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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
February 1, 2014
In This Issue
Worship at 2U
 
Sunday, February 2
Service at 10:30
Guest Preacher: Rev. Jim Hobart
Music by the 2U Choir

Wednesday, February 5
Vespers Service at 6:30

Sunday, February 9
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Darrick Jackson & Michael McElvain

Wednesday, February 12
Vespers Service at 6:30

Sunday, February 16
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Tom Clowes

Wednesday, February 19
Vespers Service at 6:30

Sunday, February 23
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by the 2U Choir
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Children & Youth Faith Development Schedule
 
Child care for infants and toddlers is available every Sunday in the Green Caterpillar room.

Sunday, February 2
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
Coming of Age at First Unitarian at 1pm

Sunday, February 9
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
Youth Group

Sunday, February 16
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots
Youth Group

Sunday, February 23
Intergenerational service; no classes
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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 5:00-9:00 pm
Sun 9:00-3:00

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

Covenant of Earth & Sky

Finance Committee

Green Sanctuary

Hospitality 

Library

Lifespan Faith Dev.

Membership

Music

Newsletter

Night Ministry Outreach

Pastoral Care

Safe Congregations 

Small Group Ministry

Social Justice

Sunday Services

Transylvania Church

Webmaster

Young Adult Group
Erin Rusmi
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Board of Trustees 
 









                                  
From the CUUPS Covenant of Earth and Sky

 

Please join us tonight, February 1st at 7pm in the Sanctuary for our Imbolc celebration. It is the time of the earth's thaw (despite these frigid temperatures) and the celebration of the Goddess Brigid. She represents the warmth of the hearthfire, poetry, love and transformation at this time of year.

 

The Covenant of Earth and Sky (COVES) invites all to join us for our book group, which will meet on the first Thursday of every month, from February 6 through May 1, 2014. We will be reading Paganism, by Joyce and River Higginbotham. This book presents the basic fundamentals of Paganism. It explores what Pagans are like; how the Pagan sacred year is arranged; what Pagans do in ritual; what magick is; and what Pagans believe about God, worship, human nature, and ethics. Shauna Womeldorff and Janice Stashwick will lead the group discussion. You will need to bring a copy of the book with you, as well as a journal to write in. Sign up on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room, or contact Shauna with any questions.

 

Please feel free to attend COVES monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm in the 2U library. We meet to plan and discuss our next ritual celebrations, as well as any future events. Our upcoming meetings are February 5, March 5, and April 2. Please contact Shauna with any questions.

Guest Preacher in February: Rev. James A. Hobart

Sunday, February 2, 2014

10:30am

"The Religious Imagination"

 

The religious imagination is not about the imaginary. It is not "let's pretend." The religious imagination concerns our values and our vision for our individual lives and our shared life. What is central and crucial for living well?

 

James A. Hobart and his wife, Nan Hobart, live in Hyde Park. Since 2001, he has served interim ministry positions in and near Chicago. From 1983 until 2001, Mr. Hobart was minister of Denver's First Unitarian Society, the final ten as co-minister with Nan.

 

A graduate of Antioch College and Meadville Lombard Theological School, in 1964 Jim was both accepted into Ministerial Fellowship with the UUA and ordained to the ministry by the Birmingham UU Church. Now in his 50th year of ministry, James Hobart has served congregations and ministries in Massachusetts, Cleveland, the Chicago area, Pittsburgh, and Denver. He has served in numerous UUA positions, and in community service and social change organizations. He is a Civil Rights veteran.

 

The Hobarts have a blended family of five children, and are grandparents to Ezequiel, 9, and Lucille, 4. In May 2014, they anticipate the arrival of two more granddaughters. 

Let's Make 2U Well Known as a Welcoming Congregation for Same-Sex Marriages

Marriage Equality Banner On June 1, 2014, same-sex couples will be able to apply for marriage licenses and marry in Illinois, thanks to the passage of SB10 in November 2013. 2U has long been a welcoming congregation and, as such, is an ideal place for couples seeking a spiritual setting for their ceremonies. You can help us get the word out about 2U, its history, and the beautiful space we have available for weddings - same-sex and otherwise - to media outlets, wedding planners, caterers, etc. We are looking for a writer or someone with PR/sales experience who could help craft an outreach plan intended to promote 2U as a space for special events. If you are interested in helping out with this effort, please contact Monica.

New Leadership Development Opportunities

Strong and thoughtful leaders play a critical role in continuing to foster a healthy congregation.  Many 2U congregants have experienced a deepening commitment to their faith and our congregation as a call to accept a position of leadership-as a lay worship leader, a leader of youth program, committee or board member.  In this spirit, 2U's Nominating Committee is extending leadership skill development that goes hand-in-hand with faith development.  The first two leadership development opportunities are being offered now... 

 

Leadership vs. Management

Sunday, February 9th from 1pm to 3pm at 2U

 

This workshop distinguishes between power and authority, and between leadership and management. The workgroup will explore together the implicit and explicit expectations of a congregational leader. This workshop will be facilitated by Rev. Adam Robersmith and Lizzie Kepler.  Much of the content and materials are based on UU's recently developed leadership development program Harvest the Power.

