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UPCOMING SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES
10:15 AM in Sanctuary
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November 25, 2018
“Where Credit Is Due”
Worship Committee
Can you think of a time recently when someone you know took a risk? Did they try something new and different, unsure if it would be a triumph or disaster? Very likely you know someone who stayed late to finish some work, took extra responsibility, volunteered...or maybe checked in on a friend at an important time. Today we will talk about those who do good, and who are often unseen, and how we can give thanks. The UUCUC choir will be singing.
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December 2, 2018
Keine Angst vorm Dracula!
No Fear from Dracula!
Partner Church Committee
Each December we celebrate and support our Unitarian partner churches in India and Transylvania. UUCUC Children's Choir will be singing.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
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Sing! (or listen)! Join members of We Wanna Woke Community Justice Choir from 11:45 am - 12:30 pm in the Sanctuary
this Sunday, November 25 and next Sunday, December 2. We'll teach quick-to-learn songs that celebrate our collective power to make social change. Be invigorated and inspired in these literally dark times!
We Wanna Woke is a song community of people who:
- educate each other and the greater community about social and political issues through making a visible and audible presence
- engage and release our grief, joy, anger, courage, frustration, love together so that we can keep going in the work of social justice
- build resilient community that can withstand difficult times
- provide a community resource for social justice events
"Will there be singing in the dark times? Yes, there will be singing about the dark times"
- Bertolt Brecht
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Upcoming Auction Item (#200) - Slide Show: In the Land of the Kami
on Friday, November 30th at 7:00 pm at UUCUC.
In the spring of 2016, Rev. Caplow traveled to Japan to experience, first-hand, life inside a 2,000-year-old Shinto shrine. Tsubaki (Camellia) Grand Shrine. Come learn about one of the least well-known world religions and see images of this ancient and mysterious place. Green tea and Japanese sweets will be served.
There are still spots available and are only $10 per person. You can purchase your spot through our give page,
https://uucuc.org/give, see under "other - service auction purchase" or you can pay at the door.
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New Social Action/Recovery Support Group Starting.
The Social Action Committee is sponsoring a non-AA, science-based addiction recovery group that will be meeting on Wednesdays from 6 - 7:30 pm in Classroom #1. This group is facilitated by UUCUC member Phillip Eichelberger, and is open to people both within and outside our church. To learn more about Smart Recovery:
https://www.smartrecovery.org/
. Questions? Contact Phillip at
pweichelberger@gmail.com
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Our annual Thanksgiving potluck is expanding this year, to offer more opportunities for fellowship.
Reverend Caplow offered us a copy of the Thanksgiving service held by the First Unitarian Society in Chicago for decades. Congregants pass the script & the mic, either read a paragraph, or pass. The service includes a couple of hymns; we’ll wind up with a meditation or blessing before eating.
Our timeline this year is as follows:
12:30 pm - set up & appetizers
1:30 pm - service in the sanctuary
2:00 pm - dinner
Around 3:00 clean up, followed by board games
You are welcome to join us for any part of the activities!
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The Church Office will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23. Regular office hours will resume on Monday, November 26.
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Fall and Winter Traditions at UUCUC
If you love some of the fall and winter traditions at UUCUC, help us keep them going! With all our staff changes over the past two years, we need your help and support to continue them.
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If you love
LEAF RAKING, after the service this Sunday will be time for some good old fashioned leaf raking and camaraderie. We will clear out the Green St. side of the church with special attention to walkways. Leaf bags and rakes will be available, but you can bring your own rake. Don’t forget your gloves!
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If you love
THE POINSETTIAS
, with Beth's departure we did not set up the whole "poinsettia project" early enough, but if you would like to sponsor a poinsettia for our windows at Christmas, at $25 each, please contact the office.
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If you would like to help with
GUEST AT OUR TABLE, a fundraising project of the UU Service Committee, this year anyone who wishes to give may do so through the following link:
We also have small boxes to take home and collect change. If you would
like one, please speak with Michele Grove, our Interim DRE.
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Next Sunday, December 2, we will celebrate our tradition of holiday giving by placing mittens, scarves and hats on the mitten tree. The child-size items will be given to ECIRMAC and the adult-size items will go to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen Backpack Project.
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Our tenant, ECIRMAC, is outgrowning their space and is looking for a new location to provide services to their ever expanding client base.
