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Planting Seeds of Resilience
September 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Online and in-person Rev. Bowie Kling-Garcia
In today’s world, with our climate in crisis and rising tensions in our news, there are so many causes that people need to do something about. And yet, it can feel overwhelming – in the midst of so much need, how do we know what to do? Together, we will explore how the little things that we do in our lives and in our communities can help us create a better world.
Rev. Bowie Kling-Garcia (they/them) currently serves as the Spiritual Care Supervisor and Palliative Care Chaplain at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI. As a chaplain, Rev. Bowie’s theology is one which emphasizes relationships and storytelling with their patients. When not in the hospital, you can find Rev. Bowie enjoying a good movie or video game with their husband Logan and energetic cat Yen.
We will share the plate with Stepping Stones of Rockford Stepping Stones is a private, nonprofit 501c3 community mental health provider in Winnebago County. The organization, which first opened in 1969 with a single halfway house, provides mental health services to over 180 clients. The organization employs just over 100 staff. By offering a variety of mental health treatment interventions and access to 24-hour services, we provide our residents opportunity to live in the most independent community setting. Our locations are scattered around town, with our main office located in the downtown area of Rockford. We are a trauma-informed, person-centered mental health treatment provider, dedicated to those with serious mental illness. Our residents are not their diagnoses. We recognize the person, not the illness. The organization works to bust stigma, to make positive contribution in the community and to provide safe, affordable and decent housing. We validate that persons with serious mental illness have the right to a quality of life afforded by the least restrictive living environment.
We are a part of our community.
We are a family. Click Here to Donate
Volunteers for Sunday, September 29
Greeters: We Need Volunteers
Guest Table: We Need Volunteers
Ushers: We Need Volunteers
Coffee Hosts: We Need Volunteers Contact Rev. Joyce to sign up at assistminister@uurockford.org
Happy Birthday to: Ava Larson (Sep 24), Avery Bumber (Sep 24), Bill Stanton (Sep 24), Leah Krippner (Sep 25), Maverick Ticknor (Sep 25) Sarah Buscemi (Sep 25), Kathryn Haun (Sep 26), Kathryn Heyer (Sep 26), John Armstrong (Sep 27), Thomas Hunter (Sep 28) Allyson Rosemore (Sep 29), Stanley Campbell (Sep 30), & Jonathon Michalek (Oct 01)!
LOST JACKET
Within the last few weeks, a medium blue men’s ORVIS brand rain jacket may have decided to go home with someone other than me.
If found please return it to church and/or contact Gaen McClendon at
815.222.3515
A friend of the church
Carole Hurd died on September 11, 2024. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Feel free to stop by to donate/ take/ exchange adult and/or children’s books
If you have books you would like to donate, please contact Katy Conrad for pickup. conradkathren@gmail.com or talk to her at church.
*This library has been started in honor of Carol McKnight-Foster
Creative Ideas Wanted. The Deadline for taking Donations is only weeks away
We are getting a nice array of donations already. But we could really use yours
What kind of a Joyful dinner party can you visualize?
Make it fancy. 5 course French dinner.
Make it simple. Do a take out pizza comparison test.
A gathering of church people is never boring. Have fun.
Got any Joyfilled energizing excursions you would share with a fellow member?
Take us canoeing. Take us Christmas shopping.
Has your Holiday Baking urge started to tingle? Would you joyously share?
Make pies. make cookies.
Donate Soon————- Think now. Deadline is Oct 15.
Method #1 – Let us know if you have an idea. Just describe your idea and Email it. We will fill out the form for you. (Steve Lewis) at lewissk@aol.com. Or Autumn at church, uurockford@gmail.com Method #2 – Print out the form from this link, __________, or pick one up at the Hospitality Table. Fill out the form. Turn it in to the Hospitality table on Sunday, or in to the office. Or, if you are able, scan it and email it. Method #3 – pick up a form at the Sunday Hospitality Table. Fill it out. Turn it in to the Table, or to the office.
Wonderful Wednesday
The Racial and Economic Justice Team is featuring a program this Wednesday, September 25, 2024. If you are wondering what the Climate Justice Revival weekend is all about, we invite you to come Wednesday night for a sample of Justice work and UU values. Climate justice doesn’t exist in a vacuum – climate justice is economic justice, gender justice, racial justice, and more. We will meet in Deale Hall at 7:00 PM.
Our congregation is joining UUs nationwide to revive our commitment to climate justice! We are collaborating locally with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rock Valley to offer two days of free programming. Saturday’s event in Rockton, Climate Justice: From Conversation to Action, invites you to join the discussion about climate justice and actions we can take to make a positive change in our local communities! The weekend continues in Rockford on Sunday with 10am worship and an Organizing Hour following service in collaboration with UU the Vote.
