Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education Classes for 8th graders

This fall, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Champaign Urbana will offer the “Our Whole Lives” (OWL) Sexuality Education program for 8th graders! "Our Whole Lives" helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, OWL not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality. We're looking for 8th graders who may benefit from the only comprehensive sex education class in Champaign-Urbana. Class starts on September 9th, meeting on Sundays from 11:15am - 12:30pm throughout the academic year through 5/19/13 and it's completely free. There's a parent orientation coming up next week and if you're interested/want to learn more, it's a chance to meet the teachers and learn about the curriculum! Please forward this message to parents/guardians of 8th grade students! OWL Parent Orientation meeting Wednesday, September 5th 6:30-8:00 PM Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign 309 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 384-8862

New Anti-Racism Chalice Circle Starting

The first meeting of the Anti-Racism Chalice Circle will be Thursday September 13 at 7 pm, in the church library, facilitated by Elaine Gehrmann. Please contact Elaine with questions, suggestions, and/or with your intent to attend (217-344-2335, gehrmanns at aol.com).

Reminder; Sign Up for Immigration as a Moral Issue

"Immigration as a Moral Issue" is the UUA’s Congregational Study/Action Issue 2010—2014. This class is offered as a 6 week curriculum giving a broad overview to the complex issue of immigration. The UU Church of Urbana-Champaign is hosting a 6-week class beginning September 10th on Mondays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Children's Chapel. To sign up, or to get more information, please contact the church office at 384-8862 or admin@uucuc.org. "This six-week course highlights one of the greatest moral crises of our time. Migration of people-driven by economic, social, political and environmental factors-is taking place around the world. Millions are currently in transit, in refugee camps, in detention centers, or living and working in places without full legal status and without access to social services or protection of civil rights. The dignity of all the world's peoples is core to Unitarian Universalist (UU) principles and values. Given the justice-oriented nature of UU faith, UUs are called to be leaders in the struggle for immigrant and refugee rights, and to view immigration not only as a legal issue but also a moral issue."

Fall Changes at Church

Just a reminder to the congregation that things begin changing at the church in the next few weeks! The Ingathering/Water and Stone Communion takes place in the sanctuary on August 26th. Don't forget to bring your vial of water or a small stone from your summer travels, which you can share at the Water and Stone Communion on August 26th at 10am. The two-service schedule resumes on September 9th, 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. At that time, RE classes also resume, as do the Second Sunday Potlucks. Mark your calendars and join us on Sunday for worship!

Shared Offering for August: The Latino Partnership of Champaign County

The Latino Partnership of Champaign County, NFP (LPCC) is a clearinghouse agency that exists to support and improve general services offered to the Latino population in Champaign County.  The corporation supports and improves services to the Latino population in Champaign County by building the capacity of service-providing organizations and individuals through the distribution of information relating to community safety, legal rights, healthcare, educational and employment opportunities, language skills and other subjects beneficial to the community. It is associated with/has a membership made up of over 40+ public and non-profit organizations that seek to develop and improve services for/with members of the Latino/a community. 

The Office and Service Spanish class for direct service providers is geared to increasing proficiency of the 'gatekeepers'  by giving them sets of skills to handle tasks like intake, handling appointments and messaging with Spanish speakers.  LPCC has put on about 20 of these classes over the last 8 years, training about 500 service providers.

LPCC maintains an emergency account with the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.  This account is used to address short term emergencies involving families with children who are at risk of going hungry due to financial hardship.  We have provided any number of other types of assistance as need arises, often in coordination with other agencies. We have worked with the East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center (ECIRMAC) on many occasions.  LPCC also coordinates and assists with the Mobile Consulate visits from the Mexican and Guatemalan consulates.  This allows local residents to maintain proper documentation without the added expense of traveling to larger cities for these purposes.

UU College of Social Justice Receives Major Support

At the 2012 Justice General Assembly, the UU College of Social Justice (UUCSJ), a new UUSC-UUA joint venture, was officially introduced to thousands of people. Shortly thereafter, Brad and Julie Bradburd of Gwynedd, Penn., announced their gift of $1 million to UUSC in support of UUCSJ. Their incredibly generous contribution reflects their confidence in and enthusiasm for this new initiative that will increase the capacity of Unitarian Universalists to catalyze justice. Visit the new UUCSJ website.And don’t forget to like UUCSJ on Facebook and follow on Twitter!  
http://actnow.uusc.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=8061.0&dlv_id=12001

Missed General Assembly? Don’t Miss the (Social) Action 
If you couldn’t make it to GA this year, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on UUSC’s Values into Action workshops! First, discover what was happening with UUSC on the ground in Phoenix through our extensive social-media coverage. Then make sure you have the tools to take the next steps for justice in your community — check out UUSC Senior Associate for Online Advocacy Shelby Meyerhoff’s top five take-home resources . 

 2012 Annual Fund Campaign: Success! Over the past month, UUSC has been reaching out to supporters in hopes of meeting an important $300,000 Annual Fund goal. Thousands of people responded with such generosity that we’ve surpassed the goal and will start the next fiscal year strong and ready to continue advancing human rights! Read a few words of thanks from Maxine Neil, UUSC’s director of institutional advancement. 

UUSC Announces Winners of Social-Action Awards Each year, UUSC recognizes one congregation and several individuals who have given their time, energy, and talent to advance social justice in cooperation with UUSC. UUSC is humbled by their dedication to human rights and excited to honor their first-rate support. Read about the winners of this year’s social-action awards.

Immigration as a Moral Issue

"Immigration as a Moral Issue" is the UUA’s Congregational Study/Action Issue 2010—2014. This class is offered as a 6 week curriculum giving a broad overview to the complex issue of immigration. The UU Church of Urbana-Champaign is hosting a 6-week class beginning September 10th on Mondays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Children's Chapel. To sign up, or to get more information, please contact the church office at 384-8862.