Shared Offering Recipients for 2015

The Social Action Committee (SAC) is pleased to announce our Shared Offering Partners for 2015!

• January is The Public i, a non-profit community newspaper published by the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. 
• February is Illini Service Dogs, a registered student organization at the UI which trains service dogs for people with disabilities. 
• March is Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County, which works to eliminate poverty housing locally and globally. 
• April is the East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center, which seeks to provide services essential to immigrant re-settlement in East Central IL. 
• May is Illinois Balanced and Restorative Justice, which seeks to expand the availability of restorative justice practices. 
• June is Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, which works to eliminate the poverty sustaining effects of disease-causing parasites. 
• July is the Southern Poverty Law Center, which works to fight hate-groups and promote tolerance. 
• August is Sanctuary 2014, a network of churches that provides refuge to undocumented immigrants who face deportation. 
• September is Compassion & Choices, which works to reduce people's suffering and provide some control over the end-of-life process. 
• October is Cunningham Children's Home, a place where children with serious emotional and behavioral disabilities can heal, learn, and grow. 
• November is Champaign County Health Care Consumers, a group who works for quality, affordable health care for all. 
• In December our Shared Offering is traditionally the Partner Church Committee, which supports our UU partner churches in Romania and India.

In the coming months, half of our cash collection during services, as well as designated checks, will go to support these organizations.  Please give generously.

As always, it was difficult to settle on just 11 organizations to support. All are invited to think of deserving organizations during the coming year, and submit nominations during the fall months, when we select our Shared Offering Partners for 2016.  Thank you! 

– Ryan Latvaitis, Chair

Meeting the Parking and Seating Space Challenges of One Sunday Service

The Membership Committee looks forward to the opportunities for increased connections and fellowship on Sunday morning as a result of going to one service beginning January 4^th (see the article from the Board on the next page for more information about this experiment). Changes in some of our past practices will be required by all of us to make our experiment with one service work. We are asking your cooperation in two specific areas.

Seating in the Sanctuary: Please be mindful of the increased attendance at the single service by moving to the center of the pews in all rows of the Sanctuary to make room for everyone, especially those who may arrive late to the service. Be aware that our ushers may encourage you to do so on Sunday mornings as well.

Parking on Sunday mornings: Please reserve the church’s parking lot for our members with mobility issues and for our visitors on Sunday mornings. There are two lots within a block of our church that we have permission to use on Sunday mornings: the lot behind Timothy John’s Salon on the northwest corner of Green and Birch, and the lots used by Urbana Library patrons (which are city lots) on the south and west side of the Urbana Library on Cedar and Green Streets. In addition to these lots, there is free street parking on Birch, Green, and High Streets every weekend. See the graphic below for a visual representation of Sunday morning parking options.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation in these matters as we strive to make our one service trial succeed.

Questions or comments? Don’t hesitate to contact Membership Committee Co-Chairs Peggy Patten m-patten@sbcglobal.net and/or Karen Retzer karenfooteretzer@yahoo.com. Alternatively, stop by the Connections Hub table in Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings.

December's Shared Offering: The UUCUC Partner Church Committee

The mission and objectives of the Partner Church Committee (PCC) are to develop long term mutually supportive relationships with our fellow Unitarians in Transylvania, Romania and in the Khasi Hills of India.

Our two Partner Churches are quite different, although they share an economy based on farming. In Szekelykal, Transylvania, the economy is mixed agriculture, while in Nongtalang, Khasi Hills, the primary crop is beetle nut. In Szekelykal, the church building is dated from before the Reformation, during which the Church became Unitarian. The Church in the Khasi Hills is 125 years old and needs renovations.

The Transylvania church has heated homes and electricity. In the Khasi Hills, the level of income is frequently below the global poverty level of a dollar a day, although they do have electricity off and on.

If you wish to help support this ongoing effort to benefit those churches, please note that collections throughout the month of December are designated to that end. You may write a check addressed to the UU Church, with a note in the memo that your donation is for Partner Churches.

To join our congregation’s Partner Church Committee, please contact Brigitte Pieke, chair, at brigittepieke@hotmail.com. 

End of Year Giving Made Easy

As the pace of life speeds up around the holidays, you may find electronic giving a welcome way to make contributions. Visit our church website at uucuc.org and click the “Give” tab. For tax-deductible donations, the IRS requires a postmark of no later than December 31st when mailing a check. Our electronic giving website will run the last report at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31st, so don't wait until the last minute. Questions? Contact our financial secretary Amy Robison at finsec@uucuc.org. Have a Happy New Year!

Be UUCUC's First Worship Associate!

WANTED: UUs who wish to increase their involvement in church life and worship. Will develop skills; help plan, prepare and provide Sunday worship services; as well as work with the minister and Worship Committee. Responsibilities include selecting, creating, and/or delivering some or all of the following during Sunday services: opening words, chalice lighting, hymns, meditation, etc. Training and support provided. To apply, submit the enclosed application to the Connections Hub or Worship Committee mailbox, pick up an application at the Connections Hub, or click here. Applications are due Friday, January 30th, 2015. Try it – you may like it!

The Worship Committee will be kicking off the Worship Associate program this spring in conjunction with minister Axel Gehrmann. Questions? Ask one of the committee members: Amanda Ramey (Chair, amanda.m.ramey@gmail.com), Barbara Jahoula, Beth Cobb, Pam Blosser, or Sue Searing.

Partner Church Committee

Connecting Congregations Near and Far

Please come to the Partner Church Sunday Services on December 7^th. The Partner Church Committee (PCC) is presenting an introduction of our UU ministers in Nongtalang, India and in Szekelykal, Transylvania and will show pictures of the terrain of their respective locations. Our minister Axel will lead our worship. Refreshments will be provided by PCC, so come and enjoy!

