Young Church kids offering a very fun Time For All Ages

Each month our church follows the Soul Matters theme, to weave a common thread through worship, RE, small groups, and other church elements. The theme for February is Love. It may seem cliché, if we assume this choice is because of Valentine’s Day. (Not that Valentine’s Day is bad in my opinion; I get excited about extra opportunities to remind people I love them.) But February is also Black History month. Tu BiShvat, a Jewish environmental celebration, will begin on Feb 5th. Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent on Feb 22nd. February is part of the Season of Nonviolence. Side With Love Campaign’s “Thirty Days of Love” continues until Feb 14th. Feb 12th is Freedom to Marry Day. There are many more celebrations that happen this month, including Groundhog Day, Super Bowl Sunday, Random Acts of Kindness Day, and even Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day. That last one may be a stretch, but each of these events can connect to Love.

This month in Religious Education, we’ll certainly be exploring this big, beautiful topic. And here are just a few bonus things we can look forward to:

• Worship offered by our high school youth group (Feb 5th)
• 5th grade OWL kids finish their session
• Service Learning Group will begin a unit exploring Racial Justice
• Sparks and Flames will go ice skating Feb 10th (RSVP!)

See you soon! ♥️

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Calendar for this month… 

Click Linked Items for additional Details:

Click here for 2022-2023 RE Program Information

• Sunday, February 5th:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Senior Youth!
  • 5th/6th grade OWL meets 10:00-11:45a in Piscataqua Room. Parents please join at 11:15 for a program closing!
  • 8th grade Coming of Age and 5th/6th/7th Service Learning will not meet–come to Senior Youth worship instead!
  • Age-based RE classes for Pre-K through 4th grade will meet in their rooms downstairs following the Time For All Ages
  • 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 at church
  • OWL 7 Parent Discussion meets in sanctuary concurrent with class
• Friday, February 10th:
  • Sparks and Flames skating, grades 5-8. Must RSVP by 4pm Wednesday to join this!
• Sunday, February 12th:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Reverend Ellen
  • 8th grade Coming of Age meets with mentors 9:45-11:00 at 73 Court St
  • All other age-based RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet in rooms downstairs following the Time For All Ages
  • 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 at church
  • Senior Youth and Adults going to AL meet for Learning Session 2, 4:00-6:00pm at 73 Court St
• Friday, February 17th
  • Game Night, hosted by the Fellowship Associates, 6:30-8:30pm in the Social Hall
• Sunday, February 19th
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Kirsten
  • 8th grade Coming of Age meets with mentors 9:45-11:00 at 73 Court St
  • All other age-based RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet in rooms downstairs following the Time For All Ages
  • 7th Grade OWL does NOT meet today
  • Senior Youth meets 4:00-5:30pm at 73 Court St
• Sunday, February 26th
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Reverend Ellen
  • All-ages RE class for Pre-K through 7th grade will meet in Milk Classroom downstairs, following the Time For All Ages
  • OWL, Coming of Age, and Senior Youth do NOT meet today
• Sunday, March 5th
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Neutral pulpit for Beverly UU church. 
  • Age-based RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet in rooms downstairs following the Time For All Ages
  • OWL and Coming of Age do NOT meet today
  • Senior Youth meets 4:00-5:30pm at 73 Court St

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February’s Church Theme is “Love”

Our UU faith in practice and action:

• Side With Love’s “30 Days of Love”: An annual program that runs from MLK, Jr day through Valentines Day, 30 Days of Love is a month of spiritual nourishment, political grounding, and shared practices of faith and justice. There are wonderful resources for spiritual practices, stories, body practices and more on their website. Here are a few family-friendly ones, but check out the rest at
  • Story, “The Beginning of Night”: https://vimeo.com/793185450
  • Body practice: https://vimeo.com/793121107
  • Awareness grounding practice: https://vimeo.com/790959453
• Participate in Random Acts of Kindness Week Feb 14th-20th! Here are 50 ideas: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-stories/113-50-ideas-for-random-acts
• Practice Self Love, together: Make affirmations together and tape them to the bathroom mirror; go around the table at dinner time and name things each of you loves about yourself; make a list of ways to practice self love and then try to do at least one every day. Modeling self love, doing these things together with kids, can help develop healthy practices as they grow up.
• Read “The Case For Loving: The Fight For Interracial Marriage,” by Selina Aliko together (or watch a video of the book being read HERE. Discuss how interracial marriage was illegal in many states until 1967, which is fairly recently, and how that must have felt for interracial couples.

Chalice Lightings for mealtimes:

The Names of Love, By Rev. Scott Tayler

We light this chalice in the names of love. 

The love of family that brings us into being, allows us to bloom, and then sends us on our way with courage, knowing we can return no matter what. 

The love of partnered hearts that teach us to trust and help us know that who we are does not end at the barrier of our own skin. 

The love of friends who help us feel seen and sing our song back to us when we cannot hear it with our ears alone. 

The love of community that baths us in belonging and calls us to see the needs of others as our own. 

And the greatest love: the love that will not let us go, even in our fear, even in our failure, even when we are lonely or lost. 

Love invites us home. If we listen, it is doing so, even today. 

Eclipse, by Clairel Estevez

When in the turmoil of your darkest hours sorrow congregates around your soul.

To hold on to the lifeline of a friendship – a trail of light that will guide you home.

Someone who accepts your weakness, mends your scars and rid you of hurt.

When you must battle your inner demons and there’s someone dear, in your thoughts.

That’s the same as to carry the moon in your hands – within your darkness;

Soon the eclipse, will be gone.