Sunday Service: In-person and Online Sunday at 10:30am
“Of Healing and Gratitude” – Rev Karen Gustafson
As the UCE community seeks to move your story into a hopeful future with a new called minister, it is a good thing to acknowledge and give thanks for the legacy of good ministry that has helped to shape the present. Together we will reflect on the the sustaining traditions that were begun by past ministers. This service will include the sharing of bread as we honor give thanks for the gifts of community.
From Kathy Underwood, the Director of Lifespan Religious Education – November 15, 2019
November started out by participating in our high school youth’s conference, ConArtist. Our youth, with a lot of help from advisors Chris Allender and Mike Takada, coordinated a wonderful experience for UU youth. I led a workshop on Counted Cross-stitch – yes, you read that correctly! There were 12 youth patiently learning this art of fine-motor skills and patience. Some loved it, and others struggled, but they all gave it their genuine effort. The social justice program was led by Bonsai from the Theater of the Oppressed and was “the best program I’ve ever been to at a Con ever” according to several youth. The worship was awesome too because it included a little fire in the form of flash paper, as well as time for reflection and connection. A huge “thanks” goes out to Chris and Mike, and advisors Maxine Lapin, Ally Hunter, and Natalie Lawson – and of course, our youth.
Youth participating in a social justice workshop at ConArtist youth conference.
Our middle school youth visited Beth Emet Synagogue earlier this month. They met with Cantor Kyle Cotler, who brought out a Torah to show the youth, and they remarked what a special feeling it was to see a sacred text so close up. The students’ observations ranged from the ceiling height in the sanctuary (“So high!”) to the ratio of singing/speaking in the service and more! Next, they will be learning about Islam in religious education.
As of this writing, I have just returned from a Liberal Religious Educators’ Association conference in Baltimore that focused on trauma and marginalized peoples. It was a lot of theology and will slowly percolate in my brain over the next few weeks and months. In the midst of this was a lived example of white supremacy and how it plays out in our UU faith. Our colleagues of color called out the organizers of the conference on cultural misappropriation, which left myself and my white colleagues embarrassed, confused, and saddened for having caused more harm despite best intentions and actions. There is so much to learn, and so much work to do in dismantling white supremacy.
Looking ahead, there are two big events coming up quickly: Ornament Sunday and the Christmas Pageant. Here’s how you can participate in these fun traditions:
Ornament Sunday on December 8 – Do you have a simple holiday craft to share? One craft being offered is to decorate foam shapes. Or maybe you’re craftier than the average person and have something a little more challenging? Not crafty but want to help? Then you can staff a table, like the one decorating pinecones. Staffing a table means just being there to help people out as needed. We also need folks to help set up tables and move chairs after worship. Sign up here for any of these opportunities. And, whether or not you can help, I hope you come for some fun!
Christmas Pageant on December 15 – Another fun holiday tradition is the no-rehearsal Christmas pageant. Come be a part of the fun, either by participating as a character or animal, or simply by singing carols and watching. If you can help get costumes ready and set up or put away, then please sign up here.
In Faith,
Kathy
Our Hats are Off to Chris Allender and Mike Takada for putting together and running a wonderful youth con November 1-3. Their calm and steady leadership enabled UCE to host about 100 youth from around the area and 25 youth group leaders. Our space is one of a few in our region that works really well for the youth cons but it can’t happen without the many hours of planning Mike and Chris provided, as well as the willingness to spend the entire weekend here with 100 teenagers. Mike and Chris also brought a truly meaningful social justice program to the Con. Bonsai Burmudez of the Youth Empowerment Performance Project (YEPP) led the youth through an exercise involving dramatic arts, which provided insights into experiences of oppression. Mike and Chris also wanted to recognize the many people that contributed to the success of the con, including their youth group co-leaders: Ally Hunter, Natalie Lawson, and Maxine Lapin. Our deep gratitude to all of you.
Additional thanks to:
Barbara Ghoshal
Carolyn Leman
Cindy Sammons
Alice Swan
Michael Skilton
Anne Figert
Jane Wurster
Eric Schwabe
Christine Peters
Martha Holman
Meredith Hayden
Nicole Kramer
Ed Finkel
Jordan Strueber
Emily Marlowe
Sean Talmage
And Staffers, Liz Kennedy, Adam Gough, Vicki Doebele, Kathy Talmage, Kathy Underwood & Sandra Robinson were also instrumental in helping things run smoothly.
“Attending to Our Stories: How the Past Shapes the Future” – Rev. Karen Gustafson
Much of human discourse is story. At dinner parties or during coffee hour, in encounters with old and would be friends, we share pieces of our lives in anecdotes that build an impression of who we are and what we value. When we are part of a community, those impressions gather into a larger story which creates expectations about the the larger community and what it values. Part of our work in the Interim is to look at some of those stories and consider how they might inform the selection of the minister who will accompany you into the future.
Dear ones,
Some years back, I attended the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rochester, Minnesota on the first Sunday in May. On the grounds of the church stands a maypole. After the service everyone was invited out into the spring sunshine to join in the ritual of weaving the colors of summer and new life. Amid singing and laughter, and some intense and serious (and less obvious) direction from some seasoned maypole dancers, we wove together individual strands into a beautiful monument to human spirit, creative energy and disciplined know-how.
When I imagine this interim process at its best, this is the image that I see. In September, you identified strands of story and structure, assets, challenges, and strategies. In October, you engaged in reflection and chose quality over reactivity in your consideration of an extended interim. Like the weaving of a maypole which looks so easy when the dance is happening, the grounding of a congregation in sustainable structures and relationships involves much planning and preparation.
