Office Closed: Between Christmas and New Years Day, the staff have been granted time off. (There will not be an eBeacon on December 31. However, Sunday worship will continue as scheduled). Office hours will resume again the week of January 3. Thank you for your understanding and we're wishing you all a safe and happy holiday!

The Longest Night / Rev. Dawn Cooley

December Theme: Opening to Joy Live Stream Worship at 10am / Recorded Viewing Available at Noon Live stream link can be found here.

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 the donation box in the front pew on the main floor, sending a check to the Unity Temple office (to 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 At this time, we are limiting capacity inside our sanctuary and requiring weekly reservations for adults and children to attend Sunday morning service at 10am in-person. We will also be streaming live on YouTube at 10am. You can access it here.  To sign up for in-person worship, click here.  There will be an Activity for All Ages happening inside Unity House. Children are welcome to participate in the Activity for All Ages that will be offered during the sermon portion of the worship service or they can stay in the sanctuary with their families.

Community Hour Following the Sunday morning service, the Virtual Community Hour will be on Zoom following the service. Go to Zoom Meeting ID: 999 2797 5277 Password: 875875 Or access directly here. Sunday Morning Parking  In order to allow quick and efficient accessibility movement between our buildings, we kindly ask people to not use the Gale House parking area on Sunday mornings. We welcome congregants, friends and visitors to utilize the free and accessible street parking spaces along Kenilworth, Lake street, North Blvd and South Blvd. Thank you.

Return of Unity Temple Choir Concert Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19 Both concerts at 4pm Join us for a joyous concert featuring soprano, Rosalind Lee, cellist, Alex Poltavchenko and oboist, Lauren Breen. Online sales close on Friday, December 17. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Proof of vaccination is required. Online tickets can be purchased here.

Christmas Eve Services Friday, December 24, 2021 3pm Christmas Pageant & Worship for All Ages 7pm Candlelight Service  Live Stream on YouTube here. In-Person Worship Reservations: 3pm Pageant here.  7pm Candlelight here. Limited Seating

Online New Year’s Eve Sangha Join our annual New Year’s Eve special event on Friday, December 31 from 5-7pm (CST). Jay Cohen will be giving the dharma talk titled The Two Wings. This is a wonderful way to begin the New Year! You are welcome to join us whether you are new to our community or a "regular". We've planned it so you can still get out and celebrate in other ways that you may desire after our event. The Zoom link is the same one we use for all Mindful Reflection Community events and can be found here. Meeting ID: 373 008 242. Passcode: 940220 / One tap mobile / +13126266799,,373008242#,,,,*940220# US (Chicago) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

On Sunday, December 12, the Unity Temple Bells Ensemble graced the sanctuary during service under the direction of new Bell Choir director Linda Van Dyke. Ensemble members shown from left to right: Marcia Sezer, Erica Jensen, Barb Heskett, Bonnie Jordan, Sara Semelka, Jerry Donovan, Kimberly Brumirski, Bob Sharpe, Amy Kuehl, Judy Gaietto Grace, Beth Dowell. Photo credit: Stephen Jordan.

MyHAT Small Support Group Meeting– This group is for people living with mental illness and those who care about them. We practice deep sharing and deep listening. Participation is confidential. We are always open to new participants. For December will we meet the third Monday, December 20. Meeting times in 2022 will return to the fourth Monday of every month. On December 20, we will gather at 7pm IN PERSON at Gale House, the house immediately south of Unity Temple on Kenilworth in Oak Park. Masks are required. If you would like to join the in-person meeting through Zoom, please contact myhat@unitytemple.org by Thursday, December 16 so a team member can arrange the Zoom and send the links to you. If you have questions, contact myhat@unitytemple.org. Pathway to Membership  Considering becoming a member? Come share your spiritual/religious history, learn about ours, discover how our congregation works today, and how we can be part of each other’s futures. We hope you are able to attend! We will meet at the Unity Temple Community Center located at 1019 South Blvd. Masks are required and space is limited. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org to register.    Winter Schedule (Choose one of our two-part series) Sunday’s, January 16 & 17 from 1-3pm Sunday’s, February 6 & 13 from 1-3pm Sunday’s March 13 & 20 from 1-3pm

Meet the Ministers  Once a month following services, one of our ministers will be available for social time after service and they hope you are able to attend. Curious about what called them to ministry? Wondering how they spend their free time and more? Come find out! They want to learn more about you too. Masks are required. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org to register.   Winter Schedule Sunday, January 9 Sunday, February 13 Sunday, March 13 Meet & Greet Resumes in January Let's get to know each other! Sunday, January 9, you are invited to a meet and greet social hour. New and established congregants alike are invited to attend. We will meet from 1-2pm in Unity House located at Unity Temple. Walk-ins are welcome, though registration is appreciated. Masks are required. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org to register.

