Dear Friends,

Relationships are one of the touch points in our lives that helps us heal and renews our hope. Intertwined with continued self-care and ongoing personal growth, relationships are often places where we experience the gifts of comfort, care, and love.

I spent last week in a hermitage on the grounds of Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha, Iowa. Each day, I spent an hour with Sister Lucille in a spiritual direction session. Most of my time was spent alone walking the snow-covered trails through the woods, reading, and reflecting. I had not tried this style of retreat before and I ended up really enjoying it. I returned home refreshed in mind, body, and spirit. I also returned home renewed in my belief and affirmed in my experiences that one of the most profound places where we experience the spirit of love, compassion, and joy is through our human relationships.

Sister Lucille informed me of Tyre Nichols’ death during one of our sessions. Alone in my hermitage, it was difficult for me to hold and process this news. It was not until returning home to the relationships of my family, friends, and colleagues that I have been able to unpack my grief and anguish, to shore up my path of hope and healing. It is often through relationships that we are able to find comfort and compassion to accompany us through difficult times. It is also through relationships that we are able to share our communal heartbreak and grief, express our anger and frustrations, and work in solidarity for social change.

This past Tuesday, I sent out the first alert to our congregation’s newly formed Local Response Network inviting members of the Network to attend a vigil for Tyre Nichols the next day, the day of his funeral. Being in solidarity with our Evanstonian community is one way we heal, strengthen our hope for the future, and transform society. Rev. Jennifer Bailey, the founder and executive director of the Faith Matters Network, reminds us that “It’s in the process of doing community together that we build relationships and trust. Relationships move at the speed of trust, but social change moves at the speed of relationships.” If you would like to join our Local Response Network to get alerts about how to show up to be in solidarity with our larger community, please email me at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

Sometimes it feels like there is too much to process, too much change to make, but we can do it together. Seek out your family, friends, ministers, colleagues, or neighbors for conversation, support, and innovative ideas. In relationship, we can check up on each other to make sure we are getting the care we need and engage each other in creative ways to live our values out in the world.

Our faith community is here to help care for the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of your being. Taking care of yourself is one way to nourish the energy and creativity to live into your values. Click HERE to contact the Pastoral Care Team if you need support. Seek out beauty, joy, and rest to restore yourself. I am grateful for the privilege of being able to take a week-long retreat. I know that type of retreat and that much time off doesn’t work for everyone. I hope you will make some time to figure out what you need to feel more whole and then rely on your relationships to assist you in making time to find those ways to replenish your mind, body, and spirit.

Simultaneously with taking good care of ourselves, we must continue to work together to critically address how we talk about violence and the history of violence within our country, to examine how our current culture implicitly and explicitly creates spaces where violence can continue, and to show up to be in solidarity with those within our congregation and in our larger communities who are working toward social change.

Yours grounded in relationship and seeking transformation,

Rev. Susan

Most of our congregation knows Vickie Doebele, a 20+year UCE member and our Staff Accountant since 2019. And maybe even more importantly, Vickie knows most of us. Vickie is the one who keeps all of our pledge payments and donations straight, makes the bank deposits, pays our vendors and prepares our monthly financial statements. Handling the accounting for UCE is more complicated than one would think with so many members’ payments to track, and Vickie’s knowledge of the congregation has proven to be very helpful in keeping everything running smoothly.

When asked how members could help us run even more smoothly, Vickie knew the answer right away. “Remind members to fill out the memo line on their checks so I know how to apply their funds! And ask them to look at their Giving Statements when we email them. Sometimes they catch errors, or they are reminded about their pledge.” Another confusing issue can arise when folks make payments to UCE directly from an investment account.  Please make sure your name has been attached to the contribution.  Currently, we’re trying to solve a mystery of who is making monthly payments from JP Morgan Chase.

Bringing her daughter to Sunday School is what brought Vickie to UCE. They greatly enjoyed the UCE family camping trips as well as the family friendship dinners, and her daughter is still close with the friends she made at UCE. These days, Vickie enjoys the non-fiction book club. A voracious reader, Vickie’s current book recommendations are Kindred, which the REAL team led group discussions of this past fall, and The Great Believers, a novel set in Chicago during the AIDS epidemic. Vickie also has another book recommendation “The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted American’s Enemies.” A fascinating true story that begins in Chicago.

