Anvil header

Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
May 1, 2015
In This Issue...
Worship at 2U

Sunday, May 3
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Rudra Dundzila
Music: Amber Mack

Sunday, May 10
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music: Walker and Audrey Shadle

Sunday, May 17
Service at 10:30
Preacher: SSC/John Broome
Music: 2U Choir
Annual Meeting following the service!

Sunday, May 24
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music: TBD

Sunday, May 31
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music: TBD
_____________________
Children & Youth Faith Development Schedule
 
Child care for infants and toddlers is available every Sunday in the Green Caterpillar room.

Sunday, May 3
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, May 10
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, May 17
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, May 24
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, May 31
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
______________________
_________________
Church Office Information & Staff

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

Congregational 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 

Senior Potluck Lunch

Small Group Ministry

Social Justice

Sunday Services

Transylvania Church

Webmaster

Young Adult Group
David Dyer
Stephanie Bens
_____________________
Board of Trustees 
 
 






                                  
From the Minister
When Andrew told me that it was time to write the May 1st Anvil, I thought he might be playing an April Fool's trick on me! He wasn't, of course. May is upon us, with all the delights of warmer weather, flowers, and greenery that it can provide. The parks, the lake, the city streets all beckon to us to come outside and breathe air that isn't trapped in rooms.

I've also been watching the news. The earthquake in Nepal has devastated that country. The death of Freddie Gray in police custody as well as the protests and rioting in Baltimore are another call for us to keep witnessing and acting to support change in our systems and culture to create safety and equality for Black and Brown people in our nation. Transgender folk and their allies are speaking out for their right to dignity, safety, and equality as well.

Our faith offers us ways to pay attention and get involved: the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is accepting donations for disaster relief in Nepal. StandingOnTheSideOfLove.org is a resource for information and engagement with both the Black Lives Matter movement and our work as Transfolk and allies to support and strengthen Transgender equality. Here at 2U, our Social Justice Committee is connected with these issues and looking for ways to make 2U more welcoming and inclusive all the time.

Author E.B. White once said, "I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor it. This makes it hard to plan the day." Do both! To the very best of your ability, do both. Let us make the world one that everyone can savor!

Faithfully,

Rev. Adam


PS: We're wrapping up the Canvass, our Stewardship & Pledge Campaign for 2015-2016, and are heading right our Annual Meeting on May 17th after worship. During the Annual Meeting, we'll review and celebrate this past year as well as vote on our leadership and budget for next year. In order for the Annual Meeting to be a successful business meeting, we need as many of our members as possible to come and participate! And if you still need to pledge, you can talk to Andrew Zallar, Congregational Administrator to get that wrapped up.


If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me!

UU Worship Services at Great Lakes cancelled by the Navy

Dear Congregants,

 

As some of you have heard, Commander Ted Williams, chaplain of the Navy's Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, working on behalf of the commanding officer, has ordered several faith groups including Unitarian Universalists, Earth Centered, Bah�'�, Buddhists, Christian Science and Church of Christ to stop providing religious services for the recruits effective April 19th. The last service was April 12th.

 

As you can imagine, we are dismayed by the loss of this extremely positive service we were providing the recruits. In addition, the arbitrary selection of a few faith groups strikes us as a prejudiced action against a few less favored religions.

 

The UUA has been working to restore worship services. The UUA Director of Ministries and Faith Development, Rev. Sarah Lammert, is working through official channels at the Pentagon to see if the order can be rescinded. The National Conference of Ministry to the Armed Forces has sent a letter to the Navy's chief chaplain to resolve this issue of religious freedom.

 

The Navy Times, an independent newspaper, published an April 22nd article about the situation:

http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2015/04/22/military-religious-freedom-foundation-mikey-weinstein-navy-boot-camp-recruit-training-command/26205131/. John Chantry, quoted in the article, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Military Ministry Great Lakes (UUMMGL) board and provides Earth Centered services.

 

Next steps:  Rev. Rudra Dundzila of UUMMGL, Rev. Bret Lortie of the Unitarian Church of Evanston and Roger Baron have a meeting with Cdr. Williams scheduled for next week. We hope then to understand the rationale for the selection and to explore ways that recruits can continue receiving Unitarian Universalist religious services.


We will keep you informed.

