Here’s what’s coming up in our congregational life—opportunities to connect, learn, and participate in the weeks ahead

Sunday Service

March 1, 2026 at 10:30 am 

Please Note: Sunday, March 22^nd the Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Congregation and UCE will have a combined worship experience in our sanctuary at 11 a.m. (rather than our usual 10:30 a.m.)

Children and youth will go to their faith formation groups after Joys and Sorrows

This Sunday…

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 8:45a-12:15pm. 

Chalice Children (Pre/k/1) in room 9 – The children will explore the theme of sharing by hearing the story Should I Share My Ice Cream? and making ice paintings.

Heads, Hearts, and Hands (2nd-5th) in room 8 – The young people begin exploring our theme of Paying Attention by looking at some of the people who have persisted and resisted the status quo that led to change. This week’s Holy Troublemaker is Thich Nhat Hanh.

Youth Group (6th-9th) in room 10 – The youth will work with some of our young adults to continue planning their joint worship service for April 12.

Faith Formation Registration

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

The 2026/27 Pledge Drive is underway. You should have received your pledge drive email on Thursday, February 12th. Please check your spam folder if you don't see it, or contact pledgeinfo@ucevanston.org to request a new letter. Visit the UCE pledge page for more information and to submit your pledge.

Check out this video from Rev. Eileen for more information!

Thank you for your ongoing support of our shared mission and values!

Hi Friends,

I spent the last week of January at the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s continuing education institute in Albuquerque, NM. The same conference Dr. Emma Farrell attended. The photo is of me on a walk along the Rio Grande on the last day of the conference. I was heartened to be with UU ministers from across the country who are collaborating with their congregations and local community partners to inspire hope and actively resist authoritarianism. I returned home feeling connected, not only to the vast network of UUs in the U.S., but to a vision of our country’s future that is humane, inclusive, rational, and possible.

Coming together with people who share our values is one way to continue to restore our energy and refocus our commitment to the ongoing work needed to preserve our democracy. This year, my wife and I are sponsoring a virtual table at the annual luncheon of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ACLU-IL) in the name of UCE and you are invited to join us! This year’s theme is Fighting For A More Perfect Union and the keynote speaker is Melissa Murray, who I know about from the podcast Strict Scrutiny. The luncheon will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 12:00-1:30 pm. Please RSVP to Rev. Susan by completing this form by March 6th. You do not need to pay for a ticket, you are invited to be our guest.

Hats off to Daniel DeVaney in appreciation of his important work with covenant groups in UU congregations to build community and foster connection. Daniel collaborated with the minister of his former UU congregation in Michigan to start the highly successful covenant group program there. Many of his insightful ideas about the structuring of covenant groups and the use of deep listening have been used to help develop best practices. These resources are located on the UUA Small Group Ministry Network website. Daniel has generously shared his knowledge with UCE as we continue to expand our capacity to offer more covenant groups. Thank you, Daniel!

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Friday, February 27th:

• NO EVENTS

Saturday, February 28th:

• Virtual Pilates, 9:30am, via Zoom

Sunday, March 1st:

• Chris Isley Cancer Support Group, 9-10:15am, Room 6 & Zoom
• Journey Toward Membership, 9-10:30am, Room 12
• Worship Service, 10:30am, Sanctuary
• Kinship Time, 11:30-12:30pm, Back of the Sanctuary
• Herried Covenant Group, 3:30-4:30, via Zoom
• Nominating Committee Meeting, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Monday, March 2nd:

• UCE Addictions and Recovery, 6:45-7:45am, via Zoom
• Bernstein Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom
• Durkin Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom
• Monday Night Covenant Group, 7-9pm, via Zoom

Tuesday, March 3rd:

• Membership Team Meeting, 12:30-2:30pm, Room 5
• AI Workshop, 7-8:30pm, Room 3 and Zoom
• Caregiver Support Group, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom
• First Women's Circle, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Wednesday, March 4th:

