News - UC Evanston

Sunday, March 15, 2026

A New Era of Action in Illinois

What happens when 30+ congregations speak with one moral voice? We are delighted to welcome Natasha Walker, our new leader at the UU Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI), to the pulpit. Natasha brings a unique perspective to our movement, combining two decades of strategic work in Corporate America with a deep commitment to the interconnected web of life. This morning, she shares her vision for UUANI’s three-pronged strategy of advocacy, activism, and resistance. Come hear why our daily actions are “inextricably braided into everything else” and how your engagement can help shape the future of our state.

Worship led by Natasha Walker, with Dr. Emma Farrell, Ministerial Intern. Kiley Korey leads us in song, and Gregory Shiffrin shares his talents on piano.

Today’s offering will be shared with UU Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI).

UUANI empowers Unitarian Universalists across Illinois to work for spiritually grounded, relationally accountable, and strategically effective action in solidarity with those most impacted by injustice. They provide leadership training, build congregational capacity, and organize statewide advocacy efforts in loving accountability with their partners. Together, they seek to bend the arc toward justice.

Upcoming Services

March 22 (Note time change – 11 am) – The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle – Worship in collaboration with Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Church, Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Rev. Aaron McCleod

March 29 – New Member Covenanting – Rev. Susan Frances

April 5 – Justice – Rev. Eileen Wiviott

April 12 – Youth Group & Young Adult Group with Rev. Eileen Wiviott

Sunday, March 15, 2026adminuce2026-03-08T17:41:47+00:00

DLFF Newsletter – March 2026 Springing Forward

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

DLFF Newsletter – March 2026 Springing Forwardadminuce2026-03-03T19:37:42+00:00

Sunday, March 8, 2026

A Piece of Fertile Ground

Expect the unexpected as we explore this month’s Soul Matters Theme: Paying Attention. This will be a highly interactive service, set up for connection and discovery. Rev. Eileen and Director of Lifespan Faith Formation, Kathy Underwood, lead this service together, with Janelle Brittain as Worship Associate. The UCE Choir, directed by Vickie Hellyer, with Gregory Shifrin on piano, provide the music.

Today’s offering will be shared with the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois or UUANI. UUANI devises programs to build power among UU congregations in Illinois in order to achieve meaningful, concrete, far-reaching results which put our UU values and principles into action.

Upcoming Services:

March 15 – UUANI – Natasha Walker and Dr. Emma Farrell

March 22 (Note time change – 11 am) – The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle – a Worship in collaboration with Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Church – Rev. Eileen and Rev. Aaron McCleod

March 29 – New Member Covenanting – Rev. Susan Frances

Sunday, March 8, 2026adminuce2026-02-27T20:10:58+00:00

Update from Rev. Susan Frances – 2/27/2026

Hi Friends,

I spent the last week of January at the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s continuing education institute in Albuquerque, NM. The same conference Dr. Emma Farrell attended. The photo is of me on a walk along the Rio Grande on the last day of the conference. I was heartened to be with UU ministers from across the country who are collaborating with their congregations and local community partners to inspire hope and actively resist authoritarianism. I returned home feeling connected, not only to the vast network of UUs in the U.S., but to a vision of our country’s future that is humane, inclusive, rational, and possible.

Coming together with people who share our values is one way to continue to restore our energy and refocus our commitment to the ongoing work needed to preserve our democracy. This year, my wife and I are sponsoring a virtual table at the annual luncheon of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ACLU-IL) in the name of UCE and you are invited to join us! This year’s theme is Fighting For A More Perfect Union and the keynote speaker is Melissa Murray, who I know about from the podcast Strict Scrutiny. The luncheon will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 12:00-1:30 pm. Please RSVP to Rev. Susan by completing this form by March 6th. You do not need to pay for a ticket, you are invited to be our guest.

An opportunity to connect with people who share our UU values is coming up at the Unitarian Universalist Association’s annual General Assembly (GA) being held from Sunday, June 14, through Sunday, June 21, 2026. This year’s GA is completely online. Congregations and regions are being encouraged to sponsor watch parties.

On Saturday, June 20th, UCE will be hosting watch parties for Meet the Moment trainings from 10 am – 5 pm, and then for the annual Ware Lecture from 7 – 8 pm. If you would like to help coordinate these events at UCE, please email me. It is requested that participants in the Saturday events be registered for GA. Click here to register for GA 2026. The early bird fee is available through April 30th. If you are in need of a registration scholarship, please review the options from the UUA and then if you need further assistance from UCE, click here for the application.

Then, on Sunday, June 21st, everyone is invited to join us in the sanctuary for the Community Sing Along from 9:30-10:00 am and worship from 10:00-11:30 am. You do not need to be a registered attendant for GA to attend on Sunday. Please note the times in your calendar as these replace our regular 10:30 am worship service on June 21st.

