2023-2024 Shared Offering Recipients

September 2023: Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
October 2023: NAACP Evanston/North Shore Branch
November 2023: Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI)
December 2023: Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)
January 2024: Community Renewal Society (CRS)
February 2024: Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)
March 2024: Deborah’s Place
April 2024: Interfaith Action of Evanston
May 2024: The Night Ministry
June 2024: Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA)
July 2024: Restore Justice Foundation
August 2024: C&W Foundation
September 2024: Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIIR)
5th Sundays: Evanston Reparations Community Fund

We are going to adjust the Shared Offering cycle to be from October through September each year, so there was an extra organization picked this year for September 2024.

September 2023 - Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

UUSC advances human rights and social justice around the world, partnering with those who confront unjust power structures and mobilizing to challenge oppressive policies. Our work is grounded in the belief that all people have inherent power and dignity.

Key actions include economic and legal support for Central American refugees, work with indigenous peoples facing climate disruption, and support for the Rohingya struggling with genocide in Burma.

October 2023 - NAACP Evanston/North Shore Branch

After a 1908 race riot in Springfield IL, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was founded by Ida B. Wells-Barnett, W.E.B. Du Bois, and a group of white liberals in 1909, and its Evanston arm became active soon thereafter. The NAACP is the oldest grass roots civil rights organization in the U.S., and welcomes people of all colors, creeds and ethnicities. Its mission is to secure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. The Recent activities of the Evanston/North Shore Branch have included partnering with Connection for the Homeless in developing data to support equitable zoning changes in Evanston; providing scholarships to students graduating from ETHS as well as students continuing their education at HBCUs; sponsoring an exhibit at the Evanston Art Center to introduce to the community excellent but lesser-known artists of color; sponsoring a well-attended Environmental Justice Awareness day at Fleetwood-Jourdain; sponsoring candidate forums and carrying out voter registration and GOTV activities; working to get bills passed in Illinois regarding African-American and Asian-American history education, including the Juneteenth holiday; gathering and transporting a truckload of supplies for the community of Rolling Fork, MS, which suffered terribly from a tornado last spring; and a variety of other initiatives that respond to ongoing or acute crises. For more information, visit its website, www.evanstonnaacp.org or email the Branch at naacpev@gmail.com.

Opportunities to support and volunteer with the NAACP Evanston/NS Branch include

Taking out a membership ($30/year)
Joining a committee (such as Political Action & Civic Engagement, Education, Environmental Justice, Health)
Helping with voter registration, candidate forums and other GOTV activities sponsored by the Branch
Reading stories by Black writers to students at Oakton Elementary School during the NAACP Black History Month Read-A-Thon
Periodic opportunities to join rallies, ceremonies honoring community members and other gatherings where having a good showing is important
Periodic projects that support the mission of the NAACP, such as those mentioned above

November 2023 - Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI)

UUANI strives first and foremost to link UUs with opportunities to affect legislation in Springfield and nationally and to offer training to be influential advocates. UUANI devises programs to build power among UU congregations in Illinois in order to achieve meaningful, concrete, far-reaching results which put UU values and principles into action. Part of building that power is honing skills to be effective “woke” partners with organizations representing a wide diversity of cultures, as we work together for systemic change toward a more just and equitable society.

One of the most important ways UUANI serves the UU congregations of Illinois is in supporting folks who yearn for social justice with training in advocacy and discernment – learning how to ally effectively with partner organizations to widen the reach of our voices. Directors Rev Scott Aaseng and Rev Karen Mooney and their teams will work with you and/or your social justice team to hone your skills to advocate powerfully for those social justice issues dear to you, to develop skills to organize support among your fellow UUs, and to discern how unconscious bias might interfere with your work with organizations led by people of other cultures, allowing you to bravely cross cultural barriers toward a more just society.

To get involved: http://www.uuani.org/contact-us

And sign up for Actions of the Week HERE: https://uuani.salsalabs.org/actionoftheweek/index.html

December 2023 - Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU)

BLUU started as a small organizing collective that formed in 2015 in Cleveland during the Movement for Black Lives Convening. We are now a thriving spiritual community and justice-minded organization creating connection for Black people.

BLUU is committed to Unitarian Universalism that is liberatory and life-giving for Black people. We manifest this dream by creating spiritual community, spiritual resources, and political education opportunities for Black Unitarian Universalists and other Black folks who share our values.

BLUU harnesses love’s power to combat oppression and foster healing as a spiritual and political imperative. We know the power of love to be life changing, inclusive, relational, uncomfortable, unconditional and without end.

January 2024 - Community Renewal Society (CRS)

The Community Renewal Society is an organization of over 70 member churches in the Chicago area who have been working together for civil rights and social justice for over 130 years. CRS engineers social change by participating in public demonstrations and events, lobbying state legislators and other public officials and offering social organizing training sessions. CRS decides what issues to work on by participation from its churches and their members, and by working with other organizations.

Members of UCE could work directly with CRS staff to join a committee or to attend an event or training session. They could go to the Community Renewal Society website to see dates and times of coming events. UCE Members also could talk to any member of the UCE Legislative Action Team, or join our Team’s monthly meeting, usually the second Tuesday of each month, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

February 2024 - Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)

The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN) builds partnerships among social movements and organized communities within and between the U.S. and Latin America. We work together through popular education, grassroots organizing, public policy advocacy, and direct action to dismantle U.S. militarism, neoliberal economic and immigration policy, and other forms of state and institutional violence.We are united by our liberating faiths and inspired by the power of people to organize and to find allies to work for sustainable economies, just relationships and human dignity.

