January 2022 - Page 2 of 2

From EOD: January 14, 2022

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director,

Building office hours are limited during January. Some staff members, including myself, have been ill and are avoiding in person office hours. Jessica has posted in this newsletter our current hours. If you need to be in touch with me please call the office and you will be given my cell phone number or email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org. Otherwise, for staff members who may not answer their church phone, please leave a message. Messages are forwarded to individual staff members. If you need to stop by the church for any reason, please contact us ahead of time.

This is the time of the year when the Integrated Stewardship Council ramps up discussions on budget and pledge drive. The Budget Working Group of the ISC (Joe Romeo, Board President; Tom Carlton, UCE Treasurer; Susan Comstock, ISC Member-At-Large and Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Sr. Minister, and me as Executive Operations Director) We have prepared a rough preliminary draft that was shared with ISC and the Board. The Board of Trustees has had in depth conversations to focus on their priorities going forward. We are taking those into account as we structure the budget for fiscal year 2022/23.

We are faced with big challenges this year which include the loss of rental and rummage sale income due to the pandemic. We lost large pledges of those who have died and moved away. This year we do not have the PPP loan to help us fund critical staffing that supports the mission of this church.

Our Pledge Drive Co-Chairs Rafael Hernandez-Arias and Jim Strickler are organizing their team and planning the 2022-23 Pledge Drive. The goal set for the pledge drive guides the Budget Working Group on the amount of expenses for the fiscal year to present a balanced budget. The budget process begins in November with a draft budget to be approved by the Integrated Stewardship Council and Board in April to be approved at the May 15 Annual Meeting.

Capital Campaign Projects – the CC Sanctuary Cooling Team is on the cusp of a decision on a contractor. We met this week with our final candidate to seek additional information on their proposal and to provide an opportunity for them to ask questions of us and we of them. May is the goal for installation of the cooling units that will serve the sanctuary and social area of the building.

The South Rain Garden Study Continues and weather stations have been installed by our competent and enthusiastic team of students from Northwestern University headed by Professor Kim Grant. Shirley Adams and I have submitted a grant application to Faith in Place which we would use for educational signage at the south rain garden if we are awarded the grant.

A UCE Garden Team has been formed under the leadership of Janelle Brittain. This team will coordinate efforts to maintain the gardens, water, weed and keep a close eye on the health and vitality of these areas throughout the growing season. These areas include the new northwest side pollinator garden, existing prairie garden, the peace garden at the entrance, plantings along the west wall of the wing, hostas at the south end of the parking lot, and the Intergenerational Playscape Garden on the east side of the building

Rummage Sale – A communication went to many members of the congregation seeking participation on a planning committee for some type of a rummage sale in the spring, which is in our current budget.

A meeting of those interested will be held in the next two weeks. If you are interested in providing ideas and leadership in planning this important fundraiser, please let me know.

Serendipity Auction – a leadership succession planning meeting was held this week. Cathy Deamant will remain the Chair. Our plan is to recruit an individual for the following year who can work with Cathy and the team toward eventual transition as a new chair. We are grateful to Cathy Deamant, Susan Comstock, Jenny Walsh and Carla Williams for an extraordinary auction this fall. It was successful both financially as well as in community building for our congregation, especially during these challenging times.

– Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director

From EOD: January 14, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-13T19:53:33+00:00

Forum Discussion Topic: January 16, 2022

Forum – January 16: Scaling up social solidarity: Is it realistic for all to have what they need? Envision what is possible. Words to contemplate before Forum: “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed,” Mahatma Gandhi

From Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life’s roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”

U.S. leaders claim that we do not have enough resources to give every resident a life with dignity and security through secure housing, adequate nutrition and health care, work that provides a wage that you can live on, education that leads to meaningful employment etc. Experiences through the pandemic and natural disasters have shown what is possible if we take care of each other. Join us in exploring what might be possible if we help our country live out its stated values.

