February 2022
What does Widening the Circle mean? Click HERE to find out.
Creating a Covenant of Engagement

How can you, as a congregation, constructively handle disagreements? How can you channel complaints, compliments, or suggestions? How can you work together most productively to accomplish the things you want to do as a congregation?

Your interim minister and Transition Team, on behalf of your Board of Trustees, invite all congregants to participate in the formulation of a Covenant of Engagement. This covenant will provide the rationale and guiding principles for the ways individual members engage with each other, with ministers and staff, with operating structures (Boards, committees, teams, etc.), and with the congregation as a whole. The Covenant of Engagement will be the equivalent of what some congregations call "Principles for a Healthy Congregation" or a "Covenant of Right Relations," with a broad view of congregational involvement.

Congregants will be invited to respond to two simple questions that will provide the basis for the covenant. The participation of as many congregation members as possible will help to make this a useful document that will help the congregation thrive. Responses will be incorporated into a document to be reviewed and voted on by the congregation.

Potential next steps will be the formation of organizational structures to support the Covenant of Engagement.

Please plan to attend one of these sessions!

  • Sunday, February 20, 3:00 – 5:00 pm by Zoom o
  • Wednesday, February 23, 7:00 – 9:00 pm by Zoom

In faith and hope,

Connie
In response to Coronavirus and with concern for the safety and health of our members and visitors, all Sunday services, Forums, and large meetings will be held online only.
Sunday, February 6, 2022 @ 10:30am

“Counting Our Shared Blessings; Counting on Each Other”
How does this religious community sustain and support you? How do you sustain and support this religious community? Your church is counting on you to participate! Rev. Connie Grant speaking.
 
Sunday, February 13, 2022 @ 10:30am

“What Makes a Family?” 
Families come in many shapes and sizes, and evolve through stages of life. Members of some DuPage UU Church families of differing ages and configurations will help us explore the question "What makes a family?"  A multigenerational service led by Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education, and Rev. Connie Grant.

Sunday, February 20, 2022 @ 10:30am

“Believing in Evolution”
Believing in evolution is a theological claim as well as a scientific one. In honor of Charles Darwin’s 213th birthday, an exploration of the meaning of “evolution” in our lives. Rev. Connie Grant speaking.

Sunday, February 27, 2022 @ 10:30am

“Widening the Circle”
What does it mean to embrace diversity? Rev. Connie Grant speaking.
Come Zoom with Your Board!
Join your Board of Trustees on Zoom the SECOND Sunday of every month at Noon for conversation and connection. We’d love to have you join us!

Every month on the SECOND Sunday at Noon.
Or dial +1 312 626 6799
Meeting ID: 910 2998 3070
Passcode: 272229
Virtual Social Time
Each Sunday, 11:30-noon by Zoom
Bring your coffee and join us following the service for Social Time with Rev. Connie Grant. You’ll be assigned to an automatically-generated “breakout room” for a half-hour of conversation with a small group of people. A discussion question related to the service will be provided. The Zoom link is: https://uuma.zoom.us/j/bl99323877416.
Sunday, February 6, 2022 @ Noon via YouTube

Mike Winter will conclude his three part series discussing "The Science of Power and Authority". Beginning with a discussion of the dark triad and how do positions of Power affect those who acquire them, we will look at how can society avoid the darker aspects of Power and find places for those who are most likely to wield Power effectively, thoughtfully, and carefully. What will it take to ensure that Powerful people use their authority compassionately?

