Friday December 13
10:00am Cookie Sale Donations Drop off
1:00pm Cookie Sale Setup
Saturday December 14
9:00am Cookie Walk
Sunday December 15
9:15am Coffee with Questions
10:45am Service
Monday December 16
7:30pm Mindfulness
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Wednesday December 18
1:00pm Chalice Circle
7:30pm Odyssey
Thursday December 19
1:30pm Mindfulness
7:00pm McHenry County Pride
Friday December 21
6:00pm Choir Rehearsal
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Where Did All This Stuff Come From, Anyway?
Sunday, December 15, 2019 10:45am
Religious Education Students
Our Faithful Footsteps students have been challenged to look around in stores and neighborhoods at the symbols that surround us this Christmas season. Please join us as we share with you what we learned about the origins of all this stuff!
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A Sharing of Music and Poetry
Sunday, December 22, 2019
10:45am
The choir will perform a collection of traditional and modern carols. Several poets from Tree of Life were invited to write original poems inspired by each of our concert selections and will share them throughout the program. This is an amazing collaboration of music and poetry that you won’t want to miss!
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The Christmas Star, Myth or Magic?
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
7:00pm
We gather on Christmas Eve to renew ourselves in this season of good will, to kindle hope and celebrate the gift of life. Join visiting preacher and special friend of ToL, Lou Ness and Music Director Cassandra Vohs-Demann for a service that weaves special music, stories for children, meditations and a message created to contemplate the mystery of the Star that shone that special night centuries ago. Rekindle the magic of seeing the season through a child’s heart, if only for a few days.
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Congregational Events and News
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TOLUUC Cookie Walk & Holiday Sale is Tomorrow!
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Get a wonderful start to your holidays at the TOLUUC Cookie Walk & Holiday Sale tomorrow, Saturday, December 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Shop the amazing variety of delicious, homemade holiday cookies and candy to use for your holiday entertaining, for gifts, and just for enjoying as you relax by your tree or fireplace!
You also can do some gift shopping at the Artisan Alley Boutique, featuring beautiful handcrafted items that are unique enough to make very special presents.
You’ll find wonderful holiday decorations and items in the Bells, Baubles & Bows Room where the policy is: Take What You Need, Pay What You can!
If you are bringing donations of any kind - cookies, artisan gifts or holiday decorations - remember these drop-off times:
·
Friday, December 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
·
Saturday, December 14, from 7 to 8:30 a.m.
Hoping to see you Saturday to enjoy our festive Cookie Walk & Holiday Sale! Questions, please call Karen Meyer, 815-338-6023, or Mary Robinson, 815-455-8007.
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Dear friends – each week through December until Christmas Eve, I invite you to take a few moments in your day to meditate on the presence of awe around you. Beginning December 1
st
a short beatitude will be come to your inbox.
There are many ways to carry the meditation with you:
1.
Take a deep cleansing breath before you read the beatitude
2.
Read through the meditation to yourself
3.
Take a few seconds to “be with,” whatever is there for you
4.
Read the meditation out loud a second time
5.
Take a few seconds to “Be with” how adding voice may change your experience
6.
Write the Beatitude on a small piece of paper and carry it with you through the week.
Repeat these steps each morning. If you are willing, jot a few words down each time in order to notice how the phrase and its meaning may change each day.
If you are willing notice how your body and heart feel each time and the shifts that might occur in your perception of the world around you.
Enjoy this little practice as we move from the deep darkness towards the light.
Lou Ness
Beatitudes written by David Rhys Williams and adapted by Lou Ness & Carol Alfus
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Benches Improve our Entrance
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Thanks to John Murphy, camp children, and TOLUUC members, we now have some benches at our front entrance. The benches are made out of recycled bottle caps and are rainbow colored to indicate our welcome to all people. We have the opportunity to get a picnic bench made out of the same material and you can help us with that.
Please save your #2, #4, and #5 caps and lids. Bring them to the church in clean, dry condition and put them in the plastic bears or in plastic bags in the coat closet.
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The Women's Book Club will meet now meet on the First Friday of the month. Our next meeting will be on Friday January 3, 2020 at 7pm at the Church. Our book selection is Suite Française by Irene Némirovsky.
