Dear Friends,

I feel the energy of spring not just in the weather, but in how alive our shared ministry is in this moment! I facilitated a Journey Toward Membership class two weeks ago and some of the stories told were about how welcomed people felt, not just by the members of the hospitality teams, but by the folks sitting next to them on Sunday morning and by the people in the activities in which they had participated. We are co-creating a congregational culture in which everyone is engaged in being welcoming. Whether you are new to our congregation or have been around a long time, I invite you to join in welcoming those around you on Sunday mornings or throughout the week. To greet that person you barely know, saying before the worship service “Good morning. I know we’ve seen each other before, but I can’t remember your name. I’m Susan.” Or saying after the service, “I loved the music during the offering. What resonated with you this morning?”

We also are creating a collaborative culture of reaching out to each other. We are caring for each other through our support groups and Caring Team. We are reaching out across teams and out into the community to form partnerships. If you have been thinking about getting more involved, I invite you to start with just one thing.

That one thing might be caring for yourself:

· A Grief Support Group will start meeting on April 27, 2023, from 7:00-8:30 pm in Room 2. This group will provide support and education for those who have had a loss either recently or in the past. For questions, please contact Ellen Rieger at elleneriegr@gmail.com.

· Our Cancer Support Group meets regularly on Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:00 am, in a multi-platform meeting with folks attending in-person in Room 6 and via Zoom. This group provides a hopeful and nurturing space where you are invited to share your experience with cancer or similar serious illness. The group is open to anyone who is either personally dealing with cancer or serious illness, or who is supporting a loved one in their journey. To get the zoom link or for questions, please contact Renee Hoff at rdhoff99@yahoo.com.

· Our Addictions and Recovery Group meets weekly on Monday evenings from 7:00-8:30 pm via Zoom. Click here to join the meeting. This group understands “addiction” in its broadest sense to include substance abuse and behavioral addictions. For questions, please contact Michael Skilton at mskilton@me.com.

· Our Caregivers Support Group meets regularly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 7:00-8:30 pm via Zoom. This group provides a confidential and nonjudgmental space where caregivers can share their experiences. “Caregiver” applies to anyone who is currently in a care giving role – caring for an aging parent, an ill spouse, or a developmentally delayed child, just to name a few. To get the zoom link or for questions, please contact Joyce Lofstrom at joycelofstrom@gmail.com.

· If you could use some support or care from our Pastoral Care Team, please reach out to Rev. Elizabeth Harding, our sabbatical minister for pastoral care, at eharding@ucevanston.org, or connect with our Pastoral Care Team by filling out the Request for Care form.

That one thing might be caring for others in our community:

· Join one of our 4 Hospitality Teams (Greeters, Money Counters, Kitchen Attendants, or Online Chat Hosts) and help create sacred space on Sunday mornings. The commitment is 4 Sundays over a year. For more information, contact me at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

· Join our Caring Team, who is looking for more volunteers to provide meals or rides when a member of our community has a temporary need. To join, complete the Caring Community: To Offer Care form, and Ellie Feddersen will get back to you.

· Join our New Member Team, who is currently planning our annual New Member Reception, which will be on April 23, 2023, after the worship service. Make sure you plan to stay and meet our new members! The New Member Team will have a Welcome Table in the back of the sanctuary after each worship service starting in May and is looking for volunteers who already like to stay for Kinship Time and would be willing to greet visitors and direct them toward the coffee and hot tea. To participate, contact Maggie Wilson at maggiemwilson@gmail.com.

That one thing might be living out our shared values:

· You are invited to celebrate with our UUtheVote working group at the back of the sanctuary during Kinship Time this Sunday, April 16, 2023, as we honor the hard work of folks who wrote and mailed postcards across Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia and who traveled to register voters in addition to mailing postcards in Wisconsin. It’s not too early to sign up with Shirley Adams to be part of our 2024 UUtheVote initiative.

· We have 78 people signed up for our Local Response Network (LRN). The next event is the Environmental Lobby Day on April 19, 2023. See this newsletter for details. UCE’s parking lot is one of the pick-up locations for the round-trip bus ride, departing at 7:00 am for Springfield and arriving back in Evanston around 7:00 pm.

· The Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Team and Food and Shelter Team (FAST) are co-hosting a collaborative workshop titled “The Past, Present, and Future of Segregation in the North Shore” put on by Open Communities, Dino Robinson, and The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County on April 25, 2023, from 6:30-8:00 pm in the sanctuary and livestreamed. See this newsletter for details.

