Creating a Deeper Bench of Leaders at UCE
You may know that we have a 9 person Nominating and Recruiting (N&R) Committee because you hear about it at congregational meetings. This team is specified in our bylaws and must nominate members annually in the spring to the Board of Trustees, to the Endowment Trustees Team, to their own N&R committee and to any other committee when required by the Board. N&R has offered assistance with ministerial search efforts too.
A corollary group is a ‘newish’ team that calls itself the Leadership Development Team (LDT). It evolved about 7 to 8 years ago out of an expressed need to find ways to cultivate and support new and continuing leaders at UCE. This group is not defined in our bylaws and is certainly not as well-known as the N&R team.
We have come to see that these teams overlap in their goals and plans. In the last two years, the two teams have met together twice and discussed how to support and cooperate with one another.
Both teams want to see members matched with the activities and opportunities that nourish, inspire, reward and satisfy. If people are entrusted with tasks that fit their skills and passions, it is an advantage to everyone at UCE.
Another goal of Leadership Development is to ensure that leaders do not burn out: that they can find successors and shift their activities when it feels right. No one should have to stay wed to a task when their interest shifts to another area of concern.
We are recognizing that training opportunities offer new and ‘old’ leaders alike a chance to sharpen their skills for planning, organizing, delegating, communicating. These skills are useful at UCE, at home, and at work as well. Some training is offered online from our regional and national association. Some is offered in person at regional and national meetings and occasionally at local congregations. The Midwest Leadership School has come into our sights over the last two years and one adult and two youth have attended. We are budgeting money to make these trainings more accessible to more members. If you are curious about the trainings, contact one of us personally.
There is a collection of ‘tools’ on our own website under the heading of “The Leadership Toolkit”. The toolkit info is here on the website.
We are eager to meet with members and learn more about what you are most interested in. Please say yes if we ask for a ‘one-on-one’ in the coming months.
Nominating & Recruitment Committee and Leadership Development Team
CONGREGATIONAL RELATIONS TEAM TO START CONFLICT RESOLUTION LIBRARY
With the support of the UCE Endowment Committee, the Congregational Relations Team will be developing a lending library for the congregation of books and videos related to conflict resolution and the promotion of healthy relationships. The goal is to provide an additional resource to the UCE community to help members handle conflicts or difficulties between them in ways that are consistent with our Covenant of Engagement. The lending library will be kept in the hallway outside of the church office/ Rooms 1-3, along with our other lending libraries. It will include books and materials for all ages, including some books for parents and teachers. To support this project, CRT is requesting donations from congregants of any books on conflict resolution or healthy relationships that you have found helpful, and/or suggestions of books you recommend which the team will review for possible purchase. Our thanks to George Monical who has already recommended some helpful videos and we look forward to more suggestions. Please send them to Carla Leone, Chair of the CRT at Carla.leone10@gmail.com and let her know if you have books or other materials to donate to the library.
A quick word for those who aren’t sure what the CRT is or what we do: The Congregational Relations Team was established in 2011, shortly after the congregation adopted our Covenant of Engagement, as a way of supporting our efforts to keep to this agreement.
The team offers three main services:
1) Education and Prevention – programs and workshops designed to promote constructive use of conflict and healthy relationships; including our annual workshop “We Can Work it Out: Conflict as Part of Healthy Engagement;
2) Early Intervention/Consultation – private consultation to one or both parties to a problem or conflict between members of the UCE community, in which people are advised or supported in their efforts to resolve problems directly with the other party; and
3) Facilitated Conversations – in which CRT members meet with both parties to a conflict or relationship difficulty and help them discuss the issues constructively.
The team is happy to present workshops, provide materials or offer consultation regarding constructive conflict and healthy relating to any church group or committee upon request. Please contact any member of the CRT to request assistance: John Casey, Trudi Davis, Jean Durkin, Carla Leone and Mike Takada. Contact information for them is available on the membership roster and through the church office.
October 7, 2018
What Is the Spirit of this Church?
We say it every Sunday: “Love is the spirit of this church . . .” That’s a tall order, even on a good day. How does what we say square with what we do? Are we truly loving to each other and to those in the wider world? This sermon responds to tough questions like these. The responses may surprise you. All Ages Opening Worship (sanctuary). Service led by Rev. Gregory Stewart
From The Executive Operations Director
There is never a quiet moment at UCE. As I write from my balcony office there is the clamor of set-up for Mothers of Multiples as they prepare for their big resale event at UCE tomorrow. Rentals are important to UCE as they provide additional income and an opportunity to share our space with others in the community who are doing good work. Over the summer we provided space for Beth Emet who held 39 services, 13 weekly soup kitchens and 4 bar/bat mitzvah services and parties at UCE. On October 13 Curt’s Café hosts their annual fundraiser in our sanctuary. In October the Democratic Party of Evanston hosts their annual dinner. Each week there are men’s groups, a grief group, and other rentals in various classrooms. Just this last week we had a last minute concert rental that brought 200 people to our sanctuary.
It is a joy and honor to hear the excitement when others in our community walk into our sanctuary and are thrilled they will be holding their event here. Each experience for me is important, each contract negotiation holds meaning. Our rental program provides more than $60,000 in annual income for UCE.