Being in the administrative office several days each week, Vickie enjoys helping people who phone the office or stop by the church. Recently, she answered the door buzzer and was asked, “Who’s serving dinner tonight?” Vickie quickly realized that it was someone looking for the Soup Kitchen for that evening and they must have unsuccessfully stopped by our neighbor, Beth Emet. Vickie apologized, saying she didn’t know which church hosted dinner on Tuesday. The visitor said, “It’s Tuesday? Thanks, bye!” Being willing to have the conversation, Vickie often provides a bit of clarification as she assists in the office. [Editor’s note: The rotating schedule and addresses for the overnight shelter and the soup kitchen are now located on the Community Events bulletin board and in the red folder in the Welcome Center cabinet.]

Thank you, Vickie! We very much appreciate all you do to keep UCE running well!

Citizen’s Greener Evanston (CGE) is Reconvening on Climate Action & Resilience on Saturday, January 28th, 2023, from 3:00-5:00 pm at the Evanston Lorraine Morton Civic Center 4th Floor Parasol Room. Please bring your ideas about how we can best coordinate climate action across organizations in Evanston.

Evanston organizations are invited to provide an update on what their organization is working on that is related to climate action. UCE is not planning to provide an update at this meeting. If you are interested in getting involved with CGE and attending what will be quarterly meetings, please contact Rev. Susan at sfrances@ucevanston.org.

Many of us are concerned about climate change and are taking actions to decrease our environmental impacts and prepare for a changing climate. Building on a series of meetings that took place in 2019 and 2020, the City of Evanston, the Evanston Environment Board, and CGE are bringing people together to share information about what everyone is working on and to coordinate climate action efforts across organizations.

The January 28 gathering will be the first of four quarterly meetings planned for 2023. Individuals not affiliated with a specific organization are also welcome. Here is a brief agenda:

1. Welcome remarks.

2. Updates from each group or organization in the room.

3. Introduction of individuals.

4. Networking, mobilizing for action, and prioritizing goals.

5. Confirmation of the next meeting date.

Register HERE!

New Beginnings

Earlier this month during our Chalice Circle program with the children, we explored a picture of a statue of the Roman god, Janus. They noted many of the obvious things, such as that he has two heads that are braided together and that one is facing to the left and one is facing to the right. We talked about how one face is looking to the past and the other to the future, and that this is where we get our name for the month starting the New Year, January. The conversation became more profound when they noticed the ages of the faces, one looking younger and one much older. “Which one is looking to the past and which one is looking to the future?” I asked. One theory was that the older one was looking to the past because he had many years of life experience to look back on. The younger one was looking to the future because he had many years to live ahead of him. And then one young person thought carefully and said, “Maybe the older one is looking to the future because he regrets things from the past.” I just love discovering different perspectives from our young people!

So here we are, at the point of yet another new beginning – a time to look forward while reflecting on our past. “Out with the old and in with the new!” is a common expression at New Year’s. Or for the young at heart, (sing with me!) “Let it go, let it go!” We honored this with the fire communion on New Year’s Day by burning papers representing the things we want and need to let go of in our lives. In this spirit, we are doing just this in our faith formation program. By letting go of something that isn’t meeting our dreams, aspirations, or needs and trying different ideas, we discover new things about ourselves and ways of forming connections with each other.

We are now letting go of the Forum Discussion Group for the rest of the year with the thought that it might become something new and better next fall. Perhaps there is a more meaningful way for adults to learn and connect on Sundays? Or maybe there is more of a need for something completely different – perhaps spiritual or theological? Let’s take some time to consider this over the next few months. I welcome your thoughts as we do so.

And for our “in with the new”, we have two programs starting early next month:

Families First Fridays – yes, my desire is to claim some of the language used by more conservative-minded organizations. After all, we UUs care just as much about our families as they do! The Family Ministry Team wanted to start a new tradition of a monthly family-friendly gathering, and so our first one will be February 3 at 5:30-7:30p. We will have pizza and lots of fun with Groundhog Day-inspired activities. Please register so we can order enough pizzas for everyone.

Parents’ Gathering – several parents have expressed a desire to have a time to get together on Sunday mornings occasionally, and our first gathering will be on February 5 at 9:30-10:15a in room 13. Those present will share their thoughts on what they’d like this group to be (such as educational, supportive, spiritual, UU-focused) and how often to meet.

