Covid Protocol Update We are continuing to adapt to the changing COVID-19 situation around us. We will be having livestream ONLY worship services through January 23. Religious education classes will continue as they have been operating since the fall. (Virtual only through 6th grade, and Multiplatform for 7th grade and up.) We will continue to keep you updated. If you have questions about other small group programming, which can continue as before, please contact your group leaders or staff person.

Light-Bulb Moments / Rev. Dawn Cooley

January Theme: Living with Intention Live Stream Worship at 10am / Recorded Viewing Available at Noon Live stream link can be found here.

OFFERING :: Austin Scholars Program This Sunday’s collection will benefit the Austin Scholars Program of Third Unitarian Church – since 1974, helping to support more than 500 outstanding high school seniors in the Austin community to attend college. Learn more here. You may donate by placing cash or check in the donation box in the front pew on the main floor, sending a check to the Unity Temple office (to 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 At this time, we have suspended in-person services and will be live streaming from the sanctuary with only worship participants present. You can access the live stream on YouTube at 10am here.

Community Hour Following the Sunday morning service, the Virtual Community Hour will be on Zoom following the service. Go to Zoom Meeting ID: 999 2797 5277 Password: 875875 Or access directly here.

Radical Compassion Group starts Sunday, January 9, 2022 Unity Temple’s Inspiring Compassion Team and Mindful Reflection Community are co-sponsoring a personal exploration group to expand our mindfulness and compassion practices. It is inspired by the book Radical Compassion and will be co-facilitated by Jay Cohen and Jan Johnston. This is a drop-in group where each session will stand on its own and participants can come to any or all sessions.  Participants are NOT required to read the book and all are welcome. If you would like an overview of the Radical Compassion framework, take a look at Jay Cohen's Dharma Talk from New Year's Eve titled "The Two Wings". We will meet on a variety of Sunday evenings starting on Sunday, January 9 at 7pm on Zoom. To see the calendar of sessions, topics, as well as the Zoom link, visit our Radical Compassion Practice Group description. We hope you can join us, regularly or sporadically, as we continue our year of inspiring compassion.

UT Virtual Game Night! All are welcome to join us on Saturday, January 8 at 6:30pm. Codenames, Just One, Scattergories, Taboo and Boggle (to name just a few) all work well over Zoom. There are plenty of Jackbox Games that work too (and you use your phone as the game controller!). If you are willing to host a breakout room with a game, or if you have any questions, contact utgamers@unitytemple.org. All are welcome. Join Zoom here. Zoom Meeting ID: 815 0223 1460 Interested in the future of BIPOC Friends? Please join us, the UT BIPOC Friends for a hybrid meeting on Sunday, January 16 from 11:30am till 1pm to discuss the results of our survey and share your ideas on how to grow the group going forward. If you have not responded to the survey, know that your collaboration will be appreciated. We will meet via Zoom and in-person at 1019 S. Blvd. To receive the survey or a Zoom invitation (Zoom link to go out closer to 1/16), please contact bipocfriends@unitytemple.org. bipocfriends@unitytemple.org.

Pathway to Membership  Considering becoming a member? Come share your spiritual/religious history, learn about ours, discover how our congregation works today, and how we can be part of each other’s futures. We hope you are able to attend! We will meet at the Unity Temple Community Center located at 1019 South Blvd. Masks are required and space is limited. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org to register.  Winter Schedule  (Choose one of our two-part series) Sunday’s, January 16 & 17 from 1-3pm Sunday’s, February 6 & 13 from 1-3pm Sunday’s March 13 & 20 from 1-3pm Men's Retreat Virtual Event: Difficult Conversations, The Art and Science of Working Together. Join author Kern Beare for a three-part, interactive Zoom event on Saturdays February 19, 26 & March 5, 2022 from 10am–12:30pm. This interactive workshop will explore principles and strategies that will allow you to approach difficult conversations in a radically new way. All are welcome. Register at mensretreat@uniyttemple.org.

Annual Women's Retreat Building Strength: Through Resilience & Flexibility We are pleased to announce the UTUUC Women’s Connection will hold a one day, in person retreat at Concordia University, River Forest, IL. We welcome all who identify as women to attend, including trans-women. The date is Saturday February 12, 2022. There will be a virtual in-gathering on Friday, February 11 to set the tone for our Retreat. Our Keynote Speaker will be Rev. Karen Mooney. To attend in person, COVID vaccinations will be mandated, along with mask-mandated by the State of Illinois guidelines. Registration and more information on the program can be found here. Registration is open and will continue through February 11. For more information contact womensconnection@unitytemple.org.

Meet the Ministers  Once a month following services, one of our ministers will be available for social time after service and they hope you are able to attend. Curious about what called them to ministry? Wondering how they spend their free time and more? Come find out! They want to learn more about you too. Masks are required. Contact tlewis@unitytemple.org to register.   Winter Schedule Sunday, January 9 (cancelled) Sunday, February 13 Sunday, March 13

UT Choir Begins Online! Our choir persists. We will be meeting online starting Wednesday, January 12 at 7pm! Email music director Marty Swisher for the link and for an inspirational gathering! mswisher@unitytemple.org

8th Principle Team  To date 142 UU congregations and organizations have adopted the 8th Principle, which calls for us to “accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” Your 8th Principle team has prepared some resources to help learn more:    8th Principle Overview / Resources / FAQ We are planning events for our congregation to learn and engage more deeply in the months ahead. Watch for more details soon! Contact: 8thPrinciple@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 the Austin Scholars Program of Third Unitarian Church – since 1974, helping to support more than 500 outstanding high school seniors in the Austin community to attend college. Learn more here.​

