November 18, 2022

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, newsletter articles for the November 25th Happenings are due Monday November 21st. The office will be closed Wednesday November 23rd and November 24th.

Friday November 18

7:00pm Circle Social

Sunday November 20

9:00am Coffee with Questions

9:00am Chalice Circle

10:45am Multi-Platform Service

12:00pm Coming of Age

12:15pm Inquirers

1:30pm Choir Rehearsal

5:00pm Vegan Potluck

7:00pm Chalice Circle

Monday November 21

12:00pm Lunch with the Minister

Tuesday November 22

7:30pm Mindfulness

Wednesday November 23

Office Closed

Thursday November 24

Thanksgiving Day

8:00am Men's Breakfast

10:00am Mindfulness

Friday November 25

1:00pm Ann Tirk Memorial Service

Some activities are offered onsite. Check with the group leader for venue information.

The office is open every Wednesday 1-3pm. For other times, please make an appointment.



Food and Faith

Sunday, November 20, 2022

10:45am

Enjoying a “sinfully delicious” treat? Being “good” about sticking to your diet? As we enter the holiday season of feasting and fellowship, let’s think about how our embedded theology is reflected in our conversations around the dinner table.

• Speaker: Virginia Gracen
• Worship Leader: Jesse Bowen
• Chalice Lighter: Sheryl Bass
• Music: Ken Johnson

Virginia Gracen is a health and psychology educator with a particular interest in the connections between theology and wellness. She is the former host of Faithfully Subversive, a radio show exploring progressive religion and current events. She has worked as a congregation-based community organizer and a community health education specialist. She currently teaches health science and psychology classes online while keeping up with the Gracens’ one-year-old daughter. In addition to her graduate degrees in public health and applied psychology, Virginia has a certificate in theology and ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary.

After the service, we will offer social time online and in person. 12:15-1:15pm we will have Faith Forward Inquirers session on Faith Development for Children & Adults.

To Attend In Person

In accordance with CDC guidance, masks and vaccination are optional. We will ask you to sign in with your contact information for possible contact tracing. We ask you let us know if you find you have a COVID infection within a week of attending a service. 

To Attend Online

We conduct our services live on the Zoom platform to allow for a more interactive experience. You will need to have the free Zoom app on your device and have it updated to the latest version. www.zoom.us

Problems with Zoom? You are in Zoom but can’t hear anything? You can hear but you can’t see? You can’t open the chat to get help? During Sunday services, you can call or text 815-669-0403 and a member of the tech team will try to help.

Use this link to join us on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 847 0286 6562 Passcode: 929464

Did you miss last week's service? You can watch it here.

https://treeoflifeuu.org/services/the-path-of-change/

Article 2 - Changes to the Principles and Purposes 

This past Sunday we talked about the work that the entire association of Unitarian Universalists it doing to examine our core documents, our guiding principles, and our purposes. We are called to reexamine these principles at least every fifteen years. To that end, the board of the Unitarian Universalist Association established the Article 2 Commission two years ago to consider what a new values statement might look like. 

We encourage you to take a look at their draft. They would love to have your feedback by November 28th. Your feedback will help them revise and prepare their next draft which is due in December. This is an important opportunity to have a voice in the future of our tradition!

To find out more information about the commission go to this link: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission

To just look at the draft and offer feedback go here: draft and feedback

Circle Social Hour Tonight

Do you wish you had more social time with your TOLUUC friends?? Do you wish you knew more about your fellow TOLUUC family? The Membership Committee has a remedy for that! Circle Social Hour is here. Like Circle Dinners, we gather monthly for fun conversation and fellowship. Join us with a cup of tea, power smoothie, glass of wine...we won't ask what's in your mug, just how you are. If you were a fly on the wall at our last gathering you would have heard "...the spirit in the mansion died from pneumonia." and "I was 18 years old, you know, immortal." Want to know the context of these statements? Join us at the next Circle Social Hour!

Circle Social Hour will take place on Zoom. Participants will be placed in smaller groups randomly and mixed up every month to offer you an opportunity to meet and get to know others. Our next one will take place on Friday, November 18th at 7 pm CT when we will ask you to share a Thanksgiving recipe. If you shared one last year, please bring a different one this year. We will once again put together a mini cookbook to share with the congregation.