Of course, there are also programs and events that we continue to cherish, such as the Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education program. This year, our youth are gathering one weekend a month with youth from 1st Unitarian and 2nd Unitarian for this important curriculum. UCE will be hosting the youth on February 17-18, and we could use some help with greeting and directing youth and facilitators, providing snacks for the weekend, and tidying up on Saturday afternoon. It’s an easy way to support our youth and our UU values! If interested, please sign up here.

In Faith,

Kathy

Sometimes the only way to find a solution to a problem is by asking someone else for help. Another person, with a different perspective, can often think of things we just aren’t able to in moments of frustration. Try as we might when we’re stuck in a pickle, we need each other to help figure things out.

The other day I was given a small, rounded cube of lip balm after our presentation with Maureen Burns of the HAP Foundation. She offered a very helpful presentation on Advanced Directives, making our end of life wishes clear to our family and friends, and then she offered these little goodies with the HAP Foundation logo on it. I was delighted because I love lip balm. However, when I tried to pry open the tiny container, I was completely stymied. I tried to get my nail between the crease in the two halves and wedge them apart, but it wouldn’t budge. After several minutes of pulling, I thought I might stomp on it to break it open, but I realized that would destroy its precious contents. A cooler head prevailed, and I turned to my kid, Grey, for help. Before I could even finish the sentence, “Hey, can you imagine how this stupid container might op….” they had twisted it to reveal a perfectly round mound of soothing shea butter. Of course, TWIST!

You might notice that I often fixate on these small frustrations, these inconsequential puzzles. Perhaps it’s my way of avoiding the larger, unsolvable challenges. Life is filled with dilemmas, mysteries, and conundrums and we need each other to find our way through them. From loss and loneliness to the huge intractable issues of racism, injustice, and poverty, we need each other to be creative, imaginative, to find solutions, to help us to see a different way forward rather than beating our heads against the same walls over and over. You know that definition of insanity: doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results.

What are the bigger conundrums you get stuck in? What are the problems that keep you in the mindset of, “There is no possible way!!”? In those moments, we can try to remember to take a breath and be open to the possibility that someone else might see it differently. Someone else might intuit a new way forward. We are better, stronger, more creative, and more powerful together. Can we remind each other of that?

On January 21st, we’ll gather to envision a new way forward toward our shared commitment of anti-oppression and anti-racism. I hope you will join us at UCE for the Anti-Oppression Summit from 9-1pm. We have much work to do and a long way to go toward building the Beloved Community. We can only get there together.

And for those of you who asked, here’s a link to the article I mentioned on Sunday, “183 Ways the World Got Better in 2022”, filled with creative solutions to big problems.

With love and appreciation for all the ways you help me think, see, and act with openness and possibility.

Rev. Eileen

It is a pleasure to be back at my desk after a peaceful and satisfying holiday break. My priority was spending time with my ninety-five year old mom who needs extra care and attention these days. My time there was low key and filled with moments of family love and togetherness. I hope that your holidays were filled with quiet times and joy and that we all return together in good health.  

 On the Capital Campaign front, the lower level accessible and inclusive bathroom is underway. We experienced a delay due to metal channel supply chain delay. The channel arrived and was installed last week. The following phases of work include plumbing, masonry and concrete saw cutting. Once complete, this project will provide a welcome new addition to our lower level space.  

 You may have noticed the wooden bin in the lobby that houses our waste receptacles. A few tweaks need to be made to better accommodate our needs, but we are making progress.  

 As you saw in our previous newsletters, we are inviting congregants to join us for a focus group discussion on selection of sanctuary chairs. Please follow this LINK if you would like to participate in our zoom discussion on Wednesday, January 11 at 6 p.m. 

Our Budget Working Group continues to meet and are preparing a draft of our 2023-2024 Budget. Members of the team include ISC members Carla Williams, Board President; Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Sr. Minister; Tom Carlton, UCE Treasurer, Rob Wingader, ISC Member at Large; and myself as Executive Operations Director. A preliminary budget will be approved by the Board of Trustees on Thursday, February 18. A Budget Town Hall Meeting will be held by Zoom on Tuesday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m.  