· You are invited to join the Emissions Reduction Task Force and attend our Green Launch Party on May 7, 2023, from 12:00-1:00 pm in Room 3. Michael Drennan and David Bates-Jefferys will be at a program table at the back of the sanctuary the last two Sundays in April to tell you about our goals and encourage you to join our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions by 30% by 2035 and be carbon neutral by 2050. Join the monthly meetings of the task force’s planning group or sign up for the implementation group that will have specific tasks to perform over the coming years. Either way, you are invited to join us on May 7th!

I know there are many options, which can feel overwhelming. So, I invite you to sit back, take a deep breath in, exhale slowly, and think about what it is that you need from your faith community right now. Pick one way to let us support you in taking care of yourself or pick one way that you want to spend your energy to join the other members of our community in caring for each other and living into our shared values. How ever you are involved or get involved, I’m glad you are part of our community!

In faith,
Rev. Susan

In 1999, Ricky Byrdsong was murdered by a self-proclaimed white supremacist.  Byrdsong was a Skokie resident and the first African-American coach of the Northwestern University men’s basketball team. He was also the father of 3 young children, 2 of whom were with him near their home when he was shot. The man who murdered Byrdsong also shot 5 other people of color in Indiana and Illinois, as well as 6 Orthodox Jews in Rogers Park. Byrdsong’s wife of 20 years, Sherialyn, established a foundation which has collaborated with the YWCA Evanston/North Shore to turn Byrdsong’s tragedy into a victory over hate. Each year on Father’s Day, Sherialyn kicks off the Race Against Hate, which unites thousands of people of different racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds to celebrate diversity, promote reconciliation, and declare that racism is not welcome or tolerated ANYWHERE in America.

The UUA Article II Study Commission has released its report and the proposed revision of Article II and invites suggestions and ideas from individuals. You are invited to use the link in the article below to access the form before April 30 to suggest specific language changes, using a separate form for each section of the proposal.

Links to the Article II Study Report, including the proposal, and to frequently asked questions are also included in the article.

Further opportunities for discussion include:

** Our sixth and final Zoom session on Reimagining Article II on April 19, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, led by Betty Walker, Carla Williams, and Cheryl Mounts. The theme is Article II Connecting. Register HERE.

** May 7, 2023, 9:30-10:20 am, in-person in Room 3, led by Cheryl Mounts with the Denominational Affairs Team. The theme is Reviewing the Article II Report. There is no registration, you are invited to drop in.

Board announcement about the Article II Idea Submission Form

At General Assembly (GA) 2023, Unitarian Universalists will take an initial vote on proposed changes to Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Bylaws, which includes the current UUA purposes, principles, sources, and clauses on inclusion and freedom of belief. The UUA Board of Trustees encourages you to read the full proposal from the Article II Study Commission and get more information about the process. The UUA’s goal is to maximize discussion and engagement with this proposal, which addresses the foundational values and purposes of our faith community. Until April 30, 2023, any Unitarian Universalist may submit suggestions and ideas through an online form for ways they recommend modifying the Article II Study Commission proposal (PDF). Each suggestion or idea should describe specific language changes to the proposal, explain the reason, and be limited to a single section of the proposal. Individuals may submit multiple suggestions and ideas. All qualifying suggestions will be posted for public chat discussion at discuss.uua.org, starting after April 15. Suggestions must be received by April 30 in order to be posted. Additionally, the UUA Board of Trustees will host public discussion workshops on May 11, 18 and 21, 2023, to review suggestions and ideas. These rounds of public discussion will inform the way amendments are prioritized for discussion and voting at General Assembly.

Submit your suggestions and ideas on the Article II proposal now! NOTE: Submitting suggestions and ideas through this form is for the purpose of public discussion, and does NOT submit an amendment which could be voted on at General Assembly. Amendments eligible for voting must be separately submitted by delegates through the online delegate platform, which will be available when the GA final agenda is published. Delegate amendments which are based on suggestions or ideas which had been previously discussed through this process are more likely to be prioritized for discussion and voting at General Assembly. For more information see frequently asked questions or contact administration@uua.org.

Those of us who attend Sunday worship services have come to know the excellence of the music that is part of our Sunday experience, particularly that of our accompanist, Gregory Shifrin. But who is that man behind the keys? It’s time to get to know him a little better.

Gregory grew up in Moscow under the influence of his father’s pianistic talents. Although Gregory began studying piano at the age of five, his love of the instrument began much earlier, when at only two years old, he would hide under the baby grand in his family’s apartment while his father played. It has always felt to him that he simply had a natural affinity for this complex instrument.

He left Russia at age 19 to spend 15 years in Israel before finally getting a green card that enabled him to come to the United States. It was not long after his arrival here that he found work with Bart Bradfield’s vocal ensembles at Columbia College and then came to UCE in 2007. Not only did the work of accompanying and presenting solo pieces provide gratifying work for him, but the tenets of UU fit complemented his background in Reformed Judaism.

