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Calendar
Thursday, Nov. 13
Noon Retiree Potluck lunch
7:10pm Sight Reading class
7:30pm Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, Nov. 16
10am & 11:30 am Worship: "Change Your Life - Spend it"; 2U Choir sings
11:30 am Parenting In Multiracial Families - Fleishman Hall
12:30 pm WIDE Community mtg. - Fleishman Hall
12:30 pm Orientation to Unitarian Universalism -Membership 101 - Loft
Wednesday, Nov. 19
7pm Meditation Circle
7pm Pastoral Care Team mtg. - AFD office
7:30pm Choir Rehearsal
Saturday, Nov. 22
10am - 2pm Buddhist Meditation Workshop
11:30am-1pm Thanksgiving Potluck gathering for Kids and their families
Sunday, Nov. 23 10am & 11:30am Worship: "Change Your Life - Give it"; 4Now sings
Monday, Nov. 24
Anvil deadline for Dec 1 issue
Tuesday, Nov. 25
5pm Cooking for the Night Ministry Bus
6:30 pm Social Justice Council Mtg.
Thursday, Nov. 27
THANKSGIVING
Office closed
Friday, Nov. 28
Office closed
Sunday, Nov. 30
Worship at 10am & 11:30am: "A New Day - Gratitude"; music by Sarah Buino and Brett Rowe
All Ages Children's Chapel at 10am & 11:30am in Fleishman Hall |
| Communication Deadlines
Sunday Order of Service Mondays at noon Please make sure that the events are inclusive of all members. No additional inserts will be included in the order of service without the prior approval of the church office. Send announcement requests to secondunitarian@att.net.
The Anvil
2nd and 4th Monday of the month Send newsletter submissions directly to the office at faithdev_2u@att.net. Please note that this is a change from the last several months.
Scheduling Events
All space for church activities must be scheduled in advance through the Membership Coordinator, Lisa Todd secondunitarian@att.net. The church is open for group activities on Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 6:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
| Church Office Information & Staff
Office Hours
Tues-Thurs, 9am-1pm
Parish Minister: Rev. Jennifer Owen-O'Quill
Intern Minister:
Katie Norris 773-549-0260 ext. 29,
Business Manager: Suzanne Larimer
Membership Coordinator: Lisa Todd
Acting Music Director: Brett Rowe
773-549-0260 ext. 31
Choir Director:
Blake Adams
Early Childhood Manager:
Lani Schuster
773-549-0260 ext.28
Nursery Attendant: Noemi A. |
Thanksgiving Family Potluck
We will be holding a Thanksgiving Family Potluck on Saturday, November 22nd from 11:30-1:00 at Second
Unitarian Church.
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BUDDHIST MEDITATION WORKSHOP
SATURDAY, NOV. 22, 10:00am - 1:00pm, Lunch Provided, extended meditation 1- 2 pm
REQUESTED DONATION: $10 per person
FACILITATORS: Charlotta Koppanyi & Mui Baltrunas.
Sensei Mui studied Abhidhamma (Buddhist Psychology) in Sri Lanka. Charlotta has studied psychology and Buddhism in Sweden and the United States.
The "monkey mind" jumps from thought to thought and emotion to emotion. It presents us with its own perspective on the world. How can we still this and develop the ability to see things as they really are? This workshop will focus on Christian, Buddhist and Unitarian Universalist perspectives on mindfulness.
Register by signing up at the What's Happening table in the Palmer Room or by contacting the Director of Faith Development, faithdev_2u@att.net .
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Prospects for Peace After the Election - a panel presentation sponsored by
Unitarian Universalists
for Social Justice, will be held Saturday, Nov. 22,
2-4pm at Peoples Church, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. for details see fliers on the "Whats Happening" table.
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Share some of your Unitarian Universalist values with everyone you meet, without saying a word, through this newly designed canvass tote bag.
The back of the shirt reads: "Peace, compassion, resposibility, love, dignity, humanity, harmony, equity, community, liberty, interconnectedness, justice, reason and wonder. Unitarian Universalist values."
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| Membership 101 - Orientation to Unitarian Universalism
When? 3rd Sundays (Nov. 16) 12:30-2:30
Where? the Loft (top floor)
Who? Anyone who wants to know more about UUism, Second Unitarian Church or who wants to meet some other good people.
What? A conversation about UU ideas and a sharing of our own questions and paths. Lunch and child care are provided so please RSVP.
Why? Because if you've gotten this far in the blurb you have some questions about church or faith or belonging to a community in an intentional way. Join us! |
2U Now has Blue Bins!
What can we put in them to be recycled?
- Glass jars and bottles
- Aluminum cans, foil and pie tins
- Tin or Steel cans
- Cereal boxes, paper towel rolls
- Cardboard (flatten all boxes)
- Plastic bottles and containers (numbers 1-5, 7 accepted. No Styrofoam-
avoid it at all costs!)
