A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
The UCE building and grounds are available on a limited basis to small gatherings. Please read UCE's Reopening Guidelines before contacting staff about availability. We will continue to offer ways to connect virtually.
The UCE parking lot will be closed through Saturday, July 18.
The Sunday virtual service will be at 11:15 am
“Yes, And” –  Rev. Darrick Jackson
Improvisation is more than a source of entertainment. It can be a way of being in the world, a practice of living mindfully. This service will explore ways to embody an improv spirituality.

The Rev. Darrick Jackson is the Director of Ministries for Lifelong Learning of UU Ministers Association and an Affiliated Community Minister with Second Unitarian Church. He is one of the authors in the book “Centering: Navigating Race, Authenticity and Power in Ministry.” Darrick is active in DRUUMM (the UU ministry for people of color). He is also the treasurer and Workshop Leader for Healing Moments (a ministry for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s). In his free time, Darrick likes to knit and to be involved in theatre. He is married to James Olson, a United Church of Christ minister and lives with their two cats, Merlin and Morgana.

We encourage you to submit your joys and sorrows ahead of time to this online form . We will read aloud in the service, those that are submitted by 11 a.m. on Sunday. If you are unable to access the google form for some reason, you may send an email to Rev. Eileen Wiviott at ewiviott@ucevanston.org , however, it is easier for us to keep track through the google form. We continue to celebrate and mourn together through this important ritual and appreciate your understanding as we explore the various ways to hold what is on your hearts.

This Sunday's shared offering recipient is the Deborah's Place ( Click here to learn more ). Your offering can be given through Text-to-Give, online , or mailed to the office with "Shared Offering" in the memo line.
Other Virtual Gatherings this Sunday
Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 9:30 am via Zoom
Email Renee Hoff at  rdhoff99@yahoo.com  for details.
Virtual Coffee Hour
To join the virtual coffee hour by phone dial +13126266799,,87195257608#
Please note this is a new link and dial in number. Links from emails sent in previous weeks will not work for this Sunday's virtual coffee hour.
Important News and Upcoming Events
All Church Zoom gatherings continue on Wednesday at 5:30 pm.
Look for the link in our Wednesday e-mails. If you need online Zoom support before the All Church gathering begins, join us at 5:20 pm.
From Kathy Underwood, Director of Lifespan Religious Education
In our policy governance, we have Ends Statements to guide our work within and beyond UCE. For lifespan religious education, our Ends are:

We foster intellectual excitement, lifelong learning, truth seeking, and respect for our traditions of reason and faith

We are a people of diverse beliefs united in covenant. We develop relationships that open us to the lives of people in our congregation, community, and world

How would you answer these thought-provoking questions?
  • What would it look like for us to incorporate these ends, to practice striving toward them in our daily lives?
  • How can our End statements serve the purposes of the church in this new reality?

Some of you participated in a recent All-Church Wednesday gathering to ponder these questions. There was much lively conversation! Revs. Eileen and Karen G. and I have been thinking about and sharing our thoughts on these questions as well. It is our intention to engage as many people into thinking and expressing their thoughts...
It's Time to Choose Shared Plate Recipients
As you know, half the money collected weekly in our now virtual "collection plate" goes to support an organization that helps UCE meet its social justice mission. These funds often are enough to make a significant difference for the organization. The Social Justice Council (SJC) will again be choosing recipients for that collection. We will choose one recipient per month, plus one for the "fifth Sundays." As in the past, we will select from nominations made by congregants and staff. Nominations must be received by July 31 . 

This year, in light of the reality of our present crises, in order to be eligible for Shared Plate an organization must “address systemic racism and/or the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the poor.” As in the past two years, nominations must include evidence that the organization meets at least some of the criteria that the SJC will consider in deciding among nominated organizations.  Click here for a description of the criteria and the process. Nomination forms are now available. Please let us know where this money should go!  
UCE Mitten Tree Needs You
I want you to think about mittens. WHAT!! That’s horrible! It is 5000 degrees outside; I can feel the back sweet just thinking about moving; and you want me to think about – MITTENS? Breath. Yes mittens, because mittens mean something more than warmth, especially here at UCE, they stand for comfort, solidarity, the inexplicable sense of wonder that comes when faced with a field of white … they stand for care.