 

Conflict Resolution

Monday, February 17th from 7pm to 9pm at 2U

 

Unitarian Universalists tend to be independent-minded folks who aren't shy about expressing their opinions. Myra Epping will be leading a workshop on conflict - when conflict arises in a group, what are the tools to keep it healthy and constructive?  Myra is a clinical social worker, a licensed massage therapist, and a longtime UU.

 

To find out more or to sign up, please contact Margaret Redlich; signup sheets will also be available on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room. Please stay tuned for future opportunities such as these later in the year!

2U Family Group

Join the 2U Family Group on Sunday, February 16th from noon to 2pm! All the families with kids under 18 are invited to meet in the Loft at noon for a light, vegetarian lunch, some games, and great socializing. See the fun and keep and touch through our Family Group website!

Families In Touch

helping hands Families in Touch is a program that provides rides for families to visit youth incarcerated at the Illinois Youth Center at Warrenville. The goal of this initiative is to support families to overcome transportation barriers and ensure that incarcerated youth get regular visits from family members. There will be an orientation at 2U on Sunday, March 2 at 1pm, for people who wish to volunteer as drivers. To attend the orientation, or if you cannot attend but are interested in volunteering, please sign up at the welcome table or contact Erin Rusmi.

Understanding the Bible: Part 2

Understanding the Bible

Wednesdays, February 12- March 5, 2014

7:00-8:30pm

Led by Rev. Rudra Dundzila

 

Part Two of Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals focuses on Christian scriptures.

 

A thoughtful, warm, and witty introduction, Understanding the Bible is designed to help empower skeptics, seekers, nonbelievers, and those of a liberal and progressive outlook to reclaim the Bible from literalists. In making accessible some of the best contemporary historical, literary, political, and feminist readings of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, it encourages all who would find in the biblical heritage an ally and not an enemy in the quest for a more just and humane world.

 

These four sessions of the class will discuss the Christian Bible. Each session will cover two chapters of the book, plus highly select readings from the Bible.

 

The book is available from the 2U book stall, or online through the UUA Bookstore.

 

Sign up on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room, or contact Rev. Rudra Dundzila with any questions.

Update on Plate-Sharing Applications

plates Organizations to receive plate-sharing dollars, 50% of the plate of a designated month, are selected by the Social Justice Council (SJC). Members of 2U who are active with an organization involved in social justice/social service work may secure an application form and submit it through the church office.

 

Applicants are provided an opportunity to meet face-to-face with the SJC, which meets after services the first Sunday of each month, for approximately 20 minutes. At this time we have selected recipients through the first quarter of 2014. . Applications for April-June 2014 will be due on Sunday, February 16th. The SJC's March 2nd meeting will provide an opportunity for face-to-face meetings with the applicants. If you are considering applying, please feel free to approach Norm Groetzinger, who is coordinating the plate-sharing program on behalf of SJC. Electronic submissions are preferred, so that we can distribute them to the entire SJC in advance of the meeting. Norm can be reached via email, or by phone at (773) 525-4262. 

Welcome to Our Newest 2U Members

Courtney Anderson grew up in St. Charles (and attended the same high school as Rev. Adam!). She attended New York University, where she studied hospitality management. Courtney is a meeting planner for the American Bar Association. In her free time, she enjoys running, biking, and trying out new recipes and restaurants. At 2U, Courtney volunteers with Spirit Play, and co-chaired the Special Gifts Campaign. She has been attending 2U for several years, and we are glad she decided to make 2U her church home.

 

Chris Sarcletti hails from Joliet. He attended the University of Illinois at Champaign, where he studied accounting. He worked as a consultant in Chicago and in the Netherlands, and is now at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He and his wife Ivy have a two-month-old son, Hugo. In his free time, Chris enjoys traveling, volunteering with the Night Ministry and the Inspiration Corporation, and being a "foodie", has written a food and travel book called See, Live, Eat, which was published last year. After researching different churches, Chris found 2U and has attended for at least five years. He and Ivy are glad to have found a church with a strong youth program for Hugo.

 

Ivy Sarcletti came to the USA from South Korea twenty-one years ago on January 31, 1993. She and her mother and brother followed her father who was already living here. Ivy attended the State University of New York at Binghamton where she majored in cinema. She works as a paralegal for a law firm, having met Chris while on assignment in Chicago. She and Chris love to travel and Ivy not only enjoys the travel part, but also the planning part. Ivy enjoys sampling new foods and wines at new restaurants. She enjoys learning about the various organizations contributed to by 2U's plate-sharing program. Ivy is looking forward to meeting more of the 2U community and may be interested in volunteering in the nursery, since she loves babies.  

 

Welcome to Courtney, Chris, Ivy, and Hugo!

Community Supported Agriculture

"Buying from a local farmer who is a good steward of the earth is one of the most effective contributions we can make to the health of the planet."

-Jane Goodall, Harvest For Hope

 

It's the season to order your Community Supported Agriculture! A quick internet search will turn up a wealth of options in farms, produce, and order sizes.

