Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, June 20 at 11 am
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Meadville Lombard in the Pulpit
Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, MDiv ‘04, Senior Minister of River Road UU Congregation in Bethesda, Maryland, will preach on "Going to the Well of Living Waters," based on the Gospel of John 4:1-26. A special musical guest is Mark Miller, faculty at Drew Theological School, and the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale University.
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"Telling New Stories, Playing New Games"
From Kathy Underwood,
Director of Lifespan Religious Education
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In my last newsletter article, I wrote about some of the stories we tell ourselves as a congregation. Stories such as “Upstairs, Downstairs” about how the young people are downstairs and the adults are upstairs, totally engage in all aspects of congregational life. And then there was the story about faith formation being more than education and about it being for all ages and stages in life. I then had posed the question, “How can we re-write the endings of these stories?” |
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Hats Off to our High School Seniors!
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Thank you to our high school seniors, Hope Leman, Grey Wiviott, Jonathan Spychalski, and Logan Talmage for making time during a busy and unusual senior year to participate in several of our Sunday morning worship services. We loved having you be part of our Fire Communion and Bridging rituals and having you sing or read during our services celebrating Christmas Eve, the 8th Principle, and Pride Month. We wish you the very best as you head off to your respective colleges of St. Louis University, Illinois State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Oakton Community College on the way to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We are grateful to have you as part of our community! |
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We are looking forward to the future at UCE, excited to be exploring ways of building a more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming community of faith for all people. The staff and Covid Task Force are thinking of you as we consider how to return to in-person gatherings, safely and comfortably, while maintaining some of the convenience and accessibility of on-line worship and gatherings. Multi-platform or multi-access (which means multiple ways of participating, experiencing, and sharing) worship and congregational life will be a new venture for all of us and we need your input.
Please take some time to fill out this survey. It should take (7-8) minutes to complete. Your answers will be anonymous and will not be traced back to you. We value your open feedback.
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With gratitude and love beyond belief,
Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Rev. Susan Frances, and Staff
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Upcoming Worship Services - June 20 & 27
will be Livestreamed at 11 am instead of 11:15 am
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The upcoming Sundays - this Sunday, June 20th and next Sunday, June 27th – in place of our regular worship services, we will be livestreaming services from our wider UU community at 11 am instead of 11:15 am.
Sunday, June 27 at 11 am: General Assembly Worship
Join the largest annual gathering of UUs joining in worship. This powerful, communal worship experience will stream on Sunday, June 27, 2021 at 11 am CST. Members of the public are welcome to view the service.
The links to these services will be on our website, where you find our regular Sunday morning links.
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UCE Building Availability - The UCE building and grounds are available on a limited basis to small gatherings. Please read the updated UCE's Reopening Guidelines before contacting staff about availability.
Chalice Lighters Needed - If you would like to light the UCE chalice OR record you and your family lighting a chalice at home to be used in the Sunday service, please send an email to Rev. Eileen.
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June 19, 26, and July 3 - Interfaith Action of Evanston: Drop Off Days for Much Needed Toothpaste, Dishwashing Liquid, and Sponges. More info below.
UUA Virtual General Assembly is June 23 - June 27.
Upcoming Worship Service - June 27 will be Livestreamed at 11 am instead of 11:15 am. More info below.
Next Deepening UU Identity Session is Wednesday, June 30 at 6:30-8 pm at UCE. More details below.
Application Deadline for 2021-2022 Shared Plate Program Nominations is June 30.
Wednesdays on the Lawn are every Wednesday in July at 5:30 - 7:30 pm. More details below.
Upcoming Worship Planning Playdate is July 10 at 9:30 am. More info below.
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This Week's Events & Links |
Friday, June 18
Saturday, June 19
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Interim Review: Now What? at 9:30 am - Noon via Zoom. Click here to join.
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BLUU Havens Chicago June Gathering at 1 pm via Zoom. Email BLUUHavenChicago@gmail.com for the link.
- Art & Spirituality at 2:30 pm on UCE Lawn.
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Immigrant Solidarity Team at 4 pm via Zoom. Email Lee Bannor for the link.
Sunday, June 20
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Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 9:30 am via Zoom - Email Renee Hoff for details.
Monday, June 21
Tuesday, June 22
- Retired Women's Group at 4 pm on the UCE Lawn.
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REAL Team meeting at 7 pm via Zoom. Click here to join.
Wednesday, June 23
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Virtual Yoga at 9:30 am via 8x8. Click here to join.
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All Church Zoom gathering at 5:30 pm - Look for the link in next week's Wednesday e-mail.