PCC Members: Anne Sharpe, Barb Strauss, Gail Hueting, Libby Tyler, Peri Ceperley, Sally Babbitt, Axel Gehrmann, and Brigitte Pieke (chair)

The Power of Words to Feed Body and Soul

The Champaign-Urbana Storytelling Guild, in partnership with our Social Action Committee, will be hosting a benefit for the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen on Saturday, December 6^th. “Feeding Body and Soul,” a storytelling celebration, will be held in Fellowship Hall starting at 7:30 p.m. and will feature storytellers Elaine Bearden, Camille Born, Dan Keding, Kath Brinkmann, Linda Dust, Kim Sheahan, Judy Reynolds, and our very own Sue Searing.

The evening will be a feast of stories to entertain and engage the mind and heart with a sampling of tasty treats for the body as well.

The suggested donation is $10, with all proceeds going to the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. Dessert donations also welcome!

Friendsgiving, Food, and Fun

Would you enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with UU friends? Our church's second annual Thanksgiving potluck will be held in Fellowship Hall on Thanksgiving Day, November 27^th. We will sit down to eat at 5 p.m. Sign up in Fellowship Hall after each Sunday service, or contact Sylvia McDermott at evdrew@aol.com to let her know you will attend and what dishes you’ll bring. We hope to see you there! Like last year, we're asking for contributions of food and/or beverages amounting to a $10 expenditure per person. 

Take it to the Streets: Backpacks of Love

Our church is once again participating in the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen backpack project, as we have done for the last few years. The Soup Kitchen celebrates the holidays by giving filled backpacks to the men and women who are guests at lunch. The Champaign-Urbana community is very generous to children at Christmastime through such projects as Shop with a Cop, Salvation Army Toy Store, toy drives, etc. However, the men and women who attend the soup kitchen daily are rarely remembered. For many, these backpacks will be their only presents.

Backpacks should be stuffed with toiletries such as deodorant, hand lotion for hands chapped by the cold, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, shaving cream, and cold weather items such as gloves, hats, scarves, socks, sweatshirts, tee shirts, long underwear, and regular underwear. Other appreciated items include hand warmers, cough drops, books, decks of cards, small fleece blankets, candy, gum, and food items. All items should be new. We are asking that all backpacks be new or nearly new as well.

All backpacks should be labelled with the gender and size of recipient (i.e. Man-XL). We found last year that most of our guests requested at least a size Large, while most preferred XL or even XXL. There is also a need for some bags with size 3X.

Bags for children up to age five are also needed. Please label these by gender and age of the child. Children’s bags may include small toys. We would also like to have diaper bags filled with baby items.

We will collect filled backpacks at the church on Sunday, December 7th and 14th. When you drop off a backpack, please let us know so that your gift can be acknowledged. Tax forms will be available. Backpacks will be given away at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen on Friday, December 19th beginning at 10 a.m. 

If you have questions about this project, visit the Social Action Committee table after services or contact Sandy Hannum at smhannum@gmail.com. 

Citizens' Climate Lobby: Political Will for a Livable World

Save the date: Thursday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. marks an evening of solutions to climate change as we explore local actions for global problems. 

This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the church's own GreenUUs and Social Action Committee.

A preliminary presentation led by Holly Nelson and titled "Putting Solar PV on the Roof of First Mennonite Church" will begin at Holly Nelson will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The main presentation by David Holmquist, Illinois CCL State Co-Coordinator, titled "Building the Political Will to Stop Climate Change: An Introduction to Citizens' Climate Lobby" will begin immediately following at 7:20 p.m.

All are invited to attend to learn how ordinary citizens are changing the conversation in Congress and building support for putting a price on carbon emissions to curb global warming. Find out how you can help.

"Politicians do not create political will, they respond to it. If we want Congress to address climate change then they have to hear from us." -- Mark Reynolds, CCL Executive Director

A Coffeehouse Celebration

Join us in an intergenerational celebration dedicated to Kent Conrad, our beloved former Music Director, as we hold a UU Coffeehouse Saturday, November 8th from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. You’re invited to present a song, skit, musical theater snippet, poem, dance, or whatever else you think the congregation would enjoy. Take advantage of the church’s new percussion instruments (drum set, maracas, claves, cymbals, etc.) purchased this summer!  We will follow the usual format of brief performances (8-10 minutes), yummy desserts, and beverages for the entire family.

For more information, please view our online flier.

Sign up to perform, bring goodies, or help with setup/cleanup in one of three ways: in person between Sunday services or via email to either Jim Hannum at jwhannum@gmail.com or Sandy Hannum at smhannum@gmail.com.

Kent Conrad Memorial

A celebration of our longtime Music Director Kent Conrad’s life will be held on Monday, November 3rd at 2:00 p.m. in the Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. We know that individuals from the many worlds Kent contributed to will want to attend. These will include current and former students, members of the faculty, community members, and members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign.

Because of the large number of people who would like to share memories of Kent, we are seeking comments from those who would be willing to write about one or two of their favorite memories and experiences with him. Our minister Axel Gehrmann has agreed to collect these writings and we will be identifying individuals to read excerpts during the service. If you would like to share your stories, please send them to Axel at minister@uucuc.org.

Immigration Justice Task Force Needs UUs!

This fall, our church kicked off our two-year initiative focusing on Immigration Justice with the C-U Immigration Forum as our September Shared Offering, and also by hosting a well-attended community dialogue titled “Central American Children at the Border: What Can We Do?” In addition, you may have noticed that Axel’s sermons this month all have immigration justice as a theme. Several other events have been held and others are being planned by our UU Immigration Task Force in conjunction with the C-U Immigration Forum.

Would you like to get involved with the UU Immigration Task Force and help make our two-year initiative a success? The next meeting is this Thursday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in the church Library. All who are interested in participating and planning activities around this theme are welcome!

