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High School Bridging Service

High School Participants

May Theme: Awakening Curiosity

Live stream link can be found here.

Sunday's flowers are given by Chris Lyman in honor of her mother, Marilyn Hoffman, the SUPREME Nana, Gigi, and friend, lover of all human beings!! To reserve flowers for the Chalice Table email flowers@unitytemple.org.

OFFERING : Community Fridge Project

Each week, Unity Temple splits the offering evenly. One half supports the programs and mission of our congregation. This week, the other half goes to the Community Fridge Project. Unity Temple’s Gale House is home to one of five community fridges and pantries in Oak Park and Chicago/Austin where anyone in need can get food, 24/7, no questions asked. This entirely volunteer run organization depends on both food and monetary donations. Food can be dropped off any time at any location (or through Unity Temple’s food drive on the second Sundays of the month). Monetary donations go directly to stocking the fridges, covering supplies, and expanding the network of fridges and pantries. Learn more: communityfridgeproject.org.

You may donate by placing cash or check in one of the circulating baskets during the service OR:

• by sending a check to the Unity Temple office (875 Lake St., Oak Park, 60301) with org name on memo line, 
• by texting 73256 with the message UTUUC and select “Offering,” 
• by using the camera on your phone to scan the QR code on the screen during the Offertory. 
• You can also give at the UTUUC website. 

Sunday Worship Services 9am and 10:45am

Each week we offer two worship services; 9am and 10:45am. The 9am service will be live-streamed and available as a recording afterwards. The 10:45am service will not be live-streamed or recorded. You can access the live stream on YouTube at 9am here.

Community Hour

Join us after service at Community Hour for refreshments and fellowship in Unity House.

Community Fridge Food Drive The next food donation collection date will be this Sunday May 10, 2026. Help us stock the fridge and support our neighbors by bringing non-perishable items to share. Our cupboards are low!!! Thank you for any assistance you can offer. Learn more about suggested and acceptable donations here.

All Congregation Fall Retreat Get ready for a weekend full of fun, connection, and community for all ages! Join us Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, October 9–11 at Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, MI for a joyful weekend for all ages—new friends and longtime members, kids, teens, adults, and elders. Come play, explore, relax, laugh, and soak up time together near beautiful Lake Michigan. Registration opens Sunday, May 10 at 8am in Realm (look under Events and the News Feed), and the retreat team will be happy to answer your questions via email annualretreat@unitytemple.org.

Your $75 retreat fee covers a light dinner on Friday (with chances to sign up to bring goodies!), three meals on Saturday, Sunday breakfast, snacks, craft supplies, session materials and everyone’s favorite—s’mores around the campfire. Each person or family will also choose a room option for the weekend, with a variety of cozy choices available.

Spots fill quickly, so be ready to sign up and save yours! Have questions or want to help plan the fun? Email annualretreat@unitytemple.org.

Flower Communion Everyone is warmly invited to our all ages annual Flower Communion service on Sunday May 17. We invite you to bring a cut flower or two. We'll put all the flowers together at the beginning of the service and then each take a different flower home.

Baby and Child Dedication! In Unitarian Universalism, we celebrate babies and young children in a shared blessing and dedication ceremony during a Sunday morning worship service. If you are a member of Unity Temple, and wish to have your child(ren) dedicated on Sunday, May 17 (or have questions about this), please reach out to Rev. Emily Gage egage@unitytemple.org by May 10.

DRUUMM Public Worship: We Ride at Dawn: Showing Up, No Matter What | May 14, 7–8:30pm CDT. In a time of rising fear, political uncertainty, and deep fatigue, DRUUMM invites all souls into a bold and grounding public worship experience. Guest preacher Rev. Summer Albayati and music director Rev. Verdis L. Robinson will lead us in a visionary call to courage, resilience, and collective spiritual discipline.

DRUUMM’s annual public worship, open to all people, centers the Spirits that call us into sustained struggle, into long-haul justice shaped by community, song, and holy resistance. Join us—wherever you are. Register here. Learn more & donate here. 

Summer Services Starting on May 24, we will have only one service at 9am which will be live-streamed through the summer. We'll resume two services at 9 and 10:45am on Sunday, August 31.

Summer RE 2026 is Here! Experience the joy of coming together as a community, forging meaningful friendships and supporting our community on this transformative voyage. Our Summer RE programming is supported solely by volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, email Val Ridenour 

vridenour@unitytemple.org.

Pathway to Membership Our next session will be Sunday, May 17 from 12:30–4pm. The Pathway to Membership class provides an opportunity to learn about our mission, programs, operations, volunteer opportunities and more. Questions? Please reach out to Val Ridenour at membership@unitytemple.org. 

The 55orBetter 

Our next Social will be on Tuesday, May 12 from 10–11:30am at 1019 South Blvd. It's a nice time to be together with other people. Please bring your own drink. We hope to see you there!  

Day in Our Village June 7 Do you like spending time outdoors on a Sunday afternoon with like-minded, mission and values driven congregants who represent a variety of program areas in our faith community? Then you will want to sign up to help support our efforts in the community at our booth for Day In Our Village. You are welcome to use the signup genius here to find a time to support our efforts. If you have questions, email Val Ridenour 

vridenour@unitytemple.org.

