Hello religious education family and friends,

Another bridging and Coming of Age worship have come and go, and we are transitioning into our Summer schedule. Please read through the info provided here, and come and join us this summer for some fun workshops!

In this post:

• Summer Sundays at South Church
• Training Opportunities!! For OWL sexuality education -or- Spirit play
• Fall RE program
• South Church Retreat on STAR ISLAND- You want to come, It’s Wonderful!

• Spirit Play– Four-6 year old Preschool and Kindergarten aged students
• Theme based Workshops– 1st-6th grade children
• Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education (OWL)–
  • 5th grade- 8 week program
  • 7th grade- year long program
  • 10th-11th grade- 10 week program
• Coming of Age- 8th grade, year long program. (looking for facilitators and mentors
• Senior Youth Group- High School aged youth. Generally meets evenings from 4-5:30 pm

May’s theme: a community of Embodiment

It is an absolutely beautiful May day as I write this update for all of you! I hope you are soaking up spring at every opportunity!

In this update, you can read about:

• State of the program and the church- (RE version)  
• End of year Sparks (5th-6th) and Purple flames (7th-8th) social groups this week!
• Theme talk (and Children’s chapel) this Sunday, May 7th
• End of year Families Tuugether (for families with young kids), Saturday May 13th
• Mother’s day flower sale May 7 and 14th
• Family resources for May’s theme: A people of Embodiment
  • May Workshop info
  • Ideas to connect at home

State of the program and the church (RE edition): I know you are all in different places in terms of what you know about the improvements here at church, so, briefly, we are in a period of discernment about whether to move forward with planned improvements of Karnan house (the auxiliary building where some of our RE classes and other church events are held), or whether to instead purchase the purple-brown church down the road on Court Street (past the African Burial Ground). There was a Q &A last Sunday, and we will be engaging in discussion for the next several weeks before voting as a congregation on the choice on May 21st. If you have questions/concerns, please seek out a staff member or board member!
Our RE program is certainly a big piece of the conversations that are happening related to space, and there is a larger discussion to be had about the program going forward- I need input and engagement from all of you to make it fit our needs. I love working with your kids, and there is so much we can accomplish, but it requires everyone to be involved! In the next few weeks May 14th and 21st, I will be in the social hall with information about roles we need to fill for next year. Please stop by to see how you can plug-in as we head into this next year of growth and changes!

• Workshop Assistants at 9 and 11 am
• Workshop leaders- to design a single day, or multiple day workshop at 9 or 11
• Spirit play teachers– to participate in training for this montessori based program, and volunteer in the class at 9 or 11 am
• Roaming supervisors, to sign on for 9 or 11am and be available to fill in unexpected vacancies and ‘hold down the fort’ so to speak
• OWL facilitators to attend three day intensive training and help facilitate our comprehensive sexuality education program (offered for 5th, 7th, and 10-11th graders)
• Coming of Age facilitator (team of 4 to work with 8th graders for the year)
• Coming of Age Mentors – pairs with one of our 8th grade students to offer structured mentorship in our year long program (fall 2017-spring 2018)
• Nursery support- be an extra set of hands in our nursery at 9 or 11 am
• Senior Youth Group advisor- assist Cat Lyons, our RE program assistant and youth group coordinator, at youth group gatherings on Sunday evenings, and support off site trips when available.

*All of our volunteer positions require safe congregation screening. Extra training is offered for Spirit Play, and is required for OWL. Orientations are provided for Coming of Age volunteers, and senior youth group advisors.

Want to chat more! Email me and we can set up a time for coffee. I love getting to connect one on one to hear how the program can best fit your family.

End of year Sparks (5th-6th) and Purple flames (7th-8th) social groups this week! If your child is in 5th-8th grade, they are welcome to join us this Friday whether or not they have been registered for the program all year! Please plan to bring a favorite snack and well fitting sneakers as we will be playing games and celebrating the year.

Theme talk this Sunday, May 7th This will be our last Theme talk for the year, this time exploring the idea of being a community of embodiment. All of our south church “grown ups” are invited to join us at 10:15-10:55 for what is always an interesting conversation!

and Children’s chapel is this Sunday. too! Our kids will be meeting together for our monthly children’s worship time, which will include an introduction (on a kid level) of this months embodiment theme.

Families Tuugether- May 10th at 4:30 to 8pm– Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP(kirsten@southchurch-uu.org)  if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Mother’s day flower sale May 7 and 14th- Our High school youth will be selling hanging flower baskets this Sunday and next as a fundraiser for their trip to New Orleans. Each basket will cost $25. They make GREAT gifts 😉

Family resources for May’s theme: ‘We are a community of embodiment’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of embodiment. Think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines.

Embodiment- A poem: The Paradox by, Sarah Kay:

When I am inside writing,
all I can think about is how I should be outside living.

When I am outside living,
all I can do is notice all there is to write about.

When I read about love, I think I should be out loving.
When I love, I think I need to read more.

I am stumbling in pursuit of grace,
I hunt patience with a vengeance.

On the mornings when my brother’s tired muscles
held to the pillow, my father used to tell him,

For every moment you aren’t playing basketball,
someone else is on the court practicing.

I spend most of my time wondering
if I should be somewhere else.

So I have learned to shape the words thank you
with my first breath each morning, my last breath every night.

When the last breath comes, at least I will know I was thankful
for all the places I was so sure I was not supposed to be.

All those places I made it to,
all the loves I held, all the words I wrote.

And even if it is just for one moment,
I will be exactly where I am supposed to be.