There is much that goes on behind the scene in preparing for each Sunday’s service. Gregory consults with the ministers on the theme of the service and within that, the topic of the sermon. Unless a specific piece of music is requested of him, it is his job to select compositions that complement the mood of the service, are appropriate for each part of the service, and fit the time allotted for each one. Though he might be familiar with a particular work, it’s not a given that Gregory knows it well enough to play it. That means he also devotes time to practice in preparing for each Sunday. All of this is in addition to his valuable contribution to choir rehearsals each week. Ask any choir member, and you’ll certainly be told how difficult it would be to try working without him. His quick sense of humor also compliments that of both the director and members of the choir.

Gregory’s favorite music to play are the Romantic composers, including the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. When not at the keyboard, Gregory enjoys reading and working out. He has a twin brother who, although a flutist, has not followed a musical career. His two sons are both young adults now, bringing Gregory and his wife ever closer to being empty nesters.

Perhaps the most gratifying part of his work at UCE is the validation and appreciation of the congregation for his contribution to our congregational life. I’m sure everyone joins me in continuing to applaud him — with our hands, words and hearts.

Spring is that time of the year when I feel a bit of a panic because there is so much to do in the two or so months remaining in the church year. It is a time to celebrate what we have shared and created together, and a time to reflect on the processes that got us to where we are, and then how to build upon it in the year to come. A need to look in the past in order to move forward. Sankofa.

In looking at the recent past, we have had some things to celebrate: we started a Parents’ Circle that meets monthly to share the joys and challenges of parenting; we also started Family Friday to bring families with children and youth together; and we had a social action project and made 50 lunches for Connections for the Homeless. All of this in addition to our growing faith formation program for our young people and welcoming so many new families to UCE! We have much to be grateful for.

As we look ahead, we have even more to celebrate! We have major holidays all happening in the coming weeks, with our worship service on April 9 focused on the joy of Passover and Easter and then Earth Day later in the month. And one of my biggest joys of the church year happens on April 30, which is Youth Sunday! This year, our youth have been learning about neurodivergence and creating a worship service for us to experience and learn from. Our youth are so compassionate, intelligent, and creative!

April also marks the last two retreats for the OWL (Our Whole Lives) youth. They have met monthly all year long to learn about sexuality and how our UU values connect and help shape our relationships, especially as we explore intimate relationships in our teen years. Here is where I will put in a plug for the OWL program for all ages – yes, there is even a program for young adults, adults, and older adults! My fantasy (maybe not the best choice of words here) is to have all levels of OWL throughout the lifespan offered at UCE in the near future. If this is something that you’d like to learn more about, I would be happy to tell you more!

Speaking of adults, we have a series of programs in April to exercise your brains and get you thinking about science, philosophy, and religion facilitated by Robb Geiger: A Scientific Thought Experiment on the Birth of Meaning: How the Universe Gave Us Our Mojo to explore how the emergence of life gives birth to information, intentionality, purpose, and meaning. Register HERE for this wonderful series.

In Faith,

Kathy

Our hats are off to Andy Schlickman, Marilyn Wroblewski, Sheila Holder, Carol Nielsen, Michelle Novak, Karen Courtright, Christine Peters, Jeanne Kerl, Ellie Feddersen, Steve Serikaku, Jane Bannor, and Lee Bannor for their support of two families:

** Ghufran and her children, Rayyan, Hadi, and Taleb, who are refugees from Syria; and

** Sayeda, her toddler daughter, Asra, and her nephew, Akram, who are asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

Thank you for providing transportation to and from appointments with medical providers and state agencies, helping Ghufran and Sayeda navigate the local school district and learn English, and connecting the families with their local community through getting library cards and providing transportation for after school programming.

In addition to the support needed as Ghufran, Sayeda, and their families settle into living in a new country and culture, Carol has spent over 400 hours from June 2022 through February 2023 helping Ghufran through the process of hip replacement surgery and physical therapy; and Andy, Marilyn, and Sheila have spent similar hours since January 2022 assisting Sayeda with the legal process as an asylum seeker.

We are grateful for our entire community, who has come together to support these two families, including the efforts of the Mitten Tree donors and organizer, Bridget Wild, in December 2022 and all the individual financial donations. Right now, if you know of a reasonably priced two-bedroom rental unit, please contact Sheila Holder via Realm or at admin@ucevanston.org.

Thank you, Andy, Marilyn, Sheila, Carol, Michelle, Karen, Christine, Jeanne, Ellie, Steve, Jane, and Lee for your compassionate care!