Beltane Celebration is TONIGHT!
Friday, May 1st

7:00 PM

 

It is still Early Spring in Chicago, but the Earth will wake up soon and bring forth flowers and milder temps as the Wheel of the Year turns. The Covenant of Earth and Sky welcomes all to join us in one of the most popular celebrations, BELTANE, also known as May Day, on Friday, May 1st at 7pm. It is time to light the fires of Beltane in anticipation of the Summer drawing nearer. Fires of transformation, fires of illumination for all! We will dance around the Maypole, outside if it is mild enough, and celebrate! All are welcome, including children. Please bring a dish to share (sweet or savory) and bring a drum or hand instrument to play for the Maypole dance. Blessed Be!!! 

Who Are Our Neighbors? begins THIS Saturday!
Do you have an interest in how to grow more comfortable being in relationships with people who are different from you? Would you like to learn how to be a better friend, ally, and neighbor? Would you like to explore why our nation and communities struggle with racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, and ableism? Are you wondering how you can be more effective in communicating with others in this increasingly diverse world?  If so, please join Rev. Adam on Saturdays May 2 & 9 from 12-5pm at 2U for "Who Are Our Neighbors?" (Please note the date change!)

In this class, we'll examine how we grow in our ability to speak to one another across our differences and think about how we can each develop greater communication skills. I have found this work transformative and enlightening, and I hope you will, too. You can sign up for the class by emailing me or using the sign-up sheet on the Welcome Table. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask me!
The Pastoral Care Team presents Death with Dignity THIS Sunday, May 3rd!

The Pastoral Care Team at 2U is hosting a series of classes to provide information about approaches to planning for many aspects of the end of life. Thank you to those of you who have attended some of our session so far this year! Mark your calendars for these upcoming session dates:

  • Death with Dignity: This weekend, on Sunday, May 3, 12:00-1:30pm, we will be joined for a panel discussion by two individuals who are leading the movement to legalize physician aid in dying in Illinois: Bess Schenkier of Compassion & Choices, and Ed Gogol of Hemlock of Illinois.
  • Death Caf�: Join us on Sunday, June 7, 1:00-3:00pm, where we'll be hosting a Death Caf�.  Please see below for more detail!

Please RSVP here to help us plan for each session, and a reminder email will be sent to you the week before. The series is open to everyone, regardless of age, spot in the "planning" process, or being a 2U member or not. To help cover costs of guest speakers, we request each attendee to donate a one-time amount of $10, no matter if you attend one class or all of them. You can bring cash or check (made out to Bonnie Ewald) on the day of the event.

Please contact Nanna Cross or Bonnie Ewald with any questions.

Death Caf� at Second Unitarian!

 

On Sunday, June 7, from 1-3pm, the Pastoral Care Team will be hosting a Death Caf�, with the assistance of Kathy Miller, LCPC and Judy Lendsey, CHP of Windy City Death Caf�. This is the final event in our class series on end of life care and planning, and a wonderful opportunity to continue conversations that were started during the class series. And hopefully to spark some new ones!

 

At a Death Caf�, people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. The objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'. A Death Caf� is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. The Death Caf� model was developed by Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid, based on the ideas of Bernard Crettaz. People have described their Death Caf� experiences as informative, engaging, reflective, comfortable, and fun!

 

For more information about the Death Caf� movement, please visit deathcafe.com.

 

Please RSVP for this event to [email protected].

