March 2022 - Page 2 of 3

Endowment Funding 2022-2023: March 18, 2022

It’s that time. UCE committee and group leaders and UCE community organization members should begin work on Endowment Fund applications for FY 2022-23, beginning July 1. The first deadline for proposals is May 31 when applications for the next fiscal year will be reviewed and recommended to the Board of Trustees for funding.

Read instructions and fill out an application.
Purposes for use of endowment funds are listed in application instructions.
Funds should be spent within the fiscal year awarded unless the application includes a specified timeline.
One contact person should be named in the application. That contact person has the responsibility of communicating with their committee members about the application
If considering a grant which benefits a community organization, read the qualifications and additional instructions.

Applications submitted during April and early May will receive a preliminary review by the Endowment Committee. This ensures that the application is filled out completely and correctly and questions from the committee are answered. Be creative. The Endowment Fund is a resource and a means to fulfill UCE’s Whole Mission. Questions: Contact Trustees Margaret Schatz, chair; Tom Hempfling; and Bill Hartgering.

Endowment Funding 2022-2023: March 18, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-18T14:32:40+00:00

Join the New Garden Team: March 18, 2022

UCE has many beautiful gardens surrounding our church building. And several of our members have been leaders in tending and growing a vegetable garden to feed the hungry. As a result, we’ve formed a new Garden Team to maintain the beauty, health and sustainability of our gardens. Click here to see our Mission Statement.

We are planning Gardening Days where we’ll need help with digging, weeding, mulching and planting. Whole families can be involved. We want to have fun while we do this together. Additionally, we’ll need specially focused help at certain times for trimming or digging bigger areas. Are you interested? If yes, please email Janelle Brittain, Chair of the Garden Team.

Join the New Garden Team: March 18, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-16T22:26:40+00:00

13 States Participate in Regional Assembly: March 18, 2022

13 States Participate in Regional Assembly. Can You Name Them?

The MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association includes nearly 200 UU congregations and lIke UUA, provides numerous services and support to UU congregations. These services include relationship building, leadership development, faith formation, cultural competence, and support for dismantling systemic white supremacy culture, as well as coaching in stewardship and conflict transformation.

Regional Assembly is MidAmerica’s annual gathering and will happen virtually on April 30. The keynote speaker is CB Beal – if you have participated in the Beloved Conversations program in the last few years, you know CB! In addition to the keynote, we will hold worship, the Annual Business Meeting, and there will also be time for break out rooms for connection and conversation. See the links below for easy registration and the application for UCE Leadership Scholarships to help with registration fee.

Looking to connect with other UCE members attending Regional Assembly? Send an email to a member of the Denominational Affairs Committee: Shirley Adams, Lee Bannor, Peggy Boccard, Melanie Kitchner, Cheryl Mounts, Betty Walker or Carla Williams.

Wondering about those 13 states?

The MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association includes UU congregations in parts or all of these states: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. We are seeking to covenant with each other to find new ways of partnering, and together side with love for the flourishing of our world, our communities, our congregations and our members. UCE ministers, staff and Board regularly benefit from the support and services provided by MidAmerica.

13 States Participate in Regional Assembly: March 18, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-29T19:26:57+00:00

Pledge Drive Almost There: March 18, 2022

We Need the Final Pledges—We are over 90 percent of the way to our goal of $610,000! With the help of those who have not yet pledged, we expect to get there very soon. If you haven’t yet pledged, can you do so right now? Every pledge matters—your pledge matters. The online process takes less than two minutes. Please click here.

Ask a Support Team Member to Fill Out Your Form—For help completing your pledge forms, please leave a phone message at 847-864-1330, Ext. 111, or email pledgeinfo@ucevanston.org. A member of our Support Team will contact you. If you want, this person can fill out your form for you—you just tell them the amount of your pledge and method of payment. They can do the rest.

Additional Information—For additional information, check out the Pledge Drive page (please click here). It includes an FAQ, tips on completing the Google form, guidance on how to set up automatic payments, and more.

Thanks—On behalf of the Board—and really, everyone who calls UCE their community—the Pledge Drive team thanks you for generosity in supporting UCE’s whole mission!

If you have pledged and you get a reminder message, our apologies. Sometimes a gap exists between the time you submit your pledge and the time when a Support Team person reaches out to you.

Pledge Drive Almost There: March 18, 2022UCE UCE2024-01-15T17:35:05+00:00

March 20, 2022

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, March 20th at 10:15 am.

Living Into Our Commitments
with guest preacher, Dr. Elías Ortega
We will discuss ways in which living into our commitments is an invitation and a sacred task. It is an invitation to be a people committed to repairing harm and restoring covenant. When we live into our commitments as a sacred task, we are transformed by the work we do into the beloved community’s likeness.

Dr. Elías Ortega became the President of Meadville Lombard Theological School in 2019. He is an interdisciplinary scholar who received his M.Div. and Ph.D. (Religion and Society, Magna Cum Laude) from Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Meadville Lombard, Dr. Ortega served as Associate Professor of Social Theory and Religious Ethics at Drew University Theological School.

