Our Minister in Residence for February THIS...

INSIDE

THIS ISSUE

From the Minister and EOD - 2 Sundays at UCE - 3 Ministerial Search Committee & Board News - 4 News from the Endowment Committee, CRT and ISC - 5 Religious Education News - 6 Membership News - 7, 8, 9 Social Action News - 10 @UCE: News & Notes - 11 Minister’s Schedule & “The Last Word” - back cover

February 2013

Our Minister in Residence for February

The Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed, our Minister in Residence for February, earned his M.A. from the University of Chicago and D.Min from Meadville Lombard Theological School. Currently he is an affiliated faculty member at Meadville Lombard and divides his time between teaching, speaking, and writ-ing. In much demand as a preacher, he has spoken at nearly 200 UU congre-gations. After serving as co-minister, with his wife Donna, of the First Universalist Church of Rochester, NY, and the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, Mark retired from parish ministry in 2005. Both Starr King School for the Ministry and Meadville Lombard Theological School have awarded him hon-orary doctorates, and Meadville Lombard honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009. Mark’s most recent book is a meditation manual entitled Voices from the Mar-gin (2012). Previous books include Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism (2011) and In Between: Mem-oir of an Integration Baby (2008). His first book, Black Pioneers in a White De-nomination, has been in print for over 30 years and is required reading for those preparing to enter the Unitarian Universalist ministry. Mark will preach on 2/3, 2/10 and 2/17. Please see page 3 for details. He will also offer presen-tations on 2/3, 2/5 and 2/12. See page 6 for more information.

The 11th Annual

Night of The Arts

Saturday February 9th

Please join us for fun, artistic activities.

This is a multigenerational event.

We provide all the materials and snacks.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cost is $5 per person, $15 per family.

No experience needed!

- FROM the MINISTER and EOD

Rev. Connie Grant

From Rev. Connie Grant, Minister for Congregational Life . . . Not the Seven Commandments Unlike the Ten Commandments, the “seven principles” of the Unitarian Universalist Association are not engraved in stone. Does that sound sacrilegious? It isn’t. On the contrary, the understanding that the search for truth is ongoing is of the essence of our way of religion as Unitar-ian Universalists. The “free and responsible search for truth and meaning” (yes, that’s one of the seven princi-ples) is a value held high. (If you don’t know what the other six are, you can find them at the front of our hymnal or at uua.org.) As a non-creedal religion, Unitarian Universalism is not a set of beliefs. In fact, there is little basis for making any statement that begins “Unitarian Universalists believe….” Unanimity is not required, and is seldom achieved, among Unitarian Universalists. There is no creedal or doctrinal test for determining who is or is not a Unitarian Univer-salist. Agreement with the seven principles does not make a UU, and disagreement is not grounds for exclu-sion. So if Unitarian Universalism is not a set of beliefs, what kind of religion is it? Unitarian Universalism is a way of relating to self, each other, to the universe and to the ultimate reality. The statement of seven principles of the UUA has an al-most poetic power, and many individual Unitarian Univer-salists find that statement to be an accurate description of their own principles as well as a useful benchmark for be-havior. Yet those seven principles are not a creedal state-ment. Those seven principles are descriptive in origin and carry no authority to be used prescriptively. Our individual freedom of belief means that we, as indi-viduals, do not think as we do because we are Unitarian Universalists. Rather, we are Unitarian Universalists be-cause we think as we do. We are Unitarian Universalists because we think as we do and have freely entered into covenant together. And the fact that there is no Unitarian Universalist creed does not mean that Unitarian Universalists do not believe in anything. Nor does it mean that “Unitarian Universal-ists can believe anything they want.” Rather, individual freedom of belief means that Unitarian Universalists are free to believe as they believe. Our beliefs are the result of our experience; our beliefs are made manifest as we live our lives in community with others. Keep the faith, Connie

From Sandra Robinson, Executive Operations Director . . .