• Yoga Online, 9:30-10:30am, via Zoom
• Endowment Fund Committee, 4:30-6:30pm, Room 6 and Zoom
• Grief Group, 5:30-7pm, Room 3
• Congregational Connections Team, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Thursday, March 5th:

• Evanston Near South Proximity Group, 1-2pm, via Zoom
• Beacons of Light, 4-4:30pm, Dempster and Ridge
• Meditation Group, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom
• Choir Rehearsal, 7-8:45pm, Rooms 3 and 6

MO Blues Band Party Cancelled

We’re sorry to share that MO Blues Band leader Tim has sustained a hand injury, and we will need to reschedule the performance originally planned for this Friday, 2/27. Please keep Tim in your thoughts and prayers as he focuses on recovery.

We look forward to welcoming him and the MO Blues Band back soon and will announce the new date as soon as it is confirmed. Ticket holders will receive an email with additional details regarding refunds and next steps. Email auction@ucevanston.org with questions.

Celebration of Life for Alice Swan

On Sunday, March 22, at 3pm, we will gather to celebrate the life of our much loved Alice Swan. If it would please you to help with hospitality or to bring a special treat for the reception buffet, sign up HERE.

Should We Change the Name of UCE?

In 2025, the Unitarian Church of Evanston Board of Trustees held focus group conversations to hear what is important to the Congregation. One key theme that came up in every conversation we hosted was the desire to change our name. In 2026, four focus groups were held around the topic of changing our name. There is still time to submit your thoughts! Please complete this survey by Feb 28th to let the UCE Board of Trustees know what you think of changing our name. And here is a link to the notes from the conversations we've had so far. A vote on the new name will be called during the May Annual meeting.

Upcoming AI Workshop

For adults and youth

Discernment and Covenant-Building

Tuesday, March 3 | 7:00 pm

Room 3 & Zoom

Sessions are stand-alone—feel free to attend any that interest you.

Click HERE TO REGISTER

The Earth Needs your Support in 2026

The UCE Green Team invites you to the March second Sunday gathering in room 2 and on zoom: Sunday March 8, 9:15am. Help us make plans for Earth Month and some conscious consumption initiatives. There is a role for you here. Join Green Team on REALM to get the zoom link or contact Shirley Adams or Michael Drennan. Or come in person!

 Attend A Journey Toward Membership Class

We will be welcoming new members during the worship service on March 29th. If you are interested in joining at that time, please make sure to register for one of the Journey Toward Membership classes in March.

• Sunday, March 1, 2026, 9:00-10:20 am, Room 12, child care provided. Click here to register.
• Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 6:30-8:00 pm, via Zoom. Click here to register. 

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

The UCE Fiction Book Group is reading "The Correspondent," by Virginia Evans.



Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life written letters to make sense of the world and her place in it -- to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not let her audit a course, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their work, and to one person to whom she writes frequently but does not send the letter. It's that one person from her past who must read that letter and Sybil must find a way to offer forgiveness.

Friday, March 20, at 7-8pm by ZOOM

The Nonfiction book group will not meet in March or April.



We urge our readers to participate in UCE’s programming of the UUA Common Read book Social Change Now by Deepa Iyer.

See the article below about small group discussions of this year’s Common Read in March and April. Four sets of 2 discussions will be offered on different days of the week and at different times of the day. A joint meeting of the four groups will take place on May 9th.

Register by March 15th by using the links in this newsletter and purchase a copy of the book from UUA’s InSpirit book store.

Sign Up by March 15th for the UUA Common Read: Social Change Now by Deepa Iyer

This three-session program will engage with the UU Common Read of Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer. This workbook-style book delves into a "social change ecosystem." You are invited to explore how to be more authentic, connected, and effective as we pursue transformative justice together.

The first two sessions will be in a small group. The third session will bring the four small groups together in a multi-platform setting (in-person and on zoom) on May 9 from 2:00-3:30 pm.



