Worship for this Sunday - August 2, 2020
Live Streaming at 10am
We Can't Go Out Like This
Rev. Dr. Ira Acree

Pastor Ira J. Acree has led Greater St. John Bible Church for more than 30 years. He is a founder and Co-Commissioner of the Leaders Network, a Chicago West Side community leaders association. With more than 20 years of advocacy, public relations and network building, Pastor Acree has positively affected the lives of people in the Austin community, Chicago-at-large and the wider nation. As a strong supporter of education, Pastor Acree has led his congregation to award over $350,000 in scholarships to students in the community who are pursuing higher education and attending college.

He is the author of three books: In Pursuit of Mr. Right , Just Do It , and The Man in the Mirror . Often described as a coach, mentor, administrator, leader, and activist, his most valued role is that of shepherd of God’s Flock. Pastor Acree received his B.A in Political science from the University of Illinois Chicago and a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from North Park Theological Seminary. Pastor Acree is married to First Lady Margaret Acree, they have two adult children and one grandson.

August Theme: Possibility
Live Stream Worship at 10am
Recorded Viewing Available at Noon

Live stream link can be found  here .
OFFERTORY :: Agnes S. Kelly Senior Fund
Unity Temple Gives. Each week we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday's collection will benefit  The Agnes S. Kelly Senior Fund  serving the needs of the elderly members of our congregation who are unable physically, mentally or financially to care for themselves and who have no close relatives or no relatives living nearby who can provide such assistance.

To contribute to Unity Temple’s Sunday collection, please text 73256 with the message UTUUC $____ (dollar sign followed by your donation amount), and select "Offering". You may also give at the UTUUC website, or send a check, payable to Unity Temple, noting Agnes Kelly Fund on the memo line, to 875 Lake St., Oak Park, 60301, and we will send a collective check on your behalf. Thank you for your generous support!

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Our Worship Service will be at 10am on YouTube Live. You can access it  here . 

Immediately following the service (around 10:45am) the Virtual Coffee Hour will be on Zoom. Go to Zoom Meeting ID: 971 5120 8775 Password: 875875
Or access directly  here .


Newcomers Welcome!
While we may not be able to meet in person on Sunday mornings, we are still able to meet! If you are new to our community, please drop by the Newcomer Welcome on Zoom before service from 9:30–10am on Sundays. We look forward to meeting you and introducing you to more information about our community. Contact Tina Lewis at  [email protected]  with questions. We hope you will join us! Zoom Meeting ID: 842 6357 2497. Password 943449 or access directly  here .
 
Newcomer Form
If you would like to be contacted about how to get involved with our community please take a moment to fill out this form or contact Tina Lewis at  [email protected].
Why Should I Attend Coffee Hour?
To connect! In this time of being away from Unity Temple and physical distancing, Coffee Hour is a way to reconnect with old friends and make new friends. This week, we break into small groups of 4-6 at the beginning of Coffee Hour for social time. Conversation prompts will be provided for groups who choose to use them. Following two breakout sessions of 15 minutes, we will return to the large group for closing comments. This week Rev. Ira Acree will take questions from the group beginning at 11:45. We hope you will join us!

I really appreciate our virtual coffee hours. Because I’m an introvert, I especially like the random small groups. I can interact with people I don’t know in addition to people I do.
–Gerry Messler
Join us each week as we pres ent online programming of engaging songs, story readings, and short activities that will instill our fine young people's spiritual growth, serving as an opportunity to connect and practice our principles. Besides the weekly video portions that will be available on the UTUUC youtube channel, we will keep our parents/ caregivers informed of "Live" events during service times that will take place throughout the summer. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or great thoughts, please contact [email protected]

Summer RE Session 9:  All will be well. Join us for art, music, stories, and mindful meditation outside which amplify our ability to see beauty and to explore the world with open eyes, minds, and hearts. 
Summer RE Session 10:  Each of us is capable of showing one another love and understanding. Our compassion towards others and dedication to calling out injustices and siding with love make our congregation community and our human family stronger. This week, we are reminded that we have the power and responsibility to reach out in love at every opportunity.  Summer RE Playlist !  
Unity Temple Faith In Action Network
Spiritually Grounded / Deeply Relational / Strategically Effective

Let us raise our collective voice for justice and compassion! Please  complete these calls to action  (page 1), and as you are able,  support an organization living our values  (page 2). 
Get Out the Vote in Wisconsin & Michigan!  Join us in #LivingOurValues with our 5th UU principle–valuing the democratic process! Our Vote Love team is partnering with Indivisible Chicago on a non-partisan postcard writing campaign to get out the vote. Instructions are provided. To request a bundle of 100 postcards to pick-up in Oak Park, please sign-up  here.  Please select "Unity Temple Vote Love" in the "How did you hear about the Postcard campaign" field. So far we have 67   members writing 9760 postcards! Let's keep multiplying this great effort! Questions? 

