Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole |
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Virtual Worship Service
this Sunday, August 29 at 11:15 am
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Living Our Mission Through the Arts: Visual Arts
Nurturing the Human Spirit and Making the World Whole Through the Arts: living our mission through the arts. The creative endeavor is more than the fluff of life. It is essential to our humanity to create, express, and process our struggles through the arts. This August we will explore five modes of artistic and creative expression and their centrality in making meaning in our lives. This Sunday, we will discuss building community through the tactile/visual arts. Worship participants include Johna and Will Van Dyke, Eleanor Boyer, Jean Durkin, and Maggie Wilson.
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UCE Ingathering - September 12 |
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Join the UCE Ingathering on Sunday, September 12th at 10:15 am in person and through the YouTube livestream. Masks are required (ages 2 and up) inside the building. Look out for a letter in the mail with details about our return to the building.
We invite everyone to send in photos of you with, on, or near water. Photos can be sent to Rev. Eileen at ewiviott@ucevanston.org with the subject line: Water Communion and your name (individual or family name). In the email please answer these questions:
- What does this water carry?
- What do you hope it returns to you?
Bring water from your summer adventures (near or far) to the service, whichever way you participate. We will use the gathered waters from our annual water communion to bless the grounds after the service.
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From Rev. Susan Frances,
Assistant Minister for Congregational Life
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Dear Friends,
As we are transitioning back to being in-person while maintaining virtual options, I have been thinking a lot about hospitality and how we engage and communicate with each other. You will soon be receiving emails and calls from me about our Hospitality Teams, which will have roles for volunteering in-person and online. I look forward to connecting with you as we phase into being back in the building together.
We will be returning to the sanctuary for our worship service at 10:15 am on Sunday, September 12, 2021. Our return to an in-person worship service will be accompanied by our adherence to the following COVID-19 community mitigation protocols:
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Participate in the Family Engagement Survey |
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Parents, please fill out this short survey regarding your family’s participation at UCE this fall. This is to guide us in planning for our new Faith Formation Hour this fall. And you can do it in about 3 minutes!
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"When We Return, We Will All Be Newcomers"
~ Nathan Kirkpatrick
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Welcome to Multigenerational Sundays at UCE!
Beginning September 12th All Ages Worship at 10:15 followed by All Ages Faith Formation at 11:30. Activities will vary week to week and be offered in dual formats (in-person and on-line) as much as possible. You may see the outline for the weekly schedule here. Please watch this video for more information and look to the website and future newsletters for more details.
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Hats Off to the Immigrant Solidarity Team! |
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Our hats are off to the Immigrant Solidarity Team (IST) for their guidance in how to assist those in crisis in Afghanistan and support Afghan refugees in the US. Thanks to IST, our community is better informed in ways we can contribute.
Utilizing our newsletter, member-to-member and social justice Facebook groups, emails, and so many other ways of keeping in touch, IST members, including Lee & Jane Bannor, Anne Sullivan, Jeanne Kerl, and Michelle Novak, continue to share ways to provide support across the world and directly in our community. Check out the article below in the "Social Justice & Action" section! Thank you, IST, for helping us live our mission in ways beyond UCE.
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Highlights from August 19 UCE Board of Trustees Meeting |
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This is not meant to be a complete description, just a note to let you know what was discussed. Please look for the minutes from the previous meeting which are posted each month after they have been approved. To view the minutes for the previous month, go to the Board Page on the UCE website.
- The Board worked on an agenda format which will allow us to devote more time to more strategic issues.
- We reviewed the new organization of routine monthly Board administrative tasks. This is the implementation of a plan discussed by last year’s Board to allow the president to spend more time on larger, longer range issues...
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Chalice Lighters Needed - If you would like to light the UCE chalice OR record you and your family lighting a chalice at home to be used in the Sunday service, please send an email to Rev. Eileen.
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Wednesday Zoom Gatherings Continue on 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 5:30 pm via Zoom.
Registration for Beloved Conversations is open through August 31. More info below.
Faith, Justice and Reparations in Evanston Virtual Workshop is September 19, 26, and October 3. More info below.
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This Week's Events & Links |
Saturday, August 28
- Intro to Tai Chi at 11 am in the UCE Sanctuary.
Sunday, August 29
- Service of Remembrance at 9 am on the South Lawn.
- A Vigil for Haiti at 4 pm at James Park near Mt. Trashmore
Monday, August 30
Wednesday, September 1
Thursday, August 26
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Virtual Meditation at 5:30 pm via Zoom. Email Lisa Solomon for the link.
- Choir Rehearsal/ Welcome Party at 7 pm in Room 3.
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Faith Formation Parent/Volunteer Conversation at 7 pm via Zoom. Click here to join.
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Congregational Connections |
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Join us in Creating Opportunities for
Richer Engagement in the UCE Community
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After almost 18 months of virtual gathering we will all be newcomers when we return to our building in September 2021. We will be starting anew, learning how to be together again – to connect in new and different ways, embracing our mission and working to build an even stronger, more vibrant community to “nurture the human spirit for a world made whole”.
