Nurturing the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole

Sunday Service May 19th at 10:30am

Pluralism and Our Place the Table

As Unitarian Universalists, we hold pluralism as one of our core values. Difficult conversations are a necessary part of being in a pluralistic community of faith, and as we strive to live this value, we are called to pay attention to our covenants with one another. With the important work of our annual meeting before us, we set our minds and hearts on our covenant of engagement and our shared value of pluralism. Rev. Eileen Wiviott leads this service with Janelle Brittain as Worship Associate. The UCE Choir and the Family Choir will sing under the direction of Vickie Hellyer and accompanied by Gregory Shifrin on piano.

Children in pre/k through grade 6 will go to their Faith Formation

groups after joys and sorrows.

Shared Offering - Night Ministry

Join the Services Livestream

SUNDAY IS OUR ANNUAL MEETING.

Members, please plan to stay after the service so that we have a quorum. Childcare is available through the meeting's end at 1:30pm.

A YouTube livestream for non-members and members not eligible to vote is available here to use to view the meeting. CLICK HERE.

Faith Formation Hour this Sunday

Childcare (0-3 years) is available in room 11 from 10:15a-1:30p for the Annual Meeting.
Chalice Children (pre/k) in room 9 will celebrate the end of the church year by decorating and illustrating their story book that they will be able to take home.
Heads, Hearts, and Hands (1^st-6^th) in room 8 will have a celebration of the end of the church year and share their memories of the year and what they’d like to do next year.
Youth Group (7^th-12^th) is off for the summer!

Families can explore our new theme, The Gift of Pluralism, at home and in their own timeframe with the Soulful Home packet. Send pictures to Kathy of your family as you explore the many ideas here!

See our “living” calendar of programs and events here.

Parents can register their children/youth for the Faith Formation Program here.

Greetings from Rev. Susan Frances

Dear Friends,

I have been enjoying the spring weather, the sunshine and the rain. This past weekend, I planted milkweed seeds and zinnia seeds in my building’s front garden and morning glory seeds in the flower boxes below the make-shift trellis on my back porch. It’s been a while since I planted seeds and I marked on my calendar when I should see each species germinating. There is something about digging in the dirt that makes me feel interconnected with the earth and the cycles of the seasons.

We are in a busy Spring season at UCE. On April 13, I led the opening worship for the Chicago Area UU Council’s Spring Conference, which focused on the Welcoming Congregation Renewal process. On April 27, I drummed for the Maypole dance celebrated at UCE by our Pagan Collective for the holiday of Beltane.

Our hats are off to the ongoing work of the Ceasefire Resolution Working Group. Over the past four months, this group has worked in relationship with each other, the staff, and members of the congregation on an Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Resolution, which will be voted on at our Annual Meeting this Sunday.

We commend the members of this working group on how they have facilitated conversations about the resolution. In the two in-person Town Halls and two online Town Halls they hosted, they were very thoughtful in how they created covenantal space in order to be able to have hard conversations about the substantive content of the resolution. They tried to embody this relational centered space in the many one-on-one conversations they had with folks at their Program Table on Sunday mornings and in the three additional online conversations hosted by the Board. While they have a clear view of what they hope to accomplish with the resolution, they have been able to set a tone that has allowed for differing points of view to be heard and worked to incorporate them into the final draft of the resolution.

Thank you, Mary Dudek, Martha Holman, Kristin Lems, Michelle Novak, Joe Romeo, Mary Beth Roth, Steve Serikaku, Michael Skilton, Gail Smith, Tom Ticknor, Sarah Vanderwicken, and Kristen White, for practicing the holding of nuances in a complex situation, for wanting to give voice to our UU values, and for centering relationship over point of view.

Join Us in Celebrating Sandra Robinson’s 22 years of service!

Appetizers and drinks will be served.

Please RSVP for the reception HERE.

Please sign up to volunteer

your time and/or bring something HERE.

Mark your calendars for this annual gathering on UCE's South lawn. We have fun activities planned for all ages, including games and decorating for the Evanston Pride car parade!

Bring a blanket or chair, and a dish to share!

UCE is providing the protein with meat and vegan options.

