Greetings and Salutations everyone!

Well, just like that it’s February. This short month is always a crazy whirlwind with school vacations, and fewer overall days, but there is some really excited stuff happening at church this month, so take a few minutes and read through the news below, and we’ll see you some Sunday soon!

Church Sundays and Other Important dates this month:

• February 3rd: Children’s Chapel meets at 9 and 11(don’t forget your UU7 mission forms and a few coins for the collection!). Children’s choir second rehearsal at 10:15-10:50. Last class for 5th grade OWL. Coming of age meet at 11. Special guest in Senior Youth group today, and a parents of teens gathering happening concurrent to youth group (4-5:30) at Book and Bar. AND- there is a Tea Talk in our Sanctuary from 2-4 this Sunday, hosted by the Black Heritage Trail- exploring the topic of Land, Wealth and Policies of Marginalization. 
• February 10th: *Normal Re program day (see below) Love Fest worship service with Children’s Choir at 9am! Parents of Teens are meeting during youth group (4-5:30) at Book and Bar, topic: teen independence and parent anxiety around teen independence.
• February 9th: Families Tuugether at South Church 4:30-8pm. (please RSVP) Kirsten Hunter will lead the parent discussion in the sanctuary exploring trust in parenting. 
• February 17th: Multi-Generational service today led by the senior youth! All children welcome and encouraged to attend. We will have a art and reading room downstairs for children who do not want to stay in the sanctuary, and worship resources for children who stay.
• February 24th– All-ages RE Program (Feb Vacation week)
• March 3rd– Children’s Chapel meets at 9 and 11. Coming of age meet with mentors at 11. Senior Youth group and 7th grade OWL meet at 4-5:30p.

[*Normal RE program day: Both services include Spirit Play and Theme workshops for grades 1-5. 11am worship also included: 6-7th grade religious exploration and Coming of Age for 8th grade.  OWL for 5th grade is currently meeting at 9:30 most Sundays. OWL for 7th grade and Senior Youth meet on Sunday evenings at 4-5:30 pm.]

RE Program Calendar: Did you know you can check the RE calendar for the WHOLE YEAR, any time you want!? It’s here, on the RE website 🙂

FYI: Shared Plate Voting starts now! Our congregation will be voting on which organizations will receive shared plate collections in the coming church year. Each member gets to vote for 5 orgs. For information about the 53 nominees: click here. You can vote at church any Sunday this month, OR here’s the link to vote ONLINE:   https://southchurchuu.wufoo.com/forms/x1wg8e2a0i1phgt/ Children at South Church will be learning about the finalists and voting for a Children’s chapel recipient next month!

Cross Roads House is looking for adult volunteers! 
They are kicking off our 10th session of Ready to Work at Crossroads House- a program designed to help residents optimize their success on the job market. Right now, they are looking for volunteers for one or both of our upcoming sessions:

• Thursday Feb 21st 5:30-7pm: Resumes
• Thursday Feb 28th 5:30-7pm: Interview Q&A

You don’t need to have a lot experience in resume writing or interviewing to be an excellent volunteer. A genuine desire to listen, empathize, encourage someone’s growth, and support them in the pursuit a healthy and productive career is all you need! EMAIL: Jenna Cooke <jennalcooke@gmail.com> if you are available to help! Read more on our church facebook page

Family resources for February’s theme: A people of Trust

These resources help parents/guardians as they engage the question: “What does it mean to be a family of Trust?” 

With Your Kids(Ideas to engage Trust as a Family):

Family Adventure Idea:

Obstacle Course (indoors or outdoors) Trust Building: Create an obstacle course of a tunnel (under a table or bush with a blanket covering), over monkey bars, across “Lava” on stepping stones (pieces of paper), hanging from a rope, balancing on a curb, blindfolded partner walks around trees, etc. Invite your family to compete on the Obstacle Course, with points for:

•  “Helpful comments through the tunnel,”
• “Family problem solving through the Lava,”
• “Trying again after falling off the balance beam,”
• “Trying something new,” etc. 
• Keep track of helpful points and make up some as your family goes along.
• The points are trust points, so invite your family to enjoy how much they built trust.

Games:

Rock Game – as suggested by Liza Earle-Center, Director of Spiritual Exploration, UU Church of Montpelier, VT: “On night hikes I used to have a wide assortment of rocks, small, medium, smooth, rough… I’d pass one to each child as we sat close together in the dark.  They’d spend a couple minutes holding their rock as I guided them through really getting to know it… then I’d collect them all, and would slowly pass them to one person, slowly one at a time they would get handed around the circle.  When yours came to you, you kept it (while still passing the others to your neighbor. Eventually everyone has their rock back and is excited to have found it again!  It takes trusting that you really DO know your rock well.   This might be played in the daylight with blindfolds or an invitation to close their eyes as they pass the rocks.”