- Junk mail
- Magazines and catalogs
- Telephone books
- Paper bags
- Office paper and file folders
- Newspaper and inserts
- Beverage cartons (milk, juice, soy cartons)
Why recycle? 1) Chicago and the suburbs will run out of landfill space in less
than 8 years! Then we'll have to pay to have it trucked elsewhere. 2) Toxins
from our landfills will eventually seep into the land. 3) We can use fewer
resources by recycling and then closing the loop by purchasing recycled
products.
Please locate and use the recycling receptacles around the
building!
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We hope you find the new Anvil format useful and relevant. The next change is that Gabrielle is managing The Anvil, so please send submissions to her at faithdev_2u@att.net. We are continuing to evaluate this change in communication. We welcome your personal opinion and feedback. Please feel free to email faithdev_2u@att.nett or call 773-549-0260. | |
 From the Minister
by Jennifer Owen-O'Quill
Members, Friends and Leaders:
Count my blessings. This is what this time of year always reminds me to do. As the fall turns cold and winter approaches, we come to the time of harvest and Thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for, much to rejoice in, much to stand in awe of this year in this season.
As I write, a long election cycle has passed, Veterans Day is approaching and Thanksgiving is coming. Let us offer our thanks for the many who serve and have served our nation faithfully in public office, government roles and in our military.
In this season I also find myself particularly grateful for the presence of our church and the faithful service of so many of you. Without you the church ceases to be! So many of you are faithful attenders, and I know the commitment you are making to grow in your faith and worship each week is making a difference in your lives.
You know, every week it takes between 40 and 65 volunteers to make everything we do together on Sunday happen. The people need to be greeted. The coffee needs to be made. The music needs to be played. The children need to be welcomed and helped to grow in their young faith. For your commitment to the life of our church and to the ministry we offer in our community I am thankful beyond measure.
So many leaders enable our mission to grow and our ministry to flourish. We have amazing people making significant sacrifices in order to enable this church to do meaningful and important things in the world. From Night Ministry meals to music that lifts the spirit and heals the soul, let us be thankful we are together. . . . and if you see someone around church doing their part to make our ministry happen, take a moment to thank them this season.
I am humbled that you allow me to witness the transformation in your lives up close each week. I will ever be grateful for the privilege to serve this great city in a church so alive with possibility and joy.
Faithfully,
Jennifer
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Seed Gathering at Northpark Village Nature Center
by Susie
Why did we gather seeds?
To help the park spread the seeds farther than they would go on their
own, to parts of the park being replanted and replenished.
What did we learn? At
the end of the summer season, petals fall from flowers and seed pods filled
with seeds are left behind. The seeds
are spread by wind and other means to land in the soil, germinate after the
frost of winter, and grow new flowers in the spring.
We learned how to identify and gather Bee
Balm (or Wild Bergamot) and the Grey-Headed, or Yellow, Coneflower.
We also learned about Milkweed, bees and honey, and saw
several deer.
All of this within a bus ride of our neighborhoods. We encourage you to visit the North Park Nature Center
on your own or watch for the next time we have a service day!
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From the Director of Faith Development
by Gabrielle Parra
Second
Unitarian Church strives to create meaningful worship and faith development experiences
for all who walk through our doors. As
you know, we no longer have a Story for All Ages. The children now gather on Sunday mornings
for Children's Chapel before going to their classes. Children's Chapel is similar to opening
worship in the sanctuary, and has many of the same components such as lighting
the chalice, singing Spirit of Life,
and the offertory. The children gather
in Fleishman Hall for fellowship time ten minutes before Children's
Chapel.
Though the
vision of these changes began some years ago, this is the first time they are
really being felt by the whole church. I
have heard from several people how much they enjoyed seeing the children Sundays
during the Story for All Ages. However seeing the children and worshipping with them are two different
things.
Many years
ago our church made a decision to deepen our commitment to the children and
youth faith development program. In 2000,
this community voted to apply for a grant from the Liberal Religious Educators
Association (LREDA) to help pay for a full-time Director of Faith Development. LREDA promotes the religious growth and learning of
people of all ages and advocates for the support of religious educators and the
field of liberal religious education. The process of applying for and
receiving the grant resulted in the congregation voting to fund a full-time
Director of Faith Development.
The move to live
out the value of providing significant faith formation for our children marked
a shift in the way we thought about children's programming at 2U. The 2U community realized that a full-time
staff position was required in order to provide comprehensive faith development
program for our children and youth.
As part of
this shift we saw the need to create sacred spaces for our children to go for worship. We wanted the children to have a place to
worship that is respected the same way that our sanctuary is respected.
