Sunday Service March 16, 2025 at 10:30am 

Soulful Home Packet



Families can explore our new theme of Trust together at home here

UPDATES FROM REV. EILEEN WIVIOTT

Cultivating Hope: A Justice Revival

Beloveds, I hope you are finding ways to stay engaged and calm your nervous system these days. Spring is definitely in the air, and I get a little endorphin boost simply witnessing the slanting beams of warm afternoon sun through my windows in the late afternoon. The longer, warmer days mean I'll soon be able to work in the garden, visit the bird sanctuary, and ride my bike. I hope you all don’t get tired of me reminding you to keep cultivating those sparks of joy in your life. We need them to keep moving through the hard stuff.

Join the Board of Trustees 

to explore BIG QUESTIONS 

for UCE

Join members of the Board of Trustees for a 75-minute discussion about some big questions:

* What changes do we need to make so UCE is more accessible?

* How we can foster connections that go beyond our comfort zones at UCE and in the larger community? 

There are four scheduled opportunities to engage in these questions:

•  Saturday, March 22nd 10–11:15 am on Zoom
•  Sunday, March 30th, noon - 1:15pm at UCE
•  Friday, April 11th, from 6:30 - 7:45pm at UCE
•  Tuesday, April 22nd 7 - 8:15pm on Zoom

• Refreshments will be provided at both in-person sessions.

Register HERE

Our hats are off to the fabulous lay leaders, who covered extra responsibilities and stimulated many of our internal systems, during Rev. Susan’s three-month sabbatical. Thank you to:

·     Tom Carlton for making time to sign checks; 

·     Carolyn Laughlin, Cathy Deamant, and Peggy Boccard for making Sunday morning hospitality run smoothly; 

·     Jenny Walsh and Gillian Lawrence for agreeing to co-chair the Rummage Sale and having plans well underway;

·     Judith Rowell, Maggie Wilson, Susan Carlton, and Lina Hilko for keeping our membership programming going from welcoming visitors to facilitating a short-term covenant group to organizing Friendship Meals; 

·     Cheryl Mounts and Sandy Danforth for proactively handling the Social Justice Council business and meetings; 

·     Shirley Adams, Mary Dudek, Lina Hilko, Carolyn Laughlin, Carol Mergl, Brian Nielsen, and Carla Williams for forming our new Catalyst for Democracy group; and

·     Cheryl Mounts, Alison Issen, Becky Crawford, Jean Butzen, Jon Siegel, Shirley Adams, Michael Drennan, Steve Serikaku, Jane Bannor, Margaret Shaklee, Dennis Wilson, Michelle Novak, Maggie Wilson, Sheila Holder, and Maggie Weiss with our social justice teams for providing the congregation with ways to live our values in the world.

We are so fortunate to have each of you as a committed leader within our faith community. Thank you!

Planning for End of Life - Better Now Than Never

This series of three programs is for adults of all ages to help prepare for the end of life. We don’t know when our time on earth will end, so why not do what we can now to make it easier for our loved ones?

Our final session facilitated by Alison Issen will be March 19th at 7pm: Harvesting the Wisdom of Your Life: Creating an Ethical Will

Register HERE

• NEW way to submit Newsletter requests! Please use our new Google Form found HERE to submit your articles and images.

• 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!

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 a pledge or something else) are shared equally between our operating budget and the current Shared Offering Recipient.



The current Shared Offering Recipient is the ​Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois, whose mission is to equip UU's in Illinois to ​transform institutions; partnering with and supporting people harmed by the prison industrial complex.

Welcome the Stranger



UCE’s Immigration Solidarity Team participates with the immigration/ Refugee group of Interfaith Action Evanston. That group has prepared Welcome the Stranger information explaining to people of faith what they can do to help immigrants they may encounter.

It consists of a background sheet with information about immigrants, suggestions on how to help immigrants, and a QR code that can be shared with immigrants which connects them to Spanish-language resources in Evanston for food, and in the Chicago area for clothes, housing, legal aid, and a primer on their rights dealing with immigration officials. All resources are also available in English and some in other languages as well. This information will be available on REALM and also on the church bulletin board.

Help Prepare Care Packages for the Chicago Abortion Fund on Sun, March 16th

Join us Sunday, March 16 at noon in Room 3 at UCE to help put together care packages for patients coming to Chicago for abortion services. We’ll pack the supplies, write brief notes to the recipients, and make sure these patients have some supplies to pamper themselves after leaving the clinic.

