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Sunday, April 2
Worship Service - 9:15 and 11:00am
"The Radical Dr.Seuss, and What He Can Still Teach Us"
March is the birthday of Theodore Geisel, better known by his middle name as Dr. Seuss. Before he became a famous children's author, he was an editorial cartoonist. Ministerial Intern Kevin DeBeck will show some of this artwork and what their images mean for us today, 70 years later.
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.
Starting time for the sixth-seventh-eighth grade class to watch this week's movie is 10:00am. Senior high meets at 11:00am.
Childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is available from 9:00-12:30.
Covenant Group Sunday
If you are wondering about covenant groups and want to learn more, stop by the information tables on Sunday April 2 to talk with covenant group facilitators and members about their experiences. A covenant group could be a part of your monthly spiritual practice. Contact Eileen Wiviott for more information.
Dances of Universal Peace - 1:00pm in Room 3
Let us come together in song, dance and peace. Celebrate the season of spring and take peaceful steps upon the greening earth. Dances of Universal Peace
bring people together in joyous and meditative dance circles. The dances are easy to learn and open to all. You are invited to come sing, chant, walk and dance for peace. Bring a friend along.
Dress comfortably. Contact Donna Schiller for more information.
Crackerbarrel - 9:30am
"The Relevance of Natural Law Today"
The Founding Fathers incorporated natural law into the Declaration of Independence. This was based on a philosophical thinking of the enlightenment as well as earlier articulations by Aquinas and Aristotle. What relevance and impact does natural law have for today's national and international jurisprudence? Discussion Leaders: Gordon Mallett and Scot Campbell. Click here for upcoming 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 -
9:15am
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.
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Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6
The rummage sale is one of our major fundraising events of the year. This year, Set-up Sunday is April 30. We will have a sign-up board at the back of sanctuary every Sunday until the sale. There are many opportunities for service, community building and fun!
We need volunteers Sunday, April 30 after church from 12:30pm-3:00pm and 3:00pm-6:00pm, Monday and Tuesday, 9:00am-8:00pm, Wednesday 9:00am-5:00pm. Generally, jobs are setting-up, organizing, and sorting.
We also need volunteers to cook for noon meals M-F for workers and to make home baked goods for sale on Friday and Saturday.
Another important need is people to work during the sale - Friday, May 5 9:00am-5:00pm and Saturday, May 6 9:00am-12:00pm. We also need desk attendants M-Th 9:00am-9:00pm.
Please help make our rummage sale a success!
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On Easter Sunday, April 16, children in Preschool through Fifth Grade are invited to participate in a "canned goods hunt" at 10:30 am (between the 9:15 and 11:00 religious education sessions). Children will hunt for the hidden cans and then trade in the cans they find for a small bag of toys and treats. Our senior high youth will organize the event and assist children in the cooperative "hunt."
Please bring in your donations of canned goods by Sunday, April 9 and place them in the labeled bin in the lobby. After the "hunt," the canned goods will be donated to Hillside Food Pantry.
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Easter Brunch
Sunday, April 16, 12:15pm 
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Homemade breakfast casseroles and pastries, baked ham, and accompaniments will be provided on Easter Sunday by our Journeys students and mentors as a fundraiser for their Boston trip. Help them get to Boston (and back) and enjoy a festive brunch following the 11:00 service and religious education session!
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UCE/Countryside Church UU Camping Trip August 11-13, 2017
Kettle Moraine State Forest, South Unit, Dousman, WI
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Please make your reservations soon for another fun church camping trip. This is a very informal trip, with time together or apart, as you wish. We have a potluck on Saturday night, and lots of opportunities to hike, swim, boat, visit small towns nearby, and have campfires. It is a great opportunity to get to know other UCE and Countryside members better.
Please complete the form and turn in by March 31.
Payment of $55.65 is required. The $55.65 covers 2 nights of camping ($23/night) as well as the $9.65 reservation fee. Upon arrival, there is a $22 vehicle sticker fee as well.
