UPCOMING WORSHIP SERVICE INFORMATION |
|
Kelly Skinner
Sunday, April 9
10:15 am at UUCUC
|
|
Rev. Sally Fritsche and Kelly Skinner
Sunday, April 16
10:15 am at UUCUC
|
|
Join us at 11:30 (or immediately following the service) for an in-person fellowship with coffee, beverages, treats, and good conversation in UUCUC's Fellowship Hall.
|
|
It’s a SlUUmber Party! The annual service auction will be on April 15! Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with breakfast-for-dinner and bidding on items beginning 6:00 p.m. This year, we will have a select number of items available for live bidding at 7:30 p.m.
Wear your pajamas, have breakfast for dinner, and place your bids to support of church home!
Visit here to buy tickets, view the auction catalog, or bid online!
|
|
Your Search Team is overjoyed to report that we have made a successful match with a candidate to be our settled minister! This happy event comes as the culmination of many months of work and reflection by the Search Team, but also by our wonderful congregation. More than one candidate spoke to us about how impressed they were with the level of congregational participation that they saw in our materials.
The next big step in this process occurs this Sunday when we will present a video introduction to the candidate. After that, we will gear up for Candidating Week, which will be from April 23rd through April 30th. The candidate will deliver the service on the 23rd, and will then spend the week introducing themselves to all of us in a variety of small- and large-group gatherings. These will include open forums in person and on Zoom, as well as a number of more focused gatherings with different groups in the church. If you are a member of one of our many Councils, be on the lookout for an email from your council leader with details about when and where your group's meeting with the candidate will be.
Candidating Week and the entire search process will come to their climax on Sunday, April 30th. The candidate will again deliver the service, and immediately afterward the congregation will vote to call them as our next settled lead minister. Please mark this important date in your calendar to ensure full congregational participation in this vote.
We will be providing much more specific information in the coming days as we are able to settle the schedule for Candidating Week; be on the lookout for updates as it is finalized. And, in the meantime, please feel free to contact us at search@uucuc.org with any questions.
|
|
The community risk level in Champaign County is LOW. That means mask use is based on personal preference and risk assessment. Eating or drinking is permitted in the building, including in-person Fellowship Hour. Read the UUCUC COVID Safety Guidelines for more details.
|
|
UPCOMING MEETINGS, CLASSES & EVENTS
|
|
SUNDAY CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMMING |
|
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION & EXPLORATION NEWS |
|
The Our Whole Lives program is a comprehensive sexuality education program with developmentally appropriate offerings ranging from kindergarten to adulthood. This program is immensely valuable for children and youth in particular. We’re teaching them about their bodies and how they are in control of their own bodies. We’re teaching them about families and how so many families might look different than their own. We’re teaching them about healthy friendships and how to have good, respectful relationships with others.
UUCUC has been able to offer classes for three grade levels: K-2, 4-6, and 7-9. This program takes trained facilitator leaders. We are in need of new leaders to join the current experienced team to continue or even expand our offerings.
We are hoping to offer a weekend training program this summer here at UUCUC and there is another training being planned in Bloomington-Normal. We will fund your training if you are willing to commit to leading our youth for at least two years. If you have ever wanted to be a leader for OWL or learn more about the program, please reach out to Kelly Skinner (religious-exploration@uucuc.org).
|
|
REE CommUUnity Fair - April 16
Get the inside scoop on all things Religious Exploration & Engagement! Volunteers and staff representing different aspects of REE will be in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, April 16 immediately following the service. You can get more information, ask all your questions, and share your thoughts and ideas.
REE provides opportunities for learning and growth to everyone in our congregation - for children in grade school, our middle school and high school youth, young adults from 18-30, parents and families, and adults of all ages. Learn more about how to get involved and participate!
|
|
Join us on Sunday, April 9 after worship for an all-ages Easter egg hunt on the UUCUC grounds! The egg hunt will kick off no earlier than 11:30 a.m., so feel free to join even if you aren't able to attend Sunday’s service! Please bring your own baskets for you and your family. If you have any questions or want to volunteer for the event, contact Natalie Danner at sundayree@uucuc.org.
|
|
Middle School Field Trip - April 16
Instead of Sunday class, we are taking a field trip to the farm and stables of Joe Omo-Osagie in north Urbana. We will meet at the church at 10:15 a.m., drive to Joe's place, see the horses and hike around the nearby property, and return to church around 11:30 a.m. Students should wear shoes/boots that can handle some muddy areas and dress for whatever weather conditions are on that day.
