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UCE Mission At the Unitarian Church of Evanston our mission is to nurture the human spirit for a world made whole. Our Newly Adopted Unitarian Universalist Values Our Unitarian Universalist Association has undergone and thorough, meaningful, and inclusive process of reviewing the principles and sources of our faith as they have been articulated in our association’s bylaws since the 1980’s. At the 2024 General Assembly, we passed by an 80% majority new language that expresses our values as: Interdependence, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Generosity, and Justice, all centered around the value of liberating Love. As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries. We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love. Inseparable from one another, these shared values are: Interdependence We honor the interdependent web of all existence. [...]

Faith Formation for Children & Youth UCE is committed to creating a welcoming space for children and youth to worship, learn, and play together, and for people of differing generations to get to know one another, whether in person or virtually during this time of COVID-19. Until it is safe to gather in larger groups, we will be offering ways to connect virtually and in person in small groups. Parents can decide which opportunities are appropriate based on their comfort level of the physical distancing guidelines. Regular participation, whether virtual or in person, is important so our young people can form friendships and a sense of community.  What programs are being offered? Programs are organized by age and grade level in school/homeschool. This year, our virtual sessions will be for preschool/k/1st, 2nd-5th, and 6th-8th. High school youth participate in youth group. In general, children should attend the same grade level at church as they attend at school/homeschool.  The Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education Program is offered to various age groups on alternating years. This year, an alternative program, Taking Flight, will be offered for 7th-9th grade youth.  What will my child be taught? Our Faith Formation [...]

Committee on Shared Ministry (COSM) What is COSM? The Committee on Shared Ministry helps the congregation live into shared ministry. That is, it helps members recognize and improve the contributions we each make to UCE. Shared Ministry has a sacred quality to it: it is not just “what we do'' but also “how we do it.” As both the “great covenant” that we say each Sunday and the Covenant of Engagement state, we agree to engage with each other with compassion and respect as we strive to carry out our mission. COSM works to communicate, evaluate, and make accessible the interconnected ministries of membership, stewardship, worship, faith formation, and social justice; and to monitor how we are doing as a congregation at being in right relationship with our principles, values, covenant, and each other. This supports our mission and achieving our Values Statements. What are the Committee on Shared Ministry’s Goals? COSM’s goals are to achieve: Greater Transparency: identify groups contributing to UCE’s shared ministry, share information about them, and provide additional channels for congregants to offer feedback on our shared ministry. Greater Accountability: work with the ministers, staff and Board to assess how well the congregation is meeting its [...]

Understanding the revised UUA Article II By Melanie Kitchner, Denominational Affairs Committee The UUA Article II Study Commission was charged by the UUA Board to review Article II of the UUA Bylaws. This section of the bylaws is better known as the home of the Principles, Purposes, and Sources. Such a review occurs every fifteen (15) years as a practice of our living faith, to ensure that our guiding theological documents thoughtfully and clearly articulate the heart of Unitarian Universalism.   Key to this effort is—in the words of the UUA Board—for the Commission to “seek to engage the active participation of UUs across all demographics, identities, and theological/philosophical beliefs.” This program is one of the many ways the Commission hopes to connect with a wide range of UUs. These materials (and others, available online at http://uua.org/a2sc) are available for anyone to use, free of charge or commitment, though, ideally, participants will offer their input and suggestions, informed by the work they do in this program. The UUA Board believes that one core theological value, shared widely among UUs, is love. Each arm of the new logo is a different color and clockwise they are: Interdependence (Orange), Equity (Red), Transformation [...]