Hello Today, Envision Tomorrow

You have probably noticed that our Sunday worship experience has changed a little this year. The process for lighting candles of joys and concerns is different. The chalice is now front and center. We have a Suggestion Box to receive feedback from the congregation. These changes are all a part of our efforts to realize our second Strategic Plan goal, namely to “support our current worship services and explore, experiment, and evaluate new and innovative worship services.” A major step towards fulfilling this goal was taken this fall when the Board of Trustees created the Re-visioning Task Force, a group of church members and friends who will be spending this year looking at how we “do” worship and what things (large or small) we might change to improve the experience.

In the coming weeks, you will be hearing more from this task force. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to participate, please send us an email at revisioning@uucuc.org.

– Chris Hannauer

Welcome to our Interim Accompanist

We are happy to welcome Gonzalo Farias as our Interim Accompanist. Gonzalo is a native of Chile and has lived in Boston since 2004, before coming to Illinois this summer to pursue a graduate degree in conducting at the University of Illinois Music School. He holds several degrees in piano performance. Gonzalo joined us in early September and will remain with us through January 1st, as the Personnel Committee conducts its search for a permanent accompanist.

Three-Part Orientation to UUism

Are you new to this church? Have you recently signed the membership book, or are you considering joining? Would you like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism? Axel Gehrmann and the Membership Committee will offer a three-part orientation at 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays, October 16th,  23rd, and 30th.

The sessions focus on individuals’ religious journeys, discuss UU history, beliefs and polity, as well as explore the various groups and activities of this particular church. If you are interested, please sign up using the sheet on the Minister’s Office door, call the church office, or email Axel at minister@uucuc.org. 

Help Decide Next Year’s Shared Offerings

The Social Action Committee is soliciting nominations for Shared Offerings for 2015!

Do you know of a non-profit organization that you think is deserving of a financial contribution from the church? The Social Action Committee (SAC) is now soliciting nominations for the 2015 Shared Offerings to be chosen by members and friends of the church at the November SAC meeting. Those organizations that are chosen for a Shared Offering will receive half of the plate cash collection and all designated checks from each Sunday service for a month.

There are three ways to nominate an organization:

1. In the Order of Service on Sunday, October 5th, there will be a form you can fill out to nominate an organization. You can take that form to the SAC table in the Fellowship Hall afterward.
2. Use the new online nomination form, available here.
3. Email Ryan Latvaitis, SAC chair, with your suggestions at ryan.latvaitis@gmail.com.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, November 14^th.

The meeting to choose 2015's Shared Offerings will be Monday, November 17^th at 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Shared Offering choices are divided among local organizations (usually 6-7), as well as national (2-3) and international (2-3). Organizations are chosen to represent different categories of help, such as Housing, Environment, Food, Children, Medical/Health, and social justice concerns, and will also be discussed regarding how well they align with UU Principles as well as their charity rating, if available.

A Coffeehouse Celebration in Memory of Kent

Join us in an intergenerational celebration dedicated to Kent Conrad, our beloved former Music Director, as we hold a UU Coffeehouse Saturday, November 8th at 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. You’re invited to present a song, skit, musical theater snippet, poem, dance, or whatever else you think the congregation would enjoy. Take advantage of the church’s new percussion instruments (drum set, maracas, claves, cymbals, etc.) purchased this summer!  We will follow the usual format of brief performances (8-10 minutes), yummy desserts, and beverages for the entire family. Sign up to perform, bring goodies, or help with setup/cleanup in one of three ways: in person between Sunday services, or via email to either Jim Hannum at jwhannum@gmail.com or Sandy Hannum at smhannum@gmail.com.

Monthly Shared Offering: Canaan Development Foundation’s SAFE Houses

Our Shared Offering for October will support the Men’s SAFE House and the Women’s SAFE House in Champaign-Urbana. “SAFE” stands for Substance Abuse Free Environment. Each provides a 12-month program of residential care for men or women with alcohol or drug addictions, as well as drop-in support. The Men’s SAFE House opened in 1994, the Women’s in 2012.

Both were created and are administered by the Canaan Development Foundation (CDF), a community-supported non-profit founded by Canaan Baptist Church.

The mission statement for the Men’s SAFE House is: “To provide positive alternatives for those who seek to escape the pressures of areas with high drug activity.” For the Women’s SAFE House, it is: “To combat the incidence and impact of drugs and alcohol abuse among women; to empower these women to make informed choices about their future and the future of their dependent children.”

Each of the SAFE House programs provides extensive support for residents – overnight accommodations; breakfast, lunch and dinner; and classes in substance abuse, family life skills, violence prevention, as well as communications skills The Women’s SAFE House also provides residential care for residents’ dependent children.

The importance of these SAFE houses to us all is clear. The CDF website puts it succinctly.

What costs over $700 million and provides no value to the purchasers? That’s the yearly cost to feed, clothe, and house incarcerated men and women in Illinois, not including the economic value that prisoners could have contributed to society’s wellbeing!

How do so many capable individuals end up behind bars? To be sure, poor personal choices, coupled with the social ills of poverty, violence, abuse, and neglect, have contributed to the plight of prisoners, but only drug abuse characterizes all incarcerated populations. Drug abuse is an equal opportunity drain on our society’s wellbeing. Nearly 75% of all White, as well as Black, and over 60% of Hispanic prisoners admit to regular drug use prior to incarceration.