In RE this month we began exploring embodiment at our Children’s chapel (offered every first Sunday). This month’s workshops will include learning about Marley Dias’ 1000 books project and doing a classroom audit, where we look at the books on the bookshelf and evaluate who is represented in them. We will also be making prayer flags this month, and doing some meditation (perhaps including a labyrinth! And, we do have space for a few more ideas toward the end of the month if you have a workshop in mind- reach out!

In our families, here are some ideas to explore this months theme. These are just a few suggestions, but a great way to start thinking about how to bring South Church into our lives in new ways:

A few explorations for parents:

• Podcast- Who We Want to Become: Beyond the New Jim Crow What world do we want to embody? What does it look like to embody hope and justice as a culture?  http://www.onbeing.org/programs/michelle-alexanderwho-we-want-to-become-beyond-the-new-jim-crow/
• Podcast- Why Is the World So Beautiful? The world’s beauty as an embodiment of truth…  http://www.onbeing.org/programs/frank-wilczek- why-isthe-world-so-beautiful/
• Article: The Shared Experience of Built Sacred Spaces by Sarah Smarsh … https://onbeing.org/blog/when-the-physical-becomessecondary-the-shared-experience-of-built-sacred-spaces/

Family Discussions: Here are some prompts for embodiment you might consider this month:

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soulmattersre/mayembodiment/
• Watch this together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY -that is all 🙂
• If you are out in nature this month: http://artfulparent.com/2010/01/richard-shilling-on-land-art-for-kids.html

As you explore, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.” – Epictetus

——————-

Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher?  We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

April’s Theme: A community of Transformation

April seems to need some attention folks! I can relate to these first few days; heavy snow, then bright sun, warm air, now relentless rain. Mud, and sprouts, budding trees, and a sled filling with water on the edge of a melting mound of slush.

All the things. Spring.

In this update, you can read about:

• Volunteering for RE
• Sparks (5th-6th) and Purple flames (7th-8th) social groups this week!
• Families Tuugether for families with young kids, Saturday April 8th
• Pancake Breakfast, Sunday April 9th
• Easter Sunday details
• Family resources for April’s theme: A people of Transformation
  • April Workshop info
  • Ideas to connect at home

Volunteers! (that’s you!): As you may know, this year has included a lot of big changes to our program, and part of that change, was moving volunteer recruitment for the bulk of our program away from the months of August and September (which are notoriously busy times for families). Now is the time to articulate how you would like to help make our program happen for the coming year. I will have an RE “Job Fair” table at Social hour beginning on April 23rd, that will articulate all of the following roles, but please, reach out if you are interested in something and would like to know more about it, or if you are ready to jump in! Volunteer roles include*:

• Workshop Assistants at 9 and 11 am
• Workshop leaders- to design a single day, or multiple day workshop at 9 or 11
• Spirit play teachers– to participate in training for this montessori based program, and volunteer in the class at 9 or 11 am
• Roaming supervisors, to sign on for 9 or 11am and be available to fill in unexpected vacancies and ‘hold down the fort’ so to speak
• OWL facilitators to attend three day intensive training and help facilitate our comprehensive sexuality education program (offered for 5th, 7th, and 10-11th graders)
• Coming of Age facilitator (team of 4 to work with 8th graders for the year)
• Coming of Age Mentors – pairs with one of our 8th grade students to offer structured mentorship in our year long program (fall 2017-spring 2018)
• Nursery support- be an extra set of hands in our nursery at 9 or 11 am
• Senior Youth Group advisor- assist Cat Lyons, our RE program assistant and youth group coordinator, at youth group gatherings on Sunday evenings, and support off site trips when available.

*All of our volunteer positions require safe congregation screening. Extra training is offered for Spirit Play, and is required for OWL. Orientations are provided for Coming of Age volunteers, and senior youth group advisors.

Families Tuugether- April 8th at 4:30 to 8pm– Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than 8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP(kirsten@southchurch-uu.org)  if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Pancake Breakfast, Sunday April 9th This Sunday is our annual pancake breakfast fundraiser to help our high school youth fund their service learning trip (this year, 11 youth are heading to New Orleans for General Assembly which has a justice theme this year! Please come anytime between 8 and 11 am on Sunday to have a delicious breakfast and to show your support for our youth. We are also still taking donations of eggs, fruit, and orange juice- email me if you’d like to make a donation!

Easter Sunday details Easter Sunday is on April 16th this year, and as always, the service will be an intergenerational worship (no RE programming, but the nursery is still open). After each worship, we have a fun egg hunt for the kids. If your child has allergies, we have a basket of allergy safe treats for which they can trade in their collected sweets. Please bring a donation of filled eggs (or candy for us to use to fill eggs) this week or next! See you soon!

Family resources for April: ‘We are a community of transformation’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of transformation. Think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines.

Transformation- The Kind of Transformation that The Church Offers, by Brene Brown “I went back to church thinking it would be like an epidural. But faith and church was not like an epidural but like a midwife…who just stood next to me saying push. It is suppose to hurt… People want love to be like unicorns and rainbows. But Jesus says love is hard, trouble and controversial. Love is not easy… I thought faith would say I will take away the pain and discomfort but what it ended up saying is “I’ll sit with you in it.” And I never thought that would be enough but it’s perfect… Love weeps.”  http://www.mbird.com/2013/07/brene-brown-reflects-on-how-jesus-wept/

In March we talked about risk, and now, over the next two months, we will be exploring transformation and then moving into the idea of embodiment. It seems that we are being called to open our hearts to shift, and I am excited for the prospect. If you have been following the news over these past few weeks, you may have heard about the hiring decision in the UUA and read some of the calls to action that have emerged. It is not a comfortable moment for leaders in our faith, or for those of us who are grappling with how this relates to our own biases, but it is certainly a moment of opportunity if we can embrace this call for transformation, settle into our discomfort, reflect as individuals and as wider circles of community, and challenge ourselves. I am hopeful that we will do so, in all of the imperfect, clumsy, challenging ways we can.

