Each year we ask our members to pledge support to Tree of Life so we may continue to fulfill our four core areas of ministry: Worshiping, Educating, Caring & Connecting, and Community Outreach. This year our pledge drive is running March 28th to April 11th. We invite you to learn more about our ministries below and use our online pledge form to pledge your support too.
Dear Beloved Community,
One of our most important and comprehensive areas of ministry is education. Religious Education is an exploration of what it means to be on this journey of life. Our specific programs for adults and children give us the chance to come together around the big questions: How do our values call us to act in this world? What is our purpose? What does it mean that we will die? Our children explore the big questions of life every week in RE classes and other programs. They are on this journey as part of a community supported by our Religious Education Director, Heather Madaus, and other adults in the community. Adults in our church are also invited to explore the big questions together. Chalice Circles are an excellent opportunity to do this, and we have several that gather every month. This congregation also hosts breakfasts, book clubs and “Coffee With Questions” (a Sunday morning forum).
I had a professor in seminary who said, “Everything we do is religious education.” Every time we come together, we journey together on a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. When we commit to our Tree of Life congregation through our annual pledges, we affirm the value of religious education for all. Our pledge campaign will be from March 28th through April 11th this year and will help us continue to explore the big questions together into the future. Cherish the Flame!
With Joy,
Rev. Jenn Gracen
Dear Beloved Community,
“Community Outreach” is all we do to live Unitarian Universalism outside our walls. When we work to create justice, to eliminate systemic oppression and live with compassion in the world, we are showing who we are and what UUism can be. Tree of Life has changed lives in our community. We have people working hard to help meet the needs of folks experiencing homelessness. We are also working to fight injustice in prisons and in our immigration system.
We cannot do the work of creating a world community with peace, liberty and justice for all (our 6th Principle) alone. We need others who are doing this work. This area of our ministry also represents our connection to others, our interfaith work with Faithbridge and Faith Leaders, as well as our support of (and support from) the Unitarian Universalist Association. The UUA supports gatherings of UU’s across the region and nation. The Association is also responsible for organizing a number of trainings and other supports that have benefited our congregation.
Tree of Life and Unitarian Universalism work to bend the arc of the universe toward justice. Help us Cherish the Flame and change the world. Our pledge campaign will be from March 28th through April 11th this year.
In Faith,
Rev. Jenn Gracen
Dear Tree of Life Community,
Caring for one another is a core value in this congregation. In the seven months I have journeyed with this church, we have continued to support one another through members who have sent cards, called one another, and even provided meals by dropping them off in front of another’s door in order to keep that person safe. When my wife and I announced our pregnancy, the congregation came together to provide a socially-distanced baby shower. One member brought us treats that took into account my food allergies, another organized games, and still others dropped off presents or had them sent to our house. The creative showering of love and support shown to us as we’ve worked to navigate this time has been overwhelming. Such creativity speaks to a truth about this congregation: that no matter what we face, no matter what comes up, the individuals in this community will continue to care about one another.
McHenry County needs communities like ours – Communities that come together when times are tough and find joy in the midst of the confusion. Our yearly pledge campaign (March 28th-April 11th) helps us “Cherish the Flame” and support one another, now and in the future!
In Faith,
Rev. Jenn Gracen
Dear Beloved Community,
A central feature of our congregation’s life is our time of worship together. Some have described worship as a dress rehearsal for the week ahead. We connect with people, some similar to us and some very different from us. We listen with care and compassion to one another’s experiences in our time of “Joys and Sorrows.” We learn together through readings and sermons. We honor and include our young people through our “Time for All Ages.” We recommit to our vision and share our resources through our offerings. These worship rituals reflect our EVERY day values as Unitarian Universalists, not just our Sunday values.
A vital part of our worship experience is our music program. Creating and listening to music can help us to engage more deeply with our spiritual themes, breaking through our defensive walls and inviting us to receive a message in a new way. Like other aspects of worship at Tree of Life, our music program has adapted to the distancing required by the pandemic, and it will continue to adapt as circumstances change.
Join us in supporting the worship and music programs of Tree of Life as we “Cherish the Flame” in this year’s pledge campaign (March 28 – April 11).
With Love,
Rev. Jenn Gracen