This is a busy time for your EOD. I am inspired by sermons and classes, music, vespers service and a filled sanctuary on Sunday morning. Much of my time has been directed this month toward formation of the 2013/14 budget with Robb Geiger, ISC Chair, and further work with the Budget Working Group. A draft budget will be presented to the Board at a special meeting on Wednesday, January 30. Also during the past several weeks I have provided input and coordination for Pledge Drive leaders Martha Holman and Kirstin Larsen and team. I am managing two pledge events including a kick-off dance party on Saturday, March 2 with a DJ spinning 50’s tunes thru today, for members of all ages. Childcare and nursery will be provided. Our rental program continues to thrive. On March 16 Mothers of Multiples return for their bi-annual resale event. School for Little Children will hold their annual fundraiser here on February 23. The UCE rental program is our largest fundraiser, and is solely run and managed by your Executive Operations Director. Rentals bring in thousands of people from outside our doors. Rentals sup-port community efforts, as well as provide significant in-come, yet requires no volunteer effort from the congrega-tion. Dick Whitaker, Buildings and Grounds Chair, and I are making an assessment of projects which need to be funded and accomplished in the months and years ahead. The wing is aging, original materials and finishes are showing wear. The lobby skylights require replacement in the spring. I have three quotes and am prepared to move for-ward once the weather breaks. Mike Goodwin continues his good work as our Contract Custodian, Sylvia Cornell has settled in nicely adding her calm, organized, efficient support to the good work of Carli Magel, Communications Coordinator and other staff. As a member of the Executive Team I continue to support the work of the board and to implement policies set forth by our leadership.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions about Administration, Finance, Governance, Technology, Rental, or a Building/Grounds matter.

Sandra Robinson

- SUNDAYS at UCE

February 3: The Perversity of Diversity - There is a surprising, and painful, truth behind Unitarian Universalist efforts to become more racially and culturally di-verse. To understand this truth we must take an honest look at who we are and why we are who we are. Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison Reed speaking. February 10: The Little Boy - At age 15 I was hiking up a mountain when an untoward event set me on the path to social activism. Along the way the challenges taught me some hard lessons, in-cluding to be thankful for every one of them. Rev. Dr. Mark Mor-rison Reed speaking. February 17: Never the Water; Only a Wave - Like rolling waves heading toward a distant shore our lives are ever moving, chang-ing, unique; yet they emerge from life as a wave does from the ocean. This is a personal story of loss, and how grief led me to a deeper understanding of life and eternity. Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison Reed speaking. February 24: “Our Way of Be-ing a Family” Families come in many different configurations and evolve through various phases of life. Members of several UCE families have been invited to tell us about the joys and challenges of their way of being a family. Worship for All Ages, facilitated by Rev. Connie Grant.

February 3: Liberty University v. Geithner – Religious Beliefs v. Religious Practices - Liberty Uni-versity is an educational institu-tion with unequivocal Christian underpinnings. Its Board of Trus-tees believes that Americans should not be required to pur-chase health insurance—and em-ployers forced to provide it—if there are legitimate moral and religious objections to some pro-visions, specifically, those having to do with reproductive health-care services. Larry Jordan, leader. February 10: What Money Can't Buy In his recent book, Michael J. Sandel, author of the popular "Justice" lectures at Har-vard Law School, takes on one of the biggest ethical questions of our time: Is there something wrong with a world in which (purportedly) everything is for sale? If so, how can we prevent market values from reaching into spheres of life where they don't belong? What are the moral limits of markets? After describing briefly a number of examples San-del finds morally repugnant, we will then open it up for discussion. Scot Campbell, leader. February 17: Poems of Emily Dickinson - Alex Sproul will lead a reading and discussion of poems by one of America's most distin-guished poets. We will start with perhaps her most famous crea-tion, “Because I could not stop

for death-He kindly stopped for me...” Depending on time, we will continue with “Safe in their Ala-baster Chambers...” and perhaps one or two others. February 24: Past, Present, Pos-sible, Probable - As products and ideas age and disappear, new ones take their place. Carbon paper gave way to photocopiers, then scanners, then SmartPhones. Megachurches replaced Utopian societies. What’s coming? Contact lenses that see for themselves and, among others, cars that not only park but drive themselves. We’ll look at what was, is, and will be. Jim Kepler, leader.

WORSHIP SERVICE 10:30 am

CRACKERBARREL DISCUSSION

GROUP 9:15 - 10:15 am

YOGA ON SUNDAYS

Join us before the Sunday morning worship service for hatha yoga, 9:15 – 10:15 am. Yoga traditions bring awareness to your health: breathing in vitality, letting go of tension and tightness. Yoga at UCE is designed to reduce stress, bring relaxation, increase range of motion, and find balance – restora-tive yoga. If you never have done yoga be-fore this is your opportunity. Drop in, wear comfortable clothing for stretching, and try it. Yoga is learned by doing. Community yoga mats provided if needed. For more information, contact Doug Erickson, [email protected] or Jessica Tomell-Presto, [email protected]