Each participant must have a permission slip completed and returned to Jim Hannum (jwhannum@gmail.com) by April 14. When we know how many kids can come, we'll arrange cars with REE teachers and parents to drive to Joe's place.
|
|
Download our new 'UUCUC' app!
The UU Church of Urbana-Champaign is excited and proud to announce the release of our latest mobile app,'UUCUC' now available on both Android Google Play Store and iOS App Store and ready for your download and use! The application was pioneered and implemented by Brian Franklin with the assistance of Jamie Jones - we are forever grateful for their contribution and efforts to the UUCUC.
|
|
Thank you for all the donations given to our two pantries. Some donors we know and can acknowledge but other donations are anonymous. Know we are grateful for all.
|
|
Submitting Joys and Sorrows
|
|
From Mike Sabacinski: I appreciate Lisa, the leader of the Reproductive Justice Team at the UU Church of Indianapolis, and her diligent social justice work. Lisa's team activated Indianans to fight against anti-LGBTQ bills in the state legislature, and Lisa is working on a virtual event for Urbana-Champaign Reproductive Justice Week, April 24 - 30.
From Maragret Lovell: A joy for successfully completing my bariatric surgery last Thursday. It's the first big step on my new adventure.
From Rev KB: A recent auction event that was filled with moments of raucous laughter reminds and re-inspires me about the healing restorative power of shared uninhibited head to toe belly laughing that can so beautifully bond us together and at the same time bring us back around to our selves. All very needed in these post Covid times.
Our gratitude to all our wonderful Coffee House And Auction planners who work so hard provide us amazing and rich opportunities to participate in these sacred pathways toward rejuvenation and one another.
From Lynn Wiley: My niece Katie died unexpectedly last week. She was 51. I loved her laughter
From Gail Hueting: Tomorrow I have my first cataract surgery, with driving help from Carecore.
From Beth S.: It was great to hear about people's disabilities.
From Debbie Rugg: Joy for Florence Caplow: Celebrating her birthday today.
|
|
Accessibility Options
We welcome and affirm people of all abilities and we want to be sure that no one is excluded for full participation in the life of our church. Our church building offers:
- Accessible parking
- Accessible entrance
- Accessible seating
- Assistive listening system
- Scent-free environment
|
|
UUCUC Social Action Offering. Each month a selected organization is chosen to receive offerings from our congregation. You may donate to the social action offering for the month in one of the following ways:
|
|
CASA volunteers work through the juvenile court system to ensure prompt delivery of needed services and make independent recommendations to the court concerning the child’s well-being. CASA volunteers are trained and committed adults who have been sworn in by a judge to watch over the children and advocate for their best interests.
Volunteers make sure children don’t get forgotten in the overburdened legal and social service system or suffer in inappropriate group or foster homes. CASA volunteers spend valuable one-on-one time with the children and provide important information to the judge about the children’s lives. This is very helpful to the court in making decisions about placements for the children.
A CASA volunteer remains involved until the case is closed.
CASA is the Guardian Ad Litem for all abused and neglected children in Champaign County. Thus, a lawyer works with each case along with the CASA advocate. Currently, Champaign County CASA serves approximately 410 children, thanks to 115 volunteer advocates. The children served range in age from newborn to 21 years. Last year approximately 40% were under age 6.
|
|
SOAW was founded in 1990 to denounce the massacre of religious leaders in El Salvador by graduates of the U.S. Army's School of the Americas.
|
|
Thank You For Your Generosity!
Your contributions and support allow us to continue to respond with love and resources to the needs in our congregation and the wider community. We couldn’t do it without your support and we are grateful to each of you.
- Online Donations
- If you prefer mailing a check, please mail the check to the UUCUC office at 309 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801.
|
|
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS! |
|
Next eNews: March 14, 2023
Last day for content: Tuesday, March 11 by 5 pm at the latest.
Don't forget to publicize your meeting/event!
Please send your submittals to pubs@uucuc.org and not to the admin email.
|
|
UUCUC CONTACT INFORMATION |
|
Regular Church Hours
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday
By appointment on Friday
|
|
Church Office
(217) 384-8862
|
|
Rev. Karen Bush
(she/her)
Interim Lead Minister
|
Rev. Sally Fritsche
(she/they)
Associate Minister for Congregational Life
|
Selena Gonzalez
A/V Technician
|
|
Autumn Haskins
(she/her)
Office Assistant
|
Erin Presler
(she/her)
Childcare Coordinator
|
M.R. Rowland
(they/them)
Choir Director
|
Kelly Skinner
(she/her)
REE Manager
|
Tim Voelker
(he/him)
Facilities Manager
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