For the last 20 (ish) years one of the seasonal events here at UCE has been a mitten tree. From its humbler beginnings when mittens and scarves were collected the Mitten tree has grown into a project that includes the distribution of gifts to a number of agencies and organizations around our community. Today we are asking if you would stand as a participant in taking this work of caring into the world. After many years of diligent, creative service Carol Nielsen is stepping down as the leader of this project and we need people to participate and fill her shoes.
Capital Campaign Building Transformations
Your Investment at Work
Building improvements are continuing due to your investing in UCE’s Capital Campaign (more pictures at the link below). If you drive by the parking lot, you’ll see piles of asphalt and dirt, as well as cement squares covering the new storm drains that will prevent flooding. AND you’ll see our beautiful new sidewalk that will keep walkers from having to pass through the parking lot to get to our front door. The sidewalk cement was just poured this week. Lighting and landscaping will come later, as well as bike racks and planters. By late July our parking lot and lawn will be lovely and accessible.
Lobby and “Wing” Updates
The new Lobby floor has been laid and looks wonderful. The flooring in the “Wing” (Rooms 1,2 and 3 and hallway) is being demolished and tiles will be coming soon. Also coming soon will be new lighting in the lobby area, new ceiling tiles above the lobby furniture and new shades will be installed in the Wing. By investing in our building we’re investing in our future facility to live our mission.
A History of Eight Years of Shared Offering at UCE
The Social Action Council recently reminded us that it is time to submit the shared offering nominations for next year. Submit your nomination today! We have been a generous congregation in our contributions. This report covers the past eight years of donations.

The report shows that we have contributed to 56 organizations. Some organizations have garnered sustaining support because of our long-term relationships with them. Organizations such as Interfaith Action of Evanston, The Community Renewal Society UUANI, the UU Prison Ministry, and the Mitten Tree have received consistent support. Other organizations have been nominated only once or twice and thus have received less funding.

This information is offered to spur congregants into some deep thinking about how we want out money to be shared with the world. The Social Justice Council has set criteria for funding organizations though the shared plate that address systemic racism and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the poor.

Think deeply and creatively and submit your nominations by the July 31 st  deadline.
Your financial support is so appreciated!
Please help us ensure your contribution is credited appropriately by indicating on the memo line of your check if it is for 19/20 Pledge, 20/21 Pledge, Shared Offering or a Donation. 
If you are texting to give, please s end a text message to  312-584-9160  with the amount you would like to contribute and  the one word code  for where you would like it to go (e.g., 50 OFFERING ). Valid codes are OFFERING (Shared Offering),   PLEDGE  (Pledge Payment),  CAP  (Capital Campaign), or MUSIC (music fund). If you do not include a code after your donation amount, the system will automatically select PLEDGE. To learn more,  click here . If you experience any issues, contact Adam at  agough@ucevanston.org .

During these times when UCE staff are working from home we are trying to make trips to the church and our accounting tasks manageable for our Staff Accountant, Vickie Doebele. We respectfully request when you make a shared offering donation please do not ask for 100% to go to the organization. This truly would be helpful. We appreciate your understanding. 
Hats Off to Beth McDonald!
Our hats are off to Beth McDonald! It is a rare treat to find a person who brings joy to hard work, and by hard I mean taxing and soul wrenching and time consuming - all of it. But somehow in the midst of all she cares for Beth has found a way to balance life and love to bring justice into the world. Beth has been serving on the Children and Youth Program Team this past year. Her quiet and calm demeanor and reflective thinking have been a wonderful balance in our group. She has been instrumental in helping the Forum program get back into meeting and has facilitated efforts around anti-racism and white supremacy.

She has helped bridge this group with lifespan learning and REAL, most recently co-planning and co-facilitating a program on Restorative Justice. Witnessing Beth's spirit of compassion as it reaches into this project is amazing. As we prepared to test out a new course on racism Beth was willing not only to be a part of the test but also to study the way in which the course is being delivered on Zoom to ensure its integrity is held. Her passion for social justice across the ages is a blessing!  Thank you Beth for all you do in this world and reminding us that we can make a difference in so many ways if we show up with our best selves.
Are you proud of your UUA denomination?
Want to learn more about our faith and how UCE contributes to and benefits from all the resources available from our national organization? Join us on zoom next Wednesday, July 15 at 11am as the Denominational Affairs Team plans and coordinates the myriad ways UCE can be connected with the larger fellowship. Help us connect to Chicago congregations, to statewide congregations, to the region and the nation. It is often inspiring to learn what others like us are planning and doing. Email Shirley Adams or Peggy Boccard for more info. 
Ann Peterson's Virtual Memorial Service
Ann Peterson's virtual memorial service will take place on Saturday, July 25 at 11 am . More details will be provided soon.
You're Invited to Susan Frances' Ordination
Brain Health & Wellness Virtual Series in August
The Pastoral Care Committee invites all to take part in their new Brain Health and Wellness Series: Aging, Memory, and Care in partnership with the Great Lakes Clinic Trials. This 4-part series will begin August 1 and held via Zoom, featuring various speakers each week. You do not have to attend each part of the series, but all are encouraged to attend. Registration is required. Click the buttons below for the schedule of speakers and topics and the registration link.
What's Happening in Lifespan Religious Education
Summer Opportunities for Adults
Life Planning Series - Wednesdays - July 15, 22, 29 at 7pm
More details below.