As we reported at the January 13 service, the committee has agreed on a "Final Four," a group of four ministers selected from the many who applied for the position of UCE senior minister. The commit-tee was very impressed with the level of experience and credentials in the pool of applicants and it was a difficult task to narrow down the list to just four. These finalists have been invited to a neutral pulpit. We'll be hearing them as they preach and conduct a service, and we'll interview each in person. We plan to finish that process by early March and then make an offer to one of the candidates in mid March. We are pleased with how the proc-ess is proceeding and we are enjoy-ing working together as a commit-tee. As we work together as a team, our committee members often re-mark about what an interesting mix of talents each of us brings to the process. As a result, we created a humorous critique of each of our roles as “superheroes” and posted these identities on the MSC bulletin board at church: SuperChair (Michael Anderson) Michael has the ability to manage multiple leadership tasks in a single bound, even while on a cruise vaca-tion! The Fantastic Mr. Fix-It (Irv Badr) If the search process was an action movie, Irv would be the guy to hot wire the car or crack the secret code – He’s our go-to guy for tech-nology and more.

The Flame (Ellie Feddersen) Ellie creates warmth wherever she goes. She makes sure everyone has a chance to contribute to the con-versation. Captain Democracy (Dick Whitaker) Dick is our protector of the de-mocratic process and the fifth UU principle. Transparency Woman (Annette Wallace) What you see is what you get – Annette is direct and clear about her feelings and opinions. Rational Man (John Tobin) John ensures that important deci-sions are backed by facts and logic. The Scribe (Ann Gadzikowski) Ann can take a jumbled mix of de-tails and turn them into a super-brief summary These are just some of the many talents and abilities the committee members have been utilizing during our work together. We look for-ward to continuing the process through to the last concluding phase.

You’ll be pleased to know the Board of Trustees has been busy working closely in support of the extraordinary efforts of the Minis-terial Search Committee (MSC). Our most recent focus has been on providing more clarity around how lay leadership is envisioning UCE’s “Commitment to Thrive.” Hope-fully, you’ve taken time to review the UCE Congregational Packet, available on our website and in the

church office. Yes, it is a volumi-nous document but it truly repre-sents the thoughts, ideas, visions & dreams of our membership. The past several Boards as well as the MSC heard and responded to suggestions that UCE can best be described as a thriving congrega-tion. Upon further exploration from resources within and outside our denomination, leadership learned growth is a key component of a healthy, dynamic and thriving community. Also, growth is not simply limited to numbers but ap-plies to the maturation of the indi-vidual members, the development of the UCE community, and ‘incarnational’ growth – the ability to take the meanings & values of our faith and make them real out-side of UCE. Getting back to the board’s recent efforts, we’ve collectively agreed that while adding an additional ser-vice on Sundays is critical toward successful growth and combined with the fact MSC is in the final stages of the search process, we should redirect prel iminary thoughts of setting September 2013 as a starting point for an additional service and await the arrival of our new Senior Minister. Keep your eyes and ears open for further de-tails about this initiative from both the Board and the Commitment to Thrive Council, convened this past fall. As always, please let me know your thoughts ([email protected]) and I look forward to seeing you in church! Mike Takada

- Ministerial Search Committee & Board of Trustees News

News from the Ministerial Search

Committee by Ann Gadzikowski

From the BOARD of TRUSTEES

by Mike Takada, President

Valentine’s Day Special Opportunity One of the special holidays many of us observe each year is Valentine’s Day. According to some Valentine’s Day scholars, the holiday originated because Valentinus, a third century Roman priest, performed secret marriages against the order of the Pope who believed that unmarried men made better soldiers. Although unsure when the first Valentine was sent, the earliest known Valentine poem was written in 1415. Begin-ning in the 1700s, handwritten valen-tines were sent. Currently, it is esti-mated that one billion valentines will be sent--85% by women. Men real-ize that most women prefer a more tangible gift. One of the best and most tangible ways to celebrate the person you love is to make a donation in his/her honor to the UCE Endowment Fund. Your gift will be recognized by the committee with a letter sent. If you wish, a letter can be sent to your Special Valentine announcing your gift. So give that special someone a gift that will express your love and, at the same time, benefit UCE. Your gift may be of any size. In fact, good news, Both the Senate and House have now approved H.R. 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Among other things, the compromise legislation includes a limit on itemized deductions – in-cluding the charitable deduction – but only at increased levels of in-come. In addition, H.R. 8 also in-cludes a two-year retroactive exten-sion of the IRA Charitable Rollover provision that lapsed on December 31, 2011. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the IRA Charitable Rollover, this legislative provision

allows donors who are age 70 and 1/2 or older to make direct transfers of up to $100,000 per year from a traditional IRA to the UCE Endow-ment Fund or other charities. Also, the amount transferred will count toward required minimum distribu-tion and will not be included in tax-able income. Obviously, it is always wise to check with your accountant first before making any sizable chari-table contribution. So, you can honor that special per-son, benefit the UCE Endowment Fund and save a little money at tax time. How can you beat that?