Click here to register for the Tuesday Group. This small group will meet in-person on March 17 and April 21 from 6:30-8:00 pm with co-facilitators Shirley Adams and Mags Johnston. 

Click here to register for the Wednesday Group. This small group will meet in-person on March 25 and April 8 from 7:00-8:30 pm with co-facilitators Lee Solock and Alison Issen. 

Click here to register for the Thursday Group. This small group will meet in-person on March 19 and April 16 from 1:30-3:00 pm with co-facilitators Sue Larson and Jackie Seaman. 

Click here to register for the Sunday Group. This small group will meet on zoom on March 29 and April 19 from 2:00-3:30 pm with co-facilitators Rev. Susan Frances and Elaine Siegel. 

You may buy a copy of the book at the Catalyst for Democracy’s Program Table in the café area after the service this Sunday, order the book at InSpirit Bookstore, or let Rev. Susan Frances know that you need a donated copy.

UCE is Going Camping!

UCE is going camping May 29-31! Please click on this link to reserve a campsite. The top of the form includes links to reserve a site directly with ExploreMore IL, as well as a link to a table where you can see where other UCE campsites will be. If you have any questions or need help with reserving your site, email Grey Wiviott (greyleewivs at gmail dot com). Happy Camping!

BOOMER BIRTHDAY BASH

Did you know that the very first Boomers turn 80 this year? This calls for a celebration! ! If you were born in 1946 and wish to participate in a joint party, date to be determined, please contact Lynn Kendall (lynn dot kendall at gmaildotcom) by March 10. Planning for this rockin' party is coming up quickly and we'd like to include you in it.

Click the flyer to register!!!

We know there are a lot of you out there who love thrifting. If that describes you, please consider being a department lead! We are currently looking for co-leads in the Treasures and Housewares departments. If interested, contact rummage@ucevanston.org to learn more.



In addition, an online signup for an array of volunteer opportunities will be published soon -- watch the newsletter for details. In the meantime, continue to set aside items to donate, being sure to encourage friends and neighbors to do the same!

Once again, mark your calendars with these key dates:

Sale Dates: Fri 5/1 – Sat 5/2

Donation Dates: Sun 4/26 – Mon 4/27

Setup Dates: Sun 4/26 – Thurs 4/30

Save these dates!

Family Friday – March 6, 6-8pm

We’ll be making terrariums from plastic containers to start seeds for our gardens this spring.

Bring a clear container at least 4” tall, such as a milk jug or salad container.

If you have extra seeds, we’ll set up a table for sharing too.

And join the Family Ministry Team March 9 at 7-8p on Zoom!

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

You can see what’s coming up on our evolving calendar here.



Join us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/520586461667097

Parent’s Time Out March 13, 5-8p

Rev. Eileen and Grey Wiviott are hosting this event at UCE.

Drop off your kids and enjoy a few hours to yourself.

Fill out this short survey by March 11th to tell us about your kiddos.

UCE Young Adult Group

Third Friday Faith Formation & Game Nights

Our next gathering is Friday, March 20th



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.

Breaking the Chain: Transforming the Legacy of Enslavement to Justice and Liberation for All

How did we get here—and what is ours to do now?

Join UCE REAL, the Prison Ministry and Reparations Teams, Living Legacy Pilgrimage participants, and local advocates for a four-part, multi-platform learning and conversation series exploring the systems that connect enslavement, incarceration, and reparative justice.

Together, we will examine:

• the historical roots linking slavery and mass incarceration
• the economic forces that sustain systems of injustice
• the role faith communities can play in accountability, repair, and transformation
• how reparations work is unfolding in Evanston and beyond

• April 22 – The Economics of Maintaining Systems of Injustice
• June 24 – How Faith Communities Can Help Break the Chain
• August 26 – Reparations: In Evanston and Beyond

MEETING MORE INTERFAITH NEIGHBORS

A Faith Formation Series February, March, and April 2026

For UCE Adults and Youth, 14 and up



We continue this series this month as we explore the International Society for Krishna Consciousness:

Tuesday, March 10th at 7pm at UCE and on Zoom for discussion with our guests

Sunday, March 15th from about 5 or 5:30 until about 7:30 - a vegetarian meal 5-6p, followed by a talk, and then chanting/meditation.

