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I Call That Church Free
June 8, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Online and in-person Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson
We will reflect on what it means to belong to a free church. What does it say about us that our congregations are grounded in covenant, not creed? And that we govern ourselves, without bishops or outside authority – though we are in relationship with other UU congregations? And given this, how might this church meet the moment we face together?
We will Share the Plate with Juneteenth Celebration Rockford, Tommy Meeks
The Rockford Juneteenth Celebration is a celebration for all races commemorating the day the slaves were freed in the South. 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm Join us for Rockford’s 35th Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Sinnissippi Park Music Shell — the longest-running Juneteenth observance in the state of Illinois. Founded in 1990 by local leader Tommy Meeks, this historic celebration honors African American freedom, culture, and community with a full day of live music, performances, educational activities, local vendors, and a community awards ceremony. As we mark 35 years of this legacy event, the Rockford Juneteenth Celebration continues to unite people of all backgrounds in remembrance, reflection, and joyful celebration. Click Here to Donate
Volunteers for Sunday, June 8
Thank you to the Racial and Economic Justice team for volunteering for hospitality this Sunday!
Happy Birthday to: Ryan Hyser (Jun 04), Joey Stoyas (Jun 05), Marjorie Christen (Jun 05), Julie Parks (Jun 06), Amy Brandon (Jun 08), Gloria Perez (Jun 08), Li M Blacker (Jun 08), Roger Poznan (Jun 08), & Evelyn Bumber (Jun 09)!
Barb Oehlke’s memorial service will be this Saturday, June 7, at 10:00 a.m. at the church.
Matthew’s Memo June 3, 2025
This Sunday is our Annual Meeting. In our faith tradition, the members of the church, 297 as of this writing, are the owners of the congregation. You are responsible for this covenant and the care of this community. You own the property, employ the staff, decide on the mission, and approve the budget. It is YOUR church. So it’s important that you come to the annual meeting, where much of this happens.
As in most years, you will vote to approve the election of officers to the Board, the Covenant and Safety Team, and the Nominating Panel. These bodies report to you, the congregation. I’m grateful for those who said “yes” to serving in these vital roles.
You will also vote to approve the allocations from the legacy funds and the budget. Your hard-working finance committee, especially the chair, Steve Lewis, creates this projection of how we will raise and spend our money. If you want to see the super-detailed line-by-line budget, let Steve or I know, we can share it with you – it is not a secret. The version we present is more high-level so we can stay out of the weeds. But it will be a balanced budget, once again. We’d like to go higher on some raises and our contribution to the UUA, so if you haven’t gotten your pledge in yet, do it today!
And you will vote this year to approve a new mission and vision. You worked on this in a series of workshops with Rev. Allison Farnum over the year, and the writing team worked to refine that – which the Board edited further, and presents to you (the language is elsewhere in this Kairos). This represents who we are and what we are about. In addition, I will share a high-level overview of the new strategic plan, which will guide your work for the coming years.
The annual meeting is not just about this business, though – it is an affirmation of our theology. It reminds us that the members are responsible for the church. You are its owners, not its consumers. We do this together. See you Sunday.
The Vision is a short statement of “why we exist.” It should be memorable and communicate to the outside world. Your proposed vision is:
A loving, spiritual congregation that lives our values through belonging, reason, and action.
The Mission is a longer statement that says “what we do” at a high level. It should be aspirational. It is for us. Your proposed mission is:
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.
From this mission, we have derived three ends, or major goals, what we will work towards. You will notice the correspondence between the mission statement and these goals. They are:
Our members grow in belonging by embodying our values and connecting with our spiritual lives. (Another way of putting this end is “I AM UU” or “WE ARE UU.”)
Our members widen the circle of belonging and advance justice and equity by practicing right relationships with our neighbors. (Another way of putting this is “WE SHOW UP AS UUs.”)
Our members are transformed by our interdependent relationship with our planet, the universe, the web of life – the sacred as we understand it. (Another way of putting this is “WE ARE INTERWOVEN” or “WE ARE CHANGED BY CONNECTING”)
Under each goal are strategies and tactics. The next page is a high level overview of those tactics. For more detail, see the annual report.
1. WE GROW IN BELONGING BY EMBODYING OUR VALUES AND CONNECTING WITH OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES.
1A: Faith formation for all ages.
1A1: Sustainable and reliable volunteers for Religious Education.