Safe, Fair & Free Elections Tell Congress to Pass Vote by Mail and Protect Democracy during this pandemic. Sign the petition from UU-the-Vote here .
Faith in Action Newsletter 
Sign-up  here  to receive our Faith in Action newsletter with calls to action for justice and compassion. 
August 18 :: Save the Date! Fair Tax – Why Does this Matter? Join the UU Advocacy Network of IL for a virtual presentation on the IL Fair Tax with Senator Daniel Biss. We will also explore how to communicate about the Fair Tax based on our values. 7pm via Zoom. More information and registration  here . Questions? 
August 6 :: Register Now! Your voice matters: Should UTUUC Members Endorse the Fair Tax?   Our congregation will gather   on from 7 – 8:30pm, to consider this important question. Hear Ann Courter, League of Women Voters Issues Specialist, on the Fair Tax, consider in small groups how our values might guide us, and ponder your own personal decision. Presented by the UTUUC Vote Love team and moderated by Anne White.  Register here  to attend. You will be sent the Zoom link with your confirmation. Questions? Write to  [email protected] . 
UUANI Action of the Week
Voting in Illinois just got a lot easier! By following a few simple steps, you can safely Vote By Mail in this election. 
Vote By Mail is safe, secure, convenient, and available to all Illinois voters in this election. Learn everything you need to know about how to receive and cast a ballot  here . Learn too, how the process keeps your vote safe and secure.

With the expansion of Vote By Mail, voting in Illinois has never been more safe, secure, and convenient. You just have to follow a few simple steps to make your voice heard in this election! Get started here:  illinoisvotes2020.com

We appreciate all you do everyday to make Illinois a state we all want to live in and we know we can't pass the Fair Tax without you. Thank you for all your efforts!! Allied with #illinoisvotes2020 #fairtaxnow

Take Action! Questions, comments, suggestions? Contact us .
UU Prison Ministry Pen Pals :: UU Prison Ministry of IL works with the Church of the Larger Fellowship-Worthy Now Ambassador program to support individuals and congregations interested in a ministry with prisoners. There are many people living in prison awaiting a match with a pen pal. If you are interested in learning more visit here. Contact:  [email protected]
Canned Goods Needed :: Beyond Hunger (formerly the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry) is in urgent need of the following canned goods:
  • Canned Vegetables
  • Canned Soups
  • Canned Meat Meals-such as ravioli
  • Canned Meat-such as tuna
Please bring items to Beyond Hunger at First United Church of Oak Park - 848 Lake Street in Oak Park. Please go to the rear entrance in the parking lot off of Kenilworth and look for the drop-off window. Donation drop off hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday–10am till 4pm. *Please do  not  drop off donations on Wednesdays as we reserve this day to serve clients. Thank you for your generous support! Questions? Contact Barbara: [email protected]
Weekly Choral Warm-up and Singing Sessions! Unity Temple Choral Session will be held each Wednesday evenings, 7-7:30pm. Music director, Marty Swisher will lead participants in vocal warm-ups to maintain vocal health and agility. In addition, a song will be taught. Some weeks special guests including other musical faith leaders, composers and songleaders will join us to share songs. Join us! 

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 895 0302 7611
Password: 062305
sharing, Mondays at Noon :: Need a lunchtime boost in your day? Every Monday at Noon Jen Marling and Tina Lewis invite you to take a break in your workday and briefly share something good that has happened to you recently. We hope you can join us! Click  here  to join the call. Questions may be sent to [email protected] .

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 985 1473 6011
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,98514736011# US (Chicago)
Daily Mindful Reflection Community 30 minute meeting, 7 days a week! Starts at 8:25am and ends at 9am every day, seven days a week. This will be different from our regular Tuesday night meeting. The daily meditation will include opening words, 20 minutes of mindful reflection, and closing words. 

All are welcome! You are welcome to attend regularly or sporadically. The Zoom  link for the daily mindful reflection is listed below. Zoom does not allow the use of the phone numbers to provide dial-in access on this platform. Note: We use a different Zoom link on the 1st Saturday of each month. See below. Questions contact [email protected] .

Zoom information:
Topic: Daily Mindful Reflection
Time: Every Day (including weekends) at 08:30 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Best Way to Join:
Meeting ID: 373 008 242
Password: 4IFrYx

First Saturday of every month Daily Mindful Reflection Zoom Link:
ID: 529 444 050
Password:740573
+13126266799
Then enter meeting ID and password


Friday Night Co-ed Softball is On!  We need both male and female players for this coming season. We welcome all, regardless of athletic ability, and will coach and encourage you. It's about fun and recreation. The Park District of Oak Park requires masks in the dugout and social distancing on the field. Contact [email protected]

July 31: Away Game at I'd Hit That
7pm arrive at 6:30pm / Location: Ridgeland Common East Diamond (415 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60302) 
Austin Community Food Pantry
Third Unitarian Church, in collaboration with several Austin organizations, is offering a new weekly outdoor food pantry to support neighbors in need. Financial and food donations are welcome. Volunteers must sign-up in advance and are required to follow safety precautions. Please complete the form  here  if you'd like to volunteer or donate. Non-perishable food donations may be dropped off at the church, 301 N. Mayfield, on Sundays, 9:30-11:30am, or contact us to arrange pick-up. A list of requested items is  here . Surplus vegetables from your garden are also welcome! 
Contact  [email protected] . Thank you!
 
