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A New Era of Action in Illinois
April 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Online and in-person
Natasha Walker What happens when 30+ congregations speak with one moral voice? We are delighted to welcome Natasha Walker, our new leader at the UU Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI), to the pulpit. Natasha brings a unique perspective to our movement, combining two decades of strategic work in Corporate America with a deep commitment to the interconnected web of life. This morning, she shares her vision for UUANI’s three-pronged strategy of advocacy, activism, and resistance. Come hear why our daily actions are “inextricably braided into everything else” and how your engagement can help shape the future of our state.
Natasha Walker is the new Executive Director of the UU Advocacy Network of Illinois (UUANI). Her background in HR and global operations at Google and Disney, her experience at Black Lives of UU (BLUU) intersectional combined with her identity as a Black, single mother with neurodiverse children, gives her a unique perspective on UU social justice efforts.
We will share the plate with African American Resource Center at Booker
The African-American Resource Center at Booker (AARCB) has been a non-profit community center for over one hundred years. It is located in the southwest quadrant of Rockford, Illinois. AARCB continues to serve as a place where creative minds gather to preserve the past, connect the present, and prepare for the future while enhancing the lives of those served. Click Here to Donate
Happy Birthday to: Lisa Schultz Volkman (Apr 07), Deb Rose (Apr 10), Kay Hotchkiss (Apr 11), Leslie Mahan (Apr 11), Dick Lake (Apr 11), Linda Spelman (Apr 12), Pat Lewis (Apr 12), Alice Enichen (Apr 13), Michelle Lattanzio (Apr 13), Patterson Dunn (Apr 13), Barbara Kober (Apr 14), & Lucille Beneditz (Apr 14)!
Choir Reminder
Sunday morning Choir rehearsals will start at 8:45 a.m. from now until Music Sunday on May 17th.
Community Passover Seder Tonight!
Tuesday, April 7th 6pm
Guess what? It’s March. As sure as the tulips come up, it is Stewardship Season. You can imagine that the church will start talking about money. The spring season is the time when we start to build our budget for the coming church year, and ask you to fund our ministry, our building, our youth, our reach into the community, and the world.
It’s simple, really, just as we gather together in community on Sunday, just as we gather together in smaller groups for reflection, just as our kids gather together. Just as we gather together on the streets with yellow shirts. ……..We must gather together to make gifts to fund the church. That is how we support our building, our ministers, our programs.
This year, as we move into Year Two of transition, Imagination will be a common theme. You will be asked to imagine how the church might change (or not). Imagine who should minister to us. Imagine how our program might take shape. Imagine how we might impact the world we live in, our work for justice and diversity.
So, each spring, we ask you to make a pledge. A pledge to tell us what you intend to donate to the church for the coming year. So that we can continue the planning for the coming year.
Please imagine how you can support our church financially. It is your own decision. Everyone has a different answer. Everyone’s financial abilities differ.
More simply, use our website. At the very top is a link to a simple online form to fill out. Or, you can scan the QR code below.
If you are of a certain age and must withdraw from your IRA, you can make a tax-free donation. If you need help with this call, Steve Lewis (815-979-5901).
If you just want to verbally make a pledge, please call Autumn (815-398-6322)
The Transition Team has dates for upcoming Listening Circles. Sign up sheets will be on the bulletin board in Deale Hall or check with Gloria.
If you have questions ask Gloria, Art , Barb, Art, Billie or Gaen.
Book Discussion Group
Join us for a conversation to gauge interest in starting a Rockford UU book club this Sunday, April 12th, 2026, in the Library at noon.
Mike and Charlie
Social Change Now — Pizza + Conversation (UUA Common Read)
Join us on Saturday, April 11 at 5:00 pm for pizza and discussion of Social Change Now by Deepa Iyer. Older youth and adults are invited, and you are welcome to come whether you’ve read the book or not.
Guided reading questions are available at the Welcome Table.
RSVP to Rev Joyce by April 9th so we can order enough pizza.
20/30s Group Meeting
Young adults in their 20s and 30s are invited to gather after worship on April 19th in the Youth Room for conversation and connection.
Sunday Morning Meditation 9:15 am
We meet on Sunday morning to meditate and center ourselves for the day. You are welcome to join us each Sunday morning.
Community Events
Join Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois leaders and friends for this virtual workshop series! Register here.
Vision:
A loving, spiritual congregation that lives our values through belonging, reason, and action.
Mission:
Like the nature that surrounds us, we evolve as a habitat for spiritual development.
Our deep roots connect us to a wealth of resources that nourish our growth as a beacon for justice, inclusion, and liberation, especially anti-racism and gender and sexuality justice.
Our listening cultivates diverse and multicultural relationships that bridge divisions, strengthen our communities, heal hearts, and foster safety for all.
Our awareness of our interdependence inspires us to protect the shared environment and natural world in which we live.
The Board of Trustees:
President: Wendy Bennett
Vice President: Diane Kuehl
Clerk: Scott Garwick
Treasurer: Bob Spelman
Trustees: Kendra Asbury, Clark Logemann, Neita Webster
The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL | 4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107 | 815-398-6322 | uurockford.org |
