Grandma Carol_

BUILDING OUR FUTURE…SUPPORTING OUR VALUES

Following the service on Sunday, August 5, we learned about plans being made to evaluate UCE’s ability to raise Capital Funds to finance church needs identified in the Long Range Plan developed over the 2017-18 church year.  Much work has been done to obtain estimates of the costs of Building and Grounds Repairs and Enhancements, Hospitality and Welcoming Improvements, Accessibility and our Ability to Advance Social Justice.  The estimated cost of these improvements is $1,256,000.  To see a list of some of the specific projects, please ask the UCE office for a copy of the handout on Objectives provided at the meeting.

To learn just what capability UCE has to raise these funds, we have contracted with Pratapas Associates, an experienced fundraising consulting firm who has served several other Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Chicago area.  The purpose of the August 5 meeting was to learn about the Capital Campaign Feasibility Study with which Pratapas is helping us right now.  Steve Pratapas explained the process with which information will be gathered from church members to help make the decision about how we will proceed.  There will be a Focus Group for the Board of Trustees and other key church leaders, 35 church members representing a cross section of our congregation will be personally interviewed, and all other members will receive an email survey to determine our attitudes and abilities to participate in the campaign.

There were responses to questions by those in attendance, and additional questions can be directed to the members of the Capital Campaign Feasability Study Committee which consists of Ann Peterson, Janelle Brittain, Sandra Robinson, Jeanne Kerl, Carol Nielsen, Susan Comstock, Martha Holman and Linda LaPlante.

What in the world will we be doing together in the next two years?

The primary task of the interim minister is to hold up a mirror to the congregation and ask, “Is this who you are?” and “Is this who you want to be?”

This is more than a simple survey. This is sacred work that goes beyond personal preferences.  This is hard work that lifts up the best and worst in our identity and interactions as a liberal religious community.  Where do we start?

Heritage: the past is the foundation of the present.  What are the stories we tell that have shaped and formed Unitarian Church of Evanston?

Leadership: the present is the foundation of the future.  How do we promote the emergence of new leaders and the recommitment of seasoned leaders?

Mission: our mission acts as a filter for congregational decisions.  What are the congregations’ mission and vision, its sense of purpose and direction?

Connections: our connections help us embody our mission.  What are the relationships the congregation builds outside of itself?

Future: this is where the congregation turns its energy toward proactive decision-making.  Who are we?  Who are our neighbors?  What are we called to do?

The interim time is often exciting.  If it’s done right, it will also be unsettling.  The time has come, the future is now, and we’re all in this together.  Take a look in the mirror and tell me what you see.

The joy continues,

Greg

Our church is hosting the shelter, when the temperature is 15 degrees or colder, starting the week of February 25th (Sunday evening through the following Saturday morning). If you would like to sign up to help, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bNcmu5t4TbDe77eaS9ZG6afPiKQRf2BKfZB0_cPMmHA/edit?usp=sharing

Even if you haven’t been trained, you can volunteer! We will arrange for you to be oriented to the process. Please email Rev. Eileen ewiviott@hotmail.com. We hope to fill in as many volunteer spots as possible before sending out a broader call. We will also host the weeks of March 4th and March 18th – those sign ups are found at the link above as well.

On Christmas morning I was thinking of the children at the Rice Center who would be opening their presents. I know they enjoyed them. One little boy who is addicted to trains received a train set and in talking with Keith Polan, the Executive Director of the Rice Center, he said we are worried he will refuse to go to school because he will want to play with his train set.

The generosity this year was remarkable. We donated over 125 gift cards totaling over $3000, 365 food items, 477 toys, electronics, housewares and books, and 144 items of clothing.

We had some generous donors who provided over $600 in cash to fill in when mittens weren’t taken. We had a great team of helpers including Vicki Doebele, Michelle Novak, Maggie Weiss, Christine Peters, Jeanne Kerl, Aidan Strueber, the Music Committee who packed and delivered the Hillside Pantry food, Alice Swan, Marilyn Wroblewski, Cindy Sammons, Sue Thornton, and Connie Karduck. There were many more volunteers and you are all appreciated for your efforts.

We are also grateful to all those who wrapped presents, delivered gifts, and helped at the sign-up table. This is an all-church effort and as it was noted in the long-range plan, the 2^nd highest participation after the Rummage Sale of any of our many church events.

The TV news organizations highlight only a small part of all the giving that occurs at this time of year. The Mitten Tree team is incredibly grateful that UCE makes such generous and heartfelt contributions to the organizations we supported.

Submitted by: Rev. Eileen Wiviott

Rev. Bret and I are pleased to announce that we passed the Evanston Sanctuary Resolution with 93% present voting yes to being in solidarity with the City of Evanston and other faith communities and to protect those who are marginalized and targeted, without due process, for deportation. There was relatively little discussion about the resolution itself, and more concern expressed about the way the vote was taken. We decided to have a secret ballot rather than a show of voting cards because, following our vote to put up the Black Lives Matter sign in 2015, some expressed that they didn’t feel comfortable voting publicly against it. They feared the social pressure or stigma that might result. There can be no doubt that most of those who attend our church identify as liberal – both religiously and politically. We do strive to be open-minded and tolerant of a spectrum of views but there are those (and I am refraining from quantifying this) who feel we fall short in this regard. We live in highly polarized times. Speaking for myself, as extreme views on the political right are given legitimacy and greater power – views that feel threatening to everything I believe (and often are threatening to actual people), I know I am pulled further to the left. We each must struggle to keep our hearts and minds open to one another so that we do not lump every view that contradicts our own into a category such as “wrong” or “racist.”

As one member pointed out, we have for many years voted on statements of conscience using open ballots, and relied on secret votes very rarely and only for sensitive issues. We could argue that this was a sensitive issue, but whether we have a secret or open vote, several questions remain: are we living our covenant of engagement in a way that allows us to voice differing opinions and to discuss them productively? Does having a secret ballot on a statement of conscience allow everyone to remain comfortable, quietly disagreeing, but unable to discuss difficult and important issues? Is there value in disagreeing and being able to express that in our beloved community? Are we able to love, or at least respect, one another even if we vote against the majority? These are questions we will, I have no doubt, continue to wrestle with.

Another concern expressed was that we don’t have the time or energy to devote to the issue of immigration, which signing the statement demands of us. I agree we must put the words we affirmed into action. I also agree that we are spread thin and we lose some efficacy when we take on too much. However, this is what we have been called to respond to and this resolution is part of work already underway and doesn’t commit us to “new” work. We will not be able to do everything that must be done to address the complex issue of immigration and protect those who are marginalized. The good news is that signing onto this statement does strengthen our relationship with the congregations and organizations that are already deeply engaged in this work. It lets them know we are committed to join them as best we are able. There are actions already underway and a team that is forming. Look to your newsletter for upcoming events and ways you can participate. If you’d like to join us, please let me know.

Here is a link to the updated resolution.

Sunday, December 24, 5:00pm – “Lessons and Carols, UU-Style”
An untraditional service, crafted with families in mind, of Lessons & Carols with traditional texts set against modern poetry and prose. The trombone choir will play a brass prelude beginning at 4:45.

Sunday, December 24, 9:00pm – “For the Time Being,” a service of Lessons and Carols based on W. H. Auden’s famous Christmas poem.
A dramatic reading of W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio in the form of colorful monologues spoken by the traditional characters in the Christmas story. Widely viewed as one of Auden’s greatest works in which he reconsiders the idea of faith in modern times, the poem recasts the story as relevant to finding hope in the dark days of the ancient world, and ours. The choir sings at the 9pm service.