White Fragility book group - Tuesdays - July 21, 28, and August 4 at 7pm  
Sponsored by the REAL team. Join us as we discuss  White Fragility - Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism  by Robin DiAngelo using the UUA discussion guide. More info and registration link below.

Non-Fiction Book Group - Saturday, August 1st, 10-11:30 a.m.   
What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City  by Mona Hanna-Attisha is about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Please RSVP to Clare Tallon Ruen at  water@greenerevanston.org  for a link to connect to the meeting. 

The Science of Well-Being - continues at 7 pm Tuesday evenings for those enrolled. 
Life Planning Series - Wednesdays in July
Wednesday, July 15—Ethical Wills/Spiritual Memories—Part I
Presented by Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Rev. Karen Gustafson. This seminar will help us ferret out and tell the parts of our story that reflect what has been most precious and of most enduring value in our life to pass it on to the people you love most. Just as a legal will specifies what we want to happen with our material possessions, an ethical will puts in writing how we hope the concerns of our souls will be handled – our values, beliefs, stories and traditions we hope will endure. In these two sessions you will be invited to think about the spiritual matters you want to preserve, and to reflect, write and share responses to thought provoking questions.
Wednesday, July 22—Real Life Organizing
Presenter: Liz Kennedy-Eason
Wednesday, July 29—Ethical Wills/Spiritual Memories—Part II

See more details at the button below. Email kunderwood@ucevanston.org to be added to the roster and get info on joining the Zoom session. 
White Fragility Book Group - Tuesdays - July 21, 28 & August 4
Using a UUA discussion guide written with white people in mind, participants are invited into the work of learning skills to disrupt racism as a Unitarian Universalist faith commitment and practice. This group will help participants come to terms with their own and others’ responses when a conversation turns to race. Through a series of reflective questions, activities, and sharing opportunities, participants will explore new ways of being that act to disrupt an oppressive culture.  

In order to ensure adequate time for discussion, we are limiting this group to 10 people. Register here  

Participants will need access to a copy of the book in order to participate. If you’d like to participate and do not have a copy of the book, please consider buying a copy from Semicolon , a Black-owned bookstore based in Chicago. There are also a limited number of copies available for loan through the UCE Lending Library.
Summer Opportunities for All Ages
For Families, Children, and Youth
How is your  Summer Bucket List Challenge   going? We are about 4 weeks into the challenge already! Remember to share on social media what you and/or your family are/is doing with the hashtag  #UCEBucketList  so we can see your beautiful faces and efforts! If you’re shy about sharing on social media, then send me a quick email at  kunderwood@ucevanston.org  
For Young People and Families
Be a UCE Pen Pal ! We have about 20 older members who would love to correspond with younger folks this summer, and only 6 young people to do so at this moment. Email Kathy if interested at kunderwood@ucevanston.org . 

Soulful Home: Compassion - Tons of Activities, stories, music, and more to explore on our theme this summer! Click here for ways to connect as a family to our faith!
For High School Youth
Thrive Online Camp - Know a young person of color (who's completed 9th-12th grade) who needs community and space to deepen their faith? There's still time to sign up for Thrive. Click here to sign the participant form! From there, you'll get access to the zoom links and our Mighty Network. (don't forget Thrive is free this year) "What's the schedule for Thrive?" you ask... check it out here .

Transcend the Binary Camp - July 20-23 f or transgender and gender diverse youth.  The mission   for this camp is to build on the confidence, resiliency, and empowerment of youth in our community through mentorship, skill-building and creative activities. Their programming is crafted and led by trans/gender diverse folks, with support from mental health professionals, wellness clinicians, Camp Talahi staff, and Affirmations LGBTQ+ Community Center. Learn more and sign up here.
Parent and Family Resources



Feel free to add new resources that you find! Together, we can nurture the next generations and create an anti-racist society.
Want to take your leadership skills to the next level?
MidWest Leadership School for 2020 has morphed into an online opportunity spread over 4 Saturdays from August through November 2020. There is only an adult school this year (18 and over). The training is useful for those who want to become more skilled at leadership roles in the congregation or in the community. The cost may be covered entirely by a grant from the Endowment committee. Check out more details here.
 