Today we
have a dedicated nursery, and our toddlers have a room of their own in which to
move and grow. The Spirit Play room is
used only for children's classes on Sunday mornings, maintaining its sacred
atmosphere. Since then, we have
continued to make improvements to our basement and Fleishman Hall so that all
of our children have a beautiful, age-appropriate space in which to worship on
Sunday mornings.
As the
children's spaces changed, so our programming has changed. We now have our Spirit Play, which is a Montessori-based
program that teaches children about Unitarian Universalist principles, history,
and liturgy through storytelling and play. For our older children we have the UU
Explorers class, which is a lesson and activity-based program. The curricula for these classes are chosen
and/or written about a year in advance by a team of wonderful volunteers whose
energy and devotion to our children is humbling.
This move to
create sacred spaces and intentional programming caused us to look more closely
at the overall faith formation needs of our children. One of the questions we have asked is whether
the Story for All Ages best meets the worship needs of our children, or whether
there is a better, age-appropriate way to provide for our children to worship
in community.
Since we
removed the Story for All Ages, I have consistently heard from our congregants
that the time for families to worship together in community is missed. We are currently working on a way to
integrate the children into worship on a regular basis in addition to the four
intergenerational worship services planned for the year.
Our goal is
to involve everyone who worships here; young and old, gay and straight, people
from many different ethnic backgrounds and heritages; in meaningful ways in
order to have a healthy, whole community.
Ways in which we have begun to address this need are to have the
Children's Check-in table in the Palmer room as well as the table for children
to sit at and draw on during coffee hour so they may be among us during our
fellowship time. More than once I have
seen members who are not parents or teachers sit at that table to enjoy
fellowship time with the children.
We also have
several All Ages events during the year to which the whole church is
invited. All are welcome to come and spend
time with our children. If you are
someone who would like to spend more intentional, faithful experiences with our
children, we are always looking for volunteers in our children's ministry.
This
continues to be a journey. I am grateful
for your encouragement, participation and ideas.
In faith,
Gabrielle
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Oven Mitts to Ready
Mixers to Set
Baking Sheets to Go!
We want cookies! We want your cookies (brownies, quick
breads,  candies and other delights) for the annual 2U cookie sale. Nothing
says, "holiday" like the taste of ginger, molasses, chocolate, peppermint, or a
good old-fashioned frosted sugar cookie. As you plan for the season of baking
plenty, throw an extra batch or two in the oven for the benefit of 2U.
Bring as many dozens of bake sale goodies as you are able to
the sale. Please label your cookies if they are vegan, or contain tree nuts or
peanuts. The Cookie Team will do the rest. Cookies will be sold by weight.
As an additional treat this year, we will be auctioning off pies,
cakes and other holiday desserts fit for a festive table or Sunday supper. This
is the time to share your family's best ever pecan pie or your justifiably
famous apple tart.
If your not inclined to bake or dip pretzels in chocolate,
come and buy! If you're sick of your own cookies, come and buy. If you need a
last minute treat, come and buy. If you have no baking skills but are trying to
impress your current or future mother-in-law, come and buy. If you need cookies
for the school holiday party, come and buy. If there's too much to do and too
little time to bake this year, come and buy.
The date of the sale and other details will be circulated in
the next Anvil. Also, watch for further
details at church.
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The Winter issue of 'UU World' is in the
mail
The Winter 2008 issue of UU World is now in the mail, but you don't need
to wait for your copy to arrive to start browsing the magazine:
http://www.uuworld.org/issues/winter2008.shtml?n
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Pastoral Care
by Rudra
"Ask me about Pastoral Care"2U's Pastoral Care Ministry helps congregants with their religious, spiritual and personal needs, especially those facing significant life events. The Ministry assists our Pastor, the Reverend Jennifer Owen-O'Quill, by coordinating emotional support through companionship, and physical tasks such as meal delivery for those in need. The Pastoral Care Ministry is available every Sunday after worship. We are the ones wearing the purple "Ask me about Pastoral Care" badges. Please come chat with us.
Ministry members are available to listen when people need to talk with someone. They coordinate meals for members experiencing life changes such as a new child, and arrange rides to 2U for those who need transportation. The ministry needs volunteers for meals and rides.
A Unitarian Universalist Prayer for Advent
Author unknown.
Source: UUMA 1997 Worship Materials
We come together at this special time and place mindful of
the season approaching, mindful that we have yet much to do, mindful of the
needs and expectations of those near and dear to us, and wondering, perhaps
worrying, about how or what we should do, feeling the weight of many
"shoulds" upon our shoulders.
These concerns are real; we cannot turn our backs on
them. But they are not all there
is. For this understanding we are grateful,
grateful to know that we are the ones who judge how important they are,
grateful that we have the power to choose what and how to do with them, and
that it is in the choosing that we say who we are and what we are about.