Susan Carlton, Tom Carlton, Eileen Wiviott and I are heading up the 2023-2024 Pledge Drive Team which is a collaborative effort of staff and volunteers. Several teams have been formed to assist in this important effort. Thank you to Jim Strickler who has recruited members for the Support Team, which will be co-led by Laura Etchen and Susan Carlton. Thank you to Joyce Loftstrom, Ally Hunter, Emily Ekwhal-Sanna, Carla Williams and David Carling who make up the Communications Team headed by Rev. Eileen Wiviott. Thank you to Tom Carlton is the lead of data and pledge information. Tom, Vickie Doebele, David Carling and I make up the Accounting Team. We are working with volunteers who will head our “Celebration Team”. If you would like to be part of the celebration by making food, baking or providing entertainment, please let me know. I will pass your name along to the leaders when they are affirmed. We need everyone’s help this year in making this important pledge drive a success. Our goal is to fulfill our mission through our many programs and activities and to pay our staff fairly. It takes our entire congregation to make this happen and we count on your support. Thank you all.  

 Lastly, but not of lesser importance, please keep our space in mind when you talk with friends and colleagues.  COVID closure hit our rental program hard and we are still trying to recover. I’m working on marketing efforts to rent our sanctuary for music performances, music recordings, weddings, and memorials. I am reaching out to not-for-profits to utilize our Room 3 and Room 6  classrooms, which have state-of-the art hybrid equipment for holding meetings and conferences. If you know of anyone who would like to rent space at UCE, please ask them to email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org 

Reverend Eileen’s Sabbatical 
March – May 2023

“Ministry is a boundaryless profession,” I was told by a therapist once. “The only limits of the job are the ones you create and maintain.” I try to remember this when I take my weekly sabbath though there is always more to do, and it is hard to set my brain and heart to rest mode. We all need rest and renewal and for some of us it can be difficult to give ourselves that time. I am deeply grateful that I am able to serve this congregation and appreciate your commitment to ensuring that I can take the sabbatical time that is written into most ministerial contracts.

I will be taking three months of my accrued sabbatical time this March through most of May. During that time, I will be doing some travelling, learning about our nation’s civil rights history and the case for reparations, as well as spending much needed time with family and friends. While I am away, Rev. Susan will remain in her role, and we will have two additional part time ministers to cover worship and pastoral care needs.

Rev. Allison Farnum will be leading three worship services per month March – May and supporting the staff. Rev. Elizabeth Harding will be working with the Pastoral Care Team to provide pastoral care coverage for the congregation. They are both connected to our neighbor UU congregation, Second Unitarian Church in Chicago. Some of you already know Rev. Farnum from her work as the Executive Director of UU Prison Ministry of Illinois. Rev. Harding has been an area hospice chaplain and currently serves Second Unitarian as the Minister for Religious Education.

Here’s a quick greeting from each of them:

Hello from Rev. Allison (she/her/hers)! I am honored to be a guest in your pulpit during Rev. Eileen’s sabbatical. I served as summer minister in 2007 with you and more recently have shared with you the work of the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry. I look forward to exploring the many themes that touch our lives in our brief time together, as well as being a presence of support to your fabulous staff. I live in Evanston with my husband Andy and two children Charlotte (8) and son Joey (5). I plan to be in the office with a regular part-time schedule and look forward to seeing you on Sundays in March, April and May!

Hi from Rev. Elizabeth! (she/her/hers) I have some fond memories of UCE as my very first youth conference was at UCE in the 1990s. A couple of years ago, I offered a workshop at UCE about hospice/palliative care and theology; you may remember me from that series. I am looking forward to getting to know you while Rev. Eileen is on her sabbatical. I plan to establish regular office hours and will be available for chats as needed. I live in Skokie, with my husband Kevin and sons Lucas (9) and Simon (3.5).

It is only possible for me to take this time away because I know you will be in excellent hands. Know that I will return, after my time away, refreshed and ready to keep serving you with love and gratitude. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out between now and the end of February.

Yours in faith and service,

Rev. Eileen

The Spirit of the Season

Yes, it is that time of the year when our homes, streets, shops, and communities are filled with the spirit of the winter holiday season. There is the joy of Christmas lights, Hanukkah candles, and yule logs, the music and foods shared at gatherings, and the joy of giving – not just gifts, but our time and compassion as well.

Here at UCE, we have so many opportunities to get into the spirit of the season, beginning with worship services! We started the month with Melanie DeMore, whose music and stories were inspirational and joyous. This Sunday, we continue our traditions with Music Sunday and Ornament Sunday. Vickie Hellyer, our awesome Music Director, will lead a service filled with music and readings to reflect the faith traditions at this time of year. After the service, we will have our Ornament Sunday festivities: a potluck of light foods to nourish us as we decorate the UCE Christmas tree and stroll amongst the tables where we can make ornaments to bring home.