Contact Kathy Underwood or Shirley Adams if you want to know more about how this opportunity might work for you this year. 
Social Justice & Volunteer Opportunities
What is Graduated/Fair Tax in Illinois?
July 14, 2020 at 7 pm via Zoom

Presentation on IL Fair Tax referendum with  Ralph Martire ;  Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability  ("CTBA") A bipartisan 501(c)(3) think tank. Bring your hard questions! This event is co-sponsored by UUANI & LaGrange Area League of Women Voters
Click here for a short video that shows how the Fair Tax amendment will fix Illinois’ broken tax system, ensuring that 97% of Illinoisans—those who make $250,000 a year or less—get a tax cut or pay no more than they do now. Working people need relief now more than ever, and that’s exactly what Fair Tax reform will provide.
Social Justice on the Lawn
Sponsored by UUtheVote - Sunday, July 26, 5-7pm

Let's create community outdoors during this challenging time. We will have a UUtheVote postcard exchange, Dance of Universal Peace, Black Lives Matters signs, and social justice announcements. In addition we will provide spiritual sustenance for the activist journey. We will adhere to social distancing guidelines as well as wear masks. To ensure we adhere to UCE’s guidelines, only 25 people will be able to gather at a time on the South Lawn. Please sign up for a time slot on the link below.  
REAL Team Food and Supplies Drive - OUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW!
The REAL Team has been asked to coordinate some much-needed supplies for some of our community partners who have been most impacted by the pandemic followed by civil unrest.  Here is an Amazon list which includes the items that were asked for and are especially needed. Please check the list and donate as much as you feel comfortable. We need multiples of many items. Since the church parking lot will not be accessible as of June 15, there are several ways you can get your donations to us. 

  1. Using the link above, you can order from Amazon and have your supplies delivered directly to Becky Crawford (when you check out, the delivery address should say, “Becky Crawford’s Gift Registry”) (sorry it’s weird; could not rename that). We have volunteers lined up to drive donations to the needed locations. 
  2. You can purchase from Amazon or elsewhere, and deliver to the Crawford-Cloonan household directly in South Evanston (private message Becky on Facebook or text 224-304-4735 for address).
  3. If you'd like to donate financially, you can send a check directly to UCE with "south side" in the memo line. Cash donations can be dropped off in an envelope to Becky Crawford's house.

Thank you for your support! 
We plan to continue this drive throughout the summer, so check back often!
Take action today!
There are so many ways you can participate in social action, from showing up, signing on, donating, or committing yourself to learn more.

Learn: 
  • July 20th @ 7 pm - Ibram X. Kendi on "How to Be an Antiracist" Mr. Kendi is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, a professor of history, and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Praised as “The most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind” (New York Times), Kendi’s groundbreaking work has provided a major new counterpoint in the national conversation about race in America and resonates in this, our collective moment of reckoning. Click here to register. 
  • Read more about how our laws impact undocumented immigrants.

Act:
  • From NARAL: The justices who ruled against us are out of step with most Americans — the public overwhelmingly supports birth control coverage. Every body deserves birth control coverage, no matter where you work or go to school. It’s unbelievable that in 2020 we’re still fighting about our ability to access basic healthcare like birth control. If you agree, add your name to say “I dissent.” Click here to JOIN THE DISSENT.
  • Chicago Votes: Tuesday Phone Banks at 5 pm. Join Chicago Votes on google meets to plug into phone banks to aid with our voter registration and education efforts. Click here to join the Google Meets Link.
  • Chicago Board of Election Commissioners: Apply for your Vote By Mail ballot today! Any Chicago voter may apply online now to Vote By Mail ahead of the Nov. 3, 2020 Election. No reason or excuse is needed to Vote By Mail. 
  • UPS drivers are working around the clock to deliver the essentials we need to get through the COVID-19 crisis. UPS does not provide air conditioning for their drivers -- even in the blistering summer heat. Join in calling out UPS for putting their hardworking employees in critical danger. Click here to call out UPS.
  • From Indivisible: This past Friday, Federal Judge Molly Gee ordered ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) to, at best release families or at least the children of these families by July 17th who are being held in US Immigration Detention Centers as they try to seek asylum in the US. These families need to be released together now so they can go to their sponsors or families. Let’s send postcards to the following ICE Authorities to let them know that there is community support for released families and to help ensure they appear for their immigration hearings. 
  • ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence - 500 12th St. SW, Washington, DC 20536
  • ICE Deputy Field Office Director Achim - 1777 NE Loop 410 15th Floor, San Antonio, Texas 78217
  • ICE Assistant Field Office Director Christopher George - Philadelphia Field Office, 114 North 8th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

Donate:
  • Join the UUA in donating to Cosecha’s Undocumented Workers Fund. Click here to donate.
  • My Block My Hood My City offers opportunities for young people in under-resourced neighborhoods to access amenities not typically available to them. Their programs encourage youth to explore different neighborhoods, cultures and cuisines. The organization also offers opportunities for young people to get involved in STEM programs, volunteering, civic engagement, and community development. Click here to donate.

