Greetings DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church,

As I begin my time with you, I want to make sure you are able to reach me. The following information should connect us:

  • Email is my preferred method of communication. You may reach me here: revmandi@dupageuuchurch.org
  • To make an appointment with me: calendly.com/mandihuizenga  (If there are no times on the calendar that work for you, please reach out via email to schedule something.)
  • My office phone number is: 630.505.9408, ext. 702
  • If you have an urgent matter, my cell phone is: 708.942.0740  (If you text my cell phone, please let me know who you are. I do not respond to texts from numbers I do not know. I will, however, answer the phone from a number I do not recognize.)

My hours are:
Monday: Writing Day
Tuesday-Thursday: Working
Friday: Day off
Saturday: Day off/work as needed
Sunday: Worship!

You are always welcome to stop by the office, Tuesday-Thursday, in the event that I might be free, but please know that I may not be available for drop-in conversations. It is always better to make an appointment to meet with me.

I look forward to meeting and getting to know each and everyone of you! Please do reach out to make an appointment to chat - I am happy to meet for a meal, coffee/tea, or dessert (ice cream! Pastries!) I would relish a walk in the woods or prairie. Also happy to chat on Zoom or have you join me in my office. We can talk about church, about you, or just get to know each other!

With excitement and anticipation of our Shared Ministry!
Soon-to-be rev.
mandi
Sunday Services - In-person and Online
Sunday, August 7, 2022 @ 10:30 am

The Circle of Giving
By Kat Gelder, DuPage UU Church member
George Odell wrote “All our lives we are in need, and others are in need of us.” As a beloved community, we support each other in times of need, including the hours of volunteer work that we all give to and receive from our community. Join us as we reflect on how others’ work has impacted us, and how our communal efforts have brought us to the present moment.

Sunday, August 14, 2022 @ 10:30 am

From Ally to Accomplice
Members of DUUC’s Accessibility and Inclusion Team reflect on how we can move from being allies to accomplices and work together under the leadership of disability justice organizations, and with guidance from the wisdom of disabled activists, to dismantle the structures that limit access for individuals with disabilities. By doing this work, we strive to live part of our new church covenant of engagement which asks us to “join together to create community where people of all ages will use reason and compassion to work toward a more just and equitable society.”

Sunday, August 21, 2022 @ 10:30 am

Science is Real (fun!)
Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education
Our fifth U.U. source tells us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science. With the help of a local science and surplus store we will explore science, humanism and U.U. (and have fun.)
After the service there will be science demonstrations for all ages.

Sunday, August 28, 2022 @ 10:30 am

No Silent Witness
By Cynthia Grant Tucker, DuPage UU Church member 
On the final Sunday in August, we’ll be hearing some resonant conversations (preserved in diary entries and letters) that 19th and 20th century liberal parishioners had with themselves and with others. While some of their stories and thoughts relate experiences they’ve had in the pews, these testimonies are also critiques of such institutional structures and codes that kept women from speaking from pulpits.
This morning’s speaker, DUUC member Cynthia Grant Tucker, is a longtime UU and author. Her books about liberal religious life in the past are Healer in Harm’s Way: Mary Collson: A Clergywoman in Christian Science; Prophetic Sisterhood: Liberal Women Ministers of the Frontier; and No Silent Witness: The Eliot Parsonage Women and Their Liberal Religious World.
Parking Lot Resurfacing
We are scheduled to have the parking lot resurfaced on Monday, August 8th.
At that time, we ask that everyone park in the remote parking lot across the street.  
Special Offering August 2022
During August our special offering will benefit SARET, nominated by member Barbara Roos.  Thirty years ago, a small group of human-needs conscious friends established SARET Charitable Fund to memorialize the lessons learned from the death of a 2-year-old Wheaton child, Saret Yann, who suffered from, and died as a result of, Aplastic anemia. The economic challenges facing her impoverished family while their child was fighting for her life were a reminder that not-for-profit organizations were and continue to be needed to assist those families financially during such a crisis.

SARET was started in 1985 in Glen Ellyn, IL in response to witnessing a growing number of single mothers without job training or income, minimal state aid programs, and the influx of refugees from war-torn countries. They serve 400-500 families a year. SARET Charitable Fund was established to support families during hard times. A special disability fund was added in 2005 to help families enduring chronic illness and loss of employment. SARET is run by volunteers and interns, and over 90% of the donations it receives go directly to support clients economically. More information is available on their website https://saret.org.

Donations can be made through the church website or during in person services. If giving by check please designate the special collection on the memo line. Cash donations in the collection basket are divided equally between the church and the special collection.

$1,770.33 was collected for NAMI during the month of June. Thank you for your continuing generosity.
Zoom with Your Board for conversation and questions on the 2nd Sunday of the month at Noon. Join us in-person in the Founders Room or via Zoom.

