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What is Unitarian Universalism? We Are Unitarian Universalists from Unitarian Universalist Assoc. on Vimeo. Read the video transcript Read more on the UUA Website Our Current Values and Inspirations  You may read the UUA values that UCE has embraced, along with UCE's mission and vision here. Our faith community embraces a vast array of personal inspirations. Acknowledgment of these sources of inspiration are expressed by our Unitarian Universalist Assocation as "Direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder are primary sources of Unitarian Universalist inspiration. These experiences open our hearts, renew our spirits, and transform our lives. We draw upon, and are inspired by, sacred, secular, and scientific understandings that help us make meaning and live into our values. These sources ground us and sustain us in ordinary, difficult, and joyous times. We respect the histories, contexts, and cultures in which these sources were created and are currently practiced. Grateful for the experiences that move us, aware of the religious ancestries we inherit, and enlivened by the diversity which enriches our faith, we are called to ever deepen and expand our wisdom." We invite you to join us [...]

Adult Program Archive The word “faith” can be problematic for UUs because its history of “belief without evidence” clashes with our open and honest search for truth and meaning. But “faith” is a word with many complex and inter-acting meanings. I propose that we begin by thinking of Faith in terms of Faithfulness. From there we can explore what faithfulness can mean in relation to trust, belief, hope, spirituality, ethical commitments, and the open and honest search for truth and meaning. Our Journey of Belonging Series is a class for visitors and members. Get to know folks in our UCE community as we delve into UU History, our sources, and our values and principles. A Journey Through UU History Do you wonder about the heretics of the 2nd century or the universal love embraced by our Universalist ancestors? Do you wonder about the transcendentalist and humanist forbearers in our Unitarian tradition or about the 1961 merger that created the Unitarian Universalist Association? Come Journey Through our UU History. Spiritual Journeys & Inspiration Each of us has a unique combination of inspirations, sources, and life experiences that ground us in our theology, whether it [...]

Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Adults Q & A About Faith Formation for Children and Youth LEARN MORE What We Teach & Why LEARN MORE Enrolling Your Child LEARN MORE Family Events & Activities LEARN MORE Family Ministry Team LEARN MORE Faith Formation News Learn More In our religious community, we are learning together and teaching each other all the time. Religious education is a lifelong process of learning how to relate to the mysteries of life, to each other, and to the larger community. Our lifespan religious education program includes aspects of religious study, spiritual practice, and ethical development.We challenge and support each other in our individual spiritual journeys and in our collective religious journey. We offer our children nurturance and guidance as they develop and learn to live out their beliefs [...]

News from the Board of Trustees March 3, 2016 Submitted by: Janelle Brittain Creating Our Future As we look at UCE’s accomplishments over the last 125 years, it prompts us to think, ”What do we want to accomplish in the future?” We create our future every day. The Board of Trustees has decided to lead us in a conscious, focused and purposeful choosing of what we want to accomplish and living who we want to be. As Yogi Berra said, “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.” We have started a Long Range Planning process and we want everyone’s input in 2 ways! Congregational Survey We have designed a very comprehensive survey that we will use to help guide our decisions at all levels: teams, committees, councils, board and staff. From March 13-24 we will hand it out at Sunday services and it will be available on the UCE website. Your input will help to create our future. Please fill it out! Long Range Plan Every group, team, committee, council [...]

What We Teach Our Young People and Why As Unitarian Universalists, our first principle recognizes the “inherent worth and dignity of every person.” For younger children, we might express this principle more simply as “each and every person is important.” We’ll broadly and deeply explores topics relating to our appreciation of differences and diversity, and more specifically of racial justice, in ways that are age-appropriate for children and youth. Our curriculum and activities are structured across ages and grade levels to focus on this principle in ways that are holistic, multigenerational, and multidimensional. Participants will have the opportunity to: explore ideas, develop relationships, and put values into action. Following a natural path of childhood identity development, our exploration of the inherent worth of every person comes through engagement with Soul Matters curricula. This is a theme-based program that weaves worship, faith development, social justice, and small group ministry together. Please join us – and feel free to contact our Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Kathy Underwood at kunderwood@ucevanston.org with any questions you may have. Welcome all, welcome in!