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Learn Spanish Group at 6:30 pm via 8x8. Click here to join.
Thursday, June 24
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Virtual Meditation at 5:30 pm via Zoom. Email Andrea DeMers for the link.
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Board of Trustees meet at 7pm via Zoom. Email the Office for the link.
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Application Deadline extended to July 31st 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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Congregational Connections |
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Interim Review - Now What??? |
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On Saturday. June 19 from 9:30 to 12:00 there will be a virtual opportunity to meet with Rev Karen Gustafson and members of the Transition Team to review the work of the UCE Interim Ministry which began in late August of 2019 and will conclude on June 30. This session will include a review of the interim Tasks undertaken to identify and begin to address structural and cultural issues affecting the future of UCE, in preparation for calling a new settled minister.
The pandemic certainly affected the shape and direction of that work but the considerable commitment of UCE congregation and staff and volunteer leadership continued. What will be the legacy of this time? What needs to happen to maintain momentum toward a truly Shared Ministry? This will be a time for questions and conversations and continuing commitment. Please sign up and a link will be sent to you in advance of the session. If you are unable to attend, please send your thoughts or comments to kgustafson@ucevanston.org.
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BLUU Havens Chicago June Gathering |
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We welcome you to join us for our June Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism BLUU Havens Chicago Gathering on Saturday, June 19 at 1-2:30 pm on Zoom. Join at 12:30 for socializing or just hanging out & listening to music!
This Month’s Theme: “JUNETEENTH COMMEMORATION”
Juneteenth (June 19th) commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. Some of us are new to celebrating Juneteenth. Are you? We welcome you to share your knowledge, your traditions, your new discoveries about Juneteenth at our June BLUU Havens Gathering.
Join us in wearing something RED or the Juneteenth flag and bring a red drink to commemorate the day together. This will be a Black Only Sacred Space. To request a zoom link please email: BLUUHavenChicago@gmail.com.
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UUA General Assembly 2021 is Online June 24-27! |
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This year, all UCE members will get the chance to experience the Sunday worship service offered by General Assembly. This service is always a beautiful and moving and memorable hour. Look for more info from the staff about this service on Sunday morning, June 27.
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Free General Assembly Events |
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Led by the Ministries and Faith Development Staff Group, this service honors fellowshipped and credentialed religious leaders; remembering those who have died, recognizing those who have completed active service, and welcoming those who have received fellowship or credentialed status in the past year. The service includes a collection to benefit the Living Tradition Fund.
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This is a transformative multigenerational worship. Come be inspired and illuminated at a celebration of treasured worship elements, rites of passage and brilliant contemporary musical performances. The service includes a collection to benefit the Katie Tyson Fund for Youth and Young Adult Ministries.
There are some more pieces of General Assembly that are free and available to everyone. They are listed here.
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Worship Planning Play Date - July 10 |
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Our next Worship Planning Play Date we be live and IN PERSON! On Saturday, July 10th from 9:30 am to noon. If you are interested in creating and participating in worship, join us in the UCE sanctuary to plan the worship services September through November. We will also review elements of worship and train (or re-train) worship associates, as well as ‘metaphorage’ for words, music, visuals and ritual elements to weave into Sunday morning services. Please register if you are interested or contact Rev. Eileen with questions.
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5 Star Gatherings: Food, Faith, Family, Fun, Fellowship! Join the Faith Formation Force EACH Wednesday in July from 5:30-7:30 pm for these ALL AGES in-person gatherings outside at UCE.
5:30 – 6:15 gather on the church lawn for a picnic. Picnic is flexible timing or optional.
6:15 - 6:30 opening song and chalice lighting
6:30 – 7:15 fiercely faithful family friendly activity
7:15 – 7:30 closing circle and song
Bring your own picnic (food, beverages, chairs, blankets and mask). Masks are required when not eating or drinking. Join in music, worship and learning for people of all ages. Tell your friends and neighbors. All are welcome! Stay tuned for more information.
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This Summer with Faith Formation! |
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This week, we explore our theme of Play in the From the Mailbox segment of our Soulful Home packet. Watch a short video here and check out the whole packet here.
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Summer Solstice Picnic and Campfire – June 25, 6-8:30 pm on the South Lawn. Bring lawn chairs/blanket and a picnic supper and stay for a campfire and s'mores!
High School Youth, Recent Grads, Current College Students - June 27, 6-8 pm - Sign up here for a gathering on the lawn to picnic, have some s'mores, play some games, and have some fun! Bring a picnic/snack, chair/blanket, and any cool toys the group can play with together on the lawn.