The Congregational Relations Team

is pleased to report that our first

workshop, "We Can Work It

Out: Constructive Conflict as a Part

of Healthy Engagement" was a suc-

cess! Approximately 20 people at-

tended and participated in lively dis-

cussions and role plays. We appre-

ciated the very positive feedback and

the suggestion that we do a little less

didactic presenting and leave more

time for role playing. We plan to do

just that when we present the work-

shop for a second time on Monday

night January 28th, 7-9 PM (that's

TONIGHT for those of you reading

this the day it comes out! Walk-ins

welcome!)

We are also available to present the

two hour workshop upon request to

church groups, and continue to be

available to provide consultation and

support to any member of the UCE

community wishing help resolving

conflict within the congregation.

Carla Leone-Sands, Chair

In preparation for UCE’s 2014 Pledge Drive in March, a preliminary Operating Budget has been prepared and will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the January Board meeting. As you begin to think about your annual pledge, perhaps you would like to know more about how UCE’s money is managed. Ac-counting Manager Chris Isely will discuss management of the church’s finances in an open forum after the worship service in February (see de-tails below). This is your opportu-nity to gain an understanding of how your contributions are managed to support UCE programs and staff. - Jane Fagerland

NEWS FROM YOUR CONGREGATIONAL RELATIONS TEAM

NEWS FROM THE INTEGRATED STEWARDSHIP

COMMITTEE

NEWS FROM THE ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE

by Jim Clark, Endowment Trustee

Show Me the Money!

A Brief Tour of UCE Financials

Join our accounting manager Chris Isely on Sunday, February 24 at noon in Room 3, for a brief tour of our fi-nancial set up at UCE. He will show you the money! Chris will provide an overview of our three “funds” - Operating Fund, Capi-tal Fund, and Endowment Fund- and explain the role of each. He will an-swer such common questions as: Where does our money come from and how do we spend it? What about Dedicated Accounts: what are they and how do we use them?

Chris will provide a set of financial re-ports as handouts. He will leave plenty of time for your questions. We will start promptly at noon after church, and plan to be finished within one hour.

- RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

Sunday, February 3, 12 – 1:45pm Eight Keys to Attracting People of Color to UU Congregations - This is what we know about the con-gregations that successfully opened their doors to and attracted substan-tial numbers of African Americans. It is not magic. It was done in the same way in 1912 as in 2002. Presented by the Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed, following from his sermon on “The Perversity of Diversity.” Tuesday, February 5, 7 – 9pm We Took a Collection and Sent Him on His Way: A Lament for Opportunities Lost, A Celebra-tion of Those Who Dreamed - To explore the African American experience within Unitarianism, Uni-versalism and Unitarian Universalism we will drop in on events that took place in Unitarianism in 1860, Uni-versalism in 1900, both in 1930 and UUism in 1960 and try to answer the question "What if?" Then we will ask, “What now?” Presented by the Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed. Tuesday, February 12, 7 – 9 pm What Happened Had to Hap-pen: Answering the Empower-ment Controversy Paradox - Between 1967 and 1970 in the newly formed UUA a white controversy over black empowerment trauma-tized the movement. Those that were around have not forgotten it. Those who where not are nonethe-less living with it’s aftermath. Watch the DVD “Wilderness Journey” in which those who participated in the upheaval are interviewed, then ex-plore why what happened was a trag-edy waiting to happen. This program contextualizes that era in a way that allows us to understand it and move on to ask 'what next?' Presented by the Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison-Reed.

The Folly of Fools by Robert Triv-ers - February 19 & 26 and March 5, 7 – 9 pm. We will read critically Robert Trivers' book The Folly of Fools and discuss its implica-tions. Trivers is one of the leading theoreticians in the evolution of so-cial behavior and a very provocative and tough-minded thinker. In 1976 he put forward the thesis that human beings have an evolved tendency to deceive themselves in order to bet-ter deceive others. In The Folly of Fools (2011) he explores this thesis from several perspectives, including politics, science, health, family rela-tionships, and everyday life. In effect, the book is an exploration of a large part of the dark side of human na-ture. We will learn what Trivers has to say about this topic and discuss what we believe ourselves. Led by Bill Irons, UCE member and Profes-sor Emeritus of Anthropology at Northwestern University, whose expertise includes the evolutionary foundation of morality and religion.

