UPCOMING SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES  
10:15 AM in Sanctuary
Sunday, March 4, 2018
“Living the Gift: Sacred Economics”
Rev. Florence Caplow

Every day we encounter economic ideas that we take for granted. But are these ideas accurate? Are they life-sustaining? Do they lead to a future we want? On our “Pledge Sunday” (the Sunday when all pledges to support UUCUC for the next year will be turned in – we hope!) let’s explore, with a playful spirit, some alternative ideas about what makes the world go ‘round. The UUCUC choir will be singing.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
“Embracing Change”
Rev. Florence Caplow

Change is inevitable, but our response to it is up to us. There have been many changes at UUCUC in the last few years, many changes in the lives of those of us here, and many changes in the world. How can we swim in the currents of change, with grace and willingness? The CrUUners and the Children’s Choir will be singing.
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS

Bookmark our UUCUC Events webpage for future reference.
Meditation at Channing Murray continues for first two Thursdays in March

The meditation led by Rev. Florence from 4:30-5:30 each Thursday will be happening on March 1 and March 8, and then will be on hiatus until April 12th.
Saturday, March 10 Non-Violent Direct Action Training at UUCUC
Throughout history, non-violent direct action has played a recurring and vital role in shining a light on injustice and bringing about social change. On Saturday, March 10, members of the Social Action Committee will host a day-long training in the principles, philosophy and practice of non-violent direct action. If you are ready to put your values into action and want to learn how non-violent direct action can be a powerful force for change, then be sure to join us!
 
Date:               Saturday, March 10th, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (Fellowship Hall)
Cost:               $20 (includes lunch, snacks and training materials)
Register:        https://uucuc.brownpapertickets.com/
 
The training will be led by Jerica Arents, noted activist and educator in peace, justice and conflict studies. It will help prepare those of us who plan to participate in actions associated with Reverend Barber’s Poor People’s Campaign , but also has much broader, universal applications.
 
While registration is required, no one will be turned away for financial reasons. Call Lan Richart at 773-556-3417 for more information.
Please join us for our first conversation about developing a cohousing community. We will meet on Sunday, March 11th at noon in YRUU Classroom. Cohousing blends the privacy of single-family homes with a value for social interactions and shared resources. Communities include a common house or gathering space for shared meals and events. The potential for aging in place and shared child & pet care are tremendous. If you'd like to be part of an initial conversation, email Betsy Hunter betsyhun@gmail.com
Upcoming Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) Meetings - Want to get even more involved in RJI? Our next meetings are Monday, March 12, 5:30pm, UUCUC Fellowship Hall and Thursday, March 29, 5:30pm, UUCUC Library. Please join us.
Your church Finance Committee has a lot on its plate for Spring. Your help would be greatly appreciated. If any of the following buzzwords are important or interesting to you, please join us at our next meeting Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Contact Amy Robison (217) 398-6154 or finsec@uucuc.org for more information. 

Budget Priorities, Mortgage Refinancing, Responsible Investing, Bookkeeping, Payroll, Employee Benefits, Health Insurance, Banking options, Cash Flow, Contracts and Leases.
2018 Service AUUction: Rainbows and UUnicorns!

This year’s Service AUUction will be held on Saturday, April 7th at the church; this is our biggest fundraiser of the year, to say nothing of the biggest church party! Members and friends of the church donate services and items to be sold by a professional auctioneer and all the proceeds go to the church. Your meal ticket entitles you to hors d’ oeuvres, dinner, dessert, and drinks, and a really exciting evening! Please visit the Auction website for more information or to volunteer, or send email to auction@uucuc.org if you have any questions.
Sign-up for the next Circle Supper that is planned for Sunday, April 8 at 5:00 pm. Email Scott Godlew or visit the HUB table to add your name to the list. Please join in the fellowship and fun as we rekindle this UUCUC tradition.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
UUA General Assembly Registration and Housing Opens March 1!
 
