A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Join us for worship and religious education!  Services and Religious Education Classes take place on Sunday morning at 9:15 and 11:00am
October 28, 2016
Sunday, October 30
         
Worship Service  -  9:15 and 11:00am
"Prayer and Paradox"
How many of us have prayed as if our life depended on it? Such is not a universal Unitarian practice, yet in times of crisis we often find ourselves opening to "a universal mystery" for feelings of guidance, wholeness, connection and healing. Making sense of the act of prayer, and finding ways for Unitarian Universalists to engage in authentic acts of prayer, is a worthy theological challenge. Rev. Bret Lortie speaking.

Religious Education
This Sunday our preschool, kindergarten­-first-second grade, and third-fourth-fifth grade classes will meet from 9:15-10:30 and 11:00-12:15. All begin in the sanctuary for the first part of the worship service before going to classes. The sixth-seventh-­eighth grade class begins at 9:45am this week to watch "Bruce Almighty." Senior high meets at 11:00am. Childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is available from 9:00-12:30. 

Endowment Sunday/Refugee Family Welcome Potluck - 12:30pm
Don't miss October 30 when we introduce our refugee family to the congregation at the 11:00 service and at the potluck after church.  For the mid-eastern cooking,  if using meat, it must be halal meat. It can be purchased at the following locations: Valli Produce, 1910 Dempster in Evanston, 5705 Dempster Street in Morton Grove, Pita Inn, 3924 Dempster Street in Skokie, Farm City Meat, 2255 Devon Avenue, Chicago, Northside Meats and Eats, 5705 Dempster Street in Morton Grove. Please bring your dish with a 3 x 5 card indicating what ingredients are included. 

One of the blessings of our sponsorship is that we are all learning so much about Syrian culture. It expands our life experience to sponsor our family. 

Name Change Circle - 12:30pm

Crackerbarrel - 9:30am
"The Theory of Moral Sentiments"
During the 17th and 18th centuries, European moral philosophers were concerned with explaining morality, without using a theological basis. A number of great thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment theorized about morality, one of whom was Adam Smith. His first book, "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" was published in 1759. He considered it his greatest book. In it, he observed that the basis of moral sentiments is mutual sympathy (empathy) - the capacity to recognize feelings of others. In doing so, he countered David Hume, who considered utility and Francis Hutcheson who considered moral senses to be the basis of morality. (He knew both and may have studied under both.) Do Adam Smith's ideas still hold up in our modern world? Discussion Leaders: Gordon Mallett & Scot Campbell
 
Join us to stand in support of Black Lives Matter
12:10pm-12:30pm
You are invited to stand on Ridge Avenue between 12:10pm and 12:30pm to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Each week, the reception has been a most affirming experience. We hope to continue this on a weekly basis with your help. Signs and buttons are available for purchase at the back of the sanctuary. Signs and song lyrics will be provided for use.  Sponsored by the REAL team.

The Chris Isely Cancer Support Group -  9:15am
The group is open to anyone facing cancer, either personally or through a family member or friend. This lay-led group is a safe place for sharing and hope. Interested participants are encouraged to drop in any time. Questions? Contact Renee Hoff  or Brian Meister.
Sunday Morning Tables -  
a New and Exciting Setup!  sundaytables
We've heard your feedback and are responding to your wishes for more space to present the work of committees, teams and activities of the church. We also know that space in the back for coffee and conversation after the services is tight and hard to maneuver. It can be difficult for newcomers to navigate the close quarters and find a way into conversation.

This Sunday, coffee hour will have a more open, welcoming feel. There will be more table room for teams to present their information about events and activities - seven rectangular tables will line the space where our round coffee hour tables have been. Sprinkled in the center of these tables and in the adjacent area will be a few highboy tables where folks can stand and enjoy coffee, bagels, fruit and conversation.

There will be several six-foot tables behind the chairs near  Book H and Fair Trade cart where newcomers, young adults, members and friends can sit and talk after the services. Change can be uncomfortable, and it can also provide us with a fresh perspective, more space and room to share. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Eileen Wiviott.

