Lifespan Religious Education News Archives -- 2006
December, 2006
From Our DRE
“Church,” as Judith says from the pulpit every Sunday morning, “is where we get to practice what it means to be human.” And those aren’t just some pretty words that she says to make us feel good about getting out of bed to come to church — they are a stunningly concise description of what it means to be part of our church community. Church is where we bring our fullest selves and struggle together to live our beliefs fully with one another, practicing how to take them back into the rest of the world with us.
Being an intentional community of people open to all who want to walk this path with us is not light work. Community is where you don’t get to walk away when someone disagrees with you or aggravates you — you’re stuck with them, no matter what. You don’t get to decide who belongs and who doesn’t — everyone who’s here is part of our community. And that’s where we really get to practice being human and practice being our best selves.
Our faith isn’t an easy one if we take it seriously. It calls us to treat the person we like least with the same measure of respect and compassion that we show our best friends. It asks us to stand firm on our ideas and values, but in a way that doesn’t belittle or dehumanize another person for holding a different view. Not an easy task, I know, but of utmost importance — this is the gift that our faith has to offer the world, this is our saving message: our Unitarian heritage that holds that we are all capable of deciding for ourselves what is true and right and our Universalist heritage that teaches that all are equally deserving of justice and compassion.
Our church community is where we practice this faith on a smaller scale, living it as fully as we can together. Our church is where we come together when life is at its best, and at its worst. At its best, we create together the world we’d like to see, and at its worst, we support one another through the hard times. The most transcendent times are those when the two arrive hand in hand.
This January our entire church community will participate in our first-ever Intergenerational Winter Intensive program, Lessons of Loss, a month-long UU curriculum in five levels that offers developmentally appropriate opportunities for children, youth, and adults to develop skills, and therefore confidence, in helping themselves and others respond to change and loss, voice fears and questions about loss, and learn how the UU principles provide guidance in understanding loss and supporting the grieving process. Adults are invited to participate in the four-week adult RE component, facilitated by Leon Henderson and Judith Meyer, to be held on Thursday evenings in January. Sign ups begin this month at coffee hour.
— Catherine Farmer
Friendly Beasts Pageant Update
“Friendly Beasts” pageant update The Friendly Beasts, preschoolers through 5th graders, will continue their rehearsals of “The Friendly Beasts Song” for the holiday pageant, which occurs December 17 at both services.
Below is the rehearsal schedule:
Dec. 3 — Preschoolers to K-5 in their classrooms (10 minutes each)
Dec. 10 — Group rehearsal in mural room for all at start of RE
Dec. 16 — Saturday dress rehearsal in sanctuary (9:30 to 10:15 a.m.)
Dec. 17 — Pageant (both services; please arrive at 8:15 a.m.)
We realize that the pageant day is a long one for the children, so please contact me if you can help by:
• supervising the children and providing crafts and games (especially between services and during the second service, when they’ll be in the mural room until they sing),
• bringing food for between the services (small sandwiches, bagels, cream cheese, muffins, crackers, cheese, cut vegetables and fruit, juice, etc.), or
• compiling paper activities (we have packets from previous years that you could build upon) and bagged crayon sets for during the first service.
Ideally, we would like all children to sing at both services on pageant Sunday, but if your child can sing at only one service, please let me know.
Here’s to another great pageant.
— Kris Langabeer
RE Shining Star: Francois Bar
This month we recognize François Bar as our RE Shining Star. François, who came to us from the Palo Alto UU congregation, jumped right in upon arriving at UUCCSM in 2003 and signed up as one of our “Our Whole Lives” sexuality education teachers, and has been one of our most dedicated volunteers ever since, teaching OWL every year. He has led almost every level of the course we offer, moving from class to class to teach wherever we needed him most, making a commitment to our program that is above and beyond what we usually ask of our volunteers. Francois brings a special blend of sensitivity, humor, and warmth that makes him especially suited to be an OWL teacher. We are lucky to have him with us. Three cheers for François.
November, 2006
From Our DRE
On the afternoon of December 10 (time TBD) in Forbes Hall we’ll be holding a conversation with our whole church community on assessing our congregation’s ministry to and with youth. I hope that you will all join us.
