Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Sunday Service

• Children/Youth/Lifespan Faith Formation

• Staff Column

• Hats Off!

• This Week’s Events

• Congregational Connections

• Our Community Partnerships

• Ongoing UU Connections

• UUCE Resources

Hi friends, please take the time to review our busy and exciting Event Calendar for opportunities to put your FAITH IN ACTION

Sunday Service

October 11, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. 

  The Courage to Disrupt Denial

Denial is a powerful force that serves a purpose: it gives us a false sense of safety and shields us from discomfort. Trouble is, it prevents growth and depth of connection. Breaking through our systems of denial is easier said than done. Together, we can build our capacity to disrupt denial and dismantle systems that oppress our bodies, minds, and spirits. Rev. Eileen leads this service with Martha Holman as Worship Associate. The UUCE Choir, led by Music Director Vickie Hellyer, and accompanied by Gregory Shifrin on piano offer their combined musical gifts.

Annual Evacuation Drill is October 18

We will be conducting our annual evacuation drill at the end of the worship service on Sunday, October 18, 2026. If you have any questions before the drill or ideas afterwards, please contact Adam Gough at agough@ucevanston.org.

Spiritual Practice Series



Join Rev. Eileen on the first Wednesday of the month for this series that helps participants develop regular disciplines of the spirit – practices that help us connect with the sacred. Spiritual Practice affirms religious diversity while seeking unity in our communal quest for meaning and wholeness. Each session offers a forum for learning, sharing, and growth that can enrich our personal faith journeys. Join us on November 4, 5:30-6:30p in Room 3. Here is the Spiritual Practice schedule:



11/4 - Keeping Sabbath

12/2 - Prayer

1/6 - Meditation

2/3 - Mindful Walking and Eating

3/3 - Worship and Ritual

4/7 - Discernment and Devotional Reading

5/5 - Hospitality and Belonging

6/2 - Work and Service

Register HERE

This Sunday…

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

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10:15a – 1:15p. 

Chalice Children (Pre/K/1) in room 9 – our children will hear a different version of the story, Three Billy Goats Gruff and make self-portraits.

Heads, Hearts, & Hands (2nd-5th) in room 8 – our young people will hear an indigenous story, have a scavenger hunt , and play a game.

Middle School Youth (6th-8th) in room 10 – the youth will explore the courage to honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day by watching a video and playing a game.

High School Youth (9th-12th) in room 13 – the youth will either join the middle school group or learn about the Crossing Paths program that they will be using this year to explore world religions.

  Faith Formation Registration time is here!

Parents are asked to fill out a registration form, which helps with our 

yearly report to the UUA, so please be counted and fill it out today!

We’re looking for more 6 adults who can help 5-6 times this year

in our Faith Formation program for young people and youth.

Email Kathy Underwood for details.

FFUUN! Faith Formation UU Network

Join us on Zoom on October 12 at 7-8pm as

we continue making connections happen across the ages!

Our Whole Lives Sex Ed Program

Parents are required to attend an orientation 

to this fabulous program on 

November 8, 12:30-2:30p in room 13

Snacks and childcare provided.

Register here.

Parent's Time Out Event

It's time again for a Parent's Time Out event!

October 10th from 4-7pm

Rev. Eileen, Grey Wiviott, and Martha and Erica Holman are excited to offer this time

for you to enjoy an evening out, time together as adults or simply to rest while we hang out and have fun with your littles!

Please register for the event here.

The Sun Will Rise…

I write this from the beautiful Sienna Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin, where I am with ministerial colleagues from the Central Midwest District UUMA Chapter. One of the things I love most about this 2-3 day retreat, other than the quiet, the fact that simple meals are offered at regular intervals by unobtrusive staff and seeing lovely folks I don’t get to see often, is the fact that I can watch the sun rise over the lake.

Our hats are off to our Membership Team for guiding our new members through the membership process and welcoming them so warmly. On Sunday, September 27th, Judith Rowell brought 2 cakes including the one in the photo, Sarah Vanderwicken brought the yellow roses, Craig Cotton sat with new members as they signed the Membership Book and received their new name tag, and Leslie Piotrowski handed out New Member Gift Bags and led us through parts of our New Member Covenanting Ceremony. Prior to that Sunday, Judith, Sarah, Craig, Leslie, Maggie Wilson, and Jim Strickler took turns attending the Journey Toward Membership class, which we offer on various dates between the spring and fall worship services when we welcome new members, and then being available to visitors and new members to answer questions and help get them more connected within UUCE. They also gathered together to assemble the mini-chalices and folders with information about UUCE, and then put everything together in the gifts bags.