It’s simple – Less substance abuse, less prisoners. Today’s global economy requires every individual to be a contributing member of society. We don’t have a single person to waste! In other words – CDF promotes “the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

To learn more about these programs, visit CDF’s website, canaandevelopmentfoundation.org.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry for a Good Cause

Mark your calendars: Saturday, October 18th at 5:30 p.m. is the annual Partner Church Committee's (PCC) fundraising dinner for our partner churches in Transylvania, Romania, and the Khasi Hills in India. Our theme this year will be a dinner/film combination honoring the Transylvanian region of Romania. Enjoy a light dinner consisting of sour cherry soup, artisan rolls, a selection of sandwiches, and German strudel with ice cream for dessert. The dinner will cost $15 per person, with larger donations welcome, to support our partner churches.

Contact Brigitte Pieke at brigittepieke@hotmail.com if you need a ticket.

PCC Members: Anne Sharpe, Barb Strauss, Christine Cahill, Gail Hueting, Libby Tyler, Peri Ceperley, Sally Babbitt, and Brigitte Pieke (chair).

Happy Hour is the Best Hour

Join us at the next Happy Hour this Thursday, September 18th as we try the bar at the new Hyatt Place Hotel, located at the corner of Neil and Church in downtown Champaign. Join us anytime between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. to get together, chat, and relax.  For more information contact Russ Rybicki at russadr@fastmail.fm. Hope to see you there!

Help Us Get To Know One Another Better:

Sign Up to be in our Photo Directory

Please plan to be a part of our photo directory project this fall. We would like photos of everyone who is involved in our church to appear in this book. Three photographers will be here from Tuesday, October 7th through Saturday, October 11th to take the pictures of members and friends of the church. 

To say thanks for participating, you will receive a copy of the finished directory AND a free 8 x 10 photo or set of 9 wallets. You will also have the opportunity to buy additional portraits if you so choose. Lots of folks like to buy holiday cards at this time of year, and you will get your photos in time for the holidays. Others don't like to buy photos, and that's okay, too – but we really want you to be in the directory, so please sign up and get your professional portrait done.

Stop by the Membership Committee’s new Connections Hub in Fellowship Hall after services to sign up or sign up online by clicking here.

September’s Shared Offering: Immigration Forum

This month’s Shared Offering Recipient is the Immigration Forum (IF). Immigration Forum is a local not-for-profit organization open to all residents in our community. Participants include immigrants, students, clergy, service providers, labor union representatives, residents, and community organizations concerned about the progress and plight of immigrants in the Champaign County community. In addition to activities promoting comprehensive and humane immigration reform, the Forum and its Allies of Faith working group has organized an October Immigrant Justice Month for the past three years, a collaborative effort among local faith communities (including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign) to highlight the plight and promise of immigrant communities in Champaign County.

This summer, the group again had an informational table twice a month at Farmer’s Market in the Square. The Forum also works as direct service providers assisting undocumented immigrants and their children to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, which allows students who qualify to get work permits and drivers licenses. In addition to DACA, we are assisting immigrants in applying for Drivers License for All, a recently passed piece of legislation in Illinois that provides undocumented Illinois residents the opportunity to qualify for a driver’s license and purchase auto insurance.

The IF’s most recent initiative centers around making CU a welcoming, friendly community to immigrants of all ethnic backgrounds and will be holding a forum in Fellowship Hall on Tuesday, September 16^th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the very current issue, “Central American Children at the Border: What Can We in Champaign-Urbana Do?” The UUCUC has actively supported activities of the CU-Immigration Forum/Allies of Faith since the group’s beginnings some three years ago. Indeed, the Allies of Faith often have their monthly meetings at our church and various working groups of the IF are currently meeting at Channing Murray. Our minister, the Rev. Axel Gehrmann, has been an active supporter of immigration reform as a moral issue and, on a national level, the UUA is definitely a supporter of comprehensive, humane immigration reform. In brief, the many and varied activities of the IF provide an opportunity for UUs to continue to be involved locally in immigration justice efforts and our new two-year Immigration Justice and Advocacy Initiative.

Live. Love. Be… In the Pride Parade with UUCUC

Come join others from UUCUC in the C-U Pride Festival Parade on Saturday, September 6^th at 5:00 p.m. (Please arrive before 4:45 p.m.) We will be walking as a group on the parade route around downtown Champaign to show our support for our LGBTQ community. Wear your new UUCUC red t-shirt, Standing on the Side of Love apparel, or other colorful clothing with the LGBT* Rainbow colors of Red (light), Orange (healing), Yellow (sun), Green (calmness/nature), Blue (serenity/harmony), and/or Purple (spirit). We will carry our banner and welcome other appropriate signs that complement this year’s theme “Live. Love. Be.” Participants are to gather in the parking lot behind Jos. Kuhn and Company (at the Walnut Street entrance) and between Main and Washington Streets on Walnut Street. Park your car in the large city lot at Walnut and Washington or in the Hill Street Parking Deck. 

For those who would like to participate in this year’s Pride Festival by volunteering at the UUCUC Booth, see Social Action Committee chair Ryan Latvaitis to sign up to cover a shift.

Have questions? Want to get involved? Contact Gail Tittle at gatittle@gmail.com or 309-569-1907.

Two Service Schedule Returning Soon!

Summer lay-led services have come to a close and, starting this Sunday, August 31st, we will return to the Sanctuary for our Sunday services which will again be led for the most part by our minister, Axel Gehrmann. Thank you to all of this summer's leaders for your hard work!

Beginning on Sunday, September 7th, the church will return to its usual two service schedule with an early service at 9:30 a.m. and a later one at 11:15 a.m. We hope to see you there.

Q&A on Unitarian Universalism

On Sunday, September 7th, there will be brief orientations to Unitarian Universalism held in the minister's office after both worship services. The sessions are informal and designed to answer your questions, whatever they may be. Everyone is welcome, whether you are new to the church or have been attending for a while.