The Membership Engagement Task Force has been meeting since February to learn more about what we do well in welcoming and engaging members and where we could improve our efforts to facilitate meaningful and satisfying participation in the life of UCE...
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Try out Tai Chi at UCE - August 28 |
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Tai Chi is coming to UCE. UCE member Renee Gatsis has played Tai Chi for 40 years and taught it for over 20. She credits Tai Chi in large part for her equanimity and good health.
Renee will teach the Sun-style tai chi form adapted and popularized by Dr. Paul Lam. This meditation in motion is a gentle exercise with graceful, flowing movement performed at a slow tempo. The Sun style is a simple, upright form ideal for people of all ages. In fact, Renee has taught this form to teens as well as elders.
Regular Tai Chi practice yields many benefits including, but not limited to:
improved concentration, relaxation, balance, flexibility, fitness, immunity, pain relief and quality of life.
Classes start Saturday, September 11, from 11:00-noon, in the sanctuary.
Want to learn more? Please register below for the information/demonstration session on Saturday, August 28, from 11:00-11:45, in the sanctuary. Interested, but can’t make the info/demo? That's ok. Fill out the registration form and we'll add you to the email list.
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Service of Remembrance - August 29 - 9 am |
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For the sixth year in a row, the Chris Isely Cancer Support Group will host a Service of Remembrance to honor loved ones we have lost to cancer or from any cause, whether in our church or in our personal lives. The service will take place outside next to the Rain Garden (south lawn of the church.) Rev. Eileen and members of the group will lead the brief ceremony, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 29, 2021. Anyone who wishes to honor the memory of a loved one, regardless of when that loss occurred, is invited to attend. Masks will be required. (In the event of rain, the service will be postponed to Sunday, September 5, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.)
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Vigil for Haiti - August 29 - 4 pm |
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Evanston Clergy are working with The Haitian Congress to organize a relief effort for those devastated by the earthquake.
There will be a Vigil for Haiti this Sunday, August 29th at James Park near Mt. Trashmore beginning at 4:00 PM with an array of speakers offering short remarks. The August 14th earthquake has left 2,207 people dead, 344 missing and over 12,000 injured. Tropical Storm Grace caused difficulty in the work towards recovery. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured.
Rev. Eileen hopes to see you there.
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Registration for Beloved Conversations
Open through August 31
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The REAL Team highly recommends that anyone who has not taken the online version of Beloved Conversations sign up for "Beloved Conversations: Within". The Beloved Conversations in-person curriculum has evolved to be a three-part online curriculum divided into the Within Phase, the Among Phase, and the Beyond Phase. If you took the original in-person curriculum, the new online Beloved Conversations: Within is a restyled individual curriculum that will bring you something new. If you have not taken any form of Beloved Conversations, now is a good time to take the Within Phase curriculum, because the next phase, Beloved Conversations: Among, is a congregation wide curriculum that the REAL Team is exploring.
UCE has scholarships available for the Beloved Conversations: Within registration fee. Please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.
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After Labor day (September 6), UCE staff will be available for limited office hours:
Tuesday through Friday
10 am - 5 pm
Please note most staff will continue a hybrid work schedule, where they may be working from home throughout the week. If you would like to meet with a particular minister or staff member, you are encouraged to email or call to set up an appointment.
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Grief Group Resumes Monday, September 13 |
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If you have experienced the loss of a loved one, a decline in health or other difficult life transition you are welcome to join this grief group. We will meet on Zoom beginning Monday, September 13 from 6:30 to 7:45 pm every other Monday through December. Please email Ellen Rieger at ellenerieger@gmail.com if you are interested in attending.
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UUA GA 2022 in Portland? But what is the theme? |
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It's time to plan for next year's General Assembly and one of us could create the theme!
The UUA is asking members to suggest themes for the 2022 GA in Portland OR. We have so many creative folks at UCE, it could easily be one of us who wins this contest! Submit your entry by September 13!
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UCE Hosts Vaccination Clinic Continues on September 14 |
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UCE Hosts Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic: September 14, 2-6 pm - We are hosting a 2nd day for our Vaccination Clinic with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). Register at the link below or Walk in on the day of.
- Ages 12+ are welcome
- No insurance or ID needed
- Pfizer (2 dose) and Johnson & Johnson (1 dose) vaccines will be available
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Immunocompromised Individuals are eligible to receive a booster vaccine. More info here.
Please share about this opportunity with everyone you know! This will be a quick and easy way to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 Virus.
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From the Immigration Support Team |
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If you would like to help Afghans and Afghan refugees, you can volunteer with or donate to Refugee One, which settles refugees in the Chicago area. They are in great need of both volunteers and money. You can also donate to International Refugee Assistance Project Legal Aid, which helps refugees with our complex and difficult legal processes, from securing their legal status to getting a social security number.
