Sunday Service

October 26, 2025 at 10:30 am 

Evacuation Drill 10/26

UCE's annual evacuation drill has been rescheduled to October 26th after the service. Please be prepared to spend some time outside!

The Serendipity Auction Catalog Is Open for Viewing!

So many of you have already been incredibly generous—sharing your talents, time, and creativity through auction donations. As of today, we have 133 amazing items ready to delight bidders. Our goal is to reach nearly 300 items by Wednesday, October 29, when bidding officially opens at 8 a.m. What can you offer? Maybe you have a passion that’s become a deep knowledge base you could share through a talk or tour. Or perhaps your passion takes shape in a beautiful piece of art, a cozy handknit scarf, or a signature dessert that always disappears first at potlucks. Even if it’s not a “passion” exactly—but you make a darn good apple pie—we’d love to feature it in the auction! There is a bonus: your donation is tax-deductible. You’ll receive a Donor Statement for your records (though we always recommend consulting your tax advisor if you have questions).

Need help coming up with or submitting your item? Explore our auction donation guide and complete the online form to submit your donation. If online forms aren’t your thing, or you’d like to brainstorm ideas, stop by the Serendipity Team’s Program Table during Kinship Hour. You can also email us at auction@ucevanston.org or call Chris Allender at 773-368-1203—we’d love to help!

In the meantime, take a spin through the auction catalog and start “starring” your favorite items to create your watchlist and you’ll be ready when the fun begins on Wednesday, October 29. Happy browsing—and get ready to bid for the love of UCE. 

Children and youth will go to their faith formation programs after joys and sorrows.

This Sunday…

Come in costume! We’ll be doing Halloween-themed activities in faith formation, so feel free to wear your costume. Please leave weapon-like accessories at home though.

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10:15a-12:15p. 

Due to the Evacuation Drill after worship, parents are asked to meet their child(ren) outside at the end of the drill. Please sign them out with their Faith Formation leaders before you leave near the Black Lives Matter sign along Ridge Ave. 

Chalice Children (Pre/K/1st) in room 9 – Our children will be exploring our theme of compassion with a Halloween twist in Room on the Broom.

Heads, Hearts, and Hands (2nd-5th) in room 8 – Our young people will play a game until the Evacuation Drill.

Youth Group (6th-9th) in room 10 – Our youth will play a game until the Evacuation Drill.

Faith Formation Registration

Please register your young person, ages 1-18 here.

Friendship Brunch this Saturday, 11a-1p

The Lawrence family is hosting a family-friendly brunch this Saturday. Sign up here.

Join us on Zoom November 10 at 7pm!

   We’ll share ideas on ways to build connections and community.

Existence is Resistance

It was encouraging to be among the enormous crowds of people peacefully resisting and showing up in defense of our democracy at the No Kings Rallies this past weekend. It was uplifting to see the creative costumes, signs and giant puppets, a reminder of the power of art to poke holes in the fragility of abusive power.

It was a helpful reminder of all the ways vigilance, care, and courage are rising. With so much going on, I know we’re all doing our best to find balance, and to say yes to what we can while knowing we can’t do it all.

Hats Off

Our Hats are off to the volunteers who made the choir loft safer and more accessible. Robb Geiger fabricated the new hand-holds on the backs of the chairs and Michael Skilton welded the steel supports of the beautiful new center aisle railing that he and Robb installed. These two measures enable choristers to more securely get to and from their seats. None of this would have happened if Tom Hempfling and Jane Kenamore hadn't advocated for these safety measures, and the Music Team hadn't enthusiastically supported the idea. Thanks for looking out for the safety of the UCE Choristers and for continuing to make our sanctuary more accessible to all!

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Friday, October 24th:

• NO EVENTS

Saturday, October 25th:

• Virtual Pilates, 9:30am, via Zoom
• Beginner Tai Chi, 9:45-10:45am, Room 3
• Intermediate Tai Chi, 11-12pm, Room 3

Sunday, October 26th:

• Chris Isley Cancer Support Group, 9-10:15am, Room 6 & Zoom
• UCE Choir Rehearsal, 9-10:10am, Sanctuary
• Journey Toward Membership, 9-10:30am, Room 12
• Worship Service, 10:30-11:30am, Sanctuary
• Kinship Time, 11:30-12:30, back of Sanctuary
• Young Adult Group Soulful Sunday, 12:15-1pm, Room 12
• Campout Planning, 12:15-1pm, Room 6
• Non-Fiction Book Club, 2pm, via Zoom
• Parent's Covenant Group, 4-6pm, Offsite
• Spiral Dance Dress Rehearsal, 6-8pm, Sanctuary

Monday, October 27th:

• UCE Addictions and Recovery, 6:45-7:45pm, via Zoom

Tuesday, October 28th:

• Retired Women's Group, 5-7pm, Room 3
• Leadership Development Team Meeting, 6-7pm, via Zoom
• Covenant Group Facilitators Training, 6:30-8:30pm, Room 13
• Deepening the Spiritual Journey, 7-8:30pm, Room 6

Wednesday, October 29th:

• Yoga Online, 9:30-10:30am, via Zoom

Thursday, October 30th:

• Evanston Near South Proximity Group, 1-2pm, via Zoom
• Meditation Group, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom
• Beacons of Light Gathering, 6-6:30pm, corner of Dempster and Ridge
• Choir Rehearsal, 7-8:45pm, Sanctuary

No Kings photos

Many of us attended the No Kings protests last weekend. There were so many people at the Evanston and Chicago rallies that it was hard for all of us to connect. If you have photos you'd like to upload and share, here's a google folder to do so.