FOR ADULTS

Parents’ Night Out

Saturday, February 16, 4 - 8 pm Our Journeys students and their men-tors will care for and entertain your children ages 3 and up. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an early dinner out or a quiet evening at home while your children play games and do crafts. Our pre-Christmas childcare event was a big hit with parents and children! Let your children join in the fun while you spend the evening as you wish. The cost is $5 per child per hour and $10 maximum per hour per family. Enjoy the availability of child-care and help our seventh- and eighth-graders get to Boston. To register, please see our Journeys students in the Lobby before or after church on February 3 or 10, or email [email protected].

NIGHT OF THE ARTS

February 9, 2010

Reviving a tradition started by Rosemary Zwick, UCE’s Rose-mary Zwick Night of the Arts is Saturday February 9 from 6-9 PM. The sanctuary will be filled with people of all ages enjoying a vari-ety of art projects. Some pro-jects will be individual for taking home, and some will be group projects for display. Make a valentine for your honey, enjoy music and noshes and ward off the winter blahs. It may be cold outside, but we’ll keep it warm and cozy inside making art. Interested in helping or attend-ing? If you want to do a project, please contact Will or Johna Van Dyke. Don't worry if you don't have an idea or are concerned about how to do it. We can help you. Johna Van Dyke [email protected] Will Van Dyke [email protected]

- MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Introduction to Unitarian Universalism: New-comers to our church and our faith are invited to join us for a deeper understanding of Unitarian Uni-versalism. This 2 hour session, led by Rev. Connie Grant and Membership Director, Eileen Wiviott, will provide an overview of Unitarian Universalist his-tory, the seven principles of our faith, church gov-ernance, and how we live in beloved community. It is designed for anyone who wants to know more about our UU faith, and is also the first step if you are considering membership at The Unitarian Church of Evanston. The next session of Intro to UU will take place on March 10 from noon to 2pm. Orientation Toward Membership (OTM): Saturday, February 9; 9 am – noon What is the meaning of membership? How will your life be dif-ferent if you join UCE? If you’ve been asking your-self these questions and have participated in an Intro to Unitarian Universalism class, please consider sign-ing up for Orientation Toward Membership. This class will address our various spiritual journeys, the meaning of covenant, as well as UCE culture and programs. By the end of the session, you’ll have a good sense of the rewards and responsibilities of membership at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, and whether you’re ready to join. Please register for Intro to UU and/or OTM at the Guest & Member Services table in the lobby or contact Membership Director, Eileen Wiviott, at 847-864-1330 x111 or [email protected]. Childcare will be provided upon request.

Common Threads Knitting Group Meeting

The UCE knitting group will next meet on February 5, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. and

again on February 26 at 7:00 p.m. Regular meeting times and dates are 10 a.m. on the 1st Tuesday and 7 p.m. on the 4th Tuesday of every month. We knit tiny little caps and blankets for preemies and shawls for hospice patients or any one else who we think needs one. We have di-rections and plenty of yarn for projects. You can also work on your own personal project. Please join us in Room 2 for knitting or crocheting and lots of conversa-tion.

Serendipity Auction fills our Hearts in February

February is filled with six party events or-ganized by UCE members. You can enjoy anything from pizza and root beer to fine wine, a murder mystery evening and 'Casino Royale' gam-ing. And don't forget the SuperBowl party and the Mardi Gras party! If you bought tickets to these events, you will get a reminder email from the site (and likely one from the hosts as well). If you wish you had signed up, contact the host and ask if there is room, and if yes, you can pay online for the ticket. See the online calendar at togetherauction.com and get the details. Can't see the calendar? Email Tom Hempfling at [email protected] for info.

Neighborhood Potluck Dinners

NW Suburbs Potluck

The second Northwest Suburbs Neighborhood potluck will take place at the home of Susan and Tom Carlton on February 2nd from 6- 8 pm. If you live in Skokie, Morton Grove, Glenview, Niles or any of the suburbs be-yond Evanston, and would like to be included on the list of participants, please email Eileen Wiviott at [email protected].

Lincoln Square Potluck Our next Lincoln Square potluck will be on Satur-day, March 9 at 6:30pm, at the home of Sharron Harlan, 5921 N. Fairfield Ave., Chicago. Email Sharron at [email protected] to let her know you are coming and what you plan to bring. All UCE’ers in the vicinity of Lincoln Square are welcome.

Thanks to the 30+ households who contributed to this year's Guest at

Your Table program!

See a brief but heartfelt 'thank you' video on Youtube entitled "UUSC: Behind the Numbers". This end of the year message reveals how much we accomplish with our annual gifts. Look for the video on Haiti too: it brings those "Guests at Your Table" right into your home as you listen to their stories about their new lives since the hurri-cane. (If you still have your GAYT box at home, bring it in to the office ASAP so we can include your contribution to go to UUSC.)

- MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Facilitators may consider using this as their topic this month or in the fu-ture. A full session is located on the website ucevanston.org/programs/covenant-groups.

Opening Reading and Chalice Lighting

“Change Alone is Unchanging” from Singing the Living Tradition #655 Whosoever wishes to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details. Knowledge is not intelligence. In searching for the truth be ready for the unexpected, change alone is unchang-ing. The same road goes both up and down. The beginning of a circle is also its end. Not I, but the world says it: all is one. And yet everything comes in season.

Heraklietos of Ephesos

Topic: Breadth and Depth

Our religious community is one where many of us seek the nourish-ment and spiritual growth of deep, lasting friendships. This is where we can dig down deep into the meaning in our lives and it is where we may also come to know our own depths.

Our religious community is one where we must also remain open to the new, embracing divergent ideas and experience. It is where it is most important for us to be challenged and broadened.

Our roots must go deep and our branches must spread wide. This is no easy task and it will take a lifetime of practice.

Questions for reflection and sharing:

1. In our new member welcome we have said, “we promise to never close our hearts against you.” ◊ How do we keep this promise? How have we broken it?

◊ Can you think of a time when keeping your heart open has been a challenge? Without going into specifics, can you describe how it felt and if you were able to learn through the challenge?

2. Can you think of someone who you’ve met at church who you proba-bly never would have gotten to know otherwise? What have you gained from that relationship?

3. Is it possible to stay open to new-comers and continue to deepen our existing relationships? How can we do that?

Intergenerational Book Group meets again on Wednesday, March 31st at 6:30 pm to discuss

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, which examines the plight of the Mexican farm workers as they strug-gle to adapt and survive in the United States. Readers of all ages are en-couraged to join us. Contact Eileen Wiviott at [email protected] with any questions.

Non-F ict ion Book Group - Soak up the warmth of the non-fiction book group as they discuss The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson after service on Sunday, Feb. 24. The book is a beauti-fully crafted history of the migration of Blacks to Chicago, New York and California during the last century. It has the charm of fiction but with the grittiness of historical data all woven into one chronicle.

Fiction Book Group The fiction book for Feb-ruary is Heft by Liz Moore. Meet on third Friday Feb. 15 at 7:30pm to talk about

two 'heroes' in this book, an aging academic weighing in at a hefty 550 pounds and a 17 year old boy balanc-ing challenges at home and at school.

Have Your Cake and Give Some Too

Everybody’s Birthday Party and Hillside Pantry Birthday Kits

Friday, February 22, 6:30 – 9 pm

Have Your Cake: Do you have a birth-day? Come and celebrate your birthday along with other UCE members and friends of all ages who have birthdays, too. Play games, sing a song or two, and enjoy a light supper (with birthday cake!) as you get to know other UCE folk who share your birth month. And Give It Too: Our partner Hillside Pantry provides “Birthday Kits” to families they serve who have a birthday coming up. Watch later this month for the collection of these items in the lobby. At the party, we’ll assemble the kits and decorate notes with birthday wishes from UCE, to include in the kits. Birthday Kit Collection Items: ◊ Boxed cake mix ◊ Tub of frosting with sprinkles in the lid ◊ Box of candles ◊ Small package of party plates ◊ Blank birthday card This event is sponsored by the Religious Education Board and the Food and Shelter Team. Register on the Religious Education bulletin board near the Lobby starting in mid January. Cost is $5 per person, maxi-mum $15 per family.

News from the UCE Men’s Group

The UCE Men's Group has been se-lected as one of the Regional locations to receive '$750 in' funding from our national organization called UUMeN. These funds are to be used to conduct events 'with many other Chicago area UU men's groups to discuss how they presently operate.' We are presently soliciting ideas pertaining to expanding such activities as Retreats.

- Dave Woods

Covenant Group Session

UCE Book Groups

- MEMBERSHIP NEWS cont.

Joys and Sorrows have been redacted to protect the privacy of our members.

JOYS AND SORROWS OF OUR COMMUNITY

Members & friends may share personal news by writing brief notes to be read at Sunday morning services or by sending items to the church office by email or another legible form. You may also read our community’s news at ucevanston.org/members section.

- SOCIAL ACTION

The annual Interfaith Action of Evanston Vision Keeper Dinner takes place on Sunday, February 17, 2013, 5:30 pm at the Hotel Orring-ton. Our congregation has nomi-nated Carol Nielsen as our Vision Keeper this year. Carol has been a dedicated and visionary social action champion in our congregation for over 30 years. She began the Mitten Tree Giving Program 25 years ago, served our high school youth group and encouraged them to be actively involved in social justice, and has helped to launch our Saturday Morning Baking program at the Jon-quil Hotel of Good News Partners.

