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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
November 1, 2014
In This Issue
Worship at 2U
 
Sunday, November 2
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by Kat Wyand

Sunday, November 9
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Rudra Dundzila
Music by Tom Clowes

Sunday, November 16
Service at 10:30
New Member In-Gathering
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music by the 2U Choir

Sunday, November 23
Service at 10:30
Lay Preachers: Laura McKee & Erin Rusmi
Music by Rosalind Hurwitz
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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, November 2
Spirit Play
Roots & Shoots

Sunday, November 9
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
Youth Group

Sunday, November 16
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, November 23
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
Youth Group
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Church Office Information & Staff

Minister
773-549-0260, ext. 13
Office Hours:
Wed-Thurs evenings, other days & times by appointment
 
Dir. of Faith Development
773-549-0260, ext. 12
Office Hours:
Sun 9:00-3:00
Other days & times by appointment

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

Adult Faith Dev.

Bookstore

Buddhist Fellowship

Building & Grounds

Committee on Ministry

Covenant of Earth & Sky

Fellowship Committee

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
David Dyer
Stephanie Bens
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Board of Trustees 
 
 






                                  
Daylight Savings Time Reminder
Daylight savings time will end with a "fall back" to standard time this Sunday, November 2nd, at 2am. Be sure to re-set your clocks before you go to bed on Saturday night!
 
However, if you are an hour early to church on Sunday, don't worry-- Jen has plenty of projects to keep you busy until the service begins!
From the Minister
Welcome to November! What a wonderful way to end one month and enter the next: a delicious and generous (raising about $13,000 after expenses) Fall Fest with one another, leading into a month in which we celebrate the Ordination of 2U member Karen Mooney on November 16th.

You are all invited- and asked in celebration of our faith- to be a part of Karen's ordination. Only congregations can take on this task. We have no bishops or other bodies that acknowledge a minister. It is our privilege and holy work to do. I look forward to your participation in this joyful event!

This is the month in which we will lift up a new banner to put on the front of our church, connecting us with the Unitarian Universalist Association's Standing on the Side of Love social justice campaign. If you have seen the bright yellow t-shirts and clergy shirts on other 2Uers, you've noticed our connection with the message already. You can find out more in the article in this Anvil or at the campaign's website.

This month, we'll also be Ingathering our new members, commissioning our seminarians in their learning, exploring the poetry of Rumi, and (eventually) entering the winter holiday season. It should be a wonderful month at 2U - I am glad you'll be part of it!

Faithfully,
Rev. Adam
Cold & Flu Season Is Here

We may welcome the abundance of good things at this time of year, but we want to avoid an abundance of colds and flu. Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital has offered us this information about staying healthy. It includes answers to questions about cold and flu season as well as information about Ebola, just to keep us all informed.

 

Your 2U staff has talked about preventing the spread of anything among us. In every classroom as well as the kitchen, staff office, and back of the sanctuary, we will have first aid kits, non-latex gloves, and nose & mouth masks available, just in case. Most importantly, if you have a fever, sore throat, or other seasonal symptoms, please stay home! We love having you at church, but we want you and everyone else to be healthy, too.

Old Narthex Gallery Opening Reception

Sunday, November 2, 2014

11:30am

 

Linda Marquis, a longtime member of Second Unitarian, will display her watercolors, entitled "Spirit Play," in 2U's Old Narthex Gallery. Please join the artist for the opening reception this Sunday during coffee hour after the service and view some additional works.  The exhibition will be up thru December 21st and all work is for sale with 50% of the proceeds to benefit the artist and 50% to benefit the church.

 

If you have questions about purchasing the art, please contact the artist; if you have questions about displaying your artwork, please contact Colette.

ordinationOrdination of Karen Mooney
In our covenant, we agree to build a community that challenges us to grow and empowers us to find the truth within ourselves. Is it any wonder that for many, this growth and reflection turns in a spiritual direction? In November, we will celebrate a major milestone of this spiritual growth when we ordain Karen Mooney as a Unitarian Universalist minister, one of our own members who started her way along her path at Second Unitarian.

 

Please honor our covenant and join in the ordination service and reception on Sunday Nov. 16 at 3:00 pm at Second Unitarian.

 

Child care will be provided. Reception to follow. If you'd like help provide refreshments, set up or take down, or move chairs for the reception, please email Jill Siegel, or call her at (773) 301-7023.

sotsolStanding on the Side of Love Banner
Next time you come to church, you might notice the yellow "Standing on the Side of Love" banner in front of the church where the old "Second Unitarian Support Same-Sex Marriage" banner used to be.

