Be a Buddy: Bring a Backpack

Our church is 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. This year, they will not be giving backpacks to children, since 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 hats, gloves, scarves, socks, thermal underwear, sweatshirts or pants, and toiletries such as deodorant, hand lotion for hands chapped by the cold, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and shaving cream. Other appreciated items include hand warmers, cough drops, books, decks of cards, small fleece blankets, candy, gum, and food items. We are asking that backpacks and included items be new. All backpacks should be labelled with the gender and size of recipient (from S to XXXL). We found last year that most of our guests requested at least a size large, and many preferred XL, or XXL.

We will collect backpacks at the church on Sundays, December 6 and 13. When dropping off a pack, please sign your name to the list at the Social Action table so that your gift can be acknowledged. Tax forms will also be available.

Backpacks will be given away at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen on Friday, December 18 beginning at 10:00 a.m.

If you have questions about this project, please contact Sandy Hannum at smhannum@gmail.com. 

Listen to Our Podcast!

Each week, we record our service. The service recordings are edited into 35-50 minute “podcast episodes,” which are published online in the early afternoon.

You can choose to listen to the latest podcast episode, or listen to past episodes to catch up with services you may have missed. Or perhaps you heard a great sermon you want to revisit, or share with a friend?

Each podcast includes inspiring musical performances, thoughtful readings, and a sermon by our Interim Minister, the Reverend Doctor Janet Newman, a guest minister, or the Worship Committee.

Podcasting lets you download episodes for later playback when you are without internet access – maybe when you are walking the dog, or traveling by car/bus/train/plane.

There are many ways to listen! Podcasts are featured on the church Facebook page, and also on this website. But the easiest and most convenient way to subscribe and to listen is with a “podcasting application.”

On your desktop or laptop computer, you can subscribe to our feed with Apple iTunes. In iTunes, click on Podcasts, and search for “UUCUC” to find our feed.

On your Apple mobile device (iPad or iPhone), use the built-in Podcasts App.

On an Android smartphone or tablet, we recommend two apps:

• OneCast: This is free, but very limited in features.
• PocketCasts: This one costs a few dollars, but it is the absolute best podcasting app you will find.

In either of these or any other apps, just search for UUCUC and you will find our feed. Alternatively you can enter our feed URL manually: http://uucuc.libsyn.com/rss.

You may want to configure your podcasting app to only download episodes while on a WIFI network, so you don’t have to pay mobile data charges. More questions? Please contact us at podcasts@uucuc.org.

The First Step Into the Unknown

Our guest minister next Sunday, November 15 is the Rev. Emmy Lou Belcher. Emmy Lou will lead the morning’s service, titled “Into the Unknown,” followed by a Question and Answer session to address your questions and concerns about the ministerial search process and timing.

Emmy Lou is the Ministerial Settlement Representative for UU congregations in search within Illinois. As such, she visits congregations and their Ministerial Search Committees in order to keep them informed and on target. This is her first visit with UUCUC and, after the Q and A session, she will meet with the Board.

The Q and A session will convene in the Sanctuary at approximately 15 minutes after the end of the service, around 11:30 a.m., so you will have time to pick up a snack and a drink. Childcare will be provided for those who give advance notice to our Director of Religious Education Cindy Wakeland at re-director@uucuc.org.

We hope to see you there!

We Want to C-U Healthy!

Your Social Action Committee and Immigration Justice Task Force, as part of your elected two-year initiative, is co-sponsoring the Champaign-Urbana (C-U) Immigration Forum’s Immigrant-Friendly Health Fair and Forum this Tuesday, November 10 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at UUCUC! This fair will help immigrant communities to find affordable healthcare options, receive health screenings, learn about possible future coverage options, and help us continue the conversation on immigrant-friendly access to healthcare and to other important community resources.

This event is free and open to the public. Free childcare will be provided for all eventgoers in the Nursery downstairs. Refreshments will be provided for all eventgoers in Fellowship Hall.

More information will be available at the Social Action Committee (SAC) table after service on Sunday.

Donations of snacks (such as juices, fruits, cookies, etc.) by members of UUCUC would be most welcome. You can leave these items in the Kitchen on Sunday with a note or bring them in person to the event itself. All are welcome!