And We’re Off!

September brings a flurry of emotions for me: memories of brand new school supplies and organizing my desk; the anticipation of meeting new people; the excitement of beginning a new year. Maybe these are some of the underlying reasons why I became a religious educator, with the added perks of learning more about Unitarian Universalism, world religions, cultures, and rituals.

This past Sunday as we celebrated the beginning of our year with our water communion and return of the choir, I recognized the parallel to our Jewish friends and neighbors celebrating Rosh Hashanah – the beginning of the new year in Judaism that celebrates the beginning of the universe, and that one’s actions on Rosh Hashanah set the tone for the year ahead. I thought to myself that if this is so, then we’re off to a wonderful beginning!

And indeed that continued to manifest during Kinship Time as I sat at a program table sharing with interested people what we’re doing in faith formation this year. We added five more adults to our community of helpers – and there is room for more! 

In addition to this, a few members loved the idea of helping with a one-time event, such as a Friends & Families gathering, Ornament Sunday, Parent’s Time Out, and the Christmas pageant. Look for our table at this Sunday’s Engagement Fair during Kinship Time, where you can play a game and enjoy some treats too.

Also happening this Sunday is the beginning of faith formation for children and youth. I ask ALL parents to please register their kids so that we have updated information on any health concerns and contact information. I know this may feel redundant for those who have been here a while, but the number of young people registered is also sent to the UUA every year. So please be counted and register today!

Of course, we’re not just about volunteering either. We like to have FFUUN too! We had 30 or so people dance the evening away two weeks ago, with pizza and snacks to sustain us. The weather was very hot and humid, so we brought the party inside rather than be on the lawn. It cooled our bodies but not our spirits!

We have a wonderful opportunity to tour the new exhibit at Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum on September 29 and 30. This is limited to 20 people for each tour. As of this writing, I’m waiting for confirmation on exact times, but I do know one will be in the afternoon and one in the evening. Look for an email via Realm soon.

Mark your calendars for these special events and programs in October. 

• A Spiritual Retreat on October 3 from 9a-2p led by Renee Gatsis, with lunch and childcare provided. 
• Spiritual Practice beginning October 7 at 5:30p with Rev. Eileen facilitating. A great way to start each month!
• Respect Games – October 4 from 2-4p at the Evanston Main Library. An afternoon for those ages 6+ to explore what respect means through games and activities, and meet others from different backgrounds. 
• Meeting Our Interfaith Neighbors for adults and high school youth, resumes on October 7 at 7p with a visit from Josee Starr from the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum in Evanston.  We will then gather on October 20 to reflect on our learnings and experiences.
• For those who enjoy camping, we’re having our first fall campout at Rock Cut State Park October 16-18. We’re getting sites in the Plum Grove Loop, so grab one too or just join us for the day on Saturday.
• As we head into election season, we are offering two programs from Braver Angels Illinois: Skills for Disagreeing Better on October 27 and Family and Politics on November 10. Braver Angels seeks to de-polarize the political divide in our country with workshops and more.
• We end October with a Friends & Families Halloween Campfire on the 30th, complete with ghost stories, costumes, and s’mores. This is always a great time!

I’d say we’re off to a great beginning!

In Faith,

Kathy

Having FFUUN

Lately, I’ve had a question in the back of my mind, “How many UUs does it take to have fun?” Let me explain.

This summer, I have been reflecting and talking with the Family Ministry Team about what’s been working well and what needs a closer examination. It has become apparent since the pandemic that our team’s focus has been on making intergenerational connections and on building community, rather than solely on families with children and youth. It seems that for many folks, our name “Family Ministry” alludes to those with youngsters at home. 

Then one night I had a flash of a vision – why not change our name to fit what we’re doing across the ages  – having fun! I shared this flash with the Family Ministry Team and we decided on a new name, with the perfect acronym: Faith Formation UU Network – FFUUN! Our mission is to engage and anchor all ages to grow in our UU faith. And to answer the question above, the more the merrier! Join us on September 13 at 7p on Zoom to have FFUUN too.

