Posts from January 2023
Inspired by My Ancestors by Melissa Jeter
From the UUA publication New year, new me, right? Maybe, but I just want to sit on the couch. The days are longer and my dog wants to go out. She monitors my every move for a sign that the walk is coming, but after feeding her I just want a nap. Also, I was going to read another book about racism; I was losing hope for anything to change. Perhaps I’m like Sisyphus: pushing the rock up the hill just to let…
Looking Back
At the start of the new year, it’s custom to take inventory of where you’re at in life. Did you reach last year’s goals? What new intentions are you setting for the coming year?As part of the worship team, I wanted to take a second to look back on where we were at this time last year compared to how far we’ve come. This time last year I delivered one of my very first sermons – an honest look at…
PADS Needs
Hello, Friends, Thanks to your generous donations, the Elgin PADS shelter has only a few needs this week: laundry pods, granola bars and lemonade mix. You may place these in the basket marked PADS in the front lobby of UUCE. And thanks to you, all slots are filled for meal providers and servers in January. Stay tuned for the February SignUp email link or FB post. As always, if you have questions about how you can be a part of our…
Are You Interested in Joining a New Covenant Group?
Small groups come in a variety of sizes, descriptions, memberships, interests, purposes, but the one thing they all have in common is the intention of building community and connections among the members of the church body. Some small groups center around an activity, such as the Prairie Voices, the handbell choir, Circle Supper and Ethnic Eating. Other small groups gather to share in discussions, such as the Adult Religious Education group, the covenant groups, the book group. Small groups are…
From the Revitalization Team
Life is like riding a bicycle – to keep your balance you must keep moving – Albert Einstein The Revitalization Team kept momentum going by holding our first social event of 2023 last weekend, a Hygge Hangout. We also have February’s Valentine Potluck coming up on Feb 11 in Fellowship Hall. Recaps, including pictures, are available on the UUCE website in the Activities section, which can be found here: https://uuce.org/activity-highlights/ Last week we also kicked off a new Adult RE…
Ethnic Eating Update
People apparently enjoy island time. Twenty-six folks enjoyed the food and fellowship Saturday night at Mariscos El Charco. If you didn’t get to go with the group, I would highly recommend this local Elgin jewel. It was delicious and the portions plentiful. I’m still eating part of mine. Now let’s turn our attention to February. On the 19th of next month, we will be dining at 5:00pm at Tango Sur at 3763 N. Southport Avenue in Chicago. For those of…
Current PADS Needs
Thank you to all of our PADS helpers. We still need one volunteer for Monday, January 30 to provide lunch for 20 people at the shelter. We also have room for 2-3 servers on January 23 and 30. As of now we are in a good place with most shelter supplies, thanks to your generosity. The only things we could use is canned chicken, flavored coffee creamer, liquid or powder. Thanks! Dotty CarringiUUCE PADS Coordinator847-502-4835 “Homeless Doesn’t Have To Mean…
Covenant Groups
Small groups come in a variety of sizes, descriptions, memberships, interests, purposes, but the one thing they all have in common is the intention of building community and connections among the members of the church body. Some small groups center around an activity, such as the Prairie Voices, the handbell choir, Circle Supper and Ethnic Eating. Other small groups gather to share in discussions, such as the Adult Religious Education group, the covenant groups, the book group. Small groups are…
Religious Education (RE) Dates for Spring 2023
Happy New Year, Beloved Community! I wanted to inform you of the dates we’ll be having RE through the beginning of June, so everyone can plan accordingly. Looking forward to all that our kids and youth will do this year! We’ll plan to have RE on the following dates (and for those of you involved in D&D, we’ll plan to have games on the following dates as well): Jan 22nd Feb 5th Feb 19th Mar 5th Mar 19th Apr 2nd …
UU Buddhist Fellowship Invitation
UU Buddhist Fellowship Holds Convo in Racine, April 27-30 The national UU Buddhist Fellowship holds regular Convos, and in April of 2023 the UUBF Convo will be held in the Midwest for the first time, with the distinguished Buddhist teacher and climate change activist David Loy, author of Ecodharma: Buddhist Perspectives on the Ecological Crisis. The Convocation will be April 27-30 at the beautiful DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin. There are opportunities for both in-person and online attendance, as well as a public talk…
February Ethnic Eating
When you read this, we may not have visited our January restaurant, but it’s never too soon to think about eating – especially when the eating is in the country of Argentina. Yes, for February, we will be visiting an Argentine steakhouse with an Argentine chef who prepares authentic Argentine dishes. The menu will be varied enough to include non-steak eaters if that thought had crossed your mind. So put a pin in your calendars for Sunday, February 19th and…
From Braver/Wiser: A Weekly Message of Courage and Compassion from the UUA
Meeting the New Yearby Tim Atkins, Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration for the First Unitarian Church in Oklahoma City “When hardships come into your life it breaks you for a while, but when it is done with, you evolve into a new person.”—Madalsa Sharma New Year’s is my favorite winter holiday. Since 2015, I’ve engaged in a ritual of reflection and intention that’s dear to me: choosing a word to serve as my grounding for the upcoming year. I begin this…
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