Plug In at the New Connections Hub

Stop by the new Membership Committee-sponsored Connections Hub table in Fellowship Hall! It will be available every Sunday so you are always able to get the newest information on church happenings. Visit soon to find out about the many small group opportunities available at our church, sign up for a hospitality team, and schedule your portrait session for the new Photo Directory. Portraits will be taken the week of October 7^th through 11^th.

Questions? Contact Membership Committee co-chairs Peggy Patten at m-patten@sbcglobal.net or Karen Retzer at karenfooteretzer@yahoo.com. 

’Til the Bidder End: Auction Events for UUs

Several upcoming UU Service Auction events have open spots – come join the fun! If you are interested, please email auction@uucuc.org (Jody Hanger and Chris Hannauer). They will provide more details and inform the donors.

On Saturday, September 6th:

Afternoon Tea and Bocce Garden Party offered by Jenna Zeidler, featuring a lovely courtyard, a dreamy afternoon, and bocce ball!

6 places open / $12 per person

On Saturday, September 13th:

Canasta Dinner Party offered by Lin Foote, et al., featuring a casual dinner and canasta with "The Master."

2 places open / $50 per person

On Sunday, September 21st:

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream – a sundae buffet with ALL the toppings, offered by Cindy and Michael Loui.

10 spaces open (or 2 families) / $8 per person, $25 per family

On Sunday, September 28th:

Design Your Own Earrings Party offered by Virginia Brubaker and Gail Schiesser. Pick your own color combinations and bead shapes, while Virginia does the wiring work! Leave with three pairs of earrings.

5 spaces open / $15 per person

Oh, Those Summer Nights! Share Your Memories at the Ingathering Service

On Sunday, August 24^th, we will have our traditional Ingathering Service, which will include a Water and Stone Communion. Please remember to collect a small vial of water, or a stone, from your summer travels and activities, which you can share in the service.

Building Community, Strengthening Connections with Membership Committee

Many thanks to those who participated in the Membership Committee’s (MC) brainstorming meeting on July 9^th when we identified priorities for building community and strengthening connections with visitors as well as new and longtime members of the church. We hope you will notice the following new MC efforts in the coming weeks:

(1)  We will be “invigorating” our Sunday morning welcoming practices with more attention given to our greeting and hospitality experiences after Sunday services. Watch for details on how you can be part of this effort.

2)   We are introducing a new table in Fellowship Hall on Sunday mornings beginning August 24^th. This Connections Hub table will include information about the many ways to connect within our congregation. Be sure to stop by!

3)   We are updating the church’s Photo Directory, which was last published in 2011. Portrait sessions will be conducted during the week of October 7^th through 11^th, so mark your calendars! Sign-ups for portraits will be available at the Connections Hub table in Fellowship Hall beginning August 24^th.

4)   Finally, to offer members more opportunities for connection, we are changing our procedure of notifying members about Sunday Crew needs (which includes welcomers, announcers, and ushers). In the coming weeks, all members of the church will be added to the Sunday Crew email list to receive information about opportunities and needs to assist with this important activity of our church. While all members will be added to the list, members can ask to be removed from the Sunday Crew emails at any time. 

Feel free to contact Peggy Patten (m-patten@sbcglobal.net) or Karen Retzer (karenfooteretzer@yahoo.com) with your comments and questions or to be included on the Membership Committee listserv. 

August's Shared Offering: RACES

The August Shared Offering organization is Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services (RACES). Half of the cash collection and designated checks each Sunday in August will benefit this organization.

RACES is the community-based rape crisis center serving Champaign, Douglas, Ford, and Piatt Counties in East-Central Illinois. They provide free, confidential services to any person who has experienced sexual assault, abuse, or harassment as well as their loved ones. They also offer public education and training to schools, employers, and other organizations throughout the service area.

The mission of Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services is to challenge the rape culture and empower victims and survivors of sexual violence through advocacy, counseling, education, crisis intervention, and activism. They also work with non-offending significant others, allied professionals, and the community at large to end all forms of sexual violence. RACES believes that working to end sexual violence, a widespread form of oppression that primarily victimizes women and children, is essential to building a world free of all forms of oppression.

Services include: a 24-hour a day crisis hotline, Medical Advocacy and Legal Advocacy for victims of sexual violence, Free Individual, Group, Family, and Child Counseling, and Public Education and Training about Sexual Assault, Abuse, and Harassment to a wide variety of audiences. RACES accepts volunteers of any background 18 and older.

For more information, check out their website at www.cu-races.org.

No Place Like Home With Habitat for Humanity

Join other UUs in helping build a Habitat for Humanity house in Urbana. Our church is signed up to provide the work crew on two Saturdays: August 23^rd and September 20^th. We need 12-15 volunteers on each date. You don’t need to have any particular skills to participate as there are jobs for all skill levels, plus supervisors who will teach you tasks if you don’t know how to do them. Join us in making a difference in our community! Sign-up sheets are at the Social Action table on Sunday mornings or email Jim Hannum directly at jwhannum@gmail.com to volunteer.

Centennial Celebration of This Old Church House

The service next Sunday, July 20^th is titled “Our Church Home” and will be led by Jerry Carden and feature music by local celebrity John Coppess. This year is the 100^th anniversary of the stone church building and the 50^th anniversary of the Religious Education wing, so come listen to the story of how Unitarians and Universalists in Champaign-Urbana have built and maintained their structures to house over 150 years of religious liberal activities.

July Shared Offering: The Union of Concerned Scientists

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) seeks to apply rigorous and independent science to issues of public concern. Their staff of engineers, policy experts, economists, and scientists work to provide policymakers and the wider public with the data and analysis needed to make informed choices and develop effective solutions. They have worked on a wide array of issues, including nuclear power, nuclear weapons, global security, agriculture, and climate change.

Their recent scholarship includes an examination of the inequitable burdens of climate impacts. Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina showed that communities of color and poor communities are particularly vulnerable to coastal storms and heightened storm surge.

