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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service

this Sunday, March 19th at 10:30 am

Introducing our Musical Guests at this Sunday’s Service

The Carleton College Choir and Chamber Choir, directed by

Dr. Matthew J. Olson. 

Rev. Eileen Wiviott is currently on a scheduled sabbatical until Sunday, May 28th. In her absence, please contact:

• Rev. Elizabeth Harding (eharding@ucevanston.org), Sabbatical Minister covering pastoral care: Tuesdays, 10:30am-3:30 pm, or by appointment.
• Rev. Allison Farnum (afarnum@ucevanston.org), Sabbatical Minister covering worship and staffing: Tuesdays, 10:30am-3:30pm, or by appointment.
• Rev. Susan Frances (sfrances@ucevanston.org), Assistant Minister for Congregational Life: Thursdays, 10:30am-3:30 pm, or by appointment.

Do Not Get Scammed: Rev. Eileen will not be sending or receiving emails or text messages during her sabbatical

You Are Loved Just As You Are

The ministers and members of Rainbow Alliance want to acknowledge the heartbreaking expression of transphobia across our country. Right now, over 400 pieces of proposed or passed legislation exist in an effort to eradicate trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming children and adults.

A press release from the UUA on March 6th affirmed that “Unitarian Universalism teaches a different way. We know we must create communities where all feel safe and all belong. Our faith calls us to show up powerfully - both pastorally, providing support and aid to our people and neighbors, and prophetically, with committed organizing and bold moral courage. We are clear and unapologetic. Our LGBTQIA+ siblings are sacred, whole, and divine.”

Brave Space Alliance is a local organization that offers several support groups that are FREE and occur twice a month from 7 pm to 9 pm for trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and questioning individuals in need of support and community.

We love you just as you are!

~ Rev. Susan, Rev. Elizabeth, Rev. Allison, and Rainbow Alliance

Hats off to the Fair Trade Cart

Our hats are off to Betty Walker, Marcy Hicks, Sheila Holder, Rita Rousseau, Joan Retzloff, and Sue Yochum for their dedication to our Fair Trade Cart. This small crew takes turns showing up every Sunday to make Fair Trade items available for purchase. They also show up during the week to order more items, unpack the new arrivals, and restock the cart.

The Fair Trade Cart is a cherished tradition at UCE. The fair trade movement provides payment of higher prices to exporters from developing countries with improved social and environmental standards for their employees in order to help them maintain these standards.

Our Fair Trade crew is looking for additional Sunday morning volunteers. If you are already a Sunday regular or are looking for a way to get more involved, contact Betty or Sheila for an easy same day training to become a Sunday morning Fair Trade Cart volunteer.

Second Baptist Church Invitation to Film Screening

Second Baptist Church has invited the members of the Unitarian Church of Evanston to a screening of the documentary Who Are We and then for a conversation afterwards. We hope you will join us!

Date: This Sunday, March 19, 2023

Time: 2 pm – 4 pm

Location: Evanston Public Library, located at 1703 Orrington Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201

Room: The Falcon Room on the third floor

Program:

2 pm - 3 pm, we will watch the first hour of WHO WE ARE: A Chronicle of Racism in America, which can also be found on Netflix and Amazon Prime if you want to watch the entire film.

3 pm - 4 pm, we will discuss the first hour of the film, along with the themes and history discussed in the film.

The play explores our country’s history of settlor colonialism and what is means to own land.

Report of the Article II Study Commission Issued

The UUA Article II Study Commission has issued its report making suggestions for transforming our principles and sources in our UUA Bylaws. Read the full Report HERE.

The UCE Denominational Affairs Team will be exploring these anticipated revisions to our UU Principles and Sources in several sessions between now and when we will vote on the revisions at General Assembly in June 2023. Join us for one or all of the sessions to delve into what it means to shake up our UU Principles & Sources.

• The next session in-person is on March 19, 2023, 9:30-10:20 am, in Room 3, led by Cheryl Mounts with Denominational Affairs Team. The theme is Reviewing the Article II Report. There is no registration, you are invited to drop in.

March 22 at 7 p.m. UCE Sanctuary & Livestream

Here is a great opportunity to get to know a dynamic people-of-color led organization and to learn how to support a campaign for racial justice. Alonzo Waheed from E.A.T. Chicago will talk about their initiative “The Big Payback” (not to be confused with the documentary). This campaign is rooted in the commitment to repair the War on Drugs’ decades-long devastation. The event is co-sponsored by the REAL Team, UCE Prison Ministry Team, and the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois. Unlike our usual meetings, we are asking people to register for the event, at this LINK.

