COVID Protocol: Our Covid-19 protocols have been adjusted, we are now in Green. Masking is recommended. Please visit our website here for more details.

Trekking Home / Rev. Pamela Rumancik

The Rev. Pamela Rumancik is poet, native plant enthusiast and spiritual director. She recently retired after eight years serving the Unitarian Church in Hinsdale. Her spiritual roots reach back to Catholicism, and she is an initiate into the Sufi tradition. These deep liturgical origins inform her love of the arts as a vehicle for experiencing the Holy. Pam’s deepest commitments are to remembering the divine in each being and finding ways to open conversation with folks who see the world differently.

December Theme: Wonder

Live Stream Worship at 10am / Recorded Viewing Available at Noon

Live stream link can be found here.

Sunday’s beautiful poinsettia display is brought to you by the generous contributions of 18 members and friends of UTUUC.

OFFERING : Housing Forward

Unity Temple Gives. Each week we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will benefit Housing Forward – transforming the lives of nearly 15,000 people since 1992, by meeting immediate housing and crisis needs, addressing health and income needs, and supporting housing stability. Learn more here.



You may donate by placing cash or check in one of the circulating baskets during the service, sending a check to the Unity Temple office (875 Lake St., Oak Park, 60301) with (name of organization) on the memo line, by texting 73256 with the message UTUUC $____ (dollar sign followed by your donation amount) and select “Offering,” by using the camera on your phone to scan the QR code on the screen during the Offertory or you can give at the UTUUC website. Whatever modality you choose, may what you give bring you joy.

Sunday Worship Service

In-person and online options for worship are now offered. COVID Protocol: Our Covid-19 protocols have been adjusted, we are now in Green. Please visit our website here for more details.You can access the live stream on YouTube at 10am here.

Community Hour Following the Sunday morning service join us for Community Hour for refreshments and fellowship in Unity House and on the patios as weather permits.

Chalice Table Reservations We welcome floral arrangements or other decorations such as objects from nature or spiritual symbols to be included on our Chalice Table during worship on Sunday mornings. Please refrain from political/campaign related objects as they will be removed. To reserve a date, please fill out this form. Thank you for contributing to our worship experience. For assistance contact flowers@unitytemple.org.

Call for Cookies Our cookie supply is running low. Donations are now being gratefully accepted. If you would like to donate a package or two of cookies, please drop them off in the kitchen on Sunday mornings. Note: NO NUTS. Also, gluten free cookies are much appreciated too. Thank you!

NOTE: Our offices will be closed between from December 26 through December 30, 2022.

We will re-open on January 2, 2023.

ExLibris Bookstore is Back! Looking for last minute holiday gifts? Stop by ExLibris Bookstore in Unity House during Community Hour.

AND, Congregational Life Tables are Back! Stop by the Auction and Women's Retreat table to learn more about how you can participate. Tables are located in Unity House during Community Hour.

New Year's Eve Sangha Join our annual NYE sangha which will be held on Saturday, December 31 from 5–7pm. Still plenty of time to attend other parties! Both in person at Unity House in Unity Temple, 875 Lake St, Oak Park, IL 60301 and on Zoom. Zoom room opens at 5pm. We start at 5:20pm and end the program at 7pm. Join Terry as he shares the dharma talk "Road Map To Living a Skillful and Flourishing Life". Please join us for this wonderful way to start the NewYear! Contact 

mindful@unitytemple.org.

Blue Christmas Day Service 10am Sunday, December 25



A “Blue Christmas” service provides a quiet and contemplative worship service as an alternative to the more traditional gatherings. This is in honor of those who are experiencing grief and struggling with loss and those for whom Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year.

Christmas Eve Services

Saturday, December 24

3pm Christmas Pageant and

Worship for All Ages : Our beloved pageant (back after a two year hiatus) is a retelling of the Christmas story. Open to all. 

6pm Choir & Candlelight Service

Services will be both in-person and live streamed. 

Many wonderful things have happened in December! On December 4 we celebrated new members and on December 9 we hosted our first ever White Elephant Gift Exchange Event. The Unity Temple Bell Choir performed on December 11. Thank you to the many volunteers and participants who enrich our community experiences.

Light in All the Colors All are invited to attend an event to promote unity on Wednesday, December 21, 3:30-4:30pm at Scoville Park (800 Lake St., Oak Park). The gathering will include messages from Rabbi Max Weiss, Oak Park Temple, and Betty Alzamora, Oak Park Lesbian & Gay Association (OPALGA). See flyer here.

Meals Needed 

Meals are needed for Housing Forward's Interim Housing program. Learn more here and sign-up to provide an individually-wrapped meal. Thank you for your generous support! Questions?

housingforward@unitytemple.org.

Join UU the Vote on Friday, December 16, 3– 4:30pm CST to celebrate our accomplishments in this election cycle, share uplifting stories, and bid farewell to our UU the Vote Campaign Manager, JaZahn Hicks. Thanks to all who helped with letter and postcard writing, text and phone banking! Register here.

Clemency, Take action today! 

Several of our prison ministry pen pals have applied for clemency. Your calls to Governor Pritzker can make a significant impact! Please read more and take action here. 

Pretrial Fairness Act Protected Many thanks to all who helped organize, write letters, make calls, and advocate with our partners the past few years to uplift our values and support Pretrial Fairness! Learn more here. To get involved with upcoming actions contact restorativejustice@unitytemple.org.

Faith in Action Newsletter

To learn more about living our mission and values through our Faith in Action Network, sign-up for our monthly newsletter here and watch our impact statement here. Questions? 

