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In-Person & Virtual Worship Service

this Sunday, April 2nd at 10:30 am

Faith Formation Hour this Sunday!

• Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10.15am-11.45am

• Chalice Children (pre/k) in room 9 – Our youngsters will explore Clean Water.

• Heads. Hearts, and Hands (1st-6th) in room 8 – Our young people will explore We Speak Truth to Power as it relates to our theme of Resistance and Easter

• Youth Group (7th-12th) in room 13 to explore The Resistance of Breathing.

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

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.

Hats off to the Refugee Family Working Group

Our hats are off to Andy Schlickman, Marilyn Wroblewski, Sheila Holder, Carol Nielsen, Michelle Novak, Karen Courtright, Christine Peters, Jeanne Kerl, Ellie Feddersen, Steve Serikaku, Jane Bannor, and Lee Bannor for their support of two families:

• Ghufran and her children, Rayyan, Hadi, and Taleb, who are refugees from Syria; and

• Sayeda, her toddler daughter, Asra, and her nephew, Akram, who are asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

Thank you for providing transportation to and from appointments with medical providers and state agencies, helping Ghufran and Sayeda navigate the local school district and learn English, and connecting the families with their local community through getting library cards and providing transportation for after school programming.

UUA TDOV Virtual Party for Trans Families

TODAY, March 31st at 7:00 - 8:30pm

As legislators pass harmful laws in states all across the country and as people of faith and no-faith fight back, we want to remind transgender/nonbinary families that they are not alone. 

As Unitarian Universalists we believe that every body is sacred. This will be a time of reflection, celebration, and renewal as we prepare for what is and whatever is coming our way.

*This will be a youth/child centered, multigenerational and accessible space.*

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.

· 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.

The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC) is hosting a Family Passover Seder on

Saturday, April 8, 2023. All are welcome!

RSVP to info@jrctogether.org. RSVP required.

Grief Group starting at UCE on Thursday April 27

7 to 8:30pm in Room 2.

This group will provide support and education for those who have had a loss either recently or in the past. For questions or to register please contact Ellen Rieger LCPC at elleneriegr@gmail.com or admin@ucevanston.org.

Click here for a copy of the 2023 Donation Tip Sheet

Save the Date

The dates for UCE’s 2023 Rummage Sale have been set

SALE DATES:

• Fri, 5/12, 9:00 a.m.--6:00 p.m.
• Sat, 5/13, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

DROP-OFF DATES:

• Sun, 5/7, 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 
• Mon, 5/8, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

SETUP DATES:

• Sunday, 5/7, Noon-8:00 p.m. 
• Mon 5/8 – Thu 5/11, 9:00 a.m. – until department closing

From Nominating and Recruiting Committee Bylaws Revision Proposal

In anticipation of the annual congregational meeting this spring, the Nominating and Recruiting Committee is proposing a few bylaws revisions related to their work. First, is to change the committee name to the “Nominating Committee,” which will align with UUA and UCE leadership development team models. Second, to seek and retain leaders at UCE, we propose to reduce to six members serving two-year terms (three members elected each year for two-year terms). We also propose inclusion of language on how to handle vacancies on the committee. Click HERE to read the proposed bylaws changes . If you have any questions or suggested changes, please reach out to a Nominating and Recruiting Committee member. 

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. 

Easter Sunday Dry Goods and Egg Hunt



We’re collecting canned and dry goods for the food pantry. Drop off donations March 30 – April 8 in the bin by the Giving House

A Scientific Thought Experiment on the Birth of Meaning: How the Universe Gave Us Our Mojo

Wednesdays, April 5, 12, 19, 7-8:30 pm. In-person + Zoom. Facilitated by Robb Geiger.

Daniel Dennett wrote in his book, Darwin's Dangerous Idea, that "evolution creates meaning out of nothing". This class will explore the theories of Terrance Deacon about how life may have emerged from inanimate matter, and the philosophical ramifications. We will be thinking at the intersection of science and philosophy. Participants will see how the emergence of life gives birth to information, intentionality, purpose, and meaning. Register HERE.

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!

July 7-9, 2023 We are a multigenerational community that is intentionally welcoming for LGBTQ+ families, and families who have a member who is trans* or non-binary make up a sizeable portion of the families who have attended over the years. We have nurtured several trans kids in their journey toward adulthood and offer a time out of time and a place out of place experience for Unitarian Universalist families to connect and support one another.

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.

UCE Fiction Book Group 

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

Friday, April 21, 7-8:30pm on ZOOM

When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others' emotions.

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

UCE Non-Fiction Book Group: American Prison: A Reporter’s Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer.

The nonfiction book group will meet Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 2 p.m. via Zoom.

Award-winning journalist Shane Bauer embedded himself in a private prison in Winnfield, Louisiana as a prison guard  for four months in 2018 and wrote about what he experienced. He also shares with readers a thoroughly researched history of for-profit prisons in America from their origins in slavery and Southern prison farms.

The New York Times Book Review rated this book as one of the ten best books of 2018.

You Can Galvanize Our Community!

Does your social justice team need to spread the work quickly about an event, a rally, a protest? Is there a school board or city council meeting this week that UCE members should attend, to be seen and heard? Is there an urgent need for folks to show up, to stand with an anti-oppression group, or amplify the voices of marginalized community members?

Consider tapping the UCE Local Response Network (LRN)! The LRN is a UCE communication vehicle consisting of a network of folks ready to take action. Groups or individuals share alerts with the LRN coordinators who send the message out to a list of over 70 (and growing) UCE members interested in engaging in local social justice events. You can reach “action oriented” folks who then have the option of joining in.

Alert requests are reviewed using this criteria:

• Grounding: Does it reflect the deeply held values and interests of people in our congregation?
• Accountability: Are we acting in relationships of solidarity with those most impacted, particularly those most marginalized? [also: do we know and trust who is suggesting this action?]
• Fit: Does it match our capacity to act effectively, and does it strategically build our capacity? [i.e. does it make sense for us to do this based on the congregation’s current energy and focus?]
• Opportunity: Is there an opportunity to actually achieve meaningful results?
• Engagement: How does the opportunity require us to be engaged [i.e. from our computer at home or in relationship out in the community]?

Send your alert submissions to Carolyn Laughlin through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org with “LRN Alert” in the subject line.



Thank you for activating our UCE community to live our values out in the world!

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...

April is BEANS month

We are accepting donations of canned or dried beans in the giving house for the month of April.

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. April is Beans 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.