March 2024 - Deborah’s Place

Deborah’s Place opens doors of opportunity for women who are homeless in Chicago. Supportive housing and services offer women their key to healing, achieving their goals and moving on from the experience of homelessness. We achieve our mission through a unique model that weaves together supportive housing with a menu of voluntary, evidence-based services. We deliver these services in an intentional environment that recognizes each woman’s strengths and abilities and fosters a sense of belonging and community. The Deborah’s Place model has evolved over 36 years, using external research and internal data to develop and deliver effective programs and services. We know that women who experience chronic homelessness can overcome complex barriers to housing, health and stability when they have what they need to be successful – access to affordable and appropriate housing, adequate healthcare, regular income and positive social supports. Deborah’s Place serves more than 500 women annually through outreach, housing and support services.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer opportunities at Deborah’s Place are limited. Currently, we are able to accept individual or small volunteer groups to do meal service in our Dolores’ Safe Haven program. Volunteers can cook a meal in our kitchen or bring in a catered meal and serve it to residents for lunch or dinner 7 days a week. Other volunteer opportunities may be available as the current health situation permits. For more information on volunteering at Deborah’s Place, please complete the contact form on our website at https://www.deborahsplace.org/contact-us/.

April 2024 - Interfaith Action of Evanston (IAE)

Interfaith Action of Evanston strives to build a just community. We work with diverse faith communities and individuals seeking to address the systemic issues of poverty, unemployment, homelessness and hunger. Through interfaith dialogue, we bring people together to build relationships and encourage understanding across faith boundaries. We partner with local legislators, community leaders and our neighbors to promote a healthy and equitable society.

We manage and staff soup kitchens, a warming center, an emergency overnight shelter, a hospitality center and free fresh produce distribution in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Producemobile.

We monitor and advocate for social justice. We share ideas across faiths and recommend actions to engage legislators and policymakers. Our public gatherings provide a venue for volunteers, supporters and others who care about ending hunger and homelessness.

We invite and promote opportunities for our faith community members to attend worship and/or engage in conversations with members of different faiths who share their values.

Get involved.

May 2024 - The Night Ministry

The Night Ministry

The Night Ministry is a Chicago-based organization whose mission is to provide human connection, housing support, and health care to members of our community who are unhoused or experiencing poverty.

June 2024 - Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA)

Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America (FORA) is a not-for-profit organization that empowers refugees by providing them with the educational resources needed to make a successful transition to the United States. Our vision is a world where migrants in need are welcomed and empowered. Our mission is to ensure that refugee families are provided access to an education sufficient to prepare them to become economically self-sufficient and robustly engaged in American civic life. Our strategy is to be located in the neighborhoods that we serve to make daily educational services easily available to newly-arrived refugees.

July 2024 - Restore Justice Foundation

We work to end extreme sentences for children and youth in Illinois and replace them with compassionate, common-sense policies that bring people home sooner and make communities safer.

August 2024 - C&W Foundation

OUR STORY

Clarence and Wendy founded C&W in August 2014, a family own market and ice cream parlor located in the Evanston community offering residents and neighboring communities with essential items, groceries, snacks and produce. Through our Foundation, C&W marketplace will always seek new opportunities to partner with local businesses or organizations to uplift the Evanston community and serve those in need.

HISTORY OF C&W / CLARENCE & WENDY

Clarence and Wendy are long term residents of Evanston. Clarence has spent most of his professional career working as an IT management professional and Wendy has worked more than 40 years in health care and insurance providing professional insurance services to multiple organizations in the Chicagoland area.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Clarence and Wendy have committed full-time to the growth and development of C&W’s offerings to the Evanston community.

September 2024 - Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIIR)

ICIRR is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society.

Created in 1986 in response to President Reagan signing into law the Immigration Reform and Control Act, ICIRR has been at the forefront of helping immigrants realize and contribute to the dream that is America.

5th Sundays - Evanston Reparations Community Fund

Evanston Reparations represent an historic opportunity to address the harm caused to the Black community due to discriminatory practices. ECF’s mission is built on the belief that working toward a more vibrant, equitable and inclusive Evanston will benefit every member of our community. To advance Evanston Reparations and ECF’s mission, the Foundation’s Board of Directors made a declaration to hold the Evanston Reparations Community Fund.

In June 2019, the City of Evanston adopted a resolution affirming the City’s commitment to end structural racism and achieve racial equity. Thereafter, the City held two community meetings to gather input on reparations, culminating in the November 2019 resolutions to utilize tax revenue from the sales of recreational cannabis to Evanston Reparations with up to $10 million over the next ten years.

The Evanston Reparations Community Fund (“Fund”) is intended to be a perpetual resource for Evanston’s Black community, to complement the tax revenue stream earmarked by the City for initial reparations remedies, and to ensure funding is available for reparations once those tax revenues are no longer available. The Fund will not be involved in the distribution of tax revenues earmarked by the City of Evanston for reparations. Those dollars will be administered directly by the City of Evanston through the efforts of the City’s Reparations Subcommittee comprising three alderman and city staff.

