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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
Jan 15, 2013
In This Issue
Coming Up at 2U
 
Wednesday, January 16
Vespers Service at 6:30pm
    
Sunday, January 20
Service at 10:30
Lay Preacher: Tom Clowes
'Engaging With People Who Believe Differently'
Music by Jonathan Dunmore

Wednesday, January 23
Vespers Service at 6:30pm

Sunday, January 27
New Member Ingathering
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by the 2U Choir

Wednesday, January 30
Vespers Service at 6:30pm

Sunday, February 3
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith

Wednesday, February 6
Vespers Service at 6:30pm

Sunday, February 10
Service at 10:30
Lay Preacher: Seth Fisher
'Answering the Call'
________________
_________________
Church Office Information & Staff

Minister
773-549-0260, ext. 13
Office Hours:
Wed-Thurs 1:00-9:00 pm
 
 
Dir. of Faith Development
773-549-0260, ext. 12
Office Hours:
Wed 1:00-6:00, Sun 9:00-1:00

Office Administrator
773-549-0260, ext. 10
Office Hours: 
Mon-Thurs 10:00-4:00 
 
Community Minister
773-593-7500
 
Music Director
                                  
2U Ministry Leaders

Board of Trustees

Bookstore

Building & Grounds

Committee on Ministry

Finance Committee

Green Sanctuary

Hospitality 

Lifespan Faith Dev.

Membership

Music

Newsletter

Night Ministry

Pastoral Care

Sunday Services

Safe Congregations 

Small Group Ministry

Social Justice

Transylvania Church

Webmaster

Young Adult Group
Erin Rusmi
_____________________
 
Board of Trustees 
 


 






                                  
Thank You from Karen Mooney

KarenAlmost 12 years ago I started actively preparing for ministry. I was, of course, a minister already -- I believe we all are ministers anytime we serve, any time we have faith, any time we choose justice-- you get the idea. Still, I began preparing for professional ministry believing I had a call to bring my skills, my strength and myself into the communal work of remembering we are not alone; there is something larger than my own existence, perhaps we call this Gd, perhaps love, perhaps simply the unknowable. My journey has not been typical even for a Unitarian Universalist-- I have taken our commitment to seek the truth seriously and have left in search, only to find that my spiritual home is truly here amongst those comfortable with the ambiguity of a covenantal non-creedal faith.

 

This moment is important, this moment of revelation and returning. Within it I stopped to ask, again, for your sponsorship of my journey to professional UU ministry. Specifically, I asked for a formal vote from the board at the November meeting. In a unanimous vote after a brief conversation about ministry and call, you affirmed my ministry. Sponsorship is one of two places that a congregation touches this process of ministerial formation; it is a time for the congregation to say yes -- we see a religious leader, a minister, a person who will move our movement forward. For me this was the formal expression of the multitude of well wishes, questions and conversations I have had with so many of you over the last several months. I remain profoundly moved by your welcome ... kindness... acceptance...

 

Thank you for your support of our associations process and of my potential as a minister. While this note is much later in coming than I had wanted, I thank you and I wish you all the best as you continue to bring a message of hope and justice to Chicago. I will continue to support your work from a far. I have moved to Tennessee to be with my partner, who is serving as a UU minister in Chattanooga, and am looking forward to engaging in an internship with the Rev. Lynne Strauss in Rockville MD next year.

 

Peace and all good things from the bounty of love --

Karen Mooney

Lay Preacher Tom Clowes

Tom Clowes January 20, 2013

"Engaging With People Who Believe Differently."

 

As Unitarian Universalists, we believe in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. But what do we do when others' search leads them to radically different beliefs-- beliefs that may directly conflict with our own? Drawing on personal experiences in Haiti and at home, Tom Clowes will share how he believes we can meaningfully interact with people who believe differently, and be better off because of it.

 

Tom Clowes grew up attending Countryside UU Church of Palatine, and has been a 2U member since 2010. As a professional cellist, he has been teaching at summer music camps in Haiti since 2000. These experiences prompted him to form the Crossing Borders Music Collective, a non-profit organization which presents music by composers from around the world, especially under-represented countries. 

