Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 6.
At that time, you'll need to set your clocks back (remember “fall back”) one hour.
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What does CHANGE mean? Click HERE to find out.
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As we enter the month of November, I cannot help but think of this month as “voting month.” Especially in recent years, historical decisions have been made in the month of November. And with the rise of American Christian Nationalism, I strongly believe that the month of November will include many more historic votes. As Unitarian Universalists, our fifth principle declares that we affirm and promote: “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” This is not something we just believe, but something we act on - in our congregations and in society as well.
In recent years, the Unitarian Universalist Association has recognized the importance of the vote and the attack on democracy. The UUA began the UU the Vote initiative with the purpose to defend the right of every person to vote. I am proud to be part of a religion who believes that the right to democracy is a basic human value. If you would like to learn more about UU the Vote and how you might help, please check out their website here.
The United States, however, is not the only place where Nationalism has taken root. There are movements in most European countries as well as India. Colonization, imperialism, and capitalism has nurtured fear which often leads to anger and the backlash we are seeing across our global.
While all of this feels overwhelming, I remain an apocaloptimist. As the Urban Dictionary defines the term, “Someone who knows it’s all going to sh*t, but still thinks it will turn out ok.” Actually, apocalypse means ‘To pull the lid off something’ or ‘to reveal that which is hidden.” This does not necessarily indicate disaster. In fact, I can think of many things which should be revealed and in doing so, we might be thrown into chaos but…only out of chaos can we find rebirth. One of the many ways we engage in democracy and reveal the truth is through debate and dialogue, that is revealing the truth between all of the partisan issues, seeking the roots to what drives us as humans.
Now sometimes, these dialogues are more fruitful and easier than others. For instance, when we engage in the democracy of our congregations. This November, DuPage UU Church’s Board is asking you to participate in just this sort of democratic practice through our Congregational Conversations. This annual process gives members of DUUC an opportunity to help shape the goals and future of our Beloved Community. I do hope you will participate in this process - the more voices we hear, the better we can discern our goals and reach for our highest aspirations. To sign up for one of the conversations, please register here.
Please exercise our fifth principle, this month and all months, by voting!
rev. mandi
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Sunday Service
In-person and Online
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November 6, 2022 @ 10:30am
Our Changing Bodies
By rev. mandi huizenga
In the same way we constantly change as people, so do our bodies. Let us honor our evolving bodies and create space for all bodies to feel worth and welcome.
November 13, 2022 @ 10:30am
Facing Change: Cultivating Adaptability
By rev. mandi huizenga
The number one tool we can employ in facing change is adaptability. Join us to explore how we might cultivate this important resource in engaging change.
November 20, 2022 @ 10:30am
Changing Our Narratives
By rev. mandi huizenga
The narratives we tell ourselves are always done through a lens of experience and privilege. How might we recognize where our lenses are influencing our perspectives and narratives?
November 27, 2022 @ 10:30am
How Our Church Changed Me
By Toni Morgan, Service Coordinator
Being a member of a UU religious community invites us to recognize how we have changed over time in our unique search for truth and meaning in this world. Reflecting on this empowers us to move forward to a future full of change. This Sunday members of our congregation will speak about how their connection to our church has been a force for change in their lives.
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November 6, 2022, Noon
Mike Winter will discuss The Evolution of Flight. Looking at recent discoveries around the world, flight provides a good means to explore and explain evolutionary principles. Evolutionary explanations for flight resonate scientifically and logically. Can the creationist explanations hold water? Why or why not? We will look at examples of Convergent Evolution and discuss the term. What are some new thoughts in the evolutionary field and what discoveries back them up? How well do Darwin's studies and explanations from nearly 175 years ago hold up after years of new data and exploration?