September 28: 1-5pm at UU Congregation of Rock Valley in Rockton
September 29: 10am Worship and Organizing Hour at UU – Rockford
Register for the Saturday program HERE. Childcare is available! Additional printed information is available in the Narthex and in Deale Hall. If you have any questions, please reach out to Rebecca Beneditz.
UU the Vote: Post Carding to Rock County, Wisconsin!
Post cards (1100) arrived Monday with a list of registered voters in Rock County, which includes Beloit and Janesville. The list was tailored to include people of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American-ethnicity. Also, all women aged 18 to 34 are included.
This week we are meeting in the library at these times:
Wednesday, 9/25 11 am to 12 pm
Thursday, 9/26 6 to 7 pm (just before Unicantors’ rehearsal)
Friday, 9/27 2 to 3 pm
You don’t have to be a member of the UU the Vote Team to participate. Check your calendar and show up!
And sign up for the Climate Justice Revival at the Rockton congregation on Saturday, 9/28, 1 to 5 pm. We need to car pool since street parking is limited around the church.
Submitted by Teresa Wilmot
Wonderful Wednesday: Deep Listening through Non-Violent Communication
Wednesday, October 2
6:00 pm in the Library
In difficult interactions with people, deep listening lets us hear the universal human needs that are hidden behind bitter or aggressive words. Non-Violent Communication, developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s by Marshall Rosenberg, gives us the tools to do just that. Join us for an evening of discovery, empathy, and some fun games using our Grok card decks!
YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT!! MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW!
Winnebago Co. CITIZENS for CHOICE
Tuesday, October 8th; @ 6:30 p.m.
@ the Unitarian Church
PRESENTS
“MEET THE PRO-CHOICE CANDIDATES”
Rep. Eric Sorensen for 17th Dist. US House of Representatives
Attorney Nick Meyer for 17th Judicial Circuit Judge
Senator Steve Stadelman for IL State Senator District 34
Rep. Maurice West for IL State House of Representatives District 67
Rep. Dave Vella for IL State House of Representatives District 68
Ms. Randi Olson for IL State House of Representatives District 70
Mr. David Simpson for IL State House of Representatives District 74
Ms. Christina Valdez for County Board District 16
Getting to Know UU Sessions
Join us for our welcome program designed to provide newcomers with the opportunity to learn about the congregation and how to get connected. We hope you will find this community to be a religious home.
There are 4 sessions, the first is a series of videos and the other three are in person on Sundays in the Sanctuary from 11:15 – 11:45. You can complete the sessions at any time. Sessions will repeat monthly.
*Watch 4 Introduction Videos Prior to In-Person Sessions*
October 13th Living Our Values Lindsay Trank and Gloria Perez
October 20th Getting Connected Rev Joyce
October 27th Our Story Rev Matthew
Hope to see you!
Video session takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Wesley Willows Group
The Wesley Willows group will meet the following days and times this coming year in the reflection room at the Town Center.
November 18th, Monday, at 3 pm
Jan. 22nd, Wednesday, at 9 am
April 24, Thursday, at 10 am
Volunteer Escort Training
Saturday, September 28th
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford has always supported our mission of reproductive freedom and access for all. Reverend Matthew Johnson has graciously served on our Board of Directors. Your congregation and staff have made us feel welcome and supported our mission to bring comprehensive abortion services to Rockford. Even after Wisconsin regained abortion rights, we maintained our mission-to bring high-quality abortion care to our northern Illinois facility.
We are very excited to announce that we will SOON be opening the Midwest Reproductive Health clinic at 4236 Maray Drive in Rockford. Our Board of Directors, our clinical staff and myself, have worked long and hard to open our clinic in Rockford. We believe that women and pregnant folks deserve safe, professional and high-quality abortion care. We are committed to and fully engaged with the Rockford community.
I hope that some of you may want to channel your advocacy to being an on-site volunteer. A wonderful way to be involved with the reproductive freedom cause is to be a Volunteer Escort. Our responsibility and commitment as volunteers will be to guide patients into our parking area, welcome them, and help them arrive safely at our clinic lobby.
We are working closely with Benita Ulisano of the Clinic Vest Project. Escorts will ensure that patients are given the physical and emotional support they need to get into the safety of our clinic. Anyone who is interested in serving as a volunteer escort, please get in touch with me. We are conducting an on-site training at our clinic on Maray Drive on Saturday September 28. Email Jeanne@rockfordfamilyplanning.orgWe would love for any of you fearless warriors to join us. At present, we do not have sufficient volunteers to provide this important service.
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.
Our UU Library has added this book to our collection: The Earthly Frame by David Sehat
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
Join us for an unforgettable night at The LIAM Foundation’s Gayla Fundraiser on November 9th! 🎉 Secure your spot with early bird pricing of just $80 per ticket (limited time only)!
Get your tickets before prices go up! Support our mission to uplift and empower the LGBTQ+ community in Rockford.
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 |