Please help us honor Carol, cele-brate vision keepers all over Evans-ton, and support the important work of Interfaith Action of Evans-ton (IAE) by attending the dinner. The cost is $65 per person, more than half of which goes to support soup kitchens, the hospitality center and winter warming centers of IAE. Please make your check out to IAE and give it to Chris Isely at UCE (by mail or put in his mailbox at church) by February 3rd so that we can seat our members together at the dinner. If you have any questions, please contact Eileen Wiviott at 847-864-1330 x111 or [email protected].

Community Renewal Society (CRS) Push for a Fair Illinois

Income Tax

One of the CRS issues that we at UCE will be working on is a pro-posal to amend the Illinois constitu-tion to permit a graduated income tax. We will hold information and action sessions later that you can join. Here is an introduction to the issue:

We hear constantly about Illinois’ dire financial straits. Programs are cut, sacrifices are being asked of the poorest and most vulnerable of our fellow residents. Illinois ranks 33rd in the country in terms of the percent-age of state money spent on public education.

The state simply does not take in enough revenue to meet its obliga-tions. The flat income tax does not bring in enough revenue and is a higher burden for low and middle income payers than for those with high income. A graduated income tax should be implemented in Illi-nois. Current suggestions could raise an additional $2.4 billion per year while reducing the taxes for 94% of taxpayers.

It is a long process requiring an amendment to the Illinois constitu-tion. It is up to people of faith to push legislators to do the right thing as soon as possible.

How do you celebrate anniversaries?

Peace and Justice member Mary Dudek challenges us all to celebrate and educate because this year marks:

150th anniversary for the founding of Evanston

150th anniversary for the Emancipation Proclamation signing

50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech

50th anniversary of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birming-ham

50th anniversary of the assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy.

If you have ideas about how to mark and celebrate these, please contact the Peace and Justice team. Gini Sayad, [email protected], Shirley Adams, [email protected].

We are considering an outing to see the film "Lincoln" on a Saturday af-ternoon. Details to follow.

PEACE & JUSTICE

PROGRAM NEWS

Haiti Happenings

Thanks to all who supported our Haiti lunch. You have made it possi-ble to send $600 to the Evanston

Haitian Congress to provide safe, clean drinking water to quell the cholera epidemic. We are pleased with our outreach to the Evanston Haitian community (Representatives of the Haitian Congress as well as several families attended our ser-vice). We are working to continue these connections.

Thursday, Feb 28, 7:30pm : This Meeting of the Haitian Task Force will focus on ways that Hai-tians living in the U.S. can join forces with Haitians living in Haiti. Mem-bers of the Haitian Congress will attend. You are invited to join this thought provoking discussion.

Saturday Morning Baking at the Jonquil Hotel – February 16, 9:45 am – 12:15 pm. Once a month we bake with children living in a single room occupancy hotel in the Good News Partners neighborhood. This is one of those volunteer experiences where you definitely get back as much or more than you give. Sign up on the Social Action bulletin board in the lobby or at www.ucevanston.org under ‘volunteer’. You will be contacted dur-ing the week prior to the 16th with specifics. Contact Eileen Wiviott at [email protected] with questions.

Our Giving House for the month of February will be col-lecting peanut butter

and canned beans. Peanut butter and beans provide essential protein. One-half cup of beans contains as much protein as an ounce of broiled steak. Plus, they are loaded with fiber to keep you feeling full for hours. Co-sponsors of this month are Carol & Brian Nielsen, Michael & Kay Ander-son, Jim & Linda Clark, and Susan Comstock & Marc Rolfes. Thank you for your generosity in matching the congregation’s donations. All items collected in the Giving House will be given to Hilda’s Place Shelter.

