For Visitors – Becoming a MemberUC Evanston2024-03-08T21:32:42+00:00
Becoming a Member
We encourage you to join us for worship on Sunday mornings and join us throughout the week to take part in the many ways we grow our beloved community, including book groups, lifespan religious education classes, special events, and social action. You are welcome!
Three Steps to Become a Member at UCE
1. Take our one hour Journey Toward Membership class.
2. Complete a Pledge form.
3. Sign the Membership Book.
Journey Toward Membership – Are you a new or long-time visitor? Are you interested in committing to our UCE community as a member? Are you not sure, but would like some more information? Come get the details about the rewards and responsibilities of membership. This class is offered 4 times during the year.
Pledge – Our congregation is funded solely by donations from congregants and building rentals. Your pledged donation of any size matters. To learn more about pledging, check out the UCE Pledge Drive information. If you would like to talk through pledging, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.
Membership Book – Our current Membership Book dates back to the creation of the Unitarian Universalist Association in 1961. Previous membership books reside in our archives. You are welcome to sign the Membership Book at any time. We welcome new members during a New Member Covenanting ceremony during the Sunday morning worship service twice a year, once in November and once in April.
Journey of Belonging Series
Our Journey of Belonging Series is a 3-part series for visitors, friends, as well as new and long-term members to take a deeper dive into our covenant and values, our history, and the spiritual underpinnings of Unitarian Universalism. Take one class or all three! If you have any questions about this series, please contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org.
Journeying in Covenant – Unitarian Universalists do not have a creed that binds us together as a faith community. Instead, we are a covenantal community bound by how we agree to be in relationship with each other and by our adherence to a common set of values. Delve into our UU Principles and what it means to be in covenant.
A Journey Through UU History – Do you wonder about the heretics of the 2nd century or the universal love embraced by our Universalist ancestors? Do you wonder about the transcendentalist and humanist forbearers in our Unitarian tradition or about the 1961 merger that created the Unitarian Universalist Association? Come Journey Through our Unitarian Universalist (UU) History.
· March 12, 2024, virtual, 7:00-8:00 pm, see newsletter or email Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org for Zoom link
Spiritual Journeys & Inspiration – Each of us has a unique combination of inspirations, sources, and life experiences that grounds our personal spiritual life, whether it is an atheist, theist, or agnostic theology. In our pluralist faith community, come learn about our common sources and share your personal journey.
· March 26, 2024, virtual, 7:00-8:00 pm, see newsletter or email Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org for Zoom link.
Invitation to Membership
Are you ready to join the membership of the Unitarian Church of Evanston and make a financial pledge to sustain the work of this congregation as we nurture the human spirit for a world made whole? Contact Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org when you are ready to sign the Membership Book and submit a pledge form.
Financial Contribution
Annual financial pledges by members and friends keep the doors open, the lights on, programs supported, music playing, ministers preaching, and staff managing our congregation. While there is no specific dollar amount required for membership, some people find it helpful to think in terms of a percentage of their income; for example, between 2-5% of gross income. Except for rental income, which has significantly declined due to COVID-19, pledges and donations constitute the entirety of our congregation’s annual income.
Membership Directory = REALM
Once you become a member of UCE, you will receive a login to our membership database called REALM. You will then have access to our Membership Directory when you are logged into REALM on your computer, ipad, or phone. Click here to access the REALM help guide or contact Adam Gough at agough@ucevanston.org if you need help accessing the Membership Directory or other assistance using REALM.
UCE Facebook
In addition to the public UCE Facebook Page, there are two UCE private groups that members can join – the UCE Member to Member Group and the UCE Social Action Group. These are closed groups that allow members to communicate directly with each other. If you have an event you want members to know about, or have a cause you hope to bring attention to, you may post to the appropriate Facebook Group in addition to the weekly newsletter and Sunday morning announcements. Click the links above or search for the groups by name on Facebook and ask to join.