July 5, 2020
We will host an online worship service on Sunday, July 5th at 11:15 am.
“Nap, Pray, Love” – by Monica Kling-Garcia
In our society, productivity is often the measure of success. Yet, during the COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to be “productive” was prevented by our collective grief and sudden changes in our society. If we listen to ourselves, we may find that we are tired in many ways – physically and spiritually. This Sunday, we will explore the different ways to let ourselves rest and why it is important. Log in to church in your comfy clothes and with your favorite warm beverage in hand as we care for our mind, body, and spirit together!
Monica Kling-Garcia is the Schug Ministerial Intern at the First Unitarian Church of Chicago and a third year seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School. At Meadville Lombard, she currently serves as the co-president of the Student Advisory Council, and was also the recipient of the 2019 Carleton Doan Prize in the Philosophy of Religion. In her ministry at First Unitarian, Monica has worked to foster a spirit of connection and community through her preaching, small groups, and the successful Celebrate@First community event series. A Wisconsinite at heart, Monica now lives in Chicago with her husband, Logan, and their cat, Yennefur.
Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 11 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time during the summer so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Deborah’s Place (Click here to learn more).
Letter to the Congregation: June 26, 2020
It is with a mix of regret and appreciation that we share the news that Rev. Karen Mooney will be leaving the position of Congregational Life Director at the end of July to continue her work as the (Sabbatical) Executive Director for UUANI until the end of the year.
This change was not anticipated when Karen was hired but the life events that brought Karen into that Sabbatical Ministry have worsened requiring her leadership for a longer period of time. Karen has been holding two half-time positions within our Unitarian Universalist faith since March – as the Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI) and as Congregational Life Director of UCE. The leadership at UCE has worked to ensure a smooth transition from Karen’s ministry. As hard as it is to see Karen go, we trust you will be reassured to know that Susan Frances, our former ministerial intern, will be returning to UCE as our part time Congregational Life Director beginning August 3rd. There will be more details on that soon.
We have benefitted from Karen’s presence in all ways. We are grateful for her wisdom, competence, and compassion in this role and we also understand and support her need to move on. As you will remember, Karen began her role with us on March 10th, the very day the pandemic impacted our community in such a profound and personal way. It has been an extraordinary time of upheaval and challenge to carry forth ministry, let alone to begin a new position. Yet, Karen proved to be a tremendous asset from the very beginning, managing our caring response to members and friends, launching Proximity Partners, steering the Social Justice Council, orienting and welcoming new members, leading powerful and beautiful worship, and much more.
We will miss you, Karen, and know that our work together will carry on, through our partnership with UUANI and other shared justice efforts. Please read Karen’s statement of thanks and regret here:
June 28, 2020
In place of a UCE worship service at 11:15 am on Sunday, June 28, UCE will take the unprecedented opportunity to virtually join in the largest annual gathering of UUs for worship. All are invited to attend the UUA General Assembly virtual worship service at either 9 am CST or Noon CST. The service will include a collection for the Tomaquag Museum, an indigenous museum featuring an extensive collection and archive of Southern New England tribal communities. Members of the public are welcome. More information here.
UCE’s virtual coffee hour will be at 11:15 am this Sunday only, since GA worship services will be at 9 am CST and Noon CST. Please look in the Friday newsletter or the Wednesday email for a link to this virtual gathering.
You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) (click here to learn more).
From EOD: June 19, 2020
Our Capital Campaign Improvements are moving forward. This has been an exciting week at UCE with so much being done to improve our facility while we are closed. At this moment the drain sewers are being replaced. Drilling and removal started on Monday with work continuing through the week. Photos have been assembled into a slide show so you can follow along on this significant work, including a shot of the 6 ft hole where sand has eroded over many years. At the end of this operations update, there are slideshows of UCE’s in-progress construction.
Window sills in the lobby and wing were replaced last week. This week our new lobby floor is being installed as well. The floors of the wing hallway, room 2 and 3 will be replaced in the next few weeks. Solar shades will be hung on the windows of the office, and room 2 and 3 the next two weeks. So the juggle to accommodate workers continues. It is all very exciting. See the slideshow below.
On the financial front, we are entering the final stretch of our fiscal year ending on June 30. If your pledge payment for this year is not complete, please send that to us as soon as possible. Vickie Doebele will be sending statements early next week.
I have completed and submitted to the Integrated Stewardship Council and Board, an updated financial projection for 2019/2020. For the first time in 10 years we will experience a deficit. However, the good news is that due to generous contributions by the congregation and reduced expenses during closure we estimate the projected deficit of $26,000 is now closer to $12,000. Thank you to all for supporting us with your gifts during these challenging times.
We are still continuing to pay all employees and are complying with PPP guidelines for loan forgiveness. All staff, with the exception of lobby staff, childcare and kitchen staff are very busy working from home. Liz and Steven go into the church each day to check on the building, clean and allow contractors to enter the building.
As part of our efforts to recoup fundraising losses Susan Comstock and I have formed a UCE Fundraising Team to work on options for creating a virtual auction and some form of Rummage Sale. A meeting was held by zoom this week and the wheels are turning toward making these events happen. More detail will follow, but please hold onto your best items that you have gathered from your home during shelter-in-place.