In RE this month we began exploring transformation at our Children’s chapel (offered every first Sunday). This month’s workshops will include a story workshop where students will be making a set for The Hungry Caterpillar and articulating a script so the story can be told during worship in early May; We will also be helping make our pancake breakfast fundraiser happen on April 9th by transforming the dining area after the first seating, and then doing clean up transformation after the second 😉 In the second half of the month we will also have a felting workshop (transforming loose wool into felt creations) and we do have space for a few more ideas toward the end of the month if you have a workshop in mind- reach out!

In our families, here are some ideas to explore this months theme. These are just a few suggestions, but a great way to start thinking about how to bring South Church into our lives in new ways:

UU Stories- Consider asking people in your congregation to talk about our Unitarian Universalism has transformed their lives, or about any moment of transformation that has become a part of their story. How does our community invite us to welcome, and even seek, transformation?

Explore the April theme on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soulmattersre/april-transformation-soul-matters-2017/

A few resources for parents:

• Podcast:The Losses and Laughter We Grow Into- Kevin Kling  https://soundcloud.com/onbeing/kevin-kling-the-losses-and-laughter-we-grow-into/sets
• Today I Rise – Short Film  https://vimeo.com/122762336
• TED talk on transformation
  • A School Transformed by Replacing Detention with Meditation  https://www.facebook.com/MicMedia/videos/1240485765974211/

Family Discussions: Here are some prompts you might consider during a dinner conversation, at bedtime, or while going for a drive in the car this month:

• The relationship we have with our siblings is transformational– changing throughout our lives. Perhaps ask your children about how they see their relationship with one another, and how they would like it to transform?  At children’s chapel we talked about whether or not we agreed that our job as a sibling is not to judge each other but to love each other– and how unique that job can be. Discuss!!
• Bad things happen- think about a loss your family or child experienced in the past, and ask how they think about it now, and how those feelings have changed. You might be surprised by what comes out. The way we transform pain in our lives into a source of strength is deeply connected to resilience.

As you explore, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

“But now that so much is changing, isn’t it time for us to change? Couldn’t we try to gradually develop and slowly take upon ourselves, little by little, our part in the great task of love?  “– Rainer Maria Rilke

——————-

Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher?  We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

March’s Theme: a community of risk

March greetings, everyone. I hope this picture of our senior youth offering worship in February makes you smile!

In this update, you can read about:

• Monthly Theme talk- Sunday March 5
• Children’s chapel First Sundays
• RE Orientation dinner- March 9th 6:30-8pm
• Families Tuugether, Saturday March 11
• Women’s health and welness meet up
• Family resources for March’s theme: A people of Risk
  • March Workshop info
  • Ideas to connect at home

Monthly Theme talk- March 5th- “A community of Risk” at 10:15 am– Theme talks are a monthly offering intended to provide a much needed opportunity for parents, RE teachers, and other adults (and youth) in our congregation to dig a bit more deeply into the upcoming monthly worship theme in a small group discussion.  These talks will hopefully help us to better find connections between church and our lives throughout the week. For parents and RE volunteers, it  may also provide some ideas for how to talk with our children about Unitarian Universalism and the exploration of ideas in the context of a spiritual community. Whomever you are, I hope you will come join us and see what it’s all about! This Sunday we’ll be talking about March’s theme: what it means to be “A community of Risk” If you’d like to attend, we will have a supervised room for kids to hang for this 40 minute gathering.

Children’s Chapel On the first Sunday of each month RE children from first grade through 7th grade gather together for Children’s Chapel. This is our first opportunity of the month to explore the worship theme, and to practice worship in a kid friendly setting. This month we’ll be diving into the topic of ‘Identity’.  Parents: we participate in a shared plate donation during this gathering, so it’s great if you can, send along .50cents or a dollar for your child to contribute.

Families Tuugether- March 11th at 4:30 to 8pm– Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than 8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP(kirsten@southchurch-uu.org)  if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Family resources for March: ‘We are a community of risk’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of risk. Think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines.

Risk- “The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He or she may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he or she simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love – live. Only a person who risks is free. – Janet Rand” 

Risks can challenge us in life. It is important to remember that we are connected and stronger together. We can help each other through life’s challenges. Our church and congregation also can take risks together when our beliefs tell us that it is true and right. Unitarian Universalists believe that it is important to continue to search and learn what is true and right. We also believe that your actions should be guided by what you believe.

In RE this month we will be exploring risk in workshops during the 9am and 11am worship for children in First through 7th grade. This month’s workshops will include an art workshop where we will be making courage stones; A role playing workshop where participants explore how to evaluate risk; an inventive cooking workshop (what kind of risks can we take when we’re cooking!?  We do have space for a few more ideas toward the end of the month if you have a identity workshop in mind- reach out!

In our families, here are some ideas to explore this months theme. These are just a few suggestions, but a great way to start thinking about how to bring South Church into our lives in new ways:

Tell Stories of Unitarian Universalist Risk Takers & how their faith helped them make decisions: Dorothea Dix , Tim DeChristopher, James Reeb, James Adams , Lydia Maria Child or choose one of your favorites!

