Hello dear families and RE volunteers, Thank you to everyone who helped to make the food drive last week a great success! It was an amazing day, with some of our youth leading worship, other’s collecting food, and so many returning faces. Our community is creating change in many ways, and though it sometimes feels like a lot of work, it’s really important to remember that it’s all worth it- so thank you everyone who is stepping up in all kinds of ways to make our church happen ♥♥

In this post:

• If you haven’t already, it’s time to REGISTER your kids for the 2018-19 church year!
• This month:
  • September 30th: *Regular RE programming.
  • October 7th:  Holiday weekend- All ages Children’s Chapel
  • October 10th: 7th grade parent OWL orientation– 6pm
  • October 13th: Families Tuugether– a night out for parents of younger children!
  • October 14th: *Regular RE programming
  • October 19th: 5th grade parent OWL orientation– 6pm
  • October 21: *Regular RE programming- 7th grade OWL begins tonight!
  • October 23: Online Theme talk for November- A community of Memory
  • October 26-27:  Coming of age fall retreat
  • October 28th: *Regular RE programming (except- COA)
  • October 31st: Come One, Come all!! The Halloween Social and pumpkin carving contest are SO much fun! 
    • Sparks and Flames social groups at 5p- Pumpkin carving
    • Pumpkin carving contest! Entries due between 6-7pm ($5 to enter, 3 cash winners!)
    • All Church Halloween Social on the front lawn/portico 7-8pm

*Regular RE Programming= Spirit Play at 9am, Theme workshops at 9 and 11, 6th-7th service learning class meets, Coming of Age meets at 11am at Court St. Senior Youth meets at 4-5:30 at Court st. 

Family resources for October’s theme: A people of ‘Sanctuary’

These resources support parents as they try to live out and engage our themes with their children. We can ask “What does it mean to be a parent of Sanctuary” or “What does it mean to be a family of Sanctuary?” As you use these resources to engage these questions, keep in mind some additional ways to use them with other parents or your church community:  

• Reflect with those in your family.
• Share and discuss them with other parents or another family.
• Use them in a Parent Circle that meets on Sunday afternoon or mid-week.

Video

TED talk: What we are missing in the debate about immigration  “Between 2008 and 2016, the United States deported more than three million people. What happens to those left behind? Journalist Duarte Geraldino picks up the story of deportation where the state leaves off. Learn more about the wider impact of forced removal as Geraldino explains how the sudden absence of a mother, a local business owner or a high school student ripples outward and wreaks havoc on the relationships that hold our communities together.” – TED A background for why UU Churches consider offering sanctuary. We need to look at the bigger picture.

Books

Inspired Traveler’s Guide Spiritual Places by Sarah Baxter (Author), Zanna Goldhawk (Illustrator), Harry Goldhawk (Illustrator)  “Travel journalist Sarah Baxter has carefully curated a selection of the 25 most spiritual destinations from around the world – places that hold the promise of rare and profound experiences, whether areas of natural beauty imbued with spiritual significance or sites constructed for worship.” – Amazon

Spiritual Places: The World’s Most Sacred Sites by Antony Mason (Author). “Spiritual Places combines awe-inspiring photography and memorable narrative to tell the stories of the holiest temples and ancient ruins, the most hallowed churches, and the places of ancient power. Each location has been handpicked for its breathtaking scenery and its uniquely humbling qualities. Spanning every continent on the planet—from the Mayan pyramids of Chichen Itza in Mexico, through the Carnac stones in France, and on to the idyllic ancient temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia—acclaimed travel writer Antony Mason has carefully selected the most uplifting places the world has to offer.

Encompassing belief systems past and present—via the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and Uluru in Australia—this collection of stunning images, enlightening text, and essential travel tips will inspire and inform armchair aficionados and seasoned travelers alike.” – Amazon

Articles

10 Commandments for talking to your kids about religion – PBS.  One of the lenses for the theme of sanctuary is as a place of worship. What are secular and humanist parents to do when sanctuary has overtones of Christianity?

What Makes a Place Sacred?  “Sacred places are where we meet something beyond ourselves. They are not always conventionally religious places…” – from the article

UU Prayers and Meditations From Tapestry of Faith, Signs of Our Faith, Seeking Knowledge

Movies for families about Sanctuary

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Disney, G (recommended for 8+). “Disney’s recreation of Victor Hugo’s novel is rich in visual and musical sensation. But deeper beneath the rich production lie questions about normalcy, how sanctuary confines us as well as protects us, and what punishment is.” – Common Sense Media Review

Here’s another review: https://www.bustle.com/articles/167960-19-things-i-noticed-rewatching-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-as-an-adult

Be aware that this movie is not appropriate for young children.

• The Urban Elephant: Shirley’s Story (13 min). From ArgoFilm’s “The Urban Elephant” comes the touching story of Shirley and her keeper, Solomon James. Trapped in a man-made world, Shirley’s life at the Louisiana Purchase Zoo was a lonely one, bereft of the company of other elephants. Follow Shirley and Solomon through a life of captivity to release in the Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary. This two-time Emmy Award winning film was produced for PBS’s Nature Series.
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh “THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH brings to life several chapters of A.A. Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner that were turned into Disney shorts in the 1960s and ’70s. The film opens with a scene from Christopher Robin’s non-animated bedroom [a sanctuary!] where we see the stuffed animals that come alive in the animated tales. As the narrator introduces a book, viewers slip into the story as the characters come alive on the page. The first chapter details Pooh’s attempt to steal honey from a tree and his subsequent escape from a swarm of bees. Later he eats all Rabbit’s honey and gets stuck in the doorway where he must stay until he slims down and can be pushed out of the narrow hole [when a safe place becomes a stuck place]. In later chapters, Rabbit tries to teach Tigger a lesson to get him to stop pouncing on everyone but ends up getting lost in the Hundred Acre Wood. Tigger and Roo end up atop a tree and unable to get down until their friends help rescue them.”  – Common Sense Media
• PBS – Cathedral– David Macauley (1 hr.)“Author David Macaulay hosts CATHEDRAL, based on his award-winning book. Using a combination of spectacular location sequences and cinema-quality animation, the program surveys France’s most famous churches. Travel back to 1214 to explore the design of Notre Dame de Beaulieu, a representative Gothic cathedral. The program tells period tales revealing fascinating stories of life and death, faith and despair, prosperity, and intrigue.” – YouTube
• BBC – How to Build a Cathedral (1 hr.)