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.

Community Building: The HOW / Rev. Dawn Cooley

Unity Temple Bells performing

March Theme: Path of Vulnerability

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

Live stream link can be found here.

Sunday’s chalice table flowers are given by the Flower Committee to remind everyone that the Spring Flower Sale starts at Coffee Hour today. This is how we decorate for Easter/Passover.

OFFERING : Faith in Action Network

Unity Temple Gives. Each week we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will support the Unity Temple Faith in Action Network – a growing network of members, friends, and community partners, organizing for justice, compassion and liberation. Subscribe to our monthly Faith in Action Newsletter 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.

Please be aware of email scams. This past week many people received another email from a gmail account pretending to be Rev. Dawn, not a unitytemple.org account. Our ministers and staff would NEVER contact you using anything but a unitytemple.org nor would we ask for gift cards. 

If you receive a suspicious email and are not sure of its validity, please contact our office to verify before responding or clicking on any links.

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 at Community Hour for refreshments and fellowship in Unity House.

Congregational Life Tables This week Easter Flower Sales, ExLibris Bookstore, Religious Education for Children & Youth, Restorative Justice Team, and theTransition Team will all feature information during Community Hour.

 

Save the Date for a Congregational Meeting on April 30! At our Annual Meeting in December, we agreed to take an updated look at our budget after the first half of the year. Please save the date for a congregational meeting on April 30. At this meeting, we will provide current budget information. We will also vote on a congregational relational covenant. Time and format to be announced.

Food & Fellowship 

Monthly "Brown-Bag Lunch with the Minister(s)" will take place on March 16, the third Thursday of the month from 11:30am - 12:30pm. 

These new opportunities to connect will be in person at 1019 South Blvd. Bring your lunch!

On March 5th, the message for all ages took an unusual turn, when a candle was consumed. No actual candles were eaten during this informative message for all ages. 

Many thanks to all who joined our LGBTQ+, Gender and Reproductive Justice team in writing 600 postcards to help get-out-the-vote in the upcoming Wisconsin primary! Collectively UU’s sent over 10,000 postcards! Learn more here.

Pathway to Membership provides an opportunity to learn about what becoming a member means. Participants will learn about our mission, programs, operations, volunteer opportunities, and more. At the first session, we get to know one another and learn about the congregation's interesting history. Guest speakers join the second session to share information about how the congregation works together to create meaningful experiences and build community. We hope you can participate! The spring schedule is March 12 & 19 and 

April 9 & 16. To register contact pathway@unitytemple.org. 

Softball is back for 2023!

The coed team is back and would like to invite any and all who want to get out and have fun regardless of your skill. We welcome all! 

• Co-ed 14-inch League
• League Fees: $65 per player
• Season Begins Week of April 12, 2023
• 10-game regular season, plus post-season tournament for those who qualify
• Games are on Friday
• Game times are at 7, 8, 9 and 10pm (times subject to change)
•  All games played at Ridgeland Common Park
• Team communication is managed with TeamSnap
• Practice is TBD (typically Saturdays or Sundays)

If this sounds like something you are interested or have questions reach out to sports@unitytemple.org.

Updating Your Contact Information in Realm - Online Directory We recently enabled the text messaging feature in Realm to use as a communication tool to reach out to congregants with emergency or urgent information when needed. If you haven't done so already, please ensure that we have a current mobile phone number on file for you in Realm.

To login to the directory, please visit this link. If you do not know your login credentials to Realm, please reach out to Ashley Lottino at office@unitytemple.org and she can assist you with resetting your password or getting you set up with login credentials. Please note, the online directory is only available to members of the congregation. We've also created some helpful instructions on how to update your contact information and privacy settings. 

UTUUC Cares For those of us who are facing life challenges, help is available. The Caring Committee arranges for meals and other practical assistance for those in need of help due to illness and other life limitations. They can be reached at caring@unitytemple.org. And if you would like a compassionate ear when facing troubling circumstances, trained, commissioned members of the Spiritual Care Team are available to meet with you. When shadows fall on the path of life, you need not walk alone. The team can be reached at spiritualcare@unitytemple.org.

DRUUMM Chicago Gathering On Sunday, March 26 from 2-4pm DRUUMM, Unitarian Universalism’s oldest and largest people-of-color collective invites you to the upcoming local gathering with interested Black, Indigenous & People of Color in your congregations and communities. DRUUMM hears and strives to be responsive to the needs of BIPOC UUs by creating opportunities to connect more deeply and support one another’s faith formation. These gatherings are free and include a shared meal. The gatherings will include worship, time for deeper relationship building, and a featured program around The Stories We Tell About People of Color In Unitarian Universalism and Our Imagination of the Future of our Faith.

Interested BIPOC UU can learn more and register online or email us directly at info@druumm.org. 

Gathering will take place at the Unity Temple Community Center, 1019 S. Blvd., Oak Park IL.

Please join our Meet&Greet gathering on the first Sunday of the month.  It's a wonderful way for new people to get to know members of the congregation in a casual setting beyond Community Hour. This group meets in Gale House, the green building next door to Unity Temple. Hope to see you Sunday, April 2 at 11:30 in Gale House! Contact 

hospitality@unitytemple.org for more information. 

Dear staff and ministers of Unity Temple Universalist Congregation in Oak Park,

United Lutheran's members were really touched to receive the sympathy card your congregation sent to us, sharing in sympathy and support for our grief at Pastor Dennis Bushkofsky's death. 