Forum Discussion Topic: January 16, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-12T23:13:52+00:00

Syrian Refugee Family Update: January 14, 2022

The Bakir family continues to settle in after their arrival in the U.S. in September. The UCE community’s generous response to our fundraiser in the fall means that they have their rent paid for December-February. And the extra good news is that we received an endowment grant that will help them out with rent over the spring months as well.

We have purchased clothes for them and they received many lovely gifts from Mitten tree donors as well. The kids are adjusting to school in Skokie. The mother, Ghurfran, will soon begin learning English in an Oakton Community College class. Right now, the class is taught remotely, so she is getting a laptop and will be learning how to use that as well. But in the future, she may go to an on-campus class. The kids receive tutoring through Catholic Charities, but if anyone is interested in helping to tutor Ghufran, please email Jeanne Kerl at figkerl@gmail.com.

Aya Haj Khalaf and her husband Basil (Aya is Ghurfan’s niece and a member of our original Syrian refugee family) had a new baby in October. They also have a 2-year-old son, Keenan. Marilyn Wroblewski and Carol Nielsen will help Aya by taking Keenan to a local church’s daycare program once a week. He will get to play with other children (a rare thing during COVID) and Aya will get a little break. Aya acts as the main support for her Aunt’s family as she translates for them and helps them negotiate how to live in our culture.

Thank you so much to everyone who has given so generously to support this family. If you want to help out, email Jeanne Kerl at figkerl@gmail.com:

Let us know that you would be willing to drive a family member to a medical appointment (or to Oakton Community College or another errand.) We will add your name to our list and reach out when a specific request comes up.
Let us know if you would be willing to tutor Ghufran or if you know someone with ELL experience who might want to work with her.
Let us know if you would be willing to purchase an item for the family when a specific need arises. Sometimes they may quickly need a new pair of shoes or a new item for school and it is easier for our team, if we have a list of folks to email.This is not a commitment to purchase something, just to be asked.
If you would like to donate money for rent, visit this page on the UCE website and choose “refugee family fund.”

Thanks again to everyone for their help.

—The Immigrant Solidarity Team

Syrian Refugee Family Update: January 14, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-12T23:14:49+00:00

WTC Discussion: January 16, 2022

Widening the Circle of Concern
Reading for January 16, 2022
Faith Formation Hour at 11:30-12:30

5th Chapter – Living Our Values in the World

Come learn ways to live our UU values in the world. Congregants are encouraged to participate in small group discussions of the Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, Widening the Circle of Concern. This report is a guiding document for UCE’s Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression work. 

For our discussion in January, you are encouraged to read the chapter on Living Our Values in the World before January 16th so you are prepared for the conversation. You do not need to have participated in previous conversations to join this one!

These conversations will be taking place via breakout rooms in Zoom. If you hold a marginalized identity and would want an identity-based caucus space to discuss Widening the Circle of Concern, please contact Rev. Eileen Wiviott or Rev. Susan Frances so we can arrange that space.  

Here is the link to take part via Zoom on January 16th at 11:30 am: https://zoom.us/j/93634773993?pwd=TXlTMG9XODd3dEFkd2Z0aEZnWkZSUT09 

The UUA Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) was commissioned by the 2017 General Assembly to conduct an audit of the power structures within the UUA and analyze systemic racism and white supremacy culture within our movement. This report, issued in June 2020, is the result of three years of labor by the COIC, gathering painful stories and doing the difficult emotional labor of identifying the ways systemic racism exists within Unitarian Universalism. The purpose and goals of the report include, to “identify the aspects of [white supremacy] culture that must be dismantled to transform us into a faith for our times.” 

As the Board of Trustees, staff, and a few members have engaged with this report over the past year, we are clear that dismantling systemic racism within our institution is a shared responsibility and requires all of us to take part. Please join us in these vital conversations the 3rd Sunday of each month during the Faith Formation Hour through June 2022 (except April will be the 2nd Sunday). 

~ Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Rev. Susan Frances

WTC Discussion: January 16, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-11T19:52:13+00:00

January 16, 2022

We will host a virtual worship service on Sunday, January 16th at 10:15 am.

Reparations: To Share Love and Power
How does a nation make amends for its deepest moral failing, the evil of enslavement? How can our society be repaired, unless we acknowledge the historic and ongoing devastation of white supremacy? To fulfill the dream of Beloved Community and create a whole and just world, we must learn to share love as well as power. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads the service with Worship Associate, Sarah Vanderwicken.

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 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 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 Community Renewal Society (CRS).

January 16, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-10T20:50:13+00:00

From DLRE: January 7, 2021

Well, here we go again! With the recent increase in Covid cases we find ourselves once again returning to virtual worship and faith formation. It may be bringing a lot of different feelings up for you and your family: frustration, boredom, feeling stuck and in a rut, perhaps tired and run-down too. Our resilience is being tested yet again.

And yet I am feeling more optimistic this time around. Winter is naturally a time for staying indoors more and taking time for reflection, especially at New Year’s. I am noticing that the sky is lightening earlier and staying out just a bit later in the day now. I am blessed with a warm house, a full refrigerator, a job that allows me to work from home when needed, and a spouse who puts up with me 24/7.

For us at UCE, we are still able to gather in small groups. This helps tremendously with the spirits and morale of those who feel comfortable being in person. Of course, we are also able to gather in the great outdoors and enjoy the beauty of winter along the lakefront, in forest preserves, and around the block in our own neighborhoods. And we can take the time to explore this month’s theme, Living with Intention.

While most of our Faith Formation programs will be virtual in January, we will sprinkle in some outdoor fun too! I hope you join us in some of these programs and events:

January 9 –
Join our guest Storyteller, Olivia Behr, after worship and kinship time at 11:35 am for a storytelling workshop on our intentions. Together we will explore the hopes and obstacles of our journeys.
After Faith Formation Hour, all ages are invited to meet at Emily Oaks in Skokie at 12:30p for a nature walk, and perhaps a special activity – a Gnome Hunt!

January 11 at 7 pm – Belonging to One Another in a Time of Rupture: How COVID Can Change Healthcare, Caregivers, and Relationships – Tuesday, on Zoom.
A Conversation with Andi Chatburn, DO, MA, HEC-C, Regional Director for Ethics, Providence Health, Washington Montana Region.

January 16 – a Youth Group outing is being planned, so stay tuned!

Forum Discussion Group resumes January 16 at 11:35 am on Zoom
Scaling up social solidarity: Is it realistic for all to have what they need? Envision what is possible. Words to contemplate before our discussion: “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed,” Mahatma Gandhi

Beginning January 18 – What Do yUU Believe? A credo class for youth and adults together.
How do you talk about what you believe and how does what you believe show up in the way you live your life? How do you articulate what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist? In these four virtual sessions, designed for youth and adults (age 12 and up) Kathy Underwood and Rev. Eileen Wiviott will accompany you on the journey toward understanding and articulating your beliefs and how they align with our UU faith. All sessions will be on Zoom.

January 18th 7pm – 8:30pm
January 25th 7pm – 8:30pm
February 1st 7pm – 8:30pm
February 8th 7pm – 8:30pm

January 23 – One-to-One Conversations – 11:35 am
Giving your time and interest in another person can go a long way to build relationships. We’ll explore ways to connect to each other virtually and in person to grow our faith community.

Sledding at 1 pm if there is snow. More details to come!