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If you are itemizing donations on your 2019 taxes, please remember that your donation to Tree of Life needs to be received no later than Monday, December 30th to be counted toward 2019. Contribution statements will be sent out in early January.
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Social justice committee
continues to meet on the 3
rd
Wednesday of the month.
Our Second Sunday
recipient this month was: Jail Brakers
Jail Braker’s
mission is to provide support to families who struggle with the stigma of incarceration and the impact that it has on them. Jail Brakers provides opportunities that give families a voice and a place to be listened to with respect and compassion. We foster the development of community resources that more effectively meet their needs and seek to raise awareness about their concerns while fostering hope. Together we will address the stigma that perpetuates the fear, shame and isolation surrounding incarceration. For more information contact
Cheryl Niemo,
224 422 7431
jailbrakers@gmail.com
Thanks to your generosity, we raised $434 for Jail Brakers.
Coming soon:
-Expungement workshops training members to assist those impacted by marijuana convictions in March 2020
-Renewal of our UUA Welcoming Congregation Status
Our next meeting is Wednesday, Jan 15th in the Sanctuary. No meeting in December!
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Learn about Climate Change and Religion!
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Our Faithful Footsteps students will be learning about Climate Change/Climate Justice in 2020!
Give yourself the gift of inspiring our young minds to impact our community and our world by helping us in this endeavor (and you may even learn something in the process!). Your participation matters!
Please contact Heather Madaus or Sue Rekenthaler to see how YOU can make a difference!
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This Sunday, December 15th There will be no Inquirers session. We will next meet Sunday, December 29th.
12/29/2019 Faith Development for Children & Adults
1/5/2019 Worship & Liturgical Year
1/12/2019 Social Justice & Community Service
Congratulations to Stan Auster who finished the Inquirers series and is sporting a fused glass chalice lapel pin to signify this achievement.
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Our worship services would not be nearly so wonderful if nobody could hear our speakers and musicians. Use the link below to get information on how you can be trained to run the sound board and sign up to help.
https://treeoflifeuu.org/soundboard-sign-up/
We especially need people who do not sing in the choir to sign up.
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Learn about Climate Change and Religion!
Our Faithful Footsteps students will be learning about Climate Change/Climate Justice in 2020!
Give yourself the gift of inspiring our young minds to impact our community and our world by helping us in this endeavor (and you may even learn something in the process!). Your participation matters!
Please contact Heather Madaus or Sue Rekenthaler to see how YOU can make a difference!
Mark your calendar!
Our 4th-8th grade students will be identifying and learning about all the symbols we see around us in cultural celebrations from October-December. Please make every effort to bring your children every week!
December 15
: Winter Pageant *please let Heather know if your students will not be in attendance!
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Elaine Pagels reviews two books in the Sunday, December 1, New York Times Book Review section: " Religion As We Know It...An Origin Story," by Jack Miles, and "Believers...Faith in Human Nature, by Melvin Konner.
Miles asks, "How have we, in contemporary culture, come to separate religion from what we think of as ordinary, secular life?" In the earliest of times and in many cultures today, religious practices were not separated from secular ones. Why are religion and secular life separated? Might the increasing secularization of western society really be a rejection of religious dogma and a search for what truly matters? What truly matters? Do good works matter?
Anthropologist Konner, asking "Why is religion still around?," delves into human nature and the biological origins of thought, and concludes that science doesn't have all the answers...that there are mysteries with no answers....that "religion will never go away." What is religion?
The reviewer Pagels is on the faculty at Princeton University and the author of "Why Religion," a personal story of loss and the power of religion, which we discussed earlier this year.
For another lively discussion, join us at 9:15 this Sunday morning, December 15, in the Fireplace Room. There'll be coffee and food for body and soul.
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Joys and Concerns shared during the service will be printed in the Happenings and Bulletin unless there is a request made to the office or community care committee to withhold.
Thank you to Lou Ness for an AWEsome message reminding us that at the root of awe is gratitude.
JOYS!
Carol Alfus
is happy
Greg
is returning home after surgery for 2 stents and a 9 day stay in the hospital. Carol thanks the entire community for reaching out and lifting her up.
Emma Stettner
is graduating from NIU this weekend! Congratulations!
