Newsletter

April 2024

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Dear DuPage UU Church Friends and Members,

Last month I shared with you all some of the amazing things our staff members are doing for the church. I mentioned, but didn’t go into detail, that the staff actively works to evaluate ourselves, our work, and the programs of the church. While this is always a good practice to participate in, particularly in our changing world - as we still deal with the effects of the pandemic, changing church and culture dynamics - doing so becomes even more essential.

The changing landscape of youth ministry, for example, is one aspect that I know many of you care about. In fact, many of you have shared in your capital campaign visits that you would like to see our youth group robust once again. Your staff would as well. Youth ministry was deeply impacted by the isolation of the pandemic. It is a nation-wide (maybe world-wide) struggle. The pandemic completely changed the ways youth are engaging with the world and many things that worked in the past are no longer working. In fact, many of the things that were working pre-pandemic were not working particularly well then either, as things were already shifting prior to the pandemic. 

When DUUC attempted to host a youth con this past month, we learned that many of the Chicago area churches either have non-existent or less than ten youth enrolled in their programs - this true of UU churches around the nation.

Evaluating our programs and doing the evaluation consistently is more important than ever. Your staff team is actively working to learn all we can about the many ways that church and society is changing in these new times. The day before our Mid-America Regional Assembly, in fact, some of the DUUC staff will be attending a professional learning day on youth and young adult ministry in these changing times.

The good news is, we are not alone. Church and religious life is experiencing drastic changes. And there are resources for us and experts are sharing what is and is not working. We are listening and learning. 

We would love to encourage you all to join us in this process. Here are three ways you can help us (Steve, Tina, Sheri, Amanda, and rev. mandi)!

1. Share with your staff what you love! It could be as simple as a class you are taking or a Sunday service that spoke to you. What is working helps us to expand on good things!
2. Share with us where you are struggling or concerned. This, however, is more than an email or a passing comment - we are going to want to talk with you. We need to know details and specifics. All of this helps us really get to the heart of how we can better serve the Congregation’s mission.
3. Dive into learning! Attend General Assembly, explore other UU church websites, sign up for UU Leader lab classes, read UU newsletters…share with us what you are hearing in the UU World and beyond! 

Your staff is committed to our faith and our church! We hope you will join us in share ministry as we explore ways to learn and grow in these changing times.

In faith,

rev. mandi huizenga

(she/her)

Sunday Service

In-person and Online

In the cacophony of the world’s noise, listening is a learned skill that teaches us a different way of being in the world.

~ rev. mandi huizenga

10:15 am Education & Social Hour

Science Sunday (Learning Center)

First, a reminder to folks to plan to travel a relatively short distance (Carbondale, Indianapolis, or southwestern Michigan) on April 8th to see a most impressive total eclipse of the sun! There won't be another in North Americ for 40 years so this is a trip to remember!

Secondly, on April 7th Science Sunday will be led by Scot Salzman who has experience in disaster preparedness. In case the eclipse scheduled for the next day goes VERY BADLY, you will have better ideas of what to do! (JOKE!) Scot's talk will discuss the importance of preparedness and how FEMA and other groups handle the important task of response to disastrous natural occurrences.

UU Parenting 101 (Sanctuary)

We will touch on the spiritual needs of children, creating rituals at home, how Unitarian Universalism fits into identity development, and how parents and caretakers can prepare themselves for the role as primary religious educator. This workshop is relevant to parents and all caretakers of children.

Explore the beauty, inspiration, and transformative power of creativity through music, spoken word, and visual art.

~ Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education

10:15 am Education & Social Hour

For The Love of Art (Learning Center)

Kerry Freedman and her art students from NIU will offer several art opportunities during the education hour. All adults and children are invited to participate. No artistry skills necessary.

Listening to the messages and wisdom of many generations. ~rev. mandi huizenga

10:15 am Education & Social Hour

Science Sunday (Learning Center)

Electrons, Chemistry and Surfactants: A Soap Story: Joanne Reid will talk to us about a slippery topic: soap! A celebration of electrons how they shaped the world, lit the world, and then cleaned up after themselves.

