From EOD: November 6, 2020

Thank you to all who joined us after the election night to share anxious feelings and to gather strength. Eileen put together inspiring and thoughtful readings and videos. Liz, Kathy, Karen and I offered readings as well.  Especially in these times, I am most appreciative of this church and our community.   

So much has been happening at UCE even though we are not present in the building. Please check out Eileen’s video of her walk around our building. Our building is here being cared for and will be ready for us to return when it is safe.  

Updates for the congregation  

Buildings and Grounds 

Our newly re-formed Buildings and Grounds Committee met last week via zoom to introduce ourselves and discuss projects we want to track in the building over the next year, five years and ten years. Members of the team are Robb Geiger, co-chair, myself as co-chair, Barb Butz (UCE gardens) Doug Erickson (Green Team), Woody Haynes (lighting and misc. projects) Melanie Kitchner (Accessibility & Inclusion), David Bates-Jeffreys (construction projects) Carol Nielsen (projects review and resources), and Johna VanDyke (Interior Design). As you can see, this is a dynamic group who will be vastly helpful in overseeing and managing projects beyond our capital campaign. We will meet during the next two weeks to do a building walk-through and create a spreadsheet.  

Adam Gough is updating our UCE inventory of contents, which I started two years ago. Adam will include all music and technology equipment. This is important for insurance purposes, but it will also give the Buildings and Grounds team information to work with to better familiarize themselves with our building.  

On November 10th Robb Geiger, a member of the Green Team and I will do a walk through with Elevate Energy to evaluate lighting and other equipment that uses electricity in our building to determine where improvement might be made and how these could possibly generate funding assistance through Com Ed.  

Carol Nielsen, Robb Geiger and I met to review the east entrance. A railing has fallen and concrete is spalling. This project did not make it to the Capital Campaign so we have carefully evaluated what needs to be done and have proposed a solution for funding this essential repair. The Executive Committee will discuss on Friday. Carol has reached out to a local concrete repair firm who has given us a quote.  

Sanctuary Roof repairs, including the skylight were done late summer. New gutters were installed on the wing.   

I have been working to hire a reliable snow removal company for this year. We received a contract from our usual provider, but it is based on a 7–day week contract, which we no longer need as we are closed. An Evanston snow removal person is coming this week to look at the lot and provide a quote. This firm will clear the lot when needed, clear the sidewalks and apply salt. If you know of a good company that you use please let me know. Carol Nielsen has provided a list of several names and I have been making appointments this week so that we can get this wrapped up before snowfall.  

David Bates-Jeffreys and Robb Geiger have volunteered to change the furnace filters, which will negate the need for the furnace company and consequently save money for UCE.  

Liz Kennedy has been gearing up for the overnight shelter which runs for 3 weeks beginning November 8. Cleaning supplies, safety gear for Liz and Steven, as well as air purifiers have been purchased in anticipation of the shelter. Liz and Eileen have been in close contact with Sue Murphy to ensure that every safety precaution possible and our COVID guidelines are enforced.   

Administration 

Our outside accountant started the application for PPP forgiveness. She has been following guidelines and watching this process carefully. This week our funding company opened up the application process. She is proceeding accordingly.  

I’d like to express a special word of gratitude to Vickie Doebele for the work she does for UCE. Vickie is dedicated to keeping our books in good order. She comes to the church twice a week, picks up the mail, writes checks, makes deposits, and does payroll. Additionally, Vickie volunteers for the Capital Campaign as their bookkeeper. Thank you, Vickie.   

Integrated Stewardship Council meets the second Tuesday of the month. Last month we reviewed the preliminary budget that is required by the Ministerial Search Committee. We meet again this coming Tuesday for our regular monthly meetings.  

Each area of UCE finance provides a verbal and written report: Endowment, Capital Campaign, Pledge Drive and ISC Information Working Group. Of particular interest this month I will report on the information below provided by Jessica Meis updating us on the website and REALM.  

Website Updates & Realm 

Our staff have been working diligently on updating the website. Check out the updated Religious Education and Social Justice sections of the website. Under Religious Education, check out the updated Forum page and the new Program Archive page that stores content and resources for past classes. Under Social Justice, you can see volunteer opportunities, info about the 2020/2021 Shared Offering Recipients, and check out the updated teams’ pages!  Jessica  is actively working with groups to update their webpages, so if you haven’t heard from her yet, you will soon.  

Another significant update to the website is a REALM button at the top of the page. Click on the blue “Realm” button log in to UCE’s online Membership community. If you are have not set up your Realm account, please do so today! If you are having trouble or you have lost your Realm invitation email, please reach out to  Jessica  or Adam. Check out the Realm resources page  under the “Member Directory and Resources” with tips and videos on how to use Realm with ease! There will be more training sessions or help hours offered soon, so be on the lookout in the newsletter for those.  

Susan Comstock will update us on the upcoming Serendipity Online Auction. Cathy Deamant, Susan Comstock and Jenny Walsh have been working day and night with a team to pull this event off. This online event is a wonderful opportunity for the congregation to gather for some fun and fundraising.  

If you have questions about Buildings and Grounds, Capital Campaign, Integrated Stewardship or Financial Matters please do not hesitate to contact me at srobinson@ucevanston.org