Earlier this year, the UU Association completed a large-scale survey of youth, undertaken to determine how they regard their church communities. An article about the survey published at UUWorld.org notes that “91 percent said they feel welcome at worship services, 89 percent said they were treated respectfully, and 87 percent said their opinions were valued. But only 53 percent felt that the congregation was their spiritual home.” Jesse Jaeger, UUA Youth Programs director, noted, “The fact they feel welcome does not necessarily mean they are being fed.”
It’s time for us here at UUCCSM to take a look at how we’re serving our own youth, time to talk with one another about what we’re doing well, and what we could be doing better. With a youth population that has increased nearly tenfold in the last four years, it is time for us to articulate a strong vision for the future of our youth programs. Is our church providing a spiritual home for our youth?
Embedded in this conversation is an even larger question, though, one that I’d like to invite each of you to consider over the next month: What is a spiritual home? Is our church your spiritual home, and if not, what would make it so? What is it that connects you to our church community, and what would make that connection stronger?
I think that this is a worthy exercise for all of us, this search for the center of our faith, for an articulation of where home is. A church community that is home for its members is a community that fully serves the needs of and celebrates the gifts of every person who walks through the doors. What would that look like, here at UUCCSM? For you? For our youth? For all of us?
— Catherine Farmer
RE Shining Star - Jacki Paddock
This month we honor Jacki Paddock as our RE Shining Star. Jacki has been teaching our 9 a.m. preschool class for many years, and her experience as well as her enthusiasm for spending time with our younglings couldn’t be more evident or more appreciated. She has also served as a mentor for new teachers joining the ranks, most recently supporting her son Jordan as he has moved from serving as classroom assistant to becoming a fullfledged teacher.
Jacki has also been a strong advocate for our youth programs, serving on our Youth Activities Committee, engaging youth in social justice projects, and even donating some of her lovely jewelry creations for our youth to sell in fundraisers. Jacki’s commitment to our faith has also inspired her to attend the UU Association’s annual General Assembly for the last several years and she always returns brimming with new ideas and energy for what we could be doing here at UUCCSM. For all of these things and more, Jacki is a natural choice for RE Shining Star. Three cheers for Jacki.
Friendly Beasts are Coming
Once again, our preschool through elementary- aged children will sing “The Friendly Beasts” song at our holiday pageant on Sunday, December 17, at both services.
As in years past, all involved children will sing the first and last verses of the song. Small groups of children will sing the middle five verses dressed in a costume appropriate to the animal speaking in that verse (brown donkey, red and white cow, dog, dove, and mouse).
We have a few costumes from previous pageants, but parents are encouraged to create their child’s costume (don’t panic—we have easy suggestions). Older kids who don’t want to dress as an animal but do want to sing are welcome to be shepherds.
The children pick which animal they want to be, but generally, the preschoolers sing the mice verse.
Religious Exploration teachers, please note: I will lead Sunday rehearsals (about 10 minutes long) that occur in the RE classrooms during both services. Below is the rehearsal schedule:
Nov. 12 — Preschoolers: at start of class
Nov. 19 — Preschoolers: at start of class K-5: 10 minutes each classroom
Nov. 26 — Preschoolers: 10 minutes during class K-5: 10 minutes during class
Dec. 3 — Preschoolers: 10 minutes during class K-5: 10 minutes during class
Dec. 10 — Group rehearsal in mural room for all at start of RE
Dec. 16 — Morning dress rehearsal in sanctuary from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
Dec. 17 — Pageant (both services)
Call or e-mail me with questions. I look forward to working with your friendly beasts once again this year.
— Kris Langabeer
October, 2006
From Our DRE
Here we are, starting another church year together. And what a year it will be. With construction on our building project finally beginning, this will be a year of obvious change and transition, but our building isn’t the only thing that’s changing and growing. Religious Exploration has new programs, new activities, new ways of bringing our vision of beloved community ever more fully to life, and I can’t tell you how excited I am about what this year will bring.
