UCE UCE, Author at UC Evanston

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and music… the other remained obscure — the only recorded footage placed in a basement that was said to have sat, unpublished, for decades.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

March 13, 2022

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, March 13th at 10:15 am.

What do yUU believe?
Our faith is a shared endeavor of meaning making, and a communal practice of living according to the meaning we make. Participants in our recent intergenerational class, What Do yUU Believe, share their thoughts on some of their core beliefs and how those beliefs inform their lives. This service is led by Rev. Eileen and Kathy Underwood, our Director of Lifespan Faith Formation with contributions from: Bob Mesle, Luke Montzka, Dan Solomon, and Chris Yoo.

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 13, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-07T04:59:03+00:00

March 4, 2022

Click here to read this week’s newsletter.

March 4, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-04T20:13:27+00:00

Reading for March WTCC Discussion: March 20, 2022

March 20th 11:30-12:30

8th Chapter – Innovations and Risk-Taking

Come share ways to innovate and take risks as we live into our UU values. 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 March, you are encouraged to read the chapter on Innovations and Risk-Taking before March 20th 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 in-person and via 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 by March 13th, so we can arrange that space.

Click here to take part via Zoom on March 20th at 11:30 am.

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

Reading for March WTCC Discussion: March 20, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-04T16:04:05+00:00

From Kathy Underwood, DLFF: March 4, 2022

Languishing

You may have seen the article a parent shared on the Family Ministry Facebook page which I then shared on the Member-to-Member page, “The Parents (Who Used to Come to Your Church) Are Not Okay”. Author Lauren Graeber shares her thoughts and feelings as a parent during the pandemic, and uses a word borrowed from another author, Amy Grant, to describe how parents are doing: languishing. She goes on to say, “you’re not functioning at full capacity. Languishing dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to focus, and triples the odds that you’ll cut back on work.”

I pause here to encourage those of you who don’t have children or youth to continue reading. There is a saying among religious educators, “the congregation is the curriculum.” You are all important to the faith formation and spiritual growth of our parents and young people. And so it is important for the whole congregation to understand how parents are doing, as they are critical members of our community now, and in the future.

My heart sank as I read the article, as it rang so true to me – even though I don’t have young children at home anymore. The continued decision-making on whether going to church (or anywhere) is worth the potential health risk is the obvious explanation for why so many of our families have not returned yet. But what really saddened me, was her feeling of being left behind by her faith community. The staff at UCE have struggled with returning to in-person gatherings knowing that our youngest members cannot get vaccinated. The Faith Formation Force and Family Ministry Team have offered outdoor programs in hopes that families could connect again, but parents still struggle with the same decision-making challenges regarding worship and faith formation hour.

I so much want to have a magic wand and make things better for our parents and children so that they can feel safe and nurtured here at UCE. I want to see young people in worship and faith formation hour and participating in the life of the congregation. Ms. Graeber offers some concrete suggestions for us that might bring parents back:

Ask us to come back – this lets parents know that they’ve been missed. Texting is usually the best communication tool for parents who are languishing. You can often find cell phone numbers in Realm or reach out to me or Jessica for contact information.
Ask them about the parts of life that have been broken during the pandemic – be the person to hear the impact on their finances, social and emotional losses.
Ask what they need now – in my experience so far, many parents can’t verbalize what they need, but asking them lets them know you care and want to help. And maybe you’ll get a concrete answer and a way to help. And if there is something needed that we can do at UCE, please let me know.

I would add these four things:

We NEED those of you who don’t have children or youth at home to be involved in our ministry to families with young people. Languishing parents simply can’t do it all anymore. If we want to be the multigenerational community we say we do, then we need you to connect with our young people and form relationships with them.
We need to be welcoming to families as they return, and to new ones joining us. This means our hospitality as well as our physical space. Have you noticed the reading corner in the lobby? This says, “We welcome youngsters here!” and gives parents a space to sit and talk where youngsters can sit nearby and read or color.
Committees, Teams, and Covenant Groups – add to your agendas “Family Connections” to intentionally think about how you can involve families in your ministry. This could be a special event, gathering, or social action project. The Family Ministry Team and I can help brainstorm ideas with you too.
Be sensitive when asking parents to participate or take on tasks or leadership roles. This is a time to nourish their spirits and renew their faith

Perhaps I don’t need a magic wand after all. This is something we can all do to welcome parents and families!

