Homecoming Sunday

Sunday September 11

9/11 Reflection and Vigil: 8:30-9:00 AM in the Sanctuary. You are welcome to come for a time of quiet reflection and remembrance for the people lost in and affected by the events of September 11, 2001. Please feel free to light candles, meditate, pray, or simply remember and witness the world's need for peace.

Homecoming Worship and the Gathering of the Waters: 10:30 AM in the Sanctuary. Come join us for our inter-generational celebration of the start of the church year! We will celebrate our community through our ritual of water communion. Please bring water to the church from places sacred and meaningful to you, from near or far -- your home tap, a beach, winter's snows, or another beloved body of water. We look forward to beginning this new year together. 

Weekly Vespers services resume on Wednesday September 14, 6:30pm. 
Next Sunday,  September 18 is the start of Sunday school for 2U children & youth. During the Time for All Ages we will be commissioning our teachers as they begin a new year of religious education. Please come to support our teachers and start them off with blessings for a fortuitous year.

From the Board of Trustees

 

Over the summer, your Board of Trustees has been working to prepare for the new church year, which begins this Sunday with the Homecoming Sunday service.  It promises to be a busy year.  We're conducting our search for a settled minister, we'll be doing much-needed maintenance on the kitchen, and we have wonderful and exciting Lifespan Faith Development programs for both the children and adults.  For those of you who are new to our community, we'll be making a special effort this year to design a more coherent and effortless path to becoming connected and integrated into our congregation.   

 

I see so many members of our congregation giving abundantly of their time, talents, and treasure that I'm completely overwhelmed with gratitude and love.  Over the summer, though, the Ministerial Search Committee has outdone itself, and I want to specifically acknowledge their extraordinary tireless contribution:  Thanks to Dawn Kirschmann, Ty Duston, Barb Hailey, Atena Danner-McPhaden, Susan Richter, and Hugh Visor.  

 

And the Ministerial Search Committee has asked me to thank all those who have participated in the cottage meetings, chats, and survey so far.  There's still more to come! 

 

During this church year, I'll endeavor to be worthy of the trust you've placed in me by appointing me board chair.  This beautiful community is a great spiritual home, and I'm looking forward to working with all of you to let the bright possibilities continue to unfold this year. 

 

August Staas,

Chair, Second Unitarian Church Board of Trustees

Beyond Categorical Thinking

Sunday, October 16

 "Will the new minister hear me? Will my concerns and needs be met?  Will the minister understand what I'm living with? How will the community respond to our minister?"

 

In answering these questions, a picture of the "ideal minister" (categorized by age, gender, gender identity, nationality, physical ability, race, and sexual orientation) comes to mind. With this picture in place, it can be easy to unintentionally exclude ministers who fall into certain categories. At times, as we get caught up in comparing candidates to our "picture," we can even forget what it is we hoped for in a minister.

 

On Sunday October 16, 2011, Second Unitarian Church will participate in the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop offered by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) for congregations involved in the search for a new minister. The 2U Ministerial Search Committee invites all congregational leaders, members, and friends to participate in this workshop.

 

The Beyond Categorical Thinking program (BCT) is designed to promote inclusive thinking and help prevent unfair discrimination in the search process for a new minister. This program includes a Sunday morning service with BCT workshop facilitators followed by a three hour workshop. In the workshop, the 2U congregation will:

• Consider the hopes, expectations, and concerns they have for a new minister
• Learn more about the ministerial search process, and
• Explore how thinking categorically about people sometimes interferes with choosing the best candidate.

 The Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop is another opportunity for everyone in our congregation to be a part of the ministerial selection process. This experience will provide guidance for the Ministerial Search Committee. Lunch and childcare will be provided.

Orientation to 2nd Unitarian Church

The membership committee will hold an orientation on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 from 10:00AM until noon.

This orientation will allow visitors whose Sunday afternoons are filled to learn more about the church and move down the path toward membership.

It will be the same format as the usual, monthly orientation sessions.

Participants MUST SIGN UP in advance by sending an email to  broomejv@att.net or to programs@secondunitarian.org BEFORE 9:00 AM on Friday, SEPTEMBER 23.

Please contact John Broome, membership committee chair at broomejv@att.net if you have questions or want additional information.

The committee hopes this additional orientation will provide one more opportunity for busy people to learn about 2U.

