DR. MICHELE TOWNSEND GROVE
Human history in general and Unitarian Universalists history specifically maintains a complicated relationship with women, children and education. Our own congregation is a part of this history. In this worship experience, Michele Townsend Grove will outline her research on the topic through stories that lead us to better understand our own congregation’s relationship with lifelong learning.
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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.
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The
online "Zoom" Fellowship Hour immediately follows the live streamed service each Sunday. Please note the password to enter the meeting is
UUCUC. All are welcome!
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REV. FLORENCE CAPLOW, EMILY MCKOWN, EMMA HERZOG, JORDAN SIMONS
This will be a service to celebrate seniors graduating from high school and YRUU. While this tradition may be a last hurrah for their status as a high school student, we mark this moment as a bridge into adulthood which is full of possibility and discovery. These seniors, Emma Herzong and Jordan Simons, will share their reflections, hopes, dreams, and music. Their family, their youth advisors, and friends will share their memories and best wishes for the future ahead.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS, CLASSES & EVENTS
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MAY 21, 22, AND 23 FROM 5:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Are you ready for 3 nights of adventure in the world of an online auction? Tomorrow, May 15 is the deadline for donations so please, keep them coming in the next 24 hours! Some of the auction items we have received already: dinners, artwork, pizza & Pandemic or Cake Wars, anyone? We look forward to seeing your inspired ideas!
Exciting breaking news:
Make Your Own AUUction Dinner! Matt Stasiewicz, author of last year's hit auction dinner, has created a series of three delicious recipes for you to cook for yourselves on the evenings of May 21st, 22nd, and 23rd as you watch over your bids during the online auction. The recipes are designed to be progressive in that leftovers from each night are used as ingredients in the following night's dinner. He has even created instructional videos in case you feel you need a little help. Thank you, Matt, for this amazing effort!
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MEETS TWICE WEEKLY!
On Monday and Thursday nights, we will offer an hour on Zoom for anyone to call in and find a moment of calm and renewal, with an opening reading, brief check in, sharing of joys and sorrows, and short guided meditation. Rev. Bill Breeden will facilitate Monday evenings, and Rev. Florence Caplow will facilitate Thursday evenings.
Read more...
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TUESDAY, JUNE 2 AND SUNDAY, JUNE 7
At the June 14 annual meeting, the Immigration Justice Task Force of the Social Action Committee (IJTF) will be asking members for a vote of affirmation for its plan to provide temporary hospitality to our immigrant friends and neighbors when ICE is in town. To help prepare for this request, IJTF is holding two informational meetings to provide updates and answer questions.
Read more...
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SAVE THE DATE: UUCUC'S ANNUAL MEETING ON JUNE 14TH!
The Board of Trustees has set the annual meeting date for Sunday, June 14. The meeting will be held virtually using Zoom. Logistical details are being developed by an Annual Meeting Planning Group and our goal is to provide the opportunity for participation for all members. Stay tuned for further detailed information in the coming weeks. Plans are also developing for Zoom-based informational sessions from the Board of Trustees that will be offered prior to the meeting.
Please note: If you filled out the congregational
Needs and Resources Survey
and expressed interest in learning about Zoom, that information will be used to assist you in the coming weeks. An effort is underway to provide technical assistance to members to connect to the Annual Meeting by computer or phone.
For questions or further information, please contact Randy Locke at
chair@uucuc.org
.
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"LITTLE FREE PANTRY" IN URBANA
A couple of opportunities for you to help out--- our own Julie Laut has set up a "Little Free Pantry" in front of her house at 505 W. Main, Urbana. She welcomes your donations of food & personal care products, in particular: pasta sauce, canned soup, tuna & beans. If she hasn't set out the shelving yet that morning you can leave things on the porch. Feel free to spread the word about this valuable neighborhood resource.
She's also looking for someone who might help construct a more stable/permanent structure so if you like to build things & are interested in helping, you can contact Julie at:
jlaut@hushmail.com
or 513-544-2682.
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GROCERY DELIVERY AVAILABLE
If it would be helpful to have someone deliver groceries for you, we have several folks who have volunteered to do this. Contact Julie Laut at:
jlaut@hushmail.com
or 513-544-2682 & she’ll put you in touch with a volunteer.
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UUCUC'S "WARM LINE"
If you find you could use some support or would like to talk with someone, please call the UUCUC “Warm Line” at 1-800-705-8158. One of the negative implications of “social distancing” is feeling isolated. There are volunteers from our church ready to talk with you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to travel this road alone.
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UUCUC'S "BUDDY SYSTEM"
Staying connected while
UUCUC facilities are closed
During this time of social distancing, staying in touch and checking in with each other is going to be very important. We hope you will consider being part of our "Buddy System" so we can care for one another.
You can sign up here:
https://uucuc.breezechms.com/form/2184f1. Buddies will check in with each other regularly by phone to provide connection, companionship, and connections to help if needed. This is a great way to help each other.
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From Janet Revell Barrett:
To the joy, the wonder, the miracle of participating in growth, discovery, and connection in our roles as mothers and grandmothers!
From Samuel Beshers and Lynn Wiley:
We are holding Florence and her mother Harriet in our hearts this morning.
From Erin Dittmer:
It is a true joy to join this incredible community as an official member! I am excited to grow and work with you all. Joy also to share this morning’s service with my mother, Deborah, who is in Chicago. I am so grateful for her love and support and can’t wait until we can be together again!
