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
Wednesday, February 26
Vespers Service at 6:30
Sunday, March 2
Service at 10:30
Guest Preacher: Deb Rostorfer
Music by Carey Farrell
Wednesday, March 5 Vespers Service at 6:30
Sunday, March 9 Service at 10:30 Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Wednesday, March 12
Vespers Service at 6:30
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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 16
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots
Youth Group
Sunday, February 23
Intergenerational service; no classes
Sunday, March 2
Spirit Play
UUExplorers
Coming of Age at 1pm
Sunday, March 9 Spirit Play UUExplorers Youth Group
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Recent 2U Plate-Sharing Recipients
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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
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2U Ministry Leaders
Board of Trustees
Bookstore
Building & Grounds
Committee on Ministry
Finance Committee
Green Sanctuary
Hospitality
Library
Lifespan Faith Dev.
Membership
Music
Newsletter
Pastoral Care
Safe Congregations
Small Group Ministry
Social Justice
Transylvania Church
Webmaster
Young Adult Group
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News From the Board Chair
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The words of our covenant, about which Adam has been preaching these last few months and which the members of the board have been reciting at the beginning of each board meeting, are especially resonant to me as this year's board chair. I have devoted a considerable amount of time and energy to the work and have experienced a commensurate deepening of appreciation for our staff, the members of our congregation, our building and grounds, and our faith tradition. I had been a member of 2U for over 15 years and a member of the church's board of trustees for several years before I became chair, but I didn't fully appreciate all that we have and all that we are until, paraphrasing from Marge Piercy's poem "To be of use," I submerged myself in the task of stewardship and harnessed myself to others in the church in order to move things forward. I understand better now the promise that we make to one another in our covenant and I hope that you, too, find ways through service to the church or other kinds of engagement at 2U to experience that deep sense of connection and purpose.
My "harnessing" this month has focussed on welcoming new members, hunkering down over budget numbers with veteran members, and discovering the closet where we keep our snow shovels.
I have facilitated the third session on church governance as part of our new-member orientation series for about the past two years and have made it a practice to meet those who decide to join soon after they sign the membership book. I like to hear how people found 2U and what compelled them to make a commitment to the church. It's not surprising that many new members locate us thanks to the internet, but it has surprised me to know how many have discovered at 2U the same kind of satisfaction from attending our services and the same kind of desire to connect and contribute. At our best, we are a welcoming church that invites all to participate in the life of the church in ways that each finds meaningful. I've especially enjoyed seeing how these new members identify various places and projects at church that allow them to have an impact and share their talents: hosting coffee hour just a few weeks after signing the membership book, singing in the choir, volunteering in a Spirit Play classroom, helping to promote our space for weddings, spotting ways for us to make the building more energy-efficient. We have at 2U an increasingly energized and well-coordinated congregation whose engagement is inspired by our talented minister and lay leaders and facilitated by our exemplary staff.
As we begin the budgeting process for the coming fiscal year (to start July 1), I have leaned heavily on our office administrator and the members of the board and Finance Committee.
And who knew that after well over a decade of membership at 2U one could find an unexplored space in the building?! Thanks to this year's downpour of snow, I now know in which closet we keep our shovels.
See you in church!
~Monica (Drane)
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2U Family Group
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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!
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Update on Plate-Sharing Applications
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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.
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2U Annual Canvass
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The church will launch its annual canvass (or pledge drive) on Sunday, March 16. This month-long process of mostly one-on-one conversations between canvassers and other members of the congregation is our congregation's way of listening to the needs and desires of its members and determining the collective financial resources available to the church to enable it to operate. It's the most important part of the church's annual budgeting process and it requires the involvement of every member and friend of 2U. Canvassers are members of the congregation who are willing to meet with other members of the congregation to discuss the financial needs and priorities of the church (as initially established by the board of trustees) and the pledge of financial support that the member can make to the church for the coming fiscal year (which begins on July 1). Canvassers are offered the chance to participate in a training session (you need attend only one) and are invited to a special dinner for canvassers. Each canvasser is assigned about five other members to canvass. Below are some important dates to consider:
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March 2 at noon at church: canvasser training session
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March 8: canvasser training session and canvasser dinner
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March 16: official launch of the annual 2U canvass
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March 16 through April 20: canvass
Please contact Monica Drane if you are willing to serve as a canvasser for this year's annual canvass and/or if you are interested in helping with other tasks associated with the canvass, including administrative tasks (such as pledge and canvasser tracking) and publicity, including the creation of a great big thermometer for the Palmer Room to mark our progress.
One final note: this spring, when your canvasser contacts you to schedule a meeting, please respond as soon as possible! This helps the canvass move smoothly--and helps the volunteer members of the Finance Committee create a budget for us to consider at our annual meeting on May 18.