Are you a good listener? Do you like to connect deeply with others? The Spiritual Care Team may be for you! Unity Temple’s Spiritual Care team is looking for three new volunteers to serve on a six member team that provides a listening presence to those who are experiencing some kind of life transition. (Two positions are for a three year term, and one for a two year term.) Members of the team meet monthly for mutual support and learning, provide care as requested, and take turns introducing joys and sorrows at each Sunday’s worship service. More details and the application can be found here: SCT Application. Applications are due by May 31 and those chosen will begin serving in late summer. Feel free to reach out with questions to Rev. Emily Gage or any member of the spiritual care team at spiritualcare@unitytemple.org. 

Unity Temple Justice Network

Passionate about Democracy? Immigration? Eco Justice? Prison Ministry? LGBTQ+ and Reproductive issues? Whatever you care about, search our Justice calendar to find what’s happening at Unity Temple that fits your interests and your schedule.

There is so much at stake in this fall’s upcoming elections! How will YOU show up to support our values and fight voter apathy and suppression? Stop by the UU the Vote table during both coffee hours to learn about upcoming opportunities to get involved now and as we head into the fall. Feel free to email votelove@unitytemple.org with questions or suggestions.

UUANI Empowers UUs Across IL to work for spiritually grounded, relationally accountable, and strategically effective action in solidarity with those most impacted by injustice. We provide leadership training, build congregational capacity and organize statewide advocacy efforts in loving accountability with our partners. Our Actions of the Week make it easy for UUs to make a difference. Together, we seek to bend the arc toward justice. Learn more and get news here.

Learn More About Sources of Conflicts in the Middle East Join members of the Unitarian Universalist Justice for the Middle East (UUJME) on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 1pm at the Unity Temple Community Center at 1019 S. Boulevard, Oak Park for a short video, presentation and discussion on Nakba in Palestine 1948. May 15 is the seventy-eighth anniversary of the removal of over 800,000 Palestinians from their homes. See the UUJME table at Community Hour after service on May 17, as well. Light refreshments served at the event. 

Fourth Sunday Virtual Prison Docuseries (sponsored by UU Prison MInistry of Il & Prison Ministry at Unity Temple) May film: Sing Sing (available on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Hulu, Fandango at Home) portrays the transformative power of theater at Sing Sing prison in NY state. Discussion date: May 24, 2026, 3pm, moderated by Barbara Moline. To receive Zoom link, email your name & email address to: prisonministry@unitytemple.org. The link will be sent out 1 week before discussion and again on the date of discussion.

Daily Mindful Reflection Community 30 minute meeting, 7 days a week! Starts at 8:25am and ends at 9am every day, seven days a week. The daily meditation will include opening words, 20 minutes of mindful reflection, and closing words. All are welcome! You are welcome to attend regularly or sporadically.  Time: Every Day (including weekends) at 8:30am Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting here.

Tuesday Evening Mindful Reflection Community We meet virtually and in person at the UTUUC Community Center. Meeting opens at 7pm CT for camaraderie. The program starts promptly at 7:20pm and ends at 9pm. If the front door is locked please ring the doorbell and if it's after 7:20pm please walk around to the back door and knock. We will follow our usual format with an ingathering, 20 minutes of Mindful Reflection followed by a dharma talk and discussion.We always end by 9pm. Questions email mindful@unitytemple.org. 

Join the Zoom meeting here.

On Sunday, we joyfully welcomed 18 new members into our congregation! Their presence strengthens the vibrant spirit of our community, and we are so grateful for the gifts, energy, and belonging they bring. What a joy to grow together! 

UTUUC Office Hours Staff are present at 1019 South Blvd from 9am–3pm, Tuesday through Thursday. Otherwise, staff can be reached via email and appointments made for other days/times. 

Please note, staff in-office hours do not affect congregant access for events.

Chalice Table Reservations We welcome floral arrangements or other decorations such as objects from nature or spiritual symbols to be included on our Chalice Table during worship on Sunday mornings. Please refrain from political/campaign related objects as they will be removed. To reserve a date, please fill out this form. Thank you for contributing to our worship experience. For assistance contact

flowers@unitytemple.org.

Joys & Sorrows Sharing If you’d like to have a joy or sorrow sharing during the worship service, email the Spiritual Care Team at spiritualcare@unitytemple.org.

Guidelines for submissions to the eBeacon newsletter can be found here.

Congregational Life Table Reservation Would you like to reserve a table to promote congregational happenings during Community Hour in Unity House? Hosting a table is a great way to make sure congregants know how to participate in events, activities, and service opportunities. Table Guidelines can be found here. To reserve space contact 

vridenour@unitytemple.org.

We Celebrate Our Differences :: The beloved community includes people with diverse life experiences. Here at Unity Temple we call people to live out the values of our faith: interdependence, pluralism, justice, equity, generosity and transformation. As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large while also knowing that endorsements or support of particular candidates cannot be part of our congregational process.

Planned Giving offers a variety of meaningful ways to support our congregation through charitable gifts and can be made by anybody – young and old, working or retired. These gifts are made today, but they support the future needs of your congregation and Unitarian Universalism. You can obtain more information about planned gifts by contacting the Planned Giving Team at 

plannedgiving@unitytemple.org

Land Acknowledgement of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, read here.