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HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND AT UUCUC
SUNDAY SERVICE
THOSE NOT CHOSEN
ROBERT STAKE AND THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE
Sunday, July 14 2019 at 10:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall

We pride ourselves in recognizing the uniqueness of every individual, but not every uniqueness gets treated equally. In choosing who shall have the better educational opportunities, we discriminate among the various talents of our children, often favoring performances in verbal and mathematical skills. At what cost to those not chosen? Do we compromise the mission of our schools with rankings? Is there equal protection below the median?
UPCOMING SUNDAY SERVICES 
SUNDAY SERVICE
SEEKING SANCTUARY
IMMIGRATION JUSTICE TASK FORCE AND THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE
Sunday, July 21 2019 at 10:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall

“Every human is sacred across all borders.”

Sanctuary: A place of refuge or safety. Imagine what it must take to flee the only home you have ever known in search of sanctuary. In this service, the voice of immigrants seeking sanctuary will be heard through reflections, poems, and songs to raise awareness and encourage advocacy. Sing with the Congolese Choir from St. Patrick Church!

BRING BACKPACKS TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY JULY 21
Can you bring a backpack to church that day (neutral in color and large enough for a teen)? The IJTF plans to fill them with clothes, shoes, a blanket, hygiene products, and other items that will be given to undocumented teens attending school in Urbana School District #116 this fall. Thank you!
SUNDAY SERVICE
OUR SOULS CRAVE CONNECTION
SHERRY BOHLEN AND THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE
Sunday, July 28 2019 at 10:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall

"Soul Matters is a great way to connect. My learning comes when I least expect it.
Soul Matters is a gift that keeps on giving."
– MJ Hansen, Small Group Facilitator, UU Church at Washington Crossing, Titusville, NJ

When people come together something magical happens! Come hear how our Soul Matters Covenant Groups have helped many find meaningful connections. Learn how you too can find community in one of our upcoming Fall Soul Matters groups.
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
Bookmark our UUCUC Events and UUCUC Calendar webpage for future reference.
LIGHTS FOR LIBERTY: A VIGIL TO END HUMAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS
Friday, July 12 2019 at 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Champaign County Courthouse

Join the Social Action Committee and the Immigration Justice Task Force at Friday’s candlelight vigil organized locally by CU Indivisible and partners to protest the inhumane conditions faced by refugees at the US-Mexican border. The vigil is a part of a larger nationwide movement. For more information, CLICK HERE.

"Now is the time for every person to stand up and say, ‘We will not accept this!’ No more hesitating. No more denial. No more fear. We need to be bold, and loud, and unrelenting. That’s the only way we can stop this." - Kristin Mink
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
OUTSIDE WORK DAY ON HIGH ST. HOUSE
Saturday, July 20 at 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

We are going to be having a work day outside for High St. House, and we're looking for some volunteers who might be available to help. The work will include getting rid of weeds and picking up debris around the outside of the house. 

The High Street House is owned by the church and located at the south end of the parking lot.

If interested, please contact Kate Barton, Facilities Coordinator, at facilities@uucuc.org
MOSAIC: STORIES THAT CHANGED OUR LIVES

What’s a life-changing story? The question was bandied about endlessly by members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign as we tried to figure out whether members of our congregation had tales to tell during the year it took to complete this anthology. The answer, of course, is that everybody has a life-changing story, and our collection is filled with inspiring stories.
For more information or to order the book, visit Amazon HERE .
NEW RATE STRUCTURE AND POLICY FOR BUILDING RENTALS

Effective July 1, the Board of Trustees has approved a new rate structure and policy for Rentals and Building Usage. Some of the changes include new rates for all events, a special rate for recitals, and a 50% discount for members.

The updated rental policy manual can be found HERE.

Please contact Kate Barton, Facilities Coordinator, at Facilities@uucuc.org for more information.
DO YOU NEED A RIDE TO CHURCH? Are you willing to drive your fellow UUs to church occasionally? If you need a ride or are able to help out with this valuable service, please contact our dedicated ride coordinator, Anne Reeser at: 217-369-1764. 
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
A LETTER FROM MICHELE GROVE, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Dear UUCUC,

One of my favorite aspects of summer is the time given to dreaming. As programs slow down, there is time to reach out and have conversation with current and future religious education leaders and dream about next year. I am excited about next year and some of the opportunities for lifelong learning. In addition to the Sunday morning program, plans are being made for adult religious education opportunities, Our Whole Live Sexuality Program for Children and Youth, and an array of multi-generational learning and fellowship.  

To make any of these vibrant opportunities happen, we are building leadership teams who support each other with their talent and passion for lifelong learning. It should be noted that religious education leaders learn just as much as the students. If you ever thought you would like to be a part of a religious education leadership team, I would love to talk with you further. No experience is necessary since we connect you into a system of ongoing support. I can provide a detailed description of this year’s program and discuss potential places where you can connect.

Read the full letter HERE.
UUCUC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COUNCIL TAKES SHAPE

A vital religious education program takes a team: professional staff and lay leadership work together to dream, plan and implement the program for all ages. Over the past few months, several key leaders have worked to create a new model of shared religious education leadership. A draft of the new model: a religious education council is HERE.

