Anvil header

Newsletter of 2nd Unitarian Church of Chicago
April 15, 2016
In This Issue...
Worship at 2U

Sunday, April 17
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Rudra Dundzila
Music: 2U Folk Ensemble

Sunday, April 24
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music: 2U Choir

Sunday, May 1
Hymn Sing Sunday!
Intergenerational Service at 10:30
Worship Leader: Myra Epping
Music: Marianne Parker

Sunday, May 8
Service at 10:30
Preacher: Rev. Adam Robersmith
Music: 2U Choir
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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, April 17
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, April 24
Spirit Play
UU Explorers

Sunday, May 1
Intergenerational Service

Sunday, May 8
Spirit Play
UU Explorers
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Recent 2U Plate-Sharing Recipients
 






_____________________
_________________
Church Office Information & Staff

 Minister
773-549-0260, ext. 13
Office Hours:
Wed-Thurs afternoons and evenings; Sunday afternoons
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

Congregational Administrator
773-549-0260, ext. 10
Office Hours: 
Mon-Thurs 10:00-4:00
Other days & times by appointment
 
Community Minister
773-593-7500
 
Community Minister
773-592-2809
 
Music Director
                                  
2U Ministry Leaders

Board of Trustees

Adult Faith Dev.

Bookstore

Buddhist Fellowship

Building & Grounds

Committee on Ministries

Covenant of Earth & Sky

Fellowship Committee

Finance Committee

Green Sanctuary

Hospitality 

Library

Lifespan Faith Dev.

Membership

Music

Newsletter

Night Ministry Outreach

Nominating Committee

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 Board Chair, Susan Zeigler
I got such a great surge of energy from attending the One Northside's Community convention this past Sunday, April 10th. Second Unitarian was there in great numbers (see article in this Anvil), and I am so incredibly proud to be a part of a faith community that supports racial and economic justice, as well as access to affordable healthcare and housing for all. We must hold our elected officials accountable, which is exactly what One Northside does, with the support of its nearly 100 community partners. Thank you to 2U's own Curtis Smith and Jim Simonis, who were intimately involved in the program through One Northside board and committee involvement, respectively.
        
Within the walls of 2U I have been excited about conversations we are having regarding fundraising and marketing. Right now, we want to focus more on marketing versus fundraising - this is not to say that we don't need to continue to raise funds (believe me, we do!) however, in order for the community to continue to have the positive energy that fuels giving, they need to feel truly connected with the mission of the church. There are many things that need to come together in order for people to feel connected to the mission. At a minimum, we need to know and understand our mission - do you know our mission? I bet you do!! If you know our covenant, you know our mission.

It is one thing to "know" the mission, but it is another thing to understand it - to know how it sustains us as a community and how it connects us to the larger world around us. This is why marketing is important. Marketing is not necessarily fancy or complicated - The Anvil is a form of marketing. You talking with your friends and family about how much you connect with 2U is marketing. A friendly "hello" to the new person sitting next to you in the service, and announcements from the pulpit are marketing.

We are going to be talking about many other ways we can create fellowship both inside and outside the walls of 2U, and if this is something of interest to you, please do join the Marketing/Fundraising group who will have its next meeting on Sunday, May 22nd after the service in Adam's office.
 
See you in church.
Susan Zeigler
Memorial Service for Jen Duston

A memorial service celebrating Jen Duston, longtime member of 2U, the 2U Choir and past church administrator, will be held at Second Unitarian at 1:30pm on Saturday, April 23, 2016. The service is open to any who wish to remember and celebrate Jen's life among the community that was so important to her. Donations to the church are welcome in lieu of flowers.