 

What does "Standing on the Side of Love" mean?

Standing on the Side of Love is an interfaith public advocacy campaign of the Unitarian Universalist Association that seeks to harness love's power to stop oppression, addressing issues including (but not limited to!) immigrant justice and LGBTQ equality.

 

How did the "Standing on the Side of Love" campaign originate?

The broad message "standing on the side of love" originally emerged as a rallying point for people of faith in Massachusetts during their early efforts for fully inclusive marriage and later during the fight against Proposition 8 in California.  The more formal Standing on the Side of Love campaign was sparked by a 2008 shooting at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, which was targeted for their welcome of LGBTQ people and liberal political stances.  The Knoxville community responded with an outpouring of love that inspired the UUA to launch the campaign in 2009 with the goal of harnessing love's power to challenge exclusion, oppression, and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, race, religion, or any other identity.  (Adapted from standingonthesideoflove.org.)

 

Questions about the Standing on the Side of Love campaign?

Check out standingonthesideoflove.org, or email [email protected].

 

Questions or concerns about the banner itself?

Email Rev. Adam and/or Katherine Wolf.

COM Chats in November

Give us your feedback and ideas!

 

Our tradition here at 2U is based on a shared ministry of clergy and laity. This month we would like to begin receiving the congregation's annual feedback on the work of our minister. We want to applaud successes, get suggestions and encourage changes if needed.

 

The COM Chats will be held on:

  • Sunday Nov.2nd at Noon

  • Sunday Nov 9th at Noon

  • Thursday Nov. 20th at 7:00 p.m.

  • Sunday Nov 23rd at 9:30 a.m. and at Noon

There will be 5-7 participants per group.

 

The COM Chats will have sign up sheets in the Palmer room. If you cannot attend one of the COM Chats but have comments or suggestions, you may request a meeting with a COM member or email us as a group, For individual contact info, see the COM bulletin board in the Palmer room.

Change: The Gifts and the Challenges

Saturday, November 8, 2014

10:00am - 2:00pm

Unitarian Church of Hinsdale

 

Join the Chicago Area U.U. Council for a workshop, titled "Change: The Gifts and the Challenges" on Saturday, November 8th. Registration, a light breakfast, and socializing is scheduled between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Congregational leaders and others involved with changes in ministers, Directors of Religious Education, Administrators and other critical staff positions, or major changes in the demographics and size of the congregations, are encouraged to attend.  For a flyer with full details, email the Chicago Area UU Council, or register online at uuchicagoarea.org.

Chicago Area Unitarian Universalist Council

Rev. Adam is seeking someone to represent 2U on the Board of Directors of the Chicago Area Unitarian Universalist Council!  The Board meets once every two months at various UU churches in the Chicagoland area.  It's a great way to get involved in the wider UU community with a very manageable time commitment.  If you're interested, contact Rev. Adam. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the previous 2U representative, Katherine Wolf.

UU Military Ministry-Great Lakes Q&A Session

Sunday, November 9, 2014 

12:00pm

 

Rev. Rudra Dundzila will show a brief slide show about the Unitarian Universalist worship services at Great Lakes Naval Recruit Training command, followed by an open discussion. Everyone is welcome to come and find out more about this regional ministry. 

2U Buddhist Fellowship Fall Retreat

Saturday, November 29, 2014 

9:00am - 5:00pm

 

Join the 2UBF on Saturday, November 29th in the shrine room at Shambhala Chicago, 37 N. Carpenter, for a day-long meditation retreat between 9am and 5pm. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Seeking Hospitality Volunteers

Are you interested in helping 2U welcome new and existing churchgoers?  If yes, please consider volunteering to serve on The Hospitality Team! We'd love your commitment to help just one Sunday a month, joining one of the teams that provides pre, during and post-service duties each week. Please contact Christine H. for more information, or sign up on the Welcome Table.

Choir Corner
musical chalice 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, or just come to a rehearsal.
Money Matters
The weekly cost of running 2U is $5,890!

2U's annual budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015 is $306,403.

For the Year to Date period July 1 to September 30, 2014:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate =
$ 61,010
Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate =
$ 59,117
     Surplus or (Deficit)
$   1,893

ActualBudgeted
Total Revenues Year-to-Date =$ 80,584$ 75,628
Total Expenses Year-to-Date =$ 75,663$ 72,673
     Total Surplus or (Deficit)$   4,921$   2,955

In September, we raised $857.90 for the collection plate sharing recipient, the Still Point Theatre Collective.

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, Nov. 12.