A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Join us for worship and religious education at 9:15 and 11:00am on Sunday Morning!
Reminder - Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. 
Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night! 
Plan to attend the Serendipity Auction on Saturday, November 11 at 5:30pm. 
Click here to make your dinner reservations.
November 3, 2017
Sunday, November 5
Worship Service  -  9:15 and 11:00am
"You Get What You Need "
In a Buddhist parable, a monk travels the world with a jewel sewn into his robe by a friend-but since this friend didn't tell him, the monk is unaware of the gift he carries. How often do we fail to recognize the resources we have at hand, and that life's challenges often contain life's most needed lessons? 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 Start in the sanctuary for the first part of the worship service before going to classes. The sixth-seventh-eighth grade and senior high youth group meet from 11:00-12:15. Childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is available from 9:00-12:30.

Connecting UU: a path to belonging at UCE 
10:15am in Room 12
These sessions are open to all, no matter where you are on the journey. Click here for more information on Connecting UU.  **This Sunday, Nov. 5 - UCE History and Tour - meet at the mural at the back of the sanctuary**
 
Crackerbarrel - 9:30am
"100th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution"
November 7, 2017 is the one hundredth anniversary of the Russian Revolution (as Russia was still on the Julian calendar, the date was October 25 and thus the "October Revolution"). We will briefly review the Soviet experience with socialism from 1917 to 1992, as well as China and other manifestations. What aspects of the system have worked well and what aspects not so well? Facilitated by Scot Campbell.

Click here for information about upcoming crackerbarrel topics.
 
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.  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 -  9:30am
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. 
Rev. Bret Lortie
Frogs in a Tank

Many years ago I enjoyed keeping a fish tank which I would stare into mindlessly whenever a bad case of writer's block would hit. My last one was like a little Zen water garden with exotic, slow moving goldfish and delicate plants that invited me into a mesmerizing little 10-gallon world. After an unfortunate tank accident, the goldfish and I parted ways.

I kept the filter and gravel for a long time, and during a slow writing time in seminary I decided to jump back into keeping fish.  at a garage sale I found a tank, so it was off to the fish store where I purchased two fancy goldfish, $2.50 each. Before leaving the store I noticed some tiny frogs which were playfully darting up to the top of a tank for air. The store attendant said the frogs wouldn't grow much larger than an inch and could live with goldfish, eating whatever food floated to the bottom of the tank. I wanted them.  I had to have them.

At $3,50 each, they were mine! Click here to read more.
Upcoming Worship Services  upcomingservices
Sunday, November 12, 2017, 9:15 and 11:00am
"A Desire to Serve"
The grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson -- the Rev. William Emerson, a Unitarian, -- became the first recognized chaplain of the American Army as he ministered to Soldiers on the battlefield of Lexington and Concord, Mass., in April of 1775. The Unitarian Universalist Military Chaplain Corps now has more UU chaplains in uniform than in the history of our movement. UU military chaplains are resources to their chaplain colleagues; provide comfort and guidance to the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen they serve; and are reminders of the theological diversity within the ranks for all who seek the holy in its many forms.  Rev. Bret Lortie speaking.
 
Sunday, November 19, 2017, 9:15 and 11:00am
"Thanksgiving Service and Annual Bread Communion"
Susan Frances, Intern Minister leading.
 
Sunday, November 26, 2017, 9:15 and 11:00am
"Awake, Aware, Alert"
According to Br. David Steindl-Rast, "To be awake, aware, and alert are the beginning, middle, and end of gratitude." How can this idea ground us in living our UU faith? Special Guest Rev. Darrick Jackson, UU Ministers Association Interim Associate Executive Director.
Evanston Faith and community leaders have proposed a resolution to build solidarity and unity in response to the Trump administration's actions and intent to increase deportations, end DACA, ban immigrants from certain countries, and put many families at risk. Our congregation is being asked, along with other Evanston faith communities, to sign onto this resolution and commit to actions that promote welcome, inclusion and safety for those at risk. The congregational vote on this resolution will be Sunday, December 17, at 10 a.m. (voting members were sent an electronic notification of that meeting on Monday 10/30). Two question and answer sessions will be held on November 5 at 12:30 and November 15 at 7pm. Please join us. If you are unable to make it to one of those sessions and would like to speak to one of the ministers about the resolution, please contact us via email to set up a time to meet. Here is a link to the resolution.
After you peruse our catalog  here  (no log in required) or pick up your Serendipity Auction catalog at church this Sunday, you'll be excited by the outstanding items you have to choose from. There are old favorites and new and exciting offerings. And don't forget to book your delicious dinner (lemon pepper chicken and pasta primavera) and free childcare  here .

Click here to see what you can expect!  
Join Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders, your Ministers, and many Evanston friends and allies at Lake Street Church on the Chicago Ave. yard. You'll hear diverse and inspiring speakers, live music, learn about the Evanston Sanctuary Community Resolution and opportunities for action. Sponsored by Evanston 4 All.
As we look forward to Endowment Sunday this week, we want to remind you of the purpose of the Endowment Fund and fill you in on some of what Endowment has accomplished this year!

