Come enjoy an evening of folk music and fellowship, and support Second Unitarian in building the Beloved Community both inside and outside our walls.

Born near Baltimore, We’re About 9 brings complex three-part vocal harmonies and a poignant, outside-the-box songwriting approach to an upbeat, fun show. Whether you see them in a Unitarian church or on the main stage of a folk festival (Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Clearwater), you’re likely to find you’ve stayed awake on a plane, made it to Albany, sang all the body parts you could spell with three letters, and learned safe (and meaningful) concatenation with We’re About 9.

You can check out We’re About 9’s music and preview some of their live show below, or find a lot more on their site at wereabout9.com.

Tickets - Special 2U Members and Friends tickets feature priority seating and are available for $20 after Sunday services. The first 20 Members and Friends ticket orders will also come bundled with a We’re About 9 CD courtesy of the band.

If you can’t make it to church, or if you prefer to use a credit card, you can buy a regular $15 ticket (plus a small processing surcharge) from Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/227924.

Rev. Adam Robersmith

A native of the Chicago area, the Rev. Adam Robersmith was called as the Settled Minister at Second Unitarian Church in Chicago, IL on Oct. 30, 2011. Rev. Robersmith expects Unitarian Universalists to have more questions than answers and to find inspiration in many sources. In his own spiritual life, he draws most strongly from the Christian contemplative and mystic tradition of the west, his interest in and love of science and the arts, and earth-centered theologies that draw on the power and beauty of the natural world.

Learn more about Rev. Robersmith.

Church Staff

Director of Programs
Gabrielle Montgomery

Music Director
Marianne Parker

Business Manager
Chris Engler

Community Ministers

Community ministers are clergy affiliated with our church who serve our faith by their work in the wider world.

Rev. Rudra Dundzila

Born and raised in Chicago, the Rev. Rudra Dundzila works as professor of Humanities and Comparative Religion at Harry S Truman College (City Colleges of Chicago). The community college serves a racially diverse,  inner-urban population of disenfranchised students who seek to become college ready, in preparation for transfer to a baccalaureate university. He also occasionally adjuncts for the Starr-King School for Ministry, one of the UU seminaries. He has been Community Minister at 2U since 2009, previously having served as Summer Minister of Faith Development and Supervised Minister. In his understanding, Unitarian Universalism weaves the colorful fabric of human diversity to transform this imperfect world into the Beloved Community, in the here and now and with salvation for all, bar none. He draws from Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Earth-centered mystic traditions of the east and west. His interests focus on youth/young adult and HIV/AIDS ministry, as well as yoga, biking, and his pets.

We Gather Together

On Sunday mornings, we start our time together in worship by greeting each other warmly, remembering that this church is the place where we are accepted as we are, and where others are happy to see us again. Some people will be dressed in “professional casual,” but clothes aren’t really our main focus.

Each week, we explore a theme that’s woven through our service, from the opening hymn, to our Story for All Ages, in readings from religious and other insightful sources, in song from our church’s musicians, and in a message from the pulpit. You can read some sermon samples here.

We are inspired by the seasons and holidays, by the issues that confront our community and the larger world around us, and by the eternal questions that help us choose our path in this world.

There is also a time in the service when people are invited to silently light candles for a concern or celebration in their life.

There is a collection taken during the service. The Sunday collection is shared with a not-for-profit organization each week so you may hear some information about that group’s social justice work in the community.

After the service, please stay and ask questions. Take a Welcome Packet and check out the What’s Happening Table outside the sanctuary so you can learn about upcoming activities. There is a social time with coffee, tea and snacks after services.

On Wednesday evenings, as darkness falls, we gather in the sanctuary to take a breath and center ourselves in a brief, contemplative Vespers service. Chant and meditation are the centerpiece of this worship experience, which often sets the stage for other church programming, such as our Community Night, adult religious education classes, or Board meetings.

We Worship With Our Children

We believe that our children are important members of our community, and that sharing worship with them strengthens our larger family. Sharing worship with the community is also a critical part of religious education for our youngest congregants. Children of all ages are welcome to join Sunday worship; our formal religious education program starts after the Story for All Ages, when we sing the children out of the sanctuary with their teachers to go down to their classes.

If you have children, read more about what to expect.

Intergenerational Worship–Several times during the church year, we come together–young and old alike–and worship as one body for our entire service. Nursery care will still be available, but children’s classes will not take place. If you are new, this might be a good day to visit with your children. You can stay together as a family and tour the church afterwards, getting a sneak peak at the children’s classrooms for your next visit.

A native of the Chicago area, the Rev. Adam Robersmith was called as the Settled Minister at Second Unitarian Church in Chicago, IL on Oct. 30, 2011.