Growing Up UU: Jenny Dunmore

 

I have been going to 2U since I was a baby. I was dedicated when the back of the sanctuary was the front; my preschool-age classes were split between the old basement (now the Junior High room) and our temporary home in Jane Addams Hull House. I re-enacted being born and built my own house out of cardboard in Fleishman Hall, and later I would spend endless summers learning about the birth of Buddha and the tale of Joseph Smith's prophecies. In middle school I watched my friends dwindle as the congregation went though changes and families moved to the suburbs, and spent most of my middle school religious education (RE) life bored and mostly alone. In high school, youth group was a more solid time in which my faith offered support through tough times, gave direction to my fight for justice, and created life-long friendships.

 

Growing up in RE at 2U has given me a sense of world religions, a moral compass based around the seven principles, and a sense of community that still strongly informs the choices I make today. My personal sense of faith comes from years of watching broken, scarred, and lonely youth find ways to connect and support each other through their struggles, to find power in building relationships over tearing one another down, and watching folks place that in the larger context of fighting for justice for all. Churches are a place of learning and growth, and RE at 2U taught me what that could mean.

 

Even as an adult who has learned to sit still and find inspiration from Sunday services, RE will always be my underlying connection to my faith, because who does not find the study of faith a little more interesting when play acting, crafting, and snacks are intimately involved?

Children & Youth Faith Development Schedule

 

Happy New Year! We welcome our children back to class. Please take note of the upcoming Children and Youth Faith Development schedule:

 

January 13:  Regular Children's Classes (2nd grade and younger)
                      Roots and Shoots (3rd grade and older) 

 

Janunary 20:  Regular Children's Classes (all ages)

 

January 27:  Ingathering
                      Regular Children's Classes (all ages) 

 

February 3: Regular Children's Classes (all ages)

 
February 10: Regular Children's Classes (all ages) 

                      
February 17: Regular Children's Classes (all ages)

 

February 24: Purim Intergenerational Holiday Service (Green

Caterpillar Room will be open)

Ribbons, Not Walls

A project of HUUmanists banned books

 

"Ribbons, Not Walls" is a display of fabric art, illustrating social action carried out by UU and Humanist groups or individuals, to be featured at the UUA General Assembly in Louisvile, KY, in June, 2013.

 

There will be 24 panels, each portraying some aspect (theme, episode, cover art, etc) of one of the Banned Books by Hispanic authors from the Phoenix GA Book SmUUggler project, or of another 2012 or 2013 immigration reform/immigrant rights activity. Panels may be done in applique, embroidery, quilting, or any means of putting durable images on fabric. Calligraphy (on fabric, not paper) is also welcomed. The complete list of books is available here.

 

Each artist is asked to produce one panel (landscape orientation) 36" wide and 18" high, sufficiently sturdy to withstand shipping and gentle repeated handling. Panels should be backed by muslin and have a horizontal fabric tie nine inches long and �' wide, securely attached at each corner.

 

HUUmanists will display the panels at the General Assembly, and other appropriate venues during 2013 and 2014.

 

Completed panels need to be shipped to the coordinator no later than May 1, unless the artist will be attending GA in Louisville, and commits to bringing the panel to the booth on the morning of June 19.

 

Questions may be addressed to the coordinator, Roger Brewin, at (773) 881-4028. The shipping address is 10559 S Wood St. Chicago, IL 60643-2719.

 

More information about the project, including a sign-up sheet, can be found here.

Sound System Volunteers Needed
soundboard Hear ye, hear ye! The Music Committee is looking for volunteers with "good ears for sound" to run the sound system during the service on Sundays. No special skills required, just your willingness to help out a few times a year, to spend 15 minutes getting trained, and to arrive at church at 9:45 a.m. on those Sundays when you serve as the sound-system volunteer. Interested in this easy but vital way to serve the church? Contact Monica Drane at (773) 472-5810 or 2U Music Director Marianne Parker.
From the Social Justice Council
March for a Moratorium on Deportations
MLK Day, Monday, January 21, 2013
Daley Plaza
118 N. Clark Street, Chicago IL
11:00am

Our friends at Latino Union of Chicago have invited 2U to join the March for a Moratorium on Deportations. In recent weeks, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a Chicago neighborhood at the place where day laborers look for work. Nearly a dozen workers were arrested by ICE and all but one have been deported.
 