Unity Temple Faith In Action Network Spiritually Grounded / Deeply Relational / Strategically Effective

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.​

UU Ministry for the Earth Solstice Celebration Wednesday, December 22, 7pm Join Rev. Elizabeth Nguyen and UU Ministry for Earth for a special Zoom service as we gather for a celebration of the Solstice. This sacred gathering reminds us of our interdependence with Earth, life, and the universe. Enjoy an hour of music, reflection, ritual and meditation as we gather in the sacred darkness of Winter to honor all that life brings. Register here. Questions? Contact: ecojustice@unitytemple.org 2022 Sunday Collection Recipients Thank you to all who participated in the nominating and voting process to select our Sunday collection recipients for 2022! You can find the complete list of collection recipients here. Questions? Contact sundaycollections@unitytemple.org Plastic Recycling Update!  We’ve collected over 500 pounds of stretchy plastic since June! Thanks to all who have participated! Since we have reached our goals, we have closed the plastic bag recycling at Gale House. Please drop off your recycling at the following stores as their plastic goes to Trex to be made into decking, benches and fences: Food 4 Less, Fresh Thyme, Home Depot, Jewel-Osco, Kohl’s, Mariano’s and Meijer. The same rules apply for stretchy plastic only. No food bags of any kind, no hard plastic and no crunchy plastic.   We hope this project has helped you think about plastic use while shopping and dining. Please continue to bring your own bags, consider ordering your paper products in plastic free containers and buy in bulk when possible.   There is a congregation in Oak Park that is still collecting plastic for a bench. Please contact ecojustice@unitytemple.org for their location and for any other recycling questions. Thank you for your support!

New Calls to Action! Side with Love Action Center Our national UU organizing work for justice and liberation is now all in one place. Check out the new Side with Love Action Center page for calls to action in the four intersectional areas of: Climate Justice Decriminalization, Ending Deportation & Detention Democracy & Voting Rights LGBTQ+, Gender and Reproductive Justice Check out the new Side With Love Action Center and complete the calls to action! Questions? Contact FaithinAction@unitytemple.org Introducing the 8th Principle Team To date 142 UU congregations and organizations have adopted the 8th Principle, which calls for us to “accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” Unity Temple has recently formed an 8th Principle Team, whose mission is to provide information and reflective experiences so that people understand what the 8th Principle is all about. We invite you to join the Team by emailing us at 8thPrinciple@unitytemple.org. You can find additional information about the 8th Principle here. Watch for much more information in the months ahead! UUANI Action of the Week Each week our Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of IL (UUANI) offers a call to action. Sign-up to receive these simple and impactful actions direct to your in-box here.

Radical Compassion Group starts on Sunday, January 9, 2022 The Inspiring Compassion team and the Mindful Reflection Community are co-sponsoring a group to help us deepen our mindfulness and compassion practices in 2022. The discussion questions will be based on the book Radical Compassion by Tara Brach and it will be co-facilitated by Jay Cohen and Jan Johnston. This is a drop-in group that is open to all. It helps if you read Tara's book, but that is not required.  We will be meeting on Sunday night's starting on January 9 at 7pm on Zoom. We will meet two Sundays in a row and then we will meet every other Sunday through May. To read more about this, including the calendar of meetings and Zoom link, click here.   

Mindful Reflection Online Community Tuesday Evenings Zoom meeting room opens at 6:45pm, program starts at 7:10pm. You Are Welcome Here! 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. ID: 373 008 242  / Passcode: 4IFrYx   One tap mobile: +13126266799,,373008242#,,,,*940220#1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 373 008 242 / Passcode: 940220

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

Religious Education Registration 2021/2022 is Open! Each year, we ask our families to re-register their children for our religious education programming. It ensures we have the most up to date information about our young people, helps us with planning, and gives us an ongoing communication loop. Along with information, we ask for a registration fee of $50 per child (for pledging members and friends) and $100 per child (for non-pledging members or friends). These fees help support elements of our program. Scholarships are granted by request to Emily Gage egage@unitytemple.org or Val Ridenour vridenour@unitytemple.org. Please register your child/children for Religious Education using this link.

Our Goals Are Reached When We Work Together! Thank you to everyone who has already made their 2022 pledge. This years’ pledge goal of $1,206,081 is the projected amount needed to meet our expenses. As of December 9, 2021 we have commitments from 275 households totaling $883,603. For more information, click here to see our current budget and our 2022 projected budget. .....Our goal is to ensure that our beloved community remains resilient, strong, and connected. We know from previous challenges that goals are reached when we work together! Please take this opportunity to submit your 2022 pledge form as soon as you can. Information can be found by: Review the 2022 campaign information you should have received by mail here, then Fill out your pledge form and mail into the office as soon as you can, or Make your commitment online at https://onrealm.org/unitytemple, or Call the office to pledge over the phone at 708.848.6225 ext 104

Unity Temple Restoration Foundation (UTRF) Chamber Holiday Music concert December 17 at 7pm Come Ring in the holidays with an IN PERSON concert in the Unity Temple Sanctuary by Cellissimo, the senior performing cello ensemble of the joint programs of the Western Springs School of Talent Education and the Naperville Suzuki School. Tickets range from $10 – $20 based on seating assignment. For information on Member, Student and Parent discounts and concert information go here or contact Heidi Ruehle 708.260.6661 or heidi@utrf.org.

The Unity Temple E-Team has completed a comprehensive Covid-19 Phased Re-Opening Guidelines. This document is intended to serve as a guide for Congregational events going forward. The guidelines will be implemented based on the Cook County Risk Metrics determined by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Unity Temple E-Team has also completed version 3.0 of the congregations Building Use Policy and COVID Protocols for Unity Temple, Gale House and the Community Center for in-person events which can be found here. The COVID Risk category will be updated weekly and can be found on our homepage in the slider bar for easy access. Please reach out if you have any comments or questions eteam@unitytemple.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 

Support Our Work : As we continue to find new ways to join together in virtual community we have launched additional portals to financially support UTUUC. Details can be found here. If you have questions please reach out to office@unitytemple.org. Thank you!

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