Of course, we’ll have fun all year long! I am pleased to announce the schedule for faith formation programs outside of Sunday mornings to engage, anchor, and grow all year long. We’ll start the year off with a Dance Party on the Lawn on September 4 at 6:30p, hosted by the Lively Spirit Dancers and FFUUN. Our middle and high school youth will have a lock-in from the 19th-20th to kick off their year. 

We have several programs in October too. A Spiritual Retreat on October 3 from 9a-2p led by Renee Gatsis, with lunch and childcare provided. We will continue exploring  spiritual practices on the first Wednesdays of the month from November through May with Rev. Eileen facilitating. A great way to start each month!

And for something completely different, join me October 4 from 2-4p at the Evanston Main Library for the Respect Games. This is a program open to the community that I am hosting with Edwina Cowell from the Spiritual Playdate organization. It will be an afternoon for those ages 6+ to explore what respect means through games and activities, and meet others from different backgrounds.

Our well-received program, Meeting Our Interfaith Neighbors, resumes on October 7 with a visit from Josee Starr from the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum in Evanston. We are then invited to their powwow on October 12, time to be announced soon. We will gather on October 20 to reflect on our learnings and experiences.

For those who enjoy camping, we’re having our first fall campout at Rock Cut State Park October 16-18. We’re getting sites in the Plum Grove Loop, so grab one too or just join us for the day on Saturday.

As we head into election season, we are offering two programs from Braver Angels Illinois: Skills for Disagreeing Better on October 27 and Family and Politics on November 10. Braver Angels seeks to de-polarize the political divide in our country with workshops and more.

We end October with a Friends & Families Halloween Campfire on the 30th, complete with ghost stories, costumes, and s’mores. This is always a great time!

So how many UUs does it take to have fun? As many as we can, as long as you’re there too.

In Faith,

Kathy

It’s hard to believe that summer is more than half over for those who go by the school calendar. I prefer to go with the technical date of August 7, which is the halfway point between the summer solstice and the fall equinox. Time seems to go faster as I get older. As of this writing, I mark seven years at UUCE and 30 years as a religious educator. So much has changed in our congregation and in the larger world in that time!

At this time of year, I anticipate all the excitement in the coming church year – worship, potlucks, the Engagement Fair, game nights, campfires, and of course, faith formation! There is so much happening at UUCE all year, but fall has a special energy with it. 

I have been exploring ways to widen our circle and to encourage and invite more intergenerational connections based on the feedback that many parents gave last year. There are so many ideas that I can’t possibly do them all, so I thought I’d share some concrete ones here in the hope that many of you would find something that you would enjoy doing with our young people, youth, and families.

For a one-time commitment:

• Co-sponsor a parent’s time out – team up with a friend to watch a small group of kids while parents gather for some adult time.
• Invite youth or families to join your team or committee for a special event or task – this could be gardening, putting toiletries together for the shelter, making signs for an event, a dance party or talent show – the sky’s the limit! Perhaps add this to your team’s agenda – how to include young people and families
• Do you like art shows, museums, mini-golf, picnics and parks? Invite a family to join you on an outing.
• Do you have a special hobby or talent that you can share with youth or children? I can help find a way to make that happen.

For a little more commitment:

If you have 5 Sundays during the year to commit, you could connect more with youth and children by helping with faith formation on Sunday mornings. You can choose the age group you prefer and which Sunday mornings work best for you. Feel free to join our Volunteer Orientation on August 22 to learn more. 

For a bigger commitment:

• Join the Family Ministry Team – you don’t need to be a parent to join us! We appreciate the perspectives from all ages and stages as we plan events all year.
• Consider co-facilitating an OWL sex ed program in the future – training is provided to run programs for young kids, teens, and adults. Wouldn’t it be awesome to run an adult OWL program, wink-wink?!

These are just a few examples of the many ways we can connect across the ages and build relationships over time. If you have other ideas you’d like to try, I’m happy to help make them happen. Doing so can only make our community stronger, caring, and cultivate leadership for the future. We’re on our way to fulfilling our mission to create a world made whole.

