The UUA Compass Conference Summary: January 21, 2022
The UUA Compass conference held on-line in early December gave about 200 UUs nationwide the chance to reflect on their values and beliefs. The event opened with statements from four non-UUs: from a public health expert, from two members of the Rising Appalachia musical group, and from a self-described “queer black trouble-maker”. They spoke about what religion and faith means to them and their interactions with UU activities and individuals.
A panel of UUs responded to what they’d just heard. The group consisted of young adult UUs, a religious educator and clergy members. But perhaps the heart of the conference was the chance for UUs from across the country to share their personal beliefs and reactions to the speakers. Opening with affinity groupings, the chats interspersed throughout the conference moved on to give small groups of attendees the chance to share ideas and experiences from their congregations.
At the end of the event, time was set aside to specifically hear about and reflect on the Article II Study Commission. A proposal is to be made to the UUA Board by January of 2023 not only on the viability of an Eighth Principle supporting racial equity, but on revisions to Article II in its entirety – UU values and sources, along with our principles. This event gave attendees a chance to have their voices heard in this process.
All in all the event was another demonstration of how on-line gatherings can foster dialog among UUs from across the country, and do so in a way that makes it much easier for those of all income levels and of all ages to participate.
Submitted, Jane Bannor, January 2022
January 23, 2022
We will host a virtual worship service on Sunday, January 23rd at 10:15 am.
Living Our Unitarian Universalism in the World
Our faith in each other, our commitment to recognizing the worth and dignity, as well as the interconnection of all emerges in many ways beyond the walls of our church and outside of the time we are together on Sunday mornings. Together we recognize and inspire one another to more fully and creatively live our UU values. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads worship with Worship Associate, Joe Romeo.
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).
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
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.
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:
Thanks again to everyone for their help.
—The Immigrant Solidarity Team
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
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).