WomanSpirit Winter Conference 2014 in Pictures

On February 7-9, DUUC hosted the Women & Religion Committee’s Winter WomanSpirit 2014 conference.  The conference,  Wisdom for the Journey: A Weekend with Sue Monk Kidd,  had 150 attendees. Below are just some of the photographs, taken by our very own Ruth Elliott, of the many powerful moments at the conference.  

Becky Trombley-Freytag speaking during the Opening Ceremony.

The group Cymbal performed.  From Dekalb,   the group members are (not in order of picture) Rev. Linda Slabon, Dr. Toni Tollerud, Dr. Lynn McCanne, Terri Mann-Lamb, Linda Matuszewski, and Elisa Woodruff.

The attendees sang along with the group Cymbal on Friday night.  Sue Monk Kidd (fourth woman from right, in red scarf) attended the opening ceremony as well.

Sue Monk Kidd during the keynote speech on Saturday. 

 

The 150 attendees of Winter WomanSpirit Retreat were excited to see Sue Monk Kidd and hear about her books, including her new one “The Invention Of Wings.”

Sue Monk Kidd autographing books.

Kelley Trombly-Freytag lit the chalice before the closing ceremony Saturday.

 

Rev. Denise Tracy, chair of the Women & Religion Committee during the closing ceremony.

All photography by Ruth Elliott Photography.

Liberal Theology 101

Does the word theology make you shudder? If so, join our Community Minister Myriam leanings. Theology has a range of meanings. Did you know that nearly every theologian (and there have been many!) working through the ages has had a different definition of this word, some of which you may find interesting and compelling. This course will explore a Renaud on Sunday February 16^th for Liberal Theology 101.  This course aims to put an end to your case of the shudders by helping you discover a new meaning(s) that fits your spiritual and religious way to claim, or reclaim, this important word. Do you also wonder what makes a theology, “liberal?” Come find out in this two-hour class!

Liberal Theology 101              Feb. 16, 2014                 1:30-3:30 PM

Save the dates for another fantastic course coming up in March!

Have you found yourself backing off from taking risks? Got burned in life or in social-justice-work and you’re not taking any chances you’ll get burned again? For ethicist, Dr. Sharon Welch, backing-off is the result of what she calls an “ethic of control.” When we subscribe to such an ethic, we expect (demand!) results. Welch recommends that we adopt an “ethic of risk” instead.  In this course we will discuss readings from Welch’s book (provided in advance as .pdf files). We will apply her ethic of risk to real-life quandaries. This course is two two-hour sessions. 

Sharon Welch’s Ethic of Risk  March 2 & 9, 2014         1:30-3:30 PM

Courses are open to DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church (DUUC) members, friends and the general public.

Rev. Renaud will also be at DUUC on February 23^rd to present her second service of the year at both the 9:30am and 11:15am services.  Rev. Renaud is currently a PhD student in Theology at the Chicago Divinity School and serves our DUUC community through academic scholarship.

For more information about our Ministerial team including Rev. Myriam Renaud, please visit:

http://www.dupageuuchurch.com/index.php/who-we-are/staff

Winter WomanSpirit Conference

DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church is excited for the upcoming Winter WomanSpirit conference being held this weekend, February 7-9!

Winter WomanSpirit is a weekend-long gathering and interactive celebration of creativity, connection and inner strength for all women organized by the Women and Religion Committee of the UUA and is being held here, at DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church this year!

The conference includes workshops, a concert, a talent show/coffeehouse, a vendor space for women artisans, a raffle (with proceeds benefiting the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Patterson and McDaniel Family Center, the rape crisis center for DuPage County), and times for reflection and celebration.

Sue Monk Kidd

The featured speaker will be Sue Monk Kidd, author of the bestselling novel The Secret Life of Bees, The Mermaid Chair and the upcoming novel, The Invention of Wings.  Her voice at Winter WomanSpirit will be a welcome presence and will help set a contemplative tone for the conference. 

Workshop topics and presenters include:

• Secrets of Stress Reduction with Ragani, a Ph.D. clinical psychologist with expertise in the Himalayan traditions of yoga, meditation and eastern music.
• Healing Power of Vibrational Sound with Peggy Patty and Phyllis Lau. Patty is a Reiki master/teacher, drum circle facilitator, crystal bowl facilitator and certified tuning fork practitioner. Participants will experience the vibratory effects of drums, crystal bowl, rattles, tuning forks and voice, and are welcome to bring drums and percussion.
• A Wise Woman Learns to Write a Blessing with Edna C. Groves, M.S., founder of Words that Endure,® national workshop presenter and a former psychotherapist. Participants will begin to write a blessing for a descendant and leave with a framework for creating more.
• Tai Chi: A Moving Meditation with Rev. Denise Tracy, who has been a teacher of Tai Chi for 30 years. Participants will learn a series of simple movements that can be used as a meditation that supports balance, perspective and a sense of spiritual well-being.
• Collage as a Spiritual Practice with Rev. Emmy Lou Belcher, minister of DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church and an artist. Creating collages from magazine pages and decorative papers, participants will explore a medium that can give expression to spiritual questions and feelings without having to draw or paint.

For more information or to register for the conference please visit:

http://www.womenandreligion.org or  www.regonline.com/w2014