In Faith,

Kathy

This past Sunday, we joined UU congregations virtually around the country in celebrating the end of a week at General Assembly. To those who represented UUCE in the business portion, THANK YOU! I encourage those who didn’t attend to check out the website with updates on resolutions and Actions of Immediate Witness.

In the closing worship sermon by Rev. Jen Youngsun Ryu, there were several things that spoke to me and led me to deeper contemplation. I would love to hear your thoughts on what she said too, so please feel free to share.

Rev. Youngsun Ryu began by referring to Ece Temelkuran, a Turkish journalist, who said that we are grieving in future tense – that we are grieving not only what has been lost in our society, but what will be lost in the future. “Aha!” I thought to myself in realization to something I have felt quite a bit in the last few years. I am wondering if this is across generations, or is it more relatable by older, baby boomers, or perhaps by the younger, Gen Z population? My own adult children (Millennials) have a feeling of “what’s the use of trying”, which I understand and yet am frustrated to hear. They were raised with parents who have always been engaged in social justice and participated in many of these while growing up. How do I as a parent and educator, and we as a congregation, help to alleviate the pain and effect this grief has on so many?

Further into her sermon, Rev. Youngsun Ryu spoke to this by saying that we need to step back from doing all that we UUs do in our efforts to create a just world by being in a space that poet Aurora Levin Morales terms as a “gap one breath deep”. Making time and space, whether one breath or one hour. Take a moment here and just picture this. Think of those 30-second ads that come on TV with nature sounds and scenery…so refreshing they are in the midst of the others that are trying to sell something!

Rev. Youngsun Ryu continued by saying that our “gap” is made sacred by our intentions and promises and they are molded by our spiritual practices of worship, small groups, and deep study – which are all part of our faith formation. And there is the answer to my question above! By creating space and time to sit in the gap, to worship together, to share in small groups, and to learn and reflect on all that makes us human beings, we are creating a path that can lead to transformation and growth and lesson the pain and grief that we carry. These are the ways we help our children and youth too.

My last takeaway from Rev. Youngsun Ryu’s sermon connects to this as well; that when we meet like this we’re “strengthening the immune system of humanity”, a term coined by Mark Nepo. Strengthening the immune system of humanity…through worship, small group ministry, deep learning…faith formation.

There is more hope, right here.

In Faith,

Kathy

DLFF Newsletter – May 2026 

Building Joy, Building Community

It was an honor to witness the care and respect shown during the annual meeting just two weeks ago as people shared their heartfelt and vulnerable positions on whether or not to change the name of our community. I appreciated hearing the many perspectives of those who spoke. Our young people in grades 2-10 also discussed the proposed name change as and voted on the matter. Interestingly, they were almost evenly split on the issue with 5 in favor of keeping the name and 4 in favor of changing it. Perhaps this reflects the growing need for religious community in the younger generations with the pendulum swinging from mostly “non-religious but spiritual” among millennials to “religious” among Gen Z and younger people.

Change is constant, according to Heraclitus, and yet there is some consistency over time. Earlier this month on Faith Formation Sunday I recalled how we did a ritual of writing on wooden blocks about our hopes for UCE as we returned to in-person gatherings and how we would contribute to making those happen. We found that we have indeed been doing many of those things: creating a space that welcomes all, opportunities to connect across generations, and to participate as much as possible, whether that is by volunteering, getting to know others, or simply showing up to a gathering.

Looking towards the next 4-5 years, we then considered the question, “What will I do to continue building Beloved Community across generations?” Here are your responses:

There were many similarities that seemed to fall under some general themes:

Connection: to children, youth, and elderly people; getting to know newcomers; participate in activities, events, and groups such as choir

Adult Faith Formation: explore spiritual practices; interfaith relationships; covenant groups

Support: helping parents; helping each other ; volunteering in general

While not a surprise, I am encouraged that many of the suggestions were also expressed by parents this past winter when Rev. Eileen and I asked them about how we can help them build community as parents and families. It seems that we have a lot of common ground!