The Zipper Game ( a Trust Game which doesn’t involve risking a fall) Suggested by Soul Matters member Liza Earle-Centers, UU Congregation of Montpelier, VT https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/brent-vasicek/building-trust-in-a-classroom/

Trust Fall: Divide your family into pairs of roughly equivalent height and weight. In each pair, have one person stand directly in front of their partner, with their back turned toward them. Tell the person in front to close their eyes and fall backwards toward their partner. Their partner will catch them under the arms and take their weight gently to the floor, or lightly place the, back up to standing. Have the partners reverse roles.

(Trust Fall Fail – as a warning if you decide to try one!):

Stories To Read Together:

Belonging – Fannie Barrier Williams: “Fannie Barrier Williams helped start a home for girls in Chicago, and she started a center where people could live together, no matter the color of their skin. She was part of the group that started the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (the NAACP), along with Frederick Douglass, Ida Wells Barnett, Frances Watkins Harper, and W.E.B. DuBois. Fannie also worked with suffragists like Susan B. Anthony, helping women get the chance to vote. Because back then, remember, people thought that men were better than women. Women couldn’t own property or have a bank account or vote in elections.” –  from the story. https://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/children/journeys/session4/132836.shtml

Nothando’s Journey by Jill Apperson Manly (Author), Alyssa Casey (Illustrator) Explores Trusting in one’s abilities. “NOTHANDO’S JOURNEY is a journey in self-discovery, told through the eyes of a young girl named Nothando. The book tells of the Reed Festival, an important celebration in Nothando’s country of Swaziland in Southern Africa. Nothando and her brother venture into the unknown hills, in order to get to the festival on time. As Nothando explores the hills of Swaziland, she visits with various animals–Nothando moves freely with the animals and begins to become comfortable with who she is.” – Amazon. The video is great! Book: https://www.amazon.com/Nothandos-Journey-Jill-Apperson-Manly/dp/0615892353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543337146&sr=8-1&keywords=nothando%27s+journey . Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ZWfw2kknA

Family App Ideas:

My PlayHome: Theme Connection: Our families are places of trust. You can build a family like your own. “Parents need to know that My PlayHome is a highly interactive, dollhouse-style app for kids. Kids can choose from five “types” of family members in generic white, Asian, and African-American skin tones; the characters include moms, dads, boys, girls, and babies. Kids can add all 15 characters (each has a different outfit, hairstyle, etc.) to their homes, allowing for flexibility in creating a variety of family types. They can create a mixed-race family, one with two (or three) moms, or one with only sons.” – Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/my-playhome

Family Movie Night Ideas: 

Black History Month: Here are several movie suggestions which bring to life the paradox of distrust and trust which has marked the past history of racism in America. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/health-family/moms/article61781437.html

The Muppet Movie (G) Kermit has to trust in himself in order to undertake the road trip to Hollywood. “Parents need to know that The Muppet Movie is a pretty likeable road trip romp with singable songs, but with some guns and slapstick violence.” – Common Sense Review https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-muppet-movie

Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show  (NR)- Strong emotions need to be understood and reflected on in order for children to trust themselves and their feelings. “Parents need to know that Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show walks kids through the basics of coping with a myriad of emotions, including sadness, frustration, and anger in a unique format that incorporates puppets, animation, and advice from a panel of youngsters. The show’s vibrant hostess creates an inviting atmosphere that appeals to kids’ imaginations and encourages them to express themselves to parents just as the cast members talk to her.” – Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/rubys-studio-the-feelings-show

How to Train Your Dragon (PG)-The boy, Hiccup, and his dragon, Night Fury, need to learn to trust each other. Vikings and dragons, in a moving Pixar movie. Some scary parts means it might not be appropriate for under 7 years old. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/how-to-train-your-dragon

Garrett’s Gift (G)

Garrett’s Gift is a thoughtful, inspirational look at the history of famous inventor Garrett Morgan and the origins of his idea for the traffic light. Kids will learn about his childhood, where the clumsy boy was often daydreaming, and how his offbeat way of looking at things led to a significant advancement in safety. There are a few moments of near-accidents that provide the backdrop for Morgan’s ideas. It offers historical information about significant achievements by African Americans and a discussion of where ideas come from. -Amazon . https://www.amazon.com/Garretts-Gift-Queen-Latifah/dp/097784871X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454341659&sr=8-1&keywords=Garrett%27s%20Gift&tag=viglink125846-20

For You (Support for Parents as Faith Formation Guides):

Being Brave Is Stepping Backward and Trusting Our Children – On Being  “As parents, we spend a lot of time worrying about our children. We fret about the degree to which our parenting affects their development and well-being. Yet children are actually emancipated individuals who would spare us the insecurities of raising them, if we would trust them…” https://onbeing.org/blog/being-brave-is-stepping-backward-and-trusting-our-children/

The Reality Wall– Michelle Richards, UU World Magazine: Reflections for parents on the balance of trust in an ideal world and a feeling of betrayal when reality bites. https://www.uuworld.org/articles/reality-wall

Helping Children Understand “White Lies”– Michelle Richards, UU World Magazine: Helping parents reflect on truth telling and the implications of a lie. https://www.uuworld.org/articles/understand-white-lies

How to Nurture Your Child’s Intuition (self-trust): https://themulberryjournal.com/writing-collective/how-to-nurture-intuition