Contact Rev. Colleen, Assistant Minister for Faith in Action cvahey@unitytemple.org.

Winter Pathway to Membership Schedule

Our membership classes will resume in January. Participants learn about the congregation’s history and how we work today. It is a wonderful way to get to know a small group of people and decide how you can become part of our collective future. Groups meet at our community center located at 1019 South Blvd on Sundays from 1:30-3:30pm. Childcare is available upon request. In addition, on-line accommodations can be made. The winter schedule is January 15 & 22, February 12 & 19, and March 12 & 19. To register contact tlewis@unitytemple.org. 

Men's Retreat 2023

Mark your calendars for the weekend of January 27th–29th, 2023 at the Cabrini Center. Our theme this year will be "Turning Points of Our Lives". Contact mensretreat@unitytemple.org.

Save the Date! The 2023 Annual Womens Retreat will take place from February 17–19, 2023 at the Carmelite Spiritual Center. This year's theme is Emerging Together. Our keynote speaker will be, our very own Rev. Dawn Cooley. This will be a very spiritual and uplifting weekend with break out sessions, music, dance, crafts and food.  

Registration is open and can be found here. You can also log onto Realm and go to Events and will see the event listed as the Featured Event.

Congregational Life Table Reservation As the weather changes and we move our Community Hour back indoors, tables may now be requested to promote congregational happenings. Hosting a table is a great way to make sure congregants know how to participate in events, activities, and service opportunities. To reserve space contact tlewis@unitytemple.org.

Movies with Meaning offers the congregation an example of each month’s ministry theme through the familiar, friendly and popular medium of cinema sharing the experience in community. For our December theme Wonder, Movies with Meaning is showing In & Of Itself a movie which explores aspects of identity, isolation, and our own desperate drive to figure out who we are as individuals. Click here to view the official movie trailer. Join us Friday night, December 16, gathering at 6:30pm with movie at 7 at the Unity Temple Community Center, 1019 South Boulevard. All are welcome at this gratis event! For more information, contact adultre@unitytemple.org.

The Mindful Reflection 

community meets every TUESDAY evening virtually and in person in Unity House at Unity Temple. Meeting opens at 6:45pm for camaraderie, the program starts promptly at 7:20pm. Vaccinations are encouraged, masks are mandatory. We will follow our usual format with 20 minutes of Mindful Reflection followed by a dharma talk and discussion. Questions email 

mindful@unitytemple.org. Join Zoom meeting here.

Daily Mindful Reflection Community 30 minute meeting, 7 days a week! Starts at 8:25am and ends at 9am every day, seven days a week. This will be different from our regular Tuesday night meeting. The daily meditation will include opening words, 20 minutes of mindful reflection, and closing words. All are welcome! You are welcome to attend regularly or sporadically. 

Time: Every Day (including weekends) at 08:30am Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting here. ID: 373 008 242  / Passcode: 4IFrYx. One tap mobile:+13126266799,,373008242#,,,,*940220#1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 373 008 242 / Passcode: 940220

What’s More Fun Than Bidding? Giving!! The 2023 Auction is still accepting donations. Have a vacation home that you could offer for a long weekend? Want to host a backyard BBQ? Or maybe give knitting lessons?

Need ideas of what to donate? Just talk to one of the Auction Team at coffee hour who will be happy to help you decide what to donate. And this week there will be a special guest at the coffee hour who will help inspire you!

Auction bidding begins February 12, 2023. We hope to have something for everyone! Stay tune for more information & updates! Scan this QR code to sign up or see one of our auction team members during coffee hour!

Sermon Writing Seminar (facilitated by Jay Cohen) Unity Temple will be offering more lay-led Sunday services in 2023 and we are looking for people who are interested in participating. Shared Pulpit is a UU curriculum that prepares lay people in all aspects of creating worship, with an emphasis on writing effective sermons. This seminar will be facilitated by Jay Cohen, one of our worship associates and a previous participant of Shared Pulpit. The seminar is limited to 6 participants and we will offer gentle feedback to each other as writings are shared. There are 8 sessions that will meet every other Monday evening from January 9 to April 10. You can see the seminar description and full calendar of sessions here. If you are interested in participating, you can find the registration form here.

Celebrate the Season at Unity Temple! Members of The Apollo Chorus of Chicago will perform selections from The Messiah, Dance Avondale will dance to Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, choreography by Charles Weidman, and The Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago will perform festive works by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Skoryk for chamber ensembles and string orchestra. Festive dessert reception in Unity House following performances. Please join us on Friday, December 16 at 7:30pm.

Tickets range from $30 – $20 based on seating assignment. UTRF members receive $5 off their tickets, limited student seating is $10. Tickets can be purchased here. For questions, contact Alice Kloska, UTRF Program Manager at alice@utrf.org.

Through Our Differences, We Are One :: The beloved community includes people of all political parties. Here at Unity Temple we call people to live out our faith but this does not mean we share the same political or partisan perspective. May we remind one another to honor our own life experience in the development of our unique perspective while honoring that of others. The core of being a religious liberal is remaining open to and respectful of a pluralism of theological positions and political stances. As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large while also knowing that endorsements or support of particular candidates cannot be part of our congregational process. 

Planned Giving offers a variety of meaningful ways to support our congregation through charitable gifts and can be made by anybody – young and old, working or retired. These gifts are made today, but they support the future needs of your congregation and Unitarian Universalism. You can obtain more information about planned gifts by contacting the Planned Giving Team at plannedgiving@unitytemple.org