So, the question that comes to mind next is, “How do we go about making as many of these things happen as we can?” Let’s begin here with the more specific ideas. Take a look at these and if you are the author or if one of them makes your heart sing, drop me a quick email, call or text. If there are at least two people who would like to help one become a reality, then I will do my best to make it happen with you. 

• Game night – multigenerational (between many generations) or intergenerational (between 2 generations)
• Childcare/Parent’s Night Out – offer childcare activities for a few hours so parents can go out or gather together
• Adult Faith Formation – help gather input from adults on program ideas and support them
• Elders – listen to their stories, help with technology and other needed things
• Families – engage with young people and parents through the Family Ministry Team or at other events and gatherings
• Building and Grounds – help with gardening and creating welcoming spaces inside

Let’s continue to build joy and community this year!

In Faith,

Kathy

DLFF Newsletter – May 2026 

Building Joy, Building Community

It was an honor to witness the care and respect shown during the annual meeting just two weeks ago as people shared their heartfelt and vulnerable positions on whether or not to change the name of our community. I appreciated hearing the many perspectives of those who spoke. Our young people in grades 2-10 also discussed the proposed name change as and voted on the matter. Interestingly, they were almost evenly split on the issue with 5 in favor of keeping the name and 4 in favor of changing it. Perhaps this reflects the growing need for religious community in the younger generations with the pendulum swinging from mostly “non-religious but spiritual” among millennials to “religious” among Gen Z and younger people.

Change is constant, according to Heraclitus, and yet there is some consistency over time. Earlier this month on Faith Formation Sunday I recalled how we did a ritual of writing on wooden blocks about our hopes for UCE as we returned to in-person gatherings and how we would contribute to making those happen. We found that we have indeed been doing many of those things: creating a space that welcomes all, opportunities to connect across generations, and to participate as much as possible, whether that is by volunteering, getting to know others, or simply showing up to a gathering.

Looking towards the next 4-5 years, we then considered the question, “What will I do to continue building Beloved Community across generations?” Here are your responses:

There were many similarities that seemed to fall under some general themes:

Connection: to children, youth, and elderly people; getting to know newcomers; participate in activities, events, and groups such as choir

Adult Faith Formation: explore spiritual practices; interfaith relationships; covenant groups

Support: helping parents; helping each other ; volunteering in general

While not a surprise, I am encouraged that many of the suggestions were also expressed by parents this past winter when Rev. Eileen and I asked them about how we can help them build community as parents and families. It seems that we have a lot of common ground!

So, the question that comes to mind next is, “How do we go about making as many of these things happen as we can?” Let’s begin here with the more specific ideas. Take a look at these and if you are the author or if one of them makes your heart sing, drop me a quick email, call or text. If there are at least two people who would like to help one become a reality, then I will do my best to make it happen with you. 

• Game night – multigenerational (between many generations) or intergenerational (between 2 generations)
• Childcare/Parent’s Night Out – offer childcare activities for a few hours so parents can go out or gather together
• Adult Faith Formation – help gather input from adults on program ideas and support them
• Elders – listen to their stories, help with technology and other needed things
• Families – engage with young people and parents through the Family Ministry Team or at other events and gatherings
• Building and Grounds – help with gardening and creating welcoming spaces inside

Let’s continue to build joy and community this year!

In Faith,

Kathy

Back and Forth

Congregational life in early spring is just like the weather: back and forth. One day it’s sunny and 72 degrees out and the next day it’s 27 degrees with snow flurries. I personally like the change in weather, because if it were nice and sunny every day, it would be difficult to get chores and work done. I also appreciate those nicer days even more after the colder, cloudy ones.

At UCE, my work life goes back and forth as well. There are the days when I am hunkered down and focused on what is happening in the coming week or two. There is a sense of routine in those tasks that makes it easier to stay the course. I have a particular destination that leads to various age groups connecting with one another and learning more about their UU identity, themselves, and the world around them.

And then there are the days when I am lured by the warmth and can veer away for a bit  – not just as a time to rejuvenate, but as a time to step back and look at the bigger picture, to see the whole ocean, the beaches, the islands and the forest and animals. How can I help us explore all that there is and discover the awe and wonder that lies all around us? Who among us needs more support and better tools for the journey? 