Mayor Emmanuel has declared Chicago a "Welcoming City" to immigrants and the President has said he's committed to immigration reform. So why are ICE agents rolling into Chicago parks and shopping centers and grabbing day laborers as they look to work to provide for their families? Please join us on MLK Day to demand no more raids. No More deportations. Keep our families together.


Community Renewal Society's MLK Day Event
Saturday, January 26, 2013
First Baptist Congregational Church
1613 W. Washington, Chicago IL
9:30am: Registration
10:00am-12:00pm: Event

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day, congregations from across the Chicago metropolitan area will come together to put their faith into action in a public meeting with political leaders. The morning will also include prayer, song, and historical witness and the challenge to live out Dr. King's legacy today.
Young Adult Circle Worship
January 27, 2013
12:00pm

On January 27, the Young Adults will have their bimonthly circle worship in Fleishman Hall following services. For more details on this event and the Young Adult group in general, email Erin Rusmi and David Dyer at [email protected].
Social Group for Retirees & Active Seniors
February 13, 2013
12:30pm

Gary Bondurant will be reviving monthly meetings for retirees. The initial meeting is set for February 13, 2013 at 12:30 at 2U. Basic victuals will be provided: chili, both vegetarian and meat-laden.

Participants are encouraged to add to the feast, but this is not mandatory. Please contact Gary to let him know you're coming, and what you can contribute. Discussion this time will center on how the group would function, its goals, etc. You don't necessarily need to be a 2U member.
Choir Corner
musical chalice The choir rehearses around the piano in the sanctuary every Tuesday evening at 7:30. There's always room for more! All voices welcome! For more information, email music director Marianne Parker, or just show up for a warm greeting.
The UU Explorers Need Your Help!

 

Explorers The UUExplorers are talking about making a movie about the different generations at 2U. We would record on-film interviews with 2U members of different generations, telling about their lives at 2U.

 

However, we need some help. We need access to a camcorder and editing software, and someone to help us with these.

 

Can you help? Please contact Lew Harding or Sue Dunmore.

Unity Party at First Unitarian Church

January 19, 2013

5:30-9:30pm

First Unitarian Church of Chicago

5650 South Woodlawn Avenue

Chicago IL 60637

 

The goal of the Unity Party is to build and enhance Unity: Multiracial, multicultural, multigenerational and among UUs in the Chicago area.

 

There is no admission charge, but free-will donations to help with the costs are encouraged.

 

Schedule:

5:30 - Activities for children and socializing

6:00 - Opening, followed by ice-breaker activities

6:30 - Dinner: Organizers will provide the major dishes, while participants are asked to bring an ethnic or favorite food to share.

7:15 - Dancing begins, with folk and/or line dancing at the start. Game and card tables will be set up from 7:15-9:30 for those who don't wish to dance or perform/listen to poetry.

8:00 - Poetry slam. Those wishing to present their poetry should contact Finley Campbell ASAP.

8:30 - Free-style dancing to music provided by DJ.

 

For further information, contact Finley C. Campbell (773-752-4019) or Alexandra Hay.

Money Matters
Fiscal Year 2012-13: YTD Through December

Income
Pledges & Collection Plate $    92,550
Other Income $    99,813
Total (YTD) $   192,363
Budget Projection 2012-13 $   244,725
Expenses
Collection Plate Sharing $       3,708
All other Expenses $    128,339
Total (YTD) $    132,047
Budget Projection 2012-13 $    254,958
Debt and Deficit
Projected Deficit 2012-13 $     10,233
Long Term Debt $    235,313


Anvil Deadlines
Have a message to put in the Anvil? Plan ahead!  Please have all submissions in to Jen Duston at [email protected] by 5pm on the Wednesday before the 1st or the 15th of the month.