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Dearly Departed

Catherine Bendowitz, Jane and Norman Coleman,

Tristan Hanson, Magane Koshimura and Sybil Madison

Please bring photos of loved ones who have passed away for display during service. Frames preferred.

January Theme: Liberating Love

Live Stream Worship at 10am

Live stream link can be found here.

OFFERING : UT's Agnes Kelly Senior Fund

Unity Temple Gives. Each week we split our Sunday collection with an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will benefit Unity Temple's Agnes Kelly Senior Fund. This fund was established to help serve the needs of elderly members of our congregation who are unable physically, mentally or financially, to care for themselves, and who have no close relatives living nearby who are willing and able to provide such assistance. May what you give bring you joy.



You may donate by placing cash or check in one of the circulating baskets during the service OR:

• by sending a check to the Unity Temple office (875 Lake St., Oak Park, 60301) with org name on memo line, 
• by texting 73256 with the message UTUUC and select “Offering,” 
• by using the camera on your phone to scan the QR code on the screen during the Offertory. 
• You can also give at the UTUUC website. 

You may have received an email from Rev. Bertschausen asking for general help or that he has a request for you. The email came from a Gmail account pretending to be Rev. Roger, not a unitytemple.org account. Please know this is a SCAM! It is a form of phishing.

Phishing is a form of “social engineering,” whereby a hacker with bad intentions sends an email (or text or phone call) pretending to be someone the recipient trusts and asks the recipient to take an action which can have adverse effects. Sometimes, they request money. Other times, they invite the recipient to click a link or open an attachment that can trigger malicious code.

DO NOT respond to an email like this from Rev. Roger or other staff or lay leaders with Unity Temple email accounts. DO NOT send gift cards if you get an email request for them from anyone on our staff. Our ministers and staff would NEVER contact you in this manner. An easy way to check if you're not sure is to see if the email ends in @unitytemple.org, like all of Unity Temple staff and lay leader email addresses.

Sunday Worship Service

In-person and online options for worship are now offered. You can access the live stream on YouTube at 10am here.

Community Hour Join us after the livestream Sunday morning service a Community Hour for refreshments and fellowship in Unity House.

Please join our Meet&Greet gathering on the first Sunday of the month. It's a wonderful way for new people to get to know members of the congregation in a casual setting beyond Community Hour. This group meets in Gale House, the green building next door to Unity Temple. Hope to see you this Sunday, January 7th at 11:30 in Unity House! Contact hospitality@unitytemple.org for more information. 

Monthly Board Meeting This Tuesday  The Board of Trustees meets in-person each month, at 1019 South Blvd. Meetings begin promptly at 6:30pm and runs until 8pm. Board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month. The agenda for this Tuesday can be found in here.

Women’s Connection Potluck / Tu B’Shvat Seder Please join us on Saturday, January 20 at 6:30pm to celebrate the ancient tradition of the New Year for Trees. This traditional “birthday of the trees,” celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shvat, encourages us to open ourselves to mystery, wonder, creativity, and celebration; this is an oral wisdom, something learned from others, rather than books. Please bring a dish to share, we will eat first, followed by the Seder. All Women, and Children are encouraged to attend. We will gather at 1019 South Blvd. Questions can be directed to womensconnection@unitytemple.org.

Pathway to Membership January and February Classe Registration is OPEN! Pick one of the two classes to learn more about Unity Temple, Sunday, January 21 from 12-3:30pm or Sunday, February 18 from Noon-3:30pm. The Pathway to Membership class provides an opportunity to learn about what becoming a member means. Participants will learn about our mission, programs, operations, volunteer opportunities, and more. During our time together, we get to know one another and learn about the congregation's interesting history. Trained facilitators are excited to share information about how the congregation works together to create meaningful experiences and build community. If you would like to learn more about upcoming Pathways  classes, please reach out to Val Ridenour at membership@unitytemple.org.

Family Fun Nights! Join our Pajama Game night in January. Hot cocoa and cookies will be served. Wear your PJs and bring your favorite game to share! Friday, January 5 from 6:30-8:30, 1019 S. Blvd.

Attention All Women

You can now register for the annual Women's Retreat on Realm! The Retreat for 2024 will take place February 9-11 at the Carmelite Spiritual Center. You can read about the retreat and register here. Questions can be sent to womensretreat@unitytemple.org.