1A2: UU Identity development for all ages (CRE, ARE, and Worship/Music)
1A3: Grow Soul Matters Participation
1B: Caring, Membership and Belonging
1B1: Belonging and Membership Team
1B2: Pastoral Care Associates Program
1C: Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Oppression, and Belonging
1C1: Deepen cultural work on Anti-Oppression, Anti-Racism, and Multiculturalism
1C2: DRUUMM Chapter (for BIPOC members/friends)
1C3: Sustain and Grow 20/30s group
1C4: Worship and Music that widens circle of belonging.
1C4: Justice and inclusion for LGBTQAI+ people.
1D: Generosity
1D1: Strong Annual Campaign
1D2: Volunteer!
1D3: Leadership Development
2. WIDEN THE CIRCLE OF BELONGING / RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH NEIGHBORS
2A. Accountable and Effective Coalition Partners
2A1: People participate in Faith in Action work.
2A2: UUANI partnership and Faith in Action training for leaders.
2A3: Use our building and resources to support partners.
2B: Show up as UUs.
2B1: Identify Ourselves (witness and outreach). (Swag).
2B2: Communicate opportunities to show up and show up together.
2B3: We do our work grounded in our values.
2B4: We celebrate all the diverse ways we show up.
3. TRANSFORMED BY INTERDEPENDENCE
3A: As a congregation, we care for the earth.
3A1: We care for the land on which we sit.
3A2: We use our funds in ecologically responsible ways.
3A3: The congregation engages in eco-justice work.
3B: Our members are good stewards of the earth in their own lives.
3B1: Members are inspired to live eco-just lives.
3B2: We are a hub for eco-justice.
3C: We cultivate awe, wonder, and an ethic of care.
3C1: In worship, music and faith formation.
3C2: Woodsong School
The Rockford Area Pride Parade 2025 steps off at noon on Saturday, June 7, from the corner East State Street and Charles Street. We would love to have a HUGE group representing UU Rockford, wearing our yellow Side With Love shirts! Meet in the staging area on Market Street between 3rd Street and State by 11:30. There will be graduations going on downtown, so please allow plenty of time for parking. Parade map at https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1HHZzouNZrMhsft11fS0H0gSP-z1dRTc&femb=1&ll=42.26744112861572%2C-89.08438888525171&z=19. We have not been informed of our place in the lineup, so just look for the yellow shirts. Or find a viewing spot along the parade route and cheer for us! Marchers love seeing familiar faces in the crowd. Contact Lia Gima for more information.
The board prepared for the annual meeting on June 8th after worship. That included approving the agenda, the mission/vision and ends, and budget. We also approved Gloria Perez and Teresa Wilmot as GA delegates.
Wonderful Wednesday – June 4 at 6:30 to 8:30
An Essay discussion group on:
INVESTIGATING CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER DEATH
led by Duane Wilke
The Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies (BICS) had a contest for the best evidence-based essays on whether human consciousness survives physical death. Wonderful Wednesday participants are asked to read the first 26 pages of the winning essay Beyond The Brain by Jeffery Mishlove. There are many short videos included. He won $500,000 for this entry:
Please email revjoycepalmer@yahoo.com if you plan to attend so we can arrange seating. Not required to email.
We hope you will join us.
What is Juneteenth All About?
Rockford’s Celebration of Juneteenth
June 11th, 6:00 pm
Join the Racial and Economic Justice Team for a Wonderful Wednesday presentation by Tommy Meeks. Learn about the origins of this holiday and the creation of the Rockford celebration. We hope you can join us!
Sunday Morning Meditation
1st and 3rd Sundays
9:15 in the Library
The next session is June 15
We meet to meditate together and center ourselves for the day. Please join us for Sunday Morning Meditation.
Our UU Library has added these books to our collection: Final Gifts by Maggie Callahan The Essence of Sufism by John Baldock
Items can be dropped off in tents at Womanspace that are marked, even after 5 PM, until June 2. Please see more info in the flyer below or at https://womanspace-rockford.org/event-6093002
Our Vision: A loving congregation that connects with ourselves, one another, and the larger community.
Our Mission: We care for ourselves, each other, and our neighbors while taking risks acting for justice. We are continuously building an inclusive, empowered, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, multicultural congregation. Our connections foster radical love for ourselves and others.
The Board of Trustees:
President: Matt Menze
Clerk: Kim Lowman Vollmer
Vice-President: Wendy Bennett
Treasurer: Bob Spelman Trustees: Clark Logemann, Rebecca Beneditz, Neita Webster
The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, IL | 4848 Turner St., Rockford, IL 61107 | 815-398-6322 | uurockford.org |