Members of the church Abortion Action Team have contacted the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) to find out what’s needed, bought and ordered everything, and are organizing the after-church work party. Won’t you help us complete the project?

CAF is one of the major providers in Illinois of health care to out-of-state patients, who have nowhere else to turn, since their states have outlawed abortion. Last year CAF provided grants of $3,600 on average to more than 375 grantees, so they could travel to Chicago to receive services. It’s help line answered more than 16,000 calls.

If you’d like to come and help us put together the care packages, register HERE. And please also let us know if you’d like to help contribute to future work parties.

Meeting Our Interfaith Neighbors



March 18th at 7pm at UCE or on Zoom

We’ll reflect on our experience and share our thoughts on our visit to St. Mark’s.

You can register here to be included on future emails.

Moving Ahead with Solar Panels

As most of you already know, the congregation got a very generous gift from Barbara Young's estate to put solar panels on our roofs. After rigorous reflection, we decided to move forward with a solar panel installation that will produce 150% of our electrical needs. Although oversized for our building, it will allow us to give green power back to our community and set us up to use our own home-grown electricity for future green projects.

We are now working with Verde Solutions, LLC on the design of the panel racking (that is how the panels will be secured to the roofs, and at what angle), and we have applied for the permits from the city. Installation will begin in July and the project will take about three months.

Soon we will be turning our attention to researching electric heat pumps to replace our natural gas furnaces. This will truly be a game changer when it comes to the quality and quantity of energy that the church building uses in the future.

Stay tuned for more news from your Solar Panel Working Group this spring.

Visit the Rummage Sale Planning Committee table after Sunday services beginning Sunday (March 16) through the end of April. Come learn more about the sale, get your questions answered, and sign up to volunteer. You can also pick up popular rummage-sale materials including:

• Donation Tip Sheet | Grab one to see what to donate to the sale, and share it with family and friends
• Save the Date reminder postcards and publicity flyers | Help ensure we have a great turnout at our sale

UCE’s rummage sale is a fun, community building event that you won’t want to miss! Join us!

Questions or Comments? Email rummage@ucevanston.org

• Sale Dates: Fri May 2 - Sat May 3
• Donation Dates: Sun April 27 – Mon April 28
• Setup Dates: Sun April 27 – Thurs 5/1

You are invited to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and UCE. Our 90-minute Journey Toward Membership class will give you an overview of UU history and values, what is means to be part of a covenantal faith tradition, and the rewards and responsibilities of becoming a member of UCE.

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

Here are the class dates (you only need to take the class once):

In-person, Sun. Mar. 16, 2025, 9:00-10:20 am, Room 12, child care provided. To register, click here.

Virtual, Wed. Mar. 26, 2025, 6:30-8:00 pm. To register and get Zoom link, click here.

Virtual, Thurs. Apr. 3, 2025, 6:30-8:00 pm. To register and get Zoom link, click here.

In-person, Sun. Apr. 6, 2025, 9:00-10:20 am, Room 12, child care provided. To register, click here.

Join UCE's Family Ministry Team!

The Family Ministry Team is on a mission to nurture a vibrant and inclusive community that engages and anchors all ages in our UU faith. We're recruiting new members to support our efforts.

When: Meet once a month to plan multigenerational events and serve as a sounding board for Faith Formation initiatives.

Past Initiatives: We've launched The Nest, Family Friday events, and led service projects.

Your Role: Bring fresh ideas and energy to enhance our efforts and create a stronger, more connected community.

Reach out to our team to get involved! Find us on Realm or ask us questions on Sundays to learn more. We can't wait to welcome you!

Sincerely,

Wendy Drake, Norell Liddell, Janice Milanovich, and our team leader, Kathy Underwood.

Pie Potluck – March 16 during Kinship Time!

In honor of our respect for science, we’ll honor Pi Day with a Pie Potluck.

Bring any pie or round food to share while enjoying some Pi Day fun!

Rhythm for Congregations Masterclass:

A workshop after worship on March 23rd



Whether you are a choir member or a non-chorister who simply who loves making music, join us for an energetic, fully participatory workshop designed to help choirs, and congregations better understand rhythm in the mind, body, and spirit. With Matt’s guidance, we’ll explore the theories and practices of West African, South Indian and European perspectives on rhythm. This is as much rhythm training as you can possibly fit into a 90-minute master class!

