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CALENDAR
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Sunday August 1
Worship at 10:30
Rev. Adam Robersmith preaches with guest musician Randy Grainger; music by Carey Farrell & Neal Shankman
11:30 - Orientation
11:30 - IL Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry presentation
Noon - Pastoral Care Team Meeting
Tuesday August 3
7:00pm - Lakeview Action Coalition Meeting
Sunday August 8
Worship at 10:30
Rev. Adam Robersmith preaches; music by Tom Clowes
Town Hall Meeting following service
9:30 - Membership Committee Meeting
Wednesday August 11
7:00pm - Board of Trustees
Sunday August 15
Worship at 10:30
Rev. Rudra Dundzila preaches; music by the 2U Folk Ensemble
11:30 AIDS Run/Walk informational meeting
Noon - Religious Services Committee Meeting
Monday August 16
9:00am - 2U Employment Group
Saturday August 21
9:45am - Council Meeting
Sunday August 22
Intergen Worship at 10:30
Blessing of the Animals, led by Alicia Obando & Gabrielle Parra
Tuesday August 24
6:00pm - Social Justice Council Meeting
Wednesday August 25
7:00pm - Lifespan Faith Development Council
Sunday August 29
Worship at 10:30
Rev. Adam Robersmith preaches; music by Walker Shadle
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2U Playgroup
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Thursdays at noon.
RSVP to Ian McPhaden at 773-213-4550.
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2U is on Facebook
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Check out our fan page for information, updates and discussion |
Church Office
Information & Staff
| Office Hours
Mon - Thurs, 9am -
1pm
Additional times available by appointment.
Consulting Minister
Rev. Adam Robersmith
773-549-0260, ext. 13
minister@secondunitarian.org
Director of Programs
Gabrielle Parra
773-549-0260, ext. 12
programs@secondunitarian.org
Community
Minister
Rev. Rudra Dundzila
773-593-7500
rdundzila@uuma.org
Business
Manager
Chris Engler
773-549-0260, ext. 10
office@secondunitarian.org
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2U Ministry Leaders
Contact Information
| Board of Trustees
Mark Sneathen
msneathen@yahoo.com
Bookstore
Gene Horcher
horcher@aol.com
Council
Neal Shankman
nshankma@hotmail.com
Finance
Tom Denio
tadenio@comcast.net
Green Sanctuary
Libby Harvey-Hill
threebmetaldesign@yahoo.com
Hospitality
Pat Zukosky
zukosky@sbcglobal.net
Lifespan Faith Development Council
Alyssa Joy Stowe
alyssa.stowe@gmail.com
Membership
John Broome
uuajohn@live.com
Music Committee
Nanna Cross
n.cross@sbcglobal.net
Pastoral Care
Rev. Adam Robersmith
minister@secondunitarian.org
Religious Services Committee
Gary Bondurant
bondurantgary@gmail.com
Lee-Ann Meredith
badkitty@core.com
Safe Congregations Response Team
Lourdes Guerrero
lsguerr4@mac.com
Lee-Ann Meredith
badkitty@core.com
Small Group Ministry
Amy Markley
amyemarkley@yahoo.com
Social Justice
David Groves
david@grovesology.com
Curtis Smith
cmwright@sbcglobal.net
Transylvania Partner Church
Kimberly Bares
773-506-9319 kimberlybares@yahoo.com
Webmaster
Dave Maly
demaly@gmail.com
WIDE Community
Atena Danner-McPhaden
atena.danner@gmail.com
Young Adult Group
Neal Shankman
nshankma@hotmail.com
Carey Farrell
carey.farrell@gmail.com
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Board of Trustees
| Mark Sneathen, Chair
msneathen@yahoo.com
August Staas, Chair Elect
august@staas.com
Jeff Siegel, Past Chair
jsiegel@hntb.com
Laura McKee, Treasurer
mckeelaura@ymail.com
Liz Krumweide, Secretary
liz.krum@yahoo.com
Neal Shankman, Council
nshankma@hotmail.com
Berlinda Browne, Trustee
berlinda.browne@yahoo.com
Jonathan Dunmore, Trustee
drfooz@comcast.net
Norman Groetzinger, Trustee
groetzinger.n@comcast.net
Curtis Smith, Trustee
cmwright@sbcglobal.net
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Board Minutes
| Available here are the most recent approved
minutes of the 2U Board of Trustees' monthly meeting. As the Board approves
draft minutes in future months, it will circulate them in later issues of the
Anvil. Please note that approved minutes are also posted on the bulletin board
on the north wall of the Palmer Room.
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Collection Plate Sharing
| June's recipient was the Community Renewal Society. We raised $386.04.
Thank you!
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TOWN HALL MEETING
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 Sunday August 8, after service
Please come to discuss the structure of our worship services. This will include a conversation about children's weekly participation in service. Following is the Lifespan Faith Development (LFD) Council's position on children's weekly participation in service. We, the Lifespan Faith Development Council of Second Unitarian Church,
believe that including children during a portion of worship every week is important and necessary to
the life and health of our church community.
