COVID Protocol: Our Covid-19 protocols have been adjusted, we are now in Blue. In respect and care for the vulnerable, masking is required in our facilities despite changing external guidelines. Please visit our website here for more details.
The Memory of War
Gerry Messler and Ed White / UTUUC Members
May Theme: Nurturing Beauty
Live Stream Worship at 10am / Recorded Viewing Available at Noon
Live stream link can be found here.
OFFERING : Semper Fi & America’s Fund
Unity Temple Gives. Each week, we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. Unity Temple Gives. Each week, we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will benefit Semper Fi & America’s Fund directly supporting combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured service members by providing immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to people from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Learn more here.

You may donate by placing cash or check in one of 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. 
Email Alert: There are many scams targeting faith communities, particularly around requesting congregants to send funds or purchase gift cards. If you get such a message that appears to be from UTUUC staff or ministers, please send it to office@unitytemple.org or call the church to confirm whether it is a valid request. Please note any official emails sent to you from UTUUC will be from the following domains: @unitytemple.org or notifications@onrealmmail.org. We respect your privacy and our email list is never shared with other organizations.
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 Blue. In respect and care for the vulnerable, masking is required (2yrs and up) in our facilities despite changing external guidelines. Please visit our website here for more details.You can access the live stream on YouTube at 10am here.
Faith in Action for All Ages
All children, youth and volunteer adults are invited to join us in Unity House during the sermon portion of Sunday worship. Together we will work to create and provide meals for the clients who participate in the Interim Housing Program at Housing Forward. Please join us if you would like to support this important effort!
Community Hour
Following the Sunday morning service, join our in-person Community Hour for cookies, coffee and conversation in Unity House. If you are joining us from home, the on-line Community Hour will be on Zoom following the service. Go to Zoom Meeting ID: 999 2797 5277 Password: 875875 Or access directly here.
This past Sunday we acknowledged the countless volunteers who serve and impact our beloved community. We celebrated the beauty that spring brings through our flower communion ritual and welcomed many, both in-person and virtually.
New! UTUUC Caring Ministry
We are excited to announce the new Caring Ministry at Unity Temple UU Congregation! Life is hard sometimes. We experience sickness, job loss, broken hearts, and broken bodies. Your faith community is here to support you through those difficult times. Whether you need a listening ear, a helping hand, or the support of a cadre of congregants with similar experiences, the new Caring Ministry is here for you with ministries of being, doing and connecting.
The care ministry team consist of the following areas:
Ministry of Being : The NEW Pastoral Care Associates (PCAs)
Ministry of Doing : The EXPANDED Care Team
Ministry of Connecting : The GROWING Peer Support Groups
We are excited to collaborate together in this new Caring Ministry and look forward to supporting this ministry as it supports you! To learn more and how to get involved contact careteam@unitytemple.org or visit our website here.
Great News! The UTUUC All Congregation Retreat will be back this year! And this year, we will be registering all via Realm–our online database and directory. Registration will be LIVE under "Events" and in the News Feed on Sunday, May 22. 
 
The UTUUC All-Congregation Retreat is a great occasion for new congregants or long-term members of all ages, whether single, couples or families to play, talk, relax and be together in a country setting near the shores of Lake Michigan. Join us Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, October 14-16, at Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer MI.  

Registration includes the Housing and Meal fees at Tower Hill based on your accommodation, and Programming fees, which covers a light dinner on Friday night, as well as snacks, materials for crafts and sessions, and s’mores around the campfire. Space fills up quickly so register if you want to save your spot! Questions? Want to help plan the weekend? Email AnnualRetreat@unitytemple.org. Retreat Committee members will be at Community Hour on June 5 to demo how to register, as this is our first year using Realm! 
Save the Date!
All Congregation Celebration Potluck following service on Sunday, June 12. You don't want to miss this special gathering of food, fellowship and fun! More details coming soon. In the meantime, please sign up to help!  
Day In Our Village We would love to have more volunteers supporting Unity Temple in our booth at Day In Our Village on Sunday, June 5. We welcome assistance from people of all ages and abilities. Please take a look at this sign-up genius to find a time to support this fun event in our community. If you have questions or ideas to share, please send an email to Val Ridenour vridenour@unitytemple.org.
UUA General Assembly 2022 Registration for General Assembly 2022 in-person in Portland, Oregon is now open. Financial support for registration as well as a payment plan is available. General Assembly 2022 will be a multiplatform event, with registration options for in-person and/or virtual participation. Register now!
Becoming a Member
For more information about how to become a member of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Contact 
Would you like to get to know more people in our congregation? Come to our monthly meet and greet on Sunday, June 5 from 1–2pm in Unity House located across from the sanctuary at Unity Temple. New and established congregants alike are invited to attend. Registration is helpful, though drop-ins are welcome. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org to register in advance.
Pathways to Recovery 
at Unity Temple is a safe and confidential space where we will explore UU principles and our congregation’s values of connection, acceptance and transformation to support recovery from addiction. It is a peer-led group that is intended to be a supplement to, not a replacement for, other addiction recovery groups such as AA, SMART Recovery, and Recovery Dharma. We will meet every other Wednesday at in Gale House at 7pm. Next meeting date is June 8. Questions can be directed to recovery@unitytemple.org.
The 2022 Spring / Summer Adult Softball League Game times take place on Fridays at 7:15pm / 8:15pm / 9:15pm. 10 game regular season + post-season tournament for those who qualify. All games are played at Ridgeland Common Park. Covid guidelines will adhere to current protocols when the season begins. You can find a link to the schedule here. For information on how to sign up contact sports@unitytemple.org. NOTE: The team is looking for a manager. Please reach out if interested.
Gale House Garden Support Are you interested in getting your hands in some soil and supporting our community? We invite you to sign up to help support the Gale House Gardens. The gardens will need to be weeded, watered, harvested and maintained throughout the summer months. If you are interested in providing care for the gardens, please schedule yourself here for a week that works best for you and your family. If you have questions or ideas to share about the gardens, send an email to Val Ridenour, 
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
Summer RE will begin on Sunday, June 5! Join us for summer religious education programming where children will engage in activities for all ages. This summer, we will be using the Gale House Gardens to further our connection to nature and education. If you have any questions or ideas to share or are looking for ways to support the Summer RE program, please contact summer_re@unitytemple.org.
BIG NEWS! This past Tuesday (May 17, 2022) the Mindful Reflection Community started to meet virtually and in person at Unity House. Meeting opens at 6:45pm, 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.
ID: 373 008 242  / Passcode: 4IFrYx  
One tap mobile: +13126266799,,373008242#,,,,*940220#1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 373 008 242 / Passcode: 940220