Matt Meyer, who’ll be our worship leader that Sunday, is a traveling musician and worship leader for UU congregations. He has a degree in hand drumming from Berklee College of Music, where he focused his studies on Cuban and Brazilian music. He's the drummer in the Sanctuary Boston worship band and has performed with a wide range of musicians and bands, including Ysaye Barnwell (of Sweet Honey in the Rock), Pete Seeger, Emma’s Revolution, Peter Mayer, Jim Scott, Nick Page, The Halalisa Singers, Samba Tremeterra, and Bloco de Afrobrazil.

*It's helpful to have at least some background in music, but anyone who's ever played an instrument at all or sung in any choir, will do fine.

A Chance to Dance!

From the UCE auction, you get the chance to take three beginner dance lessons at UCE. The lessons will help you enjoy partner dancing to a range of music. You can learn or improve your skills at leading and at responding. The classes are scheduled on Thursdays at 2pm: March 15th and 22nd. 

Pay for the lessons by using this link to buy through the auction website. Yes, you can invite friends too. The classes are for beginner but improvers can use the time and the instructor to learn new patterns too.



And Serendipitously, the UCE auction is offering you a Friday evening of dancing to live music on March 28th! Buy those tickets at the website and put on some dancing shoes! ~ Shirley Adams

MO Blues Band Dance Party!

Dive into a mesmerizing evening brimming with rhythm and soul, showcasing the incredible Alicia Hempfling and the MO Blues Band at this special celebration! With an impressive ten-year history of enchanting music enthusiasts, this event is set to be truly memorable. Enjoy complimentary snacks and beverages, including wine, beer and non-alcoholic beer. It's an all-ages event, perfect for families, and childcare services are also available. 6-8:30pm Friday, March 28th, $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

Link to purchase tickets is here

UCE Young Adult Group

Third Friday Faith Formation & Game Nights

Our next gathering is tonight! March 14th, 7-9pm



The Young Adult Group at UCE is a group for young adults (18-35) interested in exploring spiritual deepening in community. We meet on every 3rd Friday from 7-9pm (except for this month) 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 at ucevanston dot org) with any questions.

Adult Game Night – April 12, 7-10p

Do you have a game that isn’t appropriate to play with kids? 

Or just want to play games with others 18+?

Here’s your chance to have some fun! 

BYOB and a snack to share. Register here by April 6 for childcare.

Save the Date!

UCE Campout 2025 – June 6-8

Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park Campground

Reserve your site here.

Or stay at the nearby Illinois Beach Hotel!

More details to come!

Get Ready! UUA's General Assembly 2025 is Around the Corner

The 64th UUA General Assembly will be a multi-platform event June 18 - 22 with the main stage at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. If you've never attended GA, make this the year! This five-day event is full of opportunities to share space with other UUs, as we gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy decisions for the Association through a democratic process. Check out program highlights.

Early bird registration pricing is available until March 31. Multiplatform and Single-day In-person registration options are available. Take advantage of UUA's $100 discount for first time attendees. Or tap into the UCE Endowment Grant for GA scholarships or the UUA's financial support opportunities. Visit the UUA website for more GA information.

A number of UCE members are attending in-person. If you are interested in attending in-person or virtually, or want to serve as a UCE delegate, let us know via the GA sign-up form. Or contact a member of the Denominational Affairs Team: Peggy Boccard, Melanie Kitchner, Cheryl Mounts, Carla Williams. Our contact info is in Realm.

The next meeting of the UCE Fiction Book Group

is Friday, March 21 by ZOOM, 7-8pm

using our Recurring Zoom link

The UCE Fiction Book Group is reading Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret.

UCE Nonfiction Book Group

The group will meet on Zoom at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 23rd using our recurring ZOOM link.

We will discuss The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society by Joseph Stiglitz. In this book, the Nobel prize winner dissects America’s current economic system and the political ideology that created it. He writes of how ‘free’ and unfettered markets have led to a series of crises: the financial crisis, the opioid crisis, and the crisis of inequality and how a small portion of the population has amassed considerable wealth while wages for most people have stagnated. He says that we need to make changes to accomplish our American ideal of an economic and political system that delivers well-being, opportunity, and meaningful freedoms for all.



ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

(Click on the images to read more)

Unitarian Church of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330