Explore the March theme on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soulmattersre/march-risk/

A few resources for parents:

• Article: The benefits of risk taking for children
• Article: Ways to encourage our children to take risks
• Two TED talks (two perspectives on Risk)
  • Raising our Girls to be Perfect and Our Boys to be Brave ~ Reshma Saujani
  • Addicted to Risk – TED Talk ~Naomi Klein

Family Discussions: Here are some prompts you might consider during a dinner conversation, at bedtime, or while going for a drive in the car this month:

• What beliefs do you hold strongly — that you would call your convictions?
• What would you be willing to stand up for, even, perhaps, at your own peril?
• How have you come to decide what convictions are most important to you?
• At what moments in your life have you felt called on to be courageous? When do you wish you could have been more courageous?
• What resources do you find at church, to support you in your courage and your convictions? Do you have other ideas to share at church?
• Share with your child some convictions you hope they will come to hold dear. Then ask them to share what they think!

As you explore, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable. ”  ~Madeleine L’Engle

——————-

Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher?  We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

February’s Theme: a community of identity

Happy February everyone!

In this update, you can read about:

• Families Tuugether, Saturday February 11
• Senior Youth trip planning for GA in New Orleans- Sunday, Feb 12th
• Monthly Theme talk update
• One Action NH/Maine
• RE Orientation dinner- March 9th 6:30-8pm
• Social group for 5th-6th graders and 7th-8th graders- First Fridays
• Children’s chapel First Sundays
• Family resources for February’s theme: A people of Prophecy
  • February Workshop info
  • Ideas to connect at home

Families Tuugether- February 11th at 4:30 to 8pm– *If you RSVP- check email on Saturday in case of snow cancellations!  Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than 8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP(kirsten@southchurch-uu.org)  if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Senior Youth New Orleans Potluck- This Sunday, Feb 12th, after youth group- 5:45-7pm. Please join us if you’d like information about the June trip to General Assembly in New Orleans- this year’s theme is Justice! Commitments for those youth who want to attend will be due at the end of this month!

Monthly Theme talk- March 5th- “A community of Risk” at 10:15 am– in the continued year of trying things out, we are again adjusting the format of this event. Starting in March we will be talking about the current month’s theme (rather than anticipating the next month. SO, we are skipping February’s talk (as we already did it in January 😉 Theme talks are a monthly offering intended to provide a much needed opportunity for parents, RE teachers, and other adults (and youth) in our congregation to dig a bit more deeply into the upcoming monthly worship theme in a small group discussion.  These talks will hopefully help us to better find connections between church and our lives throughout the week. For parents and RE volunteers, it  may also provide some ideas for how to talk with our children about Unitarian Universalism and the exploration of ideas in the context of a spiritual community. Whomever you are, I hope you will come join us and see what it’s all about! This Sunday we’ll be talking about February’s theme: what it means to be “A community of Identity” If you’d like to attend, we will have a supervised room for kids to hang for this 40 minute gathering.

Social Groups- called Sparks (for 5th-6th grade) and Purple Flames (for 7th-8th grades) meet on the first Friday of most months during the church year- on Friday March 3rd we will be playing laser tag with both groups at Hill Top fun center from 7-9pm. We still need chaperones! IF you are interested in signing up for this program, please email the Director of Religious Education: kirsten@southchurch-uu.org to get registration information!

Children’s Chapel On the first Sunday of each month RE children from first grade through 7th grade gather together for Children’s Chapel. This is our first opportunity of the month to explore the worship theme, and to practice worship in a kid friendly setting. This month we’ll be diving into the topic of ‘Identity’.  Parents: we participate in a shared plate donation during this gathering, so it’s great if you can, send along .50cents or a dollar for your child to contribute.

Family resources for February: ‘We are a community of identity’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of identity, think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines.

Identity- “Who am I? My answer: I am everyone whose being-in-the-world affected was affected by mine. I am anything that happens after I’ve gone which would not have happened if I had not come. Nor am I particularly exceptional in this matter; each ‘I’, every one of the now-sixhundred-million-plus of us, contains a similar multitude. I repeat for the last time: to understand me, you’ll have to swallow the world. ~Salman Rushdie.” 

Sometimes, religion attempts to offer you an identity; but it’s interesting to think about how our religion celebrates our identity as well. At our best, we UUs seek both to offer identity and to honor our individual truths. Through theme based church, each month, we lift up a unique value or human quality that our faith calls us to live and lean into. Together, our themes help us think about who UUs are, and who we, as individuals are within and beyond our congregation.

Our children are living in a particularly dynamic part of their lifelong process of identity formation. We have the distinct privilege to get to witness them unfold in amazing ways.

In RE this month we will be exploring identity in workshops during the 9am and 11am worship for children in Kindergarten through 7th grade. This month’s workshops will include a game workshop to explore diversity and cultural awareness; A collage workshop where young artists can create a self ‘portrait’ (please bring me magazine donations!); and another story workshop where we’ll create a script to perform for the story for all ages on March 5th. We do have space for one more idea toward the end of the month if you have a identity workshop in mind- reach out!

In our families, here are some ideas to explore this months theme. These are just a few suggestions, but a great way to start thinking about how to bring South Church into our lives in new ways:

A few ideas for dinner talks:

Our identity changes over time. As a child you may think of yourself as a learner, a sibling, a beginner at many things. And then as an adult you may think of yourself as a parent, a teacher. How do you think your identity will be different in 10 years? How do you think your identity will be different in 20 years?

Sometimes our family sees us one way and our classmates, co-workers friends see us differently. How is your identity different in different groups? Maybe at home you help with the cooking and at school your kind of a clown.

We Are there times you don’t fit in with those around you? How do you continue to be your true self when you feel you are being pulled in different directions?