Unity Temple Faith In Action Network
Spiritually Grounded / Deeply Relational / Strategically Effective
OFFERING : Semper Fi & America’s Fund
This Sunday’s collection will benefit Semper Fi & America’s Fund directly supporting combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured service members by providing immediate financial assistance and lifetime support to people from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Learn more here.
The Illinois Primary Election is June 28th! 
Go to IllinoisVoterGuide.org to find all the nonpartisan information you need to be an informed voter. The first step is to make sure you are registered. The second is to know where and when to vote. You can request your vote by mail application now. Thanks to the League of Women Voters for this information. To get involved in upcoming work to protect our democracy contact: votelove@unitytemple.org.
Donations of Goods Are Needed The Kewanee Reentry Center Prison is holding a Juneteenth celebration this year on June 17, with a special dinner, speaker and activities for its incarcerated population. There will be a trivia contest with prizes awarded.The organizers are asking for donations for small prize bags. Suggested are: small, non-metal objects such as snacks (except gum), small coffee or sweetened drink packets, plastic pens, markers, folders, notebooks (but not with metal or spiral rings), planners. Donations may be left on the Gale House porch and will be mailed June 1.
Support Family Seeking Asylum
The Immigration Justice Team has partnered with Al Otro Lado and UUSC in sponsoring a family who were recently reunited in the U.S. This family has a newborn! Please help us welcome them by donating any of the items in this Baby Registry. Baby formula and diapers are especially needed! Your generosity is deeply appreciated! Questions? Contact: immigration@unitytemple.org  
Faith in Action Newsletter We’ve launched a renewed Faith in Action newsletter filled with impactful actions. Check out the new edition here. If you didn’t receive this monthly newsletter and would like to, please subscribe here. Questions? Contact Rev. Colleen at cvahey@unitytemple.org.
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.
News Flash! To date 185 UU congregations and organizations have adopted the 8th Principle. Each week the number increases! Interested in learning more about the 8th Principle? Check out UTUUC’s worship service “Digging into the 8th Principle” here and explore the following documents, prepared for you by our own 8th Principle Team:

Important update from the 8th Principle Team and the Board:
After reflecting on the input from community engagement in 8th Principle discussions over the past 1.5 years, and given the particular circumstances of UTUUC at this moment in time (ministerial transition, re-structuring, and governance work), the 8th Principle team recommended to the Board that the congregational vote on adoption of the 8th Principle be temporarily postponed.
 
In the meantime, on May 10, 2022, the Board approved the chartering of an Anti-Oppression Anti-Racism (AO/AR) Committee of the Board. This committee will have the responsibility of working closely with the Board and lay leadership to guide the congregation to more authentically and accountably live out its values, covenant, and mission by applying an AO/AR lens to all the ways that we engage with one another and the surrounding community.
 
In keeping with the AO/AR charter, the Board of Directors is finalizing the open selection process, which will include an application form to be completed by UTUUC members who are interested in serving on the AO/AR Committee. Contact 8thPrinciple@unitytemple.org if you have questions.
Third Coast Percussion / May 27 : 7pm
Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet. For over fifteen years, the ensemble has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, and the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings. Tickets range from $20 – $30 based on seating assignment. For information on Member, Student discounts and concert information go here or contact Alice Kloska at 708.260 6661 or akloska@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

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!