Journey of Belonging Series

In our Journey of Belonging Series, we delve into our UU history, sources, values and covenant. This series is great for all members and highly recommended for visitors and new members. Get to know folks in our UCE community while exploring our faith tradition.

· A Journey Through UU History on March 22: Learn about recurring themes across the centuries.

· Spiritual Journeys & Inspiration on March 29: Delve into our UU Sources and share your personal journey.

· Journeying in Covenant on April 5: Delve into our UU Principles and what it means to be in covenant.

This series meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 pm via Zoom.

Journey Toward Membership

Are you interested in becoming a member of our UCE community? Are you not sure, but would like to learn more? Join Rev. Susan for our Journey Toward Membership class.

Register below for the in-person class on April 2, 2023, from 9:30-10:20am in Room 12; or Register below for the class via Zoom on April 12, 2023, from 7:00-8:00 pm. The classes are the same, so you only need to attend once.

If you are interested in joining, please save the date on Sunday, April 23, 2023, when we will be welcoming a class of new members during the worship service and having a New Member Reception afterwards.

8th Principle Concert by Kristin Lems

UCE's own professional folksinger and songwriter, Kristin Lems, is offering a concert with music inspired by the 8th Principle on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary or watch virtually with special guest Gloria McDaniel-Hall. This is a Serendipity Auction event and tickets are still available at $15. Pay in advance through Eventbrite (click button below) or at the door. For those wishing to watch the concert virtually, a link will be sent to those who have purchased a ticket. Further questions, contact: auction@ucevanston.org.

The 8th Principle that UCE adopted reads: “We, a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”

You’ve heard her wonderful music and her singing at our services and this is a chance to hear her in concert. Kristin’s music has been performed nationwide at events for the ERA and women’s rights, safe energy, peace, racial equality and other social justice causes.

DRUUMM Chicago Gathering

Diverse & Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) is having a Chicago Gathering for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) interested in the DRUUMM community. This is a BIPOC-only event.

Date: Sunday, March 26th, 2023

Time: 2:00 - 4:00 PM Central

Location: Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301

As part of our faith journey as Unitarian Universalists, we are regularly challenged by the ways race and racism affect our lives and our spirituality. Within our congregations, we are creating space to build a community of care among UU People of Color and opportunities to explore more profound questions around race, culture, and our religious values.

Denominational Affairs news

UCE delegates to the UUA General Assembly this June were confirmed by a vote of the Board of Trustees, and include Shirley Adams, Peggy Boccard, Melanie Kitchner, Cheryl Mounts, Joe Romeo, Elaine Siegel, Betty Walker and Carla Williams.

The Denominational Affairs Committee will accept names through April 16th for those wishing to be alternate delegates. One must be registered for GA, either virtually or in-person, to be a delegate or alternate. All those registered to attend GA may attend business meetings but only delegates can vote. Contact Carla Williams through Realm or admin@ucevanston.org.

 What Does Great UU Leadership Look Like?

The UCE Leadership Development Team is excited to present a NEW Leadership Model! This positive, energizing, model of leadership reflects our UU values and promises to benefit UCE leaders, members, and friends. The five-element framework is at the heart of the Leadership Development Guide, designed to support established and aspiring UCE lay leaders.

UCE leaders and members, please take a look at the Leadership Development Guide on our new WEBPAGE of the UCE website under the Leadership and Governance heading. Here, you'll find the UCE Leadership Model, a confidential and illuminating leadership self-assessment, and a bounty of useful resources for continued growth.

Take a look and share your feedback! All comments are welcomed! Please send your thoughts to Carolyn Laughlin (REALM) or Admin@ucevanston.org.

2023 UUA General Assembly

The 2023 UUA General Assembly will be held in Pittsburgh, PA from June 21 – 25 online and in-person. 

Registration is now open. Click here for details.

The Denominational Affairs Team is asking you to consider being a Delegate to this General Assembly. Delegates will be considering changes to the UUA Bylaws, Article 2, that address racism, non-human life, and the inclusivity of the democratic process in our Principles, Purposes, and Sources. Delegates can attend in-person and virtually.

If you are interested, please contact Peggy Boccard via REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.

We will continue to provide information via the Newsletter. 

Advocacy Champion Workshop with Dan Huntsha

This Sunday March 19, 9:30-10:15 am. In-person in Room 6 & Zoom.

