New Sermon Series: Koinonia
2023-10-15 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
September 17 at 10:00 in the sanctuary
Koinonia is a Greek work from the New Testament that is hard to translate into English. Perhaps the best way to capture it is with the phrase “a shared life.” However we word it exactly, the reality is that it was this koinonia that caused the thriving of the early church. As followers of Jesus, people found a community of connection, joy, meaning, and hope. It was not first of all beliefs about Jesus or God that mattered, but it was the unique nature of the community that was created in Jesus’ name that made all the difference in the early church.
In our fall sermon series, we are going focus on koinonia, both with regard to the church itself, and on what this concept might mean for our lives in our neighborhoods, our town, and the larger community around us. For example, studies find that participation in the life of a church helps create deep connectedness to others, and, gee, look what this study from Harvard University found! Be with us this fall, to worship, learn, and know real koinonia.

New Member Welcome Service!
2023-10-15 10:00 - 23:30 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States

Golden Friendship Dinner
2023-10-15 11:15 - 13:00 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
In the Dining Room

Gather + Grow Youth Group
2023-10-18 16:00, 2023-10-25 16:00, 2023-11-01 16:00, 2023-11-08 16:00, 2023-11-15 16:00, 2023-11-29 16:00, 2023-12-06 16:00, 2023-12-13 16:00 and 1 more date | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Gather + Grow Groups are for 2nd through 8th grades and are created to foster important connection and mentorship. Throughout the year the group does mission work, plays board games, has church-wide scavenger hunts, engages in deep discussions about our faith and plays music that is performed in church from time to time.
*2nd – 5th graders are from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Middle School is 4:00 – 6:30 (with a fellowship dinner served) or anytime within that time period. They are welcome to bring homework too.

Ostrega Uhl Project: Mozart and Musicals
2023-10-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Friday, October 20, 7:00 p.m., in the Sanctuary
Join The Ostrega Uhl Project in its premiere performance of its second season! Mozart and Musicals will begin with Mozart’s famous Piano Quartet in G minor followed by string quartet performances of popular selections from Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, and culminating with a medley of great tunes from West Side Story. With concerts that always deliver on variety for everyone, this is a season opening concert you don’t want to miss! Guest Artists include Stephane Collopy, Violin Oana Tatu, Viola, & Brian Gaona, Cello.
An in-kind donation is greatly appreciated, kids attend free with accompanying adult!

Worship in the Woods
2023-10-22 09:00 - 10:00, 2023-10-29 09:00 - 10:00 | Fullersburg Woods, 3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook, IL, 60523
at the 9:00am service

PADS 2023 Meal Packing and Delivery
2023-10-24 17:00 - 18:30 | IL
Union Church provides a healthy meal delivered to each client on the 4th Tuesday of each month. We are looking for volunteers to shop for healthy sides for the meals and to hand out and meals to the clients in the Interim Housing Center in Downers Grove. Please use the link below to sign to shop for sides or to distribute meals, or both!
Sign up here!

Fall 2023 Coat Drive
2023-10-27 - 2023-12-01 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
October 27 through December 1, 2023. Please drop your coats off in the purple bin by the Third Street doors.

Children’s Bell Choir/Chimes Rehearsal
2023-11-08 16:00 - 16:45, 2023-11-15 16:00 - 16:45 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
4 – 4:45 in the Sanctuary.

Exploring Koinonia and the Healing Effects of Social Connection
2023-11-12 11:00 - 12:00 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Sunday, November 12, immediately following 10:00 worship in Rowell Hall
The CE Ministry will host a discussion on how social connections and participating in a community can help combat the loneliness epidemic that has been identified by the Surgeon General and discussed widely in the media & recent UCH sermons! Topics will include how to build and strengthen social connections, how these connections can influence our physical health, and how our Union Church community can help each other feel more connected and strengthen our Koinonia. No advance preparation is necessary, as short news stories and highlights of the Surgeon General’s report will be presented. We hope you can join us!

Thanksgiving Offering, Nov 17-Dec 5
2023-11-17 - 2023-12-05 | IL
For our Thanksgiving Offering this year, we encourage you to make a special contribution to our Ministry for Change partner, DuPage PADS, which strives to keep families and individuals safely sheltered while ending homelessness in DuPage County. As you may know, in 2022 PADS purchased and converted a motel in Downers Grove into its Interim Housing Center (IHC). PADS continues to transform the space into a nurturing place for residents, including many families and seniors, as they focus on locating permanent housing.
Once checked in, clients can focus on their wellness and stability, moving forward using the suite of resources and support provided by DuPagePADS to regain their independence. The IHC also provides community partners a centralized destination for delivering support services that align with ending homelessness. Since beginning this model in 2020, PADS has observed a 500% increase in the utilization of case support services by clients in interim housing.
Click here to learn more.
For the Thanksgiving Offering (running November 17th through December 5th), you may donate to DuPage PADS or make a special contribution to the church – or do both! You have two easy options for giving:
1) Give online through the church website. On the giving page, under “fund,” select either “Thanksgiving Offering – DuPage PADS” (all amounts donated under this selection will be donated to DuPage PADS) or “Thanksgiving Offering - Union Church Ministries” (all amounts donated under this selection will be shared by ministries of the church generally) and complete the rest of the information. To give to both, please complete two separate donation transactions.
2) Deposit a check in the offering basket during service OR send in a check. If some or all of your donation is intended for DuPage PADS, please tell us the split in the memo line or in a separate note. If all of your gift is intended solely for Union Church, just send the check.