Family Activity: Interview a parent, grandparent or neighbor about their identity as a child or young adult. How did they see themselves? What were they proud of? Who did they hope to become? What was important to them? Did anything you learn surprise you? Do you see their identity in a new light now? (thanks to

Book ideas (age 4-9):

• People by Peter Spier
• The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler
• The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
• Who’s in My Family?: All About Our Families by Robie H. Harris
• Who’s Who in My Family? by Loreen Leedy
• Me and My Family Tree by Joan Sweeney

Age 9-11

• Unitarian Universalism is a really long name
• Hard Truths by Rev. David Petee and discussion questions.
• Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester

Also– carrying over from last month, in the spirit of this moment, and black history month: Click this Link to a list of Social Justice books for kids 

BOOKS:

• Martin Luther King: I Have Been to the Mountaintop 
• Ruby Bridges
• 5 Ways to Fight social injustice as a family– great ideas in this link!

As you explore, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”   ~Mahatma Gandhi

——————-

Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher?  We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

January theme: a community of prophecy

Happy New Year everyone!  I’m sure many of you are chomping at the bit to get this newsletter, as you’ve made your resolution to jump into church with increased vigor and you’re wondering how to start!  This is a great beginning!  (giggle giggle)

In this update, you can read about:

• Monthly Theme talk: Sunday, January 8th at *10:15 am (*new time) Discussion: Anticipating February’s theme- being a community of ‘Identity’
• Children’s chapel Sunday, January 8th
• Social group for 5th-6th graders and 7th-8th graders- First Fridays
• Families Tuugether, Saturday January 14
• Family resources for January’s theme: A people of Prophecy
  •  January RE Workshop info
  • Ideas to connect at home

Monthly Theme talk- January 8th  at 10:15 am– this is a monthly offering intended to provide a much needed opportunity for parents, RE teachers, and other adults (and youth) in our congregation to dig a bit more deeply into the upcoming monthly worship theme in a small group discussion.  These talks will hopefully help us to better find connections between church and our lives throughout the week. For parents and RE volunteers, it  may also provide some ideas for how to talk with our children about Unitarian Universalism and the exploration of ideas in the context of a spiritual community. Whomever you are, I hope you will come join us and see what it’s all about! This Sunday we’ll be talking about February’s theme: what it means to be “A community of Identity” If you’d like to attend, we will have a supervised room for kids to hang for this 40 minute gathering.

Children’s Chapel On the first Sunday of each month RE children from first grade through 7th grade gather together for Children’s Chapel. This is our first opportunity of the month to explore the worship theme, and to practice worship in a kid friendly setting. This month we’ll be diving into the topic of ‘Prophecy’.  Parents: we participate in a shared plate donation during this gathering, so it’s great if you can send along .50cents or a dollar for your child to contribute.

Social Groups- called Sparks (for 5th-6th grade) and Purple Flames (for 7th-8th grades) meet on the first Friday of most months during the church year. This is a fun way for kids to get to know one another in a fun social setting.  This Friday, January 6th, both groups will be meeting together at South Church from 7-9 to play a super fun game called ‘Murder’ (i know, it sounds scary, but it’s a great time!).  IF you are interested, please email the Director of Religious Education: kirsten@southchurch-uu.org to get registration information!

Families Tuugether- January 14th at 4:30 to 8pm– Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than 8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP(kirsten@southchurch-uu.org)  if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Family resources for January: ‘We are a community of prophecy’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of prophecy, think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines. It’s kind of a tricky theme, but when you dig into it, I think it’s really timely!

Prophecy- “Our times ask us to exercise our capacity for prophetic witness, by Prophetic witness I mean our capacity to see what is happening, to say what is happening and to act in accordance with what we know…. Prophetic witness …is the ability to name those places where we resist knowing what needs to be known.” -Rebecca Parker, UU theologian and minister  

I think for most of us (adults) no matter where we fall on the political spectrum, this moment in our nation is a scary one. We are a divided people in many ways, and finding a road back toward unity and equality seems very complicated. In our own lives, this is probably true as well, as we grapple with blind-spots, growing edges, expected and unexpected challenges. As parents, though, we are also tasked with the honor of ushering a new generation into adulthood. Prophetic witness may seem, literally, over their heads, and yet, our babies are future.

Perhaps, start with this simple seed– each of us has work to do to wake up to the world within us and around us. If our children can begin to learn how to do that, think how much further they might go! How can we help to raise children who possess the ability to name what needs to be known?

In RE this month we will be exploring prophecy in workshops during the 9am and 11am worship for children in Kindergarten through 7th grade. This month’s workshops include a Martin Luther King day workshop on Jan 15th; a music exploration (with Kazoos!!); A bread making workshop- where we explore the prophetic message of Challah!; An art/creativity workshop; and maybe (not confirmed yet!) a palm reading workshop!! We do have space for one more idea toward the end of the month if you have a prophetic workshop in mind! Reach out!! 

In our families, here are some ideas to explore this months theme. These are just a few suggestions, but a great way to start thinking about how to bring South Church into our lives in new ways:

• Martin Luther King: I Have Been to the Mountaintop 
• 5 Ways to Fight social injustice as a family– great ideas in this link!
• BOOKS!!
  • Click this Link to a list of Social Justice books for kids 
  • Also…For ages 4-8
    • Barack Obama’s book for his daughters: Of Thee I Sing– This is a great book highlighting heroes.
    • The Stars Will Still Shine by Cynthia Rylant
  • For ages 9-11-
    • Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood
    • Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel
    • Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace by Jen Cullerton Johnson
    • Dorothea’s Eyes: Dorothea Lange Photographs the Truth by Barb Rosenstock
• Here’s a Pinterest page with LOTS of great ideas for families to explore the theme of Prophecy
• For youth/parents who enjoy hip hop– this article might interest you: Searching for the prophetic in Hip Hop
• Also for the more aged among us:  On Being podcast: The Prophetic Imagination, Walter Brueggemann– about how prophets are often first/also poets.