November 20, 2022, Noon
Scott Thompson will talk about Science of the Season: Fall. The first part of Scott's program will begin with an explanation of why fall happens, in the context of astronomy and climate, to the changes the season brings about for the surface of the Earth. The second half will delve into the changes the season brings to life on Earth. This will include fascinating topics including: migrations, hibernation, changes in animal behavior and biology, to the reason for changing colors of leaves. Hopefully, this will help us discover a new appreciation for, and understanding of, the changing season.
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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
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During November our Special offering will benefit Literacy DuPage. This outreach group recruits and trains volunteers to help adults achieve their goals through accessible, customized tutoring in English. Adults served by this group may not be able to obtain English instruction in a traditional classroom setting because of barriers like cost, work schedules and lack of childcare or transportation. This service is provided to these individuals when and where it is convenient for them and free of charge. The learner chooses specific life skill goals, e.g., understand street signs, decipher prescription labels, read mail, tell bedtime stories, or apply for a job, and the tutor offers practical instruction in response. This highly personalized approach gets results, builds relationships, and strengthens communities. More information is available at https://literacydupage.org.
During September $1,238.39 was donated to the Alive Center. Thank you for your ongoing generosity.
To make a donation to support Literacy DuPage, please click HERE. |
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Auction 2022: Right here, right now!
Not purchased your ticket(s) yet?? Check out the Auction 2022: The Muppet Show site for all the information you need to consider participation. Browse the catalog of Silent (items in the 100-800 categories) and Live (beginning with items in the 2000 category) for goods, services, party and event donations! Review the calendar to ensure you won't be double-booking fun stuff! And, purchase your tickets to the Silent-Virtual and Live (auction only; pre-auction appetizers deadline has passed) portions. Find more detail such as this at Auction 2022:
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The SILENT portion of the Auction will be online only (same format as 2020 and 2021) and will open today, Thursday, November 3 at 4:00pm and close at 10:00am on Sunday, November 6.
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How to bid Online: Before you begin Silent auction bidding, you must take the step of confirming your information. Be sure to save the registration confirmation email with the Subject Welcome to Goods & Services Auction 2022 Online Bidding and open the link stating "Start Online Bidding as ..." Once you are on the Online Bidding page, click the Start Bidding button and follow the steps to finish creating your account. Then ... Bid, bid, bid!
- The LIVE Auction is Saturday, November 5, with drinks and hors d’oeuvres (unmasked) in the Learning Center at 5:30 prior to auction bidding at 7:00 in the Sanctuary! Drinks and hors d’oeuvres ticket deadline has passed, but please join us in the Sanctuary (with masks) at 7:00 for bidding!
- Childcare is available 5:30 – 9:00 for the November 5 Live portion of the Auction.
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Tickets still available: $5 for access to the Silent Auction bidding (to allow for credit card registration); $5 for Live Auction bidding-only to register for your bidding number (mask required upon entrance to the building and in the Sanctuary for Live bidding).
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Congregational Conversations 2022: First session is Sunday, Nov. 6, in the Learning Center! We are Coming Together to Build Community in so many ways this year. Your participation is requested – and needed – for the Board and Staff to understand your feelings about our community and wishes for programming, personal growth and connection, and maintenance of our beautiful facility. Conversations will take place on four dates this month. Find dates, times and formats (in person or on Zoom) on the registration page. Pick one and submit!
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WELCOME TO OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR - FRANCISCO RUIZ
Francisco Ruiz (he/him) serves as Music Director for DuPage UU Church in Illinois, Director of Music for the UU Church of Long Beach, as well as Program Director of Spiritual Practice and Worship for the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries (AUUMM). Francisco is also Voice/Ensemble Faculty Member at the Los Angeles College of Music & CSArts San Gabriel Valley.
Hailing from Ecuador, Francisco Ruiz is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and music director for a variety of choirs and music groups in LA. He has worked with various artists including U2, Ivan Lins, Luis Enrique and KC Porter. He has worked as vocalist and choir director at various important venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Wiltern, among others. Most recently, Francisco worked with producer Hector Crisantes as vocalist and arranger in 2022 Latin Grammy Nominated Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album “LA VIDA” by KURT [Universal Music Mexico], as well as background vocalist in Best Folk Album “LA TIERRA LLORA” by Paulina Aguirre.
Graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Francisco has been a vocal educator for over 10 years, touring with vocal projects and sharing his knowledge in vocal improvisation acquired by studying and performing with ten-time Grammy Award winner Bobby Mcferrin and members of Voicestra: Joey Blake and Rhiannon. Francisco performed in Chile at the 2016 Viña del Mar International Song Festival alongside Paulina Aguirre representing the Latino Immigrants in the United States, winning Best Performance. The Quinta Vergara venue was sold out the 3 nights they performed, attracting over 60,000 people and millions of TV and streaming viewers around the world.
Francisco can be seen chasing around his toddler in every park of the San Gabriel Valley, singing at Weddings, playing basketball or devoting his time to directing community choir.
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Save the Date!
Join rev. mandi and Neil Lichtman, chair of Denominational Affairs, on Sunday, December 11th at 12 pm for a conversation on the draft of the proposed new Unitarian Universalist principles. This draft will be up for adoption at the June 2023 General Assembly in Pittsburgh, PA. Please reach out with questions to revmandi@dupageuuchurch.org
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DUUC Coffee Sign-Up 22/23
If you are willing and able to help our DUUC Community, please add your name to the Coffee Sign-Up. You will prepare the coffee beforehand and clean up afterwards.
If you have further questions, you can email Jill Wallace.
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PADS Task Force News
For many years, our church has participated in supporting the homeless at area churches through the DuPage Pads Program.. We picked up sheets from the hospital, shopped for lunch and breakfast items, prepared dinner items, set up pads for sleeping and made sandwiches, served dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, monitored during the night, cooked breakfast, served breakfast, again cleaned up the kitchen, handed out lunches, collected sheets and put away pads, and returned sheets to the hospital. About 50 generous people each month volunteered to help us complete these tasks.
When the pandemic became active in our country in late March of 2020, DuPagePads suspended offering the homeless a pad and meals at area churches to protect both the clients and the volunteers. Instead, the homeless were housed in a couple area hotels. This new arrangement was actually better for the clients since they were not sleeping at a different location each night, had limited exposure to illness, and had easier access to the other assistance offered by DuPagePads.
This year DuPagePads purchased a hotel where it continues to support clients.. There are still volunteer opportunities available for individuals at DuPagePads, but the need for organizations to supply large numbers of volunteers to take care of the homeless each night no longer exists.
The PADS Task Force has decided that in light of the restructuring of the PADS program we will donate the remaining funds from the existing PADS Fund ($3,255.51) to DuPagePads. In addition we will no longer collect offering funds during the month of December for PADS. If you want to support DuPagePads, your donation is always welcome by this organization.
The PADS Task Force will be looking at other ways we can support other social justice initiatives. We hope to begin to recruit members and friends to work with us once a month at the Loaves and Fishes food bank located in Naperville so we can again work together as a group to support the larger community. Anyone who is interested in joining our task force or volunteering should email us at getinvolved@dupageuuchurch.org.
Your PADS Task Force,
Cindy Wunderlich, Jane Quamme, and Kelley Trombly-Freytag
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Humanist Speaker
On November 9th at 7:30 PM at DUUC, the Prairie State Humanists will welcome the End of the Line Humanists from Oak Park. Their long-time president, Cynthia Quam will talk about the activities of their group, and will exchange ideas with us about supporting humanist communities. She will also talk about her forthcoming novel--a book about a journey away from traditional religion to a humanistic philosophy.