Third Unitarian Church
Community Pantry
Saturdays 10am-Noon
301 N. Mayfield Ave, Chicago (near Lake & Austin)

August 1 :: Sacred Wanderings (First Saturday of every month) 8:30 to 10:30am Join us for our first hybrid meeting of Sacred Wanderings where there will be both an in person group and an online group. The in person group will meet at Thatcher Woods, 8030 Chicago Ave., River Forest, IL 60305, North Entrance to North Pavilion. We will meet with face masks and physical distancing . We will also continue our Zoom online meeting as well .  We will have the in person and the zoom groups be synchronous for part of the meeting and have separate events for some aspects of the meeting.

Come join us for forest bathing as well as meditation and mindfulness in the outdoors or online. Join Al, Kevin, Jay and Terry as we intentionally practice connecting with nature and surrounding ourselves with the energy of the natural world. Forest bathing is not taking a leisurely walk in the woods or looking at nature in your home or online to enjoy the scenery. There's a specific intention in the practice to connect with the natural world and to gain benefit and energy from it. In other words, you are bathing in the energy of the trees, leaves, sky, and earth. Meditation and mindfulness assists in securing this intention

If you are joining us in person please dress appropriately as we will meet no matter what the weather conditions. Bring a face mask, hand sanitizer or disinfect (as you prefer), lightweight camp chair to carry and perhaps a personal thermos of tea/coffee for the sharing at the end. Bug spray and mosquito head nets will be available as needed. Hiking into the woods is not strenuous and the distance is not far (less than 1 mile). Those with activity challenges can easily be accommodated.

If you are joining us online you will define outdoors however you want! On a porch, deck, patio, in your yard, walking in a forest preserve with your smartphone or sitting inside looking at a plant, out a window or at a YouTube clip of a nature setting. For any questions please contact Terry at [email protected]

ID: 529 444 050
Password:740573
+13126266799
Then enter meeting ID and password
To all Unity Temple BIPOC Members & Friends :: The Unity Temple POC Group will take a break from gathering in August; please look out for information about a special meeting with the Diverse & Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries (DRUUMM) in September. Enjoy the rest of your summer safely.
August 30 :: Jenny's Annual Bar B Que–Virtually Save the date for this is a Women's Connection Event! Bring your drink, your food, your dog or just yourself to celebrate a New Year. Catch-up, unwind, laugh, connect amongst friends. We will gather beginning at 7pm. Stay tuned for zoom information closer to event. [email protected]
August 4 :: Mindful Reflection Online Community Tuesday Evenings Zoom meeting room opens at 6:45pm Program starts at 7:10pm. You Are Welcome Here! We will follow our usual format with 20 minutes of Mindful Reflection followed by a dharma talk and discussion. Questions email [email protected]

Click here or use this link:
You should not need to enter these numbers, but just in case, here they are: Meeting ID: 829 387 209 Password: 887083
Other way to join:
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,829387209# US (Chicago)

NEW! As we continue to find new ways to join together in community: live streaming worship service, online Mindful Reflection gatherings, daily stories and activities for all ages on our YouTube channel, children and family check in, virtual dinner parties and so much more, we have launched two additional ways for our community to continue to financially support UTUUC. Details can be found here . If you have questions reach out to [email protected]

Administrative Office
Administrative offices will be closed temporarily. Staff is working remotely as much as possible. If you need to reach us, please email and we will respond as quickly as possibly. You can reach the ministers here . Staff can be reached here .
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
NOTE: As of March 13, 2020 we are temporarily suspending in person AA meetings. This link will take you to a list of suspended/relocated AA meetings in Chicagoland. 

There is an AA meeting every Sunday in Gale House at 7pm entitled "Let's Talk About It-Atheists, Agnostics, Anyone" (QuadA). It is for anyone with a desire to stop drinking, regardless of religious beliefs. The first Sunday of each month is an "open" meeting, open to anyone, particularly those who are unsure about going to AA and just wish to listen, or people who are concerned about someone else. Come talk, or just listen. What we say here, stays here. Questions about AA contact Ron  [email protected] .
Planned Giving offers a variety of meaningful ways to support our congregation through charitable gifts and can be made by anybody – young and old, working or retired. These gifts are made today, but they support the future needs of your congregation and Unitarian Universalism. You can obtain more information about planned gifts by contacting the Planned Giving Team at  [email protected]