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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
May 1, 2014
In This Issue
Worship at 2U
 
Sunday, May 4
Service at 10:30
Beltane
Worship leaders: Rev. Adam Robersmith & the 2U CUUPS chapter
Music by Kat Wyand, Gail Gallagher, Susan Frances & Rosalind Hurwitz

Wednesday, May 7
Vespers Service at 6:30

Sunday, May 11
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Rudra Dundzila
Music by Katie Johnson

Wednesday, May 14
Vespers Service at 6:30

Sunday, May 18
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by the 2U Choir
Annual Meeting Following the Service!

Sunday, May 25
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
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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, May 4
Spirit Play
UUExplorers
Coming of Age at 1pm

Sunday, May 11
Spirit Play
UUExplorers
Youth Group

Sunday, May 18
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots

Sunday, May 25
Spirit Play
UUExplorers
Youth Group
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Church Office Information & Staff

Minister
773-549-0260, ext. 13
Office Hours:
Wed-Thurs afternoons & evenings, other days & times by appointment
 
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 Minister

How wonderful to have reached the start of May! The weather is improving-really, it is! Better rain than snow this time of year, right? I'm watching the same thing happen with people's moods and organizations' functioning, too. With springtime celebrations all lined up, from Passover in April through Flower Communion in June, we are continually reminded of all the ways in which we renew and reconnect again and again. Easter, Earth Day, and Beltane bring us back to remembering life, hope, and our responsibilities to that which we hold sacred.

 

Even our Canvass/Pledge Campaign and Annual Meeting are part of that renewal and responsibility! You may not have thought of the business of the church as a sacred task and ministry before, but through your conversations with the canvassers, your pledges, and your involvement with our decision-making as a community, you are fulfilling our covenant and taking seriously the community that offers you a religious home. Now is the time to get your information (pledges and thoughts) back to the Canvass Team, if you haven't already.

 

Once the Canvass is over, our focus moves to our Annual Meeting on May 18 after worship. We need your participation in order to have a successful business meeting. We require a quorum in order to do the business of the church (pass a budget for the coming year, vote on leadership) and celebrate our accomplishments together. We'll have a lot to celebrate this year! Please plan to come to the meeting - your presence in our community is crucial for the ongoing success of the church.

 

May you find renewal, reconnection, and the blessings of the Sacred as the world turns green once more!

 

Faithfully,

Rev. Adam

Beltane Service and Celebration!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

10:30am

 

It is the time of year to celebrate the full bloom of spring, the fertility of the earth and the Unitarian principle of the web of life, where all things are interconnected. Covenant of Earth and Sky (COVES) is offering the service with the participation of Rev. Adam Robersmith. Congratulations to COVES for their new CUUPS status!

 

After the service, the Roots & Shoots group, Rev. Adam, and COVES have planned a Beltane Celebration for all. Dance around the Maypole, help plant the raised herb garden, make a Bird House, Fairy Wand or May Basket with Rev. Adam, and bring home a surprise!

 

Roots and Shoots is unveiling a bird bath they have created to help the 2U yard become a wildlife habitat. We're hoping to have one to raffle off as well!

Annual Congregational Meeting

 

Mark your calendars now for the annual 2U congregational business meeting, to be held on Sunday, May 18th right after the service. More details coming soon-- watch your in-box!

Volunteer With Team 2U for Chicago River Day!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

9:00am - noon

Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell

(behind Lane Tech High School)

 

 
On Chicago River Day thousands of volunteers gather for a day of hands-on environmental work throughout the Chicago River system working side-by-side to collect garbage and sort for recycling, remove invasive vegetation, spruce up river-edge trails, plant native seedlings, and much more.
 
Chicago River Day participants include corporate teams, community organizations, school groups, families, and individuals of various skill and ability levels from throughout the 673-square mile Chicago River system.
Mark Your Calendars!

Please attend the Sunday, May 11 board chat after the service to learn more about the draft budget for the coming fiscal year. The members of the board will present the draft budget, and will ask for input from the members and friends of the congregation before the board's vote on the final version of the draft budget at the regular monthly board meeting on May 14. The members of the congregation will then vote on the final draft budget at the annual meeting on Sunday, May 18. Please contact Monica Drane if you have questions or ideas.