This past May, their report National Landmarks at Risk received nationwide attention from policymakers and the media. In it, they demonstrate the threats posed to our shared heritage by the consequences of climate change using multiple lines of robust scientific evidence. They also note practical strategies to manage these risks and protect our history.

But not all of their work is nationwide in scope. In January 2014, the UCS sponsored a training session on sea-level rise for 35 South Florida elected officials. The workshop covered climate impacts and science, with each participant receiving a set of maps localized to their zip code showing inundation risks and storm surge for 2030 and 2060.

The aim of the UCS is to provide society with the tools, expertise, and advocacy needed to achieve a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. What's not to like?

The Beauty of Language, The Poetry of Summer

On July 13^th, we will have a morning of poetry and music. Please bring a poem about summer to share. This could be a favorite poem written by another or by yourself. Some of our music will be provided by the Black Velvet Band of Patten, Kinney, Hannum, and Herzog and will include vocals by members of our Youth Choir.

Build Community and Strengthen Connections

The Membership Committee (MC) will discuss ways to build community and strengthen connections with visitors, in addition to new and longtime members, of the church at our upcoming meeting in Fellowship Hall this Wednesday, July 9^th from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Whether you plan to be involved with the MC a lot, a little, or not at all, we want to hear your thoughts as we prioritize activities for the year.

If you cannot attend the meeting but wish to provide input, please contact one of the Committee Co-Chairs: Peggy Patten  (m-patten@sbcglobal.net) or Karen Retzer (karenfooteretzer@yahoo.com). Many thanks to Virginia Brubaker for her leadership as Chair of the Membership Committee this past year.

Announcement from the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees has cancelled its regularly scheduled July 8^th business meeting. Instead, the July 22^nd meeting, normally a study session, will be a business meeting. Thank you!

An Exclusive Invitation for Members and Friends

Are you on Facebook? Connect with fellow church members on our Facebook Group. It may be found by logging into Facebook and searching for “UUCUC - Members & Friends.” Discuss topics of faith, hear from members about church events, and more!

Make Your Voice Heard at the Annual Hymn Sing

On Sunday, June 29th, we will have our Annual Hymn Sing. For quite some time now, we have enjoyed spending a morning singing our favorite hymns. This year, in preparation, we are asking congregants to please fill out and return the Hymn Sing Response included in last Sunday’s Order of Service.  The forms will also be included in this coming Sunday's Order of Service. There is a basket on the table by the doors entering Fellowship Hall for their return.
 
Alternatively, you may e-mail your selection to Sarah Wisseman directly at suwissem@gmail.com. If you choose to submit your ballot via e-mail, please include the following information: the name and page number of ONE hymn, why you like it, why you enjoy singing, and a tip for singing better.

Oh, the Tangled Webs we Weave on the Internet: Tech Training

Membership Coordinator Sam Shore and web guru Ryan Thomas will be offering a collaborative technology training on Sunday, June 29th at 11:00 a.m., after service. Social media, intra-group communication, and more will be discussed. This event will be focused on the needs of the Board of Trustees and church committee leaders, but all are welcome to attend.

Keep Calm and Volunteer

In Search of Two-Year Initiative Task Force Members

At the Annual Meeting in May, the congregation voted and elected Immigration Justice and Assistance as our two-year church-wide initiative. We are now looking for volunteers to serve on the Task Force that will make the initiative a reality. This is a great way to get to know other UUs committed to social justice and make a difference on this important issue! We anticipate the Task Force would meet monthly and plan activities for church involvement on the topic of immigration, to include friends and members of all ages. We’ve already got some great ideas in the works! Interested? Contact Membership Coordinator Sam Shore at membershipcoordinator@uucuc.org. 

June’s Shared Offering: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

The Shared Offering recipient for June is the Illinois chapter of the American Foundation for Prevention of Suicide (AFSP), whose web site is available by selecting Local Chapters from www.afsp.org. Suicide is a serious public health problem that takes an enormous toll on families, friends, classmates, co-workers, and communities, as well as our military personnel and veterans. 

Over 38,000 Americans took their lives in 2010, the most recent year for which we have data. Suicide accounted for 12 deaths out of every 100,000 people nationwide, making it the country’s 10^th leading cause of death. Unlike many other leading causes of death, suicide continues to claim more lives each year.

Understanding and preventing suicide through research, education, and advocacy are the goals of the AFSP. Each year the organization helps sponsor community walks throughout the country. When you participate in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walks, you join efforts with thousands of people nationwide to raise money for AFSP’s vital research and education programs to prevent suicide and save lives. The walks raise awareness about depression and suicide, and provide comfort and assistance to those who have lost someone to suicide.

Many members and friends of our church family have been touched by suicide. An Out of the Darkness walk was held last year in Champaign-Urbana and some of our members walked to raise money, while others donated. The walk occurred shortly after the suicide of one of our members. Another Out of the Darkness walk will occur this coming September and there are plans for the Social Action Committee to sponsor a walk team at that time. 

Summer Travel Reminder

On Sunday, August 24^th, we will have our traditional Ingathering Service, which will include a Water and Stone Communion. Please remember to collect a small vial of water, or a stone, from your summer travels and activities, which you can share in the service.

Come, Speak, Retrieve a Photo: Pet Celebration

Calling all pet-lovers! The Worship Committee service on June 22^nd titled “Celebration of Pets” is centered on honoring the furry (or scaly!) friends in our lives. We’re looking for speakers to say a few words (in five minutes or less) about what their pet has taught them or a gift their pet has given them.

If you’re interested, please e-mail Amanda Ramey at amanda.m.ramey@gmail.com by Wednesday, June 11th. Only the first five volunteers will get to speak. We will also decorate the table with photos of pets, so bring your favorite pic that morning!