Dr. Ortega currently serves the larger Unitarian Universalist movement as a member of the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change, which created the Widening the Circle of Concern report. In recent years, his denominational service included a term in the Religious Education Credentialing Committee (2016-2018). From 2015 to 2017, he served as a mentor in UUA’s Growing Racial Justice initiative, and during that same period was the Co-Chair of the UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey’s Dismantling Racism Group.

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 UU Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI).

March 20, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-16T16:22:16+00:00

From EOD: March 11, 2022

Greetings,

First and foremost, as Staff Lead of the Integrated Stewardship Council, I appeal to you if you have not yet turned in your pledge for 2022-23 please do so today. Our pledge drive chairs and
planning team are working hard to help us reach our projected goal. We are asking you to get your pledges in this Sunday. Your time, talent and treasures are so valued as we all work
together to do the work at UCE and in the world that matters greatly.

Two important events are coming up that I want to make sure get on your radar. We will hold a Rummage Sale at UCE on Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21st. We will provide for the congregation a list of items we will be accepting. The sale will be held in the Sanctuary, Room 2 and 3 with a Café in the lobby. Since we are not using the lower level it means we need to thoughtfully determine what we sell. The Rummage Sale Planning Team is using spreadsheets of former sales to determine highest selling items. Our donation requests will be based on that information.

The first round of donations will be on Sunday, May 15 after the service with additional drop offs on Wednesday, May 18 from 9-noon. Set up will be Wednesday and Thursday. Stay tuned
for a memo from our team that provides additional information. In the meantime, we need volunteers to help us do this sale. It is an important event that is not only fun and brings visitors
to our church, but it is a key line item in our budget. Like last year’s pop-up-sale we will not be selling large furniture items, but we have a team who will help you sell member-to-member with proceeds going to the rummage sale. Please help us make this a success. Contact me at srobinson@ucevanston.org if you would like to help and/or if you know others who would be willing and available. It will not require the long hours for several days volunteers were expected to work in years past. We plan to have enough people to spread over the days of set up and the sale without undue pressure on volunteers.

Another exciting opportunity to meet with congregation members and friends is Saturday, April 30 at 7 p.m. when Emma’s Revolution (Sandy O and Pat Humphries) return to the UCE stage to perform their amazing music. How we need their voices and powerful messages of social justice right now. Tickets will go on sale next week. Images, ticket information and publicity will be distributed just after the 15th. Watch the newsletter, a special mailing to members and friends, as well as member-to-member social media (Facebook and Instagram). This will be a terrific
night of music as well as a way for us to off-set our budget losses during the pandemic. We hope to see you there.

When you are in the building take note of the many improvements that have been made over time. Liz and Steven have been busy following behind the Capital Campaign projects with their
organization and cleaning skills. Rugs are being shampooed in the lower level, the furnace room has been cleared for work on the air conditioning system, and reorganization of book carts and
other changes here and there all add up to a more attractive and organized church. Thank you to the Capital Campaign Team, to all of you who have donated to the Campaign and for all our
staff and volunteers who have been working hard to make our space more comfortable and welcoming for all.

A contractor has been chosen and work has begun on the installation of cooling in the sanctuary. Gleason Heating & Air Conditioning has ordered equipment, and has visited the
church as they begin their work. The anticipated date of completion is May 30, 2022. The new welcome center desk will be completed in a month or so. After interviewing cabinet
makers we have hired Arlan DeRussy who designed and built the UCE name tag cabinet. The Lobby Team is very excited about this new addition to be added at the entrance that will serve as a welcoming place for our members as well as guests to UCE.

A complete report of Capital Campaign projects and timing of each is outlined in a full report that is provided to the Integrated Stewardship Council and Board of Trustees monthly. That document can be shared with you, our congregation members at any time. Please contact me at srobinson@ucevanston.org and I can email it to you. Jessica Meis, our Communication Coordinator has reduced her hours to 30 from 40 hours per week while she is in school. Please be patient as we transition activities among staff in order to cover all the many tasks
Jessica so capably handles. Jessica is working with Liz Kennedy to transition maintenance of the UCE calendar. We will make an announcement when this transition is complete. Liz is closely
connected to the calendar in her work as Sexton and coordination of room set up so it is a logical move of staff responsibilities. Bear with us. We are all working hard to cover all of the activities as we re-enter our building.

Keep your eyes on the newsletter and member-to-member for more information about the upcoming Earth Day activities planned and Afternoon of the Arts.

From EOD: March 11, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-11T19:57:22+00:00

Call for UCE Delegates: March 11, 2022

Now is your opportunity to join thousands of UUs, both in-person or virtually, at the 2022 UUA General Assembly (GA). UCE is looking for members interested in serving as delegates. Whether attending in-person or virtually your participation supports your personal development and our congregation’s growth and development, which in turn supports our mission to nurture the human spirit for a world made whole.

Delegates are asked to commitment to the following:

Study: https://www.uua.org/ga/congregations/delegates
Read and review the proposed issues for the assembly
Attend Preparing for General Assembly workshop(s) about planned issues to discuss and understand the congregation’s response/concerns
Attend plenary sessions (business meetings) at assembly and vote as appropriate
Contribute to a consolidated report back to the Board and congregation after the assembly (major vote results, new resolutions, significant theme messages)

Delegates must be UCE members. Click here and provide your information if you are interested in serving as a delegate.