In the recognition of these small things before us, may we
have the vision to see their challenge is part of that which is larger, which
points to the East, the light which illumines our reason for being -- to share
with one another the good within us,
the joy of discovery and delight,
the healing of pain that is named,
the warmth of helpfulness,
the wonder of life around us.
In this season of hope, may we find renewed promise in the
days to come. Amen.
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Help us Give the Gift of Warmth!
A coat drive benefiting the homeless youth of Lakeview will begin Sunday
November 16th and run through Sunday December 14th. The streets of Lakeview are
home to many LGBQT youth who have been  forced to leave their home because of
their sexual orientation. We can help! Please bring new or gently used coats and
other winter outerwear items and put them in the the designated bin in the
Palmer Room. The drive is sponsored by the Tuesday Night Small
Group.
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Young Adult Ministry
by Liz
The Young Adult Ministry is geared towards people aged 18-35. As a welcoming outreach ministry, we aim to bring young people together in fellowship and help everyone feel at home in our congregation. We encourage spiritual formation, social justice work and involvement in the larger church community. For more information email us at seconunitarian@att.net
Upcoming Events:
Dec. 10: Strategic Planning Advisory Meeting. All young adults are welcome at our monthly planning meeting, held on the second Wednesday of the month. We will meet at the church from 7:00-9:00 pm to plan events for the upcoming months and discuss long-term goals for the ministry. (We'll order pizza for dinner so please bring a few bucks to chip in.) If you've been thinking about getting more involved, why not come join us?!!
Dec. 14: Potluck Lunch & Worship. The Young Adult Ministry holds a potluck lunch followed by a worship service on the second Sunday of every month from 12:30-2:30 pm in the Loft. This is a great way get to know each other on a deeper level by engaging in meaningful conversations and sharing a community meal. Mia Mapes will be facilitating our next Potluck Lunch & Worship on the topic of Spiritual Practices.
Canned Food Drive
Recently the Young Adults went "trick-or-treating" for canned goods in our church neighborhood. The collection was a huge success and it is very rewarding to know that such a simple effort will really make a difference in our community. To continue our drive for the Lakeview Pantry, we are collecting canned food and other items at the church. The most needed food items are peanut butter, jelly, tuna, juice, canned meats, soup, stews, canned fruit, canned beans and chili. The most needed non-food items are toys, canvas bags, personal hygiene products and winter coats. Please place your donations in the collection barrel located in the Palmer Room. Thank you for giving generously!
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What's Cooking?
Volunteering for the Night Ministry Youth Outreach Team
by Tim & Jane
2U has long supported the Night Ministry, which emphasizes, among other efforts, outreach to and services for homeless youth in Lakeview. While a fairly small percentage of all young people identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, nearly half of homeless youth are GLBT. Unfortunately, many of them flee situations where they are bullied by their classmates, scorned by their religious communities, and rejected or abused by their families. Seeking a more tolerant community and a network of friendship and social support, many of them arrive in Lakeview homeless. Even if they find a supportive community, their age and homelessness leave them vulnerable in many, many ways. Among its other services to these homeless youth, the Night Ministry enlists neighborhood groups to supply and serve dinner twice a week from its Youth Outreach van. This is the program we have chosen to support, and we have committed to finding volunteers for a couple of dinners in each of the next several months.
This Night Ministry project is perfect because it's really very simple. If you can commit to one of the scheduled nights listed below, one of us will contact you about one week before that night to figure out what the group will cook and serve. Although there's no set menu, we should provide 4-5 gallons of soup, approximately 200 simple sandwiches, and some basic items like crackers, pretzels, cookies, candy, or fruit. Volunteers have generously supplied food items. If that poses a difficulty for you, please don't let it prevent you from volunteering. Let us know what, if anything, you can bring, and we'll work it out with you.
Beginning at 5 PM, volunteers begin meeting at 2U to cook soup, assemble sandwiches, and make other preparations. At about 7:30 PM, the Night Ministry staff meets us at the church to answer any questions and plan the evening. By about 8 PM, we all head to the intersection of Belmont & Halsted to serve dinner. By about 10 PM, our work is complete. Although it's great if you're available for an entire evening, it's also very helpful if you're available from 5-7 PM to cook or from 8-10 PM to serve. Let us know when you're available, and we'll be grateful for your help.
2U has committed to prepare and serve dinner on the following nights: Tuesday, November 25th (just before Thanksgiving); Tuesday, December 23rd, Thursday, January 8th, Thursday, February 5th; Thursday, February 12th; Thursday, March 5th; Thursday, April 9th, Thursday, April 30th, and Thursday, May 7th.
We're confident that you'll enjoy time spent in the company of your fellow church members and the satisfaction of helping our most vulnerable neighbors. Please e-mail us to let us know you can volunteer to help, seconunitarian@att.net | |
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