Perhaps the Deeper Joy map is a good visual for this (see above). Rev. Eileen and I led a worship service using this map on March 8, for those who aren’t familiar with it. And while it focuses more on building connection and community, it touches on the idea that we’re all on a journey together – a faith formation journey. The joy, as well as the challenge, is that we’re not all starting at the same place. Some are just arriving to Unitarian Universalism and some have been here a while. Some need the safety of the Bonding Harbor and others hunger for the Canyons of Deeper Sharing. 

I look at this map knowing that I am one person also on the journey and yet responsible for guiding others on theirs. It is an honor I take seriously. And I know I am not alone as I have the best beside me – a wonderful staff, an awesome Family Ministry Team, and friends and family. And there’s plenty of room on my boat for you to come along too.

In Faith,

Kathy

DLFF Newsletter – March 2026 

Springing Forward

Ah yes, it’s that time of the year we meet mostly with hope and also with a little less sleep – the daylight saving time change! For some, it is the first sign of spring, although I have been seeing signs for a couple of weeks now. Red-winged blackbirds are back at the ponds and marshes in my neighborhood as well as swans, and many of the trees and shrubs have the beginnings of budding on their branches. If the squirrels hadn’t eaten my crocus and snowdrop bulbs, they would be seen by now. And I have heard that sandhill cranes have been spotted a little further south, which is always a welcoming sound and site.

Here at UCE, there is much to look forward to as we approach the spring equinox. I know that things can get lost in the scrolling down of the newsletter, and that we focus on things coming up in a short window of time, so I wish to highlight some events coming up that you might otherwise miss here.

Our joint worship service with Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Church on March 22 will begin at 11a, and promises to be inspiring with a title such as “The Gospel According to Patty LaBelle”. Our faith formation program, Meeting Our Interfaith Neighbors, spent time with their congregation last month and look forward to gathering with them again.

Looking into April, we begin the month with our family-friendly Seder, led by Dan Solomon. This will be on April 3 at 5:30p in the sanctuary. This is an evening to experience aspects of this Jewish celebration, taste the foods, sing the songs, hear the stories and prayers, and for kids to search for the afikomen. You need not be Jewish to participate. Feel free to bring a side dish to share that doesn’t contain yeast (as in bread/rolls) or pork. Please register here.

Easter Sunday follows Passover on April 5, when we will have an all-ages worship service followed by a Peeps Show and an egg-cellent spread during Kinship Time. And yes, you read that correctly, a Peeps show! All ages are invited to show their creativity, humor, and spirit by making a display using marshmallow peeps. These will be set out to view while waiting in line for all the delicious food. And for Kinship Time, feel free to bring an egg dish to share or other side dish that means “spring and rebirth” to you. We’ll also have a little egg hunt out on the south lawn, weather permitting.

Our final session of the AI-Artificial Intelligence series with Dr. Emma Farrell is on April 7th, with the topic of Skills for Every Day and Congregational Life. We have learned quite a lot about AI in this program and I personally still have mixed feelings about it. Hopefully, this last session will help me and others to see how it can be used in ways that connect to what we value most. You can register here to get further information.

Our awesome youth group and young adults will be leading our worship service on April 12. I don’t want to give away anything at this point, but it is always wonderful to see and hear them and what their hearts and spirits are filled with at this time and place in their lives. 

We end the month of April by joining in the Earth Day Evanston Clean Up at Pioneer Park on the 26th from 12-2p. Our faith formation programs will end when worship ends so that families can join in the cleanup efforts. All supplies will be provided. And for those who wish to celebrate our efforts, we’ll walk to Cold Stone Creamery for a little treat around 1p. 

We have so much to look forward to!

In Faith,

Kathy

Lifelong Learnings

I have been reminded recently of an important lesson: that lifelong learning is inevitable, necessary, and sometimes painful. We grow through our willingness to engage honestly with challenges and hardships. And with grace, forgiveness, and some hard work, we can experience peace and greater trust in the midst of our struggles.