But I’ve also been noticing lately how prone I am to overactivity, and I know I’m not alone. People seem to be even more busy, more stressed, more tired than ever, and it’s important to remember to find a balance between action and reflection, in the life of our church as well as in our personal lives. I’ve been noticing lately that it’s been harder and harder for me to step back from all of the activity and take some time to reflect on what it means to be UU (not just what it means to “do” UU) in my everyday life. And if being UU always means being busy, busy, busy, we run the risk of wearing ourselves out. I suspect that this is even more true for families who must juggle multiple people’s schedules. But we aren’t Unitarian Universalists only on Sundays, and while taking action in the world is a central part of our faith, so too is our own inner journey, and our children and youth (and, let’s face it, we adults too) need to hear that message reinforced at home.
To this end, we’re going to be offering lots of new resources this year to support our families in this effort, and I’d like to share a few of them with you. By the time this newsletter is published, RE parents will already have received the first several of our new weekly “RE Updates” e-mail bulletins, which will include “Home Links” ideas and reflections for bringing UU home, as well as lots of additional information about what’s happening in RE. All who are interested in receiving the bulletin can sign up by e-mailing me at Catherine@uusm.org. We’re also in the early stages of cataloging our RE department library through an online service that will give all church members access to our books, which will be tagged by subject as well as location, and will be available for loan from the RE department. Take a look at http://www.librarything.com/profile/UUCCSM-RE. What else could we be doing to support your family? I’d love to hear more of your great ideas, and look forward to spending this year putting them into practice.
—In faith,
Catherine Farmer
RE Shining Star: Karl Lisovsky
This month’s RE Shining Star is Karl Lisovsky, nominated by fellow Coming of Age (COA) teachers Jennifer Westbay and Cindee Hallinan. They wrote: “From teaching 5th grade RE, to recording RE special events, building and striking RE installations, and being a constant informed and enthusiastic voice supporting our church’s younger generation, Karl has been a model RE teacher. He’s been a church member longer than either of us, and we’ve had the pleasure of seeing up close — and learning from — his experience as well as his enthusiasm in Coming of Age this year. From our first meeting as the COA team, Karl had a wonderful knack for leading us while keeping our team democratic. His lessons were invariably appropriate for the COA year: both serious and engaging. . . . When in May he learned he had to miss Coming of Age Sunday, he said that, though he was sad not to see the students’ service, it was more important to him to have been present for the process as the young people grew toward that important moment. Jennifer and Cindee urged us to honor Karl with the RE Star that he so richly deserves, and we couldn’t agree more — three cheers for Karl!
Walk to Fight Hunger
All are invited to join us for the Westside Food Bank’s Annual 5K Hunger Walk.
When: Sunday, October 29, 2006, at 12:30 p.m. / Walk begins at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Santa Monica High School (Science Quad), 601 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. The course runs along the beautiful streets and beaches of Santa Monica.
Why: To help fight hunger in our community. Every dollar raised provides seven meals for our most economically fragile neighbors — half of whom are children.
UUCCSM’s involvement is sponsored by the RE program. This walk-a-thon is a fun way to spend the afternoon with friends from our church while helping our less fortunate neighbors right here in our own community. There will be food, drink, entertainment, games, a “moonbounce” for the kids and fabulous raffle prizes. All ages are welcome, including stroller parents and dogs on leashes. Registration forms will be available at church, or you can sign up online at westsidefoodbankca.org. A sandwich lunch will be offered for walkers at the church following the 2nd service, so we can then head out together to join the walk. Parking will be available in the school lot, accessible from the alley between Seventh St. and Lincoln Blvd.
If you can’t walk with us, you can still support our effort by sponsoring a walker. You can do so during coffee hour on Sundays this month, or by visiting our church team’s online donation page athttp://www.active.com/donate/westsidefoodbank/uuccsm.
—Catherine Farmer
September, 2006
From Our DRE
Welcome to the 2006–2007 church year. I can hardly believe it’s September already. And what a year it will be for us at UUCCSM. I sense a great deal of energy in our church, as new programs and committees emerge and as we get our building construction underway. This year brings much that is new, and with it comes the chance for us to discover together exciting ways of being together in beloved community.