This Week's Events & Links

Friday, May 17th

Congregational Connections & New Member Team, 12-1pm, via Zoom

Family Planting Event, 5:30-7:30pm, outside gardens

Fiction Book Group, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Saturday, May 18th:

Plant Swap, 1-3pm in the parking lot

No Tai Chi today

Virtual Pilates, 9:30-10:30am, via Zoom

Immigrant Solidarity Team, 4-5pm, via Zoom

Sunday, May 19th:

Chris Isely Cancer Support Group at 9am in-person Rm 6 and via Zoom Link.

Choir Rehearsal, 9-11:45am, Sanctuary

Worship Service at 10:30am Sanctuary & on YouTube

ANNUAL MEETING, 11:30-1:30pm, Sanctuary

Download UCE Zoom Backgrounds

Monday, May 20th:

Food with Spirit Group, 5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom

Addictions and Recovery, 7-9pm, via Zoom

Tuesday, May 21st:

CLFF Council Meeting, 1-3pm, via Zoom

Peg Heads, 6:30-9:30pm, Room 3

Caregiver Support Group, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

First Women's Circle, 7-8pm, via Zoom

Wednesday, May 22nd:

Yoga, 9:30-10:30am, via NEW ONLINE LINK

Please be aware we have an all Staff Meeting every Wed from 11-12:30pm

Thursday May 23rd:

Meditation Group, 5:30-7pm, via Zoom

Choir Rehearsal, 7-9pm, Rm 3

Anti-Oppression Task Force, 7-8:30pm, via Zoom

Check out the UCE Calendar for more events!

Congregational News

If you're viewing the newsletter in your email inbox, click on "View entire message" at the bottom of the email to read the full newsletter!

Room Request Form

PLEASE NOTE: Newsletter submissions should be sent to Newsletter@ucevanston.org by noon on Wednesday.

Congregational Connections

Family Friday Gardening TONIGHT!

Friday May 17th = Fun Friday Family Garden day! It's a wonderful opportunity for all ages to come together, roll up their sleeves, and dive into the joys of gardening while strengthening our UCE community.

Our Gardening Team will be leading the charge as we work together to enhance the grounds. Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or just getting started, there's something for everyone to contribute as we nurture our shared space.

But the fun doesn't stop there! If you'd like, bring along a picnic supper and a blanket to enjoy on the lawn from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. It's the perfect way to fuel up before our gardening adventures begin.

And of course, what's hard work without a sweet reward? We'll cap off the evening with a cool treat to celebrate our accomplishments. So mark your calendars and join us for an evening of gardening and community building.

Come one, come all to the 2024 Annual Community Plant Swap!

Date: Saturday, May 18

Time: 1-3 pm

Location: UCE Parking Lot

Bring your green treasures – plants, seedlings, divisions – and swap them with fellow garden lovers. It's a chance to share, learn, and grow together. Come with something you have, leave with something you want to grow! Let's unite to nurture Mother Earth and our community. See you there! For more information and pre-swaps, visit the garden.org event page.

Tour a Piece of UCE History

Join Rev. Eileen at 11am Saturday 6/1 for a tour of the house UCE & 3rd Unitarian architect, Paul Schweikher, built for his family and have a bento box lunch among the peonies.

Although Paul Schweikher lived in the house for a few years, UCE member and artist Martyl Langsdorf and her husband, Alexander, were the true stewards, living there for 60 years. See the studio barely big enough for Martyl to create the soaring UCE mural, “Darkness into Light” and see how Paul Schweikher's design ideas helped create the church building that has nurtured our community since 1958. The Schweikher House is located at 645 Meacham Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60193. Click here to reserve your space, tickets are $65. Click here to learn more about the Schwiker house and the amazing peony garden that we will get to see in full bloom.

Grant Funds Available

The UCE Endowment Committee is pleased to announce that a total of $33,380 is available for Community Project grants for the coming church year (starting July 1). Grant application forms are available HERE on the Endowment Fund page of the UCE web site.

The next deadline for grant application submissions is May 31st. Additional grant application submission deadlines are October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2025 if funds remain available.

For more information, contact Bob Seyfried, Endowment Committee Chair.

Lifespan Faith Formation

Summer is Coming!

Our summer program for children starts June 9th and will be based on the animated show, Bluey. We’ll be exploring our UU values as we see Bluey learning them along the way. If you’d like to help on a Sunday, email Kathy for the details.