Deepening Our UU Identity What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist? Without a common creed or theology, what unites us and grounds us? Contrary to the common misunderstanding of our inclusivity, that we are the ones who "can believe whatever we want," Unitarian Universalism is a chosen faith that asks a great deal of those who commit to its aspirations and covenants. In this four-part series, we will explore the religious roots of our movement, the covenant that is our seven principles, and the six sources of our faith from which we draw wisdom. We will also delve into a Unitarian Universalist definition of spirituality and a variety of spiritual practices we can engage in. Finally, deepening our understanding of what it means to be a UU grounded in the practice of Beloved Community, right here at UCE. The sessions take place over 4 Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 7-9pm and will be led by Rev. Wiviott, Rev. Gustafson, and the New Member Committee. What will each session look like? January 7th – The Seven Principles: an exploration of the UU principles, [...]

Fair Trade Cart Fair Trade principles and practices are based on the belief that people should receive a living wage for what they produce and that their products should be created using environmentally sound practices for socially responsible outcomes. These principles are  implemented by an array of organizations who devote themselves to finding farmers and artisans throughout the world who need assistance in producing and selling their products for a fair wage and who can provide assistance to their communities in developing resources needed to provide for their basic needs. Fair Trade practices have been responsible for developing schools, clean water resources, and many other basic necessities throughout the developing world by furnishing the economic means formerly missing from their communities. The Fair Trade Cart at UCE sells a variety of agricultural and artistic products. Our profits are returned to our greater community through holiday donations to Chute Middle School families who are selected by school social workers and by donations to Evanston’s Family Focus for support of their children’s after school and summer camp programs. In 2019, we also donated to help migrant families detained at our borders. Your support in purchasing these [...]

Covenant Groups What is a Covenant Group? Covenant groups are for meaningful connections between members of a group of up to 10 people who meet on a regular basis to establish and further themselves in community. Purpose: To nurture the human spirit for a world made whole by bringing members together to share, develop friendships, and serve the larger community. What happens during a 2 hour Covenant Group meeting? About five minutes of people getting situated. Short reading or centering. Check-in: 45 minutes of sharing what is going on in your life; an opportunity to share for about 4 minutes, without interruption; then, maybe 10-15 minutes of follow up conversation. A topic intended to promote reflective adult conversation (either introduced by the facilitator or material provided at the previous session) is the material for an hour of reflection. Topics are related to everyday life questions much like those raised by a good Sunday service. A check-out: Chance to share what they liked about the meeting and what they wish it could have been. Closing words or music. Who leads the groups? Trained facilitators will make sure group [...]

UCE & Reparations UCE puts our values in action and Supports Reparations in Evanston and Beyond In 2021, our congregation passed the 8th Principle, committing ourselves to journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. In May of 2022, we passed a resolution to support reparations locally and nationally. We resolved to support reparations from the federal government of the United States of America to Black Americans; to support the passage of H.R. 40,“Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act”; and to support reparations being made to Black residents within the City of Evanston. Therefore, we support the City of Evanston’s reparations programs, the Evanston Reparations Community Fund, and related reparation efforts made with direct involvement by the Black residents of Evanston. A month later in June of 2022, empowered by this resolution, our Senior Minister signed on to join our interfaith siblings in supporting the Evanston reparations initiative and the Evanston Reparations Community Fund. Rev. Eileen Wiviott signed on to this statement with clergy and leaders from 16 other faith [...]

Activities for Children and Youth Described here are activities that are designed particularly appropriate for children and youth.  Many other all-church activities throughout the year are welcoming and inclusive of our children and youth. Child Dedications — At child dedications the UCE community welcomes children and expresses support for the child and family. Child dedications are performed Christmas Eve service and by special arrangement with the ministers. Ornament Sunday — Make ornaments and decorations to trim the tree and take home. Holiday Treat Lunch — A festive lunch on a December Sunday, with cookies, juice, and milk. Christmas Eve —Candlelight services at 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm, with stories, carols, and reflections on Christmas. Easter — Between our Sunday services on Easter, there is a “canned goods” hunt outside. Brunch follows the second service. Religious Education Recognition service — At a May worship service, we celebrate the religious growth and learning of our children and recognize the work of our teachers and other volunteers. Church Picnic — After the service on the second Sunday in June we celebrate summer with a picnic on the south lawn. Social Action for Children and Families Social action is [...]