We are grateful to Judith, Sarah, Craig, Leslie, Maggie, and Jim for connecting with and then journeying alongside our visitors and new members! 

Friday, October 9:

• UU Network Team, 2-3pm, via Zoom

Saturday, October 10:

• Virtual Pilates, 9:30am, via Zoom
• Mike Czarnik Memorial, 11am-1pm, Sanctuary and Kitchen

Sunday, October 11th:

• Chris Isley Cancer Support Group, 9-10:15am, Room 6 and Zoom
• Choir Rehearsal, 9-10:10am, Sanctuary
• Worship Service, 10:30-11:30am, Sanctuary
• Kinship Time, 11:30am-12:30pm, Back of Sanctuary
• GOTV Postcard Party, 12-1pm, Back of Sanctuary
• Mutual Aid Reading Group, 12:15-1:15pm, Room 3
• Harms Woods Workday, 1-4pm, Harms Woods

Monday, October 12th: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY

• UUCE Addictions and Recovery, 6:45-7:45pm, via Zoom
• FFUUN, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Tuesday, October 13th:

• UU Network Team, 11am-12pm, via Zoom
• Women's Circle of Friends Covenant Group, 1-2:30pm, via Zoom
• Emissions Reduction Team, 2:30-3:30pm, via Zoom
• Legislative Action Team, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom

Wednesday, October 14th:

• Yoga, 9:30-10:30am, via Google Meet
• Integrated Stewardship Council, 5-6:15pm, via Zoom
• Pastoral Care Meeting, 7-9pm, via Zoom
• THAT Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom

Thursday, October 15th:

• Evanston Near South Group, 1-2pm, via Zoom
• No Kings Sign-Making, 5-6pm, Room 5
• Meditation Group, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom
• Connections Event, 6-8pm, Sanctuary and Kitchen
• Beacons of Light, 6-6:30pm, Dempster and Ridge
• Choir Rehearsal, 7-8:45pm, Room 3

Have Something for the Newsletter?

Please submit your article and images using our Newsletter Request Form by noon on Wednesdays.

Light the Chalice and Bring the Chancel Flowers for our Sunday

Morning Worship Service

Would you, your family, or your group enjoy bringing flowers for the chancel and then lighting

and extinguishing the chalice during a Sunday morning worship service? We’re in need of

volunteers for October, November, December, and January.

You may now sign up online by clicking this link, going to the Sunday that you would like to volunteer, and selecting the Flowers/Chalice spot. You may add a Comment indicating that youare bringing the flowers in honor of, in memory of, or in recognition of someone or something.

You may also email Rev. Susan Frances for assistance getting signed up on the Sunday morning schedule.

Share Your Gifts ♥ Build Belonging

Welcome to the 2026 Serendipity Fundraiser! 

Serendipity begins long before the bidding starts. We’re gathering the gifts, talents, experiences, and treasures that will become this year’s auction. Do you have a talent to share? A meal you could host? A skill you could teach? A project, adventure, or gathering that would bring people together? We’d love to hear your ideas and invite you to donate.

The magic of Serendipity comes from the generosity and imagination of our community. The auction is a collection of invitations to connect, play, learn, and celebrate.

And there’s Serendipity to enjoy! Raffle tickets are on sale now. Grab a ticket (or a few!) for your chance to win while supporting the fundraiser. The auction opens for browsing and bidding on Wednesday, October 28. Donate a gift. Buy a raffle ticket. Share an idea. Invite a friend.

Visit the Serendipity Fundraiser website or contact the Serendipity Fundraiser Team at auction@ucevanston.org with questions.

Sign-Up Is Open for Fall Friendship Meals

Sign-ups are open for Fall Friendship Meals! The online sign-up sheet (click here to access) 

contains meal details; browse the choices and select the one that works best. Ask questions or get sign-up help at the back of the sanctuary after worship on October 4th and 11th. Or contact Margaret Koreman (margaret.koreman at gmail dot com) or Mary Bell (marywbell53 at gmail dot com).

