Evening worship at Senior Youth overnight.

Hello, Dear South Church Families!

We just had another multigenerational worship day on Sunday, October 29th. It felt so good to have people of every age together, at a time where there is so much grief to hold. It was cathartic and hopeful to be able to weave in beauty and joy, through music and story, as a salve to help us stay present to all that is terrible.

We are building more opportunities here and there to have all of our children and youth stay for worship. In the process of preparing for Rev Ellen and Kirsten’s Installation, we heard from several kids and adults that want more all-ages time together. Kids expressed a desire to know what adults are talking about in worship and to just be together; adults expressed the joy and inspiration they feel when in multigenerational spaces.

Having children and youth in the sanctuary also grows their understanding of how a community worships together, to feel the rhythm of religious ritual, and to feel like a valued part of a whole community. That matters for adults too, because we are not a whole community without them.

We still continue to have religious education programming for children and youth during worship on the majority of Sundays, to also give them time with their peers and opportunities to actively engage in their own faith development. The primary goals of our programs for children and youth are to build caring, supportive community among them; help them develop an understanding of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and to grow into that identity; and to give them opportunities to tangibly act on our faith both inside our church community and out in the world.

Look at that picture above, of our high school youth in their own worship time on a recent overnight. The love you can sense in the photo is real. The longtime culture of growing up in this church, growing a community that cares for each other and supports each other in being exactly who they are, has over a long time created the sweetest space where even many newcomers can assimilate quickly and find enormous value in making meaning together through diving into deep topics, play, worship, and pastoral care with each other.

It’s worth the investment. Show up, engage, lean in to community. It pays off in really big ways.

We have a few helpful resources for parents to navigate conversations with their kids about gun violence. You can find them on this page. And if you are struggling in any way, please please contact us. We always want to hear from you.

Sending you so much Love,

JenDB and Kirsten ❤️

All Families: If you haven’t yet, please register babies, children and youth for this church year! We need a new RE registration completed by each family every program year, so that we always have current information that keeps everyone safe and well-served. It only takes a few minutes. Please register, even if you only attend occasionally–registration does not come with any obligations.

 https://southchurchuu.wufoo.com/forms/k60588f1mfaort/ or contact us if you need a paper form.

You can access information for age-based religious education classes from the “Program Info” menu above. Parents, if you have a kid who does not want to be in a peer group during worship, then that is not unusual and not a problem! There are many ways to be at church, and we are happy to explore options with you any time.

Please, please reach out if you ever have things you want to know or talk about!

See you soon! ♥️

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Calendar for this month… 

Click Linked Items for additional Details:

Click here for 2023-2024 RE Program Information

• Sunday, Nov 5th:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by guest Rev Lara Campbell
  • Nursery is open 9:30-11:30a
  • RE classes for PreK through 7th grade meet downstairs following Time For All Ages
  • 5th Grade OWL meets 10-11:30, Meditation Room
  • 8th Grade Coming of Age meets 1:00-4:00 in Social Hall for service project, with Mentors
  • 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 in Milk Classroom
  • Senior Youth Group meets at 4:00 at 73 Court St. We will join Moms Demand Action NH in a community vigil at North Church, followed by a walk across Memorial Bridge.
• Sunday, Nov 12th:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Rev Ellen
  • Nursery is open 9:30-11:30a
  • RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet downstairs following TFAA 
  • 5th Grade OWL meets 10-11:30, Meditation Room
  • 8th Grade Coming of Age meets 9:45-11:00 at 73 Court St
  • 7th Grade OWL meets 3:00-5:30 in Milk Classroom
  • Senior Youth Group Learning Journey #1
• Sunday, Nov 19th:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Reverend Ellen
  • Senior Youth Candle Sale at Social Hour!
  • Nursery is open 9:30-11:30a
  • RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet downstairs following TFAA 
  • 5th Grade OWL meets 10-11:30, Meditation Room
  • 8th Grade Coming of Age meets 9:45-11:00 at 73 Court St
  • 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 in Milk Classroom
• Sunday, November 26th:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Jim Verscheuren
  • Nursery is open 9:30-11:30a
  • All-ages RE time will meet downstairs following the TFAA
  • Coming of Age, 5th & 7th grade OWL, and Senior Youth do NOT meet today
• Friday, December 1st:
  • South Church Holiday Party and Hanging of the Greens
• Sunday, December 3rd:
  • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Reverend Ellen
  • Nursery is open 9:30-11:30a
  • RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet downstairs following TFAA 
  • 5th Grade OWL meets 10-11:30, Meditation Room
  • 8th Grade Coming of Age meets 9:45-11:00 at 73 Court St
  • 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 in Milk Classroom
  • Senior Youth meets 4:00-5:30pm at 73 Court St

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November’s Church Theme is “Generosity”

Our UU faith in practice and action: Ideas for living our faith outside of church

• Generosity is one of the new proposed values from the Article II Commission.
  • When you go to the grocery store, buy food to drop off at Gather food pantry on the way home. Or sign up to volunteer your time with them. They will have a volunteer orientation on 11/30.
  • This month’s shared plate recipient is Seacoast Family Promise. Learn more about SFP from their website, and check out ways to volunteer or support SFP.
    • Early Nov: Sign up to donate a Thanksgiving meal (uncooked) to a family
  • Check out the Cross Roads House wish list and see if there’s anything you can provide to this important community organization: https://www.crossroadshouse.org/donations/wish-list/
  • Ways for families to be generous at church (some ideas from Soul Matters this month) This is a great list to show kids that they have the power and resources to be generous in many ways:
    • Picking up trash outside the building
    • Bringing a snack to share for social hour
    • Inviting a new family home to share lunch after church
    • Visiting a member of the congregation who is not well (or make and send a card)
    • Singing in the choir
    • Donating supplies for RE
    • Playing with a little one who is upset
    • Attending worship
    • Sitting with someone who is alone at worship
    • Putting money in the offertory plate during worship
    • Telling someone “thank you” for helping you
    • Decorating the Sanctuary for the holidays (Dec 1!)
    • Being a greeter or usher on Sunday morning
    • Playing with new friends after church
    • Helping put away RE supplies/cleaning up the classroom
    • Cleaning up in the kitchen after coffee hour or special events
    • Putting away tables and chairs
    • Showing someone new around the congregation

Chalice Lighting for mealtimes:

Invitation, by Shel Silverstein

If you are a dreamer, come in
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…
If you’re a pretender, come sit by the fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!