From Kathy Underwood, DLRE – January 2020
We have reached an interesting period here at UCE as well as in our country and in time. 2020 is the start of a new decade with its promises and hopes. If you believe in numerology, when adding the digits in the year 2020, you get 4, which represents order, responsibility, stability, family, home, manifestation, conservation, peace, physical reality, and practical solutions. It is the number of work — of getting it done. You are being asked in 2020 to be fully invested in creating a foundation for long-lasting success, security, and grounding by building something of value that stands the test of time, according to Numerology.com. And if you’re into astrology, it marks the ending of three major planetary cycles of Saturn, Pluto & Jupiter.
Is it a coincidence then that here at UCE we are in a transition that is calling us to “work and getting it done”? To do the work of building a strong foundation – both in our physical structure and infrastructure – that will carry the load of the work we want to do in the community and the greater world of which we are a part? Whether or not you believe in coincidences, the fact is that we are at an important junction. And beyond our walls, we are at a critical junction: equality for all, the environment, and democracy itself are all facing challenges.
As we move into this unique and exciting period, we need to continue sharing our stories of our experiences at UCE and our dreams for UCE. How has our history formed our identity? What do we need to create our future with a new minister? What resources, tangible and intangible, do we have? Does our foundation and infrastructure support the work we feel called to do?
And so you are encouraged and invited to participate in the conversation as it relates to our lifespan religious education program on February 15 with Rev. Karen, Rev. Eileen, and I. We will explore questions such as, “How might we create more opportunities to grow our young people’s UU identity? How might we include our youngest in UCE life?” We will gather for a continental breakfast at 8:30 and begin at 9 am. Lunch and a children’s program will be provided. Our hope is that all parents and other interested adults participate in this important conversation. A special invite will be sent out separately where you can sign up so we can plan for food and childcare accordingly.
Let 2020 be a year full of good work and building the foundation needed to make our vision come to fruition!
In Faith,
Kathy
January 26, 2020
“Patience: Is it always a virtue?” – Rev. Eileen Wiviott
Patience is a virtue, except when it’s not. As the world moves ever faster and we, its inhabitants, are more instantly gratified, it seems increasingly challenging to ask for and practice patience. We will explore the virtue and vice of patience and how we might practice it with one another, while navigating and responding to the urgency of our times. Bridget Wild and Ben Kornfeld are the recipients of this auction sermon.
Beware Email Scams – January 2020
Attention!
Do not fall for email scams asking for a favor using the minister’s name with a made up email. A creative but ill-intentioned person or network is using clergy names to send emails from created email addresses to ask for gift cards. You may get an email that sounds something like this:
Good morning,
I need a favor from you
Email me as soon as you get this
God Bless
Rev. Karen Gustafson
When you respond, they give you a story about someone they need you to send gift cards to. This is a scam. Do not fall for it. You can report these through your email:
Mark them as phishing or report them as Spam or block the Sender based on their content. If the sender is using another Gmail address (please confirm before reporting), use this form to report abuse – I would like to report a Gmail user who has sent messages that violate the Gmail Program Policies and/or Terms of Use.
You can’t prevent spoofing. So, recipients must remain alert, particularly for messages supposedly from people they trust which they may find under Spam or vice versa.