RE at UUCUC Presents... Dr. Seuss Camp!

Every day there is FUN: Stories, crafts, exercise, journal time, experiment time, and cool down time! The Dr. Seuss stories are fun and exciting. They also teach us something about our environment and we will be personally reacting to the lesson taught. We will play hard and cool down. Writing in our journals every day will help us remember what we learned and give us an opportunity to look at each day through our own private eyes. There will be times for group sharing as we become Dr. Seuss fans and environmental specialists. We will play games and make crafts that recall the theme of each day. It will be week of fun, learning and more!

Camp will be held at the church from 9 a.m. to noon daily June 23rd through June 27th. The deadline for registration is Friday, June 13th and space is limited to 20 students. If you are interested in securing your child's spot in camp, please access the registration by clicking here or contact Religious Education Director Cindy Wakeland at re-director@uucuc.org. Hope to see you there!

Summer Service Reminder

Please remember the church has transitioned to its summer schedule featuring one Sunday service at 10:00 a.m. This schedule will continue throughout August 31^st. Starting on June 15^th, service will be held in Fellowship Hall, which is air conditioned. If you have additional questions, please contact the Office Administrator at admin@uucuc.org. Thank you.

UNITER Dog Days of Summer Schedule

There is just one more regularly scheduled Uniter publication to go before the church enters its summer schedule. After the next Uniter is published on May 28^th, the newsletter switches to a three-week schedule instead of its usual two. This means the next Uniter will include all announcements and events from May 28^th through June 18^th. Please keep this in mind as you plan your submissions.

As a reminder, the next deadline for Uniter submissions is Thursday, May 22^nd.

Here are the dates for Uniter publications through summer:

• May 28 (switch to summer schedule)
• June 18
• July 9
• July 30
• August 20
• September 3 (return to regular schedule)

Mulch Ado About Nothing

The Playground mUUlching event will take place on Saturday, June 14^th. Able-bodied helpers will make it a quick and fun event. Proposed starting time is 9:00 a.m., but help for any period of time that morning will be welcome! Our Mr. mUUlch is Jared Lofrano, so contact him at jared.lofrano@gmail.com to offer your services so he knows how many volunteers to expect. 

Summer Service Questionnaire

It’s time to plan our eight lay-led services that will be held this summer during July and August. Included in this week’s Order of Service is a slip you may use to have a say in the planning process. The questionnaire is available as a Word Doc under the "Quick Links" on the home page of the church’s web site. Feel free to type in your responses and e-mail the form as an attachment to Beth Cobb at bethac54@comcast.net. If you'd rather print it and drop it off at the Sunday service, access a PDF copy here. If you do not like filling out questionnaires, please feel free to contact Beth in another way.

Thanks to CROP Hunger Walk Participants

The C-U CROP Hunger Walk on April 6^th was kind of amazing in that it was the first beautiful, warm, sunny day of the year, so it was perfect for the walk. Although we had about half as many walkers as last year, we brought in more than two-thirds as much in donations. The walkers, in alphabetical order, were: Vevi Brannon, Nancy Dietrich, Sandy Hannum, Hassinger /Davis family, Herzog family, Lynn Kelly, Lei Lv, Patricia Molnar, Karen Retzer, Lisa Sechler, Pat Shaw, and Pablo Torres.

Our total in donations was $2,235, which was sixth highest of all groups. We can be pleased with that! Also, our amount will be enhanced by matching funds from the Feinstein Foundation, for which we are most grateful. Thank you to all who donated in support of this effort!

The total for the entire event was $27,185, not including the matching funds. As you may recall, 75% of the funds will be sent overseas to be used for projects such as clean water systems and seeds. The remaining 25% will be used locally for the Daily Bead Soup Kitchen, the Eastern Illinois Food Bank, The TIMES Center, and the Wesley Evening Food Pantry.

– Sandy Hannum

New Two-Year Initiative

Immigrant Justice and Assistance is the theme of our new church-wide social action initiative for the next two years. There are many things we can all do to help, including a variety of activities already going on at ECIRMAC, right here in our church building. You can attend an English conversation group for practicing language skills, assist with DACA training and drivers’ license application, plan events for immigrant justice month with an interfaith alliance group, or collect donations of goods for ECIRMAC distribution to new immigrants. Or perhaps you want to assist with activities at the Rantoul Multicultural Center. These are only a few ideas. The opportunities are endless!

Very soon a task force will be formed to guide the work of the initiative. Everyone in the congregation can contribute suggestions for activities and participate in large or small ways. We certainly hope you will.

We really appreciate all the enthusiasm that has been shown for the concept of the two-year initiative. Several people put in quite a bit of work on proposals, and I know everyone thought about these a great deal before voting. The final vote was incredibly difficult because both immigrant justice and prison justice are so important and urgent. There is a good deal of overlap in these two areas, and in any case, all good works by the Anti-Racism Chalice Circle and others continue! As Pat Nolan pointed out, nobody should live in fear of a knock on the door in the middle of the night.

– Sandy Hannum

From Your Membership Coordinator

Hello! Sam Shore, your Membership Coordinator, here. I've been employed at the church for four months now and one thing I'd like to do before any more time slips by is... get to know each of you a little bit better!

It’s the time of year when the church invites friends and members to provide their feedback. The upcoming Annual Meeting will be an opportunity for voting members to meet the candidates for various elected positions, and the congregation will decide which two-year Social Action initiative to undertake.

In addition to these items, I request that you take a look at the survey included as an insert in this week's Uniter or available on the web here. This is a project of mine to aid in the process of connecting members with each other and opportunities for engagement in the church.

I hope you’ll find “An Interview with yoUU” helpful and will send your responses to me as soon as possible. I’m enjoying reading the few returned already and am excited for the opportunity to hear from more of you.

