News - Page 123 of 212

March 6, 2020

In a culture of “busy-ness” it is easy to develop an ambivalent relationship with time.

In our house, one of the ways that shows up is in the use of the words “only” and “already”. When we are feeling overwhelmed by deadlines and external demands, it is often “already Thursday”. When we are looking forward to some long anticipated weekend activity, it can be “only Thursday”. Sometimes this is the very same Thursday looked at from different perspectives by the same person.

I am looking at the Interim time at UCE through both of these lenses. Here it is, already March. The angst around extending the Ministerial Search process for an additional year seems to have abated and I am grateful to all of you who have put your time and energy into the work of looking at many aspects of your congregation’s life, claiming strengths and assets and embracing challenges. Without that willingness this might well seem like “only March”.

You have shown a willingness to engage in healing from past losses and disappointments and claiming the legacies of past ministries; you have taken up the task of looking at your committee and group structures and have begun the process of considering how structures might be made more healthy and sustainable. You have considered the value and power of UCE’s Mission Statement and some of you have been willing and able to witness to the power of that mission in your lives. There is movement afoot to strengthen the Religious Education program for children and youth and to increase the effectiveness and reach of your Caring and Pastoral Care efforts. And now you are about to welcome a new Director of Congregational Life to support some of these efforts as well as the work of the well-positioned Social Justice Council. And this is “only March!!”

The task for this month will be to look ahead. What are your dreams and visions for the future of UCE? This month in our Brown Bag Conversations and in as many places as I can show up, we will be engaged in what the song from the musical “South Pacific” calls “happy talk.” “You’ve got to have a dream; if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna make that dream come true?”

Come to a Conversation; write me an email; tell me a story. If you have not been actively involved in this interim process, it is only March and there is time to claim your stake in the future of UCE.

Gratefully,

Karen

March 6, 2020UCE UCE2020-03-05T22:01:54+00:00

March 8, 2020

“BFG – Big Friendly Giant or Belief, Faith, and God: the power and limitation of religious language” – Rev. Eileen Wiviott

Words matter and language has power. Coming out of the Protestant tradition, Unitarian Universalism retains much of the ritual, structure, words and hymnody of that tradition, even as we draw from diverse sources of wisdom and expand our inclusive pluralism. As we challenge ourselves to claim a progressive religious voice in the world, speaking for justice, peace, equity and compassion, it is important to use words mindfully. To that end, we need not abdicate the power of religious language. Instead, we can explore, redefine, and reclaim the meaning of words like worship, prayer, faith, belief, and even god. Rev. Eileen leads worship with Martha Holman serving as our Worship Associate.

Please visit our Youtube channel to see all sermon videos.

March 8, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-28T18:45:41+00:00

February 28, 2020

February 28, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-28T20:08:36+00:00

From EOD, February 28, 2020

Pledge Drive 2020 is off to a great start following a full weekend of music and activities. Peter Mayer delivered a wonderful evening of music last Saturday evening singing songs he has written about our beautiful earth, protecting our planet and making the world whole, a connection to our mission of “Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole”. On Sunday morning he performed in the worship service, including a piece with our choir. We had stories of six people whose lives have been deeply touched by UCE, music of our choir and activities throughout the day following the service. Thank you to Meredith Haydon and Maggie Weiss for heading up a terrific lunch team who provided a delicious meal even without a kitchen. We enjoyed balloon sculptures by the Balloon Guy Nick, jigsaw puzzles for adults and children, clay sculptures, music and a photo scavenger hunt with photos posted to Instagram. Great fun for all ages. Pledge forms were provided for congregants and for those who turned in their form they were entered into a drawing. Prizes include $50 Fair Trade Cart certificate, $50 Book H certificate, $50 Garden Walk certificate. When you submit your pledge form you will be entered into our UCE Pledge Drive Raffle Drawing. See fun photos from the day at the end of this article.

Flu season and safety precautions. You will notice containers of hand sanitizer throughout the church and in the bathrooms. During this flu season please remember to wash your hands regularly and avoid shaking hands, but rather give a friendly elbow to elbow connection with your fellow congregants at. It’s currently flu and respiratory disease season and CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine, taking everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs, and taking flu antivirals if prescribed.

Capital Campaign projects continue to move forward. The kitchen, as noted in Carol Nielsen’s newsletter piece, will open on Sunday, March 29^th when we host UCE’s empty bowls project. Soup, Salads, bread and desserts will be served. Proceeds will benefit Connections for the Homeless for their efforts to feed those in our community who are in need.

Lower level bathroom reconstruction for accessibility and inclusion will begin after Rummage Sale and a walkway from Greenwood to the church entrance will begin in late spring. The parking lot and sewer drain work starts Monday, July 27. Details on these projects and our future projects timeline were shared at our Capital Campaign town hall meetings in January. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

A message from our Staff Accountant Vickie Doebele. Each year we budget our shared offering for half of the donations to go to a worthy organization selected by our Social Justice Council. When you write a check and ask for the full amount to go to the organization, this requires additional time for accounting as well as a check to be issued from UCE to the offering recipient. You are free to send a check directly to the organization, but we ask that you keep in mind our commitment to our operating budget so that all programs, including social justice can be funded. Thank you for your understanding.