General Assembly is June 20-24th in Kansas City this year, an easy drive for us, and it is an extraordinary experience to worship and learn with thousands of other Unitarian Universalists. We hope to have a strong group in attendance! Hotels fill up fast, and the early registration is discounted. Financial aid applications are due at the end of the month. For more information, visit  https://www.uua.org/ga. If you would also like to be a delegate for UUCUC, please contact Julie Laut at jlaut@hushmail.com.
Creating a Positive Worship Experience. Many of those who sit in the back of the sanctuary have expressed a concern about disruptions to the worship service when people come and go during the service. We are trying out a new practice starting in March that we hope will help create a more satisfying worship experience.
Once the worship service has begun our ushers will open the doors for entry into the sanctuary only during transitions in the service (e.g. announcements, greeting your neighbor, hymns, offertory, etc.). Look for the signs posted the sanctuary doors that say: "Service is in progress. Please wait for an usher to invite you in during the next transition."
Also beginning in March, Hospitality Team members will use a chime signal 5 minutes before the start of the service to notify those in Fellowship Hall and the foyer that the worship service is about to begin.
Thanks for your help. If you have any questions about this change, talk to Membership Coordinator, Sherry Bohlen OR to Membership Committee chair, Peggy Patten.
This is it! Pledge Sunday is coming on March 4. Make your pledge to support our wonderful church community for the 2018-2019 church year, and add your name to the Celebration Tree in Fellowship Hall this Sunday. Make your pledge in one of three ways: online at uucuc.org/give, mail your paper pledge form to church, or bring your pledge form to Fellowship Hall on Sunday.
Hospitable Parking. Please reserve spaces in the parking lot for our visitors and for persons with limited mobility. You'll find a map of close-by parking areas at the Hub table in Fellowship Hall.
"Loss of a Life Partner" Covenant Group. A new covenant group has formed for those whose spouse or partner has died. The group meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 11:30 am to 1 pm in the Library at UUCUC, and will continue at least through early June. Rev. Florence will be facilitating the group. For more information or to join, please contact Florence at  minister@uucuc.org .
Help Launch a Poor People’s Campaign at UUCUC
Fifty years ago, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King called for a Poor People’s Campaign to begin a “revolution of values” in America. He and other leaders invited people of all races and religions to unite against the evils of racism, poverty, and militarism.
 
But economic inequality has only accelerated since 1968, while voter suppression laws and mass incarceration further entrench systemic racism in America. Current governmental policies promote systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, and environmental destruction that threaten our people and planet, our democracy, and our national morality. 
 
That’s why the Social Action Committee is inviting you to join a growing number of us as we prepare to participate in this year’s Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival . This campaign aims to build a broad and deep national moral movement – rooted in the leadership of poor people – to unite our country from the bottom up.
 
Are you interested in learning more or becoming involved? There is a place for everyone! Contact Pam Richart , Jan Kalmar , or Sherry Bohlen . We’re just getting started.
CARE CORE NEWS
Joys and Sorrows

Christine Cahill - Please keep my husband, Michael, in your thoughts. He had the flu six weeks ago and is still expericencing bouts of nausea and fainting.

Sally Babbitt - Please send healing prayers to Larry Levy, my son-in-law. He was admitted to Northwestern Hospital on Friday. Thank you.
SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE NEWS
Did you know that the church has an endowment fund? Are you interested in how we can invest our money in ways that are financially wise, but are also in alignment with our values?

The Socially Responsible Investment Task Force informally began in summer of 2017, and received an official Task Force designation in December. We are proposing guidelines to help the church invest our endowment in accordance with UU Principles. An amendment to the church bylaws will be voted on at the 2018 Annual Meeting, and we want your input! The Task Force held its first informational session last Sunday and will be hosting two more in order to get feedback from the congregation prior to the annual meeting. 

The next sessions will be held Thursday, March 1st from 7-8pm at the home of Pam and Lan Richart (919 W University Ave. in Champaign) and Sunday, March 11th, 12-1pm in the Children’s Chapel. Contact SRI Task Force Chair, Lan Richart with questions.
The Shared Offering recipient of all designated funds and half of the plate cash collection in March is Partner for People & Place /Jatropha Projenou. Improving land and livelihoods in Haiti. When people in poverty can tap into their talents and wisely use the land they live on, they can shape their lives for a better tomorrow. Helping them make this journey is what we do. www.peopleandplace.org
RACIAL JUSTICE INITATIVE (RJI) NEWS
White Like Me – Sunday, March 11 th, 2:30pm, UUCUC Fellowship Hall. Racism is explored through the prism of white privilege in the engrossing documentary White Like Me. Based upon a book of the same name by anti-racist advocate Tim Wise, the film explores the many advantages afforded to whites throughout the history of the United States, and the extent to which they have defined a culture of racial discrimination that continues to this day.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE) NEWS
New staff member to support RE this spring! Jody Hangar, parent and teacher, has stepped up to support the teachers and the program this spring, until our new Interim DRE is hired (the search for the Interim began this week). Jody will be available by email at re-director@uucuc.org , and will be working on Fridays and on Sunday mornings. We are so grateful for her willingness to work with us.
Pen Pal Reveal Lunch

When:  Sunday, March 4, 2018, 11:45 am-1:00 pm (We apologize for needing to change the date and time on short notice.)