2U's Old Narthex Gallery

Daniel Lewis, a member of Second Unitarian Church, will be displaying photographs in the Old Narthex Gallery at Second Unitarian through July.

 

An opening reception will be held on Sunday, May 3rd during coffee hour.  Please stop by to view his work and meet the artist.  The gallery is open for viewing  Vesper Wednesdays  and Sundays before and after services.

Fiber Arts Group

yarn Do you knit?  Sew?  Embroider, crochet, macrame?  All of the above?  Or none, but you have been meaning to start?  The 2U Fiber Arts Group meets on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon once a month.  For more information and meeting times, email Margaret.

This I Believe

Are you old enough to remember "This, I Believe" from Edward R. Morrow's radio show?  Maybe its resurrection from time to time on NPR?

 

How about a 2U version?

 

The Sunday Services Committee is planning a service this summer with a collection of "This, I Believe" essays delivered by members of our community.  If you are interested in participating-- or if you're just intrigued by the idea-- send your e-mail to the SSC listing "This, I believe" as a subject.  We'll be building this service over the next several weeks and would love to showcase the diversity of beliefs in our community.

2U Family Group

Join the 2UFamilyGroup on Sunday, May 25th from Noon - 2pm! 

 
All the families with kids under 18 are invited to meet in the Loft at Noon for a light lunch, some games, and great socializing. See the fun and keep in touch through our site.
An Update on Plate-Sharing Applications

Organizations chosen to receive plate-sharing dollars, 50% of the offertory 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.

 

Applications for July-September 2014 will be due on Wednesday, May 21st. SJC's June 1st 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.

Jorge Espinel Ordination at First Unitarian

This is a brief thank-you note and an invitation to celebrate. I began my Unitarian Universalist journey among you at 2U in 2009, which led me to Meadville Lombard Theological School and the process of becoming a minister. All along I was supported by this vibrant community, with the steadfast encouragement of its friends, members, board, and ministers. Now, almost five years later, I am preparing to be ordained into the Unitarian Universalist ministry and I invite you to join me in celebration, because this is something we achieved together. The ordination will be at the church where I served as intern, First Unitarian Church of Chicago, on June 7th, 2014, at 11am.

 

I hope to see you there,

Jorge. 

2014 UUA General Assembly

This year's UUA General Assembly takes place in Providence, RI on June 25-29. The theme of the gathering is "Love Reaches Out." The UUA provides 2U with credentials for five member delegates and one alternate member delegate in addition to our minister-delegate credentials. Off-site delegates may participate for a fee, and must register by June 20. The tentative agenda for GA 2014 is available at uua.org/ga

 

Please contact Monica Drane for more information or if you would like to serve as a 2U member delegate to the UUA's General Assembly.

MUUSA 2014

It is my pleasure to invite you to join us this summer in the Missouri Ozarks at the annual Midwest Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly (MUUSA) from June 29th- July 5th, 2014.

 

Our Adult Planning Council and Youth Program leaders have created an extraordinary offering of workshops and community activities for families, couples and singles of all ages.

 

Reverend Amy Shaw will lead the daily Morning Celebration service on this year's theme: "Sailing Strange Shores: The Wisdom of the Weird." Come gather with us in the beautiful forests and rolling hills of the Missouri Ozarks at YMCA Trout Lodge, where you can connect with old friends, make new ones and participate in a wide variety of activities.

 

In 2014, we will be planning and building a permanent labyrinth on the Trout Lodge campus. We are also introducing a new room selection tool on our website. I truly hope you will be able to join us for what is sure to be an unforgettable year!

 

Chris Cable
2014 MUUSA President

Choir Corner

sheet music  

The 2U choir rehearses in the sanctuary on Tuesday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30. All voices are welcome! For more information, contact music director Marianne Parker.

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 March 31, 2013:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate =
$158,581
Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate =
$161,454
     Surplus or (Deficit)
$ (2,873)

ActualBudgeted
Total Revenues Year-to-Date =$216,598$200,175
Total Expenses Year-to-Date =$217,339$207,370
     Total Surplus or (Deficit)$    (741)$ (7,195)

In March, we raised $926.73 for the collection plate sharing recipient, Two Li'l Fishes, and $246.35 for the Fifth Sunday recipient, the 2U Night Ministry Outreach.

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, May 14.