My friends, I hope you know we are not alone. That there are UUs and others across our state and country who are also working for a better future. As we work to shape a shared future, I encourage you to reach out to me, Rev. Eileen, the Pastoral Care Team, or your friends and family when you need support; to rest when you need to restore your body, mind, or spirit; and, to take a moment to breathe deeply, appreciate the lengthening days, and rejoice in the changing of the seasons as spring approaches.

Yours in shaping our future,

Rev. Susan

Update from Rev. Susan Frances – 2/27/2026adminuce2026-02-27T16:24:35+00:00

Sunday, March 1, 2026

God Doesn’t Give You More Than You Can Handle and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

What gets us through the impossible things we face, if not a deity? Exploring what sustains us when God DOES give us more than we feel we can handle. This sermon is inspired by Kristin Larsen who won the chance to pick the topic at the 2025 auction. Rev. Eileen leads this service with Ellie Feddersen as Worship Associate. Kiley Korey is our hymn leader and soloist, accompanied by Grey Wiviott on vocals, Kevin Barrow on guitar, and Gregory Shifrin is our pianist.

Today’s offering will be shared with Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois or UUANI. UUANI devises programs to build power among UU congregations in Illinois in order to achieve meaningful, concrete, far-reaching results which put our UU values and principles into action.

Upcoming Services

March 8 – A Piece of Fertile Ground; Rev. Eileen and Kathy Underwood

March 15 – UUANI – Natasha Walker and Dr. Emma Farrell

March 22 (Note time change – 11 am) – The Gospel According to Patti LaBelle – a Worship in collaboration with Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Church – Rev. Eileen and Rev. Aaron McCleod

March 29 – New Member Covenanting – Rev. Susan Frances

Sunday, March 1, 2026adminuce2026-02-26T16:12:53+00:00

Sunday, February 22, 2026

In Community Today

Many of us have several communities to whom we devote our energy and with whom we spend our time, from a small community of close friends or neighbors to a mid-sized community like our congregation to a large public community focused on civic engagement like the ACLU or NAACP. We will reflect on how we share wisdom across communities and build bridges to create solidarity and practice being allies and accomplices.

Worship will be led by Rev. Susan Frances with worship associate Michelle Thompson-Hay. The UCE Choir, Music Director Vickie Hellyer, and pianist Gregory Shifrin will provide our music.

Today’s offering will be shared with Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism or BLUU, whose mission is to expand the power and capacity of Black UUs within Unitarian Universalism; provide support, information, and resources for Black Unitarian Universalists; and justice-making and liberation for Black people through our faith.

Upcoming Services

March 1 – God Doesn’t Give You More Than You Can Handle and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves; Rev. Eileen

March 8 – A Piece of Fertile Ground; Rev. Eileen and Kathy Underwood

March 15 – UUANI – Natasha Walker and Dr. Emma Farrell

Sunday, February 22, 2026adminuce2026-02-18T16:44:43+00:00

Update from Dr. Emma Farrell, Friday, February 13, 2026

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been carrying you with me across miles and moments, and I want to share a little of what I’ve been seeing, learning, and feeling.

As many of you know, I traveled to Minneapolis to participate in a public witness last month. It was bitterly cold – the kind of cold that makes your eyelashes freeze. It was also deeply clarifying. Hundreds of people showed up despite the cold and despite the short (six days) notice. We were clergy and lay leaders, people of many faiths. We stood together in the face of policies and practices that dehumanize our immigrant neighbors, putting our bodies in between them. What struck me most was not only the moral clarity of the moment, but the relational infrastructure underneath it: people knew how to mobilize because they had already practiced being in community. They trusted one another, and the showed up when they were needed. There were phone trees, shared language, shared values, shared scripts, official guidelines for engaging with news, and up-to-the minute instructions of how and where to engage in public action. It was an amazing display of mutual aid and collaboration across differences.

Not long after, I found myself in Albuquerque for the UU Minister’s Association’s Institute, gathering with UU ministers from across the country. The learning track I participated in was “Meet the Moment,” and that phrase followed us everywhere – into workshops, hallway conversations, late-night reflection. We talked honestly about the times we are in: the exhaustion, the grief, the urgency. And we practiced skills that help faith communities respond with courage and organization. We talked about how to build real community before a crisis, how to organize so we can mobilize when needed, how to narrate our values-based responses, and how to live into those values. Again and again, the message was clear: love is not just a feeling. Love is a practice. Love is preparation.

Holding these experiences together, I keep thinking about how grateful I am to be learning these lessons alongside you. This congregation understands that love shows up in concrete ways – in care for one another, in public witness, in choosing relationship over isolation. I see you already doing this work, whether you call it organizing or simply showing up for each other.

As I write this, I’m also aware that summer will bring a transition for me, and I find myself already a little tender about it. Leaving will be hard. This community has shaped me more than I can easily put into words, and I will carry you with me – your stories, your courage, your care – wherever I go next. Thank you for being part of my formation, and for continuing to meet this moment with love.

With deep gratitude,

Emma

Update from Dr. Emma Farrell, Friday, February 13, 2026adminuce2026-02-17T23:15:37+00:00

12 Next