We’ll Circle Round for Justice,
Healing and Courage

UUA General Assembly Worship Service
UTUUC will join thousands of Unitarian Universalists around the country (and beyond!) to participate in General Assembly's Sunday morning worship at 11am (NOTE TIME!). Led by the first Universalist Church of Minneapolis, the service is entitled Until Love Wins: Today’s challenging times require a nimble and resilient spirituality. We need a demanding, inspiring faith and a love strong enough that it will not let us go. Join us as we draw the circle wide, gather our strength, and promise to stay in the struggle and joy until love wins. 

There will be no virtual coffee hour this week; we will resume coffee hour on July 4th.
 
Live stream link can be found here.
OFFERTORY :: Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope: MICAH
Unity Temple Gives. Each week we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will benefit MICAH– a multi-racial, interfaith organization committed to justice issues of greatest importance to residents of Milwaukee, a city afflicted with racialized and concentrated poverty. Learn more here.

To contribute to Unity Temple’s Sunday collection, please text 73256 with the message UTUUC $____ (dollar sign followed by your donation amount), and select “Offering”. You may also give at the UTUUC website, by using the camera on your phone to scan the QR code on the screen during the Offertory or by sending a check, payable to Unity Temple, noting MICAH on the memo line, to 875 Lake St., Oak Park, 60301, and we will send a collective check on your behalf. Thank you for your generous support!
Welcome to UTUUC
If you would like to learn more about how our congregation works and how you can become involved, please contact Tina Lewis, Director of Membership & Engagement to set up a conversation. She looks forward to meeting you! tlewis@unitytemple.org 

Worship Service :: will be at 11am on YouTube Live. You can access it here. 

Coffee Hour :: There will be no coffee hour this week. Our regularly scheduled time together will resume July 4.
Connect | Reconnect :: 2021 UT Auction Coming!!! Connect/Reconnect is our theme. We want to create 100 dinners, 25 events and 12 Get-a-Ways as part of our 2021 Auction. Bidding will take place between July 11–July 25. The Auction Committee needs donors for these events. Learn more here. Sign up for your dinner, event, or get-a-way ideas here. Donation deadline is June 30. You can reach out to auction@unitytemple.org with questions, suggestions and more.
The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce
Reverend Dawn S. Cooley will be joining UTUUC as our Interim Minister on August 1, 2021. We expect Rev. Cooley to be with us for two years. Learn more about Rev. Cooley here.

Welcome, Rev. Dawn Cooley!!
The Community Transformation Team (CTT) is currently working on a comprehensive phased opening policy taking into account the guidelines and rules presented by the Center for Disease Control, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Village of Oak Park. Here is where we are now. The CTT will continue to keep everyone updated in regards to the decisions made and the guidelines that we as a congregation will need to follow within our unique building settings. Website link can be found here. Questions and comments can be directed to: ctt@unitytemple.org

Unity Temple Faith In Action Network
Spiritually Grounded / Deeply Relational / Strategically Effective
Unity Temple Gives. Each week we give our Sunday collection to an organization that aligns with our values. This Sunday’s collection will benefit MICAH– a multi-racial, interfaith organization committed to justice issues of greatest importance to residents of Milwaukee, a city afflicted with racialized and concentrated poverty. Learn more here.
Please Join Us for Our Plastic Bag Recycling Kick Off
Did you know "stretchy" plastic like plastic shopping bags, dry-cleaning bags, bread bags, ziploc and produce bags aren't usually recyclable in your bins at home? We're collecting these items that would usually go to a landfill (or to Jewel) to be turned into a recycled plastic bench! The bench will be donated to the Mayfield Community Gardens at Third Unitarian Church in Austin.