I placed the card in the sanctuary near the baptism font at the front of our worship space and announced it during our Sunday worship. I want to let you know that many of our members stopped to read and look at it and I could see the smiles on their faces when they took in the host of names from your members who signed! 

Thank you so much for this special effort to remember with us Dennis. He was a truly good man and exemplary leader of faith in action, and we have valued so much what he did for us during his years of ministry - and which you got to witness when you shared our building space.

On behalf of United Lutheran Church,

Rev. Ole Schenk

The Unity Temple Choir, a chamber orchestra and professional actors/singers will present an incredibly moving choral work entitled, Considering Matthew Shepard. Matthew Shepard was a 21 year old gay man who was murdered in the fall of 1998. The music engages listeners in a heartbreaking story that ends with a commitment to Tell Each Other Stories engaging All Of Us to finding the best in each person and to commit to move forward in reconciliation.

Join us for an unforgettable musical experience during worship on Sunday, April 2 at 10am.

SAVE THE Date: Spring Music Festival 2023 will take place at Unity Temple on April 29 at 7pm. Adults: $20 presale / $25 at the door and children (13 and under): $5. Online ticket sales as well as in-person ticket sales after service begin on March 19.

The annual Spring Music Festival showcases the outstanding talent of members and friends of the congregation.  Anchored by the Unity Temple Players (our house band), this not-to-be-missed event includes professionals as well as the very best amateur talent of our musical family. Proceeds provide scholarships for community area high school students who compete for one of three $1,000 awards applied to voice instruction and to benefit the UTUUC General Operating Fund. Questions? Please contact: springmusic@unitytemple.org.

Inherent Worth & Dignity: Behind Bars in IL Prisons Join us on Sunday, March 26 at Unity Temple for worship, lunch, film, and panel discussion. Pre-register here for this free event by March 22. 

• 10am - Worship service with Rev. Allison Farnum, Executive Director of UU Prison Ministry of Illinois
• 12pm - Lunch in Unity House (optional)
• 12:45pm - View the film Stateville Calling (in-person or via Zoom)
• 1:45pm - Panel Discussion with Vincent and Anthony of the IL Prison Project, moderated by Bill Ryan and Cathy Blanford (in-person or via Zoom)

This is a free event and open to the public. Lunch and Zoom requires pre-registration. A free-will offering will be collected to help off-set the cost of lunch. Questions? Contact: restorativejustice@unitytemple.org.

LGBTQ+, Gender & Reproductive Justice Thanks to all who have signed-up to join our new LGBTQ+, Gender & Reproductive Justice team. We are working with local partners to organize education, advocacy, and a rapid response team. Together, let's help create the networks of care needed to uplift the right to bodily autonomy! Sign-up here to receive updates.

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.

Pen Pal Power Hour Join the UU Prison Ministry of Illinois via Zoom on Thursday, March 30, Noon, to learn about being a pen pal with someone in prison. Register here. Questions?  Contact: prisonpenpals@unitytemple.org.

Everybody In! Join our partners with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights! 

Our communities in Illinois need economic justice, healthcare access, and racial equity to prosper! Contact your state legislators here to ask for their support or thank them for already signing on to:

• Fully fund the Immigrant Service Line Item for economic relief and citizenship support
• Create a child tax credit for Illinois families, including those who file taxes with ITIN
• Make driver's licenses and state IDs available to all residents
• Reduce medical debt for those who are uninsured or underinsured by requiring nonprofit hospitals to screen for program eligibility before billing a patient

Questions? Contact: immigration@unitytemple.org.

Unhoused Neighbors Need Your Help

Housing Forward needs your help to support 15 individuals and families experiencing homelessness. If interested in volunteering at the shelter (38 N. Austin Blvd., Oak Park) or providing a meal for shelter guests, please sign up here. Questions? Contact housingforward@unitytemple.org.

Faith in Action Newsletter To learn more about living our mission through our Faith in Action Network, check out the latest newsletter here. You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter here. Questions? Contact Rev. Colleen, Assistant Minister for Faith in Action cvahey@unitytemple.org.

Tuesday Evening Mindful Reflection Community 

meets virtually and in person in Unity House at Unity Temple. Meeting opens at 7pm EST for camaraderie, the program starts promptly at 7:20pm. 

Vaccinations are encouraged, masks are optional. 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. 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 EducationEach year, we ask our families to register and 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 Val Ridenour 

vridenour@unitytemple.org. 

Please register your child/children for Religious Education using this link.

UTUUC Office Hours The office/community center located at 1019 South Blvd is open Monday-Friday from 9am-3pm. If you are looking for access to the office outside of these hours, reach out to staff associated with your needs to make arrangements. For Administration, contact Brian Franklin at bfranklin@unitytemple.org, Membership and Engagement contact Tina Lewis at tlewis@unitytemple.org, Religious Education contact Val Ridenour at vridenour@unitytemple.org, and Music Ministry, contact Marty Swisher at mswisher@unitytemple.org. 

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.

Calendar Reservations Do you need to reserve space in one of our three buildings for a meeting, activity or event? You may make a reservation request by clicking here.

Congregational Life Table Reservation Would you like to reserve a table to promote congregational happenings during Community Hour in Unity House? 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.

We Celebrate Our Differences :: The beloved community includes people with diverse life experiences. Here at Unity Temple we call people to live out the values of our faith: interdependence, pluralism, justice, equity, generosity and transformation. 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