Volume XXXVIII | March 1, 2019

March 2019

Your monthly Religious Education news & updates

Upcoming youth activities and events as well as information for members who want to know what is going on in the youth program. (If you do not want to receive these monthly updates you may unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. It will not affect your regular newsletter subscription.)

March 3 - Service for All Ages Hero's Journey What do Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Moana and Frodo all have in common with the heroes of ancient myths? What if I told you they are all variants of the same hero? They are all about the hero learning and discovering who they are and being brave enough to be who they really are. That’s why they are so popular and why we love to hear stories like these. Embedded deep in the human psyche lies the narrative of what Joseph Campbell called the hero's journey. This is more than just a mere mythological narrative. This is a deep truth that applies to every human story. This is a journey about self-discovery, living a fully realized life or as Campbell would simply state “following your bliss.” led by Steve Cooper Services @ 9:30 & 11:15 Special music by Jim Wharton, Becky Trombly-Freytag and Sal & Izy

Youth Religious Education Sunday Topics Everyone starts in the sanctuary for the worship service. On days with religious education classes the children will leave after the Time to Gather with their teachers and go to their classrooms. Our theme for March is JOURNEY. The weekly topics will be: Mar. 3 - The Hero's Journey (service for all ages, no RE classes) Mar. 10 - The Journey of Justice: the practice of witnessing in a group by marching and protesting. Mar. 17 - Journey Beginnings: the journey of life is about sharing our blessings. Mar. 24 - Art as a Journey: colors, textures, patterns begin to reflect our personal journeys Mar. 31 - Journey Endings: Saying thank-you for sharing in the life of that person Each week we will provide parent and family resources relating to the theme and/or topic. (see further below for more resources on Trust)

Traveling Chalice Would you like to take the Traveling Chalice home with you for a week? You can sign up by clicking here. The following are included in the kit: A handmade one-of-a-kind Chalice created for our church; Special Cloth, Battery Operated Candle, Votive with Wax Candle, Pen, Journal, Chalice Lighting Readings, and a book titled “A Cup of Light: All About the Flaming Chalice” by Pamela Baxter and instructions.

How the Program Works Each week a family/household (not just those with children) will take home the Traveling Chalice, which will be inside a special Chalice Carrier. On Sundays, a sign-up sheet will be in Kreves Hall on the buffet cabinet near the video kiosk and online. You may want to use the Chalice during your meals, family meetings, or as a bedtime ritual. Choose a reading from the materials provided or make your own. Take a photo of the chalice and post it on the DUUC Coffee Hour Facebook page or send it to dre@dupageuuchurch.org (is the Chalice on your dining room table, mantle, next to a bedside table?) Record your experience in the included journal. How did the chalice enrich your experience? In what ways was the chalice used? Tell us who you are and when you had the chalice. if you created your own reading, you may share it in the journal. Bring the Chalice Carrier and all its contents back to church the following week so that the next family/household may use it.

A Blessing for You & Your Home You’re not done yet, Dear One, nor are you alone. May you feel comforted knowing that you are cared for by your fellow travelers, and may you feel empowered by the gifts bestowed by those who have walked before. May you rest so that you may be restored for what is to come, and may you feel inspired by the opportunity new days provide.

Resources for JOURNEY These resources support parents as they live out and engage our themes with their children. Playing off our monthly theme question of “What does it mean to be a people of Journey?”, we invite parents to ask “What does it mean to be a parent of Journey” or “What does it mean to be a family of Journey?” Each month we will provide a list of table topics which are questions based on the monthly theme that will open up discussion during meal times, family time or just time of contemplation. The first half of the questions are at a higher age level and life maturity. The second half of the list of questions (in blue text) are kid friendly. You can find the JOURNEY Table Topics here . Print them out and have them available or cut the questions into strips and place them in a table topic jar. If you could hear the soundtrack in our brains this month, it would be Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin.’ ” If it isn’t already in yours, enjoy. That’s our hope for you - that you don’t stop believing in yourself and in your community of care as you support your child/ren in this wild journey called life…

You can contact Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education at dre@dupageuuchurch.org or the Youth Religious Education Committee at yre@duuc.org