Sermon delivered by UTUUC member Terry Kinsey on August 16, 2015. Terry Kinsey joined Unity Temple in 1982. As a member of this congregation he has taught many AYS/OWL classes for junior high students. He participates in the original Men's Group which started in 1984 and has led several Men's Retreats. Terry founded Mother Earth Adventures which existed from 1991-2010 and offered vision quests and sweat lodges. In 1985, he became a counselor at Marwood Camp, a weeklong UU rites of passage summer camp for adolescents. Professionally, Terry is a retired pediatric physical therapist. His interest in secular/liberal Buddhism began in 1998. He has attended many 9- to 11-day silent Buddhist wilderness backpacks and canoe retreats as well as many 6- to 11-day silent center-based Buddhist retreats. His Buddhist "coaches" are Stephen Schettini and Erik Kolvig. Terry can be reached at mindful@unitytemple.org or terrykinsey@gmail.com. The theme for the month of July and August has been belonging.
Sermon delivered by Kellie C. Kelly on August 9, 2015. Kellie C. Kelly is a Unitarian Universalist Candidate for Ministry and seminarian at Meadville Lombard Theological School. Before entering seminary, she built a career in the staffing industry as both a sales manager and technical recruiter. Kellie’s call to ministry began when she worked as a U.S. Navy family ombudsman and deepened during her time as a director of faith development. As a third-generation single mother, she became the first person in her family to attend college, completing her undergraduate degree at the age of 41.
Kellie is an “out” mental health advocate, trying to reduce the stigma of mental illness for herself, her special needs son, and the community. She also is a steering committee member and workshop facilitator for the UU Class Conversations project. Kellie feels a strong commitment to work with and for the people society pushes to the margins, whether based on the color of their skin, their class, or their perceived disabilities. Kellie can be reached at kkelly@uuma.org. The August theme is belonging.
Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on August 2, 2015 on the August theme of belonging.
Sermon delivered by Heather Godbout on July 26, 2015. Heather has been an educator in public schools for 22 years. She pent the first two decades of her career teaching special education and currently serves as the literacy coach at an elementary school in one of Chicago's south suburbs. Ms. Godbout has also been involved in Unitarian Universalist youth ministry since 1997, currently serving as the youth coordinator for this congregation. She and her wife Amanda and daughter Briana have been members at Unity Temple since 2007. The theme for July has been belonging.
Sermon delivered by Vera and Duane Dowell on July 19, 2015. Vera, Duane and their daughter Beth Dowell lived and worked in Haiti for many years. Although Duane and Vera are now retired, Beth continues occasionally to teach and work in the developing world as a family physician. All three have recently traveled with the Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice to work in Haiti. They have been members of UTUUC since 2007.
Sermon delivered by Alix Klingenberg on July 12, 2015. Alix Klingenberg is entering her third year at Meadville Lombard Theological School and is a born and raised Unitarian Universalist. She spent her childhood in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois and attended the church there until she went to Oberlin College in Ohio. After graduating with a degree in visual art, she spent 12 years as an artist and photographer and had her own wedding photography business. She began serving as a high school youth advisor at Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois and through her connection with youth she found her calling to ministry. Alix's passion is for small group ministry and faith formation. She hopes to create an intergenerational ministry worthy of the changing landscape our UU movement is traversing. She just completed a year as the student minister to Peoples Church of Chicago. Alix lives with her husband, John, their son, Quillen, and 2 cats. She can be contacted at alixrk005@gmail.com.
Sermon delivered by Rev. Brian Chenowith on July 5, 2015. Brian was an intern minister at Unity Temple for two years between 2012 and 2014. He was recently called as the new settled minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington, Kentucky, where he begins serving August 15. The theme for the month of July is belonging. Brian can be contacted at minister@uulc.org.
Sermon delivered by Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage on June 28, 2015. June's theme has been taking a path of revelry.
Sermon delivered by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor on June 21, 2015. The theme for June is revelry.
In this annual Flower Communion service, reflections were given by Senior Minister Rev. Alan Taylor and Minister of Faith Development Rev. Emily Gage. This service from June 14, 2015 was the first service held at United Lutheran Church in Oak Park while Unity Temple undergoes a 15-month restoration.