Here are some key notes:
  1. These are exciting times and the vision of shared leadership is forming in a collaboration of staff, lay leadership and learning participants.  
  2. This is a work in progress. Watch for the model to evolve until it becomes what works best for UUCUC.  
  3. It looks complicated. However, most of the circles in this model are already happening. The goal is to take the working elements of our current program and weave them with the visions.  
  4. Now we need key leadership to help coordinate the effort with UUCUC professional staff.  
  • Barbara Hudgings will be the first religious education council chairperson. She will work with Michele Grove, Interim director of religious education and other key leaders to implement the council model. Thank you Barbara, for stepping into this exciting and creative role!
  • Now, we need to recruit key leaders to work at the heart of the council with Children’s education, Youth education, Adult education and Multi-age education. These leaders lead at the heart of the council in partnership with religious education staff.  
  • All council work is open to all involved in religious education. The council officially meets 3 times a year and all religious education leadership is invited to be a part of the creative process.  
  • The first religious education council meeting is Saturday, August 17th from 9 AM to 1 PM.  

This is exciting work! If you are interested in working with the religious education council, reach out to Michele Grove.  
OUR CARING CONGREGATION
JOYS AND SORROWS

A joy shared by Janet Revell Barrett
On June 30th, my new grandson, Porter Alexander Levin was born to my daughter Paige and husband, Nick, joining his big brother Camden.
SOCIAL ACTION NEWS
UUCUC Shared Offering. Each month a selected organization is chosen to receive half of our weekly Sunday plate collections, designated checks written to UUCUC with organization's name written in the memo line, cash envelopes designated for "Shared Offering" within the specified month and on-line donations through our GIVE WEBPAGE .

During the month of July Sunday services’ shared offerings will support UC Books to Prisoners .

UC Books to Prisoners is an Urbana-based non-profit providing books to inmates throughout Illinois at no cost. They also operate the libraries at the two Champaign County jails.

We are also hosting two work sessions at UC Books to Prisoners specifically for UU volunteers, sponsored by the Racial Justice Project of UUCUC. Volunteers will read inmate letters and select books to fulfill their requests. The books will be distributed to prisoners at any of the twenty-eight prisons in Illinois. Volunteer sessions are family-friendly (age 10 and up with an adult) and can be a powerful way to better understand and empathize with incarcerated individuals.

UU volunteer sessions will be held on Sunday July 21st and Sunday July 28th from noon-1:30 p.m. at the UC Books to Prisoners office at the Independent Media Center, a short walk from church. Space is limited, so sign-up is required.  CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up.
[RE-WRITING/RE-RIGHTING] CASSANDRA
September 16 - December 7 2019, Urbana IL

School for Designing a Society, Gesundheit Institute, and Dr. Patch Adams are looking for people from all walks of life who will commit to responding to this prophetic, Oct. 8 2018 announcement by the United Nations Committee on Global Climate Change: “   We have 12 years left to limit climate change catastrophe.” Responses will be seriously playful - no doom and gloom (but maybe goom and dloom) - as a strategy to elicit focus and involvement of others.

Might YOU be interested?   CLICK HERE to learn about the project (and the mythological Cassandra), and to apply.
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, July 11
Care Core Steering Committee Meeting / 11:00 a.m. / Library
(Many Paths: An Agnostic AA Group) / 6:00 p.m. / Classroom #1
Worship Committee / 7:00 p.m. / Library

Friday, July 12
Lights For Liberty: A Vigil To End Human Concentration Camps / 7:00 p.m. / Champaign County Courthouse

Saturday, July 13
Loss of Life Partner Covenant Group / 11:30 a.m. / Library
(Private event) / 1:00 p.m. / YRUU Classroom
(Many Paths: An Agnostic AA Group) / 4:30 p.m. / Classroom #1

Sunday, July 14
Adult Discussion Group / 9:00 a.m. / Library
Mindfulness Meditation Group / 9:00 a.m. / YRUU Classroom
Nursery / 10:00 a.m. / Classroom #4
Summer RE / 10:15 a.m. / Classroom #1, Children's Chapel
Sunday Service / 10:15 a.m. / Fellowship Hall
Young Adult Group / 11:30 a.m. / Fellowship Hall

Monday, July 15
Bridge Group / 1:00 p.m. / Children's Chapel
Soul Matters Advisory Group / 5:30 p.m. / Fellowship Hall
Caregiver's Chalice Circle / 7:00 p.m. / Library

Tuesday, July 16
(DSC Playgroup) / 8:30 a.m. / Classroom #4
UU Feminist Book Group / 7:00 p.m. / Library
Social Action Committee Meeting / 7:00 p.m. / Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, July 17
Last day for content for eNews & Order of Service by noon, the latest.
UU Playgroup / 9:00 a.m. / Classroom #4
(Smart Recovery) / 6:00 p.m. / Classroom #1
 
Thursday, July 18
Membership Committee Meeting / 5:30 p.m. / Fellowship Hall
(Many Paths: An Agnostic AA Group) / 6:00 p.m. / Classroom #1
Reflective Writing Circle / 7:00 p.m. / Library
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Next eNews: July 18, 2019
Last day for content: Wednesday July 17 by noon the latest.

IMPORTANT!! Send your submittals to pubs@uucuc.org
Please do not send to admin@uucuc.org.

Don't forget to publicize your meeting/event!
UUCUC CONTACT INFORMATION
Regular Church Office Hours
Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Church Office
(217) 384-8862
Rev. Florence Caplow
Minister
Kate Barton
Facilities Coordinator
Sherry Bohlen
Membership Manager
Brian Franklin
Congregational Administration Manager
Matthew Gladden
Assistant Music Director
Michele Townsend Grove
Interim Director of Religious Education
Kelsey Libert
Childcare Coordinator
Emily McKown
Youth Coordinator
Matt Sheppard
Music Director
Shornor Vineyard
Custodian and Building Caretaker