Protect our Democracy The U.S. Senate and President Biden must do whatever is necessary to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, Protecting Our Democracy Act, John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and DC Statehood. We must come together to prevent another January 6th attack and realize the promise of democracy for all of us. Call the White House comment line Tu-Th, 10am–2pm : 833.345.2554. Share your name, that you are a constituent, and demand President Biden do everything in his power to help overcome the filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act. Email Senators Durbin and Duckworth - draft text and email contacts here. Questions or to get involved in upcoming actions contact: votelove@unitytemple.org. SACReD Gathering: Faith Communities Reclaiming Reproductive Dignity & Autonomy Join people of faith around the country on January 25–26 to learn and strategize. This event will be a first-of-its-kind virtual gathering of justice-oriented people of faith, activists, and leaders from the reproductive health, rights, and justice community. “Grounded in our shared values of justice, dignity, human rights, compassion, and expansive love, we will discover how faith and reproductive liberation are interdependent through keynotes, panel discussions, and breakout sessions.” Learn more and register here. Questions?  Contact: reproductive@unitytemple.org.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day Assembly Join Community Renewal Society’s annual assembly on January 17 to learn about the history of reparations and our advocacy plans for 2022. This year’s assembly will be virtual - streaming at 10am and again at 7pm CT. Register and watch the promo and read more about our keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, and spoken word artist, Kwyn Townsend Riley here. Questions? Contact: restorativejustice@unitytemple.org Interfaith Green Network The Village of Oak Park announces two major initiatives to help residents with environmental sustainability. ONE: “Better Homes, Better Planet” connects residents with local projects to improve energy efficiency. Renters and homeowners can apply for grants of up to $10,000 on projects to help reduce utility bills and reduce housing emissions. Learn more here; click on “Take Action Now.”  TWO: Oak Park Climate Action Plan website includes an interactive map of comments, a community survey, a DIY toolkit to help residents and groups submit specific ideas, a timeline, and much more! Questions? Contact: ecojustice@unitytemple.org.

Introducing the 8th Principle Team To date 142 UU congregations and organizations have adopted the 8th Principle, which calls for us to “accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” Unity Temple has recently formed an 8th Principle Team, whose mission is to provide information and reflective experiences so that people understand what the 8th Principle is all about. We invite you to join the Team by emailing us at 8thPrinciple@unitytemple.org. You can find additional information about the 8th Principle here. Watch for much more information in the months ahead! New Side with Love Action Center Together we can make a difference! Take 5 minutes to complete these important calls to action at our UU Side with Love Action Center! Questions? Contact FaithinAction@unitytemple.org 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. 2022 Sunday Collection Recipients Thank you to all who participated in the nominating and voting process to select our Sunday collection recipients for 2022! You can find the complete list of collection recipients here. Questions? Contact sundaycollections@unitytemple.org

Sacred Wanderings Live and In Person at Thatcher Woods on Saturday, January 8 from 8:30-10:30am (We bumped it from the first Saturday to the second for January only to avoid the Holiday) Join Terry and Jay as we intentionally practice connecting with nature and surrounding ourselves with the energy of the natural world. Forest bathing is not taking a leisurely walk in the woods to enjoy the scenery. There's a specific intention in the practice to connect with the natural world and to gain benefit and energy from it. In other words, you are bathing in the energy of the trees, leaves, sky, and earth. Meditation and mindfulness assists in securing this intention. There will be silence and discussion. The group will meet no matter what the weather conditions so come prepared. Currently it is forecast to be about 10 degrees! Face masks and hand sanitizer will be provided. Please bring a lawn chair you can carry to sit on as well as a cup for tea for the discussion at the end, if you desire. Tea will be provided. Mosquito netting, hand sanitizer and masks will be provided. Those with physical challenges are easily accommodated. If you have any questions please email mindful@unitytemple.org. We will gather at 8030 Chicago Ave., just west of Thatcher Ave., north Pavilion, Maywood, IL. Watch for Sacred Wandering signs.

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

Religious Education Registration 2021/2022 is Open! Each year, we ask our families to 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.

Our Goals Are Reached When We Work Together! Thank you to everyone who has already made their 2022 pledge. This years’ pledge goal of $1,206,081 is the projected amount needed to meet our expenses. As of January 5, 2022 we have commitments from 291 households totaling $901,13. For more information, click here to see our current budget and our 2022 projected budget. .....Our goal is to ensure that our beloved community remains resilient, strong, and connected. We know from previous challenges that goals are reached when we work together! Please take this opportunity to submit your 2022 pledge form as soon as you can. Information can be found by: Review the 2022 campaign information you should have received by mail here, then Fill out your pledge form and mail into the office as soon as you can, or Make your commitment online at https://onrealm.org/unitytemple, or Call the office to pledge over the phone at 708.848.6225 ext 104

The Unity Temple E-Team has completed a comprehensive Covid-19 Phased Re-Opening Guidelines. This document is intended to serve as a guide for Congregational events going forward. The guidelines will be implemented based on the Cook County Risk Metrics determined by the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Unity Temple E-Team has also completed version 3.0 of the congregations Building Use Policy and COVID Protocols for Unity Temple, Gale House and the Community Center for in-person events which can be found here. The COVID Risk category will be updated weekly and can be found on our homepage in the slider bar for easy access. Please reach out if you have any comments or questions eteam@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!

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