The UCE Endowment fund was established in 1986 as a source of support for special projects that further the mission and work of UCE. It is intended to provide a strong and lasting financial foundation which will nourish the congregation and the church's programs as well as strengthen UCE's vital position in the wider community. The fund grows each year through investment growth and new gifts. Each year, a maximum of 5% of the funds is available to fund projects. The funds are used for projects outside of the operating budget, such as community outreach, scholarships and grants, special opportunities for enrichment within the congregation, and UCE building and property upgrades and repairs. Click here to read more.
Join us for Yoga on Sunday evenings! Jessica Tomell-Presto and Doug Erickson will offer yoga on Sunday evenings from 6:30-7:30pm on Sunday, November 19, December 3, and December 17 in Room 2 at UCE. Yoga is great for increasing flexibility, providing stress relief, and offering time for reflection. If you have any questions, please contact Jessica.
Join us in Room 3 on the 19th for a gathering of those interested and involved in social justice. We have many opportunities to engage in service, education, advocacy, witness, and community organizing on a number of different issues that challenge our progressive values, so many that it can be hard to know where to plug in. If you are interested in what's happening through the UCE Social Justice Council and want to discover where your passions and interests are needed, join us for an interactive reflection on our efforts toward creating a more just world. All are welcome!
Throughout November we are collecting coffee, tea, and cocoa for the Interfaith Action Hospitality Center to serve during the cold winter months. Please place your donations in the Giving House box in the lobby. The Interfaith Action Hospitality Center is open mornings Monday through Friday, 52 weeks per year to provide a warm, nurturing environment for daytime use by the guests who are homeless. From 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. each day guests may get breakfast and snacks, use the services of a job coordinator or case manager, or they may make use of the facilities for grooming or making phone calls regarding jobs or apartments. Thank you for your generosity!
UCE will be hosting the overnight shelter for three weeks this winter. It is my hope that we have a full complement of volunteers to help the shelter run smoothly. Evanston Interfaith Action is offering three opportunities to be trained this week: on Tuesday 11/7 at Northminster Presbyterian; Wednesday, 11/8 at First Congregational Church; and Thursday 11/9 at First Presbyterian all at 7pm.  Please consider attending one of these trainings and if you are not able to but would like to volunteer, please let Rev. Eileen know.
You are cordially invited this year to join your UCE community for our annual Thanksgiving Day celebration!
 
This year we will again share our table with recruits from the Great Lakes Naval Base.    Come for breakfast at 9 or come for dinner at 3, 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  at "volunteer opportunities, " or sign up to host/bring food here, sign up to attend   here ,
UCE Military Bridge Builders
invites you to participate in Winter Chicago Standdown standdown
Held at the Northwest National Guard Armory on Thursday-Friday November 16-17, 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!  A box is in the lobby for that.

UCE Military Bridge Builders will coordinate a team to help out and welcomes your participation.  Click to sign up Thursday, 10-2pm and Friday, 8-noon. 
Great American Freethinkers: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass
Tuesdays, November 7 and 14, 7:00pm  freethinkers
The past is relevant! It gives perspective to our present lives.  Frederick Douglass was a former slave, abolitionist, sometimes champion of women's rights, orator, and diplomat. He wrote an account of his experience of slavery, and escape. Suggested reading: The Portable Douglass; Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom; Douglass, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.  Elizabeth Cody Stanton was a champion of women's rights, and a long-time but contentious friend of Susan B. Anthony. She co-authored The Women's Bible, a major critique of the Scriptures. Suggested reading: Ellen Carol Dubois, The Elizabeth Cady Stanton-Susan B. Anthony Reader.  Facilitated by Rev. Jerome Stone, UCE's Affiliated Community Minister. Click here to sign up. 
Do you or someone you know come from a fundamentalist or otherwise authoritarian religious background? If you would like to talk about your experiences with others who understand, please join us at our discussion group. For more information, contact Taryn Nelson Seawright. 
The nonfiction book group will meet at 12:30pm on Sunday, December 3 to discuss A merican Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. 

Author Colin Woodard believes that eleven "nations" within North America have different historical roots and that there has never been one America. Rival regional cultures continue to uphold distinguishing ideals today, as can be seen in the U.S. Congress. Copies of the book are available at the Book H and at area libraries.
If you are in a caregiving role of any sort, we invite you to drop in at the next Caregiver Support Group. We meet the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:30pm at UCE. Questions?  Contact Joyce Lofstrom  or Renee Hoff .
Join us for Hands-on Habitat Restoration with the Evanston Interreligious Sustainability Circle. The opening religious ceremony begins at 1:15pm.  The location is the Harms Woods Forest Preserve. Meet at the Forest Preserve parking lot on the west side of Harms Road, just south of Glenview Road. Come dressed for the woods.
 