Poinsettia Sale
2023-11-26 - 2023-12-10 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
November 26 – December – 10
Christmas is coming…SOON! We are continuing our Poinsettia plant tradition starting November 26! Each plant costs $20. You can find forms around the church that can be turned in with payment to Adriana in the church office or follow this link to order online: https://onrealm.org/uchinsdale/-/form/give/now. This is a wonderful way to honor or memorialize your loved ones, and can even make a great gift to family and friends. All those honored and memorialized will be included in our Christmas Eve bulletins along with donors’ names. Help us make the Sanctuary more beautiful for Christmas Eve! Members of the Worship Ministry will be available for taking orders in the Gathering Place after the worship service on Sunday, December 3 and Sunday, December 10. If you would like to take your poinsettia plant home, you may do so after the 8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service

Mitten Tree - Nov 27 - Dec 24
2023-11-27 - 2023-12-24 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Donate mittens, scarves and gloves to benefit the children of our Mission Ministries on the tree at the top of the main stairs.

Christmas Offering
2023-12-01 - 2024-01-06 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Our Christmas Offering this year will again be divided between Union Church and a special mission organization. The organization is our partner agency in Guatemala, Sueños y Esperanzas (“Dreams and Hopes”).
The mission of Sueños y Esperanzas is to reduce poverty in Guatemala’s Mayan communities through education.
They equip and empower Mayan children and youth to have the best future possible in Guatemala. They help young people develop the skills to successfully compete in higher education and obtain careers of their choosing. Founded in San Juan la Laguna in 2018, the initial focus of Sueños y Esperanzas was to offer scholarships for students to continue their education past elementary school. In Guatemala, families must pay for their children to attend middle and high school, so poverty prevents many children from continuing their education beyond elementary school. The mission of Sueños y Esperanzas continues to grow from there.
Part of our Christmas Offering (up to $6,000) will fund the Abejitas (“Little Bee”) program for one year. This program provides nutrition, health, and learning opportunities to elementary students, preparing these students to continue their education into middle and high school. Staff and volunteers provide the children with a safe place to have a nutritious snack/meal, learn, play, and grow at the Center at least twice each week.
Our overall goal for the Christmas Offering is $30,000. Maybe this is a good year for you to give $10,000? Maybe this is a good year for you to give $10? However you can support this effort this year will be wonderful. Between the Abejitas program of Sueños y Esperanzas and the wonderful ministry of Union Church, this is a great way to give a Christmas gift to Jesus as we celebrate his coming into the world to give peace, love, joy and hope to all.
Go to “https://onrealm.org/uchinsdale/-/form/give/now” to give now, or find links in the regular Wednesday church emails. Or send in a check made out to the church, and put “Christmas Offering” in the memo line. For both online or a check, if you want to split amounts between the church and Sueños y Esperanzas, just put that in the “memo” line on the giving page or on the check. Thanks, and Feliz Navidad to all!

Rudolph's Boutique
2023-12-02 08:30 - 11:00 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
A children’s shopping experience, December 2, 8:30 – 11:00 am
A holiday boutique shopping experience for children through 5th grade.
Our Youth Elves will help your little ones pick out gifts for family and friends.
There will be coffee, cocoa, and a Santa sighting!
Now accepting donations in the Gathering Place of gently used household goods and toys to be used as gifts

Eleanor's Stockings Stuffing
2023-12-06 15:30 - 17:00 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Help stuff stockings for children served by our Ministry for Change partners beginning at 3:30 pm. And/or donate leftover Hallween candy, travel toothbrushes, toothpaste, small toys or donate from the Amazon wish list (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1VEU482J23S96?ref_=wl_share) by Nov 27. Collection bins are in the Gathering Place.

Christmas Music Sunday
2023-12-17 10:00 - 11:00 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Enjoy a Christmas music-filled worship service in the Sanctuary and online featuring the vast musical offerings of the Music Ministry from UCH: Children’s Chimes, Chancel Choir, WE, Union Bells, Cantata, Chamber Ensemble and the beautiful Steinway and our fabulous organ.

Children’s Bell Choir/Chimes Performance
2023-12-17 10:00 - 11:15 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
During the 10:00am worship service (Christmas Music Sunday)

Grandparent and Me Sleepunder
2023-12-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
Sunday, December 17, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
In the church dining room
For Grandparents and their Grandchildren (ages 3-6) Cost: $10 per child – please pay at the door

Everyone wears pajamas/loungewear
Each child will make a gift for the family
Everyone will decorate and eat homemade cookies
There will be singing and dancing under the twinkly Christmas lights

The Christmas story will be acted out by willing Grandparents. No practice required! We will supply the costumes. Don’t worry, the entire production will be narrated.
RSVP by Friday, December 14 to Mary Sue Honingschidt, marysue@red-works.com or 630-986-1853

The Longest Night
2023-12-21 18:30 | Union Church of Hinsdale, 137 S Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL, 60521, United States
We will gather on the longest night of the year to reflect together. Join us at 6:30 pm in the Chapel.
