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.
Blessings of Community / Rev. Dawn Cooley
June Theme: Celebrate Blessings
Live Stream Worship at 10am / Recorded Viewing Available at Noon
Live stream link can be found here.
OFFERING : UTUUC Abundance Fund
Unity Temple Gives. Each week, we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will benefit the UTUUC Abundance Fund – providing financial assistance to members of our congregation and the wider community who are in financial distress. Thank you for your generous support. 

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. 
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.
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.
You're Invited! Please join us for the All Congregation Celebration Potluck immediately following service this Sunday, June 12. We will have indoor and outdoor dining options, a playroom open for children, and a Selfie Station for all! Bring a dish to share, and enjoy food, fellowship and fun. RSVP is not required to attend, but is helpful for planning purposes. Click here.

Community events need helping hands to happen! Please add your name to the volunteer list here.
Day In Our Village
Some really helpful, kind, funny and thoughtful volunteers spent part of Sunday, June 5 representing Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation at the Day In Our Village booth. A big thank you to the many volunteers who shared their experiences as part of our congregation with the community. Many buttons were distributed and many many lollipops where enjoyed. Thank you for representing us so well. 
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.
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.
Becoming a Member
For more information about how to become a member of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org. 
Rainbow Connection Do you consider yourself part of the queer UTUUC community? If so, please join us on the evening of Thursday, June 16, from 7–8:30pm. It is our monthly Rainbow Connections meeting. (Allies are welcome, on occasion, by invitation only.) This month's topic is taken from the Soul Connections packet: Celebrate Blessings. We will be meeting in person at Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, Oak Park as well as on Zoom. Masks are required if attending in person. Hope to see you soon! Zoom link can be found here.
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 22. Questions can be directed to recovery@unitytemple.org.
Summer Religious Education 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.
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
Religious Education Registration 2022/2023 is Open! Each 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 Emily Gage egage@unitytemple.org or Val Ridenour vridenour@unitytemple.org. Please register your child/children for Religious Education using this link.
The Mindful Reflection community meets virtually and in person in Unity House at Unity Temple. Meeting opens at 6:45pm for camaraderie, the 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.

Unity Temple Faith In Action Network
Spiritually Grounded / Deeply Relational / Strategically Effective
OFFERING : UTUUC Abundance Fund
This Sunday’s collection will benefit the UTUUC Abundance Fund – providing financial assistance to members of our congregation and the wider community who are in financial distress. Thank you for your generous support. 
Poor People’s Campaign Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 700 people a day died from poverty in the U.S. Even more people are dying now, magnified by policy decisions that ignore the cries of the poor. Join UU’s in Washington DC on June 18 to help build the moral fusion movement, and take action for our collective future. If you plan to attend, please contact FaithinAction@unitytemple.org for a special UU RSVP link so you can connect with other UU’s in Washington DC! 
Thank you!
Thanks so much to all who helped purchase baby items for the family who is seeking asylum and has a newborn. The family extends their gratitude for all the formula, diapers, clothing, furniture, gift cards and additional items that you provided. Thank you for your generous support!  
Faith in Action Newsletter We’ve launched a renewed Faith in Action newsletter filled with impactful actions. If you didn’t receive this monthly newsletter and would like to, please subscribe here. Questions? Contact Rev. Colleen at cvahey@unitytemple.org.
Vote Love Are you looking to live your UU values by positively impacting the elections this fall? Join our VoteLove team on Wednesday, June 22 at 7pm to learn more about getting involved in letter writing, phone banking and other opportunities to build community and protect democracy. Please complete this form to let us know your interest, and receive updates on upcoming actions and the Zoom link to our first Vote Love meeting on June 22! Questions? Contact: votelove@unitytemple.org
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. The Cook County deadline to submit an online request for vote by mail is June 12. Thanks to the League of Women Voters for this information. To get involved in upcoming work to protect our democracy contact: votelove@unitytemple.org
UU Pen Pals Needed
for 40 incarcerated persons who are members of the UU Church of the Larger Fellowship in Illinois. Make a real difference in someone's life while getting a firsthand education about our opprobrious prison system. Snail mail and email options as well as possibilities for video calls and in person visits. Online support for outside pen pals. Contact Barbara Moline prisonpenpals@unitytemple.org for more information and to get started.
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 198 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.
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.
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!