Picnics in the Park – 1st and 3rd Sundays at Penny Park, 12-1pm - weather permitting.

A fun and easy way for parents of young children to meet and socialize while the little ones play! Bring your own picnic or snack.

Beach Day – June 9, 12:30-3:30pm at Lighthouse Beach

Bring a picnic lunch and grab your towel for an afternoon of sun and sand!

Beach passes are required and can be obtained online at the Yodel Portal or in-person at the Dempster St. Beach Office or Clark St. Beach Office.

The Well, a multiracial family camp at Ferry Beach, Maine: July 24-27th

The Well is an intentional gathering space of spiritual healing for individuals and families who are directly impacted by racism. It is a culturally proud, welcoming, and unapologetic space that centers the experiences and expressions of communities of color.

Staying Engaged With Israel and Gaza

Recording of the Israeli-Palestinian

Joint Memorial Day Ceremony

Last Sunday, May 12th, some UCE members gathered to watch the 2024 Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony, which is organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle - Families Forum. To see the recording of the 2024 ceremony, learn more about this Israeli-Palestinian jointly organized peace event, or to watch recordings from past years’ ceremonies, CLICK HERE.

If you’d like to learn more about The Parents Circle, one good way is to access the post-ceremony sharing by two members of The Parents Circle, accessible HERE. Also, please feel welcome to contact Lina Hilko (contact info in Realm) if you have questions.

Preparing to Vote on May 19:

You Are Invited Into Conversation.

At our May 19 Annual Congregational Meeting we will elect congregational leaders, vote on the proposed 2024-2025 Operating Budget, and consider a resolution titled The Unitarian Church of Evanston Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Resolution. A UCE working group has submitted the resolution for vote by the membership and links to the resolution and resources are provided here and below. Per our Bylaws passage of Statements of Advocacy require a two-thirds vote of the members present at the meeting where twenty percent of the total number of eligible voting members shall constitute a quorum. If passed, public reporting of the resolution shall state either the actual numbers or the percentages of the vote supporting and opposing the resolution.

UCE Ceasefire Resolution FAQs

The Ceasefire working group appreciates the participation by many of you in the four Town Hall meetings, and we have incorporated your suggestions with thanks and gratitude.

Here are responses to a few frequently-asked questions about the resolution:

What difference will this make?

The Ceasefire Resolution is a matter of conscience, an opportunity to bear witness and take action in an effort to end the siege and the famine in Gaza. Although we cannot know whether our small voice will make an impact on policy, we believe as Unitarian Universalists that we have a moral duty to speak out. We make the statement at the request of Palestinians and peace activists in the Chicago area and around the world who have asked people of conscience to speak out. We also hope to provide an example of local leadership to groups that might consider issuing similar statements. UCE has historically shown moral courage, in our early support for Open Housing, our vocal opposition to the Vietnam War, support for Marriage Equality, and in our recent support for Black Lives Matter and the Evanston Reparations Movement.

Support UU Values at the Polls

A round of applause for all your hard work! Your accomplishments since March:

Sent nearly 4000 postcards to infrequent BIPOC voters, often overlooked by political campaigns, providing a bridge to their empowerment.
Hit key counties and districts Georgia and Virginia with critical races.
Built our UCE UUtheVote working Group to 172 strong!

The update: Just a few Virginia postcard bundles remain. Postmark no later than June 3rd for their June 18th Primary. We advance to North Carolina beginning May 18, with a mailing date of July 1st. Visit our program table, or reach out directly to Greg (see below). Our partner, Reclaim Our Vote, is looking to November. Watch for our summer blast!

See Greg Grabowski, UCE Postcard Lead, at UCE or in Realm.

MIILWAUKEE VOTER REGISTRATION

Register voters in Milwaukee DMVs! The 45 minute Zoom training and great support from the Milwaukee Voter Project make this a satisfying slam dunk!

Training dates:

Email Laura Kushner (laurakushnerx2 at gmail dot com) to let her know which date/time works best

Thursday, June 6 at 7:00 PM
Wednesday, June 12 at 1:30 PM

Once trained, pick virtually any day or time to drive up and do the work. Carpooling is available.