Green Sanctuary News

2U Young Adults Upcoming Events

Look for the Young Adults at the Sept 18th Church involvement fair!  We will have information on past and upcoming events, plus a chance to meet a real live 2U Young Adult!  September 25th will be our after church brunch at Pick Me Up Cafe. Come join us for socializing and good eats. Pick Me Up Cafe has lots of vegan/vegtarian options and is close by in Wrigleyville. Also at this meeting, we'll talk about the stellar activities from last year and possible activities for this year.  Our monthly Yoga night will happen sometime in Sept., date yet to be announced. Email Arcenia Harmon at oya7@yahoo.com to join our mailing list and receive more info on this and other upcoming events!

Choir Corner

The 2U choir needs sopranos! Altos! Tenors! Basses!  Beginning on September 20, the choir will rehearse around the piano in the sanctuary every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. - a perfect time for a mid-week musical boost. Interested? Curious?  Want to know more?  Contact music director Marianne Parker at musicdirector@secondunitarian.org - or just come to a rehearsal.

AIDS Run/Walk 2011

Saturday October 1

 

For the second year in a row, Second Unitarian Church will have its own team in the AIDS Run and Walk in support of Chicago House. The event will be October 1 in Grant Park.

 

Every dollar raised - even the registration fees - will go directly to support Chicago House, the oldest HIV/AIDS service organization in the Midwest. Chicago House focuses its efforts on HIV prevention, housing, and other services, especially for homeless and low-income individuals. Every dollar we raise makes a difference in combating HIV/AIDS and poverty.

 

If you are interested in joining the team, you can do so online here . Stay tuned for further details. Please speak with team organizers, 2U members Susan Zeigler or Gregory Potts, both of whom work for Chicago House.

No More Deaths Concert with Tom Clowes

Saturday October 8, 4pm

2U cellist Tom Clowes and pianist Ji-Young Kim will give a concert of Latin American and Spanish music at 2U on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 4PM.  Half of free-will donations will be given to No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes.  No More Deaths is an organization that strives to end death and suffering along with US/Mexico border, where each year hundreds of people die trying to trek the inhospitable desert.  No More Deaths is affiliated with the UU Church of Tucson, whose work with No More Deaths earned it the UUA's Bennet Social Justice Award.

Shoe Drive

In addition to September's Fitts Fund collection for Mayan Families, we are also doing a new and used children's shoe drive. Mayan Families is a UU-run nonprofit that provides basic and essential human services to the poor and indigenous people in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, in addition to sponsoring nearly 1500 children to go to school. As your kids transition to school, donate their gently-worn sneakers and sandals to Mayan Families. Look for the box in the Palmer Room. For more information about Mayan Families, go to  www.mayanfamilies.org or join us for a Spotlight Luncheon on Sunday, October 30th after services to meet Sharon Smart-Poage and Dwight Poage, the wife/husband team that founded and run the organization!

Money Matter$

Fiscal Year 2011-12 Operating Budget Status: YTD through July 

 

Income                                                                                                         

Pledges & Collection Plate                                                                           16,243

Other Income                                                                                                      2,161 Total YTD Income                                                                                         $18,404

 

Expenses

Collection Plate Sharing                                                                                     573

All Other Expenses                                                                                        19, 101

Total YTD Expenses                                                                                   $19, 674    

Total Annual Budget                                                                                  $284,722     

Balance Sheet Snapshot - July

Total Reserves & Investments                                                                   207,077

Land & Building (2001 appraisal)                                                          2,060,000

Endowment                                                                                                        1,256

Restricted Funds                                                                                               6,949

Total Long Term Debt                                                                                $285,259

UUA Monthly Bulletins 

Travel to Transylvania with Unitarians

Travel with Unitarians to experience our historic roots and explore this fascinating part of Europe - Transylvania and Hungary, June 4-18, 2012

 

How about travelling to a place where a  Unitarianism was founded 450 years ago?  That's Transylvania! One fourth of all Unitarians live here. Their beautiful, unique churches are a joy to behold.

 

We'll have a 3-day stay in a Transylvanian Unitarian village - attending church, sharing a relaxed picnic and experiencing rural village life.  We'll explore castles and other cultural places, enjoy the food and art and the beautiful landscapes. From Cluj-Napoca, Romania, to Budapest, Hungary, the cost is $2075 US, plus airfare.  That includes 9 nights in Transylvania and 5 in Hungary, private coach, most meals, escorts and guides, 3 and 4- star hotels, as well as staying with a family or in a guest house when we are in the rural village.

 

This specially designed tour for Unitarians everywhere, will be facilitated by the UU Partner Church Council Pilgrimage Service that has more than a decade of experience facilitating UU visits to this part of Europe.

 

For all details see  www.nuuc.ca
Contact Beverly Carr, bgcarr@rogers.com

Neighbourhood UU Congregation, Toronto

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago
656 West Barry Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60657
www.secondunitarian.org