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The JourneySix years ago, Mike challenged us to take on a meaningful, long-term, whole church,signature mission initiative, one that would impact the lives of others and ourselves.We launched the Before We Get to Mars /Union Church Early Childhood initiative.Through this initiative, we have been on a journey. Like many journeys,...

By Pamela Lannom plannom@thehinsdalean.com Union Church of Hinsdale had plenty of reasons to celebrate Irv Clarke Sunday. First, it was the day before Clarke, who has lived most of his life in Hinsdale, turned 100. Second, he is generously supporting the church's efforts to open an early childhood education center...

(Cue soothing yet simultaneously annoying music loop) We know…it feels like our Before We Get To Mars project has been on hold for a long time. Those close to the project completely understand why you’d feel that way. Actually, work has never stopped to bring our plans of opening a...

You may be wondering… "What is happening with our BWGTM project? We haven’t heard much about it for a while." You are correct, not a lot of information about the Union Church Early Childhood Initiative has been shared lately, but a LOT continues to happen! We assure you that active...

In the last year, a core team has continued to diligently work in pursuit of expanding our goal of bringing quality early childhood education to the wider community. We have specifically focused on Summit and Glen Ellyn. Glen Ellyn In partnership with First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn (FCCGE) classrooms...

Advocating for Quality Education for All One thread of our efforts in the Union Church Early Childhood Initiative, a.k.a. Before We Get to Mars, is advocacy for quality early childhood education for all. Research demonstrates that the early years are the paramount time to positively influence the trajectory of children’s...

What’s the latest with our Before We Get to Mars project? The quick answer is, a lot! We’ve “landed” in Summit, IL. Following study and through strong initial connections, we have chosen to partner with the community of Summit, a largely Latino/a community about 20 minutes from Hinsdale. Relationship Building - We have...

Before We Get to Mars…We Are Getting to Know the Community of Summit! The little matter of the global coronavirus pandemic has slowed us down this year, but we are moving well again! Remember how before the pandemic hit you had travel plans and then…they were changed? The original plans...

The Before We Get to Mars team has been working steadily to help the congregation make a decision about where to focus our work. We recently had two meetings for the congregation to discuss our primary options, Maywood and the Willowbrook Corner area in Willowbrook. We have begun building relationships...

All are encouraged to join us on Wednesday, June 26, at 7:00 p.m., in the Chapel: The Before We Get to Mars Steering Team invites everyone to join us as we hear from two people with extensive experience in the Maywood community. As we seek to form relationships and learn the...