You may have seen the email about two incidents at a youth overnight last month. I want to reassure you that Rev. Eileen and I are talking and meeting with those involved as well as those who are helpful advisors to help rebuild trust, improve communication, and look at our policies and procedures with due diligence and care.

I have been reminded that, in our relationships, impact matters immensely despite our intentions. It is a lesson I am still learning. One is never too old, nor above, learning how their actions can affect others. This has brought out so many feelings in me – sadness, worry, a sense of urgency, trauma from other family and life events, among others. I’m grateful that those involved are willing to stay in relationship as we reflect and strive to do better.

As I have been processing these incidents, I have been looking at them from an even wider perspective, a societal one. I wrote in a previous column during the pandemic about an article I read, which predicted we would see the effects of the pandemic in 5-7 years. We wondered back then how the lack of connection to others outside of the family would manifest as children and youth went back to school and other activities. The same was said about adults returning to offices and jobs in the service industries. Will we navigate this transition in healthy and positive ways? Since we are now amid this period, it’s hard to know to what degree we’re being successful.

We are still figuring out how to be with one another in the world, as well as here at UCE since we reopened our doors. The current political climate has brought many new people into our sanctuary, including families with children and youth. How do we welcome them, and embrace their presence and guide them as they navigate new relationships and friendships? One way we do so is by practicing our covenantal faith. Each faith formation group creates their own covenant and decides how they will address a break in that covenant should it occur. It is the role of those of us who are adult leaders to help guide our children and youth as they practice living those covenants, understand the impacts when they are broken, and work to repair them in the ways that are possible. It is hard work that takes courage, care, and time.

And so, the lifelong learning continues. We will keep working to repair hurt feelings while taking ownership for the harm we have caused. Reconciliation and repair in relationships is the work of our faith. It is what makes the full living of our values possible. As difficult as this is, I am one to dive in and keep working on it. After all, that is what my UU values ask me to do. I’m grateful to have you as part of my lifelong learnings.

In Faith,

Kathy

New Year Changes

The ringing in of a new year lends itself to reflection and setting intentions as we embark on our journey in life. Our Fire Communion ritual offers a way to do so in community with others. While I missed this at UCE, I was able to participate at my home congregation, the Elgin UU Church, and I must say I struggled with it.

Their ritual has two parts to it: the first is to think of the things you wish to be rid of, the things that have not served you well in the past year, and then write them on flash paper and burn it. The second part is to then think of something that you wish to invite into your life, something that you need to help you be more authentic and a better person, and then think of a word or two that can be your mantra for the year. And this is the part I struggled with – what do I want to invite into my life this year? The possibilities are endless! How do I choose just one?

Those who know me also know that I am one to generally and enthusiastically embrace change, which is why I am baffled as to why I had a hard time coming up with my mantra. I seem to welcome it more in my professional life, which often shows up on our backpack tags that are blessed at the beginning of the school year. This year’s mantra is “Something Possible!” Perhaps I should keep that as my personal one as well.

Part of this New Year ritual and tradition is to look back on the previous year. Out of curiosity, I looked back at what I wrote in the newsletter in January 2025. It focused on some findings I learned about the ways parents and families are challenged and how faith communities can help. There were several ideas on ways to make connections across the generations, such as older adults being “grandparents”, “aunties” and “uncles” to our younger ones and young adults teaming up with our youth for game nights and other activities.

And while we have done some of this, we continue to explore more ways of connecting people. Rev. Eileen and I met with some parents this past fall to hear their thoughts on what helps them and ways we can offer even more support and connection. One of their ideas was to improve The Nest area for families in worship so that it is more accessible to late-comers and is situated so parents are closer to the rug where the children sit. Gillian Lawrence came up with a plan that encompasses these needs and we will unveil it this Sunday. I welcome your feedback as you experience this new arrangement.

A few of the ideas mentioned that we are tackling this year: ways to improve communication between parents, having parent activities while offering childcare, and a family sleepover. As these come to fruition, you will hear more about them, so stay tuned!

Whether or not you have a mantra or word for 2026, may you find encouragement, support, hope, and joy here at UCE as you travel the road of life.

In Faith,

Kathy