- @ UCE News & Notes

EcoNews by Andrew Fisher

“Climate Change is one

of the most important challenges we face as a society…” Seattle Mayor McGinn. A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated the average 2012 US temperature was 55.3° F, the warmest year ever recorded! Other danger indicators are: (1) extreme and severe weather like: (a) hurricane Sandy, (b) torna-does in Tennessee, Indiana, and Ohio, (c) severe drought over more than half the US which led to many uncon-trollable wildfires in Colorado, Ore-gon, California, Texas, and other western states, (d) severe floods in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana, and (e) a cold winter in China and Russia, heat waves in Australia and Brazil plus fires, flooding in Pakistan, and a vi-cious rain and snow storm in the Middle East; (2) much more rapid melting of ALL glaciers, the polar ice cap, Greenland, and Antarctica; and (3) the rapid disappearance of much marine wildlife such as many of the fish in the Great Barrier Reef, and oysters in the Pacific Northwest. What can I do to help slow down climate change as a single person? Practice energy conservation such as: (a) driving low mileage hybrid and/or electric cars and/or public car sharing like IGO, or better, (b) walking, bik-ing, or riding urban mass transit in-stead of driving, and (c) use low en-ergy and long lasting LED lights both at home, in business offices. If it is possible, we should try to get the majority in government who be-lieve in man-made climate change, to take action too. A good recent ex-ample right here in Evanston was the replacement of the CTA viaducts at Greenleaf, Dempster, and at Grove. But ever so much more is needed.

Last month we began to assemble our leadership teams for UCE’s an-nual rummage sale. Many wonderful people have already stepped forward and agreed to take on leadership rolls. Hurray! The sale will be Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. There will be lots of volunteer opportunities on those days and during the week before when we set up the sale. However, during the coming months there are also volunteer opportunities. Most importantly, we need people who are interested in chairing and co-chairing the various departments.

Well-organized departments are the heart of a successful sale. So, here is a great opportunity to contribute your organizational skills and enthusiasm to help UCE build community, further its green mission and make some money. Interested parties should con-tact Maggie Wilson at [email protected]

Our next meeting will be at UCE on Feb. 24, after our 10:30 service.

EVANSTON UNITARIAN NEWS

The UCE newsletter is published monthly. All

newsletter articles should be sent to Editor

Carli Magel at [email protected]. Sub-

missions may be sent by email (preferred), or

as legible ‘hard copy.’ WANT MORE NEWS?

Join the UCE Announcements list for email

news items throughout the week. Call or

email the office, [email protected], 847-

864-1330. Also consider the UCE website,

www.ucevanston.org, as a regular source of

information.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OF EVANSTON

1330 Ridge Ave., Evanston, IL 60201

www.ucevanston.org Minister: Rev. Ms. Constance L. Grant

(ext. 103), Minister for Congregational

Life Staff: Bart Bradfield, Director of Mu-

sic; Gregory Shifrin, Pianist; Sandra Rob-

inson, Executive Operations Director

(108); Chris Isely, Accounting Manager

(109); Carli Magel, Communications Co-

ordinator (102); Eileen Wiviott, Member-

ship Director (111); Sylvia Cornell, Office

Assistant (101); Brenda Dunkins, Church

Assistant (101); Daniel Baer, Megan

Grant, Lindsey Kennedy, Liz Kennedy,

and Jonathan Motley, Lobby Staff; Kathy

Talmage, Kitchen Staff.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

TERMS EXPIRING IN 2013

Robb Geiger [email protected]

Bill Hartgering [email protected]

Mike Tracy [email protected]


Claudia Dancing [email protected]

Kathy Monk [email protected]

(Vice-President)

Michael Takada [email protected]

(President)


Rachelle Brooks

[email protected]

Janet Hartmann [email protected]

Jane Kenamore

[email protected]

SECRETARY

Jim Clark [email protected]

TREASURER

Marc Rolfes [email protected]

Have you ever attended the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist

Association?

This year GA is in Louisville, KY, June 19 - 23. Since Louisville is an easy drive from Evanston, this will be an excellent time for UCE mem-bers to attend. To learn more about GA please attend a meeting at UCE on Sunday, February 17 at 12:00pm. Members who have been before will be there to answer your questions and give words of encour-agement.

UNITARIAN CHURCH OF EVANSTON 1330 Ridge Avenue at Greenwood Evanston, Illinois 60201

Printed on paper with 50% recycled content. Please recycle.

MINISTER’S SCHEDULE

Rev. Connie Grant is generally in the office dur-ing the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurs-day, and often has evening meetings on those days. She takes Mondays off and works at home on Fridays. Please email or call Connie for an appointment. In an emergency, you can call her on her cell phone at any time. Contact [email protected]; (847) 864-1330 ext. 103 (office); (847) 840-8542 (cell).

PERSONAL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Reminder note to newsletter readers/contributors: We no longer include personal telephone numbers in the newsletter. If are a member of UCE, and you need a number, you may get it from the Church

Office or in the Members’ Directory at ucevanston.org/members.

The UCE Pledge Drive 2013/14 is fast approaching!

Save this date for an evening of fun at

UCE

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Pledge Drive Kick-Off Party

for all generations

Live DJ, dancing and refreshments in the sanctuary

don’t miss it!

Child care and nursery care will be

provided

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