The Fund will specifically support the work of the Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston (RSAE), a now 501c3 tax exempt organization. (#86-3806645) It raises funds and distributes grants to Evanston’s Black community. The RSAE will initially be led by Black community leaders. It is anticipated the RSAE will raise funds through outreach to community members, foundations and others interested in advancing Evanston Reparations.

2023-2024 Shared Offering RecipientsUCE UCE2024-01-03T20:26:29+00:00

Restorative Justice Action of Immediate Witness: July 22, 2022

How Will You “Live Into” Restorative Justice?

One of the Actions of Immediate Witness (AIW) passed at the 2022 Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly was “Anti-Racism and Reparations via Restorative Justice.” This AIW statement admits the inhuman sufferings of Americans of African descent through forced labor and egregious punishments, and recognizes that the reality of this violence has not been taught, discussed or acknowledged which has given rise to the belief in and practice of white supremacy. In alignment with our UU faith values, this AIW, adopted by a resounding majority, resolved that the member congregations of the UUA engage in the principles of restorative justice and truthful American history, to fully understand and reject white supremacy.

Here are some of the many ways to live into this AIW and our UU values: 

EMBRACE & ENGAGE – Create Study/Action Groups in our UU congregations, which engage in Restorative Justice. Embrace the principles of restorative justice and partner with marginalized communities to seek societal repair/reparations as an essential underlying aspect of our social justice work.

PROMOTE & SUPPORT cultural and gender identity in leadership and learning environments.

SPEAK UP & OUT – Condemn current misconceptions of true history as political and religiously motivated censorship.

JOIN & ORGANIZE – Be a part of national and local initiatives and organizations fighting for Reparations via Restorative Justice.

UCE continues to work toward restorative justice. Learn more about social justice work opportunities at UCE and beyond:

Live into the 8th Principle

Join the UCE Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Team, UU Advocacy Network of Illinois, and UU Prison Ministry of Illinois

Participate in Reparations, Reconciliation and Repair: Evanston’s Interfaith Reparations Effort

Restorative Justice Action of Immediate Witness: July 22, 2022UCE UCE2022-10-25T15:08:06+00:00

From Rev. Susan Frances: March 25, 2022

Dear Friends,

You are invited to our New Member Reception in the sanctuary this Sunday after the worship service!

We are welcoming 9 new members during our service this Sunday. Plus, the 29 members who joined us since our building closed in March 2020 will be part of the New Member Reception. It will be a time for introductions and connecting. I hope you join us!

I am taking a class right now with the Interim Ministry Network and in the paper I wrote this week I used the Buddhist sacred story of Indra's Net:

"Far away in the heavenly abode of the great god Indra, there is a wonderful net which has been hung by some cunning artificer in such a manner that it stretches out indefinitely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities, the artificer has hung a single glittering jewel at the net's every node, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the jewels, glittering like stars of the first magnitude, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily select one of these jewels for inspection and look closely at it, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that the process of reflection is infinite."

~ The Avatamsaka Sutra
Francis H. Cook: Hua-Yen Buddhism : The Jewel Net Of Indra 1977

In this metaphor, whatever affects one jewel affects them all. There are jewels that are close to us, such as each of our new members becoming a closer jewel in our faith community's part of the jeweled net, and jewels that are farther from us, such as UUs in other states and residents of our city who we don't know. How we choose to connect and engage with the world, our city, our neighborhood, our congregation, and our family affects those near and far from us in the jeweled net. With this in mind, I invite you think about how you will be engaged this week, this spring, or this year.

Several folks have already made new connections and gotten engaged through our Social Justice Program Fair held on February 27th. Thank you to the members of the 8 teams and affinity group who participated!!! The photos are of:

BLUU Haven Chicago 
Food and Shelter Team 
Green Team 
Immigrant Solidarity Team 
Legislative Action Team 
Prison Ministry Team 
Racial Equity Action and Leadership Team 
Rainbow Alliance

Team 8th Principle is working on a resolution in support of national and local reparations for Black Americans and Black Evanstonians that will be voted upon at our congregation's annual meeting on May 15, 2022. You are invited to attend one of their Reparations & UCE Conversations. Contact Martha Holman through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org or see the article in this newsletter for more information.

Our UUtheVote initiative will launch on April 10, 2022! Voting is one of the ways in which we live our values in the world. I invite you to be part of our 40,000 Points of Love initiative to reach out to fellow voters. Contact Shirley Adams through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org or see the article in this newsletter for more information on how to get engaged.

If you are interested in how our worship services are created, you are invited to participate in a Worship Play Date with Rev. Eileen Wiviott. The next Play Date is on April 9, 2022, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. You can register through the article in this newsletter. You are also invited to join the choir by contacting our Music Director, Vickie Hellyer, at vhellyer@ucevanston.org.

The Denominational Affairs Team is gearing up for our national Unitarian Universalist Association's General Assembly, being held virtually as well as in-person in Portland, Oregon, from June 22-26, 2022. Our Association is in the midst of a national review of our 7 Principles and 6 Sources and you are invited to engage in this review process. Contact Peggy Boccard through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org or see the article in this newsletter for ways to participate.

If you are interested in connecting with a small group of people, you are invited to join a covenant group, one of the groups that participate in spiritual practices such as yoga or tai chi, or one of our four women's circles. Contact Adam Gough at agough@ucevanston.org for more information.