Finally, on June 23 & 24 I will join virtually with other Executive Directors and Administrators at AUUA Days. This is part of the UUA General Assembly gatherings that happens each year in June. I will attend workshops, including “Dismantling White Supremacy” led by Andrew Zallar. The Association of UU Administrators is an excellent group who share issues and opportunities with fellow colleagues. I receive their regular email group communications and participate in AUUA Days whenever possible. A few years ago, I shared the stage as a guest speaker with our former Intern David Pyle.
Parking Lot in Progress
Lobby Floors in Progress
Life Planning Series Continues July 2020
Join us on Wednesdays in July (July 8, 15, 22, 29) from 7 to 8:30 pm.
July 8—Mental Health
Presenter: Judy LeFevour
This seminar will discuss the human costs of the Pandemic. These costs can be far reaching and there are coping skills and resources to share that can help build resilience and manage these struggles. Let’s help each other through this!
July 15—Ethical Wills/Spiritual Memories—Part I
Presenters: 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.
July 22—Real Life Organizing
Presenter: Liz Kennedy-Eason
Organizing/decluttering is not a “one size fits all” process. Liz will lead us through examining the different types of clutter and accumulation. She will help us identify our individual style. She will guide us to create a fun, easy and practical way to declutter and organize our home and life through a process created by Cas Aarrssen and Peter Walsch.
July 29—Ethical Wills/Spiritual Memories—Part II
See description above from July 15.
Endowment Application Deadline June 30, 2020
The application deadline for projects to be completed in FT20-21 is June 30. The recently revised application is in a new location on the Web site, under Ways to Give/donate/endowment. Click here to download the application.
Projects approved over the past year have included the following:
Title
Immigrant Solidarity Lecture – Oscar Chacon
Family Focus Scholarships
Transforming Hearts curriculum
Digital Advertising
Life Planning Workshop series
Tree of Life Chalice
Kitchen renovation equipment Part I
Kitchen renovation equipment (Green) Part II
Leadership Development scholarships
UUPMI Solidarity
Emergency Building/grounds repair
Team Brownsville water project
Chalice House project to house immigrants
Worship Arts Music program support
Building and Grounds maintenance
Connections for the Homeless Food delivery
Amount
$700
$5,375
$700
$1,200
$2,585
$2,010
$2,735
$5,368
$8,560
$1,200
$3,725
$6,720
$1,800
$9,500
$15,000
$9,000
Total $76,178
If you have any questions about the grant application process, please do not hesitate to contact Jane Kenamore by email at jkenamore@ameritech.net.
From the BOT: June 19, 2020
The annual General Assembly (GA) of Unitarian Universalists from all across the United States takes place this month from the 24th through the 28th. So far, twenty-one people from UCE will attend this year, which may set a record for an all-time high. That number includes Rev. Eileen and Rev. K Mooney, Kathy Underwood, and eighteen members. See the article in this newsletter from Denominational Affairs about registration and scholarships. You too can attend!
Based on the size of our congregation, we are allowed nine voting delegates to represent us in the business meetings at GA. Our Board-appointed delegates this year are Shirley Adams, Lee Bannor, Peggy Boccard, Andy Fisher, Martha Holman, Joe Romeo, Donna Schiller, Steve Serikaku, and Jessica Tomell-Presto.
One of the interesting topics to be voted on is a business proposal to base UUCEF investments on our UU values. UUCEF is the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund. Some of this kind of values guidance has been used in the past, and this proposal incrementally increases the level of care. Some of the money in our UCE Endowment Fund is invested with the UUCEF.
Another example of something delegates will pay attention to are the proposed Actions of Immediate Witness. One AIW proposed for this year is from UUJEC (UUs for a Just Economic Community). It says that COVID-19 has revealed the economic and social injustice that shapes health and health care in the U.S., and calls for immediate action to create healing and health equity during a time of economic crisis, violence, climate change, and systemic oppression.
Besides paying attention to the very important social justice issues we face, delegates and other participants will attend some wonderful events including the Service of the Living Tradition and a grand Welcoming Celebration. There are many excellent workshops from which to choose, and UCE attendees are working on assuring we spread out to get to most or all of the really good workshops relevant to UCE and our mission. We look forward to sharing what we learn with all of you on our return.
June 21, 2020
We will host an online worship service on Sunday, June 20th at 11:15 am.
“Good Enough Father” – Rev Karen Gustafson.
Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day has a mixed history that has morphed into a more or less contrived cultural and commercial phenomenon. At best, perhaps, it offers a moment to pause amidst the chaos and ambiguity of this time of history in the making, to reflect with compassion on the relationships of fathering and being fathered, over against its own cultural mythology. The fragile, imperfect, well intended people who enter into these relationships, on purpose and by accident, for better and for worse are inevitably shaped in the process. On this Father’s Day join with me in time of reflection on how to claim the blessings, small and great, of our paternal legacies.
Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 11 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note the 9:30 and 11:15 services are being rolled into one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) (click here to learn more).