His journey has taken him from Chicagoland to New York, Ireland, California, Arizona, and finally back home to Chicago. During those years, he earned an M. Div from Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA, focusing on Unitarian Universalist history, contemplative practice, and spiritual formation. He also holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in Biology, with concentrations in Neurobiology, Anthropology, and English Literature. Prior to entering the Unitarian Universalist ministry, he worked as an educator, an editor, an archivist, a storyteller, a musician, a waiter, an administrator, a puppeteer, and a writer. Rev. Robersmith believes that no education is ever wasted—and, in fact, he has found that all these experiences (including waiting tables!) have gone on to serve him well in the ministry.

Covenant is central to Rev. Robersmith’s Unitarian Universalism and his theology:

“We are a religious movement based in covenant, not creed: what holds us together are the promises we make to one another, to the wider world, and to what we feel has our deepest loyalty, rather than a common belief about how the universe works. Unitarian Universalism is a religious movement that values diversity within a unity as described by our covenants. We approach religion from the human experience that reaches beyond the individual, and join together to support one another in that striving.

“Within that covenant, we each are responsible for deepening our own understanding of ourselves and the cosmos, believing that which we are led to believe through experience and exploration, rather than that which is convenient or superficially attractive.”

Rev. Robersmith expects Unitarian Universalists to have more questions than answers and to find inspiration in many sources. In his own spiritual life, he draws most strongly from the Christian contemplative and mystic tradition of the west, his interest in and love of science and the arts, and earth-centered theologies that draw on the power and beauty of the natural world.

Rev. Robersmith is a member of the Anti-Racism and Multiculturalism Committee on Ministry of the UUMA, DRUUMM, and the UU Spiritual Directors’ Network. He is also a certified Spiritual Director in private practice, having trained at the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction at the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, AZ.

To contact Rev. Robersmith, call his office at (773) 549-0260 ext. 13 or email him at minister@secondunitarian.org.

Saturday, November 5th
6:00 p.m.

Dinner  •  Music  •  Live & Silent Auctions  •  Raffle  •  Games  •  Bake-Off

Please join us for 2U’s second annual Fall Feast.  This year’s primary fundraising event uniquely features the best bakers among us with a Bake-Off featuring a tasting panel of surprise judges.  Help us spread the word and plan to come enjoy this incredible community event! You won’t want to miss the fabulous “auction” of parties hosted by members of the 2U community – a great way to extend the fellowship from the Fall Feast into the months ahead.

Second Unitarian Church
656 W. Barry, Chicago, IL

$35 Adults
$15 Students & Seniors
$ 5 Children (ages 10–17)

Children under 10 are free. Free childcare will be available.

If you cannot attend, please consider making a donation.

Purchase your tickets after service each week or buy them online today (www.brownpapertickets.com/event/203185). Please also consider getting involved by volunteering  a bit of time at the event or beforehand. Email Jill or Jeff Siegel (siegel.jill@gmail.com or jsiegel@hntb.com) to offer your help. Keep an eye out for an online volunteer sign-up coming soon!

The Fall Feast & Bake-Off Needs YOU!

Show off your cake credentials! Take the whisk, beat your competitors and rise to the challenge! If you like to bake, you have a special role to play in making the Fall Feast a success. Email Jill or Jeff Siegel (siegel.jill@gmail.com or jsiegel@hntb.com) to learn more or to contribute your own fabulous baked dessert to the Fall Feast. Volunteers are needed to help provide a dessert for guests, tasting judges and an identical dessert that will be auctioned off in the live auction.
]]> http://www.secondunitarian.org/fallfeast/feed/ http://www.secondunitarian.org/solstice2010/ http://www.secondunitarian.org/solstice2010/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:13:05 +0000 admin http://www.secondunitarian.org/?p=1146 In case you missed it, here are some photos from the recent Solstice Celebration.

Special thanks to Laura McKee for organizing and planning the event.

We threw pies at racism, homophobia, British Petroleum, and…bad musicals, just to name a few. Have a look at some of the photos:

Can’t wait till next year!

Bring new life to your garden and home. Dig up and divide your extra plants. Trade with others, and go home with new varied treasure!

Composting worms will also be available.

Get your soil tested for lead. This is a big problem in Chicago many of us are unaware of. Learn how to take a sample. Bring your sample along with this completed form on June 6. Results will be returned to you in about 2 weeks.

Tell all your plant loving friends! $5 suggested donation to participate.

Learn more.

What is a pledge party?
A pledge party is a chance for you to discuss your hopes and dreams for 2U with other members of our community. Pledge parties are an important component of planning for the next year’s budget.

Contact Jeff Siegel to sign up. Please be sure to list your time/date preference.

Pledge Party Schedule

• 4/9/2010 at 7:00 p.m.
  

  Hosts: Mark Sneathen and Amy Markley

Committee on Ministries Charter

Safe Congregations Policy

Green Resource Guide

More to come…