The pandemic has created a new way of being in the world and each of us is emerging this spring in ways different than before. You are invited to go slow and follow what is good for your body, mind, and spirit. If getting more connected and engaged feels right, I hope something I've mentioned calls to you. If you are in need of more rest and to continue to rejuvenate to get through difficult days, please take the time you need to care for yourself. If you or another member or friend in our community need support, please reach out for assistance through our Congregational Care and Support Teams. You are invited to connect and engage in the ways that support your whole being.

This spring, may you feel the connection of all of us as reflected in Indra's Net. May the feel of the rain, the sight of the returning migratory birds, the sound of the wind, or the smell of moist soil remind you of that connection and that you are an essential part of the interconnected web of life.

In faith,

Rev. Susan

From Rev. Susan Frances: March 25, 2022UCE UCE2022-03-25T15:51:26+00:00

WTCC Discussion: April 10, 2022

April 10th 11:30-12:30

9th Chapter – Restoration and Reparations
and
10th Chapter – Accountability and Resources

Want to learn what our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is recommending as ways to dismantle white supremacy culture within our Faith Formation structures? Congregants are encouraged to participate in small group discussions of the Report of the UUA Commission on Institutional Change, Widening the Circle of Concern. This report is a guiding document for UCE’s Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression work. 

For our discussion in April, we will be reading 2 chapters. You are encouraged to read the chapter on Restoration and Reparations and the chapter on Accountability and Resources before April 10th so you are prepared for the conversation. You do not need to have participated in previous conversations to join this one!

 If you would like to take part on Zoom, here is the link for April 10th at 11:30 am: Click here to join on Zoom. 

These conversations will be taking place in-person as well as on Zoom. If you hold a marginalized identity and would want an identity-based caucus space to discuss Widening the Circle of Concern, please contact Rev. Eileen Wiviott or Rev. Susan Frances so we can arrange that space. 

The UUA Commission on Institutional Change (COIC) was commissioned by the 2017 General Assembly to conduct an audit of the power structures within the UUA and analyze systemic racism and white supremacy culture within our movement. This report, issued in June 2020, is the result of three years of labor by the COIC, gathering painful stories and doing the difficult emotional labor of identifying the ways systemic racism exists within Unitarian Universalism. The purpose and goals of the report include, to “identify the aspects of [white supremacy] culture that must be dismantled to transform us into a faith for our times.” 

As the Board of Trustees, staff, and a few members have engaged with this report over the past year, we are clear that dismantling systemic racism within our institution is a shared responsibility and requires all of us to take part. Please join us in these vital conversations the 3rd Sunday of each month during the Faith Formation Hour through June 2022 (except April will be the 2nd Sunday). 

~ Rev. Eileen Wiviott and Rev. Susan Frances

WTCC Discussion: April 10, 2022UCE UCE2022-04-08T15:54:16+00:00

Endowment 2021-2022

Endowment Grants 2021-2022

$2,000 for Chalice House – sponsored by Immigrant Solidarity Team
$8,000 for Buildings and Grounds – sponsored by Integrated Stewardship Council (ISC)
$1,600 for Racism, Reparations and Reconciliation – sponsored by REAL, Peace & Justice, Reparations Task Force
$950 for 8th Principle – sponsored by the Board of Trustees, REAL, Team 8th
$18,600 for Hybrid Worship/Conferencing Equipment – sponsored by Administrative Staff
$15,000 for Interfaith Action Community Support – sponsored by Food and Shelter Team (FAST)
$6,650 for Family Focus Scholarships – sponsored by Fair Trade and Food and Shelter Team
$900 for Leadership Development Scholarships – sponsored by Denominational Affairs
$1,800 for Religious Education Storyteller – sponsored by Faith Formation Force
$9,000 for Worship Arts-Choir Section Leads – sponsored by Worship Arts Team

Endowment 2021-2022UCE UCE2022-11-30T21:24:33+00:00

December 24 & 25, 2022

Christmas Returns

Christmas Eve Service – 7:00pm

“Christmas returns, as it always does, with its assurance that life is good,” writes theologian Howard Thurman. We come together, once again, on this night filled with wonder, magic, and light, to honor the spirit of the holy born within each of us. Come and let your heart be filled with light and faith in life’s possibility.

We will host an in-person and virtual worship service on Saturday, December 24th at 7:00 pm.

This Saturday’s shared offering recipient is the Pastoral Care Fund

Simple Gifts

Christmas Day Service

If you are looking for a simple, wonder-filled, and probably intimate gathering, join us for this service of shared stories, songs, and readings.

We will host an in-person only service on Sunday, December 25th at 10:30 am.

This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Evanston Reparations Community Fund

Please submit your Joys and Sorrows through this online form. If you submit a message by 9 am, we will try to read it that Sunday. Thank you for your patience as we are adapting to best serve you all! Note there will only be one service time so that we can gather together as a whole community of faith. You can still give to the shared offering through “text to give,” mail a check to the office with “shared offering” in the memo line, or go to our website and hit “give” on the upper right or click here. This Sunday’s shared offering recipient is the Evanston Reparations Community Fund

December 24 & 25, 2022UCE UCE2022-12-22T18:50:39+00:00

Happy New Year from the Board of Trustees

Happy New Year to all and many thanks to the UCE members serving on our Board of Trustees, and to the staff supporting our work!

It has been a productive six months for the Board. Since we are halfway through the church year, I’d like to note some of the significant work completed.