Located at 1716 N. Lunt

More info about public transit and parking at: 

https://iskconchicago.com/direction-parking

Tuesday, March 24th at 7pm to review/reflect at UCE and on Zoom

Register here to get communications about upcoming dates as they are finalized.

Other faiths we will be exploring - APRIL: SIKH

Family-Friendly Seder

April 3, 5:30p

Mark your calendars now for this annual tradition!

More info here

30 Days of Love

Activities to do as a family over the next month.

This week’s theme is Exploring Possibilities. 

Check it out here!

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 Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois or UUANI. UUANI devises programs to build power among UU congregations in Illinois in order to achieve meaningful, concrete, far-reaching results which put our UU values and principles into action. 

Empty Bowls Volunteers Make it Happen!

The FAST committee would like to thank the more than two dozen volunteers who helped set up, serve, cook, shop, provide and clear up from our Empty Bowls lunch on 2/8/26. What a fantastic team of volunteers who showed up and helped put the event together! And without our wonderful congregants who bought bowls and ate lunch, we couldn’t have done it. Together we raised $1320.00. A check for $440.00 will be sent to each: Connections for the Homeless, Hillside Pantry Food Bank and Interfaith Action of Evanston. Thank you so much for keeping this wonderful event going! - Maggie Weiss, Ellie Feddersen Sheila Holder and the Food and Shelter Team.

Join Us: March Birthday Letter-Writing for UUPMI Penpals

Please join together at the program tables after worship on Sunday, March 1st to write a birthday letter to the March birthdays of people who are incarcerated and supported by UU Prison Ministry of Illinois. Samples, ideas and supplies are provided. Consider preparing by thinking of your earliest (positive) birthday memory or a favorite birthday memory. Such sharing humanizes this brief connection, is entertaining to your letter recipient, and helps elicit their own nostalgia. Lina’s penpal also suggested you might, “incorporate a joke about the month of March …. Humor is always in style.” Lastly, child(ren) can draw a birthday picture (use white 8-1/2 x 11 paper; no glue, stickers, glitter; colored pencils or markers) to include with your letter. Questions: Lina Hilko call/text (312)399-1848. P.S. UCE will do bday letters again for the month of October!

Come be a Beacon of Light!

Join us at the corner of Dempster & Ridge, Chicago & Main, or Central & Lincolnwood on Thursdays from 4:00-4:30 pm to inspire a future grounded in our values. 

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!

LOVE RESISTS

On March 28th, rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings. Join us!



Evanston Rally and March, 10:30 AM to 12 noon, Dawes Park (Sheridan Road and Lake Avenue) 

Chicago Rally/March, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM, Butler Field/Grant Park (East Jackson Drive and South Columbus Drive)

More details with Catalyst for Democracy Program Table, every Sunday after service. We have Side with Love t-shirts too.  

ONGOING UU CONNECTIONS

 Make A Difference!

How does UCE make our voice heard? Through delegates to the annual UUA General Assembly, where we consider issues of major importance impacting UU congregations and the world at large. Delegates determine UUA justice work, developing “Statements of Conscience” and “Actions of Immediate Witness”, and identifying such areas of study as “Abolition”, “Transformation”, and “Faith Formation”.

You can help! Join delegates from UU congregations across the country and Canada, developing policy and taking action to keep our mission and values at the forefront of our social justice initiatives. 

Want to know more? Sign up to receive more information, or connect with the UU Networking Team and past UCE delegates. Dates for a program table to talk about the 2026 General Assembly during Kinship Time will be announced soon. 

Now's a great time to engage with other dedicated UU’s to make our world whole!

Unitarian Church of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201

847-864-1330