Zoom link information

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89319390604?pwd=c0dvR0x3eUdQdGVvWlhxWVVtY09pQT09

Meeting ID: 893 1939 0604

Passcode: 695453

As with Circle Dinners, we’d like you to sign up in advance each month so we can randomize our core group, however ‘drop ins’ on the evening are always welcome! To register your place please RSVP to Lora Cantele

Women's Book Group

Join us for Women’s Book Group on Friday, December 2, at 7:00 pm. You won’t have to go out on a cold, dark night, because we’re shifting to Zoom for the winter! The link for the meetings is below. For the December meeting we’re reading Under the Whispering Door, by T.J. Klune. Described by Booklist as “a sweet tale of grief and second chances, and a ghost story about not giving up on even the most lost of souls,” this fantasy is reminiscent of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. In other words, perfect for the season!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/521385171?pwd=Q3Zia29PTFlyTmppd3dyTzJUdXlWUT09

Ready to nurture your inner poet?

Poetry lovers unite. We share our own poetry or that of poets we are especially appreciating lately. We encourage each other in our writing. We meet in the sanctuary on the first Thursday of the month at 7pm. For more information, use this form

Are you looking for enrichment for your children?

Religious Exploration (RE) for children ages 3 thru High School meets every Sunday until the weekend of Thanksgiving, November 27th. Please watch for future email or the newsletter for more information about our winter schedule. 

Time: Sundays, 10:45am-noon 

Where: Sanctuary (to start), then various indoor and outdoor locations 

Our themes this year are: 

September- The path of Belonging 

October- The path of Courage 

November- The path of Change 

December- The path of Wonder 

January- The path of finding our Center 

February- The path of finding Love 

March- The path of Vulnerability 

April- The path of Resistance 

May- The path of Creativity 

Each week we will provide different experiences along our paths. Some Sundays you may see: Community Worship with Soul Work, Small group Soul Work, games and activities, stories, service projects, and small group worship and deepening of relationship. We encourage students to come every week to discover something new! 

If you have not yet done so, please register your students here 

Please contact me with questions and to volunteer your time using this form or 

Learn@treeoflifeUU.org 

Text 815-509-7862 

Heather Madaus 

Director of Lifespan Learning, TOLUUC 

Service Trip

Are you interested in Social Justice? Craving a chance to really dig in and do some worthwhile work while also learning more about the Native American traditions and current challenges that face people today? Our Coming of Age class invites you to join in their service trip to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We are attending through the Re-Member program; information about the format and expectations of the trip can be found at Re-member.org

Full cost of the trip is $749 plus transportation (most of us are driving and will overnight at UU churches along our route).

Dates (includes driving time): June 9-June 17 

We still have a few spots open! Please print this Form and return it to Heather with $300 deposit to hold your place. We will be able to add people later IF Re-Member has spots open. Please reserve your spot ASAP!

Contact Heather Learn@treeoflifeuu.org or text 815-509-7862

Payment can be made by check to TOLUUC with Service trip in the memo. If you prefer to submit digitally please use this link and choose Youth Group Fund in the drop down menu.

Do you like eating delicious, healthy food with great company?

Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Church is hosting a free vegan potluck here on the third Sunday of every month. The first of these potlucks will take place on November 20 from 5-7 pm. All ages are welcome. Attendees need not be vegan or even a member of this church. There is no agenda for this gathering--just eating and fellowship. Please bring a dish and index card listing the ingredients. Please make sure your dish contains no dairy, eggs, fish, meat, cheese, honey or any animal products. If you don't know what to bring, just bring yourself. Any questions? Call or email Sheryl Bass at 720-771-7430 or sherylbass999@gmail.com

Do you like to sing?

Join us for the Holiday Worship Service on Sunday, 12/18/2022, 10:45 AM. 

We invite all adults and high school singers to participate! If you enjoy singing, come help us make music. Use this form if you have questions. We’ll start preparing after Thanksgiving.  

When is the church open during the week?

Staff will be in the building Wednesdays 1-3pm so you can stop by to conduct church business. We welcome you other times by appointment. 

To make an appointment call the church office at 815-322-2464 or

Congregational Admin., Judy Stettner at office@treeoflifeuu.org

Minister, Rev Jenn Gracen, minister@treeoflifeuu.org

Director of Lifespan Learning, Heather Madaus, learn@treeoflifeuu.org



Are you looking for small group connections? Chalice Circles might be your answer.

