Thoughts from the Council Chair

Curious about the Common Read?

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) announces a book for Common Read each spring during the General Assembly for UU congregations to read the following church year. Over the years, book topics have encompassed a wide range of subjects, including abolition, environmental justice, and democracy. 

This fall, 32 people participated in a series of small-group discussions centered on the stories featured in the book Authentic Selves: Celebrating Trans and Nonbinary People and Their Families. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the QUUAC team members, including Angie Urban and Barbara Hudgings, and group facilitators Millie Davis, Az Guan, Chris Kunka, Raven Byrd, and Ianna Kunka. Their hard work and dedication made this event a success. This program also helped us meet the requirements for UUCUC’s Welcoming Congregation program.

This winter, we will host the 2025-2026 Common Read, exploring the book Social Change Now! A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer. This book invites UUs to grow more authentic, connected, and effective as individuals and communities as we pursue transformative justice together.  Our congregation is listed “on the map” as committed to presenting the 25-26 Common Read. (Scroll down the page to the map and center in on Illinois - you will find us listed.) 

The book focuses on how we engage in our church (and wider) community, and what roles we do and don’t play as individuals and collectively. This topic is critical in our current political climate.  One quote that I appreciated from the book was, “No one here is doing all the work, nor can do all the work.”  Check out this invitation from UUA President Sofía Betancourt, encouraging us to engage with the 2025-26 UU Common Read.

The Adult Faith Development Team will lead this program in collaboration with the Council on Shared Leadership; Natalie Danner, Pat McClard, and Pat Nolan are all engaged in planning and facilitating. This three-session book club will be held in January and February 2026. All readers are welcome! If you are interested in participating in the Winter Common Read, keep your eyes on the enUUs and Realm for registration and more information about the event.

If you would like to get a copy of the book in advance of the event, you can purchase it from the UUA bookstore or find it at your local library. Faith Development will also be buying some copies for people to borrow from the UUCUC library. 

Moving forward, Faith Development’s Adult Team will facilitate the Common Read every year in partnership with another Council or Team whose mission aligns with the subject matter of the selected book. If you are interested in helping to plan a future Common Read program, don't hesitate to get in touch with Millie Davis, Adult Faith Development Team Lead.

Coming of Age: Youth at Church

Did you know that we have a vibrant youth group active at our church? 

This year, we have revived Coming of Age, a highly valued program for families and adolescents. The last time this program was offered in person at UUCUC was in 2018. We have 13 teens in grades 8-10 participating and four adults serving as group leaders: Ben Leff, Julia Cronin, Steve Hertzog, and AJ Hertzog.

Coming of Age is a transformational UU program for youth that they engage in for the entire church year. The group meets most Sundays from 10:30 am to noon. During their time together, they learn more about Unitarian Universalism, build friendships within their group, and begin to articulate their own beliefs. Mentorship is also an integral part of the program, and each youth is paired with an adult mentor from the congregation.

The Coming of Age group nominated an organization for the Shared Offering and will be doing a local service project in the spring. Don’t be alarmed if you see a large number of tall young people in Fellowship Hall helping Hospitality Teams with snacks and coffee - they love to help (and eat snacks too!).

Additionally, if you’re interested in learning how Faith Development collaborates with our local college students, I recommend reading Kelly Skinner’s article on UUCUC’s partnership with the University of Illinois.

Faith Forward: Adult Faith Development

Did you know that UUCUC has a membership with Faith Forward?

Faith Forward is a subscription-based UU curriculum for adults. We use this curriculum as a foundation for our Inquirers group. The Inquirers program is an 8-session drop-in program for those who are new or newer to our church and the UU faith. These conversational sessions offer a general introduction to church life, our congregation, and Unitarian Universalism. We offer the Inquirers program three times a year in Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Additional Faith Forward classes have been offered in the past two years, including Spiritual Practices, UU Elevator Speech, and Biblical Literacy for UUs. These online classes take place over Zoom, and allow UUCUC members and friends to collaborate with UU classmates from around the country. I've personally taken two online Faith Forward classes and really enjoyed them. Sharing and collaborating with other UUs in congregations as far away as Maine and California were highlights of the classes. This spring, we hope to offer one or two online courses for adults based on the Faith Forward schedule.

We'd also love to offer at least one class in-person or online just for UUCUC folks. If you are interested in teaching, get in touch with Kelly Skinner.

Looking Ahead

Kelly, I, and all the Faith Development teachers, facilitators, and volunteers are looking forward to the winter season: a time for rest, renewal, and coziness. If you have any questions about Faith Development or want to know how to get involved, feel free to reach out to Kelly or I. We’d be thrilled to have you!

Natalie 

dannernatalie@gmail.com