I have missed you all! 
And I am deeply grateful for the two month sabbatical this summer, thank you for allowing me that respite. It has been restorative and filled with all kinds of growth and clarity. I know you have all been navigating continuing changes here at church and also that September brings a lot of adjustment to family schedules and routines. I’m really excited to see your faces and remind you how much you are loved and appreciated as we embark on a new year together. Until then, I send you virtual greetings and hope for smooth transitions with whatever you are navigating.

Thank you to everyone who has already registered for the new church year. If you have not yet had a chance, you can do that 
by clicking here!

In this post… 

(Scroll down for more details on each of these items)

• September 8th:
  • Bagels and Reflections with Senior Youth and Families who participated in the trip to Alabama. 8:30 am
  • Water In-Gathering Worship 10a-11a
  • Family Orientation Potluck lunch 11:30-1pm
• September 15th
  • RE Covenanting During Worship
• September 22:
  • RE Open House During Worship and Social Hour
  • Teacher Training Lunch, 12-2pm
• 8th Grade Coming of Age Orientation: Friday, Sept 20th. 6pm at #73 Court St. (Details will be emailed separately)
• Senior Youth Parent and youth orientation: Saturday, Sept 28th. 6pm (youth will stay after for an overnight!)
• October ‘save the dates’
  • South Church Fall Retreat: October 11-14
  • Coming Of Age (8th Grade) fall retreat: Oct. 25-26
  • Halloween Social: October 31st

Fall Program Calendar– There is a working draft for next year’s RE program, although the OWL sexuality education program is still being finalized. Here’s the link to see our 2019-2020 Program Calendar and you can find detailed program info HERE

Water In-Gathering is the beginning of a new church year where South Church children, youth, and adults all worship together. As part of this annual tradition you are invited to bring a small vessel with water from somewhere meaningful; the beach where you walk in the mornings or a stream in your neighborhood, something collected on a trip you’ve taken, or just a small cup from your kitchen sink. We bring all of our offerings together, and that water is used for blessings and other ceremonies over the coming year. I hope you can join us!

Family Orientation Potluck: Following the Water In-Gathering on September 8th, families are invited to stay for a lunch potluck orientation. Please bring something easy to put out for a shared lunch (we’ll set that up in the classroom closest to the kitchen). During the gathering we will do a few group activities that will offer opportunities to brainstorm and set some goals for this year, and I will share a brief overview of the coming year with all of you. This gathering will also give folks a chance to see friends you haven’t seen in a while and to meet new families (we have quite a few new folks this year!).

Senior Youth and Parents: For those of you who participated in the trip to Alabama this past June, please join us on Sunday morning at 8:30 for bagels and some reflection on our trip. ALL YOUTH and parents, please mark your calendars for our Youth Group orientation on Saturday, September 28th at 6pm. We will meet together for about an hour and then parents can head home as the youth transition from orientation to our Welcome Back overnight!

RE Covenanting and Open House: In September many new families join us at church, and many others return from a long absence. Our first Sundays are designed to help children and parents get an overview of what we offer and how we work together to create our program. Our covenanting Sunday is a chance for all of our South Church kids to learn or review our shared covenant through some really fun role playing! Then we will hold an open house for Pre-K through 5th grade families so you can learn a bit about the choices you have on Sunday morning. Parents are welcome to stay with your children for each of these days. Pre K and Kinder parents asked to attend at least one of the open house Sundays (September 22nd or 29th).

Teacher Training Lunch, September 22nd from 12-2pm. Whether you are volunteering on a classroom team or filling in as an occasional substitute, this is an important gathering. Please try to join us as I will be sharing some really helpful details, and, more importantly, our volunteer teams will be meeting one another and deepening our understanding of how this time connects to our own growth and learning at South Church. I will take care of lunch, and childcare is available if you need it (please let me know so I can plan for accurate numbers).

(Family Resources for September’s Theme of Expectation will be posted separately this month -following our orientation. Keep your eye’s out for it! )

Upcoming Themes (2019-2020 Church Year):

• September 2019: We are a community of Expectation
• October 2019:  We are a community of Belonging
• November 2019: We are a community of Attention
• December2019: We are a community of Awe
• January 2020: We are a community of Integrity
• February2020: We are a community of Resilience
• March2020: We are a community of Wisdom
• April 2020: We are a community of Liberation
• May 2020: We are a community of Thresholds