Sunday, May 14, 2017
“What I Believe In” – 9:15 and 11:00am
Participants in our “Journeys: Boston and Beyond” coming-of-age program will offer their responses to the question “What do you believe in (today), not just in your head but in your life?” As they continue learning to develop and act upon their own beliefs, our seventh- and eighth-grade students will present their credo statements.
UCE Organizing Team actions – CRS, Prison Ministry, UUANI, Green Team
UCE has a new, more unified approach to organizing for justice – we are using the reconstituted UCE Organizing Team to organize turnout for many UCE social justice events, including CRS, UUANI, Green Team, Prison Ministry, REAL Team, etc. Here are some events to know about:
CRS (Community Renewal Society) – This Tuesday, May 9th join Community Renewal Society for our annual mass trip to the capitol. We have a bus leaving from UCE at 6 a.m., returning about 7 p.m. Contact Dale Griffin or Doug Erickson for more information or to RSVP! This year’s action will focus on employment opportunities for people with records, violence prevention, implementing the Fair Cops Ordinance in Chicago, and resolving the budget impasse fairly.
The UU Prison Ministry of Illinois held a workshop on “Radical Hospitality” April 22 at UCE, on welcoming returning citizens at church and partnering with them to transition into life outside of prison. To be involved with this project please contact Dale Griffin.
UUANI (UU Advocacy Network of Illinois) is supporting the UU Prison Ministry as part of UUANI’s racial justice work. A bill to limit the use of solitary confinement may be nearing a vote in the Illinois House. Almost 150 witness slips from UUANI supporters and others helped get the bill out of committee last month, and a recent successful lobby day netted another six co-sponsors. Help push this bill over the top by emailing and, if possible, calling your representatives. Click this link to send an email and find your representative’s phone number to call in support of HB 259, the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act: http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51510/c/321/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=21967
The Green Team and organizing team encouraged UCE participation in the April 22 March for Science and the April 29 People’s Climate March. Thanks to all who participated.
For more information on any of these please contact Dale Griffin or other participants. DaleCGriffin@comcast.net
Sunday, May 7, 2017
“White Supremacy Teach In” – 9:15 and 11:00am
This Sunday our congregation joins a large, growing group of Unitarian Universalists who will shift our regularly scheduled Sunday morning worship to participate in a teach-in on racism and white supremacy. Led by UCE’s Beloved Conversations group, our community will be participating with hundreds of UU churches around the country in this large-scale historic action.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
“Let’s Change the World!” – 9:15 and 11:00am
UUSC President and CEO Tom Andrews, former Member of Congress from Maine and long-time activist, will talk about how religious communities may be key to major social change in the years ahead and what Unitarian Universalists in particular can do to make that so.
DC Lobbying Conference
Tom Ticknor and others at the DC Conference
Members of the church attended a conference in Washington, DC April 3-5 titled “Healthcare as a UU Value”. At the conference they heard from Sister Simone Campbell, one of the “nuns on the bus,” about the importance of telling our stories and from author and activist Chuck Collins, who’s just written a book titled ‘Born on Third Base’.
The conference was co-sponsored by UUs for a Just Economic Community (UUJEC) and the DC chapter of UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ). It included speakers who highlighted the importance of bringing our spiritual values to our activism work and experts from Americans from Tax Fairness and Nurses United who presented details on the current health care plan. On the final day of the conference, attendees met with 22 US Senators and their staff to lobby for the rights of every American to affordable and effective health care.
When the delegation from Illinois met with Sen Durbin and Sen Duckworth’s staff, they presented numerous letters from Illinois churches, including ours, stressing that health care is a human right and that care for needs to be strengthened and not eliminated for those least able to pay.
According to Amirah Sequeira of National Nurses United, even with the Affordable Care Act 28 million Americans still have no health insurance. She told the group that Sen John Conyers has introduced HR676 the “Medicare for All” bill; it now has over 80 co-sponsors.
The group also met with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from the 7th District in Washington state, the only UU currently serving in the US Congress. She criticized Trump’s proposed health care bill as a “huge transfer of wealth”; it would have eliminated the higher tax rates for the wealthy and for large corporations put in place to help pay for the subsidies of Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Rep Jayapal was especially concerned that Republicans might turn to state courts to try and cut-back the Medicaid subsidies now in place in many states.
As follow-up to the conference the UUJEC is planning to create a multi-session curriculum on improving healthcare in the US and how it relates to the growing problem of income inequality. The group also is considering holding regional conferences on the health care to continue efforts to mobilize congregations around this issue.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
“Living the Interdependent Web: Earth Day” – 9:15 and 11:00am
It is both scientific fact and spiritual stance that we humans are part an interdependent web, together with all living things. Reflections for Earth Day on what it means to respect, revere, and participate in the interdependent web. A worship service for all ages. Rev. Connie Grant leading.