Reservations can be limited and are offered on a first come-first served. All checks must be made payable to: Unitarian Church of Evanston. Please write "Camping Trip" in the memo. Drop off the form with payment in the "camping folder" in the church office.
Contact John Bolling or Dale Griffin for information.
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Do you have a task around your home that you need help with?
Hire a team of UCE Journeys students to get a lot done in a little time! As a fundraiser for their Boston trip they will be available for hire to help with household tasks such as yard work, garage cleanup, or getting "rummage" together for the upcoming sale. Hourly rate for a team of three youth and an adult supervisor is $50.00 (minimum two hours), with Saturday mornings or afternoons and Sunday afternoons available in April. Please contact
Valerie Curtis
with a description of what you need done and an estimate of how long it will take. We can then get a crew together and schedule a time.
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The Green Team & Heirloom Seeds
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Do you need seeds for your garden? Heirloom seeds, with support of the Green Team, will be available for purchase at the back of the sanctuary. Heirloom seeds promote biodiversity which helps us all. What can you do to help?
1). Check out
SeedsSavers.org and pick out a few seeds you'd like to order for your garden this year.
2) Come to the table at the back of the sanctuary & order your seeds on April 2 or April 9
3) We will order the seeds on April 10 and you can pick them up at UCE on April 16 (Easter).
The Green Team will pay the shipping and you'll be helping promote biodiversity!
"We can only preserve heirloom seeds through active stewardship. If we don't use them, if we don't allow them to grow again, they become lost."
- Diane Ott Whealy, Co-Founder of Seed Savers Exchange
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Veggie Lunch Sponsored by the Green Team
Sunday, April 23, 12:15pm
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Please join us on Sunday April 23 for a Green Team-sponsored, organic and meat-free luncheon to celebrate Earth Day and our green accomplishments at UCE. Lunch will be in room 3 immediately after the second service, and we will have informational tables from local energy consumer and climate advocacy groups. A donation of $7 per person or $15 per family is requested. For questions or if you would like to volunteer to donate a food item, contact Heather Brown.
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Social Justice Council
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The Social Justice Council will meet at 7pm on Wednesday, April 12. Each team will have one representative at the meeting, but all team members are invited to bring salad or bread for a soup supper at 6pm provided by Steve Serikaku; contact
Shirley Adams for more info about the potluck.
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Re-Visioning our Work for Justice Workshop Saturday, April 15, 9am-noon
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Rev. Scott Aaseng, our interim Faith in Action Minister, will present a workshop on "Re-Visioning our Work for Justice." This will include clarifying goals based on congregational success stories, exploring various forms of social action and strategies for impact, and using criteria for focusing moving forward.
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News from the Green Team
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Two important marches are occurring in the month of April, the March for Science and the People's Climate March. The main marches will be in D.C. with satellite marches around the country. Let's get a group from UCE to attend the Chicago marches and make our voices heard! At this time, there are few details available for either Chicago march, but save the dates.
If you are interested in attending the March for Science as a UCE group, please contact Heather Brown.
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Update on Atheism
Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18 & 25, 7:00pm
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We'll consider each of the four "angry atheists" from 10 years ago (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens, and Harris) when they first became well-known. Where are they and their arguments now? We will review their initial statements, the criticisms, the rebuttals, and some more recent writings. Did the angry atheists spark a new consideration of atheism, agnosticism, and naturalism? We'll look at famous atheists in history and their contributions to the current debate, as well as some recent studies on the sociology of belief. Suggested reading: Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (2006); Sam Harris The End of Faith (2004); Greg Epstein Good Without God (2009). Facilitated by Dick Whitaker and Bill Irons. Click here to register.