In our efforts to continue being supportive of their mission to provide services essential to refugee and immigrant resettlement in East Central Illinois, we are providing their “wish list” for a new ideal space. If you think you might be aware of a space which could meet ECIRMAC’s criteria please contact their Director, Lisa Wilson at (217) 344-8455 or
admin@ecirmac.org
Description of Ideal Property for ECIRMAC
- 750-1,000 sq. ft. office space, including a small conference room that could potentially be used as a computer lab to teach clients computer skills
- 500-1,000 sq. ft. of storage space
- Must be on an MTD bus line. Free parking also very important
- Restrooms, secure entry, kitchenette with access to water and refrigerator at a minimum
- Phone / Internet ready
- Outdoor signage to identify our office
- Rent $1,000 per month or less
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Joys and Sorrows
Claudia Gross - David Gross celebrated his 75th birthday on Tuesday 11/20.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (RE) NEWS
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Religious Education Class and Worship Schedule for the Rest of the Year
November and December are festive months of our congregation. Here is a schedule of activities involving the children and youth religious education program. Parents - keep this schedule handy!
November 25th
– No regular religious education classes. There will be a special children’s worship service in the Children’s Chapel. Nursery available for ages 0-5.
Children’s Chapel.
Theme: We Give Thanks
. Families are always welcome to join their children for worship.
December 2nd
– Children and Youth attend worship for the first 15 minutes and then go to their religious education classes.
On this day, children will learn more about the upcoming Winter pageant.
December 9th
– Regular religious education classes. Everyone begins in the classroom.
December 16th
– All Ages Worship – the Winter Pageant: Gifts for the Journey! (More details below). Nursery available for ages 0-5.
December 23rd
– No Regular Religious Education Classes. Worship for children and youth will occur in the Children’s Chapel. Nursery available for ages 0-5.
Theme - Happy and Sadness: A Winter Holiday Roller Coaster.
Families are always welcome to join their children for worship.
December 30th
– No Religious education classes. Nursery available for ages 0-5.
Happy new Year! Stay tune for upcoming religious education opportunities in 2019!
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4th/5th Grade Religious Education Mural Project:
On Sunday, November 18th, the 4th and 5th Grade Religious Education Class designed a mural entitled:
I Made a Difference, Tell Us How.
The purpose of this mural is for people in the congregation to draw pictures and tell stories about how they make a difference in the community and world. This is a great opportunity to tell your story. The children chapel participants will add to this mural on Sunday, November 25th and then display the mural in the fellowship hall during hospitality hour.
Please take a few moments and tell us your story in word or picture.
How do you make a difference?
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Guest at Your Table.
Every year, the Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice promotes the
Guest At Your Table Program
. This is an education and fundraising program which sponsors Unitarian Universalist social justice and outreach programs all over our world. There is an effort to strategize how this program is structured at UUCUC to be sure it provides the education and promotion it deserves. We will be sure to roll it out with great fanfare in 2019.
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Gifts of the Journey: A Winter Holiday Pageant
Sunday, December 16th will be the winter holiday pageant. What a great day this will be! To make it extra special, Michele Grove is looking for the following persons to volunteer:
Youth or adults who are willing to take one of the 6 speaking roles. These roles are very short – 3 lines each!
6 adults willing to help a group of children get in costume before the worship service
and then to lead their group as we act out the pageant. These persons do not have speaking parts:
- Angel Leader
- Shepherd Leader
- Wise person Leader
- Donkey Leader
- Sheep Leader
Children, youth and adults who are willing to be angels, shepherds, wise persons, donkeys and sheep. They can travel with the caravan or stay seated in the pews. Come in costume (pick your favorite) or come early and we will provide a costume for you. Children and youth may decide to wear a different costume - of course! We are only limited by our imagination. The more people who dress up, the more festive it will be!
Persons willing to help make some simple costumes ahead of time. This will be very simple! Who would like to help?
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Gum Containers Needed:
Have you had a craving for gum? This is a great time to satisfy this craving because Michele Grove needs gum containers like the ones pictured. Please collect and turn into the church office or the Religious Education Welcome Table.
She needs them by December 16, 2018
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SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE NEWS
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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 collected within the specified month designated for "shared offering" and on-line donations through our
give webpage
.
For the month of November, we are supporting DREAAM House, a local community impact organization with a justice-informed mission to reduce the achievement and opportunity gaps among boys and young men.
Since July 2015, DREAAM House has built a prekindergarten-to-college-pipeline program for boys aimed at cultivating academic excellence and positive citizenship. At the early intervention stage, boys learn the importance of being a positive member of a community and the importance of academic achievement, effective communication, behavioral health, and shared goals. This program supports boys' social, emotional, AND academic development starting at the age of 5 until age 18.
Each group of incoming kindergarteners forms a learning cohort. From Summer 2015 - Summer 2018, DREAAM House has had four cohorts of boys enter the pipeline, and many have remained engaged over the years. Program retention of DREAAM boys is high. To date, DREAAM House has reached, taught, and invested in over 125 boys!
DREAAM House’s MISSION:
- Support boys and young men by providing transformative experiences to shape and increase educational outcomes, knowledge, skills, and life opportunities.
