Newsletter - September 2023

Newsletter

September 2023

Dear DUUC Members and Friends,

What a fantastic beginning to the year! August 20th, Ingathering Sunday, was a full, robust day with an energetic worship and fun-filled, fellowship-centered picnic as we beat the heat! Get a glimpse of the fun we had here. It was so good to truly be in community with you all. And it just keeps coming! On Sunday, August 27th, we launched our two worship services and our multi-generational religious education hour - with 71 adult attendees!

Your staff has been hard at work to offer you some of the things that you shared were important to you during our Congregational Conversations last fall. Our programming and opportunities to engage with each other is a hallmark of hospitality of this congregation. You all are helping to make our community a success by partnering with our staff. Thank you! If you would like to help out, please reach out to Tina Lewis, our Director of Membership and Engagement, [email protected]

With so much programming in full swing, we are also looking at our music program. In July, I wrote to you about our current status here. Throughout July and August, Francisco Ruiz and I, as well as others, have had a number of discussions about the learnings we have gleaned from the past year and what we would like to envision for our future.

To address our immediate need for a choir director we will be hiring part-time Interim Choir Director, Amanda M. Thomas. She will be joining us in September. You can learn more about Amanda below.

As we get settled into the coming program year, we are so excited to share with you all the opportunities for engaging with other members, deepening your faith, and growing in mind, heart, and spirit. We hope you will consider exploring musical opportunities, our Chalice Circle small group ministrie s, and engage in our multi-generational religious education opportunities on Sunday mornings between worship.

In faith,

rev. mandi huizenga

Introducing our Interim Choir Director, Amanda M. Thomas

Amanda M. Thomas – Mezzo soprano is a retired UU music director and a member of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Oak Park, Illinois. She has been an active UU for 23 years, and has served on the Board of Trustees for the Association of UU Music Ministries and on the UUA’s Music Leadership Certification Committee. She has led workshops and music at the UUA General Assembly as a soloist, choir member, worship leader, and choir director for Ministry Days, and for The Service of The Living Tradition. Amanda is now serving as a Troubadour and offering services as a freelance soloist, music/choir consultant, choral conductor, workshop facilitator, worship leader, vocal instructor and respite music director. She enjoys the monumental task of creating ways to inspire and feed the souls of all individuals through music. Amanda believes we can each find our own joy through music, as we navigate our musical path to our free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

From Your Staff

Last fall, the Board hosted Congregational Conversations which gave your staff an opportunity to hear directly from you about your dreams and hopes for our future. We have been hard at work to make those dreams a reality. We wish to take a moment to let you know that your staff is here to support the mission of DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church. More specifically, we are charged with creating, implementing, and supporting the programs of our church.

One of the ways that we can do this most helpfully is when you share with us what is working, what your ideas are, how you are willing to help, and what you might be struggling with. In other words, we need to hear from YOU! We encourage you to come to us with all of these things and more so we can help better live into the mission of DUUC. If you are not sure who to direct your thoughts or questions to, please check out our organizational chart to help guide you!

rev. mandi huizenga, Minister, [email protected]

Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education, [email protected]

Tina Lewis, Director of Membership and Engagement, [email protected]

Sheri Regalado, Office Administrator, [email protected]

Sunday Services

In-person and Online

Click here to join our live stream Services!

Sunday, September 3, 2023

10:00am - One service only

Labor of Love

Lecretia Williams

Eco-womanist teachings ask us to consider all of us in order for our society to work. The labor of caregiving, emotional support, nurturing, and community building, all of which are critical to the survival of families and communities, is underpaid and devalued. It falls disproportionately on the shoulders of working-class and poor women of color. What will happen to our society if we prioritize the labor of love?

Lecretia Williams is a seminarian at Star King School for the Ministry and an aspiring religious scholar and writer. She is also a member of the Unitarian Universalist Ministry Association and an Aspirant to the Unitarian Universalist Ministry.

Before responding to a call to UU ministry, they trained in classical ballet, worked as an ESL teacher, and landscape gardener. Their ministry frequently connects religion and politics, health, black and LGBTQIA+ liberation, and the arts. From 2021 to 2023, they served as Worship Learning Fellow at the Church of the Larger Fellowship and they are a 2023 recipient of the Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley Scholarship.

11:15am Adult Learning Offering

Learning Center: Science Sunday will commence a 14th season on Sunday September 3rd at 11:15. Note the new time for this Science Sunday only. We will meet in the newly updated Learning Center, our long-time “home”. As you enter the building, turn to the right and go up the stairs. The topic is “Are we in the Anthropocene?” What is the Anthropocene, and what scientific evidence is there that supports that mankind has had immense influence on our natural world? Scientists struggle to “prove” that humanity is the cause of any single weather experience, and those that choose not to be convinced are tough sells. Nevertheless, there is data and solid scientific explanations for climate influences. We shall discuss some of them. Come and participate!!