Dick is a self-described "discussion group junkie." At Osher Lifelong Learning and UCE, his subjects have included Nature's God, What is Religion?, New Religions, Atheist Spirituality, and Darwin's Cathedral. He's been a market researcher and a 48-year member of UCE. Bill is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Northwestern University. His field research led him to inquire into broader questions of biocultural evolution including the origins of morality and religion. He was the first scientist to suggest that religion is an adaptation serving as a hard-to-fake sign of commitment. In 2011 he received a Lifetime Career Award from the Human Behavior and Evolution Society.
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2017 Soup Kitchens
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UCE hosts soup kitchens when our neighbor Beth Emet is celebrating the Jewish holidays. We have added two dates this year to assist Second Baptist Church. March your calendars for the following dates: Wednesdays - April 12, September 20, 27, October 4 and October 11 at UCE and Mondays - August 14 and August 21 at Second Baptist Church. Click here to sign up. For questions, contact
Winnie Stevenson or
Marilyn Wroblewski.
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Reinventing Philanthropy: A Framework for More Effective Giving
Wednesday, April 5, 7:00pm at UCE
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Most of us want to make a difference, and we donate our time and money to causes we deem worthy. Americans give over $350 billion to charity every year. Unfortunately, our best intentions often lead to ineffective outcomes. How can we maximize the positive impact of our resources? Eric Friedman, author of the book Reinventing Philanthropy: A Framework for More Effective Giving, challenges common views about charitable giving and offers practical strategies, including the best ways to identify high performance nonprofits and the most important criteria for selecting causes to support. Contact Jordan Skowronski for more information.
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Rainbow Alliance Lunch
Saturday, April 8, 12:00pm at the Celtic Knot
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The Rainbow Alliance invites you to share a meal with them on Saturday, April 8 at the Celtic Knot (626 Church, Evanston) at 12:00pm. This is a purely social event. We welcome all UCE folks to come and imbibe with us. Please RSVP to
figkerl@gmail.com so that we can make an accurate reservation.
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Upcoming UCE Events
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Sunday, April 2
Covenant Group Sunday
Sunday, April 2, 1:00pm
Dances of Universal Peace
Tuesdays, April 4, 11, 18 and 25, 7:00pm
Update on Atheism
Wednesday, April 5, 7:00pm
Reinventing Philanthropy: A Framework for More Effective Giving
Sunday, April 9, 12:30pm
Town Hall Meeting
Saturday, April 15, 9:00am
Re-visioning our Work for Justice Workshop
Sunday, April 16, 10:30am
Hunting for Canned Goods
Sunday, April 16, 12:15pm
Easter Brunch
Sunday, April 23, 12:15pm
Veggie Lunch
Friday, May 6 and Sat. May 7
Rummage Sale
Thursday Nights, 5:30pm
Meditation Group
Thursday Nights, 7pm
UCE Addictions and Recovery Group
Sunday Mornings, 8:15am & Wednesday Mornings, 9:30am
Yoga
Saturdays at 10:00am
Open Drumming Circles
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Save the Date!
Town Hall Meeting
Sunday, April 9, 12:30pm
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UCE Food with Spirit Group
Every Other Thursday 5:30pm April 6, April 20, ongoing.
If your relationship with food tends to be complicated and you could use a bit of support on your journey to health and well-being, consider joining us. We discuss various readings and find ways to connect with one another and restore our health and our spirits. All are welcome. We meet in room 12 on alternate Thursdays. Talk to
Shirley Adams or
Noel Yovovich for more info.
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Fiction Book Group
Members and guests are invited to read and discuss
The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild.
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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: April 2 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: 4/9, 4/16, 4/23.
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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.
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Hands on Habitat Restoration with the Evanston Interreligious Sustainability Circle
Harms Woods Forest Preserve
Sunday May 7, 2017 1pm - 4pm
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Opportunities
for Spiritual Practice
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Upcoming Membership Classes
For those who are thinking about becoming a member of the church.
Intro to Unitarian Universalism
Sunday, May 21,
12:30 - 2pm
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
Sat. May 13, 9am - 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.
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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.
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Quick Links
(protected documents)
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