From EOD, January 31, 2020

Thank you to everyone who attended the two town meetings on Sunday. There were many good questions and comments. It is a joy to see the interest and participation in what is happening with the Capital Campaign and the many improvement opportunities the campaign is making possible. The Capital Campaign Implementation Committee members are Janelle Brittain (chair), Sandy Danforth, Vickie Doebele, John LaPlante and myself. Carol Nielsen (Kitchen) and Greg Grabowski (Parking Lot)  have been very active as Project Leaders assisting the CCIC.

As reported by Carol Nielsen in the town hall meetings the renovated kitchen is poised for opening mid-March if all continues to go as well as it has to-date. The parking lot reconstruction will begin late July. Electricity to the parking lot and drain sewers are part of the overall parking lot reconstruction plan. Please take a moment to look at the Capital Campaign timelines posted throughout the church. This timeline was discussed at the town hall meetings. If you have questions or need more information, please contact me at 847-864-1330 or srobinson@ucevanston.org. I can answer your questions or connect you with the appropriate committee member.

There are two Budget Town Hall meetings scheduled for Sunday, February 9 at 10:30 and 12:30 p.m. after each service. These meetings provide an opportunity for you to hear about the proposed budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. The process began with the Budget Working Group of the ISC preparing a draft budget, followed by Integrated Stewardship Council review. The ISC recommended the budget draft for review at the January Board of Trustees meeting where the draft was approved. We invite you to attend to learn more. The final budget will be approved at our May Annual Meeting.

Pledge Drive 2020 will kick off with a Peter Mayer concert on Saturday, February 22 followed by a special day planned for Sunday, February 23. Stay tuned to the newsletter and website for more information to follow for an exciting Pledge Day.  Concert details are on the web and tickets are available on Eventbrite. A link is provided in the newsletter and website.

Coming soon to the staff pages on the website are Mission Based Staff Bios. Each staff member is writing their own Bio with background on themselves, their work at UCE, and how their work ties into our mission. We decided to take the time to consider and articulate how we contribute to UCE’s mission as a staff, just as we are asking the congregation to do the same in this period of interim work and re-dedication of our mission.

Also in the works is a thorough examination of the website and changes that will make navigation easier and topics easier to find. If you are a team or committee leader remember to provide information to Jessica so that your section on the web can remain up-to-date with current information and activities. The team members working on the website updates are Jessica Meis, Adam Gough, Marianne Griebler, Michelle Novak, Emily Sanna, and Carla Williams. Thank you all for the professional guidance and input you have provided to make our website even better.

Regards,

Sandra Robinson