As you explore prophecy this month, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”   ~Mahatma Gandhi

——————-

Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher?  We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

Hello Dear South Church families and friends!

I hope you had wonderful Thanksgiving gatherings, and are moving into December with full hearts. We will be exploring the ways that we are a community of presence this month (you can read a bit more on that below), so as the busy hustle of the holiday season continues to build, remember to stop and take time to appreciate the gifts around us; children humming songs as they play, smells of good food wafting from the oven, dress shoes clicking across the floor, even the way that early darkness causes us to slow a bit, to settle. I send you wishes for peace and so much love.

In this month’s nUUs you can read about:

• Holiday Potluck this Friday! (no other social-groups or Families Tuugether this month)
• Kids are the storytellers this Sunday- 12/4! (Come a bit early to participate.)
• Theme talk: Sunday, December 4th at 8:00 am or 12:30 pm (read more below) Discussion: Anticipating January’s theme- being a community of ‘Prophecy’
• Children’s chapel Sunday, December 4th
• Pageant Sunday- December 18th
• Christmas Eve and Christmas day info
• First Night Chili sale!! 12/31 from 5-9pm
• Family resources for December’s theme: A people of Presence
  • (Including December 11th Workshop info)

Holiday potluck Friday, December 2, 6pm-8pm- It’s that time again! Join us on Friday as we celebrate the season and share family traditions through food. Make a dish that relates to a holiday tradition in your family, bring it along and plan to have some fun conversation, make an ornament or some pageant props, eat, drink and be merry! We will once again coerce Rev. Chris into leading some carols, and reluctant participants are as crucial as the enthusiastic ones! Come one, come all~ We always have a lovely time, and hope to see many of you there!

Storytellers NEEDED! In November, we ran a storytelling workshop that involved creating a script from a children’s book, identifying roles, making props, and… THIS WEEK (12/4), we will be performing the story during worship at both service times!  Whether or not your child participated in the workshop, they are welcome to come a bit early this week and take on a role in the story for all ages! If you attend the 9 am service, try to arrive by 8:30. If you are an 11:00 service family, try to get here by 10:30am. It is easy and so much fun! We hope your kids join in!

Monthly Theme talk- December 4th 8:00 am or 12:30pm- this is a monthly offering intended to provide a much needed opportunity for parents, RE teachers, and other adults (and youth) in our congregation to dig a bit more deeply into the upcoming monthly worship theme in a small group discussion.  These talks will hopefully help us to better find connections between church and our lives throughout the week. For parents and RE volunteers, it  may also provide some ideas for how to talk with our children about Unitarian Universalism and the exploration of ideas in the context of a spiritual community. Whomever you are, I hope you will come join us and see what it’s all about! On December 4th we’ll be talking about January’s theme: what it means to be “A community of Prophecy”

Children’s Chapel On the first Sunday of each month RE children from first grade through 7th grade gather together for Children’s Chapel. This is our first opportunity of the month to explore the worship theme, and to practice worship in a kid friendly setting. This month we’ll be diving into the topic of ‘Story’.  Parents: we participate in a shared plate donation during this gathering, so it’s great if you can send along .50cents or a dollar for your child to contribute.

Pageant Sunday- December 18th- As is our tradition, we will again be having a pick-up pageant on Sunday, December 18th. All you need to do is show up and anyone who wants to be a part of the pageant will have a chance to join in!  Our Children’s Choir will also be performing during the 9am worship service!!

Christmas Eve and Christmas day info- Christmas eve services are again being offered at three times: 5pm, 7pm, and 9pm. The early times are HEAVILY attended, and there are lots of kids, so arrive early if you want to find a seat!  The 9pm service is also welcome to all ages, but tends to be a quieter gathering for those of you looking for that.  On Christmas day we are offering one worship service at 10am, however there will be no RE programming on Christmas day and the Nursery will be closed, please plan accordingly and have a wonderful holiday no matter where you are!

First Night Chili sale!! 12/31 from 5-9pm- This is a fundraiser for our Youth Group, but everyone is welcome to compete in the chili cook off! (or just to donate a crock pot of chili for the sale). If you aren’t a chili chef, come buy a bowl during first night to show your support!

Family resources for December: ‘We are a community of presence’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of presence, think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines.

Presence- In our theme talk about presence, we spoke of the idea of presence in the sense of mindfulness– being present, and also about the more transcendent idea of presence, as in the presence of God, mystery, or love– something more spiritual and far reaching. Certainly, it is interesting to think about how these two distinct descriptions feed one another- finding moments of peace within ourselves can be a doorway to feeling a connection to something larger than ourselves, and conversely, having that sense of universal presence can remind us to be reflective, to take time for what matters most.

In RE this month we will be exploring presence both in the sense of mindfulness and also
in how we intentionally connect with the larger world. During Children’s Chapel, we will be talking about how presence can help alleviate anxiety and worry- whether we are worried about global issues or personal things in our lives. We will look at a month long calendar that challenges us to perform random acts of kindness all month (see image), and we’ll talk about how we think it might affect our individual lives. December 11th workshops will include “Presents”- creating gift baskets of fair trade items with a reflection on how we can be intentional and aware of our larger world even in how we navigate material gifts. The other workshop, “Grace” will allow our kids to help prepare a meal to be donated to Crossroads house (a shelter for temporarily homeless families) and also to create a table blessing to send along with the food.