As we move forward, some groups remain online and others are meeting in person. 

Our UU faith is a theology of connection and through the Soul Matters themes we explore those connections – reflecting on our lives, our gifts, and the needs of the world around us, as we grow community. In our circles we practice deep listening to receive the reflections of each other and we learn to hear our own voice as well – developing the insight and confidence to speak our truth wherever we are.. Everyone is welcome to join. We currently have 5 circles meeting: , 4th Wed. 1:30 pm, and the 3rd and 4th Sundays at 9 am and 7 pm. New circles are opening up as necessary to accommodate either online or on site attendance. Information about the program can be found at : https://treeoflifeuu.org/tree-of-life-rooted-in-love-extending-that-love-to-all-of-humanity/ If you’re interested in joining or would like more info use this form or see M.E. Tanabe or Janet Burns at church.

Does your life need more mindfulness?

Our online meditation is hosted on the Meditation Chapel platform. This is an online multi-faith/inter-spiritual meditation service, linking people from around the world. A simple registration is required for the platform’s security. It takes less than 2 minutes. Here’s the link: https://meditationchapel.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c772dca35f9340088f1fd5d65&id=7d83c2bb65

You will receive the URL’s (web addresses) for all 7 of the Zoom meditation rooms (chapels) – no Zoom links or passwords. The name of our “Chapel” room will always be Mary of Magdala no matter what time we are meeting. You can bookmark that page once you receive the addresses (URLs). We meet on Tuesdays 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm and Thursdays 10:00 – 11:00 am Central Time. Our meditation will always be during the first 30 – 40 minutes of meeting time. You can freely pop in and out of the practice at any time, and you can stay for just the meditation or however long suits your schedule.

For more information, click here. For questions or concerns contact: M. E. (Emi) Tanabe m.e.tanabe@comcast.net

Lunch with the Minister

Join Rev Jenn to talk about the service or whatever. Mondays at noon. Online.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81693878423?pwd=MHZHSktxcnY1bU5PdTh5Y0RYUUJBQT09

Meeting ID: 816 9387 8423

Passcode: 996187

Do you want to provide a welcoming atmosphere on Sunday mornings?

Have you noticed the lack of holy coffee after the services? That is because nobody made it. You can help ensure we have opportunities for community building coffee hours by signing up to offer treats, make coffee (it really isn’t that hard), and wash the coffee cups (Judy Stettner will train you). Sign-up sheets will be posted in the social room. Or volunteer using this form. Feels too hard to do yourself? Find a group to share the task. In the past committees, chalice circle groups, and even groups of people who share the same first name (let’s hear it for the Judys) have signed up for a Sunday.  

Are you new(ish) to Tree of Life and Unitarian Universalism? Faith Forward Inquirers is a weekly program to welcome new attendees and introduce them to Unitarian Universalism and Tree of Life. We meet online and in the sanctuary Sundays from 12:15-1:15pm using the same link as the Sunday service. These sessions are the main path to learning more about us and are a path to membership. 

November 20- Faith Development for Children & Adults

November 27- No Inquirers

December 4 - UU History, Principles & Sources

December 11 - Worship & Liturgical Year

December 18 - No Inquirers

December 25- No Inquirers

January 1 - No Inquirers

January 8 - Social Action & Community Service

January 15 - Pastoral Care & Small Group Ministry

January 22 - No Inquirers

January 29- Small Group Connections

February 5 - Membership 101 & Congregational Life

February 12 - Q&A with the Minister

This schedule is tentative.

Sessions repeat throughout the year and can be taken in any order. Questions? Use this form

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84702866562?pwd=MU51VG5HNUJON0IrVTZrVm90a0NWQT09

Meeting ID: 847 0286 6562

Passcode: 929464

Transgender Day of Remembrance Gathering

Our allies at Woodstock Pride are holding a Transgender Day of Remembrance Gathering on Sunday, November 20 from 6 to 8 pm at Stage Left Café, 125 W. Van Buren in Woodstock.  

There is also this opportunity offered by the Unitarian Universalist Association:

Transgender Day of Remembrance Service on Nov. 18

Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20. To mark the day, there will be a special online worship service on Friday, November 18 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm Eastern, hosted by the Rev. Michael Crumpler, UUA LGTBQ and Multicultural Programs Director. Register here to attend. Service description is below:

2022 has been another deadly year for transgender and non-binary people. The barrage of anti-trans legislation that has been levied against the trans/non-binary community along with a culture of hate that is harming our children is directly responsible for these senseless killings and the dangers the trans community faces on a daily basis.