The Zoom link is:

Or dial +1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 910 2998 3070
Passcode: 272229
Science Sunday is on hiatus until September. However, please refer to the Prairie State Humanists page on Meetup.com to stay informed about dinner gatherings, movie outings, telescope-assisted stargazing or other spontaneous summer activities.
After-service welcome for mandi
Join us following the service on August 14 for a casual mingle with mandi. As mandi settles in, she will schedule and join meetings, and learn more about us. She would love to say hello to you and your families! (And remember, you can help mandi map names to faces by sending your new or updated selfie to Sheri for the church directory!)
September 17: The Ordination and Installation of mandi huizenga
We UUs have some rituals, but this ceremony will showcase that we take pomp and circumstance seriously! We have the honor as a congregation to host mandi's once-in-a-lifetime Ordination into the Unitarian Universalist ministry. And making it even more special, we will then install her as our Minister in her first settled ministry. Members, families, friends are encouraged to attend this special event with a procession of ministers and religious professionals and an uplifting message delivered by a friend and mentor to mandi. An official invitation will follow later in August, but save the date! Saturday, September 17 at 3:00pm, in person and online.
Board news: July mini minutes; August retreat and planning
The Board met July 19; keep up to date with mini minutes from the meeting. July's full minutes will be approved at the August meeting.
 
The Board is looking forward to forging this year's path and goals with mandi and church staff, governing committee and program team leadership, and all of you. We are meeting August 13 to get down to business and make it happen! Stay tuned for updates and how you can participate
Accessibility Information and Resources
DUUC’s Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry (AIM) Team has discovered some great resources for making websites and social media content more accessible for disabled users. Find several tools to evaluate your website and media content for accessibility at the online Web Accessibility Evaluation Guide. Also, The Accessible Social Guidebook is a comprehensive how-to on best practices for making social media more accessible. A PDF of the guide can be downloaded for free from the Accessible Social website, or a hard copy is available for purchase on Amazon.
 
In other accessibility news, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently released the Airline Passenger with Disabilities Bill of Rights. Know your rights before planning your next trip!
 
Finally, free rapid antigen COVID-19 at-home tests, which are more accessible for people who are blind or low vision, are now available to order from the USPS. Tests require you to use a compatible, Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, as well as download and install an app from the App Store (for iOS) or Google Play (for Android).
 
If you have questions about AIM at DUUC, have accessibility or inclusion questions, suggestions, or concerns at church, and/or would like to join DUUC’s AIM Team, please email us at aim@dupageuuchurch.org.
An updated Congregational Photo Directory will be published in September. We already have your contact information, but if you have updates (email, address, telephone), please send them along with your new photo.
Please help rev. mandi put names to our smiling faces! 
Please email your photo (single or family) along with name(s) to Sheri at office@dupageuuchurch.org. 
Please note: Only one photo can be used per household listing.
We are planning on an electronic version with hard copies available upon request.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mondays 7:00pm - 8:45pm
This mindfulness meditation group is open to anyone who has interest in meditation from beginners to more advanced. Our time together consists of sitting meditation, walking meditation (when we meet in person), a short teaching and responsive group sharing.
For more information, go to our website: 
or Elaine Waite, at elaineawaite@gmail.com.
Please join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. 

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 879 0920 0423
Passcode: 401647

Or dial 1 312 626 6799 and use the appropriate Meeting ID and Passcode.
Sunday Flowers Needed 
Celebrate a person or event by providing flowers for a Sunday service. Flowers are still needed throughout the summer. 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 10:20 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 service. If you are not attending service, you may pick up your flowers either on Sunday 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m., or contact Sheri, office@dupageuuchurch.org or (630) 505-9408, to make arrangements for a contactless pick-up during office hours. Remember, masks are required to enter the church. 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 at flowers@dupageuuchurch.org or (630) 305-7771 for more information and/or to request a date. Thank you!
Current status of in-person activities at DuPage UU
Church meetings should be multi‐platform if meeting in‐person, meaning that individuals can choose to join via Zoom or in person. Technology has been upgraded in many of the meeting rooms and we will continue to work toward improving this technology.

Room occupancy will be based on room size and ability to safely distance. These numbers are based on non‐related adults in the room. Once the group is seated they can choose as a group whether to stay masked during the meeting.
Founders Room: 14
Learning Center: 28
Kreves Hall: 20
Sanctuary: 25
Whitney Young: 4
Clara Barton: 6

The following are Group Expectations and Guidelines:
  • For the safety of your group, other groups and church staff please enforce our safety measures within your groups.
  • Please ask members of your group to refrain from attending if they show signs of illness (coughing, fever, sore throat).
  • Arrive no sooner than five minutes early and leave no later than five minutes after scheduled ending time.
  • No community food or drinks to share.
  • Wear a facemask while traveling through building.
  • If seated and socially distanced facemask may be removed if all parties are agreeable.
  • Individual impromptu meetings can take place on benches in the backyard.
We do encourage individuals or families to visit the church property and enjoy our prairie, gardens and labyrinth at any time (no reservation required). If small groups would like to meet in the backyard for a social gathering or meeting, it should be scheduled through calendar@dupageuuchurch.org to avoid conflicts.
Please consider making a donation to support
DuPage UU Church and all of its programs ~ thank you!