Friday Update May 31, 2024








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Friday Update


Renewal Through Music
June 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. 
Online and in-person
Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson

Music lifts our soul, speaks to our sorrow, and renews our lives. We’ll begin our month on “renewal” by celebrating music and the 20 years of ongoing leadership by our Music Director, Dr. Tim Anderson. Be ready to laugh, learn, sing, and give thanks.

Order of Service


We will share the plate with Nature at the Confluence

Mission Statement:
Nature At The Confluence creates community connections by providing inviting spaces and engaging programs.
 
Strategic Goals 2023-2025:
Enhance facilities to provide more self-guided educational opportunities and accessible recreational spaces.
Engage a more diverse spectrum of our community through partnerships and programs.
Build a sustainable organizational structure and funding strategy.

Click Here to Donate

Volunteers for Sunday, June 2
Thank you to the Board for volunteering for hospitality this Sunday!
Contact Rev. Joyce to sign up at assistminister@uurockford.org

Who Makes a Difference in Our Community?

The Social Justice Team is seeking nominees for the Connolly Community Service Awards for 2023. A bit of history of the awards and the nomination procedures follow. If you know someone – or a group of people — you think should receive one of these awards, please turn in nominations to the church office.

History: In 1993 the church initiated a community service award to recognize a member of the congregation for significant contributions to the community. The award was named for Dr. Charles Parker Connolly, minister of our congregation from 1913 to 1942, and a recognized community leader.

To date the award has been presented to the following individuals: Walt Lewis, Mary Caskey, Martha Logemann, Pat Tollefsrud, Sandra Locke, David Weissbard, Lynn Liston, Pat Lewis, Jon McGinty, JoAnn Shaheen, Leigh Lakey, Roger Oehlke, Lola Gustafson, Allen Penticoff, Colleen McDonald, Jackie Dehler, Bob Arevalo, Dave Black, Myrna Lake, Dave Lantz, Barb Giolitto, Duane Wilke, Ellyn Ahmer, Dale Dunnigan, Nikki Ticknor, Bob Babcock, Shiraz Tata, Allyson Rosemore & Rebecca Beneditz. 

More recently an award was established to recognize a young person, 8th grade through high school, for service to the church and community. Recipients to date are Emma Stocker, Katie Whitworth, Sandra Hill, Jackie Whitworth, Emily Pfleiderer, Max Freund, and Ari Almonaci.

The Social Justice Council has decided to have a “group” award.  This award will be for a group of people, formally or informally organized, who have done the work of justice in our community. Two years ago the award went to the Cornucopia Group.

The awards are presented at the annual meeting of the congregation.

The nominations should include:

 A detailed description of volunteer and/or professional involvement and accomplishments, tasks, performed and issues addressed impact on others, and other relevant information.

 A signed statement that the nominee is willing to be nominated.

A nomination should include the name of the nominator and is due in the office (Send to Autumn uurockford@gmail.com) by June 3rd. The nominations will be reviewed and a selection made by the Social Justice Team before the annual meeting.


We are marching in the Rockford Area Pride Parade this Saturday, June 1. Here are the directions:

We will meet in Staging Area #2, which is on 5th Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets.  It is near Colorlab Cosmetics, kitty corner from Ernie’s Midtown Pub.  The route is about 17 blocks, traveling west and ending at Beattie Park. Be there by 10:30, or at least check in with Lia Gima at 414-915-3426 (call or text). Wear your yellow Side with Love Shirt if you have it, and bring flags, beads, whatever – make it fun!  We have extra flags too.  We are not allowed to throw anything, but we will have some church information to hand out.

We recommend parking near the end (near the Library, perhaps) and then walking to the start; or parking midway.  You can also pair up with someone to put a car on both ends.  So far two people have volunteered to leave their cars at the end of the parade and shuttle folks back to their cars when it’s over.

Link to parade map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=12toWcUms1SrE_MlcqfnZA8HmfgVAYxs&femb=1&ll=42.267991296493335%2C-89.09010416172302&z=15

A few more things
– Wear good walking shoes–the parade route is about 17 blocks long.

– Yellow “Side With Love” t-shirts are encouraged, but not required.

– Bring water, sunscreen, whatever you need for the weather and to take care of your health.

– Be mindful of personal belongings. Keep valuables in a zippered pocket fanny pack or cross-body bag, and don’t bring unnecessary items.

– Ignore any protesters. Smile and wave to your fans, which will be pretty much all the spectators–they love you!

The Eco Justice Team invites you to our Wonderful Wednesday on the church grounds on June 5 at 6pm! We will introduce the new trail map that the Eco Justice team has put together and then walk the main church trail discussing native and invasive plants and getting a renewed appreciation for the natural world around us. We will also share information about restoration and nature access work being done by our community partners. Our walk will end at the bonfire circle for conversation, s’mores, and hot dogs for all – vegan options will be provided. All ages are welcome!

Parents’ Night Out Thursday, June 6 5:30 – 8:00
Kids are invited to spend some time at church while you take some time to yourself. We will have a dinner/snack available and time to play.

Please sign up here.

This will be our last Parents Night Out until September.


Past Sunday Services

Did you know you can watch past Sunday services anytime? We have them on our website under past worship services so you never have to miss a Sunday! Click here to find a service that you haven’t seen yet! You can also always go to our Facebook and YouTube pages.

The Board of Trustees: 
President: Spitty Tata 
Clerk: Kim Lowman Vollmer
Vice-President: Matt Menze
Treasurer: Steve Blomgren
Trustees: Clark Logemann, Sarah Greer, & Rebecca Beneditz

The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL  |   4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107   |   815-398-6322    |   uurockford.org  |



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