Conducted a retreat in August resulting in
- an updated Board covenant and list of action items to enhance the Board’s leadership,
- use of an equity lens,
- more efficient meeting processes,
- preparation for UCE’s work with Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression and the proposed revisions to UUA’s Article 2.
Approved participation in Evanston’s Interfaith Reparations Effort: Reparations, Reconciliation, and Repair, and launched and supported a fundraising campaign involving the UCE community.
Approved Endowment Committee’s recommendation to fund four of the applications submitted for consideration by the October 31st deadline.
Participated in the Anti-Oppression Task Force survey and received the results and recommendations of the consultants.
Generated ideas for enhancing Board-Congregation engagement.
Received a presentation from the Membership Engagement Task Force-Leadership Development Team describing its newly developed leadership development guide.
Supported a Green Team request regarding climate change goals and launched a committee to focus on reducing UCE’s carbon emissions by 2035.
Provided feedback on the Endowment Task Force report recommendations.
Received a report from the Membership Engagement Task Force-Communications Workgroup and identified Board liaisons to work with the group and staff on next steps.
Sponsored a Social Justice Basket for the Serendipity Auction.
Hosted a Holiday Staff Appreciation Party.
Approved Elaine Siegel to complete the term of resigning trustee Jim Clark.
Monitored UCE finances including income and expenses and received reports from Board officers and staff, including the Executive Limitations and Values Monitoring reports.
Received reports from councils, committees, and workgroups, including ISC, CCIC, Endowment, Nominating and Recruiting Special Committee, and others, as well as board liaison reports for various councils and committees.
Members are invited to observe our meetings. Future meetings will continue via zoom except for the May meeting which will be held in-person at UCE. Please contact me through Realm for more information. Hope to see you at a meeting this year!

Warmest Regards, Carla Williams, Board President

Happy New Year from the Board of TrusteesUCE UCE2023-01-09T22:02:04+00:00

From Susan Frances – Assistant Minister for Congregational Life

Dear Friends,

My entire life I have been a hugger of trees. The photo is of me hugging a tree named Grandmother Oak in Hiawatha, Iowa, during my recent January retreat. I find that when I intentionally spend time with trees, whether it is the Ginkgo outside my front door or the Arnold Hawthorn along my usual lakeshore path, that I am able to relax and think about things on a larger scale. This thinking on a larger scale is something I want to invite all of you to join me in doing this spring.

The past two weeks ended up being a smooth transition into our time with our sabbatical ministers, Rev. Allison Farnum and Rev. Elizabeth Harding, and I am now thinking about preparing for our annual congregational meeting on Sunday, May 21st. Part of preparing for our annual meeting is taking time to think about what we have been doing and what we want to be doing.

This year is the third year that we will be engaging in the Annual Review Process that our interim minister Rev. Karen Gustafson helped us establish. Last month, Rev. Eileen, the members of the Committee on Shared Ministry, and I reviewed the Annual Review Process form we used last year. We edited it to make it shorter and relevant to the current leadership development work and anti-oppression work that our congregation is doing. Over the next week, I will be emailing out all the groups at UCE, from social justice teams to affinity groups, with our updated Annual Review Process form. Please make time within your teams and groups over the next six weeks to engage in a conversation prompted by the information and questions in the Annual Review Process form. The Committee on Shared Ministry and I are available to help facilitate these conversations, so please ask if that would be helpful.

Last year, we spent time re-visioning our Ends Statements, which we renamed our Values Statements and adopted at last year’s annual meeting. This year, one way we have practiced living into our Values Statements is through our interfaith and intra-UU engagement. Over the next ten days, you are invited to support the work of four of our social justice teams who are collaborating with other organizations to live our values out in the world:

* Our Native Communities Solidarity Team, in collaboration with Reba Place Church and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, has pooled resources to bring the play We Own This Now to Evanston. The two performances on Friday, March 17 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, March 18 at 3:00 pm at Reba Place Church are free and open to the public. Check this newsletter for details. The play explores our country’s history of settler colonialism and what is means to own land.

* For years, our Food and Shelter Team (FAST) has been collaborating with our neighbors, Beth Emet The Free Synagogue, to continuously provide the Soup Kitchen. On March 19 at 5:00 pm, Beth Emet is hosting a 20-Year Anniversary Celebration of the Soup Kitchen that will also raise ongoing funding. Check this newsletter for tickets ($25 adult; $12 children). And then, sign up to volunteer through the newsletter for April 5th or 12th when UCE will be hosting a full sit-down meal Soup Kitchen for the first time since 2019 and we need lots of helpers.

* Our Prison Ministry Team and Racial Equity Action and Leadership (REAL) Team have joined with the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois (UUPMI) to bring Alonzo Waheed from Equity and Transformation (E.A.T.) Chicago to UCE on March 22 at 7:00 pm to continue our support of reparations. This event is free and open to the public. Check this newsletter for details. The initiative that Mr. Waheed will share with us is called The Big Payback Campaign, which is separate from the The Big Payback film, and will focus on the issue of reparations for individuals affected by the criminal legal system as a result of the federal war on drugs initiative.

I hope you will be able to attend at least one of these events.

The world is full of need and I am grateful for our social justice team members who are meeting the need one issue at a time. I am also aware that we have to take care of ourselves in order to meet the long term needs of the world. If you could use some support or care right now, please reach out to Rev. Elizabeth Harding, our sabbatical minister for pastoral care, at eharding@ucevanston.org or connect with our Caring Team or Pastoral Care Team by filling out the Request for Care form.