Fall Session meals are:

• Fri, Oct 23, 6:00PM, In-home chicken parmesan and vegetarian pasta dinner  
• Fri, Oct.23, 6:00PM, In-home Portuguese chorizo sausage kale soup dinner
• Sat, Oct 24, 5:00PM, Restaurant dinner at Trattoria DOC
• Sun, Oct 25, 6:00PM, In-home roasted salmon and rice pilaf dinner
• Sun, Nov 1, 4:30PM, In-home family-friendly pizza party
• Sun, Nov 1, 5:30PM, In-home grilled salmon, portobello, and farro pilaf dinner
• Sun, Nov 1, 5:00PM, In-home Sunday chicken potluck dinner
• Sat, Nov 14 12:30PM. In-home family-friendly vegan / vegetarian brunch

UUCE Young Adult Group



Please join us on 3rd Fridays for games, snacks, and connection among UUCE young adults (18-35). We gather for some spiritual grounding and then enjoy time for games. Bring a snack to share if you can and your favorite group games.

Reach out to Rev. Eileen at ewiviott@ucevanston.org or Kathy Underwood at kunderwood@ucevanston.org if you want to join or have questions

October is Endowment Month!



Endowment Basics

The UUCE Endowment Fund was started in 1986 for the long-term security of our Congregation’s future.  Because of the generosity of UUCE Congregants over the years, the Endowment Fund has grown to $2.3 Million!  And our vision is to grow the Fund to $10 Million by 2050!  

Each year, the Endowment Committee calculates the average balance in the Fund over the prior 3 years.  5% of that average is distributed the following year in grants based on nominations from the Congregation.  In 2025-26, we made 29 grants from the Endowment Fund.  The Endowment Committee has made the calculation and the Board of Trustees has approved distribution of $93,000 in 2026-27.

For more information about the Endowment Fund, or to become an Endowment Visionary, go here: https://ucevanston.org/endowment/.

Mike Czarnik’s Celebration of Life

On Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 11:00 am, we will celebrate the life of Mike Czarnik, the father of member Lia Czarnik. The hospitality is being organized by Catherine Deamant. If it would please you to take on a small role or bring a favorite food to honor Mike click HERE to make your selection and click SignUP!

If you want to opt out of the technology, email Catherine Deamant (catherine.deamant at gmail dot com) with your offer to help.

Many thanks!

Get More Connected at UUCE – Join a Short-Term Covenant Group



If you’re looking for a way to foster connection and get to know some members of the congregation more deeply, consider joining a short-term covenant group this year.

Short-term covenant groups meet for 8 sessions – monthly or twice a month – for the purpose of building community here at UUCE. Groups meet for 2 hours and are composed of 8-10 members. The meeting’s format includes time for members to check-in and share the state of their spirit. A topic is introduced usually by a short reading on subjects such as Living with Intention, Forgiveness, and Saying Yes. Members then have an opportunity to reflect on their thoughts and reactions to the topic. Deep listening is an important practice used during the covenant group sessions.

Some comments from people who have attended short-term covenant groups:

• “I felt heard and listened to as an actual person.”
• “It’s one way to get to know more people in the congregation in a meaningful way and to feel part of a genuine sharing of ideas.”
• “It’s an easy, meaningful way to get to meet new people.”
• “Just being heard was powerful.”

UUCE will be offering four short-term covenant groups this year. Email Susan Carlton (susan.carlton at sbcglobal dot net)  to sign up. Available meeting dates/times are as follows:

• 1st and 3rd Mondays beginning in October and through January, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• 4th Tuesday of the month beginning in October through June, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• 3rd Sunday of the month beginning in October through June, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm - FULL
• FOR NEW MEMBERS: 2nd Monday of the month beginning in October through June, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• ZOOM group - meeting day/time to be decided by participants
• 4th Sunday of the month beginning in October through June, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Movie Night at UUCE

Looking for a fun October spooky activity? Come join us for Movie Night as we watch Tim Burton’s classic: Beetlejuice! This will be hosted at UUCE on Friday, October 23rd, in Room 3, show time starts at 7:30 PM, rated PG with a run time of 1 hours and 30 minutes.

