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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
Feb 1, 2013
In This Issue
Coming Up at 2U
 
Sunday, February 3
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Marianne Parker

Wednesday, February 6
Vespers Service at 6:30pm

Sunday, February 10
Service at 10:30
Guest Preacher: Seth Fisher
'Answering the Call'

Wednesday, February 13
Vespers Service at 6:30pm

Sunday, February 17
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith

Wednesday, February 20
Vespers Service at 6:30pm

Sunday, February 24
Intergen Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by the 2U Choir

Wednesday, February 27
Vespers Service at 6:30pm
______________________
Children & Youth Faith Development Schedule
 
Child care is available every Sunday in the Green Caterpillar room. 

Sunday, February 3
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots

Sunday, February 10
Spirit Play
UUExplorers

Sunday, February 17
Spirit Play
UUExplorers

Sunday, February 24
Intergen: No Classes

Sunday, March 3
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots

Sunday, March 10
Spirit Play
UUExplorers

Sunday, March 17
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots
_____________________
_________________
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 
 


 






                                  
From the Minister

 

I was speaking with a colleague and mentor of mine this morning, and talking about what is happening at 2U, and she said to me, "Now, that should go on your gratitude list!"

 

It is easy, I think, to get swept up in all the wonderful things that there are to do and create and consider...and forget to really be filled with gratitude for the wonderful things that have already occurred, so...here's a start on my 2U Gratitude List: 

  1. We have a very full sanctuary on Sunday mornings! This is a challenge some days, but such a wonderful challenge to have. Between visitors, friends, and members, we are generally at 85% or more of capacity. Our holiday music service had 195 people in attendance, which was incredible.  
  2. 2U-101 and 2U New Member Orientation are both working really well - we have had plenty of people expressing interest in learning a little more about 2U (hence 2U-101) and in considering membership (Orientation). I look forward to our next orientation class starting in late February and to another new group of members!
  3. Enthusiasm and energy for youth programming is really high right now. DFD Kellie Kelly and a whole host of volunteers are working with First and Third Unitarian to offer the Our Whole Lives relationships and sexuality curriculum and to create a Coming of Age class next year. We're building a strong Chicago UU youth community - and we are looking forward to building a youth group with that momentum.
  4. Our finances are doing reasonably well - pledges are coming in as expected and budgeted, the Sunday morning offering is allowing us to give away a good amount, our Fall Fest fundraiser brought in about $10,000, our investments and endowments are coming in better than expected, and occasional very generous gifts are replenishing our reserves and supporting our ministries. We are still running a deficit budget this year, of course, but your generosity has been outstanding.
  5. Little (and not-so-little) things have made a big difference! Our Building and Grounds folks have winterized the loft and the sanctuary, added safety tape to the entrance stairs, moved bulletin boards into the Palmer Room, and are planning additional improvements. New lightweight folding tables make it a breeze to set up for events. All these things make life just a little more pleasant for us all.
There are lots of things we want to accomplish as a community, which means we need more help to do it. If you're a relatively new member, committed friend, or ready to jump in and wondering how you might get involved, please come talk with me. With your help, we can keep creating much for which to be grateful.

Thank you for creating gratitude in my life and the lives of others.

Faithfully,
Rev. Adam 
Rev. Adam's Just Desserts
Friday, February 8, 2013  cookies
 

There's still room to join Rev. Adam for an evening of warm drinks, sweet treats, and all sorts of discussion! On Friday, February 8, Rev. Adam is hosting an evening of just desserts: delicious sweets and the opportunity to ask questions, tell him what you're thinking, and generally get to know him a bit better.

 

Since this was part of the auction for the Fall Fest, we're asking that people who wish to come donate the auction cost of $25 per person to 2U. If you'd like to join in, please contact Rev. Adam by phone or email -- and if you need to donate a little less to be able to participate, please contact Rev. Adam as well. There are 5 more spots available, so jump in quickly!

Guest Preacher, Seminarian Seth Fisher 
February 10, 2013
"Answering the Call"
 
We are all called to ministry. In psychological terms we might call it generativity. In the Christian tradition there is the priesthood of all believers. Buddhism and Islam place acts of giving at the center of their faith. Eboo Patel, Founder of the Interfaith Youth Core has been quoted as saying, "Show me a religion that doesn't care about compassion. Show me a religion that doesn't care about stewardship of the environment. Show me a religion that doesn't care about hospitality." This need to give is universal and we are all called upon to share our gifts. In this sermon we will explore the spiritual and psychological need to give, and the ways in which we fulfill this need within a faith community.

Seth Fisher is a 3rd year seminarian sponsored by Second Unitarian and currently in candidate status in his preparation for fellowship as a Unitarian Universalist Minister. He has been a member of Second Unitarian since 2003.
2U Folk Fundraiser
February 16, 2013
8:00pm 
Chris Corsale Laura JoyJoin us for an evening of home-grown tunes with two of Chicago's finest strumming singers: Chris Corsale and Laura Joy.
 
Chris Corsale spends most of his time these days cranking out smokin' electric guitar riffs with the Chicago classic soul and R&B outfit The Right Now. But for years, Chris has also been making friends and influencing people all over the city with his acoustic guitar, his voice, and a mix of eye-opening covers and heartfelt original music. For Second Unitarian's 2013 winter folk show, Chris is threatening to debut some never-before-performed-in-public material, and you'd be wise to get in on the ground floor.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Laura Joy has been known to quell dark, angry bars full of ornery old Irishmen. Drawing comparisons to Joni Mitchell and Alison Krauss, Laura's percussive finger picking and buoyant voice have won fans from the Sun Belt to the streets of Manhattan. On her latest album, "What I Know," Laura whittles down the essential contradictions, simple pleasures, and little comedies of "life as she knows it," crafting tunes that stay with you long after the first spin.