The Prairie of DuPage UU Church (Starts in the Sanctuary) facilitated by our Prairie Stewards. On this Earth Day weekend, weather permitting, we will walk the church grounds to explore the workings of our tall grass prairie, discover the diversity of native plant species present and how our outdoor areas are used. If we have to stay inside we will share pictures and description of the native plants that can be found at DUUC.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

9:00 AM Worship Service - All ages

10:00 AM Coffee Hour - All ages

10:15 AM Education Hour - All ages

11:30 AM - Worship Service - All ages

The Worship services will be identical in content and order.

This service is the culmination of the Coming of Age program. Our 7th & 8th grade youth will share their statements of belief with the congregation.

~Coming of Age Class & Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education

10:15 am Education & Social Hour

Article II: What’s Happening to Our 7 Principles? (Sanctuary) facilitated by Steve Cooper

In June, at the UUA General Assembly, we will be voting on the acceptance of the proposed changes to Article II of the UUA bylaws. At our annual meeting on June 2nd we are going to vote on how our delegates will vote at GA. This workshop will touch on why the changes are being proposed and what the changes are and how it differs from the current Article II.

Meadville-Lombard Seminary Night

A small group of members of DUUC have been given the go-ahead to bring leading UU theologians and thought leaders together to deepen our connectivity to our religion. We hope to offer two or three events a year. Please join us at DUUC on Thursday, April 4 at 7:00 pm to learn how UU ministers are developed for our evolving religion and how UU thought leaders see the UU future. Let's show them a robust DUUC turn-out! REGISTER HERE

From the “EMBRACING THE FUTURE” Capital Campaign Leadership Team

Our team continues to feel the expressions of joy and commitment from members during our Campaign visits. We have surpassed our original goal of $1.15 million dollars, and have in our sights on our ability to pay off all of our loans ($1.3MM). Each gift to the campaign in the next several weeks takes us further into our dreams for the future.

By now, all of you should have received an invitation to participate in our campaign (either individual or cottage meeting format). We ask that you respond to these invitations in a timely way. Even if you feel you are not able to provide a gift to the campaign, we want to hear your ideas about what you would like to see in our church's future. Also, whether or not you envision giving a gift to the campaign, we are needing your Promise commitment for our annual budget by the end of April (so the Finance Committee and Board can forge a responsible budget to share with the Congregation in mid-May).

Thank you so much to all who have participated in this Campaign, and we look forward to seeing and hearing from the rest of you. Our future is, indeed, bright!

Endowment Grants Available

The Endowment Grant Task Force is now accepting applications for endowment funds. This year, there is over $8000 available for church-related projects.  Projects must be new and align with the DuPage UU Church Mission and Vision.

Please complete the application at this link before April 30, 2024 for consideration.

Your Endowment Grant Task Force,

Chris Cable, Kelley Trombly-Freytag and Katie Hay

Memorial Service Team

We are building a new team of volunteers to greet, usher, and help with reception needs at member memorial services. Supporting our members and their families at a time of loss is a beautiful act of love and kindness. If you would like to be added to the list to be called upon to help at this tender time, please contact tlewis@dupageuuchurch.org for more information.

Coffee Crew Volunteers Needed

Support a warm and inviting experience for all on Sunday mornings by signing up to help with refreshments. It's easy, it's fun, and it's welcoming! Please sign up to help on the Sign-Up Genius Schedule here. And thank you. May your contributions brighten Sunday morning and make you feel really good! 

Young Adult Group

20s and 30s members and friends, come join us at our monthly Young Adults Group meeting! We will be discussing short and long-term plans for the group as well as general socializing. All people in their 20s and 30s are welcome! Sunday, April 7th at 5:00 pm in Kreves Hall. For more information, contact yag@dupageuuchurch.org.

Elders Circle

Are you interested in meeting once a month with others to discuss lifespan issues-both pro and con? Do you want to share your story and hear other’s stories, with friendly conversation and a few laughs along the way? Consider coming to the DUUC Elder Circle, which welcomes both congregants and friends. We meet monthly on the fourth Wednesday at 10 am. for two hours. It is a hybrid meeting-both in person and on Zoom. A discussion guide on an interesting topic is provided before each meeting. For more information, contact Bev Becker or Bob Harris at elders@dupageuuchurch.org.  

April Special Offering to Benefit HOPE Fair Housing

During April 2024 the Special Offering will benefit HOPE Fair Housing nominated by Barbara Roos. Hope Fair Housing Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination across Illinois since 1968. Based in Wheaton, IL Hope Fair Housing serves over 30 counties in Northern and North Central Illinois. Hope Fair Housing Center works to create greater housing opportunities for all so that everyone has a chance to live in the community/home/apartment of their choice free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or any other characteristics protected under state or local laws. Hope accomplishes this through education, outreach, enforcement, training, and advocacy. For more information about HOPE, visit their website at https://hopefair.org.