Sunday, February 20, 2022 @ Noon via YouTube

Scott Thompson will give the second part of his talk about Einstein's special theory of relativity. You need not have attended the first one to enjoy this one, but if you missed the first part and would like to catch up, check out the DUUC YouTube channel for part 1. During this 2nd part, Scott will discuss the famous E=mc2, as well as the ways in which special relativity is important to cosmology, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism and particle physics.
COVID Task Force Weekly Update
 During the past week our four counties have averaged 1685 new confirmed Covid cases per day, this is a decrease from the week before. The seven-day rolling average Covid cases per 100,000 population for Monday, January 31 is 518.45. This is a 59% decrease from the previous week. The chart below shows weekly Covid cases per 100K population for our four counties since the first week in July 2021.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the COVID Task Force at [email protected]. 
February Special Collection
In February the DUUC special collection will benefit the Tom Galloway Scholarship Fund at College of DuPage. Tom Galloway was the first African American president of DUUC. This scholarship supports African American students at the College of DuPage. The DUUC Special Collection pays about a third of the annual tuition for a scholarship recipient and can also be used to obtain access to computers, purchase textbooks, or help with living expenses. DUUC has been supporting this cause for 23 years. 
During December you gave $1590.94 to our special collection for DuPage PADS. Thank you for your generosity and support. To make a donation, please click here.
RUaUU2?

Connecting with DuPage UU Church

Are you considering becoming a member of the congregation and want to find out more about what that means?

How do people of diverse beliefs become part of one congregation? Enjoy a morning of exploration about your own spiritual and religious orientation and the workings of the church, led by Rev. Connie Grant and representatives of church programs.

Saturday, March 5, 9:30am – 12:30pm
by Zoom

If you have questions or to register, email the Congregational Life Team at [email protected] by
Sunday, February 27.
Your Ministerial Search Committee has been hard at work, revising the Congregational Record and receiving applications for a settled minister. Currently, we are interviewing candidates, and narrowing down the search to the top three that would be a best fit for our church. We hope to introduce the congregation to a candidate minister in April.
 
You can read more about the search process and our recent work in the Ministerial Search Updates section of our website.
 
If you have questions or concerns for the Ministerial Search Committee, please contact [email protected].
 
Bob Harris
Policy-based governance: the beat goes on!
Over the holidays and into the new calendar year, the Governance Advisory Committee has been clarifying, refining, assigning, and cross-checking our draft Bylaws, policies, procedures, and our organizational structure. Making great progress, the Committee has been having conversations with the Board and owners of many of the documents and processes that are being updated so that we all can "do the work we love, better." The Board, Minister, and Staff are performing their roles aligned with our new structure and as represented at Board meetings and Committee and Team work for the Church. Join us Sunday, February 20 at 9:30 am for a Zoom update. Zoom details to come, and we'll remind you in the next Weekly and in Sunday announcements.
The proposals for the new affordable seniors and individuals with developmental disabilities housing project are now available for review on the City of Naperville's website:
 
This project is focused on expanding quality, affordable housing for seniors and individuals with developmental disabilities in Naperville using City-owned property.
 
The two potential developers of this project will present their proposals and answer questions at a public meeting hosted by the City's Human Rights and Fair Housing Commission (HRFHC). The meeting will take place on Monday, March 7th at 6:30 pm at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. 
Adult Enrichment
Book Enthusiasts! Come join the DUUC Book Club!  
When: March 11 from 7:00-9:00 pm (no meeting in Feb) 
Where: In the DUUC Sanctuary and Online via Zoom
Zoom Link: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82755660683?pwd=Rkc0UDVmdWFVVFZMM0JOeDJKQkR6QT09

RSVP to Jenny Hobbs at [email protected].

Please join us on the Second Friday of the month in the DUUC Sanctuary or via Zoom for the DUUC Book Club. There will be no meeting in February, but we will meet in March to discuss Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.

Consider purchasing from a Diverse Owned Bookstore, or support your local bookstore like Anderson's or Harvey's Tales, or the UUA inSpirit bookstore. You can also find this book at the Naperville Public Library, it's available as a physical book, audiobook and e-book. There are multiple copies available, but you might need to put it on hold ASAP! If you would like to participate but the cost of the book is difficult for you, please reach out to Rev Connie.  

The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

“As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.”

