Volume 2, Issue VII | October 6, 2019

October 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.)

Sunday Services at 10:30 a.m. Forums at 9:15 a.m. Nursery Care available from 9:15 to 11:30

Belonging and Not Belonging Sunday, October 6, 2019 @ 10:30 a.m. By Steve Cooper, Director of Religious Education October begins our month of reflecting on what does it mean to be a people of belonging. Who belongs here? We want to be welcoming to all, but sometimes in our actions and words, we create a sense of non-belonging. Connection with others is crucial to our well-being, and yet, we cannot look to others to fulfill our sense of self. That is the paradox of belonging no place / every place, of belonging to all humankind / to self. This is a service for all ages.

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 October is BELONGING. The weekly topics will be: Oct 6 - Belonging and Not Belonging (service for all ages, no RE classes) Oct 13 - Belonging to Yourself Oct 20 - Belonging to a History Oct 27 - Belonging to Big Things Each week we will provide parent and family resources relating to the theme and/or topic. (see further below for more resources on Belonging)

Children's Choir Performances & General Info The Children's Choir will sing on November 3, 2019, February 2, 2020, and May 3, 2020. You do not need to commit to all three dates, come to one, two or all three. If your kids are interested in joining or if you have questions, please e-mail Jenny Hobbs to be added to the mailing list. Children will need to commit to attend at least TWO of the THREE rehearsals , in addition to arriving at church a little early the day they are singing in the service for a final rehearsal and singing in the service . Rehearsals will be in the Sanctuary before the service, beginning promptly at 9:45 a.m. running no later than 10:15 a.m. On 5/3 the Children will be singing with the Adult Choir, so they will need to attend at least 2 (short) rehearsals with the Adult Choir. These rehearsals will be held 4/19 and 4/26 on Sunday nights from 6:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Rehearsal Dates 10/13, 10/20, 10/27 (for 11/3 service) 1/12, 1/19, 1/26 (for 2/2 service) 4/5 (time TBD - probably after the service), and 4/19 & 4/26 from 6:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. (for 5/3 service with Adult Choir)

A Spooktacular Sunday

Wear your Halloween costume to church on Sunday, October 27 th ! We will have a Halloween party after the service. There will games, prizes and fun surprises.

Rock n Roll Concert for SMILE! The Sound of M UU sic will be Live in our Sanctuary Saturday night October 5 th  at 7:00pm for one night only! Experience this awesome night of family friendly Rock n Roll that will have you dancing in the aisles! Listen to the sounds of the Eagles, Beatles, Jackson 5, The Who, The Monkees and more! Bring your family, your friends, your neighbors, don’t miss it! No advanced tickets necessary, as all are welcome to this Free-Will Concert with donations going to support the SMILE Project.

A Blessing for You & Your Home Wherever you are, dear one, that is where you belong, because life is an adventure of unfolding. Every step forward depends on and needs the step that has gone before. Let us take into our hearts the charge from Sufi poet Rumi, who instructs: when loneliness, disaffection, and disappointment--that crowd of sorrows--knocks on our door, welcome them! Invite them in as tired old friends, parts of ourselves whom we receive tenderly. May we claim and belong to the sacred work we are doing: building soulful homes for our whole selves, and the whole selves of our loved ones. May yours be a heart and home where all of you belong.

Resources for BELONGING 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 Belonging?”, we invite parents to ask “What does it mean to be a parent of Belonging” or “What does it mean to be a family of Belonging?” 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 October BELONGING Table Topics here . Print them out and have them available or cut the questions into strips and place them in a table topic jar.

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