"A person's a person, no matter how small." So says Horton the elephant, in
Dr. Seuss's classic storybook, Horton
Hears A Who. As the children of our church enjoy their Dr. Seuss summer
program, it seems appropriate that we borrow these words to express our hope of
finding a way to once again include children in weekly Sunday worship.
We believe that including children in our weekly worship benefits the
children themselves, their families, and the community as a whole.
Children:
- Learn how to "do church." They learn the music,
readings, rituals, and culture of our Unitarian Universalism, both here at
Second Unitarian and in the greater UU community.
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Get to know the people of the church, and to
interact with a diverse and caring community of people of all ages.
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Learn that they, too, are a valued part of our
church community.
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Gain knowledge and experience they will need to make
informed decisions about their own spiritual lives later on.
Families:
The community:
- Gets to know the young people of our church. In
particular, this gives people who don't currently have children in their lives
the chance to interact with the children in our community.
Becomes more informed about, and gains a clearer
understanding of, the children and youth faith development program at 2U. Lives out its values and covenant by becoming a
truly inclusive community!
We cannot call ourselves an inclusive church unless we include everyone-even
our smallest members. Our children and youth are not just our "future church,"
they are also our current church. |
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ORIENTATION TO 2ND UNITARIAN CHURCH
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|  Second
Unitarian Church would
like to invite any and all visitors to the orientation we will be
holding on Sunday, August 1, 11:45 - 1:45 p.m.!! This orientation will be
facilitated by
members of the 2U Membership Committee and will be an opportunity to
share
information about the rich history of UUism, the shared values of
UUists, 2U's
own role in the larger UU movement, and what membership at 2U can look
like. Attending an orientation is one
prerequisite for formalizing membership at 2U. So, whether you are a
regular visitor who is ready to commit to
membership, or you are a casual visitor who just wants to learn more
about
Unitarian Universalism, please join us!
Snacks will be provided and
childcare will be available upon request. To register, please sign-up at the What's Happening table at church (the
big table in the middle of the Palmer Room) or contact Membership
Committee Chair John Broome (uuajohn@live.com). We look forward to seeing you there! |
IL RELIGIOUS COALITION FOR THE FREEDOM TO MARRY
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|  Come to a special presentation on the movement toward same-sex equality
in Illinois immediately after the service on August 1. Get the latest
information on efforts to pass a civil unions bill this year, as well
as the longer-term strategy of moving toward achieving marriage
equality both here in Illinois as well as nationally. Gregory Potts
will also be leading a conversation about the next steps forward for
the Illinois Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, a group
founded here at Second Unitarian Church. Snacks will be provided. For more information, contact Gregory Potts, gpottschicago@yahoo.com.
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HALSTED STREET MARKET DAYS
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 We
are helping staff the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches booth for Halsted
Market Days August 7th and 8th. If you are interested in
working an hour or two, please contact Marilyn Hebda at (773) 857-3035 or email
at mfranceshebda@mac.com or sign up
at the What's happening table.
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CHICAGO AIDS RUN/WALK
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| Informational Meeting: Sunday, August 15
Run/Walk: Saturday, October 2
Most everyone has been touched by HIV/AIDS within our
community. Many members of Second Unitarian have had a friend, relative, or
partner who has lived with and in some cases died from complications of HIV. There
are also congregants who live with HIV, many of whom are open about the impact
of HIV on their lives. Fortunately, the long-term prospects for persons living
with HIV these days are good, especially in this country. There are many life-prolonging
medications available that researchers say are able to allow persons living
with HIV to have the same lifespan as an otherwise healthy individual.
It is important
to note that while medical advances for HIV/AIDS have been phenomenal in the
last 25 years, the fight is not over. There continue to be 56,000 new cases of
HIV each year in this country. Since we have known for a long time how HIV is
spread, we need to continue to work within the most impacted communities to
bring the infection rates down. This work involves having a good understanding as
to why persons engage in behaviors that put themselves at risk of acquiring
HIV.
As is the case
with many public health issues, the communities that are most impacted by
HIV/AIDS in this country are disenfranchised groups, especially African-American
and Latino gay and bisexual men and African-American and Latina women. Many psycho-social factors that
increase these individuals' risk of becoming HIV positive include growing up in
poverty, experiencing physical and/or sexual abuse, mental illness, and
substance abuse. If these factors can be mitigated early enough, vulnerable
populations can avoid HIV infection. If, however, someone is diagnosed with
HIV, this is often a turning point that enables that person to make changes in
their life. There are persons who, for example, decided once they were
diagnosed with HIV that they needed to stop abusing drugs in order to focus on
overall better health.
Chicago House
and Social Service Agency is an organization that provides services designed to
help stabilize individuals at risk of acquiring HIV as well as those who are
living with the virus. The agency provides a wide range of services including
housing, case management, substance abuse recovery support, medication
adherence counseling, employment services, and prevention services including
individual-level HIV prevention counseling and HIV rapid testing.
