Sunday Service: In-person and Online Sunday at 10:30am

Membership Database Project Launched

We are so excited to let the congregation know that we are in the very early stages of implementing a new membership database, called Realm. This project was funded by the Endowment Committee. We have now launched an implementation committee and are working on data transfer from the old membership database system that the church has used for nearly two decades, creating groups, defining data field terms, and learning all we can about how to start to use this comprehensive church membership system. Eventually we hope it will also support the accounting functions of the church.

In the past week, we met with the Deerfield UU church as they launched a training for key leaders in their congregation. We also travelled to Naperville to meet with a Lutheran church which is also using the Realm Software. They have been working on the project for about a year and are well on their way to launching interest groups, membership listings, and encouraging members to put their information into the database.

Once implemented, congregants will be able to manage their own data—information about their family, their children in RE, their interests and their pledge.

We are pleased to have a strong leadership team led by Brian Nielsen and including Eileen Wiviott, Mary Shelden, Tamiko DeVille, Sandra Robinson, Melanie Kitchner, Vickie Doebele, Joe Romeo, and Carol Nielsen.  We have a sub-team examining the accounting software including Erlene Howard, Vickie Doebele, Karen Courtright and Sandra Robinson.

Soon, we will be looking for some assistance in reviewing the data that was transferred from the old system and checking for errors. If you are interested in working on this project, please contact Brian Nielsen (b-nielsen@northwestern.edu).

 

Membership Database Project Launched2018-08-08T15:29:46+00:00

News From Denominational Affairs – Capital Campaign Update

BUILDING OUR FUTURE…SUPPORTING OUR VALUES

 

Following the service on Sunday, August 5, we learned about plans being made to evaluate UCE’s ability to raise Capital Funds to finance church needs identified in the Long Range Plan developed over the 2017-18 church year.  Much work has been done to obtain estimates of the costs of Building and Grounds Repairs and Enhancements, Hospitality and Welcoming Improvements, Accessibility and our Ability to Advance Social Justice.  The estimated cost of these improvements is $1,256,000.  To see a list of some of the specific projects, please ask the UCE office for a copy of the handout on Objectives provided at the meeting.

 

To learn just what capability UCE has to raise these funds, we have contracted with Pratapas Associates, an experienced fundraising consulting firm who has served several other Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Chicago area.  The purpose of the August 5 meeting was to learn about the Capital Campaign Feasibility Study with which Pratapas is helping us right now.  Steve Pratapas explained the process with which information will be gathered from church members to help make the decision about how we will proceed.  There will be a Focus Group for the Board of Trustees and other key church leaders, 35 church members representing a cross section of our congregation will be personally interviewed, and all other members will receive an email survey to determine our attitudes and abilities to participate in the campaign.

 

There were responses to questions by those in attendance, and additional questions can be directed to the members of the Capital Campaign Feasability Study Committee which consists of Ann Peterson, Janelle Brittain, Sandra Robinson, Jeanne Kerl, Carol Nielsen, Susan Comstock, Martha Holman and Linda LaPlante.

News From Denominational Affairs – Capital Campaign Update2018-08-15T21:37:47+00:00

August 12, 2018

Rebuilding Our Broken Bridge

Unitarian Universalists, as a denomination, have a very hard time retaining our young people into adulthood. Mary Shelden, UCE Director of Lifespan Religious Education and a lifelong UU, will explore some of the common barriers to bridging, and some of the practices congregations can adopt to help foster a lifelong path of faith development and UU identity.

 

August 12, 20182018-08-24T14:33:41+00:00

The Five Tasks of Interim Ministry

What in the world will we be doing together in the next two years?

The primary task of the interim minister is to hold up a mirror to the congregation and ask, “Is this who you are?” and “Is this who you want to be?”

This is more than a simple survey. This is sacred work that goes beyond personal preferences.  This is hard work that lifts up the best and worst in our identity and interactions as a liberal religious community.  Where do we start?

Heritage: the past is the foundation of the present.  What are the stories we tell that have shaped and formed Unitarian Church of Evanston?

Leadership: the present is the foundation of the future.  How do we promote the emergence of new leaders and the recommitment of seasoned leaders?

Mission: our mission acts as a filter for congregational decisions.  What are the congregations’ mission and vision, its sense of purpose and direction?

Connections: our connections help us embody our mission.  What are the relationships the congregation builds outside of itself?