Town Hall Meeting NEXT WEEK Sunday, May 10th!
In preparation for the annual meeting, there will be a town hall meeting after service on Sunday, May 10th in the sanctuary to discuss the current draft budget for the next fiscal year. Board Treasurer, Jim Redlich, will be presenting the draft budget and will ask for input from members and friends of the congregation before the board's vote on the final version of the draft budget during the board meeting on Wednesday, May 13th. Members of the congregation will then vote on the final draft budget at the annual meeting on Sunday, May 17th. Please contact Jim Redlich if you have any comments, questions or ideas.
Community Renewal Society trip to Springfield on Tuesday, May 12th!
BIG News (and A Call for Volunteers)
BIG News: 2U's Building, Infrastructure, and Grounds (BIG) Committee is pleased to report that the church has made good progress toward resolving the handicapped parking problem in front of the building. As you may be aware, when the city installed new street lights more than a year ago, it altered the position of the handicapped parking sign and shrunk by about two car lengths the space in front of 2U designated for handicapped parking/loading. This shift has significantly and unnecessarily challenged those who need assistance getting to church. After months of negotiations, Rudra Dundzila learned on April 14 that the space will be expanded once again to accommodate those with special mobility needs. Alderman Tom Tunney, in conjunction with the church and the city's Streets and Sanitation Department, has devised a plan to increase the size of the space, at no cost to 2U, in the coming months. Part of the plan requires that the east planter, which was installed by the city several years ago on the city's parkway in front of the church, be removed. This will allow for the required space for a person in a wheelchair to exit a vehicle pulled into the handicapped space; as it is now configured, there is not enough space for this because the planter acts as a barrier. The city will remove the east planter (leaving the west planter and the bike rack as they are), replace it with a sidewalk, and shift the parking sign to the west in order to generate more space for a vehicle to park and unload. Thanks to Jen Duston, Andrew Zallar, Rev. Adam Robersmith, Rev. Rudra Dundzila, and 2U member Paul Shadle for their help in negotiating a deal with the alderman. Thanks, too, to Alderman Tunney for his assistance.

A Call for Volunteers: In order to preserve the perennial plants now in the east planter, the BIG Committee is looking for volunteers willing to transplant the various plants from the east planter to the "main" front yard of the church. In addition to the transplanting, we could do some general landscaping work and set up the temporary fence around the main front yard (to prevent neighborhood dogs from using our front yard for their business). The BIG Committee plans eventually to install a permanent low metal fence that would both help to keep dogs out of the yard and to beautify our space. We hope to have funds enough at some point soon through the Building Fund and/or regular building maintenance and repair line in the annual budget to purchase and install the fence. If you are free and able to help with the yardwork/transplanting, then please contact BIG Committee member Monica Drane or simply show up at church with your work clothes, gloves, and tools!

2U Yardwork Day(s): Friday, May 15 at 2:30 PM and/or Saturday, May 16 at 9:00 AM. We've reserved two days in order to account for inclement weather and to finish the job! Please come once or twice and stay for as long as you can!
Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 17th!
Mark your calendars NOW for the annual 2U congregational business meeting after service on Sunday, May 17th in the sanctuary.

As per one of the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism, "the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large," the annual meeting is the time in the life of our congregation when we gather to exercise the democratic process in our church. Additionally, our church bylaws state that it is the member's "right and responsibility to contribute to the democratic life of the community." In order to conduct the business of the congregation, there must be a quorum (25%) of members present. Come and be a part of our church celebration and the planning for next year!

 

The purpose of the meeting is to:

  • Provide a review of this year's current financial status and accomplishments

  • Approve the proposed 2015-16 church budget

  • Elect new church leaders

Stay tuned to your inbox for more information coming soon!
Chicago World Music Chorus Performance on Sunday, May 17th!
Sunday, May 17th
5:30 PM


The entire 2U community is invited to enjoy a FREE concert in the sanctuary on Sunday, May 17th from 5:30-6:30 PM. Chicago World Music Chorus, under the direction of Patty Cuyler and Mollie Stone, has been practicing at 2U once a month since last fall. Come and experience their powerful a cappella songs from around the globe.

From the Sunday Services Committee

Do you have an idea, a concept, or a story you want to share with our congregation? Do you think there is something we could all benefit from learning or thinking about or just sharing together? Consider doing a lay service!


Second Unitarian has a long tradition of lay services, in which a members of our congregation are given the pulpit to share their thoughts and feelings. Recent services have included topics such as prison ministry, the poetry of Rumi, and "This I Believe." If you are interested in providing a service, the Sunday Services Committee will support and guide you through the entire process. To learn more, simply email [email protected].
Chicago Area Unitarian Universalist Council Annual Meeting

Saturday, May 30th, 2015

 

Held at U.U. Church of Elgin

39 W 830 Highland Ave.
Elgin, IL 60123
(from the Northwest Tollroad, take Randall Rd. south to Highland Ave., then take Highland Ave. about 3 miles west to the church)
 
9:40-10 a.m. - Sign-in, with light refreshments and socializing.
 