Story, structure, assets, challenges, and strategies. These are the main strands that we will be weaving together over the rest of the interim period.
During my November visit, the Sunday services will focus on attention to story and how the stories we tell about our own lives and about the life of UCE are shaping the future. Can we maintain the truth of our old stories and also expand and deepen them to make way for a more promising future?
In our Brown Bag gatherings we will begin a conversation that attends to UCE’s Covenant of Engagement. Where do we see this covenant at work? What are the challenges to keeping the promises it makes?
In a gathering of volunteer leaders we will attend to the structures of our volunteer efforts. This is a time of high energy at UCE. What might you do to strengthen the structures that sustain that energy during times of transition or stress? What might entice new volunteers to participate and lead? How is your membership sustained?
In addition, I am available to meet with individuals by appointment or with small groups/committees/covenant groups/ etc. by invitation to discuss any aspect of the Interim Plan (see UCE Website under “Interim”) .
At the Town Hall meeting at the end of my October visit, I was acutely aware of the disappointment around the extension of the interim period. I can only hope that that disappointment might be turned into determination to make the very most of this time, to dig deep and take long looks. This is not so much about “solving problems” as “embracing challenges.”
Let us weave on!
Karen
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the Town Hall meeting on Sunday, October 20th. After the Board of Trustees, the Search Committee, and Reverend Eileen gave short presentations about our interim, we received comments and questions from the congregation about extending the Interim/Search for one more year. In case you were unable to attend that meeting, here are some of the questions that were asked that day and some of the answers provided by Susan Carlton, the Chair of the Search Committee:
What is the process that a Search Committee goes through?
A Search Committee is generally constituted in March or April. The Committee participates in a workshop with UUA staff in April and begins creating a Congregational Record, a document ministerial candidates use to determine if they will apply for the position. A congregational survey is distributed in late August to be completed by the third or fourth week in September. Focus groups and cottage meetings are conducted in late September and October. Data from the survey and group discussions are compiled and analyzed in October and November. In November, the Congregational Record, which includes information as well as a narrative, is completed. The Record is posted on December 1st. Reviewing and interviewing of candidates begins in January and runs through March, when a candidate who will be presented to the congregation is selected.
What are the reasons why UCE would decide to add a year to our interim and call a minister in 2021 rather than 2020?
The work of the Search Committee grows out of the work done by the congregation during the first year of the two-year interim period. During the first year, the congregation engages in the interim tasks as defined by the UUA. It is when the congregation has done the interim work and can articulate how it wants to live out its mission that it can decide what it needs from a new minister. The Board of Trustees was concerned that a number of the important interim tasks had not been undertaken or completed and they asked Reverend Karen to complete an assessment of what interim work remains to be done. (You can read her report on the UCE website under “Interim.”) Based on what work remains to be done and the fact that it is not feasible to work on the interim tasks and conduct a search at the same time, the interim/search needs to be extended. By extending the interim/search, the congregation has a year to concentrate on the important interim work and the search committee can then use that foundational work in presenting the congregation to potential candidates and in selecting a candidate.
Will the current members of the Ministerial Search Committee continue to serve during this additional year of Search?
All of the members of the Ministerial Search Committee have agreed to continue to serve until they recommend a candidate to the congregation.
Will Reverend Eileen and Reverend Karen continue as Acting Senior Minister and Interim Minister?
Yes. Eileen and Karen have both agreed to stay on during the additional year needed and will provide the stability and consistency UCE needs during this time of transition.
How will the interim work benefit the congregation, the Search, and our new minister?
The interim work includes creating structures to support trust and safety in our interactions with each other and with our ministers, providing opportunity and guidance for expressing, working through, and moving on from unresolved hurts, fully embracing our Covenant of Engagement and learning tools to help us deal with conflict in a way that is growth-producing, and defining how, as a congregation, we want to live out our mission. This work is crucial for the life and health of our congregation. It is also foundational to a successful ministerial search process. The stronger we are as a congregation – when we understand our assets and our challenges, and we are actively addressing our challenges – the more attractive we are to any potential minister. We also want to be able to invite a minister to join us and support us in how we have decided we want to live out our mission. We do not want a minister to fill a vacuum with his/her/their idea of what our mission means. It’s important to note that a congregation with a clear sense of direction is a very attractive placement for any minister. While nothing is ever guaranteed, the Board of Trustees and the Ministerial Search Committee believe that extending our interim period by one year and fully embracing the interim work outlined by Reverend Karen is our best shot at identifying a settled minister well suited to working with us to achieve our goals and live out our mission.
If there are any further questions that you would like answered by the Ministerial Search Committee or that could be answered by the Board of Trustees, please feel free to contact them at BOT@ucevanston.org or ministerialSearchCommittee@ucevanston.org.
“Attention Deficit – Scarcity in the commodity of attention”
What do we attend to? How do we decide what deserves our attention in the age of social media when the calculated political strategy is obfuscation through intentional chaos and the most valuable commodity is our captured attention? How might we tune our attention to the things we’d rather deny or ignore? Rev. Wiviott leads the service.
1330 Ridge Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
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(847) 864-1330
uce@ucevanston.org
UCE’s office hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 10 AM – 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM – 4 PM
Wednesday: 10 AM – 1 PM
Thursday: 10 AM – 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM – 4 PM
Friday: 10 AM – 1 PM
Saturday: CLOSED
Sunday: 10 AM – 1 PM
In-person and Virtual Sunday Service is held at 10:30 am.
Member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenant to affirm and promote the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston is recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association as a Welcoming Congregation, a Peace Advocate Congregation, and a Green Sanctuary.
