Justice Ministries Overview

The Countryside Justice Ministry is dedicated to living our Unitarian Universalist (UU) values through action within and beyond our four walls in the areas of human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.  The CCUU Covenant affirms our aspirations  to “unite . . . to promote human dignity . . . through . . . service . . . ”

Justice Ministry work at CCUU is guided by several congregation-wide initiatives:

• We voted to be a “Welcoming Congregation” in 2007 in support of the LGBTQ+ community
• We are a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)  accredited “Green Sanctuary” since 2012
• We co-sponsor Chalice House, an on-grounds residence since 2020, that supports immigrants legally seeking asylum in the U.S.
• We provide ongoing support to three community Service Partners:  Partners for our Communities (POC), Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI), and Faith in Place.

Justice Ministry also supports current and  future initiatives championed by individual congregants, always in keeping with UU Shared Beliefs  and the CCUU Covenant

Our Committees:

• Justice Matters Committee (Co-Chairs:  Bill Scown & Wendy Wittkamp)
  • Democracy Action Team (Chair: Lillian Schnitzler)
  • Immigration and Underserved People Action Team (Chair, and Chalice House and ICDI Liaison: Lillian Schnitzler; POC Liaison – Mike Berry)
  • LGBTQ+ Action Team (Co-Chairs: Nancy Frenk & Dan Yokas)
  • Environment Action Team (Liaison: Victoria Hathaway; Faith in Place)
  • Service Partner Fundraising Committee (Co-Chairs: Nancy Dempsey & Mari Van Meter)
• Green Sanctuary Committee 
• Living the Welcoming Congregation Committee (Nancy Frenk, Dan Yokas)
• Cooking for PADS (Chair: Karen Epps)
• Fair Trade Coffee Sundays (Yvette Johnson)

Countryside Church UU is committed to supporting meaningful engagement in our wider community. From time to time, we may share information about events, actions, or activities sponsored by other organizations or involving inherent risk. Please note that participation in such events is voluntary and undertaken at your own discretion. Countryside Church UU does not sponsor, organize, supervise, or assume responsibility for these activities unless explicitly stated. We cannot ensure participant safety and encourage individuals to assess their own circumstances, risks, and preparedness before attending.