To reserve table space for your group, program or activity, please email Carli Magel.
Serendipity Auction News
  auction
If you want your donations to appear in our catalog, enter them in the online system or give to Tom Hempfling by Sunday night, Oct. 30!  Our current catalog is not as full as the last few years, so can you help out with an event or item donation?   What might your unique offering be? What experiential gift might you provide?   Ideas that have been popular in the past include a super bowl gathering, vegetarian dinners, classes, lessons or performances. Remember to make your dinner reservations through the UCE Homepage, or by stopping at the Auction table on Sunday morning, or you can call the church office.  We will have a special dinner table for New Members/Newcomers!  We'll see you on Saturday, November 12, beginning at 5:30pm.

You now can reserve your dinner choices online! Our dinner will be from the Pita Inn with vegetarian and gluten-free options.   Dinners are $11 for adults and $6 for children 6-10 years old.  You can also make dinner reservations by calling the church office or at the Serendipity Auction table on Sunday mornings.
Mitten Tree Starts Sunday, November 6  mittentree
UCE's Mitten Tree has collected gifts and holiday food for over 25 years and is a wonderful tradition of generosity for those who need help during the holiday season.  Contributing generously not only helps those in need, but helps each of us add to the love in our hearts during the holiday season. Paper mittens (with the wished for items noted) will be available from Nov. 6 to November 29 at tables at the back of the sanctuary. Please bring your new, unwrapped gifts to UCE as soon as you purchase them. The final deadline for bringing gifts is Dec. 4. We are providing gifts and food for nine groups this year.
 
Volunteers are needed to help at the Mitten Tree tables on Sundays and to sort, wrap, and deliver gifts.
 
Dates: November 6, 13, 20, 27 and December 4 when all gifts are due       
     
Times: After each service -10:15-11:00 and 12:00-12:30
 
If you wish to volunteer please contact Jeanne Kerl or Melanie Kitchner. If you have questions about Mitten Tree please contact Carol Nielsen.
From the Board of Trustees
Name Change Circle Update 
  bot
Scheduling Changes: Circles opportunities will be extended to November 13 meeting on Sundays only at 12:30. Those dates include Oct 30 and Nov 6, 13. The response forms will be accepted until Nov 13. The Board meets for our regularly scheduled meeting on Nov 16 where we will discuss a recommendation for next steps.
 
Response forms are available on the UCE bulletin board and will be available after Sunday services at the back of the sanctuary. Response forms can be returned to the UCE office in a mail slot dedicated to the Name Change Circles or a marked envelope at the same table the response forms will be after Sunday services.
 
You do not need to attend a circle to be able to return a response form. Click here to read more.
Refugee Roundtable Kicks off on
November 2, 7pm  refugeeroundtable
UCE has joined with other Evanston Faith Communities to host a Refugee Roundtable. Please join us on Wednesday, November 2 at UCE to be a part of this group. We will be sharing our experiences, talking about future sponsorship and exploring how different faith communities in Evanston can work together on this urgent international crisis. Contact Carol Nielsen if you have questions.
Activate Your Voice
Saturday, October 29, 
9:30am-4:30pm  activateyourvoice
NEW WAYS TO MAKE SURE BLACK LIVES MATTER
 
Our congregation and community have moved forward significantly in the last couple of years in understanding racial issues and why our UCE sign proclaims Black Lives Matter.  

But there is more to learn, and work to do.  The superiority of "whiteness" is deeply embedded in ourselves (regardless of our race) and our institutions.  How do we recognize it?  What can we do about it?  
 
UCE's Racial Equity Action and Leadership (REAL) Team, along with Evanston's Organization for Positive Action and Leadership (OPAL), is sponsoring a highly interactive workshop on October 29, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, including lunch, to help us get further on our way toward eradicating racism in ourselves and our world. 
Winter Chicago Standdown  winterchicagostanddown
UCE Military Bridge Builders invites you to participate in Winter Chicago Standdown again this year.  Held at the Northwest National Guard Armory on Friday November 18, Standdown offers a day of hospitality and support to indigent and homeless vets, serving breakfast and lunch, offering health support, and distributing warm clothing, shoes, toiletries, sleeping bags and blankets You are invited to donate gently used winter-worthy clothing - especially jeans!  UCE Military Bridge Builders will coordinate a team to help out the day of and welcomes your participation.  Contact: Meredith Haydon
Special Programs for Parents and Kids
Sunday, November 13, 10:20 - 10:50am  specialprograms
Answering Kids' Big Questions: 
Talking about Death
Some of the hardest questions kids ask are the ones about what death means, either as a practical reality or a theoretical concept.  How can Unitarian Universalist parents respond, even in our own uncertainty and grief?  A sharing of ideas and resources, led by Rev. Connie Grant.  The first in a series of discussions on Parenting for Unitarian Universalists. Next, December 11:  Navigating the Winter Holidays.