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Standing on the Side of Love T-Shirts
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We are doing another order of t-shirts in anticipation of the spring and summer parades. Order forms will be at the Welcome Table. There are 19 different options, including Adult, Women's Cut, Youth, and Long-sleeved. The order deadline is April 5th, and only shirts for which payment has been received by April 12th will be ordered. Thanks for your interest.
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Families In Touch
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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.
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Second Sunday Social
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Sunday, March 9, 2014
11:30am
Please join us for a Second Sunday Social on March 9th after the service. This will take place instead of coffee hour, and will be a time for sitting down to break bread and share easy fellowship with other 2Uers. It will be a pot luck, and we ask people whose last name begins with A-F to bring drinks, G-L a main dish, M-R salads and condiments, S-Z desserts. If you cannot bring a dish to share, we ask that you contribute $5 which will be given to the Social Justice Council for furtherance of our outreach programs.
We need volunteers to help with set up and clean up, too! Please sign up on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room.
We look forward to having you join us!
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Please Take the Green Sanctuary Survey!
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Please take a few moments to take the Green Sanctuary Personal Assessment Quiz. By taking this short survey, you will allow us to see where we are, and in which directions we may want to grow.
The easiest way to become better versions of ourselves is with the help and support of our community, through the strength of acting together. In the Green Sanctuary program, the results of individual actions accumulate to create a larger impact than from each person acting alone. Together we can see the difference, and together we can reinforce one another's commitments.
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Green Sanctuary Committee Planning Meeting
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Saturday, March 15, 2014
1:00-3:00pm in Fleishman Hall
Calling all those interested in environmental issues and sustainability at 2U and beyond!
Albert Einstein said, "Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them." For this reason, we need to bring conversation about our relationship with and our responsibilities toward Earth into the heart of our faith communities. A different level of awareness--a spiritual awareness--is critical.
The Green Sanctuary program provides a path for congregational study, reflection, and action in response to environmental challenges. It spans four areas: Worship and Celebration, Environmental Justice, Sustainable Living, and Religious Education. This is an exciting opportunity to plan congregational projects to address specific areas of interest or concern. To learn more about the Green Sanctuary Accreditation process, see the manual.
2U's Green Sanctuary Committee will meet on March 15, to brainstorm actions to be put into place in the coming one to two years. This is step three in becoming certified as a Green Sanctuary by the Unitarian Universalist Association. Refreshments will be served. We'd love to have you, even if you haven't attended a Green Sanctuary meeting before; we would like as much input as possible! Have questions? Have input but can't make the meeting? Contact Libby at (773) 252-7658 or [email protected] or Katherine at (630) 779-5424 or [email protected]. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Libby or Katie.
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2U Buddhist Fellowship Retreat
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Saturday, April 5, 2014
9:00am to 5:00pm
Join the Second Unitarian Buddhist Fellowship (2UBF) for a day of stillness as we kick off a unique meditation group. Explore the intersection of Buddhist and Unitarian Universalist principles in a gentle and welcoming environment.
Two long-time practitioners will be giving instruction: Larry Axelrod from Insight Chicago (Vipassana/Theravada) and Larry Wolf from Shambhala Chicago (Shambhala/Vajrayana). Also, near the end of the retreat day we will be inviting everyone to participate in shaping this new Buddhist Group at 2U if they want.
Sign up here, or on the Welcome Table.
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Opening Date for the Old Narthex Gallery at 2U
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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.
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Choir Corner
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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.
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Many Thanks From the Board Chair
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I would like to extend a special thanks to the Executive Committee of the board and to Tom D., chair of the Finance Committee, for their hard work as we begin the budgeting process; to Linda M. for her service as a member of the Sunday Services Committee; to Lew H. for helping to resolve a plumbing emergency: to Don M. and Tyler D. for their work on the Building and Grounds Committee; to Lizzie K. for her care with the activities of the Nominating Committee; and to the SJC crew for their organization and support of MLK Day events.
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MLK Faith In Action Assembly Report Card
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On January 16, more than 500 leaders from Community Renewal Society member congregations converged on Kingdom Baptist Church for the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Faith in Action Assembly. At this powerful gathering, many leaders from the Illinois General Assembly endorsed the Community Renewal Society Platform for Renewal. See the Faith In Action Assembly Report Card for detailed information about how Illinois leaders responded.
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Money Matters
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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 January 31, 2013:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate = |
| $119,173 | Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate = |
| $124,386 | Surplus or (Deficit) |
| $ (5,213) |
| Actual | Budgeted | Total Revenues Year-to-Date = | $175,158 | $158,408 | Total Expenses Year-to-Date = | $163,695 | $159,636 | Total Surplus or (Deficit) | $ 11,463 | $ (1,228) |
In January, we raised $895.08 for the collection plate sharing recipient, the Lakeview Pantry.
Thank you so much for helping to make 2U possible!
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Anvil Deadlines
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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 26.
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