Habitat restoration is FUN! It is an activity appropriate for young people (generally ten and older-must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) and senior citizens. This habitat restoration afternoon will provide an opportunity to cut down buckthorn, an invasive species, and to collect the seeds of native plants, which we will then sow next spring. For more information, contact Dale Griffin or Susan Comstock. We'd like to know how many people are coming. But, most important, just come.  It's a wonderful afternoon in a beautiful woods with friendly and enjoyable people, and you learn a lot about native plants and woods in the process.
Upcoming UCE Events

Sunday, November 5, 12:30pm
Evanston Sanctuary Community Resolution Q&A Sessions
Sunday, November 5, 1pm
Hands-on Habitat Restoration

Tuesdays, November 7, 14, 7:00pm
Great American Freethinkers: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass

Saturday, November 11, 5:30pm
Serendipity Auction

Wednesday, November 15, 7pm
Evanston Sanctuary Community Resolution Q&A Sessions 

Sunday, November 19, 12:30pm
Journeys 2 Justice

Monday, November 20, 7pm
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil

Thursday, November 23
Thanksgiving with the Navy

Tuesdays, November 28, December 5, 12, 19, 7:00pm
The New Testament for UU's

Thursday Nights, 7pm
UCE Addictions and Recovery Group

Sunday Mornings, 9:00am & Wednesday Mornings, 9:30am
Yoga
Community Involvement
Click each event for more information.

YWCA Let's Talk at Lunch
Third Thursday of the Month 
Serendipity Auction

Saturday, November 11, 2017


The Serendipity Auction, the social highlight of our church year, is coming soon!


Join us for the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil 

November 20 at 7pm at UCE



Throughout November we are collecting coffee, tea, and cocoa for the Interfaith Action Hospitality Center to serve during the cold winter months. Please place your donations in the Giving House box in the lobby.
Upcoming Membership Classes

Intro to Unitarian Universalism 
Sunday, December 17
12:30 - 2:00 pm
An overview of our faith, led by Rev. Bret Lortie 

Orientation Toward Membership 
Saturday, January 13
9am - noon
Led by Assistant Minister, Rev. Eileen Wiviott. An interactive class exploring what it means to be a member of this congregation.

Sign up at the guest table in the lobby or email Rev. Eileen Wiviott at  [email protected]. Childcare available upon request for both of these classes.
Things to Know About our Community

Interested in knowing more about UCE? How to submit something to Joys and Sorrows? How to get a nametag, or a rainbow or pronoun sticker for your nametag? Interested in bringing flowers and lighting the chalice on a Sunday? Click here for more information about our community!
Yoga at UCE


Join us every Sunday at 8:15am and every Wednesday at 9:30am.

Yoga at UCE is designed to reduce stress, bring relaxation, increase range of motion, and find balance - restorative yoga. If you never have done yoga before, this is your opportunity. Drop in, wear comfortable clothing for stretching, and try it. Yoga is learned by doing. Community yoga mats provided if needed.

Add Your Photo to the Photo Member Directory

Remember that there is a directory of members that includes photos on our website. This is a password protected document. Contact the office if you don't know the password. If you would like to add your photo to the directory, or update your photo, please send  a photo to  Carli Magel , or let her know you'd like your picture taken on Sunday morning. 
UCE Facebook Groups
Did you know that, in addition to the UCE Facebook Page, there are three UCE groups that members can join - the UCE Member to Member Group, the UCE Children and Youth Religious Education Group and the UCE Social Action Group?  

These are closed groups that allow members to post directly to each other. If you have an event you want members to know about, or have a cause you hope to bring attention to, in addition to the newsletter and order of service, you can post to the Facebook Group. Click the links above or search for the groups by name when you are on Facebook and ask to join.
Connecting UU: a path to belonging at UCE

45 minute discussions; Sundays at 10:15 in Room 12
These sessions are open to all,
no matter where you are on the journey. 
Childcare available. No need to sign up in advance.

UU Principles  - Understanding the seven principles, an enlightening discussion led by members of the New Member Committee.

UU Sources -  A discussion of the six sources from which we draw wisdom and spiritual nourishment.

Spiritual Journeys (4 parts) - take any one or all of them in any order. Explore your religious and spiritual background, where you come from, what you want to cherish and what you want to release, and how you practice your spirituality.

How to Get Involved  - Learn how to become more engaged in the life of the church, find groups and activities of interest, discover the way things get done, answer your questions about belonging in our community.

UCE History and Tour - Learn more about the history, architecture and art of our building through a guided tour led by one of our long-term members. Tour begins at the back of the sanctuary near the large mural.
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

Rev. Eileen Wiviott has office hours most Tuesdays,
Wednesdays, and  Thursdays, and often evening meetings on those days. Mondays are sabbatical days and Fridays she works from home. Please contact her via email at [email protected] , or via phone at (847) 864-1330 x111 (office), or (224) 565-3952 (cell).
UCE Board of Trustees meeting is held the third Wednesday of each month in Room 3. All members are welcome. **Note - The board meeting in November has been moved to November 30 in room 6.
| 847-864-1330 | [email protected] | http://www.ucevanston.org
1330 Ridge Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201