Find time to walk in the trees or to simply hug the next one you walk by as you continue to care for yourself so you may care for the world.

In faith,
Rev. Susan

From Susan Frances – Assistant Minister for Congregational LifeUCE UCE2023-03-10T17:12:24+00:00

From Rev. Allison Farnum – Sabbatical Minister for Worship

Dear beloved Unitarian Universalists,

I am so delighted to be serving in sabbatical ministry with you! At the end of February I was honored to receive a stole from Rev. Eileen that I wear every Sunday with you. The stole is a reminder of the privilege of ministry. This particular stole is a product of the Rev. Eileen’s installation, woven with the materials that went from hand to hand in the sanctuary and infused with love from people attending online, reminding us of the tapestry of community we weave together. She gifted it to me for the time I am with you, and I have felt so welcomed by you all! Getting to know your staff and meeting you on Sundays, holding your joys and sorrows in my heart, is such a gift. The warmth of this congregation is palpable. You extend it inward to yourselves as a caring congregation, as well as taking that care and concern into showing up “outside the walls.”

At our staff meeting I heard that near twenty members came to the screening and discussion of Who We Are hosted by one of our neighboring congregations, Second Baptist Church. UCE REAL and prison ministry team members hosted the E.A.T. Reparations for the War on Drugs event as a way to learn and also show solidarity for this outstanding black-led organization that is organizing statewide to develop partnerships in reparations. Members attended the play We Own This Now as well as celebrated Beth Emet’s 20-Year Anniversary Celebration of the Soup Kitchen. And, we care for our inner lives and our people: Adult Faith Formation faithfuls explore meaning in Nature, our place in the cosmos, and interconnectedness. As Trans Day of Visibility approaches, our youth will be focusing on lifting up our trans siblings in love (which may, of course, include them holding themselves in love and care!).

All the while, spring is officially here. We can ground ourselves in the faith that the greening will be upon us soon. Tender and strong, new shoots will spring up, reminding us to tend what is greening and rising in us. I feel the blessing of being woven into this special time with you good, caring people. Happy Spring!

With gratitude,

Rev. Allison

From Rev. Allison Farnum – Sabbatical Minister for WorshipUCE UCE2023-03-23T20:14:05+00:00

Sandra Robinson

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director 2-4-2024

This weekend at UCE was a special one for me. The feeling of community at Barbara Young’s memorial and at the Sunday service was rich and meaningful. The true essence of what it is like to truly be there for one another was right before us. The memorial captured the story of Barbara J. Young’s life and her connection with friends and to UCE.

Perhaps that experience deepened my own connection as I make this transition leaving at the end of June after 22 years. The “Reflection” by Lina Hilko touched my heart, as I am sure it did for many in the room. We all come from different places, different spiritual experiences, and some no religious or spiritual background at all. We have all found a path to UCE. Kathy Underwood’s children’s story “The Water Bearer’s Garden” captured my attention. Of course, a story about ceramic pots is ever so appealing, but the leaky pot which caused such grief and guilt for the water bearer proved to be a beautiful blessing as it created a garden over time. Most often, our brokenness and challenges take on a different meaning when we realize that good can come from them.

As I milled about after the service, I encountered warm and curious comments about my upcoming retirement. I felt loved and appreciated. Working 30 hours this year has provided a transition period, one that has incorporated rest, creativity, and productivity into one satisfying life. It was a difficult adjustment initially, but all has taken on new meaning over time. I have enjoyed mentoring Adam and feeling his growing care of our building and grounds. I am beginning to train Suzanne to take on rentals. I am leaving a paper and electronic trail on the many responsibilities I have held. I have created important spreadsheets, documents and information held in our UCE Root File for historical reference. Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Rev. Susan Frances, Vickie Doebele, Adam Gough and Suzanne Lis Daley will each take a part of the responsibilities I have held these past many years. UCE Member Michael Drennan will shadow me in the months ahead to learn the art of watering and nurturing our indoor plants. This makes me happy.

I have and will continue to share my knowledge over the next five months with a feeling of trust that all will be in good hands and hearts going forward.

Our first Rummage Sale planning meeting with Co-Leads Gillian Lawrence and Lynn Kendall was held Saturday afternoon. We are so lucky to have these two women with different skills and experiences to lead the way. Each have spent many hours working on the UCE Rummage Sale and will be terrific leaders. Renee Hoff has agreed to do publicity again this year. Her leadership on publicity has been extraordinary and without a doubt increased visibility of the sale within the congregation as well as outside our doors. Thank you to the three of them for stepping up to manage this important UCE fundraiser and important event for recycling, reuse, and connection with the community at large.

We have found the Integrated Stewardship Council member-at-large we were seeking. Kristin Larsen has stepped up to fill this role and next year will serve on the Budget Working Group. Thank you, Kristin. Your financial knowledge and professional perspective will add to the ISC. C.J. Presto, as many know, will return as UCE Treasurer. Tom Carlton has done a stellar job serving us for the past three years. We are staying with our commitment to Tom to limit his term to three years. We commend both these fine financial experts in their generosity of time to help UCE continues its healthy trend moving forward. When Tom steps down as Treasurer, Susan Carlton will also step down as ISC Secretary. If you, or someone you know at UCE would be a good fit for this position, please let me or Rev. Eileen Wiviott know.