Funds Available for Delegates and Non-Delegates Attending General Assembly

Leadership development funds are now available to support both in-person and virtual participation for adults and youth in the 2022 General Assembly scheduled for June 22 through 26. Funding supports registration fees and in-person travel, lodging and meal expenses, as well as expenses for gatherings during GA for those participating virtually.

Complete the UCE’s Scholarship Application online form or download the fillable pdf and email it to Kathy Underwood, Director of Lifespan Faith Formation at KUnderwood@ucevanston.org.

Call for UCE Delegates: March 11, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-11T16:52:29+00:00

Please Pledge Today: March 11, 2022

The Final Days As the pledge drive enters its final five days, it is going strong: As of last Saturday, we had received two-thirds of our goal of $610,000, and pledges have been reaching the office throughout the week.

But to meet this goal and to give the Board time to finalize the budget for next year, we need to get every pledge in by this coming Sunday, March 13.

If you haven’t yet pledged, can you do so right now? Your pledge matters. The online process takes less than two minutes. Please click here.

Pledge Help and Info—For help completing your pledge forms, please leave a phone message at 847-864-1330, Ext. 111, or email pledgeinfo@ucevanston.org. A member of our Support Team will contact you.

For additional information, check out the Pledge Drive page (please click here). It includes an FAQ, tips on completing the Google form, guidance on how to set up automatic payments, and more.

To Those Who Have Pledged—Thank you! On behalf of the Board—and really, for everyone who calls UCE their community—the Pledge Drive team appreciates your generosity. You are providing support for UCE’s whole mission!

If you have pledged and you get a reminder message, our apologies. Sometimes a gap exists between the time you submit your pledge and the time when a Support Team person reaches out to you.

Please Pledge Today: March 11, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-11T15:49:43+00:00

BLUU Havens Chicago March Gathering: March 19, 2022

BLUU HAVENS CHICAGO MARCH GATHERING – SATURDAY, MARCH 19TH 1:00-2:30 on Zoom

Join at 12:30 for Socializing or Just Hanging Out & Listening to Music! We welcome you to join us for our March Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism BLUU Havens Chicago Gathering.

This will be a Black Only Sacred Space. To request a zoom link please email: BLUUHavenChicago@gmail.com.

Be transported with us back to the Summer of 1969 and the amazing Harlem Cultural Festival in the acclaimed 2021 documentary: “Summer of Soul (…Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” By Questlove

From NPR’s It’s Been A Minute: “There were two big music festivals happening in the summer of 1969. While one defined an entire generation of culture and music… the other remained obscure — the only recorded footage placed in a basement that was said to have sat, unpublished, for decades. That is, until Questlove’s first documentary Summer of Soul came out last year. In this episode, Sam chats with Questlove about the recent release of the film’s soundtrack, the long history of Black erasure, and the memorable performances from the likes of The 5th Dimension, Stevie Wonder (playing the drums!), Mavis Staples, Mahalia Jackson, and Nina Simone.”

NPR-Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul’ Brings Lost Music Back To Life

Watch this film in advance of our gathering for free on Hulu & Disney + with Subscription or for $5.99 on YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV or Amazon Prime.

Discussion Questions for “Summer of Soul”

What was your overall reaction to the film and the music presented? Were there some musical groups or singers that you were seeing and hearing for the first time? Who was your favorite and why?
What were your thoughts about the 5th Dimension member’s comment that their group was sometimes accused of not being “black enough.” She also asked “how do you color a sound?” Do you find this to be a relevant question? Why did the 5th Dimension consider it so important to perform in Harlem?
What reaction did you have to the multi-dimensional range of the musical performances at the Harlem Cultural Festival – e.g. from a 19 y/o Stevie Wonder to The Staples Singers to B.B. King, Motown, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Sly and the Family Stone, and Nina Simone. Is some of this music new to you – even in 2022?
Discuss the cultural and political context of the time at which this Festival was held, 1969, including the civil rights movement, Black Panthers, Operation Breadbasket, the Vietnam War, the Nixon Administration, the moon landing, the beginnings of the drug problem and the “War on Drugs,” and Woodstock. How did the Harlem Cultural Festival reflect – or perhaps not reflect – these other milestone events of the end of the 1960s?
What were your thoughts about the (mostly white) media’s reaction to some of the attendees comments about the enormous investment in the moon landing vs. investing in impoverished black communities across the country?
What was your overall reaction to the crowd itself? One narrator described the Festival as a “rose coming out of concrete.” What thoughts do you have about the audience attending the Harlem Cultural Festival as compared to that of Woodstock?
Acclaimed journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault commented in the film: “We hold these truths to be self-evident – that black history is gonna be erased.” In what ways do you see that statement playing out now, more than 50 years later? What can we do to keep those attempts at “erasure” from happening?

More info about BLUU Havens Chicago

BLUU Havens Chicago March Gathering: March 19, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-08T23:26:45+00:00

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