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.
God or Gods: Theorized Canaanite and Mesopotamian Origins
of the god of the Bible
Sunday, February 27 @ 3 PM
The Abrahamic faiths teach that there is one, all powerful god. But did the ancient Hebrews always believe that, or did they originally worship other gods? The Hebrew texts, deriving from at least 4 sources, actually hint at a polytheistic history in which YHWH was one (or two) among many gods. Join us as we explore these ideas.
Questions, comments, or to be notified of forums/presentations? 
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 [email protected].
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 needed on February 27th and March.  While services are held remotely, the primary way to provide flowers will be to request that Sunday Flowers order a $35 standard arrangement for you from Phillip’s Flowers. However, if you are already scheduled to take part in the service that day, you may choose to bring in your own arrangement from your garden or favorite flower shop. Your dedication will be printed in the email with the link to the on-line version of the Order of Service. The flowers are yours to take home after the service. If you are not participating in the service, you will need to pick up your flowers either on Sunday 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m., or contact Sheri, [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!
Church open for limited groups of 10 or less 
The church is open for groups of ten or less. All meetings must be scheduled and confirmed through [email protected]. If multiple meetings are taking place during the same time frame, we will stagger the start and end times so there is less cross traffic. Impromptu meetings are not allowed inside the building. Masks will be required for entry into the building. A supply of disposable masks will be available at the front door for those who do not bring their own.
Four meeting spaces are available and will have only ten chairs in the room with floor markings to indicate their proper distance. The rooms available are Founders, Learning Center, Kreves Hall and the rear corner of the Sanctuary. We will have disinfectant supplies and hand sanitizer available in each meeting room, restrooms, and the elevators.
 
The following Group Expectations and Guidelines will be posted in meeting spaces and sent to group leaders:
  • 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 facemask while traveling through building.
  •  If seated and socially distanced facemask may be removed if all parties are agreeable.
  • Consider disinfecting your chair upon arrival. Use disinfectant wipe and allow a few minutes to air dry.
  •  If using elevator, wipe buttons with disinfect wipe after selection
  •  If using restroom, disinfect touched surfaces after (and before) use
  • No congregating on sidewalk or public spaces after or before meeting
  • Individual impromptu meetings can take place on benches in 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).
Please consider making a donation to support
DuPage UU Church and all of its programs ~ thank you!
In the Wider Unitarian Universalist World
Rev. Allison Farnum enjoyed being with us at our service last Sunday. At the Sunday service , she shared with us the mission of the Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois, where she serves as Director and Minister, which is to equip UU's in Illinois to transform institutions and support people harmed by the prison industrial complex. If you are interested in learning more, please like the UUPMI Facebook or twitter page for action alerts and be sure to check out the website. If you are particularly interested in exploring a pen pal relationship with a prisoner in Illinois, UUPMI has an hour-long recorded video training and ongoing support in the pen pal relationship through the Church of the Larger Fellowship Ambassador of IL Program. Check it out here. Thank you for hosting Rev. Allison! You can contact her at [email protected]
Register Now for In-Person GA 2022!
Registration is now open for in-person attendance. Full-time registration is $475 for adults, and $250 for high school youth and retired and candidate ministers. Financial support for registration, lodging credit within the GA housing block, as well as a payment plan are available. In-person registration rates will increase on March 1 and again on May 1. Registration for virtual participation will open March 1.
The General Assembly Housing Reservation System is Now Open! 
The GA Housing Reservation System offers premium amenities, discounted rates, and the best networking opportunities for in-person GA attendees. By booking in our hotel block, you assist the UUA in effectively controlling meeting space, attrition and penalty fees; all of which directly benefit you and the future of General Assembly. Additionally, the UUA is able to negotiate on behalf of our block of attendees for sustainability and accessibilities requirements. Get a head start on your travel plans and book your housing today on the GA Housing Reservation Page.
RA 2022 Registration Now Open!
Registration is now open for virtual MidAmerica Regional Assembly (Saturday, April 30, 2022, 10AM – 2PM ET / 9AM – 1PM CT). There is a sliding fee scale between 25.00 to $50.00 and scholarships are available. Please register on our RA registration page!
Our keynote speaker, UU educator, consultant, and facilitator CB Beal, will present “The Glass is Refillable: Pandemic Exhaustion, Lifelong Faith Formation, and Preemptive Radical Inclusion.” The day will feature worship, keynote presentation and conversation, lunch break, business meeting, and time for social connection. This year we will be using the Whova platform, which improves security, accessibility, and ease of use. Upon registration, all participants will receive information on how to access Whova and learn how to get the most out of it. We look forward to seeing you there!