Pastoral Associates Carlo and Greg visited RE on 1/21 for a special community Love project
The last Sunday in January was a special kind of day at church. We had a multigenerational worship that was full and fun and a sweet community event. Then we had the annual congregational meeting, where church members heard about relevant elements from the past year and then voted on bylaw changes and the proposed budget for 2024. Congregational polity and this democratic process make up a pretty unique part of Unitarian Universalism that set our faith apart form most religions and which require active participation of our members to continue the growth and authenticity of our community.
Multigenerational worship days are important because they give kids experience as they grow up of what it feels like and how to “do” worship. We want to make sure that once they are done with their RE careers, they have the familiarity with, and hopefully even a love for, worship in community. Multigenerational times also benefit the adults of our church, to be connected to and inspired by people of all ages. Not to mention, it helps reminds us to keep our church spaces accessible to as many kinds of people as we can. Our next multigen worship will be on February 25th.
To support kids and adults of all ages with feeling grounded in the sanctuary, we have materials available for anyone to use during worship. “Soul Work” is a term coined by a longtime UU educator named Joy Berry, who has extensively studied research on the effects of various kinds of handwork on our brain function and wellness. Here is an article that helps explain how handwork like knitting, drawing, and other activities can help us with mindfulness, memory formation and recall, relaxation, and more.
At the back of the sanctuary you will find our Soul Work station. Most of the materials are connected to the monthly church themes and/or building UU identity. They are curated to help embody what is going on at church and to help us all to be present. So parents and other adults–check out and use the Soul Work materials! Most of the kids already know where to find them. Please help to keep the area neat, and return items to the refresh basket so they can be restored for the next person. Anything you make can go home with you or left to maybe be displayed in a little Soul Work gallery, coming later.
AND, if you have ideas of things you’d like to see in our Soul Work supplies, let me know!
Kids in our Young Church RE room downstairs spent January interacting with the church theme of Liberating Love. They had a visit from Pastoral Associates, who told them about the ways that they provide loving care to our church people when they are facing challenges, and that this support will always be available to them through their lives. The kids were then invited to create love-themed cards that the PAs will use when they write cards to people. There was also a session where the kids heard a story about a character (Piglet, a friend of JET PIG) who was liberated from their fear through the patient love of their friends. They will now turn to the February theme, Justice & Equity, which are 2 more of the new proposed UU values that will be formally adopted this year.
High school youth have been working to prepare the worship that they will offer us on February 4th. (RE classes will meet as usual that day.)
Coming of Age (8th grade) has been exploring UU History and big topics like Good & Evil. OWL sexuality education for 5th grade will finish this month, and 7th grade OWL passed the halfway point of their comprehensive program. There will be an OWL Parent Discussion opportunity on Sunday February 4th, 4-5:30 in the sanctuary. This has typically been for the parents of kids in the 7th grade class, but parents of the 5th grade class are welcome to attend too.
Last but in no way least, we have a new opportunity–Muffin Mingle–for parents of younger children to gather and connect, coming up on the first Sunday in March–3/3. Families with elementary, preschool, and nursery-aged children are invited to come to church before worship, at 9am, for breakfast. We will provide childcare and space for parents to be together, as well as simple breakfast foods for adults and kids. If your child still needs you near then they can certainly stay with you. The goal is to support you in getting to know other parents of young kids at church. Feel free to invite anyone who hasn’t been to church yet, too!
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Much Love,
💜JenDB
February’s Church Theme is “Justice & Equity”
- Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 11-17. Of course, we can practice random acts of kindness every day, and here are some ideas for how: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas
- One element to raising social justice-oriented kids is exposing them to many different cultures. That can be tricky for young families in NH, but here are a few easy-reach ideas for everyday multicultural experiences:
- Prepare foods from different countries. Here are some easy examples: https://tinybeans.com/ethnic-foods-your-kids-need-to-try-at-least-once/
- Visit an art museum and focus on art from specific countries or from artists of various races and ethnicities.
- Choose a “language of the week” and learn a few basic words together, being sure to use them together whenever you can for the week–make a game of it by keeping points for each time someone remembers to use a word from the language for that week.
- NH Racial Unity Team is doing equity work in New Hampshire. Children, youth and adults can enter an original poem or art work in the “Belonging” art & poetry challenge: https://racialunityteam.com/art-and-poetry-challenge
Chalice Lighting For Meal Times:
By Mary Ann Moore
We light this chalice for the light of truth.
We light this chalice for the warmth of love.
We light this chalice for the energy of action.
Click Linked Items for additional Details
Click here for 2023-2024 RE Program Information
- Friday, February 2nd:
- Sparks and Flames Movie Night and Snackfest, 7:00-9:00pm! More info and rsvp: jendeldeo@southchurch-uu.org
- Saturday, February 3rd:
- Senior Youth overnight
- Sunday, February 4th:
- Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Offered by Senior Youth Group
- Nursery is staffed and 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 does not meet this evening
- Sunday, February 11th:
- Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Rev Ellen
- Nursery is staffed and 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 and 7th grade OWL do NOT meet today
- Senior Youth meets 4:00-5:30 at 73 Court St
- Sunday, February 18th:
- Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Kirsten
- Nursery is staffed and open 9:30-11:30a
- RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet downstairs following TFAA
- 8th Grade CoA and 7th Grade OWL do NOT meet today
- Senior Youth meets 4:00-5:30 at 73 Court St
- Sunday, February 25th:
- Multigen Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Rev Ellen
- Nursery is not staffed today, but families may use the room with parent supervision
- Kids stay in worship today, no RE classes
- 7th Grade OWL, 8th Grade CoA, and Senior Youth Group do NOT meet today
- Friday, March 1st:
- Sparks and Flames bowling, 7pm! More info and rsvp: jendeldeo@southchurch-uu.org
- Sunday, March 3rd:
- Worship at 10:00a, in person and live on YouTube. Sermon offered by Rev Ellen
- Nursery is staffed and open 9:30-11:30a
- RE classes for Pre-K through 7th grade meet downstairs following TFAA
- 8th Grade Coming of Age meets 9:45-11:00 at 73 Court St, with Mentors
- 7th Grade OWL meets 4:00-5:30 in Milk Classroom
- Senior Youth meets 4:00-5:30 at 73 Court St
southchurch-uu-re.org 