Yoga for Kids 
A 30-minute session of yoga specially designed for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade.  Yoga is beneficial for reducing stress, connecting mind/body, and promoting body awareness.  We will do basic yoga postures: twists, backbends, seated, standing, and balancing poses.  Songs and games will be incorporated into the lesson.  Please bring a yoga mat, if you have one.  Taught by UCE member and certified yoga instructor, Jessica Tomell-Presto.  The first in a series of special activities for kids. Next, December 11:  Meditation for Kids.

Childcare will be available for infants and toddlers in Room 11, and for three- and four-year-olds in Room 9.
Adult Religious Education
The Inner Life:  Therapeutic and Spiritual Reflections
November 15, 22, & 29 7:00 - 9:00pm  adultre
Freud dismissed religion as a superstitious illusion; but later psychotherapists, notably Jung, found wellsprings of meaning and self-transcendence in religious experience.  Psychotherapist Jay Einhorn will discuss a model of the relationship of psychotherapy, religion and spirituality, which he presented last year at the Parliament of the World's Religions.  Psychotherapist Chet Mirman will argue that religion is largely a methodology for self-transformation, helping to foster a "felt sense of divine, loving presence."  Because selfhood is fundamentally a function of one's internalized relationships, religion is, at its core, a relational experience, and thus this transformational process is also the transformation of a relationship.  Dan Solomon will follow up on this idea by discussing how Martin Buber's philosophy of "I-Thou" relationship has been applied in approaches like the "dialogical therapy" of Maurice Friedman, Buber's friend, translator, and biographer. Register here or on the Religious Education bulletin board.
Upcoming Membership Classes  upcomingmembership
For those who are thinking about becoming a member of the church.

Intro to Unitarian Universalism  
Sunday, December 11, 12:30 - 2pm 
(note that the November 6 session has been cancelled)
Led by Rev. Bret Lortie, we'll look at our history, our principles, the sources of our faith, and the meaning of covenant. (This is the first step in the membership process.)

Orientation Toward Membership 
Saturday, November 12, 9 am - 12pm
Led by Rev. Connie Grant, Membership Director Eileen Wiviott, and members of the New Member Committee. An interactive class exploring our spiritual journeys, the diversity of our beliefs, and what it means to be a member of this congregation. (This is the second step in the membership process.)

Sign up at the Guest & Member Table in the lobby or email Eileen Wiviott There will be childcare available upon request in advance for both of these classes. 
Upcoming UCE Events

Saturday, October 29, 8:30am
Activate Your Voice - REAL Workshop


Saturday, October 29, 7:30pm
UCE Coffee House


Sunday, October 30, 12:00pm
Endowment Sunday All Church Potluck


Sunday, October 30, 12:30pm
We Can Work It Out Workshop


Wednesday, Nov. 2, 7:00pm
Refugee Roundtable


Sunday, November 6, 10:15am
Principles and Sources Class


Saturday, November 12, 5:30pm
Serendipity Auction


Tuesdays, Nov. 15, 22 and 29, 7pm
The Inner Life: Therapeutic and Spiritual Reflections

Thursday Nights, 5:30pm
Meditation Group


Thursday Nights, 7pm
UCE Addictions Ministry Group


Sunday Mornings, 8:15am & Wednesday Mornings, 9:30am
Yoga


Saturdays at 10:00am
Open Drumming Circles

Community Involvement
Click each event for more information.
 