Watch this short video, and see what can be recycled here. Please place all plastics into (preferably) one or more plastic bags and drop-off in the bin on the front porch of Gale House (124 N. Kenilworth) behind Unity Temple. We are looking for a few volunteers to sort and transport the plastic to the Jewel in River Forest (7525 Lake St.). If interested please review these directions and sign-up here. Questions? Contact ecojustice@unitytemple.org
UU Prison Ministry Pen Pals We encourage you to consider being a pen pal with someone living in prison. There are 3 steps to help you prepare. Visit the UU Prison Ministry of IL website to watch the 40-minute introductory video; read the resources provided; and then submit the request to be matched with a pen pal. Someone from UUPMI will follow-up with you via phone to check-in and confirm your match. To learn much more about how pen pals are supported, please read the great quarterly pen pal newsletter here. Questions? Contact penpals@unitytemple.org
Treaty People Gathering Last weekend, near the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northern Minnesota, more than 2,000 people joined the Treaty People Gathering to #StopLine3, the disastrous Enbridge oil pipeline that is being built through Anishinaabe treaty lands. The gathering was powerful, creative, and joyful-honoring the leadership of Anishinaabe Water Protectors, and bringing together supporters in solidarity from around the globe.
 
Nearly 200 Unitarian Universalists joined the Treaty People Faith Delegation, participating in shared prayer, training, and direct action. Several UUs were among those who put their bodies on the line and were among the 300 Water Protectors who were arrested in the course of the actions.
 
Here’s how to take action today:
  1. Make your donation to the Treaty People Gathering fund, which will be used to pay off the fines incurred by arrestees as a result of the #StopLine3 direct actions.
  2. Fill out this form to help us track Unitarian Universalist contributions.
  3. Learn more about the movement to stop Line 3 and calls to action here.
Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI) Powers the Social Justice Work of Congregations. UUANI provides Unitarian Universalists across Illinois with advocacy and legislative leadership to effectively build community and power to promote justice and a healthy planet. We bring social justice into the heart of spiritual life of congregations and develop ways for church communities to live the UU principles. We help bridge communities and congregations and align spirituality with tangible actions to affect change. You can find the latest newsletter here.

Welcome to UTUUC
If you would like to learn more about how our congregation works and how you can become involved, please contact Tina Lewis, Director of Membership & Engagement to set up a conversation. She looks forward to meeting you! tlewis@unitytemple.org 
The MidAmerica Region of the Unitarian Universalist Association (of which we are a part) will be holding its annual business meeting virtually on Saturday, June 26th at 10am CST. All are welcome to participate, and if you are a member and would like to serve as a voting delegate at this meeting, please contact Rev. Emily Gage egage@unitytemple.org. Zoom information for the meeting can be found here or go to http://zoom.ur/join and enter Meeting ID 992 9209 7204 Passcode 469298 More information can be found here.
MyHAT Reminder Small group is meeting on Monday, June 28 at 7pm via Zoom. This group is for people living with mental illness and those who care about them. We practice deep sharing and deep listening. Participation is confidential. We are always open to new participants. This month’s theme is “Play”. You are also welcome to share what’s in your mind and in your heart. Contact myhat@unitytemple.org to receive a Zoom link.
Bowling is On! We hope you will join us at Circle Lanes for bowling on Friday, July 2, at 7:30pm. No competition, just bowl a game or two and have fun and conversation. Kids are welcome, and a ramp is available to assist young bowlers get the ball rolling. Reach out to Sports@UnityTemple.org if you are coming, so we can reserve enough lanes.
Farewell Events for Rev. Taylor If you RSVP'd for one or both of the events this weekend please go here for updates.
Gale House Garden Flowers! Let’s work together to fill and beautify the Gale House Gardens this season! We invite you to bring some flowers to plant in the Gale House Gardens. Please plant only flowers of the annual variety (impatiens, petunias, marigolds, begonias, etc.).If you have questions, or would like to support the Gale House Gardens in another way, email Val Ridenour vridenour@unitytemple.org. 

Unity Temple Summer RE Goes Virtual With the Theme of "Grow Together" We offer online programming to fuel our fine young people's spiritual growth and to serve as an opportunity to connect and practice our principles together. We hope you will join Activities for All Ages via zoom every Sunday at 9:30am. If you have any questions or thoughts to share, please contact summer_re@unitytemple.org
Mindful Reflection Online Community Tuesday Evenings Zoom meeting room opens at 6:45pm, program starts at 7:10pm. You Are Welcome Here! 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.
ID: 373 008 242  / Passcode: 4IFrYx  
One tap mobile: +13126266799,,373008242#,,,,*940220#1 312 626 6799 Meeting ID: 373 008 242 / Passcode: 940220
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


Unity Temple Choir Will Break for the Summer Beginning June 16, the choir will break for the summer. Contact music director, Marty Swisher to learn more. mswisher@unitytemple.org
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!