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Stories of Heritage October 22, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.Onlineand in-person This week we will hear about lessons learned and wisdom gained from family. Members of one Soul Matters group will share their reflections on lessons learned from their families and perhaps spark a memory for you too. Hope you join us!
We will Share the Plate with Rockton Pride Rockton Pride is a registered nonprofit committed to building a more just and inclusive community in the Rockton, Illinois area. Love always wins. Click Here to Donate
Volunteers for Sunday, October 22
Greeters: We Need 2 Volunteers
Guest Table: We Need 2 Volunteers
Ushers: We Need 2 Volunteers
Coffee Hosts: We Need 2 Volunteers
Please note that if you volunteer for coffee host you will need to clean up afterward and run the cups through the sanitizer. Spitty and others are happy to help you become familiar with how to handle this easy job. Sign Up Here
Happy Birthday to: Kathy Jones (10/18), James Rentz (10/18), Tom Walsh (10/18), Gary Lawrence (10/20), Jennifer Riley (10/22), Finn Davis (10/22), Dorota B Smith (10/22), & Francie Barnes (10/24)!
Please do not leave your unwanted items in Deale Hall or around the church. We do not need books and other items cluttering up our beautiful church. Instead please take these items to Goodwill. Thank you!
Wonderful Wednesday
October 18th at 6pm
“How I Started My Ancestral Journey”
We are excited to have Diane McCue, VP, Program Director, and Media Coordinator with the Winnebago Boone County Genealogical Society. Diane will discuss the process she used to explore her family history starting with papers she inherited from her great-grandfather. Diane will discuss tools like Ancestry.com, Find A Grave, and Facebook to help you learn how to explore your ancestry. Zoom and In Person.
Use this link for access to the Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87936245219?pwd=uI1ARaQ4pNtpn6EMbBtuNAe1SAkye5.1
What’s Really in the Bible?
Sunday, 11:45-12:45, Oct. 29, and Nov 5 and 12
No advance sign up required. Do bring a bible if you have one, but not required. Any translation is fine. (we will compare).
You do not need to attend all sessions, but it will be helpful, as they build on each other.
In the sanctuary.
Soul Matters Groups are small groups that meet for deep listening and support. We have group openings for new people to join existing Soul Matters Groups.
Groups meet at the following times:
Judy Johnson 2nd and 4th Mondays in the evening 6pm (Church Library)
Many of our members are loyal listeners and even supporters of WNIJ, our local public radio station. But did you know that you can both support WNIJ and support our church congregation at the same time?
Many years ago, Rev. Weissbard encouraged donations from our members, earmarked for WNIU (back before WNIJ) that were donated to the station to provide spots during the broadcast day announcing the UU Church of Rockford. These spots might provide the first notice of our liberal congregation to prospective members. Several of our neighboring congregations followed suit. Now you hear announcements from the Rockton, Elgin, DeKalb and even Stockton congregations.
Any money you earmark to WNIJ, either on-line or by the note line on your check, will all go to the station—not just 80% as with share-the-plate donations. And the donation is still fully tax deductible. The church doesn’t fund these WNIJ donations—only the money donated specifically for this purpose by our members.
Why not get 2 donations for the price of one: one to the church and one to WNIJ?
Submitted by Teresa Wilmot
for Adults
Let’s talk about sex!!! (It’s not just for teenagers.) The Unitarian Universalist Association has developed a stellar comprehensive sex education curriculum known as Our Whole Lives. As the title suggests, it is not a one-and-done, but rather a topic to be revisited as we grow and mature. Join us this fall as Wendy Bennett and Leah Krippner facilitate an adult exploration of sexuality in the 21st century. Anyone 18 and up is welcome to join.
Wendy and Leah are trained OWL facilitators and have been teaching OWL for nearly 20 years.
Sessions will be held once a month. Come and join us for an intro session either on Wednesday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m. (Bring a dinner!) or on Sunday, October 22 at 11:30 a.m. (Pack a lunch for this one!) At this opening session, we will decide on dates for the other sessions as well as topics to be discussed. Please contact the church office to sign up for one of these two initial sessions. Let them know if you will need assistance with childcare. Questions? Email Wendy or Leah.
The fall scene currently hanging in the front of the Sanctuary is the work of a local artist: Margo Shryack-Pagh. The medium is batik. The artist characterizes the creation as a “Trickster Triptych.” Triptych refers to the three panels. The “trickster” is a coyote that is not depicted, but is the cause of the one panel being fertile and the other barren.
The artwork is a gift from the Eliseo family in memory of Delores Eliseo
The Zanzen Meditation group is meeting in the church library every Saturday from 8:00 am to about 10:00 am for silent meditation and friendly discussion. We would like to invite all who are interested to check us out. There is no need to sign up or commit to anything. If you show up and behave we will probably be delighted to have you join us.
Rare Earth Food Collectiveis an online farmers’ market featuring local food and products. We help producers work together to meet the growing demand for local, sustainable food in Winnebago, Boone, and McHenry Counties. Instead of you driving all over the countryside to buy from different farms, we collaborate to bring the food to you. You can choose home delivery or a nearby pickup location. We deliver orders every Tuesday, year-round. There is no minimum order, and no requirement to order every week. Ordering from REFC helps to build and support our local food community, preserve our agricultural land for future use, and reduce our carbon footprint. It also provides you with fresh food that tastes delicious and is good for you.
For members who already attend UU regularly, we will be there on Tuesdays in Deale Hall to pack our orders for distribution – meaning you could place an order for Tuesday pick up right at the Church!
The next pick-up will be on October 24, 2:30 – 3:00. This time period may be adjusted.
The buying window on the website will go live with products (for shopping) from Saturday at Noon, until Monday at Noon, but you can sign up as a customer at any time!
We look forward to serving you!
Rockford UU Lunch Group
After coffee hour/meetings on Sundays, a group gathers for lunch at various locations. It’s usually Bob Babcock and Doug Rix, often with Sue and Scott Garwick. It’s a time to get to know each other deeper and form a better community. Tap any of us any Sunday and see what we’re doing if you’d like to join us. PLAN ON IT!!! Or Call Bob at 630.417.0042
WINNEBAGO COUNTY RESOURCES
List of resources that may be helpful to you or someone you know.
VICTIM/SURVIVOR SERVICES
Family Peace Center – 1-779-348-7600
Remedies Renewing Lives – 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-815-962-6102
OLDER ADULT SERVICES
Catholic Charities Long Term Care Ombudsman Program – 1-815-316-0040 or 1-800-369-0895
Mercyhealth at Home/Older Adult Services – 1-815-971-3502
Lifescape Community Services – 1-815-963-1609 or 1-800-779-1189
SERVICES/ADVOCACY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Center for Sight and Hearing – 1-815-332-6800 P
RAMP – 1-815-968-7467
The ARC – 1-815-965-3455
Book Discussion
Wednesday October 26, 2023 6:00 p.m.
Join us by zoom for a discussion of All the Real Indians Died Off, and 20 other myths about Native Americans by Roxanne Dunbar Ortez. The book tackles a wide range of myths about Native American culture and history that have misinformed generations.
Please read the book on your own and we will discuss it.
Book discussions are presented in partnership with Rockford Public Library.
Looking for a copy of one of the books? The Rockford Public Library is pleased to offer the books for our discussion series in multiple formats. In addition to in print, RPL has all but 2 (Intended: A Marriage in Black and White and Restoring the Soul to Education) in the Cloud Library which may be accessed with your RPL card. Titles are available in audio and e-book formats.
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 |