From Chris Hannauer:
Jody and I dropped off our son Ben at his Chicago apartment yesterday where he will finish out his freshman year at DePaul. We will miss him and worry about him, but this is where he needs to be and he's ready.
From Amy Hassinger:
A joy: for a beautiful pre-Mother's Day hike with my family yesterday in Allerton Park, and a welcome socially-distanced visit with the Herzogs--so good to see friends in person, if at a distance. A sorrow: for all the losses all of our kids around the community are experiencing, and the difficult, uncertain future ahead. They are all so brave.
From Barbara Jauhola:
Concern for my sister Sue who is dealing with a difficult life situation. Sending love and support to her.
From Kyle Kroha:
Prayers & fiercest strong energies to the US First Nations peoples. For a friend & their private intention. For all students in final exams: good outcomes & peace & freedom from technical issues.
From Julie Laut:
Love and gratitude to my mom and all of the many women throughout my life who have supported, loved, and mentored me. Their combined wisdom and nurturance sustains me.
From Mindy McClard:
So much sorrow for our current reality with no end in sight.
From Karen Retzer:
To the church choir - The Welsh hymn, “All Through the Night” was one of my mother’s favorite hymns. It was beautiful to hear you all sing it today. Thank you.
From Umeeta Sadarangani:
A joy! An old friend—who has also been a mother and mentor to me for thirty-five years—received an all-clear from her oncologist this week after months of chemo, in time for Mother’s Day and for her 82nd birthday next week. I’m very grateful.
From Melissa Schoeplein:
Joy that five years ago today Theo came into this world on mother’s day 2015. This spirited boy brings us so much love and joy. Happy 5th Birthday, Theo!
From elizaBeth Simpson:
Sorrow at the sudden passing of Nick Rudd, an amazing musician, and deeply kind and fun friend and librarian. Nick was super smart and used it to help countless others find their own brilliance.
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UUCUC Shared Offering.
Each month a selected organization is chosen to receive half of our weekly Sunday plate collections. You may donate to the social action offering for the month in one of the following ways:
During the month of May, we will support
Sistering CU.
Sistering CU’s mission statement is to provide a realistic and compassionate postpartum support network for families in Champaign County and enable them to successfully navigate the challenges of life with a newborn. They envision a community where the transition to parenthood is acknowledged, valued, supported and new families thrive. All of this leads to greater potential to provide ease, equanimity and joy within the family unit and throughout our community.
Read more....
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The Social Action Committee is seeking a few youngish volunteers to work on CU-Better Together. This is a community-wide project designed to distribute food to families in our community who are suffering hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more...
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The stakes couldn’t be higher in the 2020 elections. Directly or indirectly, the issues so many of us care most deeply about—climate change, LGBTQ rights, immigration, racial justice and more—will be on the ballot in 2020. As progressive people of faith we can seize the opportunity that the current electoral cycle offers us to fight for our values, counter voter suppression, expand democracy, and engage in spiritually grounded, values-based issue conversations with other voters in our own communities. Let’s UU the Vote in 2020!
Watch video...
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JOIN THE BUCKET BRIGADE!
Channing-Murray has been preparing a #bucketbrigade of essential grocery deliveries for extremely low-income families in Urbana who are recommended by
Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office. These buckets have beans, rice, cereal, soup, eggs, and more! We've sanitized each and every item, and we’ll be delivering these to drop off on doorsteps.
Also, if you don't have funds to donate, but want to support the cause, there are some low-no-contact ways to volunteer. Please message
Emily McKown for more information.
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Food insecurity has skyrocketed among our C-U immigrant community as business closings have resulted in massive job loss. There are thousands of undocumented immigrants in our community that do not qualify for unemployment benefits, and they need our help.
The Immigration Justice Task Force is diverting $1,100 from our budget to send to CU FAIR’s Pandemic Response Fund. We are asking members and friends of UUCUC to join us in ensuring he most vulnerable in our community can feed their families.
Read More...
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CHURCH CALENDAR
Dates are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, visit our
UUCUC Calendar page
.
Note: Parenthesised meetings/events are outside rentals. Asterisk meetings/events are closed.
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Effective Monday, March 16, the UUCUC building closed as a preventative measure to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our community.. All upcoming scheduled meetings and events at UUCUC listed on
the calendar should be considered tentative. If you are planning on participating in a recurring meeting, please verify with the facilitator that the meeting or event is still scheduled to meet and is shifting to an online format. UUCUC leadership and staff are working to move all recurring meetings to an online format, but this may take some additional weeks. Stay tuned for more information!
At this time, we are strongly asking no groups to meet in person.
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UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS - MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
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Next eNews: May 24, 2020
Last day for content: Wednesday May 23 by Noon the latest.
Please do
not
send to admin@uucuc.org.
Don't forget to publicize your meeting/event!
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UUCUC CONTACT INFORMATION
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Regular Church Office Hours
Closed until further notice
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Church Office
(217) 384-8862
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Rev. Florence Caplow
Minister
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Kate Barton
Director of Facilities
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Sherry Bohlen
Director of Congregational Engagement
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Austin Cody
Choir Director
Brian Franklin
Director of Congregational Administration
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Matthew Gladden
Assistant Music Director
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Michele Townsend Grove
Interim Director of Religious Education
Kelsey Libert
Childcare Coordinator
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Emily McKown
Youth Coordinator
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Blake Preston
Religious Education Assistant
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Shornor Vineyard
Custodian and Building Caretaker
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