Contact Shirley Adams, Voter Registration Lead, in Realm directory.

Join the UCE Team in the YWCA Race Against Hate

Some of us run, some walk, some roll! How ever you roll, please be a part of our Race Against Hate by joining the UCE REAL Team on June 16, 2024.

Register by May 26th to receive early bird pricing. Register for the Race here. Be sure to join the UCE REAL Team. CLICK HERE.

If you can’t be with us in the Race, but want to join in spirit, support the team through your donation. Be sure to apply your donation to the UCE REAL Team.

DONATE HERE.

More information on the race can be found at: Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate. Questions? Contact Dana Deane.

CELEBRATE PRIDE WITH EVANSTON UUs

TODAY - Friday, May 17^th is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia.

Evanston Youth Pride Car Parade - June 2nd at 1pm

ALL ARE WELCOME!

The 2024 Parade Route is here! Below you can find our starting spot if you’re driving in the parade, or meeting spots to watch the parade and cheer on the participants!

Let us know if you’ll be joining us! RSVP here.

Evanston Township High School Parking lot 2 and 2a - Meet us here for events, snacks, car decorating, and the kick-off!
Robert Crown Community Center
Chicago Main Newsstand
Fountain Square
Ingraham Park (Simpson and Asbury, behind the Civic Center) - The end of the parade! Feel free to bring your own chairs, blankets, snacks, and activities if you want to chill. We will not be hosting any after-parade events but you can join us at Double Clutch brewery (2121 Ashland Ave) for a hang out.

We can’t wait to see you there! This parade should be the best yet!

Join us for the inaugural Interfaith Family Pride Festival in Evanston!

Save the date for the Interfaith Family Pride Festival, a joyous celebration of Pride month for families on June 2, 2024, from 2-5pm, at Raymond Park in Evanston, IL. Organized by 15 diverse faith communities, this event will honor LGBTQ+ families, while recognizing the importance of repairing relationships and building bridges between faith communities and the LGBTQ+ community.

This family-friendly festival will feature captivating performances by renowned artists including Flamy Grant, Artemis Singers, and The Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, along with engaging activities for children. Additionally, don't miss the inspiring Youth Showcase, highlighting the talents and voices of our younger generation. All are welcome to an afternoon filled with love, acceptance, and celebration of diversity. Stop by the UCE table for a glitter blessing!

For more information, visit the Facebook Event page.

SAVE THESE DATES!

June 9th Evanston Pride Candle Lighting Ceremony at 7:00 pm in St. Paul Park, 760 Chicago Ave, Evanston
Queer Market - July 11. get some shopping in and support queer makers!
Pride Community Picnic - July 27th. Ridgeville Park, 11am - 3pm.

We will update you with more information as the dates approach!

UCE Book Clubs

UCE Non-Fiction Book Group

The nonfiction book group will not meet during the month of May because of several important Sunday afternoon events: e.g., the annual meeting and the ice cream/frozen yogurt social with Second Baptist Church.

We will meet virtually on Zoom at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 30th using our recurring link to discuss Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under Color of Law by Richard Rothstein and Leah Rothstein.

Our group previously read Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. In their book Just Action, the authors offer programs that activists and their supporters can undertake in their communities to address historic inequities. They show how community groups can press firms that imposed segregation to take responsibility for reversing the harm.

Zoom discussion on Sunday, June 30th at 2pm, using our recurring ZOOM link.

UCE Fiction Book Group

The UCE Fiction Book Group is reading a classic this month: Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd.

One of the independent women of the 19th century, Bathsheba Everdene negotiates the rocky terrain of romantic alliance presented the Victorian woman. Set in Wessex County, Far from the Madding Crowd is styled the most English of great English novels.

Friday, May 17, at 7-8pm, using our recurring ZOOM link.

Future reads include:

June 21:

NoViolet Bulawayo, Glory. Short-listed for the Booker Prize is Bulawayo’s tale of Zimbabwe under siege by its citizens. A satire told in the vein of Animal Farm: We follow a nation of animals as they try to define true liberation when their oppressive leader Old Horse is pulled down.

July 19:

Percival Everett, James. The story of Huck’s slave companion Jim that was never told in Huckleberry Finn. Perhaps the story of slavery in America that Mark Twain would have told if his publishers had let him.