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Accessibility and Inclusion in the News U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD-03) recently introduced the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act. According to Senator Duckworth’s press release, this legislation, if passed, would “help break down the significant barriers that Americans with disabilities continue to face when accessing website and software applications, which all Americans rely on for employment, commerce, education, public services and all other aspects of society. The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act would build on the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—passed over 32 years ago—by requiring that entities currently covered by the ADA, as well as commercial providers, maintain websites and software applications that are accessible for Americans with disabilities.”
For more information about the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, see Senator Duckworth’s 09/29/22 press release. We plan to keep you posted on the progress of this bill, and hope to give you opportunities to be accomplices in this fight for equal access to on-line information.
If you have questions about AIM at DuPage UU, have accessibility or inclusion questions, suggestions, or concerns at church, and/or would like to join the DuPage UU AIM Team, please email us at aim@dupageuuchurch.org.
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Calling all youth musicians:
YUUth Ensemble Holiday Song!
YUUth Ensemble will be playing at the December 11 Holiday Music service this year, and we are looking for kids/youth who would like to participate. If you have been playing your instrument for at least one year and are past the beginner stage, we would love to have you join us. We would like to practice after services on the Sundays below from 11:40-12:15 in one of the church rooms. All participants would be required to wear masks at all times and the group will be distanced (playing masks from school band would be required for wind instruments). Please contact Karen Campbell directly at rkcampb37@gmail.com or 630-995-5030 if you would like to join us. Thanks!!
Sundays: Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, and Dec. 11
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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:
As of September, 2022, meeting Hybrid, at DUUC Learning Center and on
Zoom.
Meeting ID: 885 7102 1238
Passcode: 512058
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Sunday Flowers Needed
Celebrate a person or event by providing flowers for a Sunday service. Flowers are needed throughout the church year. 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!
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Oral Care Product Recycling Collection Day
in Early 2023
According to some estimates, “the average American will throw away 300 toothbrushes in their lifetime!” Yes, we reuse our old toothbrushes to clean those hard-to-reach corners in the house, but then what? And what about those toothpaste tubes, floss containers, and floss picks? The plastic waste from toothbrushes, and other oral care products, cannot be processed through our curbside recycling programs. What can we do? Reduce-reuse-recycle. We can reduce by choosing zero-waste tooth care products, like bamboo toothbrushes, floss packaged in cardboard containers, and many other newly available products (see links below). And, now, we can recycle! The Green Sanctuary committee will be collecting plastic waste from oral care products on one of our Styrofoam collection days in early 2023. Oral-B sponsors a “RECYCLE ON US” program for consumers to “send in used oral care products including toothbrushes, brush heads, toothpaste tubes, mouthwash containers, floss containers, floss string, and floss picks.”
Here are the guidelines for our collection on date TBD in early 2023:
1. package items from your household in a sealed plastic bag
2. remove leftover toothpaste or mouthwash from tubes and bottles
3. items do not need to be cleaned, but must be dry for UPS shipping
4. bring used oral care products, any brand, including:
- toothbrushes and toothbrush heads
- toothpaste tubes
- mouthwash containers
- floss containers, floss string, and floss picks
- electric toothbrushes are not accepted through this program!
zero-waste links:
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The deadline for submissions for the December newsletter is Monday, November 28 @ 9am. Please email your submissions to Sheri at office@dupageuuchurch.org.
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Click HERE to read the latest COVID protocols at DuPage UU Church.
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Please consider making a donation to support
DuPage UU Church and all of its programs ~
thank you!
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Find out what's happening at DuPage UU Church! |
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In the Wider Unitarian Universalist World |
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General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists, where we conduct business of the Association, explore the theological underpinnings of our faith, and lean fully into our mission and principles. Please join us Wednesday, June 21 through Sunday, June 25, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and/or online for this 5-day immersive experience where we participate in inspirational worship services and informative workshops, reconvene with friends and colleagues, and explore our bustling exhibit hall. GA is an unforgettable experience for the thousands of UUs who attend. Meet us online or in Pittsburgh and you’ll leave with renewed energy and innovative ideas to share with your congregation and community-at-large!
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