Check out the 2U website for more information, including videos of Chris and Laura performing their music.

Tickets: Special 2U Members and Friends tickets are available for $25 and will come bundled with an exclusive recording of the show. Tickets can be purchased with cash or check (made payable to "Second Unitarian Church") after Sunday services at the Welcome table between now and the event. General admission tickets are available for $20, and tickets for kids under 10 are available for $15.

If you can't make it to church, or if you prefer to use a credit card, you can buy your ticket (plus a small processing surcharge) from Brown Paper Tickets. Use the password anvil to buy the special fundraising combo ticket online.
 
We hope to see you there!
Creating Connection: A UU Exploration of Prayer
February 21, February 28, March 7 2013
7:00pm
 

Is UUism compatible with prayer? How? I don't believe in God, so how would I pray? Isn't prayer just wishful thinking? To whom do I pray? Can I pray? I believe in some form of Divinity, but I don't believe in something that listens to each of my concerns. Should I pray? How would I do it?

 

On Thursdays at 7pm from Feb 21 to Mar 7, Rev. Adam will be leading a class exploring what prayer is, how people pray, and what it means for UUs to pray. This class is appropriate for atheists, agnostics, and theists; Buddhists, Christians, or Pagans; new UUs or long time UUs; people with strong spiritual practices or none at all.

 

If you've ever wondered why someone would pray or wanted to start a practice of prayer, please sign up on the Welcome Table or contact Rev. Adam to let him know you'll be participating.

Fiber Arts Group
yarn February 3, 2013
2:00-4:00pm
 
Do you knit? Sew? Embroider? Crochet? Macrame? All of the above? Or none, but you have always wanted to learn? Anyone from beginners to experts are invited to attend the Second Unitarian Fiber Arts Group. We meet monthly, alternating between Sunday and Saturday. The next meeting will be Sunday Feb. 3rd, from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, hosted by Margaret Redlich. For more information, email Margaret, or call her at (217) 341-6106.
Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
7:00pm
 
The next board meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 pm. A draft agenda can be found here. All are welcome to attend!
Town Hall Meeting
Sunday, February 24, 2013
12:00pm
 
The Sunday Services Committee (SSC) invites your input  on how to best fill the pulpit when our minister is not preaching. We do not currently have a sufficient number of lay preachers for the 12 services that are typically open every  year.

The SSC has extensively explored this concern among ourselves, with the Board of Trustees, and the Committee on Ministry chair, and has developed several suggestions. We would like to have a conversation with you, the congregation, and bring your ideas into the discussion so that we can make the best choice among the options available. We are committed to having lay services continue and to adding to these to have meaningful worship .

If you would like further information about the Town Hall meeting or if you would like to send us your ideas, please email us. You are also welcome to talk with any of us on the committee. We look forward to a lively discussion on February 24.

In faith,
SSC: Gary Bondurant, John Broome, Margaret Redlich, Jill Siegel, Jim
Simonis, Shauna  Womeldorff, Rev. Adam Robersmith, and Linda Marquis 
2U Social Justice Book Club
The New Jim Crow by Michelle AlexanderNew Jim Crow
February 28, March 14, March 28, April 11
6:30-8:00pm

2U's Social Justice Council would like to invite you to participate in  a  4-session book discussion group on Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, selected as the 2012-2013 Unitarian Universalist Association Common Read. The New Jim Crow is a stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status-- denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement. Since its publication in 2010, the book has been dubbed the "secular bible of a new social movement" by numerous commentators, including Cornel West. The New Jim Crow tells a truth our nation has been reluctant to face.

RSVP to Megan Selby, or sign up at the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room. The UUA bookstore is supporting this Common Read with a 10% discount on orders of 5-9 books and 20% off orders of 10 or more books, so please let Megan know if you'd like to purchase the book with the group.
Choir Corner
choir Enjoy the warmth of musical community in the cold of winter! Join the choir! The 2U choir rehearses around the piano in the sanctuary every Tuesday at 7:30pm. For more information, email music director Marianne Parker, or just come to a rehearsal. All voices are welcome!
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.
Allies for Racial Equity Annual Conference
Cultural Humility: Developing Intercultural Competency
March 15-17, 2013
Unitarian Universalist Church
4848 Turner Street, Rockford IL 61107

 

This annual conference will offer Unitarian Universalists who identify as white the opportunity to develop their anti-racist and anti-oppressive analysis and practice. Whether this will be your first or fifteenth anti-racist conference, we will provide you an opportunity to learn, grow and explore how you can turn your commitment into action.

 

Beth Zemsky Presenting keynotes by: Matt Meyer

Beth Zemsky

Cultivating Cultural Humility

and

Matt Meyer

The Message of Music: A Story of Religion, Race, and Culture

 

Workshops: Expanding our Worship Music * Helping Kids Become Anti Racist * Creating Intercultural Coalitions * Real Stories: Interfaith Cultural Humility * Myths and Facts of Immigration in the US * Anti-Racism in Worship * So What Does this Mean for White Ministers? * Examining Whiteness * And more...

 

All conference and registration information can be found here.

 

Full conference registration includes lunch & dinner, programming and materials. Reduced rates for A.R.E. Members, Youth and Young Adults, and UU Rockford congregants.

 

If you have questions about the conference, please contact Allies for Racial Equity.

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
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