As Unitarian Universalists, we share the collective responsibility to build a world the affirms the inherent worth and dignity of all. Our transgender siblings are sacred and divine. Let us honor the inherit worth and dignity of trans people by remembering those we’ve lost and honoring those living among us.

UU the Vote

UU the Vote—Irene Raven is coordinating a get-out-the-vote post card mailing for the December 6 Georgia Senate race run-off.  There will be post cards to make out after worship services this Sunday, November 20 and supplies of cards, stamps, and complete instruction are available from her at irene.raven@gmail.com .

Do you want to advocate for LGBTQIA+ equality?

PFLAG McHenry and McHenry PTI have merged. We meet the second Tuesday of the month from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the sanctuary.

PFLAG envisions a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued and affirmed, inclusive of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

We work to support one another, to educate ourselves and others, and advocate on behalf of LGBTQ+ people.

For more information about PFLAG and PFLAG membership visit

www.pflagillinois.org

PFLAG McHenry

pflagmchenry@pflagillinois.org

Do you want to support the financial well being of Tree of Life without spending more?

Good News! The shopping card sales table is again open in the church social room before and after services. The church is able to purchase some cards at places you normally shop, or for gifts, at discounted prices. Stop by the table to get a list of vendors available or to ask questions of Sandy Eckert. Good sellers are Jewel cards, Chipotle, Olive Garden, Bath & Body Works, & Walgreen's. Check us out. Payment by check or cash only due at time of order. Some cards are in stock; others will be included in our next order due to shipping costs.

Do you do most of your shopping online but still want to help the church at no extra cost? Add iGive to your browser, pick Tree of Life UU Congregation as your beneficiary and we will receive a percentage of your online shopping with qualified companies. Use this link to sign up. https://www.igive.com/html/refer.cfm?causeid=68297

Registration and Housing

Registration is available at UUA.org/GA. Register before March 1 for the lowest rate. Rates will increase on March 1 and again on May 1.

Watch the video below to learn what General Assembly is.

Support Unitarian Universalism with your gift shopping this year. You can browse the complete Holiday Guide for more great gift ideas for everyone on your list. Free standard shipping on orders of $50 or more within the U.S. is available now through December 4th.

Giving Tuesday Monthly Gift Match Opportunity Coming Soon

After Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday comes Giving Tuesday. This year the UUA is once again offering a special matching gift opportunity: become a monthly donor and the first twelve months of your gifts will be matched! Faithful Sustainers are the UUA's monthly donors, providing reliable, year-round funds for the UUA's budget. 

Vocal Activist Melanie DeMore Will Be Performing at the Unitarian Church of Evanston 

Join Melanie DeMore on December 3, at the Unitarian Church of Evanston where she will “bring people together to experience the healing power of music”. She will be performing at 7 p.m. at 1330 Ridge Avenue in Evanston. Tickets are available through Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/melanie-demore-concert-tickets-465384697157 

A vocal activist who describes herself as part of “the African-American folk tradition of Odetta,” singer-songwriter Melanie DeMore weaves the fibers of her folk songs with soulful ballads, spirituals, and original music. Bringing the audience together through music and commentary with words of joy and awakening in such recordings as Share My Song and Come Follow Me.  

DeMore is a member of the music faculty at St. Paul’s School in Oakland, California, where she teaches a cappella singing and is a founding member of the Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble, Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She has shared the stage with numerous artists during her career including Buffy Saint Marie, John Prine, Josh White, Jr., Laura Nyro, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Pete Seeger. 

Tickets for the performance at UCE are available for $30 each through Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/melanie-demore-concert-tickets-465384697157) The venues café will provide light refreshments and snacks. Parking is available at the church lot and adjoining streets.  For more information, contact Sandra Robinson at srobinson@ucevanston.org   

Rev. Jenn Gracen

Interim Minister

minister@treeoflifeuu.org

Judy Stettner 

Congregational Administrator 

office@treeoflifeuu.org



Heather Madaus

Director of Lifespan Learning 

Learn@treeoflifeuu.org

Sue McCowin

Board President 

president@treeoflifeuu.org