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Thanks for taking a moment to check out these events in our shared life & the wider world.

If you’d like something included in an upcoming newsletter, please let Andrew know! You can reach him by email (office@waucc.org) or at 773-935-0642 (text or call).

~ This Sunday, April 5th ~
see you at 10:30am
 ONSITE or ONLINE
for a hybrid worship service as we celebrate Easter!
We’ll have special music, communion, and the joy of all three congregations joining together in worship. Please bring a dish to share at the potluck lunch following worship!

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Israel’s parliament has advanced a bill to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of terrorism to its final vote, after the Knesset’s national security committee approved the measure. The legislation, initiated by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s penal policy. UN experts last month urged Israel to withdraw the bill, saying it “would violate the right to life and discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.”

Holy God, we grieve this deep injustice. Help us to understand that the death penalty is one of many tools that empire uses to persecute and destroy, and that the fight for liberation entails the dismantlement of all structures of violence. Man of Sorrows, help us to be witnesses to the suffering of the oppressed even though it is hard to see if you are with us “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) We pray for all prisoners, especially those held for their beliefs and conscience. Strengthen and comfort their families who long for justice.

God in your mercy…hear our prayer.
From the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center

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Stop by this virtual gathering to say hello and build community! 
Dave Safeblade convenes this group and looks forward to seeing you.

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[Proud mama & baby on the left, Hello Baby staff member on the right, and ALL the stuff donated by Every Mom Chicago in the middle! Permission given to share these photos.]

Here is a story of what a small but mighty church can do in the big city of Chicago! If you were in church last Sunday, you heard the story of how a city-wide call went out for someone to accompany a woman whose husband had suddenly been sentenced to 15 days in jail right before she was scheduled to be induced. Sara Wohlleb stepped up, and faithfully spent over 24 hours of her weekend encouraging Nicol until Baby Ethan was brought into the world. 

That would have been enough…but there’s more!Nicol had a doula who was also supporting her through the birth, but the doula got kicked out by CPD when she spoke up about rough treatment from one of the nurses. The doula and Sara had already made a connection – and after the birth, she reached out to Sara about another mom she had recently coached through birth, who was in a rough situation and behind on her rent. Wellington’s IJTF immediately approved a gift of $1,000 to bring her rent up to date, and Andrew sent it out this week. 

That would have been enough…but there’s more!

Ann-Louise was in a meeting with the Outreach Committee the day Nicol was being induced, and asked the committee to send prayers her way. Colleen was also bringing a grant request from Every Mom Chicago to that meeting – they provide

comprehensive, high quality new baby kits with essential newborn, postpartum, and breastfeeding supplies to low income families in need of extra support. Their kits contain both practical supplies and a local resource guide – so Outreach Chair Barb Lagoni asked if they might be able to provide a kit to this family when they came home from the hospital. Colleen said she would ask! That would have been enough…but there’s still more!

Colleen asked…and Every Mom Chicago said yes, but all the goods had to be schlepped to the family, and a Spanish speaker was needed to help with communication. So Colleen reached out to Hello Baby – another organization that Outreach supports, and where Colleen volunteers and leads story time every Tuesday – and they said they could lend a staff member to go with Colleen and make the delivery. When Colleen arrived, Nicol’s first words were, “Sara, Sara, I LOVE Sara!”

Thanks to our small but feisty community of faith – and just ONE PERSON who said YES – God’s love was shared abundantly this week. 

And that is enough indeed!

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The first Saturday community work day in the New Horizons garden at the church is the Saturday after Easter!

Please also save the date – Wednesday, April 29th – from 9am to noon if you’d like to participate in a tree planting and care event in collaboration with the Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Tree Initiative. Everyone is welcome for this one-time event! 

Volunteers would arrive at 9 a.m. and work until noon. There will also be saplings in one-to-three gallon containers for volunteers to take if they have a place at their own homes to plant and water a tree! Please contact Celeste Groff with any questions at 312-967-6785 or celestegraceksg@gmail.com

Sometimes you just need a document!

Click below if you’re looking for:

• This Sunday’s BULLETIN
• The latest version of the CHURCH DIRECTORY
• The approved CHURCH COUNCIL MINUTES (Mar mtg)
• Buying something for church? Remember that it’s tax-exempt! CLICK HERE for a copy of the form.
• Need to be reimbursed for a church expense? Download a Wellington REIMBURSEMENT FORM and submit it to the Church Office!

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