Future: this is where the congregation turns its energy toward proactive decision-making.  Who are we?  Who are our neighbors?  What are we called to do?

The interim time is often exciting.  If it’s done right, it will also be unsettling.  The time has come, the future is now, and we’re all in this together.  Take a look in the mirror and tell me what you see.

The joy continues,

Greg

 

The Five Tasks of Interim Ministry2018-08-03T20:13:06+00:00

August 5, 2018

Beloved Conversations – Moving from Lament to Intention to Commitment – Beloved Conversations is a program developed by the Fahs Collaborative of Meadville Lombard Theological School. Three groups of UCE members have participated in this transformative experience. Beloved Conversations are designed to transcend politeness and civility and to build true Beloved Community through loving, honest, and brave dialogue. By engaging in these conversations, we recognize that every conversation between two people is a cross-cultural conversation and we commit to the challenging work of growing a thriving multicultural community of faith. Join us this Sunday to hear about Beloved Conversations within our church and our movement.

Rev. Eileen and members of Beloved Conversations will lead the service.

 

August 5, 20182018-08-24T14:34:35+00:00

Spirit Map Congregational Survey Update

An Update on the Spirit Map Survey

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Spirit Map survey last spring. We now have a report that summarizes the results and you can read it yourself to learn more. The survey offers us insights about what our members view as their spiritual strengths and possible areas of improvement as well as an evaluation of experiences here at UCE.

The Board wanted to gauge how members feel UCE is doing with attaining our Ends. These Ends statements are guiding principles that help us remember who we would like to be in the world and the impact that we’d like to have in our community. The majority of respondents felt that we are doing quite well working toward our Ends. The End that received the highest rating was: We act for peace and for social, economic, and environmental justice through study, advocacy and outreach. The End that in most people’s minds could use a little more attention is this:  We are a people of diverse beliefs united in covenant. We develop relationships that open us to the lives of people in our congregation, community and world.  Please feel free to read more about members’ assessments of the Ends in the report, starting on p. 54.

Another aspect of the report summarizes how respondents reacted to several statements about their spiritual well-being. Of 44 possible statements that were rated, our congregants valued these statements very highly and felt that they were doing well at them:

  • I act with integrity.
  • I seek opportunities to learn and grow.
  • I believe it matters what I do.
  • I take responsibility for the consequences of my actions, even those that are unintended.
  • I act in an authentic manner.

These are called “signature strengths” by the consulting group that created the survey and they help to describe our congregation’s spiritual identity or who we are at our core.

These strengths are contrasted with the following Key Opportunities. Key Opportunities are statements that we also value very highly, but ones where we indicate there’s room for improvement:

  • I make good decisions about when to act.
  • I have a clear purpose to my life and am able to articulate that purpose to both myself and others.
  • I see beauty all around me.
  • I am able to adapt when things do no turn out the way I want.
  • I delight in experiences both great and small.
  • I give to others fully and generously.

The consultants share that some churches have taken these insights and used them to enhance programming or to guide strategic planning. These insights can help us as we engage in broader conversations within the church about who we are and who we want to be. Board members and staff will be reading through the report and trying to make sense of what it might mean for us at UCE. We’ll be discussing this at our board retreat in August, but also throughout the year. Our new interim minister may also find ideas that are helpful as he gets to know us better. We encourage you to spend some time with this rich resource to see if it sparks any ideas for you. Many thanks to the anonymous donor who sponsored the survey.

Jeanne Kerl
she/her/hers

 

Spirit Map Congregational Survey Update2018-07-25T18:11:13+00:00

July 29, 2018

Considering the Unimaginable

Crisis situations are all around us. How can we engage the realities of disasters and traumas without being overwhelmed by them? This sermon will address this question as well as how the UU Trauma Response Ministry supports congregations in the aftermath of critical incidents.
Rev. Julie Taylor specialized in critical incident response, trauma and disaster spiritual care. A Unitarian Universalist community minister in final fellowship, Julie serves as the president of the UU Trauma Response Ministry, chaplain with the New York Air National Guard and is the Senior Director of Contextual Ministry at Meadville Lombard Theological School.
Our Worship Leader will be Rev. Julie Taylor and our Worship Associate will be Alice Swan.

July 29, 20182018-08-06T14:58:34+00:00

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Evanston

1330 Ridge Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
Directions

(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.

Become A Member

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.

E-mail Newsletter Sign-Up

Connect

Go to Top