Saturday, Nov. 14, 10am
CAUUC Workshop - Sustenance for the Work of Our Hands


YWCA Let's Talk at Lunch
Third Thursday of the Month
 
UCE Coffee House

Saturday, October 29, 7:30pm


Tom O'Donnell, Aidan Calkin and Audrey Hills from the Musical Offering Music School in Evanston will perform. In addition there will be Jen Halman and African Groove Dances, and John LaPlante and Brian Nielsen from the Wednesday Sing-a-long. 

Do   you sing, play an instrument, tell stories, tell jokes, recite poetry? If you wish to go onstage, e-mail  Alicia Hempfling .
CRT Workshop

"We Can Work It Out:  Constructive Conflict as Part of Healthy Engagement"

Sunday, October 30, 12:30-2:30

The UCE Congregational Relations Team (CRT) will offer our previously well-received workshop "We Can Work It Out: Constructive Conflict as Part of Healthy Engagement." 
 
The workshop is intended to help us keep the commitments made in our Covenant of Engagement - something that can be easier said than done once feelings are hurt, tempers flare or anxiety (including anxiety about conflict!) is stirred.  The workshop will be both didactic and experiential, including a brief power point presentation, small group discussions and role plays. Click here to read more.
Serendipity Auction

Saturday, November 12


Our online catalog is getting populated with many interesting items. Click here to see the Serendipity Auction catalog,  and think about what kind of gift you can offer that will be uniquely yours.  

Congregational Thanksgiving


You are cordially invited to join your UCE community for our annual Thanksgiving Day celebration!
 
We will again share our table with recruits from the Great Lakes Naval Base.    Come for breakfast or come for dinner, come to share our wonderful UCE fellowship with some sailors far from home.
 
Opportunities for participation include contributing food, helping to prepare our meal, and hosting our guests.  You may sign up electronically by visiting our signup page here. Questions? Not tech-savvy?  Email Linda Clark
Sign Up to Join a New Covenant Group

Are you interested in further reflection on our monthly themes? Would you like a way of getting to know a small group of people well? Are you hungering for an opportunity to develop deep listening skills and to be truly listened to? If so, you might enjoy a covenant group. We have two groups starting: one will be a 6-month group, led by Brian Meister two Sundays a month at 12:30; the other will be co-led by Brian and Carol Nielsen once a month on either the 2nd or 4th Thursdays of the month. If you are interested, please contact Eileen Wiviott or look for the sign up sheets after the service on October 30 or November 6.
Our Giving House for the month of October is collecting Razors, Shaving Cream, and Deodorant.


Donations will be matched by a Covenant Group or family or other group of sponsors. Donations are given to Connections for the Homeless for distribution at Hilda's Place pantry or the Entry Point program. 
UU Identity Discussions

Continued learning opportunities offered monthly by the New Member Committee; open to all who want to better understand what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist, no matter where you are on the membership journey:

Principles and Sources Class 
1st Sundays 10:15 - 11am
Whether you are new to Unitarian Universalism or you would like to better understand the seven principles and six sources of our faith, join us for this rich 45-minute discussion led by members of the New Member Committee. We ' ll use thought provoking metaphors to dive deeper into the foundations of being a UU.  Next Principles & Sources Class: November 6 between services.
 
Spiritual Journeys - 
a 3-part conversation
2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays 
at 10:15-11am 
We'll explore our religious and spiritual backgrounds, where we come from, what we want to cherish and what we want to release as we continue our journeys. This is a conversation open to all no matter where you are on the path - exploring membership, new members and long-term members alike. You can participate in any one or all three in any order. 
Next Spiritual Journeys Sessions: 11/13, 11/20, and 11/27.

Opportunities
 for Spiritual Practice

Ministers' Schedules

Rev. Bret Lortie  is available on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and by appointment. Monday is sabbath and Friday devoted to writing. To send a message or read Rev. Bret's blog, visit  www.liberalfaith.org .
 
Rev. Connie Grant is generally in the office during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and often has evening meetings on those days. She takes Mondays off and works at home on Fridays. Please email or call Connie for an appointment.
cgrant@ucevanston.org. (847) 864-1330 ext. 103 (office); (847) 840-8542 (cell).
Quick Links
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1330 Ridge Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201