If you, your family, friends or acquaintances are seeking a space to hold a meeting, memorial, wedding or event, please let me know. The meeting rooms are excellent for board meetings and group gatherings as there is state of the art multi-platform equipment which enables groups to be in the room and see others on zoom. Our sanctuary is a beautiful space with wonderful acoustics for music performances and even for recordings. Keep us in mind as we try to utilize our space and meet the budget set before us for rentals. We make each experience special.

In closing, I will continue to “Build a Meaningful Day” each day. Over the next five months I will cherish my time with staff and the congregation.

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director 11-24-2023

As we enter into this Holiday Season of giving thanks, our hearts are heavy with the grief that pervades our world. May we take moments this Thanksgiving to be grateful for love, health, family, and friends who surround us and give us strength. May we sustain one another.

As I write this newsletter article, I am thinking of our beloved Barbara Young who left us on November 15. I am grateful to our pastoral care team and caring committee, and most specifically Ann McCallister and Becky Taveirne for the time, care and bonds of friendship that created a sense of family for Barbara this past year. I feel fortunate to have been a part of her life and enjoyed the lilt in her voice as she proudly talked of the hours she spent at UCE preparing the newsletter, filing and other tasks I might assign. I had no idea how much that meant to her. She loved UCE and enjoyed the group of women who surrounded her in these past months. We will miss her. I am grateful for her presence in my own life.

Life at UCE is ever-evolving as I head toward my final months there. I am enjoying mentoring Adam Gough as he learns the many details of caring for our building. So much love has gone into taking care of UCE’s buildings and grounds over the years. I experienced such joy and satisfaction working with Bud Brock, Dick Whitaker, Alex Sproul, and Bill Fischer. There were others as well in recent years, Robb Geiger, Greg Grabowski and Michael Drennen. I spent many years learning about the building, and I am now passing on that love and care to Adam as he takes on these responsibilities.

It has become a place of beauty, warmth and welcoming. On December 10 we will dedicate the lower level accessible and inclusive bathrooms, as well as the renovation of the nursery. Please join us after the service in the lower level to experience some of these projects that contribute to the accessibility and comfort for all who enter.

I am incredibly proud of Chris Allender and her amazing team. I know that Cathy Deamant was a key team member and there were many others. What a wonderful night of celebration. It seems that the dancing was a release of the many months we could not be together, and now could finally truly be together in joy and comradery. I can say for sure that I have not seen that many UCErs dancing in our sanctuary. Chris and team created a new auction format and did so very successfully, exceeding our financial goal and providing a fair and equitable format for all to feel welcome. Thank you team!

As crowds return to UCE, we are also experiencing an uptick in rentals. Many months of marketing and hard work have gone into restoring our successful rental program. It appears we may be turning a corner as we had Shorefront Legacy in October, Infant Welfare Society is signing on. These are two of the first not-for-profits who ventured out into the world of fundraising once more. Shorefront’s event hosted 275 people and it was a wonderful event with many of us from UCE in attendance. Evanston Symphony Orchestra rehearses at UCE on Tuesday evenings, North Shore Choral had a concert in our sanctuary last week. Let’s keep our fingers crossed as we continue to sign on rentals which are an important part of our UCE budget.

On an important financial note, please remember to open your pledge statements when they arrive in your email. This is the way we check our records against yours and inform congregants of their open balances. If members and friends continue to pay pledges, fundraisers continue to be successful and rentals continue to grow, we will end our fiscal year in the black. Thank you for your time, talent and treasures as we seek to accomplish our work in the world. Lastly, please provide me with names of individual who would be interested in taking on the UCE Treasurer role to succeed Tom Carlton. The ISC is also looking for one to two new members-at-large to serve on our council. Email me at srobinson@ucevanston.org if you are interested or have suggestions.

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director 10-20-2023

Staff has been busy preparing for Shorefront Legacy’s Gala honoring Dino Robinson in our sanctuary Saturday evening. This is an important night for many of our UCE members attending. We have 18 congregants as well as staff including Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Liz Kennedy, Steven Eason and myself attending. We are grateful to the efforts of Dino Robinson for providing the history to support the case for Reparations in Evanston, the history of Redlining and other important racial equity initiatives, as well as creating a black history archive in Evanston through the formation of Shorefront Legacy several years ago.

In our last newsletter and in member-to-member Facebook, we requested leads for a lobby monitor substitute. We are seeing an uptick in building usage and are preparing to have events and meetings covered so that the entire responsibility does not fall to Dan Baer and Kathy Talmage. Dan covers Sunday mornings and Kathy covers weeknights and some Sunday afternoons. Jeannie McCullough has agreed to be our substitute. Starting next Sunday Jeannie will be in the lobby for two Sundays. Please stop by and say hello.

Serendipity Auction is also right around the corner. Chris Allender has done a super job of coordinating leaders and discovering new and different ways to run our annual fundraising event. Please go to our website and explore the auction page. There are three extraordinary raffle prizes this year and you can start buying tickets now at uce@ucevanston.org UCE t-shirts can also be ordered or you can make a cash donation if you know you can’t attend or feel you want to help support our fundraising efforts. Chris says she still needs volunteers and items from congregants. There is a terrific guide in the same website page that gives ideas for events you could put together for our congregation to bid on. Please plan to attend the preview party on Saturday, November 11 from 4-5:30 and the Serendipity Auction on Saturday, November 18. Purchase your auction meal today and join us for a spectacular evening of fun/fundraising. For questions or more information email auction@ucevanston.org .