Social action continues! Check out the UCE Homepage for more ways you can support our communities. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rev. Karen Mooney at  kmooney@ucevanston.org . Thank you all for continuing to live UCE's mission!
Welcome to Our Community
Interested in knowing more about UCE? Scroll down for info on ongoing programs and useful information. Can't find your answers here? Click the button below to learn more on our website.
How to get in touch with UCE's Ministers
UCE ministers are available throughout the week by appointment. If you are in need of pastoral care or someone to talk to, please reach out to them by email.
We are here for you.
Rev. Eileen Wiviott - ewiviott@ucevanston.org
Rev. Karen Gustafson - kgustafson@ucevanston.org
Rev. Karen Mooney - kmooney@ucevanston.org
Pathways to Membership
Our next set of membership classes will be coming soon for August or September. If you would like to take part in an upcoming class, p lease email Adam Gough at   agough@ucevanston.org. We're excited to welcome our new members that have recently joined! Click here for more information about membership classes .
Offer to Provide Technical Support
Physical separation is leading many of us to find new ways of forming and maintaining virtual connections through the internet. The UCE staff and Board of Trustees wants to make sure that no one is isolated because they lack access to technology or technical skills.

If you would like assistance please reach out to: 

We will be happy to work with you to make sure that you get the most out of your membership experience using the latest tools.
Opportunities For Virtual Connection
Learn Spanish Group
Mondays at 7 pm
For more information, click here.

UCE Men's Group
1st & 3rd Mondays at 7 pm via conference call.
For more information, click here.

Caregiver Support Group
Tuesdays at 7 pm via Zoom.
E-mail Renee Hoff at  rdhoff99@yahoo.com  or Joyce Lofstrom at  joycelofstrom@gmail.com  for details.

Udumbara Zen Sangha
Tuesday Evenings and Saturday Mornings
For more information email udumbara@udumbarazen.org .

Wednesdays at 9:30 am   (Virtual 8x8 Meeting)
For more information, click here.

Buddhist Meditation 
E-mail Andrea DeMers at ademers99@gmail.com for the link.

UCE Addictions and Recovery
Form more information about the group, click here.

Virtual Art and Spirituality
Every other Saturday at 2:30 pm (next meeting is July 11)
For more information, click here.

Chris Isely Cancer Support Group
Sundays at 9:30 am via Zoom
E-mail Renee Hoff at  rdhoff99@yahoo.com  for details.

Staff are available to help with setting up virtual meetings and getting the word out to the congregation. For more information on how to set up a digital meeting, click the button below. Email Jessica Meis at admin@ucevanston.org to add your event to UCE's calendar and to submit an article about your virtual meeting to the newsletter.
Beware scam e-mails and texts from those
posing as UCE ministers and Staff
Please do not respond to the e-mail or text scam that is going out with Rev. Eileen's or Sandra's names. UCE ministers and Staff will never ask you for money in an e-mail or for you to send gift cards to anyone. Check the e-mail address and phone number it is coming from. If it is not Eileen's or another minister's, it is a scam. Most of you have gotten wise to these scams. They will keep coming nonetheless. Thank you to those who let us know they received this scam.

This is someone who is using Eileen's or Sandra's name with a generated email address and phone number. They haven't hacked their personal accounts. The e-mail addresses Eileen will send messages from will be either  ewiviott@hotmail.com  or  ewiviott@ucevanston.org . The address Sandra will send messages from is srobinson@ucevanston.org. If you are unsure about the number texting you, please call the office.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees meets the third Thursday of every month.
The next virtual meeting is on July 16 at 7:00 pm.

Questions for the board? Email BOT@ucevanston.org.
UCE Facebook Groups
Did you know that, in addition to the  UCE Facebook Page , there are three UCE groups that members can join - the  UCE Member to Member Group , the  UCE Children and Youth Religious Education Group , and the  UCE Social Action Group ?  

These are closed groups that allow members to post directly to each other. If you have an event you want members to know about, or have a cause you hope to bring attention to, in addition to the newsletter and order of service, you can post to the Facebook Group. Click the links below or search for the groups by name when you are on Facebook and ask to join.
Quick Links