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Deepening UU Identity: ALL AGES UCE History Tour |
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Deepening UU Identity - June 30 at 6:30-8 pm at UCE (In-Person) – Ever wonder what's up in the balcony? Did you even know we had a balcony? What's it like to stand in the pulpit or peek behind the chancel? Do you even know what the chancel is or how it got there? Come to church for a tour of the building you thought you knew. Learn about the history of our congregation, what the church was like when we first moved in. Join in a scavenger hunt of hidden passageways and lost artifacts. This is an event for all ages and whole families. As with all church activities, you'll need to wear a mask.
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The UCE Fiction Book Group will discuss Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler on TODAY, June 18 at 7-8:30 pm via Zoom.
Evoking Jane Austen, Emma Straub, and other masters of the literary marriage, Breathing Lessons celebrates the small miracles and magic of truly knowing someone. Unfolding over the course of a single emotionally fraught day, the marriage of Ira and Maggie Moran reckon with a lifetime of dreams, regrets and reckonings. This is widely regarded as Tyler’s seminal work and earned her the Pulitzer Prize.
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The UCE Nonfiction Book Group will meet at 2 pm on Sunday, June 27th to discuss Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History by Kurt Andersen.
The author argues that America needs to change its political economy from one in which big business gets whatever it wants and the rich get richer at the expense of most Americans to one that works for the majority and for the long run.
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REAL Team Meeting - June 22 |
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If you have never attended a REAL Team meeting, our June 22 meeting via Zoom, coming on the heels of the weekend’s Juneteenth celebrations, is a great time to join us. We will engage in self-assessment and learn more about microaggressions. One important part of dismantling racism is self-discovery. “Where am I on my anti-racist journey?” REAL invites you to read this exercise in advance. It will help us consider where we are as individuals, where we want to go, and how we can move forward together. During the meeting we will review the exercise and engage in a supportive and enriching conversation. For those who attended our July 2020 meeting, this exercise will look familiar, because we think it bears revisiting in light of the past year.
If you can, please bring an example of “calling in” that you tried or experienced in recent years, an example of a microaggression, and any comments you have about the three closing questions from our equity video from last time.
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Evanston Pride Events on June 26th |
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Evanston Pride is hosting a day of PRIDE events on June 26th. We are one of the stationary lawn floats as part of the Evanston Pride Youth Car Parade scheduled for 1:00 pm! Take a drive by the Ridge side of UCE on June 26th and celebrate being you!
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Volunteer Opportunities to Assist Refugees through
RefugeeOne or FORA
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To help them collect 300 pairs of gym shoes and 300 backpacks full of school supplies for summer and fall learning needs. Sign up to provide what you can here.
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Who are able to act as interpreters for refugees. The most common languages are Arabic, Farsi, Kiswahili, Burmese, Rohingya, and French. If you are able to assist, please contact Shubira Bocko, at sbocko@refugeeone.org.
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To tutor students during weekend reflection seminars for 20 selected students under the guidance of The Telling Room experts. These seminars will be conducted on twelve Saturdays from 10 am to 12 pm in the fall of 2021, and then twelve more Saturdays again in the spring of 2022. They need EIGHT local facilitators to help lead these seminars -- volunteers who can come each of the 24 Saturday mornings (with one or two missed Saturdays allowed, at most) at their FORA learning center at 6421 N. California Ave., Chicago. If you are not an expert writer or storyteller, do not worry! There will be a mandatory three day training provided by The Telling Room via Zoom on June 28, 29 and 30th, 2021. If you are interested, please contact Mike O'Connor at michael@refugeefora.org.
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June 19, 26, and July 3 are the Drop Off Days for Much Needed Toothpaste, Dishwashing Liquid, and Sponges |
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Interfaith Action of Evanston operates a monthly Produce Mobile, year-round, providing free groceries and toiletries to around 250 families.
For the July 13th Produce Mobile, they are in need of the following items:
- Toothpaste
- Dishwashing liquid
- Sponges
Please limit your generosity to the items requested.
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Faith-Based Approaches to Reparations:
A Multi-Faith Conversation
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Lake Street Church of Evanston and Second Baptist Church are hosting a panel discussion titled, "Faith-Based Approaches to Reparations: A Multi-Faith Conversation" that will include Buddhist, Christian, and Jewish perspectives on reparations on Sunday, June 20 at Noon. This event will be hosted on Zoom. All are welcome! More info included on the event flyer.
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Unitarian Church of Evanston
1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1330
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