UTUUC Cares For those of us who are facing life challenges, help is available. The Caring Committee arranges for meals and other practical assistance for those in need of help due to illness and other life limitations. They can be reached at caring@unitytemple.org. And if you would like a compassionate ear when facing troubling circumstances, trained, commissioned members of the Spiritual Care Team are available to meet with you. The team can be reached at 

spiritualcare@unitytemple.org.

Chalice Singers represent the the Unity Temple children’s choir encouraging singers from ages 6 – 10 to rehearse and perform for worship twice a year. Singers meet directly after 10am worship on Sundays for six weeks culminating in a presentation that incorporates classical, pop and music theater styles.

The 2024 Winter Chalice Singers rehearsal begins Sunday, February 4! Singers ages 6-10 are welcome to join us! Contact mswisher@unitytemple.org for more information.

Sacred Wandering Saturday, January 6, 2024 in Thatcher Woods from 8:30am CDT to 10:30am Location: Thatcher Woods, North Pavilion, 80030 Chicago Ave., Maywood, IL 60153. Follow the signs for Sacred Wandering, Free parking. We meet in all weather condition so please dress appropriately. Bring a chair and a tea cup for tea at the sharing circle as close our meeting. 

Join Jay and Terry as we intentionally practice connecting with nature and surrounding ourselves with the energy of the natural world. Forest bathing is not taking a leisurely walk in the woods to enjoy the scenery. There's a specific intention in the practice to connect with the natural world and to gain benefit and energy from it. In other words, you are bathing in the energy of the trees, leaves, sky, and earth. Meditation and mindfulness assists in securing this intention. There will be silence and discussion.

Those with physical challenges are easily accommodated. If you have any questions please email mindful@unitytemple.org. We look forward to seeing you! 

Tuesday Evening Mindful Reflection Community We generally meet virtually and in person in Unity House at Unity Temple. Meeting opens at 7pm EST for camaraderie, the program starts promptly at 7:20pm. We will follow our usual format with 20 minutes of Mindful Reflection followed by a dharma talk and discussion. Questions email 

mindful@unitytemple.org. Join Zoom meeting here.

Daily Mindful Reflection Community 30 minute meeting, 7 days a week! Starts at 8:25am and ends at 9am every day, seven days a week. The daily meditation will include opening words, 20 minutes of mindful reflection, and closing words. All are welcome! You are welcome to attend regularly or sporadically. Time: Every Day (including weekends) at 08:30am Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting here. ID: 373 008 242  / Passcode: 4IFrYx.

UUANI Action of the Week 

Each week our Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of IL (UUANI) offers a call to action. Sign-up to receive these simple and impactful actions direct to your in-box here.

Faith in Action Newsletter To learn more about living our mission through our Faith in Action Network subscribe to our monthly newsletter here. Questions? Contact FaithinAction@unitytemple.org.

Our Christmas Eve services were a festive tapestry of timeless traditions and heartwarming celebrations and togetherness. 

UTUUC Office Hours The office/community center located at 1019 South Blvd is open Monday-Thursday from 9am-3pm. 

Chalice Table Reservations We welcome floral arrangements or other decorations such as objects from nature or spiritual symbols to be included on our Chalice Table during worship on Sunday mornings. Please refrain from political/campaign related objects as they will be removed. To reserve a date, please fill out this form. Thank you for contributing to our worship experience. For assistance contact

flowers@unitytemple.org.

Guidelines for submissions to the eBeacon newsletter can be found here.

Congregational Life Table Reservation Would you like to reserve a table to promote congregational happenings during Community Hour in Unity House? Hosting a table is a great way to make sure congregants know how to participate in events, activities, and service opportunities. To reserve space contact vridenour@unitytemple.org.

We Celebrate Our Differences :: The beloved community includes people with diverse life experiences. Here at Unity Temple we call people to live out the values of our faith: interdependence, pluralism, justice, equity, generosity and transformation. As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large while also knowing that endorsements or support of particular candidates cannot be part of our congregational process.

Planned Giving offers a variety of meaningful ways to support our congregation through charitable gifts and can be made by anybody – young and old, working or retired. These gifts are made today, but they support the future needs of your congregation and Unitarian Universalism. You can obtain more information about planned gifts by contacting the Planned Giving Team at 

plannedgiving@unitytemple.org

Land Acknowledgement of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, read here.