In our families, there are endless ways to explore this months theme. I encourage you to pick up the random acts of kindness challenge!  Here are a bunch of other ideas, too:

• Try sharing Joys and Concerns at the dinner table this month. We do this often in RE classes- you can click on the link if you’re not familiar!
• There are some great children’s books about presence (you can find many of them at the library!
• Eat an Apple Mindfully- Have each child follow the steps in No Ordinary Apple and experience their own extraordinary apple.
  
• Here’s a Pinterest page with LOTS of great ideas for families to explore the theme of Presence.
• For Parents, here’s a podcast I particularly enjoyed: The Gift of Presence, The Perils of Advice- Parker Palmer

As you explore presence this month, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

“When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?   The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

——————-

Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher? we will be offering a training for this classroom in late September! We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

http://www.tolerance.org/blog/day-after

Autumn greetings to all of you!

If you haven’t yet registered for the RE program yet, or committed to volunteer, please make that a priority today, I have shared some of the continued needs below.

In this month’s blog:

• Halloween Social on October 31st, 6pm-8pm, on the front lawn
• Sparks (5th-6th grade) and Purple Flames (7th-9th grade) social groups meet Friday, November 4th, 7-9pm
• Theme talk: Sunday, November 6th at 8:00 am or 12:30 pm (read more below) Discussion: Anticipating December’s theme- being a community of ‘Presence’
• Children’s chapel Sunday, November 6th
• Families Tuugether meets Saturday, November 12th
• Family resources for November’s theme: A people of Story
• Information about the book drive – Nov 6-Dec 18th.
• Descriptions of Volunteer opportunities if you’re not sure how you’d like to get involved!

Read on for more info: 

Halloween Social on October 31st, 6pm-8pm, on the front lawn- This is our third annual Halloween social, taking place on the front lawn of church where we have front row seats for the Portsmouth Halloween parade!  During this event our youth group is running a sale of hot drinks, and baked goods to raise funds for their Service learning trips. Come join us, in costume or not, bring along a baked good to donate to the sale, or come and buy a sweet treat someone else made!  We always have a lovely time, and hope to see many of you there!

Monthly Theme talk 8:00 am or 12:30pm- this is a monthly offering intended to provide a much needed opportunity for parents, RE teachers, and other adults (and youth) in our congregation to dig a bit more deeply into the monthly worship theme in a small group discussion.  These talks will hopefully help us to better find connections between church and our lives throughout the week. For parents and RE volunteers, it  may also provide some ideas for how to talk with our children about Unitarian Universalism and the exploration of ideas in the context of a spiritual community. Whomever you are, I hope you will come join us and see what it’s all about! On November 6th we’ll be talking about December’s theme: what it means to be “A community of Presence”

Sparks and Purple Flames- November 4th from 7-9pm– Sparks and Purple flames (social groups for 5-6th and 7-8th grades)- I will be reaching out to families this week with more details, if you haven’t yet, you can register for this program along with your basic RE registration (link is above!)  Feel free to email me for more info! kirsten@southchurch-uu.org

Children’s Chapel On the first Sunday of each month RE children from first grade through 7th grade gather together for Children’s Chapel. This is our first opportunity of the month to explore the worship theme, and to practice worship in a kid friendly setting. This month we’ll be diving into the topic of ‘Story’.  Parents: we participate in a shared plate donation during this gathering, so it’s great if you can send along .50cents or a dollar for your child to contribute.

Families Tuugether- November 12 at 4:30 to 8pm– Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year starting in October, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than 8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP (kirsten@southchurch-uu.org)  if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Family resources for November: ‘We are a community of story’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. There are lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays! 

This month, as we explore the idea of story, think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines. Also, don’t forget the book drive this month to support the Strafford County Jail library and children’s center (flyer below!) a FANTASTIC way to explore the theme through actions!

Story- Our lives are not just made up of stories; they are also made by stories. We sometimes feel controlled by a story, or stuck in a story. Stories can also provide us with direction, or be a deep source of pride and identity for us. Simply put, stories write us as much as we write them.

In RE this month we will be talking all about stories. How important they are and what and how they teach us.   Did you know that stories are all around us? We are surrounded by stories, each of us is filled with them, plus the places and things around us each have a story too. Workshops will include learning and creating props to tell a story that will be shared during worship on December 4th; We will be playing with story blocks; Telling collaborative stories, and exploring how stories change depending on who is telling the story.

In our theme talk about story, there was a rich discussion about perspective and it’s role in story telling. It is easy to imagine this might be a fruitful discussion to have with our children- just thinking about a recent quarrel between siblings in my house, there were certainly two distinct stories being told as we tried to uncover what had happened!

• Idea for Family Mealtime
• Storytelling prompts for kids
• Make Belief Coloring Pages that help Tell Stories
• A great High School age STORY project for Thanksgiving break

As you explore story this month, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

Stories are told as spells for binding the world together. ~ John Rouse

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Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher? we will be offering a training for this classroom in late September! We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.

Greetings and Salutations!

Believe it or not, this weekend we will be welcoming in October! It feels like September has flashed past with remarkable speed. I hope you are all doing well in the midst of all the shifts and adjustments of the Autumn season. The crisp air and falling leaves are out there, don’t forget to step outside and breathe it all in- even a few minutes of stillness can feed our hearts.

Many of you have registered for the new program year and stepped into volunteer positions for the RE program, thank you! As you know, our program runs almost entirely on volunteers, and being involved in the RE program truly feeds our own connection to the South Church community and mission. If you haven’t yet registered, or committed to volunteer, please make that a priority today, I have shared some of the continued needs below.