Our rental program feels as if it is expanding. Evanston Symphony Orchestra is committed to several weeks of rehearsals between now and the spring. We are so pleased to welcome them to our sanctuary space on Tuesday evenings. Skunkwerks, who you may recall, held a dance competition last year featuring youth from the south and west sides who performed an extraordinary dance performance on a Saturday in our sanctuary. Skunkwerks has signed on again this year for several rehearsals and workshops and has committed to return in 2024 for their next season of dance performances. Weavers Guild of the North Shore has returned once a month on Thursdays throughout the 2023-24 season. And, of course, we are always grateful for Udumbara, our regular monthly renter for many years now. Several memorial services have been held and are scheduled this year. Not only is rental income a significant part of our budgeted income, but thousands of guests enter our doors who discover who we are.

Our Capital Campaign is winding down. Only two projects are left to complete. One is our sanctuary chairs which are scheduled for delivery later this year, and two remaining tasks in our Intergenerational Playscape Garden. Please join us on November 18 after the service for a dedication of the renovated lower level washrooms. Both are inclusive and the west bathroom is accessible with a new large stall, taller toilet, and automatic doors for easy entrance and exit.

I continue to train Adam Gough as he has taken on Buildings & Grounds responsibilities as of July 1, 2023. Adam and I enjoy our work together and have accomplished several important tasks so far. I will continue to advise and share knowledge with Adam until June 30, 2024 when I retire from UCE. I am available 30 hours per week and can be reached at srobinson@ucevanston.org My hours vary based on the projects I am handling, but basically, I am here Tues/Wed/Thurs and Sunday mornings. If I do not immediately answer your email it is because I am not checking work email on the days I am not working.

One other note: UCE pledge statements were just sent. Please check your spam or promotional mailboxes to make sure you receive an email from UCE by October 20th. Thank you.

Greetings from your Executive Operations Director 9-14-23

Ingathering provided a meaningful and wonderful way to reconnect with one another as we enter a new season. I delighted in seeing new families and many children and babies in our midst. Our future depends on the presence, time, treasure and talents the next generation brings to our community. It was a pleasure to be there to begin our new season, and the last ingathering I will be with all of you. There is much work ahead to prepare for the future of UCE.

On Saturday of September 9, from 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. fifteen UCE congregants and staff received CPR and First Aid by two Evanston paramedics. This was an empowering experience, and yet fun to learn these skills together. The training was funded by our UCE Endowment Fund. More details from a participant will be included in a future newsletter.

Life has been interesting and rewarding as I adjust to my 30-hour schedule. I am enjoying my time with Adam Gough, mentoring him and sharing my years of experience and information as he assumes the Buildings and Grounds responsibilities.

I continue as Staff Lead of the Integrated Stewardship Council and am involved in the same activities that relate to finance – approval of invoices, expense management, and supervision of accounting and financial procedures. I am continuing as a member of the Capital Campaign Implementation Committee, following up on the many projects I have been involved in over the past five years. We are nearing completion of our tasks as a committee with only a few details here and there to be done. The final project will be complete upon installation of the sanctuary chairs later this year. This fall we will celebrate the lower-level bathroom renovations. For those of you who have not yet seen them, please do wander downstairs and take a look. The west bathroom is fully accessible now with an automatic button for entrance and exit. One of the stalls was removed to make room for one large stall with a higher toilet and pull up bars alongside. A wheelchair can now easily traverse this bathroom. The east bathroom received a facelift with new sinks, paint, flooring and stalls that go down to a few inches off the floor for greater privacy. Our goal is to provide accessibility and inclusion for everyone.

Please bear with us over the next two weeks as staff moves through logistical challenges of floor restoration in the wing. For two weeks starting Monday, September 18 through Friday, September 29, the lobby and wing floors will be cleaned, stripped, and waxed. This process will ensure greater wear and longevity as the surface of our floors will be sealed and protected. Suzanne, Liz and Vickie will be working in other offices in the building on some days during that period as furniture will be moved out to work on the office floor. If you call the office or have difficulty reaching someone or you cannot enter the west entrance on any particular day we apologize for the inconvenience.

Rentals are keeping me busy as I continue to build the program after the dramatic drop off during closure. We are just beginning to see new interest in having weddings, and larger special events. Memorials and music programs have been our strongest area of growth. The Evanston Symphony Orchestra now rehearses in our UCE sanctuary, Udumbara Buddhist Sangha is with us still, as well as Weavers of the North Shore. We will host a new renter, Modern Quilters and welcome the return of Skunkwerks when they sponsor dance competitions in November and December.

On October 21, Shorefront Legacy will hold their 25th Anniversary Celebration (Our History, Our Future) honoring the work of Dino Robinson founder of Shorefront Legacy Center and an important leader in our community, including a strong leadership role in Reparations. Tickets are still available. See more information in the article below. Martha Holman is coordinating table and individual ticket sales at UCE. We want to show our support of Dino, this organization, and to be part of this wonderful community event and meaningful event. Please read the article in this newsletter and respond to Martha Holman. Her information is included in that piece.

Sandra RobinsonUCE UCE2024-02-01T18:29:04+00:00

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