In Faith,

Kathy Underwood
Director of Lifespan Faith Formation

From Kathy Underwood, DLFF: March 4, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-04T19:49:34+00:00

Great Start – Now for a Great Finish: March 4, 2022

The Final Week We are in the homestretch of the official pledge drive. Please submit your pledge by Sunday, March 13. If you have not yet sent in your pledge, you can do it right now, online—the process takes less than two minutes. Please click here to pledge.

Why Is March 13 So Important? The Board needs to know the pledge base so it can make a realistic budget for the coming year. Every pledge matters and every dollar makes UCE’s Whole mission possible.

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.

Haven’t Seen Your Pledge Packet?—If your packet is not in your email spam folder, please call Jessica Meis in the UCE office (847-864-1330) immediately. She can resend it.

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.

Great Start – Now for a Great Finish: March 4, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-02T23:18:17+00:00

Come to General Assembly 2022: March 4, 2022

Friends, now is your opportunity to join thousands of other UUs at the annual General Assembly! The steps are easy. For information about GA, go here. At that GA website you’ll find links to everything you’d want to know. But for what you need right now:

1) Register as an attendee. You do have to Register to participate. Click here to go to the registration page. There are a number of categories for registering:

2) If you want to represent UCE as a delegate. You must apply and be accepted by the UCE Board of Trustees. If you are, you will receive your delegate credentials from the UCE office.

3) Sign up for Housing. If you’d like to take advantage of the special offers assigned to UUA GA participants, go to the sign up page to select your hotel and room.

4) If you’d like, apply for a GA Scholarship from UCE. UCE offers some funds to help you with attending GA. Go to the UCE Lifelong Learning Scholarship webpage to access the application form.

Funds Available for Attending the 2022 General Assembly

UCE’s Committee on Denominational Affairs has received funds to support both in-person and virtual participation for adults and youth in the 2022 UUA General Assembly (GA). The GA is scheduled for June 22-26, 2022 in Portland, OR. Complete the online form or downloaded the fillable pdf and email it to Kathy Underwood, Director of Lifespan Faith Formation at KUnderwood@ucevanston.org.

Involvement in GA will encourage you to explore/expand your capacity for equity, justice and liberation work; provide opportunities to pursue deeper meaning and understanding of UU values; reveal ways to become more involved in UU work; cultivate leadership development within UCE; and build relationships within UCE and the greater UU community. It can be the experience of a lifetime!

Apply for a UCE Scholarship to Attend GA

Come to General Assembly 2022: March 4, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-01T19:25:55+00:00

February Board Meeting Summary: March 4, 2022

Significant discussion was directed toward clarifying how the Nominating and Recruiting Committee functions to fill leadership roles in the church.

Also considered were fundraising support of Reparations in Evanston as part of Interfaith Action of Evanston and coordination by IA of social justice efforts by Evanston congregations.

Other issues discussed were the accessibility of the Board itself, better organization of Board documents to insure more efficiency and functionality, participation of one or more Board members in the upcoming YWCA Racial Equity workshop “Power and Privilege for Board Members,” and better tracking of Board goals.

The next Board meeting is on March 17 at 7 pm via Zoom. All are invited.

February Board Meeting Summary: March 4, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-01T16:36:07+00:00

March 6, 2022

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Sunday, March 6th at 10:15 am.

The Cycle of Giving and Receiving
Relationships challenge us to bring our full authentic selves and to risk being vulnerable, honest, and accountable in our interactions. They invite us to be open to receiving love and support from another and invite us to determine what we are able to give to the relationship. Being a member of a faith community comes with similar challenges and risks, and similar benefits of care, connection, and belonging. This week we’ll explore how risking to connect your whole self with others in our intentional covenantal community brings us both rewards and responsibilities.

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 6, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-01T00:13:44+00:00

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