Thank you to Liz Kennedy Eason, our Sexton and Steve Eason our Custodian for cleaning and setting up our church for these rentals, as well as the many meetings, activities and services held in this building. This summer they juggled set ups for our Buddhist meditation group, Beth Emet and UCE happening all in one day or evening. It’s a busy place.
Over the past few months a roofing contractor has been working with me and our Buildings and Grounds co-leads. There was an in-depth review and inspection of the roof going down as far as the underlying base materials of the existing old roof. The contractor pulled together all of the required documents for sending requests for proposals (rfp) to various roofing contractors. The documents outlined recommended materials for our aged roof, including recommendations for a tear-off and roofing materials to be used to provide a long lasting quality roof for our future years.
The consultant evaluated hundreds of detail and material specifications and had to adapt well over a dozen details to meet the unique requirements presented by the Church’s hybrid steel and concrete construction. He also developed a design to fill in the “well” at the roof’s northeast corner to eliminate an awkward drainage configuration. It has been no simple task to figure out the best approach for a quality permanent solution for this roof.
Unfortunately, we are in great competition for roofing contractors as the building industry is strong currently and individuals and companies are spending money to upgrade their buildings.
Each of the five contractors who bid had work before we had an opportunity to respond to the bids. As we speak additional contractors are being sought. One option has been proposed by one of our choice contractors. That is to seal the roof with a protective coating for the winter season and resume work in the spring. These details are being worked out this week. It is our hope to get started before cold weather sets in. This has been a challenging, time consuming process that has required weekly communication with our consultant and our team.
The automatic doors have been delayed due to a review process in the permitting process. The goal for installation was ingathering or near the beginning of the church year. However, as construction projects can go, there were delays and hoops to jump through that were not expected. Mike Skilton and Julia Takarada provided revised drawings of the doors to meet requirements of the City of Evanston Preservation Council, thus an administrative approval has now been granted. This permit is ready. The second hurdle is the building permit which will be let as soon as our electrician and the door contractor have satisfied the City’s request for information. The electrician just called me to confirm that he is providing that information today. Julia is working with Stanley, our door contractor, to connect with the Building Department. Once that is done I will re-sign the contract based on the changes made for the Preservation Council and Julia Takarada will order the custom doors.
Patches have been made to the parking lot and will continue to be made. It is not wise for us to do a complete resurfacing of the lot at this time. Once the Capital Campaign goes forward funding will hopefully be approved for a complete upgrade of sewers below the surface, additional substructure materials built up, and then a new blacktop surface with restriping.
Thank you for your patience as we strive to make improvements to our aging building.
If you have questions or want to talk with me at any time regarding administration, finance, buildings, rentals or other topics, feel free to visit my office or email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org
NEW BELOVED CONVERSATIONS GROUPS THIS FALL!
This is your chance to try out what others have been raving about!
These groups provide a rich opportunity to explore racism and white privilege in your own life, family, town and church. Through the arts, probing questions, and provocative exercises, participants look at where they have been, where they are now, and what they might change going forward. The curriculum has received high praise from previous participants!
We are starting two groups in November and you may select one if you can commit to all the dates for that group (8 of them) and the kickoff weekend.The groups start with a workshop with other area church groups, facilitated by the Rev. Mark Hicks and others from the Fahs Collaborative. Fahs is an education laboratory arm of Meadville Lombard Theological school, and the developer of this curriculum. Each BC group is made up of no more than 12 people, including two UCE members who have agreed to be facilitators. The facilitators will be following a structured curriculum for the 8 sessions. If you want to participate, please look at the following dates, select the group that works with your schedule, and let me know immediately. It’s first come, first served! Remember, because this is a small group of people speaking with each other in confidence under covenantal agreement, we expect that in choosing a group you will commit to attending all sessions, except for an emergency situation of course.
ALL (both groups plus those from other UU churches)
Friday Nov 16 6-9pm for all participants (4:30-9 for facilitators)
Saturday Nov 17 9-4:30 for all participants (9-5 for facilitators)
At the Unity Temple Community Center 1019 South Blvd in Oak Park.
GROUP 1 at UCE
Sundays 12:45pm to 2:45pm:
Nov 18
Dec 9
Jan 13
Jan 27
Feb 10
Feb 24
March 10
March 24
GROUP 2 at UCE
Mondays 7pm-9pm
December 3
December 10
December 17
January 7
January 14
January 21
February 4
February 11
*February 18 – recommend participants hold this date as a “snow date” in case we have any weeks we have to reschedule.
Reserve your spot: email Martha Holman holman@gmail.com.
—
Martha Holman
she/her/hers
September 30, 2018
Circle Round For Freedom
Two members of UU Prison Ministries of IL, Monica Cosby and Megan Selby, share their direct experience of the prison industrial complex. Focusing on the spiritual imperative to end mass incarceration and how we keep the circle whole. Join Monica and Megan after services for a workshop on The Prison Industrial Complex & The Call to Create Something New.
Worship Leaders: Monica Cosby and Megan Selby with Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministries of Illinois; Worship Associates: Rev. Karen Mooney and Susan Frances