- Increase positive outcomes—academic achievement, self-efficacy, social mobility—and decrease negative outcomes—suspensions, low educational performance, violence—in the lives of boys and young men
DREAAM House’s VISION:
- More socially, emotionally, mentally and academically healthy males in our community
If you want to learn more about DREAAM House or are interested in making a donation, please contact Mr. Tracy D. Dace, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer at (217) 560-2194 or
tracy@dreaam.org
. DREAAM’s website:
dreaamhouse.org
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Continuing a Tradition of Generosity
Our church has enjoyed giving generously to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen backpack project since it began several years ago. The soup kitchen celebrates the holidays by giving filled backpacks to the men and women who are guests at lunch. These packs are much appreciated, since they are often the only gifts they receive during the holidays.
Backpacks should be stuffed with hats, gloves, scarves, socks, thermal underwear, sweatshirts or pants, and toiletries such as deodorant, hand lotion for hands chapped by the cold, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and shaving cream.
Other appreciated items include hand warmers, cough drops, books, decks of cards, small fleece blankets, candy, gum, food items. We are asking that backpacks and included items be new. All backpacks should be labelled with the gender and size of recipient (from S to XXXL).
We will collect backpacks at the church on December 2 and 9. When dropping off a pack, please sign your name to the list at the Social Action table so that your gift can be acknowledged. Tax forms will also be available.
Backpacks will be given away at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen on Friday, December 14 beginning at 10:00 am. If you have questions about this project contact Sandy Hannum at
smhannum@gmail.com.
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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.
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Wednesday, November 21
(Rental : ECIRMAC) / 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
(Rental: Smart Recovery) / 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
CrUUners Rehearsal / 6:00 pm / Sanctuary
Choir Rehearsal / 7:00 pm / Sanctuary
Thursday, November 22
Church Office is Closed
UUCUC Annual Thanksgiving Potluck / 12:30 pm
(Rental: Many Paths, an Agnostic AA) 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
Friday, November 23
Church Office is Closed
Saturday, November 24
Loss of Life Partner Group / 11:30 am / Library
(Rental: Many Paths: an Agnostic AA Group) / 4:30 pm / Classroom #1
Sunday, November 25
Mindful Meditation Group / 9:00 am / YRUU Classroom
Adult Discussion Group / 9:00 am / Library
Choir Rehearsal / 9:00 am / Sanctuary
Worship Service / 10:15 am / Fellowship Hall
Visitor’s Welcome Room / 11:30 am / Library
Young Adult Group / 11:30 am / Table in Fellowship Hall
Monday, November 26
Bridge Group / 1:00 pm / Children's Chapel
Planning for Building a Healthy Movement (2 yr Intiative) / 6:00 pm / Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, November 27
(Rental: DSC Playgroup) / 8:30 am / Nursery
BOT Study Session / 7:00 pm / Classroom #1
Welcoming Committee Meeting / 7:00 pm / Library
Wednesday, November 28
Last day for content for eNews & Order of Service at noon.
(Rental: Smart Recovery) / 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
CrUUners Rehearsal / 6:00 pm / Sanctuary
Choir Rehearsal / 7:00 pm / Sanctuary
Thursday, November 29
Membership Committee Meeting / 5:30 pm / Fellowship Hall
(Rental: Many Paths: an Agnostic AA) / 6:00 pm / Classroom #1
Vision Team Meeting / 7:00 pm / Children’s Chapel
Friday, November 30
Stewardship Committee Meeting / Noon / Library
Slide Show: In the Land of the Kami / 7:00 pm / Fellowship Hall
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Upcoming Publications - Mark Your Calendars!
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Next eNews: November 29
Last day for content: Wednesday, November 28, by noon.
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Winter Uniter
(Covers: December / January / February)
Submissions: Closed
Distribution: December 5
Did you miss our Fall Uniter?
Click
here to check it out!
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IMPORTANT!! Send your submittals to
pubs@uucuc.org
- Do
not
send to admin@uucuc.org.
Don't forget to publize your meeting/event!
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UUCUC Contact Information
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Regular Church Office Hours
Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
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Church Office
(217) 384-8862
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Rev. Florence Caplow
Minister
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Sherry Bohlen
Membership Coordinator
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Michele Townsend Grove
Interim Director of Religious Education
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Emily McKown
Youth Coordinator
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Matt Sheppard
Music Director
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Shornor Vineyard
Custodian and Building Caretaker
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Rosalyn Maziarka
Office Administrator
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Matthew Gladden
Accompanist
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Kate Barton
Events Coordinator
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Stephanie Cobb
Sunday Kitchen Helper
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Kelsey Libert
Childcare Coordinator
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