If you choose to
get involved in the Second
Unitarian Church
team for the AIDS Run & Walk, all of your registration fee ($25) and all of
the donations that you solicit from family and friends will go directly to
Chicago House to help fund the aforementioned services. The AIDS Run & Walk
takes place on Saturday, October 2nd at 10:00 am starting in Grant
Park. Please come join
the organizing committee on Sunday, August 15th at 11:45 am in the
sanctuary to assist with the planning for this amazing event. Refreshments will
be provided and children are welcome to attend and bring their ideas too! For
more information, contact Greg Potts at gpotts@chicagohouse.org
or Susan Zeigler at szeigler@chicagohouse.org.
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VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH
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 Sue Dunmore & Carey Farrell
Carey stepped up as a super dedicated Spirit Play teacher when we
lost a number of teachers during the transition. She is now stepping
up again and becoming the Spirit Play Caretaker (takes on the role of
volunteer coordinator and family contact for the class). She is also
working on the Spirit Play curriculum for the upcoming church year.
She is a valuable member of the LFD Council. She and Neal have worked
together as facilitators of the Young Adult Ministry and have done an
amazing job revitalizing that group this year. Carey has also
shares her musical talents to 2U on a regular basis.
Sue shares her talents across the LFD program. She has been the UU
Explorers Caretaker this past year as well as teacher - as well as
having developed many of the lesson plans herself. She also steps in and
subs in Spirit Play whenever she is needed and not already committed to
another class. She is working with Lew Harding to try to bring a Youth
Group back to 2U. She developed and taught the lay lead sermon
workshop. She is also a valuable member of the LFD Council.
Please take a moment to thank Sue and Carey for their dedication to our beloved community.
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NEW MEMBERS
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 by Sally Harding
Adam Lawrence grew up in Downer's Grove and Joliet. He moved
to Chicago six months
ago and plans on attending school in the fall to receive his certification as a
mechanic. In his free time, Adam enjoys literature, especially Russian
literature, and music (he plays the guitar). He says he felt right at home at
2U immediately and enjoys celebrating spirituality without the dogma.
Derek Bridges hails from Paducah,
KY. He received degrees in electronic media
and political science from Abilene Christian
University in Texas.
Derek has lived in Chicago for six
years. He will soon receive his provisional teaching certificate (master's
level) from Northwestern University
and is seeking an elementary teaching position for the fall. In his free time,
Derek enjoys art, architecture, and pop culture. He found 2U through religious
discussions with friends over the years. Derek feels that philosophically and
spiritually he is aligned with UU values and that 2U is a good place to fine
the truth or at least to keep searching for it. We agree.
Janice Stashwick grew up in the Humboldt
Park and northwest side of Chicago
areas. After Notre Dame High
School for Girls, she attended NIU where she
received a degree in communications and also directed the news for Channel 6
there. After a stint as a secretary at an ad agency, Janice worked at Loyola
University for twenty-five years, and also earned degrees in theology (B.A.)
and pastoral studies with an emphasis on spirituality (M.A.) She most recently
worked as a civil rights advocate for Access Living but budget cuts eliminated
her position. Janice is the coordinator of the Disability Pride Parade and
helped that organization become incorporated as an independent not-for-profit
agency. She is looking for socially relevant work in the not-for-profit sector
or in higher education. Janice attended Womanspirit
weekend in Milwaukee this year and
knew she had found a home in UUism. At 2U she has
participated in two small groups and eventually is interested in organizing
classes/groups focusing on women's spirituality. Another interest she has
is in creation mythology and 2012 Mayan prophecies. Being single and with no
family, Janice is especially grateful for the friends and community she has
found at 2U.
Welcome to Adam, Derek, and Janice!!!
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COFFEE HOSTS NEEDED
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|  Bring out your inner barista ...
or baker!
Coffee Hours
Hosts are needed to provide refreshments following Sunday services. Coffee
generally brews during the service and some prep is required during the service.
This is a great opportunity to support hospitality and community building within
the church. If you are interested, please contact Jill Siegel, 773.301.7023 or
siegel.jill@gmail.com. Jill can
answer your questions and get you plugged into the calendar. You can also sign
up in the Palmer Room.
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2U MUSIC COMMITTEE
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 Do you love music?
Do you like to sing? Do you play an instrument? If so, would you be willing to join with other 2U members in providing
music for Sunday Services? We are in need of percussionists who play
small drums and pianists to accompany hymn singing. Please contact
Nanna Cross, chair of the 2U music committee if you would like to
participate in musical groups or if you have ideas for music
programming at 2U. Email:n.cross@sbcglobal.net.
The 2U Music Committee is seeking individuals who are interested in
volunteering to manage the sound system during Sunday services. A
training on the sound system is being planned for those interested in
serving 2U in this role. If you are interested, please contact Nanna
Cross at n.cross@sbcglobal.net. You will be contacted for the training.
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MONEY MATTERS
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| Fiscal Year 2009-10 Operating Budget Status: YTD thru June
Income
Pledges & Collection Plate $203,509
Other Income $47,470
Total YTD Income $250,979
Expenses
Collection Plate Sharing $16,904
All other expenses $210,686
Total YTD expenses $227,590
Total Annual Budget $375,030
Balance Sheet Snapshot - June
Total reserves & investments $214,444
Land & building (2001 appraisal) $2,060,000
Endowment $1,234
Restricted Funds $8,732
Total long term debt $290,409
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