If you have specific remembrances of ways in which Jen changed, enhanced, or impacted your life, please send them to Malik Turley at [email protected]. They will be collected in a book to be presented to Jen's family.
Save the Date: Annual Meeting on Sunday, May 15!
Mark your calendars NOW for the annual 2U congregational business meeting after service on Sunday, May 15 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 in 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 the 2015-16 financial status and accomplishments
  • Approve the proposed 2016-17 church budget
  • Elect new church leaders
  • Amend the by-laws
Please stay tuned to your inbox in the coming weeks for more information!
You Are Invited!
Did you know that over two dozen people have been members of 2U for 25 years or more? Some joined the church 40+ years ago!

These long-time members will be honored during Sunday Service on May 15 and the Membership Committee will be hosting a brunch reception PRIOR TO SERVICE that day. May 15 is also an Ingathering for new members as well as our Annual Meeting. We felt it was appropriate to honor our long-time members at the same time we welcome the new, and on the same day we attend to the business of our congregation.

Please plan to come between 9:30 and 10 on May 15 to join in celebrating and appreciating our long-time members.
Spring Orientation
Calling all visitors who want to become members!

2U Spring Orientation will be held Sunday, April 17 and Sunday, April 24 following services. Sessions are scheduled to begin at noon in Fleishman Hall and will end at 2:00 PM or before. If you are interested in attending, please sign up on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room. Child care will be available for those who request it in advance.

While attending any one of these three orientation sessions will meet the by-law requirements for membership, attending all three sessions will provide a greater breadth and depth of understanding for the theological roots of our community, ways to engage with the 2U community, how 2U is organized and what membership really means.

Please contact Membership Chair, Judy Corbeille, with any questions or for more information.

Teacher Training Refresher
Join us for Teacher Training Refresher! We will be holding a training session for new and returning participants for all of our classrooms on Sunday, April 17th from 12pm - 2pm, in the Sources classroom.

We will have activities for the little ones, provided by the Family Fun Group. There will also be light snacks and refreshments! If you would like to attend, please contact Raquel Garcia at [email protected] for more information.
The Great 2U Seder!
Friday, April 29, 2016
7:00 PM

Join us on Friday, April 29 for 2U's annual celebration of Passover, one of the highlights of the Jewish sacred year and, traditionally, our church's biggest event honoring the Jewish sources of our Unitarian Universalist faith.

The seder is a worship service held around the around the dinner table, as the traditional story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt is retold. We use prayer, ritual, food, and song to celebrate our own freedoms, and to remember all those who do not. The seder also celebrates the return of spring and new growth as this part of the world awakens from the long (LONG) sleep of winter.

The matzah is ready to go, but we need ALL HANDS ON DECK to make this big, beloved event happen, so we hope you can sign up for at least one thing to bring and one thing to do, as you are able. Please contact Neal Shankman at [email protected] to sign up.
Regional Assembly 2016
Are you planning to attend our MidAmerica Regional Assembly at the end of this month? If so we have delegate credentials available for you! Please contact Andrew Zallar at
[email protected] if you are interested.

For more information about Regional Assembly, please click here.
2U at ONE Northside's Community Convention!
Celebrating victories like increasing the supply of affordable housing while applauding new campaigns and holding our elected officials accountable, two dozen 2U'ers spanning eight decades participated in ONE Northside's Community Convention on April 10.

ONE Northside is a mixed-income, multi-ethnic, intergenerational organization that unites the diverse communities on Chicago's North Side. The group's mission statement says, "We build collective power to eliminate injustice through bold and innovative community organizing. We accomplish this through developing grassroots leaders and acting together to effect change."

ONE Northside is true to the organizing tradition of Saul Alinsky in that the staff trains and empowers leadership in the member organizations such as 2U. At the convention these leaders do all the talking with the staff providing encouragement and resources. This was the second ONE Northside bi-annual convention. ONE Northside was formed by the merger of the Lakeview Action Coalition that served the north side from North AV. to Irving Par Rd. and Organization of the Northeast from Irving Park Rd. to Howard St.

Curtis Smith
The convention was co-chaired by Curtis Smith who represents 2U on ONE Northside's board. Curtis opened the event with comments about the importance of ONE Northside's work in addressing issues of economic inequality and structural racism.