The film follows a sweet, newly deceased couple trying to scare an insufferably trendy family out of their home. Desperate, they recruit Beetlejuice, a chaotic "bio-exorcist," unleashing a masterclass in 1980s surrealism.

This movie is for ALL AGES and not just young adults so feel free to bring your friends and any snacks you wish to share!

Mini Golf with the Rainbow Alliance!

Join the Rainbow Alliance for Mini Golf at Skokie Sports Park! Let's hang out, get to know one another, and play some mini golf! All UUCE members and friends are warmly welcome. Bring your friends, family, and plus ones.

Date and time: Saturday, October 24th, at 4pm

Location: Skokie Sports Park, 3459 Oakton St, Skokie

Cost: $10 per person for adults and $8 for kids. If we get a group of 15 or more, we get a discount of $6 per person. Entry fee coverage available upon request.

Register on Realm here: https://onrealm.org/ucevanston/Registrations/Registrants/250cf936-312b-42c9-9c91-b4c8016bdd44?congregantView=True

Questions? Contact Alison at alison.t.brill at gmail dot com. We'd love to see you there!

Join the Mutual Aid Book Group

Explore how systems exploit us—and how we can work together to create change. Our first book is A People’s Guide to Capitalism by Hadas Thier.

October 11 at 12:15 p.m. in Room 3

Contact Nellie at neastman at gmail dot com to join or get help finding the book.

 The UUCE Fiction Reading Group is reading Carson McCullers' 1940 classic "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." A Southern Gothic Novel set in a Georgia mill town in the 1930’s. John Singer taps in to the spiritual isolation, racial tension, and also quiet beauty of character in a very small town American south.

Future Reads:

November 20: "What We Can Know" by Ian McEwan. One hundred years into the future, the year 2014 looks like an age of abundance. Those who survive nuclear holocaust are haunted by the richness of the world that has been lost. How wild and full of risk their lives were, in retrospect human life at its zenith! McEwan, however, always finds the hope.

December 18: "Hag-Seed" by Margaret Atwood. Felix, an up and coming theater entrepreneur , is exiled by treachery to a job leading a group of prison inmates in staging "The Tempest." The take of these folks roughened by the world on Shakespeare’s gem is humorous, heart-warming and insightful.

Meeting Friday, October 16 at 7p.m. by ZOOM

The Nonfiction Book Group will meet Sunday, October 25th at 2 p.m. using our recurring Zoom link to discuss Bill Bryson's book Shakespeare: The World as Stage. Bryson examines centuries of myths, half-truths and downright lies and tries to make sense of Shakespeare's Life. This biography has been described as "vivid, unsentimental, witty, and fast-paced'". Join us as we share the pleasure of Bryson's storytelling.

On November 22nd, we will discuss Making the Best of What's Left: When We're Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered by Judith Viorst.

Picnics in the Park - October 18 at noon

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 something else) are shared equally between our operating budget and the current Shared Offering Program recipient.

This Sunday's offering will be shared with Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois or UUPMI, whose mission is to equip UU's in Illinois to ​transform institutions as well as partner with and support people harmed by the prison industrial complex.

Connections for the Homeless Milestone Celebration

Join us on Thursday, October 15th from 6-7 PM for a Connections for the Homeless Milestone Celebration. This program will celebrate and honor the recent accomplishments of program participants, volunteers, partners, advocates, and staff. The event is free, open to all ages, and a good way to support or learn more about Connections as an organization. To learn more and to RSVP, visit website: https://www.connect2home.org/milestone.

LOVE RESISTS

Postcard Party! Let's Win Michigan!

Gather Sunday, Oct. 11, 12-1:30 at UUCE to help WIN MICHIGAN! Postcards make a difference on the margins, and Michigan is key to amplifying UU VALUES in Washington.

Join your friends, write some cards, and bring some home to host your OWN party!

Saturday, October 17, 2026 national mobilization 

Only 24 more days to Election Day; let’s do this together!

Let’s meet-up!  Please RSVP by using the NoKings.org hyperlink as above.

In preparation for the marches, it’s time to make new signs.  The Catalyst for Democracy team is hosting a sign-making event on Thursday, 10/15/26 from 5-6 PM in Room 5.  Bring your creative energy!  You can then join the Beacons of Light Vigil at 6 PM at Dempster and Ridge and try out your new signs!

ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330