 Invitation to Attend UCE New Member Class

Are you a new or long-time visitor? Are you interested in committing to our UCE community as a member? Are you not sure, but would like some more information? Our Journey Toward Membership class covers UU history and values, what is means to be part of a covenantal faith tradition, and the rewards and responsibilities of being a member of UCE.

Join Rev. Susan and the Membership Team at one of our Journey Toward Membership classes. The class is 90-minutes and you only need to attend it once before joining. Next class dates are:

• Sunday, October 26, 2025, 9:00-10:20 am, Room 12, child care provided. Click here to register.
• Saturday, November 15, 2025, 1:00-2:30 pm, Room 12, no child care available. Click here to register. 

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

Retired Women’s Group

Join us for our next meeting on Monday, October 28, from 5–7 p.m. in Room 3.

After enjoying our delicious potluck, we’ll share ideas and suggestions for discussion topics in the coming year.

Join in Garden Fall Clean-up

It’s that time again—let’s put our beautiful gardens to rest for the winter!

Come join the fun on Saturday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Don’t forget to pop in for some Serendipity treasures and a bite to eat while you’re here.

Please join the UCE Pagan Collective for the third annual Chicago Samhain Spiral Dance in UCE's sanctuary on Sunday, November 2. We gather to midwife the passing of our old world and the birth of the new one. We march with courage, conviction, love and rage, arm in arm with our allies, our ancestors and Mighty Dead, to oppose the architects of destruction; and to call a new world of compassion and healing into being. 

All ages, all paths, and all mobilities are welcome and included. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and close to new arrivals at 6:00 p.m. We'll share a potluck feast from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, please visit HERE

The Music Team is sponsoring a community singing event at UCE, Sunday November 9 at 12:30pm.

We have arranged for an experienced song leader, Megan Eberhardt (Old Town School of Folk Music and more) to help us join in an informal singing experience. All songs will be taught orally, on-the-spot. Experienced and non-experienced singers are welcome! We will sing songs in unison, rounds, call and response and more. Come experience the simple joy of singing together. And walk away revitalized, connected and with old and new singable songs in your heart and pocket.

This a free event with a free will offering to cover costs open to all. Children accompanied by parents are welcome.

Here is a video to give you an idea of what it is like:

photo credit: Tess Graham.

The Nonfiction book group will meet online at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 26th, using our recurring Zoom link.

Join us to discuss One Day Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This by Omar El Akkad. Award-winning novelist and journalist El Akkad writes of what it means to live in a West that betrays its fundamental values of freedom and justice for all by being complicit in the genocide of Palestinians.

For our November 23, 2025 meeting we will discuss The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoe Schlanger.

The next meeting of the UCE Fiction Book Group

is Friday, November 21st, using our Recurring Zoom link

The UCE Fiction Book Group is reading "American Pastoral" by Philip Roth. Pulitzer Prize Winner 1998. Philip Roth shows us ourselves like no other.

Swede Lvov lives the American Dream until his daughter is lured into the radical left terrorism of the late 1960’s and brings it all down. What is the American Dream and how do we manage (or not) to include everyone in it?

Next read: Kiran Desai, "The Inheritance of Loss," December 18.

Our Shared Offering Program

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.

This Sunday's offering will be shared with Run On Climate Education Fund, whose mission is to strengthen the climate movement by empowering local changemakers with the skills and resources they need to move their community off of fossil fuels as quickly as possible.

Come be a Beacon of Light!

The gatherings at the corner of Dempster & Ridge every Thursday from 6-6:30pm.

Inspired by Beacons of Light, bring a colorful sign with a positive message visioning a future shaped by love and justice (sign inspiration here)or include The Beacon’s QR code to spread the light even further. You may join the Beacons of Light WhatsApp group by filling out their form.

Whether we’re three people or 100, we continue to provide a source of hope and solidarity for the participants, those driving by, and our neighbors. All are welcome!

UCE Young Adult Group

Third Friday Faith Formation & Game Nights

Our next gathering is Friday, November 21st



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 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@ucevanston.org) with any questions.

Calling All Campers!

Our UCE Campout last summer was a success, so we’re doing it again!

Those interested in planning for 2026 are invited to gather this Sunday 12:15-1pm in room 6

Family Friday Game Night – November 7, 6-8pm



Always a good time!

All ages are invited for a game night.

Bring a snack or beverage to

share and a favorite game.

UCE and the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum continue to deepen our relationship. 

You and your littles are invited to participate in the Museum's Story Time every other Monday at 10:30am, with the next one on November 3. Each session starts with board books for toddlers, followed by a little movement and music. All of our books are written by Native authors. 

The program is included with general admission. For all upcoming dates, visit https://gichigamiin-museum.org/events/

An invitation to families to join the Evanston Friends Meeting (EFM) for a Fall Fire Pit with Friends event hosted by EFM’s First Day School program and RE Committee in partnership with Edwina Cowell, founder of Spiritual Playdate International. In addition to the program, we will have s’mores, apple cider and social games and time together. All ages are welcome. We are inviting our fellow Meetings in the area as well as a few other neighboring places of worship, and with that we decided to go with registration. Located at 1010 Greenleaf, in the yard.

COME HEAR MICHAEL ERIC DYSON SPEAK AT

NAACP ANNUAL BANQUET

Tickets are going fast

Let Sarah Vanderwicken know you’re coming at svanderwicken at gmail dot com

ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

Unitarian Church of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330