From EOD, February 28, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-27T23:32:15+00:00

March 1, 2020

“Investing In Each Other” – Rev. Eileen Wiviott

When we speak of generosity, we often think about how we give of our money and, without a doubt, money has a powerful impact that can be used beneficently or cruelly. There is also tremendous power in the time and talent we choose to share. It takes real intention to invest our time, talent, and treasure wisely. We’ll practice together investing in one another and placing value on our connections.

Please visit our Youtube channel to see all sermon videos.

March 1, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-21T16:33:06+00:00

February 21, 2020

February 21, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-21T20:04:40+00:00

From Michelle Novak, UCE Board Trustee – Feb 21, 2020

I am really excited about all the things going on with UCE as we reaffirm our mission and kick off the pledge drive this week. Since I joined the board last June, many have come up to me and told me concerns and hopes for the church community as we go forward. I’ve been listening and sharing these with the board so keep them coming. I am also happy to report that the 2020-2021 budget is well aligned with the mission of the church.

There is a continued momentum and strong support for social justice and membership with our new part time Congregational Life Director. We have renewed our dedication to finding the best possible future through continued support of the interim work as well as our religious education programs. Our amazing staff is getting fair compensation. We continue to be leaders and supporters of the local community through numerous social justice, education and music offerings all made possible through your pledges.

One of my favorite things about the UCE pledge drive is that you can see your pledge in action. Take a look at the budget, all the money goes directly into making this place great. A place where you can find beloved community, worship as you wish, help advance causes close to your heart.

I do hope that you all find ways to increase your support for UCE as the pledge drive kicks off. This year especially, as we are hit with requests for money daily from politicians and numerous causes, know that your pledge here is going to go far.

We are doing good work here and we need your help and continued support.

Michelle Novak

From Michelle Novak, UCE Board Trustee – Feb 21, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-20T00:22:39+00:00

Letter from the DLRE – Feb 21, 2020

Last month, I wrote about how the year 2020 was significant in many ways, such as astrology, astronomy, numerology, and more importantly, here at UCE as we discover what it is we want and need to carry out our mission to nurture the human spirit for a world made whole. And so, on February 15, a dozen members gathered for a REvisioning conversation, where we shared our experiences and hopes for our lifespan religious education program. It was a wonderfully thoughtful conversation, that had parents, members of the Ministerial Search Committee, and one youth participating.

From here, I will be hosting some Kathy Cafès, so that others can join the conversation around questions such as:

What keeps us engaged in the religious education program?
What are our hopes for our religious education program?
How can we foster a truly multi-generational community?

Look for more information in future newsletters and/or email on the dates and times of these gatherings.

In the meantime, here is a sampling of what was shared at the REvisioning gathering:

Hopes: more vibrant program with multigenerational relationships; a connection with the larger UU movement through youth/young adult conferences, Boston Bound, OWL, General Assembly; speak to the deep hunger of people walking in our doors; more people “downstairs” than “upstairs”; more racial/cultural diversity; parental support in raising UUs; more males involved in the program.
Questions raised to consider: How do we make RE “done” by everyone? How do we bring non-parents into the program? How can we help people connect? Whose job is it to see that things happen? How do we manage expectations? How do we overcome the “upstairs/downstairs” dilemma?
Ideas mentioned: make conversations a spiritual practice; make personal invites to others to participate; assess our priorities and values; explore all-congregation worship and RE; find ways to have kids/youth more involved in worship; look at how technology can be used to connect people; survey families who have left UCE or haven’t been attending; offer different levels of involvement where people can comfortably participate.

In the coming weeks, I will also be talking to the young people in their religious education program about what their hopes and dreams are for their religious education program. I’m sure to get some interesting comments there!

In Faith,

Kathy

Letter from the DLRE – Feb 21, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-20T00:12:23+00:00

February 14, 2020

February 14, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-17T19:50:38+00:00

February 23, 2020

9:15 am – Join us for community spiritual practice in room 3 at 9:15 on February 23. We will engage in multiple practices of the mind, body and heart and open to people of all ages.

10:30 am – Join us for a special service celebrating our mission, “Nurturing the human spirit for a world made whole,” Sunday, February 23, at 10:30 am. (Please note the change in service time for this Sunday only.) UU folksinger and songwriter Peter Mayer will be our special musical guest as we share stories of how our mission feeds our spirit and fuels our passion for justice and service.

Please visit our Youtube channel to see all sermon videos.

February 23, 2020UCE UCE2020-02-17T17:19:21+00:00

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston

Become A Member

E-mail Newsletter Sign-Up

Connect