In this blog:

• Theme talk this Sunday- October 2nd at 8:00 am or 12:30 pm (read more below) Discussion: being a community of ‘Story’
•  Children’s chapel this Sunday, October 2nd
• Sparks (5th-6th grade) and Purple Flames (7th-9th grade) social groups meet Friday, October 7th, 7-9pm at South Church
• Families Tuugether meets Saturday, October 8th
• Halloween Social on October 30th, 6pm-8pm, on the front lawn
• Family resources for October’s theme: A people of Healing
• Descriptions of Volunteer opportunities if you’re not sure how you’d like to get involved!

This Sunday: 

• Monthly Theme talk 8:00 am or 12:30pm- this is a monthly offering intended to provide a much needed opportunity for parents, RE teachers, and other adults in our congregation to dig a bit more deeply into the monthly worship theme in a small group discussion.  These talks will hopefully help us to better find connections between church and our lives throughout the week. For parents and RE volunteers, it  may also provide some ideas for how to talk with our children about Unitarian Universalism and the exploration of ideas in the context of a spiritual community. Whomever you are, I hope you will come join us and see what it’s all about! This Sunday we’ll be talking about November’s theme: what it means to be “A community of Story”
• Children’s Chapel On the first Sunday of each month RE children from first grade through 7th grade gather together for Children’s Chapel. This is our first opportunity of the month to explore the worship theme, and to practice worship in a kid friendly setting. This month we’ll be diving into the topic of ‘healing’. Parents: we do participate in a shared plate donation during this gathering, so it’s great if you can send along .50cents or a dollar for your child to contribute.
• Also this Sunday:
  • Spirit Play will be meeting for children ages 4-kindergarten
  • Coming of Age will meet at 11 in Karnan house
  • High School youth will meet at 4:00pm in Karnan house

Sparks and Purple Flames- October 7- first Sparks and Purple flames (social groups for 5-6th and 7-8th grades)- I will be reaching out to families in the next week with more details, but we will be gathering at Church on October 7th from 7-9pm. You can register for this program along with your basic RE registration (link is above!)

Families Tuugether- October 8- first Families Tuugether night- Open to children 8 months through Sixth grade, Families Tuugether is a popular program for families of young kids; an opportunity for parents to reconnect and to recharge. Offered monthly during the church year starting in October, children are dropped off at South Church at 4:30pm with a potluck dish to share (Ready to serve, please.), and parents head up to the sanctuary for a short group gathering before heading out to enjoy some quite time. Children will strengthen friendships, enjoy a movie, and play fun games. Parents return to get their child no later than 8pm. Please note: Families MUST RSVP if they plan to come to this event, so that we are able to meet the staffing needs. Program is be closed after 25 children register, to ensure we have a safe and fun event.

Family resources for October: ‘We are a community of healing’– one of the wonderful things about theme based church is that there are multiple opportunities for parents and children to explore a specific idea throughout each month. This means there are also lots of opportunities for ideas and inspirations we come across on Sundays at South Church to find their way into our lives throughout the week, and for our weeks to give us inspiration we can return to our community on Sundays!   This could be very meaningful.

This month, as we explore the idea of healing, think about ways you might take those conversations home to your dinner tables, night time rituals, car drives, and morning routines.  Here’s a small framework to whet your palate, let me know if you have any great family moments!

Healing- offers so many paths and directions we can explore as a family and as a community. In RE this month we will be exploring ideas of healing through Rosh Hashanah, how we heal ourselves, healing heroes, and Dia de los Muertos, to name a few. As a family, you might take some time to consider how you practice healing with one another. Do you send cards when a loved one is sick? Make a favorite meal when someone has taken a fall? What impact do our gestures have upon one another, and how could we grow into a deeper practice of healing?

In our theme talk about healing, there were several folks who thought about the power of scars as a way to talk about healing with children. Just the mention of a scar will usually elicit a story about where it came from, and what it felt like. This might be a great place to explore more, thinking about how it has healed, and how our thoughts about scars evolve over time. What lessons did these wounds they teach us, and what have we learned as time has passed? Do we have invisible scars, as well? What are they, and why do we hold on to them?

As you explore healing this month, I hope that you will share your knowledge, ideas and enthusiasm with me and with our congregation! There is a bulletin board in the social hall where you can post reflections, our South Church facebook group is a great place to share, and I love receiving emails, too!  Sending deep love to your families!

Letting ourselves be forgiven is one of the most difficult healings we will undertake. And one of the most fruitful. ~ Stephen Levine

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Programs happening this year in RE (For parents and volunteers looking for the perfect volunteer role!): 

Spirit Play: Our Pre-Kinder (4 year olds) and Kindergarten classroom uses Spirit Play, a montessori approach to religious education that invites children to explore life’s big questions through stories, “wonderings,” “work” (activities) and songs. Later in the fall and throughout the year 3 year olds are welcome to move up into the classroom as well. Interested in being a spirit play teacher? we will be offering a training for this classroom in late September! We’d love to have you join us!

Theme based Workshops: Students in 1st-7th grade* will be engaged in a workshop styled program beginning this fall. The monthly workshops will be created by congregants in connection with the month’s worship theme, so specific offerings will change throughout the year. Often, the groups will be open to a range of ages, and as we begin to experiment more details about the exact structure will become clear, so stay tuned!  Volunteer as a workshop presenter (short term commitment – a single month), or sign on as a small group leader (1-2 times/month for the year) We’d love to have you join us!

OWL- Our Whole Lives- Comprehensive Sexuality Education– This year we are offering programs for 5th grade (an 8 week program) and 7th grade (a year long program). OWL is a nationally acclaimed program and it is an invaluable experience for our children/youth. You can read more about it here: uua.org/re/owl  OWL instructors are needed on an ongoing basis (the program runs annually) and We will pay for your training! Please reach out if you are interested.