Jim Simonis
Jim Simonis, a leader in the new Workers' Rights committee, also spoke to the 1,200 people who filled the auditorium at Lake View High School. Other 2U members played supporting roles in planning the convention.

Major issues included the Fair Tax (amending the Illinois Constitution to allow for progressive taxation), using revenue solutions to create a balanced state budget, and providing renters the opportunity to buy their homes to reduce the displacement caused by gentrification in many north side neighborhoods. However, issues ranging from public education and workers' rights to mental health services to violence prevention and environmental justice were discussed. ONE Northside has campaigns in each of these areas.

2U is one of the 101 members of ONE Northside, including 37 other religious congregations.

The event received widespread media coverage, including this article from the Chicago Sun-Times: http://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/north-side-activists-aim-to-close-corporate-loopholes-in-illinois/
Great Rivers Chicago: Regional Public Meetings
The Metropolitan Planning Council is facilitating several meetings regarding a special project called Great Rivers Chicago, an initiative to create a long-term vision for Chicago's three rivers - Calumet, Chicago and Des Plaines. Please click here to learn more!
#AmazonSmile
Do you love to shop? Do you love to support 2U? Well, now you can do both through AmazonSmile! 2U is now a supported charity on AmazonSmile. Click here to sign up and to learn more!
Leading Rituals with Shauna Aura Knight
COVES, 2U's CUUPS chapter, is proud to announce a special workshop with special guest, Shauna Aura Knight.

Join us to learn skills for leading and supporting rituals for deep spiritual transformation. Through discussion and exercises, this workshop explores what works and why including:
--Ritual structure and design
--Ritual logistics
--Raising energy in ritual
--Engaging participation
--Trance techniques
--Chanting, rhythm, and movement in ritual
--Mythic language and storytelling
--Charisma, presence, and authenticity

Saturday, April 30, 2016
10:00 am to 5:00 pm: Ritual Intensive Workshop
7:30 pm: Public Beltane Ritual
Together in community, we connect to the rising tide of life force. We feel the water flowing through our veins, through our tears of joy and of sorrow, through the rivers and the oceans of all the world. We feel the fire of the sun, of the heat of the fire in our bellies, the alchemical fire that shapes us and transforms us. When fire and water mix, we create community. When fire and water mix, we transform, we connect to one another, to ourselves, to our deep magic, and to the divine.
Registration:
Free! The workshop and ritual are free to the public. Please RSVP on the Facebook event page if you plan to attend.
Sunday, May 1, 2016
1:00 pm: Feedback session (optional)

About the Presenter:
Shauna Aura Knight is an artist, author, ritualist, presenter, and spiritual seeker, Shauna travels nationally offering intensive education in the transformative arts of ritual, community leadership, and personal growth. She is the author of The Leader Within, Ritual Facilitation, and Dreamwork for the Initiate's Path, and co-editor of the Pagan Leadership Anthology. Her writing is included in several blogs and Pagan magazines, and her work appears in numerous anthologies including Pagan Consent Culture, Bringing Race to the Table, Stepping in to Ourselves, and more. 

She's also the author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels including The Truth Upon Her Lips, A Fading Amaranth, A Winter Knight's Vigil, Werewolves in the Kitchen, Werewolves with Chocolate, and more. Shauna's mythic artwork and designs are used for magazine covers, book covers, and illustrations, as well as decorating many walls, shrines, and other spaces.

Shauna is passionate about creating rituals, experiences, spaces, stories, and artwork to awaken mythic imagination. Visit her website at http://www.shaunaauraknight.com/ to learn more.
Hymn Sing Sunday Returns!
Hymn Sing Sunday returns! On Sunday, May 1, the service will be all singing all the time - or at least as many hymns as we can squeeze in. The intergenerational service will be led by Myra Epping, who is taking requests. If you have a favorite hymn to nominate for the service, please put your request and any comments about it in the Hymn Sing request basket on the Welcome Table in the Palmer Room - or you can email the information to Myra at [email protected].