As a rule of thumb, if ever suspicious about any email, check whether the email was authenticated by the sending domain. Click on the drop-down arrow underneath the sender’s name (next to the receiver’s name), and make sure the domain seen next to the ‘mailed-by’ or ‘signed-by’ lines matches the sender’s email address. e.g: If you see messages claiming to be from google.com, but are not properly authenticated as coming from google.com, then they are phishing messages and you must report them. For additional details, click on this link: Email authentication
- You can also report the gift card scam to the Federal Trade Commission in DC. Many of these crimes are under-reported and discounted as not traceable or not worth pursuing by most organizations and people who experience this type of crime. FTC has a hot line to call about these types of scams and they appreciate getting as much information as possible from concerned citizens and since they used your e-mail information you should contact them and give them all the information you have available to you.Federal Trade CommissionWashington, DCEastern Regional Center(202) 326-2222
We appreciate you letting us know that this is happening and are grateful that so many are recognizing this as a scam. However, it is difficult to respond to the flood of emails and texts asking about this. Please know we regret that this is happening and there is little we can do to prevent it. If you can report or mark the email as phishing, that is helpful. If you’d like to report the incident to us, you can use the contact form on the website at https://ucevanston.org/contact/
January 19, 2020
Claiming a Mission: Can “We” be “One”? – Rev. Karen Gustafson
There is an old sentiment, often expressed, that Unitarian Universalist Congregations are like “Herds of cats” (or maybe squirrels!). This implies that it is hard to get a group of UUs headed or organized around a common idea or purpose in ways that could make actually make a difference. Yet, UCE has a Mission Statement which is, “Nurturing the human spirit for a world made whole.” How does the common energy fuel the work of the many? Could common understanding lead to shared action? As you move toward the calling of your next minister this bears consideration.
EOD January 10, 2020
From Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director
January 10, 2020
So much good is happening at UCE. Our interim work continues, our website is being refined and updated in a more user-friendly format, capital campaign projects are moving forward and much more.
There is very exciting news on the Capital Campaign. Our kitchen renovation began yesterday at 10 a.m. Crews have removed all cabinetry and fixtures. Our plan is on target in terms of timing and costs. You will notice on Sunday that the area is cordoned off with plastic. You will not be able to enter the work area, but you will be able to see that we are well underway. Coffee hour will still take place between services and after service at the back of the sanctuary.
The parking lot project planning is still underway with requests for pricing sent to out and due to be received by January 22. Greg Grabowski, John LaPlante and I (Capital Campaign Parking Lot Sub-Committee) will review bids for the lot, sewer drain replacement and electric to the lot. A report will be made to the CCIC at our early February meeting. Additional information will be communicated to the congregation as we move along on this project.
Please attend our upcoming Capital Campaign Town Hall Meetings – Sunday January 26 at 10:15 a.m. after the first service and Sunday January 26 at 12:30 p.m. after the second service. A timeline of upcoming and future projects will be shared with the congregation at that time. Much work on the part of the Capital Campaign Implementation Committee has been underway over the past few several months. Members of this team are Janelle Brittain, Chair; John LaPlante, Sandy Danforth, Vickie Doebele and myself.
You will notice beautiful new treads on the stairs going to the lower level from the lobby. These new treads have safety strips to improve visibility and reduce slipping. New tiles replace the severely worn, old and damaged tiles in the tunnel area, as well as the area just outside the furnace room adjacent to the hallway leading to lower level classrooms.
The Budget Working Group of the Integrated Stewardship Committee has met twice to begin the formation of our 2020-2021 budget. Many components go into this budget as there are moving parts that we must focus on, including future ministry plans. Members of the Budget Working Group are Susan Comstock, Treasurer; Rev. Eileen Wiviott; Tom Ticknor, ISC member-at-large, Martha Holman ex-officio as Board Chair and myself as Executive Operations Director and ISC Staff Lead.
A Budget Town Hall meeting is being planned and will take place in early February. An announcement will be in the newsletter, member-to-member and communication sources to the congregation.
Susan Comstock and I have been working with the Integrated Stewardship Team to update UCE Financial Procedures. This is a document written and implemented ten years ago and is revised every three years. This is an excellent document that serves as a guide on how we manage our financial processes and procedures.
January 12, 2020
“The Art and Arc of Worship”
Worship Arts Council and Karen Gustafson
What ARE we doing at UCE every Sunday morning? Remarkably each week we show up and, to no one’s surprise, there is something happening at 9:15 and again at 11:00 that some refer to as “worship” and others “Sunday service”, along with some other words or phrases that often reflect either an affinity or a rejection of past Sunday morning “religious” community gatherings. Each week what happens is planned and presented by individuals with intention and care to the quality of all aspects of the order and content to create a whole that might touch the heart or mind or spirit of anyone present. The intention is always an experience that has integrity, that creates a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Come and learn about the elements and the process of how that happens and experience a deepened understanding of the worth and value of Sunday morning, the time and space that hold us as one.