Sunday, September 10, 2023

9:00 AM Worship Service - All ages

10:15 AM Religious Education - All ages

11:30 AM - Worship Service - All ages

Calling All Holy Troublemakers

Heather Vickery, Coordinator for Congregational Activism

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

As many of you know, our trans and gender expansive beloveds are under attack and being criminalized in many US states right now. This is so serious that they fit the criteria to be designated as internally displaced people (IDPs) by the United Nations. This isn’t the first time fascism has reared its ugly head, and we at UUs know how to respond. UUSC has been dedicated to aiding people being targeted by fascism since our founding in 1940. Our faith calls us to make holy trouble for the powers that would deny anyone’s full humanity and divinity. Join us, holy troublemakers, now is the time!

10:15 AM Adult Learning Offering A workshop led by the Trans Resistance Network in collaboration with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committtee.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

9:00 AM Worship Service - All ages

10:15 AM Religious Education - All ages

11:30 AM - Worship Service - All ages

Curiously Rooted

rev. mandi huizenga

How might we experience our world differently if we approached from curiosity rather than knowing?

10:15 AM Adult Learning Offering

Scott Thompson will talk about his first book “Quest Vol. 1: A Wanderer’s Journey Through a Wonderful Cosmos”. Scott will read some selections from his book and will be happy to discuss any of the topics the audience would like to engage about. From the Big Bang to theories of the multiverse, this book both codifies and elaborates on topics Scott has covered in other Science Sundays. This program will be its best when you come and participate.

Sunday, September 24, 2023

9:00 AM Worship Service - All ages

10:15 AM Religious Education - All ages

11:30 AM - Worship Service - All ages

Blessing of the Animals

rev. mandi huizenga

Join us for our annual Blessing of the Animals service. All friendly pets are welcome to accompany their human companions to worship! We will have both services outside with children’s religious education & coffee hour in-between the services (also outside). In the event of inclement weather, please bring a picture of your beloved furry friend and we will move inside!

10:15 AM Coffee Hour only

Coffee Hours with rev. mandi

Join rev. mandi at Peet’s Coffee Shop on Ogden Avenue in Naperville on Thursday, September 14th between 9:30-11:30 am. This is super casual…grab a cup of joe (or tea) and sit to chat with rev. mandi.

If you would like to meet with rev. mandi individually or for a more specific purpose, please schedule a time with her through email ([email protected]) or calendly.com/mandihuizenga

Become a Member

Are you curious to learn what being a member of DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church (DUUC) is all about? Good news! The new Pathway to Membership classes will begin again this fall. In the first session, participants will share stories about their religious/spiritual histories and learn about Unitarian Universalism and DUUC’s history in a small group setting. The second session will focus on how the church works, what membership offers, what it means to be a member of this church, and how we can build a future together. The fall schedule includes: Sundays, October 22 & 29 or November 12 & 19 from 1:00-4:00. Light refreshments will be provided. Contact Tina Lewis at [email protected] or 630-505-9418 to register for one of the two-part classes.

Meet & Greets

Would you like to get to know more people in the congregation? Beginning September 17, members will host a special social hour between services once a month. It’s a great way for new members, visitors, and established members to get to know one another in a small group setting. This group will meet in the lower level of the Annex. Walk-ins are welcome, though registration is helpful for set-up. Contact Tina Lewis at [email protected] to register.

Engagement Tables

Would you like to reserve a table in Kreves Hall on Sunday mornings to promote a group, class, event, and/or volunteer opportunity? To learn more or reserve a table to promote a DUUC offering or need, please contact [email protected].

Humanist Group

The Humanist discussion for Wednesday, September 13th at 7:30 pm in the Learning Center: Science and the Politics of Identity. Questions? Please email Scott Thompson.

During September our special offering will benefit The Alive Center of Naperville, nominated by Dean Reschke, who was a founding member. Their mission is to be a Teen-Led, Teen-Driven™ (TLTD) center focused on empowering the youth of today to become the impassioned, resilient leaders of tomorrow. As a nonprofit organization they offer free drop-in hours after school and over the summer as well as a myriad of programs, classes and events, designed to build confident and resilient teens. On any given day at Alive one will find teen-led tutoring, mentoring and clubs as well as life skill classes such as unstructured art and dance, nutrition and healthy cooking, stress management, open music venues, creative writing and just plain fun! It is a place to belong and learn important life skills. For more information about The Alive Center visit their web site at https://www.alivecenter.org.