10 a.m. to Noon - Program
 
"Making Our Social Action More Effective"
An interactive workshop on increasing congregational involvement in social action, led by the Rev. Scott Aaseng
 
Noon-12:45 p.m. - Lunch (suggested contribution $5) 
 
12:45-2 p.m. - Annual Business Meeting
 
The Annual Business Meeting will include consideration of a number of proposed By-Law changes, which were shared via the CAUUC mailing list on April 14.  The proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2015 includes a measure to incorporate the Chicagoland Marketing Initiative into the basic CAUUC dues as of July 1, 2016.  This measure, the result of a survey of Chicago are UU congregations, will increase CAUUC dues from $1 to $3 per as of July 1, 2016, the extra $2 to be devoted to promoting and advertising UUism in the Chicago area.
 
We encourage all CAUUC member congregations to send representatives to the CAUUC Annual Meeting.
 
For further information write to [email protected]
 
If you plan to attend, please send an RSVP email to [email protected] to help us plan, particularly for the food.
Volunteers needed for Alexian Brothers Housing and Health Alliance

From the Committee on Ministries

Our words of covenant state, "We will be... honest in our communication, holding faithful to a love that embraces both diversity and conflict." But what happens when conflict between parties within the church, be they ministers, lay leaders, congregants or staff, cannot be amicably resolved by the conflicting parties alone? This is when the Committee on Ministries may be of assistance.

 

The primary role of the Committee on Ministries is to serve the overall health of the congregation. As such, we strive to serve as an impartial observer of congregational life, not advocating particular policies or issues of members or ministers. If requested to mediate a conflict, and it is appropriate for us to do so, our goal is not to eliminate the conflict per se, but to facilitate a resolution which promotes the creative potential for the further growth of the individuals involved and the church in as confidential a manner as possible. Depending on the circumstances, individual committee members or a subcommittee of members may be involved. If the conflict threatens to disrupt the church as a whole, a town hall meeting may be convened to discuss the conflict. In cases where no definitive resolution seems possible, the parties will be urged to agree to disagree and move on.

 

Whether the Committee on Ministries is involved or not, the primary responsibility for conflict resolution rests with the individuals involved. Remember that direct and open communication between individuals is always the preferred path towards smoothing the rocky road.

Chicago Pagan Pride - Opening Ceremony

The Covenant of Earth and Sky is proud to announce that we will be giving the Opening Ceremony of this year's Chicago Pagan Pride in Oak Park, Sunday, September 13th at 11:30am. This is a great opportunity to connect with the Pagan community of Chicagoland as well as those who come from IL, WI, IN and MI to the festival.

 

It may seem early in the calendar, but it is time to start planning!!!! We need a strong group to represent Second Unitarian's CUUPS chapter at this event that draws about 500 people in attendance. We welcome all who would like to participate! Our first meeting will be Wednesday, May 20 at 7pm. Please contact Shauna at [email protected] for any questions or comments.
Coffee Hosts STILL Needed!

Please sign up to be a coffee host! Providing snacks assures that we have a welcoming environment for guests and more reasons to connect with our community following service. Your service and participation is GREATLY appreciated!

 


Please sign up in the Palmer Room or by clicking below:

 


Please contact our coffee hour maven, Laura McKee, if you have any questions at [email protected].
Choir Corner


Sing to Spring!

 

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

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, 2014 to March 31, 2015:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate =
$179,615
Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate =
$185,353
     Surplus or (Deficit)
($5,738)

ActualBudgeted
Total Revenues Year-to-Date =$247,861$236,393
Total Expenses Year-to-Date =$233,688$228,854
     Total Surplus or (Deficit)$14,173$7,539

In March, we raised $910.75 towards the collection plate sharing recipient, 2U's The Night Ministry outreach program.

Thank you so much for helping to make 2U possible!
Stay Connected
Did you know that the UUA and MidAmerica Region UUA have their own respective newsletters?

Click here for more information about the UUA and click here to sign up for their newsletter, UU World.

Click here for more information about the MidAmerica Region UUA and click here to sign up for their newsletter.
Anvil Deadlines
Have a message to put in the next Anvil? Plan ahead! Please have all submissions for the next newsletter submitted to Andrew Zallar, Congregational Administrator, at [email protected] by noon on Wednesday, May 13th.

Second Unitarian Church of Chicago
656 West Barry Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657

Phone: (773) 549-0260