 

2U member Karen Fort's home (on Buckingham, between Clark and Halsted) is one of many drop-off locations in the city for Angelic Organics. A 20-week vegetable share from Angelic Organics is $720, and drops to $684 (just $32 per week) if you use the coupon code 5FILM by February 3rd. Boxes can be shared and/or delivered every other week, extended to fall or not. Fruit is an available option. Email Karen for help or with questions, or sign up at the Angelic Organics website.

 

Aside from the delicious fresh produce, locally grown vegetables cut down on the energy burned during transportation, the amount of pesticides ingested by you,  your family, and our earth, while supporting the farmers who choose to use sustainable growing methods.

National Poetry Month at 2U

Help celebrate National Poetry Month at 2U by participating in the planning of our second alternative worship service for this church year. the Sunday Services Committee (SSC) is seeking volunteers who can follow up to the fall's Hymn Sing service with a poetry-focused service. In such a service, poems would take center stage in worship. The SSC hopes that this service will provide an opportunity to involve more 2U members in sharing examples of what opens them up to the Spirit of Life. If you are interested in helping to plan the service or in contributing a poem to the service, please contact SSC member Margaret Redlich.

Who Are Our Neighbors?
Intercultural Competency Workshop
Growing and deepening our capacity for successful multicultural ministries and stronger intercultural relationships is critical to the fulfillment of our vision for Unitarian Universalism and building the beloved community. In these days of increasing complexity in diversity in our world, and our congregations, learning how to work more effectively with people who are different than us is important-we need to develop skills and attitudes that assist us in getting where we want to go.

 

Friday, February 28th through Saturday March 1st will be a chance for a team from your congregation to explore how we can cross the divide between differences that make a difference. You will learn a framework for understanding your competency, and how to enhance your own skills, insights in the multiple components of conflict, and how to move the work forward in your congregation.

 

Our own Rev. Adam Robersmith and Rev. Lisa Presley (Congregational Life Consultant for MidAmerica Region) were trained through the UU Ministers Association to help our congregation members learn to be more fluid in an intercultural world. The ministers of our region have had the chance to take the training-now it's a time that we invite you to come. We suggest that if at all possible, sending a team will help you bring this information back to your congregation more readily.

 

The workshop will be held at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, Illinois. Cost will be $50 per person, and includes Friday and Saturday evening snacks, Saturday morning and afternoon snacks, and Saturday lunch. Registration will be capped at 80 to allow for better learning and interaction.
 
More details and registration information can be found on the MidAmerica Region website, or by contacting Lisa Presley.
Opening Date for the Old Narthex Gallery at 2U

Sunday, February 23, 2014

11:30am

 

Narthex  [nahr-theks] 

noun Architecture .
an enclosed passage between the main entrance and the nave of a church.
 
Origin: 
1665-75;  < Late Greek n�rthēx. 
 

This may be the smallest art gallery in Chicago.  The art space will be curated by Colette Wright Adams. Any medium may be submitted for consideration and must be able to be  hung on the wall.  Our goal is to create a dynamic art and fundraising experience.  The contributing artist, when a sale occurs, will keep 50% of the sale price and 50% will be considered a donation to 2U.

 

Our first artist will be long time 2U member and artist, Sue Dunmore.  Sue's small representational paintings often deal with nature, people and animals in a variety of familiar settings.

 

An Opening Reception will be Sunday, February 23 during coffee hour. Please take a moment to enjoy Sue's art work and say hello to the artist.

 

Any artists among you who are interested in exhibiting please contact Colette for details. Art work will rotate every 2 months.

Choir Corner

sheet music Beat the chill of winter with the warmth of musical community. Join the choir! The 2U choir rehearses in the sanctuary on Tuesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30. All voices are welcome! For more information, talk to music director Marianne Parker, or just come to a rehearsal.

Help Wanted: UUA Church Staff Finances

The UUA Office of Church Staff Finances is looking for the right person with some mix of insurance/HR/billing/communication skills to support the work of the insurance plans operation, a department that touches the lives of a large majority of UU congregations and their staffs. The ideal candidate is highly organized, with great customer service skills, is proficient with Microsoft Office tools, and enjoys the fast pace of a thriving business unit. The full position description can be viewed on the UUA website.

 

If interested, individuals should contact Insurance Plans Director, Jim Sargent, with their resume. Starting salary range is $37,000 to $45,700.

Money Matters
The weekly cost of running 2U is $5,275!

2U's annual budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014 is $274,324. This includes a budgeted deficit of $7,174.

For the Year to Date period July 1 to December 31, 2013:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate =
$106,363
Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate =
$105,966
     Surplus or (Deficit)
$      397

ActualBudgeted
Total Revenues Year-to-Date =$154,145$134,637
Total Expenses Year-to-Date =$139,102$137,705
     Total Surplus or (Deficit)$  15,043$ (3,068)

In December, we raised $1,197.51 for the collection plate sharing recipient, the Minister's Discretionary Fund.

Thank you so much for helping to make 2U possible!
Anvil Deadlines
Have a message to put in the Anvil? Plan ahead!  Please have all submissions for the next newsletter in to Jen Duston at [email protected] by noon on Wednesday, February 12.