Peter Tinkler
and family are loving the gorgeous December sunrises and sunsets over beautiful McHenry County.
Lou Ness's
daughter,
Suzanne
, is running for election to the Illinois House of Representatives against Alan Skillicorn to represent District 66. Please hold Suzanne up as she and her family will face new challenges when she wins!
We received a delightful holiday greeting card from former member,
Alice Majka
, who says to all TOLUUCs "may the new year find you well, happy, & peaceful!"
GENTLE THOUGHTS
extended to:
George Sowinski
who was recently hospitalized and is now facing dialysis as part of his recovery.
Patrick Murfin's
family whose great niece passed away at age 27 from stomach cancer. She faced many difficulties throughout her short life, but remained a bright light to all who knew her.
Ted Funn's
friend who is experiencing serious health challenges.
Joy Neal
who is helping her friend keep her business together while she tends to her daughter who has suffered traumatic brain injury. Joy is working long hours and supporting her friend through this ordeal. Healing to all.
Happy Birthday to
Cooper Wolfram
(12/15),
Cole Wolfram
(12/16),
Lily Mikkelson
(12/18) and
Ellen Tinkler
(12/19)!
Drivers to and from Sunday services needed!
Do you drive through Crystal Lake on your way to services in Sunday? We try to keep the commitment to once per month and can be creative!
The Member Care Team can be reached at the same email address or by calling Karen Meyer if you are in need of support from the congregation.
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You don't have to make coffee - the brew crew takes care of that. You just need to plate and put out your treats and cart them away after the social time.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR REGIONAL ASSEMBLY 2020
Regional Assembly 2020 will be held at The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, Illinois on Saturday, April 18, 2020. Our keynote speaker will be
Taquiena Boston
, Special Advisor to the UUA President for Institutional Inclusion, Equity, and Change. The day will feature worship, the annual business meeting, lunch, keynote presentation, and select workshops. The annual business meeting and keynote speaker will be live streamed for those who cannot attend.On Friday evening, April 17, The UU Church in Rockford will graciously host an evening gathering for those in town.
Registration opens January 2020.
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General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles. Please join us Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, June 28, 2020 in Providence, Rhode Island for this 5-day immersive experience where we participate in inspirational worship services and informative workshops, reconvene with friends and colleagues, and explore our bustling exhibit hall. GA is an unforgettable experience for the thousands of UUs who attend. Meet us in Providence and you’ll leave with renewed energy and innovative ideas to share with your congregation and community-at-large!
The theme for General Assembly in June 2020 is
Rooted, Inspired, & Ready!
We are in touch with our theological roots, we are engaged in transforming our faith, and we are fired up to take action in the wider world.
Registration and Housing
Registration is now open at
uua.org/
ga
. Full-time registration is $400 for adults, $240 for high school youth and retired and candidate ministers, $150 for off-site registrants. Register by March 15 for the lowest rate. Rates will increase on March 16 and again on May 1.
There are those who may find it more manageable to spread out their GA registration fee in smaller, periodic installments rather than one lump sum. When you register you many now choose to pay with our brand-new Payment Plan option to spread out your payments over several months. Registration can be paid in installments, with as little as $50 down, through February 29, 2020.
Leah Mikkelson is going. Are you?
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Chalice Sparx Camp and Retreat for Families
Hiking the trails, singing by the campfire, playing games…all childhood camp fun. But this camp is not just
for kids—it’s for people of all ages. Make connections, build friendships and experience nature together as a family—with other families—in an environment where diverse religious, spiritual and theological perspectives are welcomed and celebrated.
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Judy Stettner
Office Administrator
Heather Madaus
Interim Director of Religious Education
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Cassandra Vohs-Demann
Director of Music
Billy Seger
Accompanist
Carrie MacDonald
Board President
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Office Hours:
Monday 10-2
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 10-2
Thursday 10-2
Friday 10-2
Others by appointment
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Our Board Members:
Carrie MacDonald - President
President Elect - Leah Mikkelson
Randy Meyer - Treasurer
Mike Bissett - Secretary
Steve Lyons - Trustee
Marcia Johnson- Trustee
Patrick Kerin- Trustee
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Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation
5603 Bull Valley Road
McHenry, IL 60050
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