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Update: Syrian Refugee Family |
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Five years ago, UCE sponsored a Syrian refugee family—the Haj Khalafs. We learned recently that Fatoum (the mother) will welcome her sister Ghufran Bakir, to the U.S. on September 2 along with her three children Ryaan, 13; Hatty, 12; and Talib, 8. Ghufran, was widowed in the war, and has spent the last eight years in a refugee camp in Turkey. They are delighted to be reunited.
A few members of the congregation and the Immigrant Solidarity Team would like to help the new family. Our goal is to raise $5000 (or more) that will help them pay their rent for 4 or more months...
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Countryside UU Church in Palatine converted its parsonage to a temporary shelter for refugee families awaiting their legal findings. You may recall that the Immigrant Solidarity Team did some fundraising to help. Now Chalice House needs some in-kind help. They need a lawn mower, a 3/8 wrench for their tool kit, and they need someone who knows how to repair a rattan chair. If you can help with any of these please reach out to Lee Bannor (contact info in Realm). They have a long list of other needs and Lee can forward their email to anyone who wants to review it. |
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September 4, 11, & 12 are Drop Off Days for much needed Fingernail Clippers, Shaving Cream, Razors, & More |
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Interfaith Action of Evanston operates a monthly Produce Mobile, year-round, providing free groceries and toiletries to around 250 families.
For the September 14th Produce Mobile, they are in need of the following items:
- Fingernail clippers
- Bar Soap (preference is Dove)
- Shaving cream
- Disposable razors
- All-purpose cleaner
Please limit your generosity to the items requested.
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Faith, Justice and Reparations in Evanston,
September 19, 26, and October 3
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Register today to attend a three-part workshop on Faith, Justice and Reparations in Evanston. Sessions will take place on Sunday afternoons from 4 to 5:30 on September 19, 26, and October 3, via Zoom. We will explore what “reparation” means, how Evanston’s history of exclusion and discrimination calls for repair, what is happening with our current Reparations programs — and consider how we, as people of faith, are called to act at this significant moment in history.
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Join the Parent/Volunteer Conversation! |
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Parent/Volunteer Conversation - Based on the feedback from the Family Engagement Survey so far, there is a need to get more information out to you so that you can make the decision on how your family participates this year at UCE. You are invited to one of two virtual gatherings for this purpose:
Monday, August 30 from 7-8 pm OR
Thursday, September 2 from 7-8 pm
Come hear about the format for Sundays at UCE for worship and the faith formation hour. Bring your questions and share your ideas! Those who are considering whether to volunteer this year are invited too!
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What's Happening in Faith Formation this Fall? |
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Backpack Blessing – Join the virtual worship service for our backpack blessing on September 5! Rev. Eileen will offer a blessing for our backpack tags for those who are beginning a new school year. You can pick up yours at UCE at the Ingathering Service on September 12, or in the lobby during office hours all week long.
Back-to-School pictures? If you took some pictures to mark the occasion, we’d love to show them during the worship service on September 5! You can drop them in this Google folder or email them to Kathy Underwood.
Registration for Faith Formation begins! This year more than ever, it is important that parents register their young people, so that we can plan according to current guidelines. Please complete the form here for all young people, 0-18 years old.
Family Engagement Survey – Parents, please fill out this short survey regarding your family’s participation at UCE this fall. It should take 5 minutes or less!
Worship and Faith Formation this Fall - If you haven’t seen the video about our worship and faith formation format for this fall yet, check it out here. And if you missed Kathy’s article about this you can find it here.
Playscape Steppingstone Event – September 25 and October 2 - Families are invited to help make steppingstones. For more details and to register, click here.
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Bridging Youth Hospitality Network |
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College-bound youth and young adults! A network to connect with UUs wherever you are! Join Rev. Byron Tyler Coles & Rev. Stevie K Carmody Eama for an information session about the recently launched Bridging Youth Hospitality Network!
- Thursday, September 2nd, 5pm ET
- Thursday, October 7th, 7pm ET
Check the links below for Zoom registration and more information. Spread the survey to recently bridged youth and the communities that want to welcome them!
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UCE Fiction Book Group is reading My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book 1, a graphic novel by Emil Ferris. Discussion meeting September 17, 7-8:30 pm via Zoom.
Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes, filled with B-movie horror and pulp monster magazine iconography. Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold. When Karen’s investigation takes us back to Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, the reader discovers how the personal, the political, the past, and the present converge.
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The nonfiction book group will meet via Zoom at 2 pm on Sunday, September 26th to discuss How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America.
The author, Heather Cox Richardson, writes about how the South was the ideological victor of the Civil War as expansion of the Western frontier allowed the hierarchies of the South to proliferate. The book has been called "a thought-provoking study of the centuries-spanning battle between oligarchy and equality in America."
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Unitarian Church of Evanston
1330 Ridge Ave. Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1330
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