January 30 – Spiritual Practices at 11:35 am
All ages are invited to join any of these programs. Check the newsletter later this month for further details:

Prayer for UUs with Rev. Eileen
Imbolc Ritual led by Taryn Seawright and Dan Solomon
Meditation led by Ellie Feddersen and Diane Markel
Tai Chi led by Renee Gatsis

See you there!
Kathy Underwood

From DLRE: January 7, 2021UCE UCE2022-01-06T16:44:10+00:00

Belonging to One Another in a Time of Rupture…: January 11, 2022

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 7-8:30 pm | Virtual session on Zoom | Facilitated by Dr. Andi Chatburn

A Conversation with Andi Chatburn, DO, MA, HEC-C,
Regional Director for Ethics, Providence Health, Washington Montana Region.

Dr Chatburn will share personal experiences bearing witness to conflict from the bedside to the boardroom and beyond, working as a clinical bioethicist during the global COVID pandemic and ongoing domestic political turmoil. Acute Care hospitals, particularly intensive care units, represent a microcosm of how individuals and communities cope and engage in interpersonal relationships when the stakes are high and emotions run strong. We will explore together the effect they’ve had on the environment of care in hospitals, and participants will reflect in small groups on their own experiences. For many, the experiences of conflict lead to a hunger for what theologian, attorney, and civil rights activist Valarie Kaur calls Revolutionary Love. Chatburn will introduce the Revolutionary Love compass, used as an educational tool in hospitals through the ethics curriculum, as a tool for personal, communal, and systems transformation.

More about Dr. Andi Chatburn, DO, MA

Dr. Andi Chatburn, DO, MA in Medical Ethics, HEC-C, is a Palliative Care physician in Spokane, Washington, and serves as the Regional Director for Ethics for Providence St. Joseph Health in Eastern Washington and Western Montana. Dr. Chatburn values time spent “standing in the gap” of uncertainty in clinical questions ranging from beginning to the end of life. This promotes curiosity and relationship while exploring questions of ‘how we ought to be with one another in community’ as we seek to address the challenges of promoting health for a better world.

Belonging to One Another in a Time of Rupture…: January 11, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-05T22:13:15+00:00

A Pandemic and an Epidemic: January 4, 2022

A Pandemic and an Epidemic: Covid-19 and Alternative Facts

Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at 7-8:30 pm | Virtual Sessions on Zoom | Facilitated by Howard Jarvis, MD

Dr. Jarvis will speak about how a large regional health system in rural America confronted the medical and cultural realities of Covid, and what unique steps were taken initially. They eventually became the epicenter of the delta wave pandemic, and are now dealing with another peak. The crisis continues to be exacerbated by a low vaccination rate in Springfield, and dismal vaccination rates in the more rural areas. There will be some discussion of the politics of downplaying the effectiveness of masks, social distancing, and vaccines.

Howard Jarvis, MD, FAAEM, has been interviewed by CNN and the Kansas City star because he has been on the front lines of the battle with Covid and “alternative facts.”

He is Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director of the Emergency Department at CoxHealth in Springfield, MO—an area with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. He graduated from Washington University School of Medicine and trained at MetroHealth- Case Western Reserve and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where he was Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine.

Prior to medical school he was in the Graceland University Honors Program directed by UCE Members Bob and Barbara Mesle. He took Bob’s Medical Ethics class, as well as Barbara’s British Literature class, the latter of which was his favorite college course. This Kansas City Star interview with Dr. Jarvis offers a good look at him and his situation.

A Pandemic and an Epidemic: January 4, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-03T19:58:24+00:00

January 9, 2022

We will host a virtual worship service on Sunday, January 9th at 10:15 am.

Justifying Our Means and Ends
In October, we talked about renewing our Ends Statements* and introduced the process of exploring our core values through an exercise called The Experience of the Holy. Many of you have participated in these meaning making conversations over the past several months. In this service, we will explore what we’ve learned so far about the values we share and the aspirations we can intentionally claim in the coming years. Rev. Eileen leads the service with Lynn Kendall as Worship Associate.

January 9, 2022UCE UCE2022-01-07T20:06:56+00:00

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A Pandemic and an Epidemic: Covid-19 and Alternative Facts

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