$2,772.57 was collected for the Tom Galloway Scholarship Fund at College of DuPage during February. Thank you for giving generously.

Thank you for your nominations to the

2024-25 Special Collections lineup! 

The Special Collections team will now review and choose nominees from the non-profits nominated by members of this community for the church's next fiscal year.

April Kindred Circle Events

April 6 @ 7pm, New moon 

Come join us and set your intensions for the new moon cycle. Fellowship and snacks after.

April 20 @ 7pm, Full moon

Come join us while we banish things out that no longer sever you. Fellowship and snacks after.

Questions? Please email: kindredcircle@dupageuuchurch.org

PASSOVER SEDER 

APRIL 21 at 5:00 PM  

The DUUC Jewish Heritage Group celebrates the meaning of Jewish Heritage in a Unitarian Universalist context. Many participants grew up in a Jewish home or have a partner who was raised in a Jewish family. Other participants developed a practice of celebrating Jewish holidays as adults or have a particular interest in Judaism. We welcome anyone who wishes to participate in traditional Jewish celebrations or other Jewish oriented activities. Please contact Bev Becker if you would like to join in the activities of the Jewish Heritage Group by sending an email to jewishheritage@dupageuuchurch.org. The annual Jewish Heritage Group Passover Seder will be on Sunday, April 21 at 5:00 PM in Kreves Hall. Contact Bev to sign up to attend the Seder and to decide on the food/drink you might contribute to the festive meal. 

Closed captioning is popular! When the world is more accessible for disabled people, we often find there are benefits for everyone. According to a segment on the CBS News Sunday Morning Show, more than half of Americans now turn on closed captioning at least some of the time while watching television shows and videos. Closed captioning is especially popular with young people. According to the news segment, closed captioning helps people understand dialogue in the face of background noise, unfamiliar accents, poor sound mixing, and lower quality speakers. Closed captioning can also enhance the story telling of shows with its creative descriptions of sounds and music. According to Reading Rockets, turning on closed captioning for young children can also help “boost foundational reading skills, such as phonics, word recognition, and fluency.” Thanks to advocacy by the National Association for the Deaf, most large streaming services began adding closed captioning to their content around 2010. 

At DUUC, automatically generated closed captioning and transcripts are available for all live-streamed and archived Sunday services. The Church Zoom account also allows for any participant to turn on closed captioning or live transcript during the meeting. Please always use DUUC’s Zoom account for your remote Church meetings because personal, free Zoom accounts do not have the option to turn on closed captioning or live transcript. You can request a Zoom meeting link by sending an email to calendar@dupageuuchurch.org.

The DUUC Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry Team strives to increase awareness of issues surrounding disability and disability rights and to help make all church programs and spaces as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you have questions about AIM at DUUC, have accessibility or inclusion questions, suggestions, or concerns at church, and/or would like to join the DUUC AIM Team, please email us at aim@dupageuuchurch.org.

Sunday Flowers Needed 

Celebrate a person or event by providing flowers for a Sunday service. Flowers are needed for various dates throughout the summer months. You may request to have Sunday Flowers order a $35 standard arrangement for you from Phillip’s Flowers. Or, if you are planning to attend the service in person, you may choose to bring in your own arrangement from your garden or favorite flower shop. The arrangement should be brought to the sanctuary by 8:50 a.m. Your dedication will be printed in the email with the link to the on-line version of the Order of Service as well as in the printed Order of Service.  The flowers are yours to take home after the second service. If you are not attending service that day, you may contact Sheri office@dupageuuchurch.org or (630) 505-9408 to make arrangements for pick-up during office hours. Payment may be made by sending a check made out to DUUC for $35 to the church office (write “flowers” on the memo line), through the DUUC Payment Portal (select “other” under donation, and write in “flowers”), or VANCO (select “flowers fund”). Contact Kristen Tang flowers@dupageuuchurch.org or (630) 305-7771 for more information and/or to request a date. Thank you!

Please consider making a donation to support DuPage UU Church and all of its programs.

Text "DUUC" to 73256 using your mobile device OR click here.

Thank you!