$2023.74 was collected for UUPMI during July. Thank you for your generosity.

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.

Calling all DUUC members and friends who are US military veterans

We would like to have a complete list of all our members and friends who have served in the US Military prior to Veterans Day. To achieve this, we are creating a Masterlist of all Members and Friends of DUUC who have served in the US Military Active and/or Reserve.

If you are a Veteran or know of one of us who is a Veteran, please email the name to

Tina at [email protected].

ANNUAL FALL ADULT RETREAT

October 6-8

The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery

Join us for a fall weekend in the woods to contemplate the The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Masteryby Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz. The book is an update and sequel to The Four Agreements which has seen years of best seller status and millions of copies sold. The book adds a fifth guiding principle and also re-explains the four previous ones. The agreements are: 1. Be Impeccable With Your Word, 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally, 3. Don’t Make Assumptions, 4. Always Do Your Best and, 5. Be Skeptical, But Learn To Listen.

During the retreat, there will be time for discussion of themes from the book, sharing of life stories, private journaling and self-reflection as well as singing, drumming, walks in the woods and meditation. In addition to focusing on the five agreements, the retreat is a wonderful opportunity to really get to know other DUUC members and friends. The location is Pilgrim Park Conference Center, in a pretty and hilly area near Princeton, IL. The cost is only $160 for DUUC members and $180 for non-members and includes 2 nights lodging and 6 meals and the book! Flyers with additional information and registration forms are in the office, on the greeter's table and available through this LINK. Questions or interest in scholarship? Contact Caroline Bailey (847-431-6471 or [email protected]) or Bev Becker (630-886-5622 or [email protected].

~Your Retreat Committee includes Caroline Bailey, Bev Becker, Mollie Hibbard and Pat Lichtman.

INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS

October 3 to November 7, 2023

Are you interested increasing your sense of calmness and wellbeing? Neuroscience research has shown that developing a daily practice of Mindfulness Meditation can help cultivate these qualities in ourselves. Mindfulness can be viewed as a method of mental training in which we learn over time, to abide more and more in the present moment by focusing on our body, heart, mind and milieu, supported by an open, curious and friendly attitude towards ourselves and others.

The five weekly 90 minute, in person classes will teach participants basic principles of Mindfulness using experiential guided meditation, explanatory lectures, practical tips and Q&A. This workshop is open to beginners as well as seasoned meditators.

Join Mary Kullman, certified meditation teacher and co-facilitator of Present Moment Meditation Group, from October 3 through November 7, (excluding Oct. 31), Tuesday evenings, from 7 to 8:30 PM, for this 5 week course, in person.

Since these classes are sequential, it is important that you plan on attending all 5 evenings.

To register or for questions, email Mary at: [email protected] or call or text 630-388-9409. (If you contact me with text, please include your email address.)

Come join the AIM Team!

Do you have a passion for equity, inclusion, education, hospitality, technology, social media, music, and/or social justice? Since people with disabilities participate in all aspects of church life, people with a wide variety of interests and skills are most welcome on DUUC’s Accessibility and Inclusion Ministry Team. We meet approximately once a month to plan articles for the church newsletter, to assess and improve accessibility and inclusion at church, to work on our social justice project, to create a disability themed class or forum, and to give a yearly AIM service. If you are interested in joining us or would like some more information, please contact Kristen Tang, Karen Seymour, Mary Hamill, and/or Jamie Smith at [email protected].

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 [email protected].

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 others' 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 a.m. 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 [email protected] or Bob Harris [email protected].

DUUC Library Monthly Book Recommendations – September

Throughout the year, the DUUC Library will have monthly book recommendations based upon a monthly holiday, historical significance, etc. Information about these featured DUUC Library books will be available on a book list flyer in the Library Alcove area in Kreves Hall. For September 2023, in recognition of Unitarian Universalism’s embrace of diverse teachings from many religions, books from many world religions will be featured.

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.

We are meeting Hybrid in the DUUC Learning Center and on Zoom.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88571021238?pwd=

VWVGWEF1YndOTE9zOTNPaXVaYmJNUT09

Meeting ID: 885 7102 1238

Passcode: 512058

For more information, go to our website: www.presentmomentsangha.org,

or contact Mary Kullman [email protected] or Elaine Waite [email protected].

Sunday Flowers Needed

Celebrate a person or event by providing flowers for a Sunday service. Flowers are still needed throughout the 2023-24 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 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 at [email protected] 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 at [email protected] or (630) 305-7771 for more information and/or to request a date. Thank you!