the Summer Solstice |
Join the celebration on Wednesday, June 22 at 5:30 for picnicking, 6:30 program. All ages are welcome to come for any or all of the fun! We’ll picnic on the UCE lawn and then have a short solstice celebration with some crafts and activities.
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UCE Shared Offering Program Accepting
Nominations for 2022-23
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The Shared Offering Program is now accepting nominations for the 2022-23 congregational year. Nomination forms are due June 30, 2022.
Each year, the Shared Offering Program donates to 13 organizations that have a social justice focus supporting UCE’s mission and our vision for a world made whole. Do you support an organization addressing Climate Justice, Food or Housing Insecurity, Health or Education Disparities, Indigenous Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Oppression, Peace, Racism, Refugees/Immigrants, Violence, or Voting Rights? If so, nominate them for the Shared Offering Program!
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Save the Date - Next Worship Planning Playdate |
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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 am - 11:30 am.
And families can explore our new theme of Celebrating Blessings in their own timeframe in the Soulful Home packet.
Coming Next Week...
Celebrate the Summer Solstice – June 22 – 5:30 for picnicking, 6:30 program. Come for any or all of the fun! We’ll picnic on the lawn and then have a short solstice celebration with some crafts and activities.
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.
- June 28 at Baker Park (SE Evanston, Keeney & Forrest) – Marcy Hicks is the point person
- 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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UCE Fiction Book Group is reading The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Join us on TODAY, Friday, June 17 at 7 pm by ZOOM to discuss this novel.
A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest, Emilio Sandoz, a man of deep faith who leads a scientific mission to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life.
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The nonfiction book group will meet via Zoom at 10 am on Sunday, June 26th to discuss Mark Bittman's book Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal.
Best-selling food authority Mark Bittman offers a panoramic view of human history from hunting and gathering food to GMOs and ultra-processed foods. His compelling analysis explains what is currently wrong and how we can start to make it better.
Note the change in the time of our June meeting. We will meet at 10 am via Zoom before the UUA General Assembly worship service broadcast at UCE at 11:30 am.
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This summer, celebrate Pride with the LGBTQIA+ communities in Evanston and Chicago! Evanston Pride is hosting a Candle Lighting and Remembrance Ceremony on June 12th and a Community Picnic on July 30th. Or attend one of the many Chicago Pride events: Pride Fest on June 18th & 19th; Pride in the Park on June 25th & 26th; and the Pride Parade on June 26th.
UCE celebrates you exactly as you are! Happy Pride!
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Urgent Need for Sack Lunches at Connections
for the Homeless Pick up Sites
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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, June 19 – 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 Black, southern, largely rural folks vital information on how to register, ways to vote early, and poll locations. ROV sends specific information to these voters on how to validate their registration, obtain mail-in ballots, and get transportation to distant polling locations. Voting in the primaries affects the November elections. The time for us to act is NOW!
Pick up postcards in the back of the sanctuary this Sunday, June 19, or contact Carolyn Laughlin through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.
Distribute Voter Information in Racine, WI, June 26 – August 6
UCE is linking with Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC) and Turn Up The Vote to make a difference in the Wisconsin elections. The governor's race will impact issues we care about including women's health, racial and economic justice, and the environment.
RIC will be tabling and distributing voter information between June 26 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!
Thank you for living out your values in the world!
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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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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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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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