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Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
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From the Minister
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The Annual Meeting is this Sunday, which means we're on the verge of entering our summer season -- and this year we're beginning it with great rejoicing!
We're starting summer a week early with a special service on May 31st given by Jim Scott, a UU songwriter and singer whose music appears in the blue hymnal and who performs all over the country for worship and concerts. I've heard him lead worship and perform before; I am so pleased to welcome him to 2U. I can't wait for you all to enjoy and be moved by his music and worship.
On June 7th, we'll hold our Annual Flower Communion and Ingathering. Begun by the Rev. Norbert Capek and brought to the US by his wife, the Rev. Maya Capek, it is a ceremony that celebrates our uniqueness and our interdependent community through the beauty of the season's flowers. On June 7th, bring a flower with you -- whether from your garden, a potted plant, a wildflower along the sidewalk, or a flower shop! You'll leave with another beautiful bloom and a sense of connection you can carry with you out into the world.
Then, on June 14th, we begin our summer season with our Summer Music Service given by the 2U Choir and members of the congregation. With our own instruments and voices, we'll welcome the summertime and celebrate this life together. After that will be LBGTQ Pride Sunday, Worship & Picnic at the Lake in July, and much more.
I look forward to spending the summer with you all in worship, fellowship, and service!
Faithfully,
Rev. Adam
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Annual Meeting THIS Sunday, May 17th!
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Please plan to attend the Second Unitarian Church Annual Meeting after service THIS Sunday, May 17th in the sanctuary. Childcare will be provided.
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:
The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the following slate of candidates:
Board of Trustees:
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Chair Elect: Tom Denio
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Secretary: Erin Rusmi
Nominating Committee:
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Linda Marquis
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Jill Althage
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Pending
Thank you to the members of the Nominating Committee for their work to assemble this slate. Documentation on the agenda, annual reports, slates and the draft 2015-16 budget will available Sunday morning in the Palmer Room.
We look forward to seeing all of you THIS Sunday, May 17th!
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BIG News (and A Call for Volunteers)
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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): TODAY, 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!
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Chicago World Music Chorus Performance THIS Sunday, May 17th!
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Sunday, May 17th
5:30 PM
The entire 2U community is invited to enjoy a FREE concert in the sanctuary THIS 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.
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Angels in My Classroom: How Second Graders Saved My Life
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Chicago Pagan Pride - Opening Ceremony
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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 20th at 7pm in the 2U library. Please contact Shauna at [email protected] for any questions or comments.
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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. Applications for July-September 2015 will be DUE ON SUNDAY, MAY 24th. SJC's June 7th 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 the SJC. Electronic submissions are preferred, so that we can distribute them to the entire SJC in advance of the meeting. Norm can be reached at [email protected] or 773-525-4262.
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From the Sunday Services Committee
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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].
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Death Caf� at Second Unitarian!
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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].
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UU Worship Services at Great Lakes cancelled by the Navy
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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.
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Chicago Area Unitarian Universalist Council Annual Meeting
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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.
If you plan to attend, please send an RSVP email to [email protected] to help us plan, particularly for the food.
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Volunteers needed for Alexian Brothers Housing and Health Alliance
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Coffee Hosts STILL Needed!
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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].
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Choir Corner
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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.
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Money Matters
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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 April 30, 2015:
Actual Pledges + Collection Plate = |
| $197,045 | Budgeted Pledges + Collection Plate = |
| $206,659 | Surplus or (Deficit) |
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($9,614)
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| Actual | Budgeted | Total Revenues Year-to-Date = | $269,418 | $260,402 | Total Expenses Year-to-Date = | $268,472 | $251,946 | Total Surplus or (Deficit) | $946 | $8,456 |
In April, we raised $904.15 towards the collection plate sharing recipient, Lakeview Pantry.
Thank you so much for helping to make 2U possible!
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Stay Connected
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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.
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Submission Deadlines
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Have a message to put in the next Anvil or Orders of Service? Plan ahead!
Please have all submissions for the next newsletter submitted by noon on Wednesday, May 27th.
Please have all submissions for the Orders of Service submitted by noon on Wednesday prior to the Sunday you'd like the announcement to appear.
Second Unitarian Church of Chicago
656 West Barry Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
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