This presentation empowers people of faith to take political action, teaching attendees how to advocate with their representatives, how to support just climate solutions, include a brief overview of Faith and Place, and more!

Here is a free opportunity for parents to learn how to use Talking Circles/ restorative justice principles at home! We have been given a grant from the Endowment Fund to hire a trained facilitator to offer 5 sessions this spring with childcare provided.

Contact Steve Serikaku by THIS SUNDAY if interested with your preference for Saturday or Sunday times.

The Sacred Depths of Nature

Wednesday March 22, 7-8:30 pm. In-person & Zoom. Facilitated by Dan Solomon.



We will explore “The Sacred Depths of Nature,” by Biologist Ursula Goodenough. This eloquent volume reconciles the modern scientific understanding of reality with our timeless spiritual yearnings for reverence and continuity. Beginning with an overview, we’ll then focus on the important topics of evolution and emergence.

Galileo & the Place of Purpose in Nature

Wednesday, Mar 29, 7-8:30 pm. In-person + Zoom.

Facilitated by Bob Mesle.

Galileo and Descartes helped create modern science by kicking purpose and experience out of nature and natural science. Modern thought is still deeply struggling with the implications of their vision. In preparation for Rob Geiger’ class on meaning in Nature, I will explain the worldview which gave rise to the problems he explores.

Parents’ Circle – April 2 at 9:30am in room 13 – All parents are invited to meet to share the joys and challenges of parenting before the worship service.

Families Friday – April 14, 5:30-7:30pm in the Sanctuary

With the first Friday being a holiday weekend, we’ll gather for a post-Easter/Passover event on the second Friday next month. More info to come!

Youth 14-18yo – Want to earn a stipend while gaining leadership skills?

YWCA's Youth Leadership Program is a 5-week program that uses creative and experiential learning activities to promote and develop healthy relationships among your peers and the community. Our intention is to assist youth in becoming leaders and advocates for positive change in our community. Program starts April 11. Register HERE.

SPREAD THE NEWS!

Registration for the ALL8 Youth Photography Workshop Spring 2023 is open and FREE! Peter J Robinson Jr is our guest co-lead and it's going to be awesome! Click the QR code to register youth or follow this registration LINK.

UCE Non-Fiction Book Group: Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by Nicole Eustace

The nonfiction book group will meet Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 2 p.m. via Zoom.

On the eve of a major treaty conference between Iroquois leaders and European colonists in the summer of 1722, two white fur traders attacked an Indigenous hunter and left him for dead near Conestoga, Pennsylvania.  This act of brutality set into motion a remarkable series of criminal investigations and cross-cultural negotiations that challenged the definition of justice in early America. Frantic efforts to resolve the case ignited a dramatic, far-reaching debate between Native American forms of justice-centered on community, forgiveness, and reparations-and an ideology of harsh reprisal, unique to the colonies and based on British law, which called for the killers' swift execution.

UCE Fiction Book Group: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

One of the most important works of twentieth-century American literature — perhaps the most widely read and highly regarded novel in the entire canon of African American literature — Zora Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. A Black woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, Janie Crawford is fiercely independent, dodging the suppressions her men urge on her until she meets TeaCake, who loves her full potential.  

TONIGHT Friday, March 17, 7-8:30pm on ZOOM

Next Reads:

April 21: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

May 19: I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart.

After the Service

The UCE Legislative Action Team invites you to join us in creating a video in support of criminal justice reform and immigrants’ rights. Immediately after the Sunday worship service we ask people to join us on the ramp at the front of the church. We will be supporting the Elder Parole Act, which would give a right to seek parole to prisoners who have served at least 25 consecutive years. This “Second Chance” could allow people who are found to not be dangerous to return home to their families and contribute to society. We also will be supporting a bill to allow immigrants to obtain protected standard drivers’ licenses and state ID cards without the risk that their personal information could be turned over to ICE.

The REAL Lending Library 

HELP!! I’m Lost and Can’t Find My Way Home!

20% of the books from the UCE Lending Library are missing. Different books will be listed each week, so keep checking the titles! If you have any, please return them at the back of the sanctuary.

We are currently looking for the following:

  Afro American Literature by Robert Hayden

     Biography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

     The Colony in a Nation by Chris Hayes

     Our America by Jones & Newman

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is Supremely Important!