Where: Children’s Chapel at UUCUC

What: Join us to meet your pen pal and enjoy a pizza lunch together.

Please RSVP to Dolly Burgos at  dollyburgos1@gmail.com .
Camp UniStar Registration. Registration for Camp UniStar’s Youth Weeks begins Sunday, March 11, for new campers. Camp UniStar is a UU summer camp located in northern Minnesota. Our congregation has a long-standing tradition of sending some of our young people up for Youth Week 1 (this year, June 16-23). Many in our midst have served as counselors, youth counselors and program leaders in the past. If you have a child who will be entering 7th grade (or higher) in the fall, please consider this opportunity! There will be brochures available at the HUB table or nearby in Fellowship Hall - look for Jody Hanger, Chris Hannauer, and Ben Hannauer after the services March 4 and March 11. Family and adult camp options are also available throughout the summer.
UUCUC Mindfulness Meditation Group - Join fellow UU's in a mindfulness mediation practice before worship service on Sundays ( detailed schedule) in the YRUU room. As always, the door will be left slightly open so that late arrivals can enter quietly.
CHURCH CALENDAR
Dates are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit our UUCUC Calendar page .

Note: Parenthesised meetings/events are outside rentals. Asterisk meetings/events are closed.
Thursday, March 1
Meditation Class with Rev. Florence / 4:30 pm / Channing-Murray
(Rental: Many Paths: an Agnostic AA) / 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
Socially Responsible Investment Info Session / 7:00 pm / Pam and Lan's Home

Friday, March 2
Moving Forward Divorce/Separation Group / 3:30 pm / YRUU Classroom

Saturday, March 3
RE Advisory Team / 9:30 am / Classroom #1
(Rental: Many Paths: an Agnostic AA Group) / 4:30 pm / Classroom #1

Sunday, March 4
Choir Rehearsal / 9:00 am / Sanctuary
Partner Church Committee Meeting / 9:00 am / Library
Children's Choir Rehearsal / 9:15 am / Classroom #1
Mindful Meditation Group / 9:20 am / YRUU Classroom
Worship Service / 10:15 am / Sanctuary
Adult Discussion Group / 11:30 am / Library 
Young Adult Group / 11:30 am / Table in Fellowship Hall
Pen Pal Reveal Lunch / 11:45 am / Children's Chapel

Monday, March 5
Bridge Group / 1:00 pm / Children's Chapel

Tuesday, March 6
Personnel Committee Meeting / 5:00 pm / Library
Worship Committee Meeting / 7:00 pm / Library

Wednesday, March 7
eNews & OOS content is due to pubs@uucuc.org by noon
CrUUners Rehearsal / 6:00 pm / Sanctuary 
Adult Choir Rehearsal / 7:00 pm / Sanctuary
(Rental: Moms Demand Action / 7:30 pm / Fellowship Hall

Thursday, March 8
Meditation Class with Rev. Florence / 4:30 pm / Channing-Murray
(Rental: Many Paths: an Agnostic AA) / 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
*New Member Covenant Group / 7:00 pm / Library
Upcoming Publications - Mark Your Calendars!
Next eNews: March 8
Deadline for content: Wednesday,
March 7 by Noon (or earlier)
April 2018 Uniter: March 30
Deadline for content: Wednesday, March 21 by Noon (or earlier)
UUCUC Contact Information
Church Office
(217) 384-8862
Rev. Florence Caplow
Minister
Jody Hanger
Interim RE Coordinator
Matt Sheppard
Music Director
Sherry Bohlen
Membership Coordinator
Rosalyn Maziarka
Office Administrator
Shornor Vineyard
Custodian and Building Caretaker
Beth Cobb
Assistant for Services
Matthew Gladden
Accompanist
Stephanie Cobb
Sunday Kitchen Helper
Mary Foltz
Childcare Coordinator