Myra Epping has been a Unitarian-Universalist since she joined 2U over thirty years ago. After a couple decades downstate, Myra and her husband Jim Redlich are back at 2U and glad to be in the same church as their daughter Margaret.
2U Library Open House
Hello 2U Library Community,

The 2U Library will be available (open to all) for two Sundays per month (the second and 4th Sundays) for library use. This will begin in May (May 8 and May 22). Come to the Library Open House on May 8. There will be snacks and smiles for all. I'll show you some simple ways to search for books on a topic, or by author or title. Of course browsing is also welcome. We want you to know how the library works and feel welcome to use it.

You can also call Jill Althage, 773-973-5610 if you have questions, answers, suggestons, or want to donate materials.

Hope to see you all soon in the Library which is located downstairs across from Rev. Adam Robersmith's office.

Jill Althage
Receiving and Giving at 2U
When I think of our church community, I am reminded that this is a place that sometimes moves me off my comfort zone and into new areas I haven't tried before. The result is a satisfaction like when I learned to ride a bicycle. 2Uers can be like that--urging you to try something. "Come on, I know you can do it." I remember the first time I chaired the Hospitality Committee at 2U. I had no idea how I would accomplish anything, much less motivate others. But 2U folks did let me know when and how something should be done. The result was that I got that feeling of appreciation and satisfaction when we accomplished the task together. It is a phenomenon that when I have volunteered at 2U,   I've received a sense of being more than just an okay person--worthy of membership-friendship-belonging. If you are new to the community, or for some reason have not attended for a while, I urge you to come next Sunday. Enjoy a free hug or handshake. Tell us about yourself. We want to learn about you. What have you been doing? Where have you been traveling or what work is intriguing you right now? And when you can, join in on some activity-give some of your time. You can start small at first. Share the resources you would like or are able to give. Then, if your experience is anything like mine, you will feel fulfilled and want to get that high again at your next opportunity. There's always this coming Sunday. Take a chance, and let your spirit soar.

Jill Althage
Member since 1980
Money Matters: Time to Spring Forward On Your Pledge!
23% of 2U households are 3 months or more behind on their pledges! As the daffodils and tulips begin to bloom, we hope you'll show 2U some spring green by catching up on your pledge if you are behind. Leave your financial winter behind and join us in the spring! Pledges are our #1 source of income by far.

The Board and Finance folks are concerned about a serious pledge shortfall in the range of $15,000 for our fiscal year ending June 30. 

PLEASE, please do your best to catch up on your pledge as we only have 2.5 months left in our budget year. As always, if your circumstances have changed and you will not be able to fulfill your pledge to the church, please let our Congregational Administrator, Andrew Zallar, know by e-mailing him at: [email protected].

Budget Update: 9 months ending March 31

While pledge income looks fine in the table below, this is only because one in four households have already paid their entire pledge for the year. No checks from them from now until July. Unless those who are behind can catch up, we are set up for a disappointing shortfall that will leave 2U in a worse place financially compared to the start of the budget year.


Actual
Budget
Difference
Pledges
$175,028$170,364$4,664
Collection Plate
$10,641$13,855
($3,214)
Total Expenses
$248,090$249,342
($1,252)

On the bright side, rental income is coming in better than expected, the Special Gifts campaign raised $7,137 more than budgeted, and our fundraising income is on target.

Thank you for your continued support of 2U and if you are behind on your pledge, please understand all of us are counting on you to catch up!

Collection Plate Sharing
In March, we raised $798.91 towards the collection plate sharing recipient, RefugeeOne.

Thank you all 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.
Submission Deadlines
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, April 27.

Please have all submissions for the Orders of Service submitted by noon on the Wednesday prior to the Sunday you'd like the announcement to appear. All announcements are subject to change at the discretion of the Congregational Administrator. Space is limited!

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

Phone: (773) 549-0260