The April 4 election for WI Supreme Court judge will determine their future on reproductive rights and equitable redistricting, and voter access.  The impact will likely be felt in the 2024 national election. This election is considered one of the most important in our country this year! Help ensure our UU values are advanced! 

Pick-up your bundle of PRE-PRINTED (minimal writing!) postcards at the back of the sanctuary THIS Sunday, March 19. Or, contact Carolyn Laughlin (REALM or admin@ucevanston.org.

Want to drive to Milwaukee to help voters register? The Milwaukee Chase and Teutonia DMV locations graciously host volunteers. The training is quick and easy, and folks waiting for processing are overall friendly and appreciative! Contact Jim Balk of our partner organization, Supermarket Legends or contact Carolyn Laughlin (REALM or admin@ucevanston.org)

Thank you for your commitment to living our values out in the world.

Celebrate 20 years of the Soup Kitchen with Beth Emet

Soup Kitchen 20-Year Celebration

Sunday, March 19 at 5:00 pm

Doors Open at 4:45 pm

Beth Emet

1224 Dempster Street

Evanston, Il 60202

$25 per adult; $12 per child (12 and younger)



Over the past twenty years, thousands of nutritious and delicious meals have been lovingly prepared by countless volunteers and served in a warm and congenial environment. UCE collaborates with Beth Emet every year by preparing and serving the Soup Kitchen meals during the Jewish high holidays.

On March 19, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the Soup Kitchen’s accomplishments, raise money for Beth Emet's operations, and honor the legacy of Rabbi Peter Knobel, under whose leadership and in conjunction with a team of visionaries, the Soup Kitchen was founded in 2002. The Knobel family has generously offered to match, dollar for dollar, the first $50,000 of donations received. 

Join UCE’s Local Response Network

I WANT to do more social justice work, but there is so much to do!

Does this sound like you? Maybe monthly committee meetings don’t fit your schedule? Maybe there are so MANY important issues you’re not sure where to jump in? 

The new UCE Local Response Network (LRN) could be the answer!

The UCE Local Response Network enables members of the UCE community to take immediate, short-term action on local social justice issues. 

LRN alerts volunteers to opportunities such as petition signing, submitting witness slips, attending town halls or rallies. There is NO obligation to say “yes” to any particular invitation, and no long term commitment.  Joining LRN offers total flexibility, fits any personal schedule, and enables UCE members to take quick, short-term action on a wide variety of current, critical social justice issues right in our own community. 

Whether or not you serve on a Social Justice Council team, the Local Response Network may be right for you. Sign up after service at the back of the sanctuary on Sunday, March 26, or contact Carolyn Laughlin through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org. 

Soup Kitchen

Wednesdays April 5th & 12th

The full-service Soup Kitchen is back!

We need more volunteers than we have needed during covid. We will be serving a sit-down meal with real plates!

Please sign up to volunteer during the event and/or sign up to bring some food or beverage. We are so glad we can again serve our guests inside.

Please click below to sign up!

Please direct Questions to either Ellie Feddersen or Marilyn Wroblewski.

Abortion Access Fundraising

The UCE Abortion Access Team is seeking individuals to host informational and fundraising meetings to benefit the Chicago Abortion Fund, which provides support for people facing barriers to accessing abortion care. Hosts invite congregants and friends to either a Zoom or in-person gathering during April, May, or June. The Abortion Access Team will provide the invitation, a facilitator, and a script for the meeting. Thank you for taking action to reclaim abortion access! Please contact Jean Butzen or Jon Siegel through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org to learn more.

Giving House Continues... March is 

Dry Cereal & Oatmeal month

We are accepting donations of Dry Cereal & Oatmeal in the giving house for the month of March.

The Giving house is a small wooden "house" that is located in the front lobby. We are partnering with a new free food supplier for the food insecure.

Clarence Weaver and his wife Beverly in March 2020 responded to the covid crisis by setting up a nonprofit organization and using 

their storefront (C&W Market & Ice Cream) to distribute free foods to those in need.

They provide fresh meat, vegetables and fruit along with nonperishable food items to seniors, District 65 families and those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. They serve almost 50 people every other Saturday morning. They are continuing this service to our community

Since they have plenty of storage, we can support their generous work by providing nonperishable items. We will be collecting one type of non-perishable food each month. March is Dry Cereal & Oatmeal month.

 C&W Market & Ice Cream is a Black owned business on the corner of Dodge and Church. This is a prime location for food distribution.  You can also support this business by buying Ice Cream and/or other sundries there. Thanks for your donation.