“A Day at Stateville” Presentation

The Changing Minds Campaign presents “A Day at Stateville.” This play was written by Stateville Correctional Center prisoners and is performed by former Stateville prisoners.

Learn what’s wrong with Illinois’s broken prison system and how it can be fixed. Talk with the men who have been there.

This event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 9^th in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided. Everyone is welcome!

This event is co-sponsored by: Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign, U-C Friends Meeting, Education Justice Project, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, Channing-Murray Foundation, First Mennonite Church, and the Central Illinois Jobs with Justice.

May’s Shared Offering: Children’s Advocacy Center

The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is the first point of contact for children and youth who have been sexually abused. We help the child, and their non-offending parent, begin to heal while working to hold offenders accountable. We do this by providing a comfortable setting for the initial law enforcement interview, by providing counseling and case management services to the family for as long as they need us, and by coordinating the multidisciplinary investigation.

Each year, over 200 child victims are interviewed at the CAC regarding allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse. For the child, on what is often the worst day of their young lives, the CAC provides understanding, a promise to listen and believe, and help as they take the first steps towards healing.

UPDATE: Annual Report Now Available!

The 2013-2014 Annual Report is now ready for your pick-up! Find a copy at the Literature Table in Fellowship Hall this Sunday, May 4th just in time for the Annual Meeting. The Annual Report is also available online in PDF at the church web site under "Quick Links," or save time by clicking here.

UPDATE: The Proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Budget section of the Annual Report (pages six through 11) has been revised. Please check the cover of your Annual Report (whether hard copy or electronic) to see if it features the words "Updated April 30, 2014," and if not, consider getting a new copy. Thank you and sorry for any inconvenience.

Don't Forget: May 4th Service and Annual Meeting

In order to offer a meeting more convenient for a larger percentage of our members, there will be only one Sunday worship service at 10:00 a.m. on May 4^th, followed by the Annual Meeting. Matt Sheppard and Kent Conrad, our several music groups, and the congregants’ own robust singing of hymns will make this a special Music Service and celebration of the church's many musical offerings.

All members of our faith community are welcome to participate in the annual congregational meeting; however, only voting members will be able to vote on agenda items. Extended childcare will be available for the duration of the Annual Meeting.

Hope to see you there!

Good Food and Good Company: Don't Miss These Circle Supper Potlucks

Our first two Circle Supper potlucks are right around the corner! Be sure to sign up for one using the sheets on the Minister’s Office door and enjoy the hospitality of your fellow UUs. Choose from an 11:00 a.m. brunch with Carol Osgood or a 6:00 p.m. dinner with Sylvia and Brian McDermott. Bring a dish to share for these much-loved annual events this Saturday, April 26^th.

Three other Circle Supper potlucks are scheduled for later in this spring season. Choose from:

• Dinner with David Prochaska & Kathleen Holden at 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 16^th
• Dinner with Cindy & Michael Loui at 6:00 p.m. Friday, May 16^th
• Lunch with Dave & Anne Sharpe at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, May 18^th

Service Auction 2014 Items Still Available!

Did you miss the service auction on Saturday, April 12th? No worries! You still have the opportunity to purchase those items that did not sell out. Want to ride in a Ferrari, feast on pancakes, visit Childers' Cedar Gulch, play cards with friends, or purchase day lilies right from a local grower? 

Please click this link to view the complete list of unsold items, which is also available directly from the home page of the church's web site under "Quick Links." There are some great items still available! You get to have fun and help the church meet its budget needs for the next year. If you are interested in purchasing something, please e-mail auction@uucuc.org and either Jody Hanger or Chris Hannauer will be happy to hook you up.

Nominating Committee: The Congregation’s Ultimate Power

Unitarian Universalists take democracy seriously: Our fifth principle is “the right of conscience and use of the democratic process within our congregations…” We exercise this most notably in electing certain members to represent us – e.g., Board of Trustees officers. And we are clear about which powers we delegate to the officers (with congregational oversight, of course), and which powers we reserves for ourselves.

Every year, we elect three members of the Nominating Committee to be responsible for developing a slate of officers for the next Annual Meeting. The congregation reserves the right to make additional nominations from the floor. The congregation does not give the Nominating Committee itself the power to name their own successors. This is the membership’s ultimate power to ensure that any voting member can serve.

So, who is on the Nominating Committee, and what do they do? The 6-member Nominating Committee has two separate groups; one is the three third-year Trustees of the Board (this year, Tanja Hodges, Sara Jones, and David Sharpe), people who were elected by the congregation three years prior; and three members elected by the congregation to serve a one-year term (currently David Barr, Bill Childers, and Lynn Wiley).

Each year, the Nominating Committee develops a list of voting members who they think would do a good job of representing the congregation in various positions. The Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Clerk, Board Trustees, and the Moderator may be the most obvious, but a position that has the potential to be critically important is service on the Mediation Committee (which fortunately has little to do most of the time). And the Trustees of the Trust Fund are elected to manage the considerable assets in our Trust Fund (usually with little fan-fare).

For the past few years, in addition to the positions listed above and in our Bylaws, the Nominating Committee has also nominated members to serve on next year’s Nominating Committee, all of whom were approved by the congregation. But this has been an expedience, and is not a power delegated to it. It is preferable for our membership to take the initiative, although the Nominating Committee can facilitate it.

So, please consider becoming a nominee for next year’s Nominating Committee. Also, talk with other members of the congregation about being a nominee. Notify the Nominating Committee (send an e-mail to David Sharpe at dmsharpe@siu.edu) that you will put your hat in the ring. Ask others to do the same. The Nominating Committee will verify that all nominees are current voting members, as required by the Bylaws. And the Nominating Committee will put all names received by this Monday, April 21st on the ballot for the Sunday, May 4th Annual Meeting.