On the 18th we continue the spirit of the season with another tradition, the Christmas Pageant. In honoring our Christian heritage, we celebrate the Christmas season by retelling the story of Jesus’ birth in this interactive and music-filled worship service. I often hear from parents that they want their children to know the basic stories of the Bible, and this is one of the more well-known stories they will come across. Our young people need to hear these stories, and those of other faiths, to help instill a sense of awe and wonder they give us while also demonstrating a sense of respect for these stories and the faiths they come from around the world. And while there is a bit of humor in the Christmas Pageant, my hope is that our children and youth will come to know it as a story of wonder.

For those who have a role in the pageant, you can pick up your costume before worship beginning at 9:45am. And if you didn’t want to commit ahead of time and would still like to be a part of it, you can choose a costume that hasn’t been claimed or be a shiny star. Of course, you can still sign up here to choose a role, such as an angel, shepherd, star, or even a baby cow.

Next, we welcome Christmas Eve with a beautiful candlelight service at 7pm. What better way to feel that sense of wonder on a dark, winter’s night than with the glow and warmth of candles?

With Christmas Day on a Sunday this year, the worship service will be kid-friendly and low-key. You’re even welcome to come in your pjs! Please note that the nursery will be closed so that our childcare providers can have the holiday off.

And the spirit of the season continues outside of worship services as well. Tonight, we will have our annual Carols, Cocoa, and Community at 6:30pm. We’ll begin in room 3 to wrap gifts for the Mitten Tree, then head to the sanctuary to sing some holiday favorites and enjoy hot cocoa. This is a perfect gathering for all ages, and I hope to see you there!

In Faith,

Kathy

Greetings all,

Don’t miss Melanie DeMore in concert at UCE this Saturday evening. Please following this link to purchase tickets: Melanie DeMore Concert Tickets, Sat, Dec 3, 2022 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite

It promises to be a heartwarming and riveting voice experience not to be missed. For more information about Melanie, visit our website at ucevanston.org where you can read her publicity information and you can also purchase tickets from there as well. The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:15. A café will be available before the concert and during intermission. Handmade treats and refreshments will be served. Thank you to team volunteers Peg Boccard, Renee Hoff, Janelle Brittain, Jean Durkin Marcy Hicks, and Dave Schroeder.

During this season of gratitude, I want to say thank you to all of you who contribute to UCE in the many ways that you do through the time you give, your talents and gifts and your financial support. Following COVID closure we are continuing to implement new ways of doing things at UCE to keep our congregation, our programming and our facilities vibrant and sustainable. Volunteer hours are more limited. As Staff Lead of the Integrated Stewardship Council, I have reached out to many individuals and could not come up with co-chairs for our annual pledge drive. After many discussions with Rev. Eileen we have developed a plan, in tandem with our Treasurer Tom Carlton, and Susan Carlton who are helping us create a Staff and Volunteer led campaign this year. We have met twice now, and a timeline is being prepared by Susan Carlton that will guide us through this process. We are excited about another way we can participate in shared ministry, in this case shared stewardship. We plan to kick off the drive early in February with letters going out mid-January. More information will be provided as we move along.

Next week the Budget Working Group begins its work on the 2023-2024 budget. Teams have been contacted to provide their needs, including Faith Formation, Membership, Social Justice, Buildings & Grounds, Green Team so that we can combine these expenses with staffing and program needs to development the next fiscal year budget.

As I write, in the lower-level Eric Barton and crew from Biltmore Homes has begun work on a reconstruction of the existing boy’s bathroom to become an accessible and inclusive facility. The existing girl’s bathroom will receive improvements such as flooring, painting and a new vanity. This is one of the major Capital Campaign projects. Michael Skilton has joined me as co-lead on this renovation program. It is exciting that we will finally have provide access in the lower level to a bathroom for all.

The Capital Campaign Implementation Team sent out postcards two weeks ago thanking all who have completed their pledges. Thank you to everyone who made so many improvements to our buildings and grounds possible. Our postcards gave a snapshot of the many projects we have implemented.

A new task force is in place headed by Michael Drennan, Robb Geiger and David Bates Jeffreys, with myself serving as Staff Building Liaison and consultation with Rev. Susan Frances who is the staff lead for Green Team. This team will research projects that will help us reach Emissions Reductions during the next several years. Our plan is to following guidelines set forth in the Climate Action Plan which our Board of Trustees signed a resolution of support for two years ago. If you are interested in providing time and knowledge toward this effort, please let me know at srobinson@ucevanston.org