Dec ’23 nUUs from Religious Education

~ resouthchurchuu

Hello, Dear South Church Families!

There are lots of opportunities for connection and fun this month. Please put these special events on your calendars:

Friday, December 1st: Holiday party/potluck/silent auction and decorating! This is a really fun family event, with music and food, and there will be a crew decorating our beautiful sanctuary for the holiday season.

Sunday, December 10th: Kids’ Holiday Market! All children, youth, teens are invited to shop for their loved ones at no cost after church on 12/10. They can choose gifts and have help with wrapping too! And this is open to kids who don’t come to church–bring friends!

Sunday, December 17th: Pageant Day! This pick-up style Christmas pageant is a much beloved South Church tradition. Everyone is invited to participate, just show up to worship that morning!

Sunday, December 17th: Dog Treats Sale! Our Young Church kids have been exploring ideas around Generosity all month. As a culmination, they are making adorable and delicious dog treats to sell, as a way that they can contribute to the working of our church. Sale will be by donation, cash only, and will benefit the annual budget.

Sunday, December 31st: New Year’s Eve Chili Sale! Join the South Church Senior Youth on New Year’s Eve for their annual Chili and Cornbread sale! Warm up with a delicious bowl of chili and a side of cornbread and enjoy the company of many South Church friends! All proceeds will go towards the Senior Youth Service Learning trip this coming summer. Chili will be served from 5pm-7pm, First Night fireworks will begin at 7:30pm, You can also purchase chili-to-go! 

Would you like to donate your own delicious chili or cornbread?! This sale is always a community wide effort! Vegetarian chili, white chili, chili with beans, chili without beans….Donation drop-off begins at 4pm on New Year’s Day at South Church (or by appointment)! 
Contact Kirsten with questions or to donate! 

I will be out on medical leave for the month of December, beginning Fri 12/1. If you have any RE questions or needs during that time, please reach out to Kirsten Hunter: kirsten@southchurch-uu.org.

Sending you so much Love, and see you in the New Year!

JenDB ❤️

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! ♥️

Calendar for this month… 

Click Linked Items for additional Details:

Click here for 2023-2024 RE Program Information

  • Friday, December 1st:
    • South Church Holiday Party, Silent Auction, and Hanging of the Greens! Decorating at 4:30, potluck dinner, party and auction at 5. This is a great family event!
  • 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
  • Sunday, Dec 10th:
    • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Reverend Ellen
    • Children’s Holiday Market! All kids of all ages are invited to shop for gifts for their families, for free, during 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
    • Senior Youth Group meets 4:00-5:30 at 73 Court St
  • Sunday, Dec 17th:
    • PAGEANT DAY! Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. This is a Multigenerational worship, children stay in the sanctuary. This is a pick-up style pageant, all are welcome to participate
    • Dog Treats Sale by Young Church RE kids! At Social Hour, cash only
    • Nursery is closed today–babies and toddlers stay in the sanctuary for pageant
    • No RE this morning
    • 5th Grade OWL does NOT meet
    • 8th Grade Coming of Age does NOT meet
    • 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 in Milk Classroom
  • Sunday, December 24th:
    • Morning worship at 10:00a, in person only. Offered by WAs Chris, Veda, and Bret
    • Nursery is closed today, and no RE classes
    • Coming of Age, 5th & 7th grade OWL, and Senior Youth do NOT meet today
    • Christmas Eve worship services 5pm and 8pm. Live stream on YouTube for 8pm only.
  • Sunday, December 31st:
    • Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube, offered by WAs Willow and Bret
    • Nursery is closed today, and no RE classes
    • Coming of Age, 5th & 7th grade OWL, and Senior Youth do NOT meet today
    • New Year’s Eve Chili Sale!! Fundraiser held by Senior Youth Group, 5-7pm

December’s Church Theme is “Mystery”

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

  • As UUs we say that something that inspires our spirituality is transcending Mystery and wonder. At a shared meal, discuss these questions:
    • How does it feel for you when you have to sit with a question that you don’t have a clear answer to?
    • How can we make space to listen to our hearts in the presence of Mystery? What is your favorite way to listen to your heart?
    • If there was one mystery you could have solved, what would it be?
  • Our shared plate this month is the Black Heritage Trail of NH. Here are some ways to interact or support BHTNH:
  • Participate in our annual Christmas pageant! The roots of our faith come from Christianity, and we still find inspiration by occasionally exploring Jesus’s teachings. You can participate in a telling of one of the parables on 12/17 during worship. This is a pick-up style pageant, so just show up on 12/17 to participate. If you would like to help with costume or prop prep in advance, then contact Kirsten asap: kirsten@southchurch-uu.org

Chalice Lighting for Meal Times: 

The Wonder All Around Us 

Rev. Scott Tayler

Think friends, of the sky,
of the stars that dance like fireworks overhead. Think of the trees, budding or bare,and the rivers and rain,
all a part of this living, breathing earth
that makes our living and breathing possible.
Think too, and look at, the faces that surround you; What a wonder it is that we don’t have to travel this world alone.
All of it is miracle. All of it is mystery.
All of it deserves our awe.
And so, may this light we now kindle
and this time we now share,
Illuminate the astonishing preciousness
of it all.

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