I’m also very excited about what this year brings for our educational ministry to children and youth. As part of our continuing UU Principles focus in our children’s programs, our elementary classes this fall will be exploring our Sixth Principle, “The Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty, and Justice for All,” with a concentration on social justice and commitment to action that is particularly apt in our world today. Then in January our entire church community will participate in our first-ever Intergenerational Winter Intensive program, Lessons of Loss, a month-long UU curriculum in five levels that offers developmentally appropriate opportunities for children, youth, and adults to develop skills, and therefore confidence, in helping themselves and others respond to change and loss, voice fears and questions about loss, and learn how the UU principles provide guidance in understanding loss and supporting the grieving process. In February we’ll return to our regular classroom RE program, this time exploring our Seventh Principle, “The Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are a Part.”
Our youth program also continues to grow and evolve, as we enter into our second year of offering high school programming at both 9 and 11. Youth and advisors will be working together to create our vision for UUCCSM’s ministry to and with youth.
Meanwhile, our preschoolers will be learning about their UU religious community, engaging in sharing with others, and exploring a sense of belonging through the “Chalice Children” curriculum. And in our continuing “Neighboring Faiths” class for sixth and seventh graders, we’ll learn about, and then visit, a different religion’s place of worship each month. And this year’s eighth graders will be encouraged to explore and articulate their personal beliefs within the context of our Unitarian Universalist faith, in our Coming of Age program.
The first day of RE will be on Ingathering Sunday, September 10. We’ll be conducting RE registration on August 27 and September 3; please make sure to register ALL children and youth— babies in the nursery through high school—for this year’s program. I look forward to getting our new year started; I can tell already that it’s going to be a fabulous one.
— Catherine Farmer
RE Shining Star - Tom Hamilton
This month we honor Tom Hamilton as our RE Shining Star. Tom has been one of our most dedicated volunteers in the RE program over the past several years. Tom, a lifelong UU, whose son, Baxter, was in his Kindergarten– second grade RE class over the past year, brings a wealth of experience and commitment to Unitarian Universalism and to our program. We are lucky to have him with us.
In addition to volunteering as a classroom teacher, Tom has led summer RE lessons, opened his home for RE volunteer events, and serves on the church’s Pulpit Committee. But above all, it is Tom’s openness in sharing his perspective as well as his passion for developing the very highest level of quality in our programs that led us to select Tom as the RE Shining Star for September.
Three cheers for Tom!
Adult Religious Exploration
Sign-ups for Adult RE Courses
Sign-ups for our fall offerings will begin September 17 at the Adult RE table in Forbes Hall during coffee hour. The table will be staffed by members of the Adult RE Committee who are eager to introduce themselves and answer any questions you have about our program for this year.
For more information about the courses being offered, see Judith's column this month.
Adult RE Ingathering
The Adult RE Committee is sponsoring an ingathering of all who are considering leading Adult RE courses, at UUCCSM on Saturday, September 16. This gathering is for those who have volunteered to lead classes or workshops this year as well as any who are interested in learning more about facilitating a course in a UU setting. Those with a great deal of experience to share are especially encouraged to attend. We’ll have a chance to get to know one another as well as develop skills and share tips for successful leadership. Mark your calendars now; details to be announced in the weekly order of service and e-mail announcements.
July, 2006
RE Shining Star: Janet Goodwin
This month, we honor Janet Goodwin as our RE Shining Star. Janet has just completed a two-year term as the Chair of the RE Council, and we are very sorry to see her go. Janet’s warmth and generosity of spirit make her a joy to work with, and through her leadership in the last two years the RE program has blossomed. But Janet is eager to get back to what she loves best — teaching in the RE classroom. And how could we begrudge her that? Janet is one of our most seasoned and skilled RE teachers, and next year’s Explorers class will be lucky to have her on the team. Over the years, Janet has taught elementary classes, assisted in Neighboring Faiths, facilitated RE Council meetings, served as an RE Greeter, helped with innumerable RE events, all while continuing her volunteer work with another of UUCCSM’s most valuable programs, Faith in Action. And until this month, it has been Janet herself who has penned our monthly RE Shining Star recognition, and her shoes are hard to fill; if the writing style now is somewhat lacking, it certainly does not reflect the level of esteem we hold for this month’s Shining Star, for Janet is one of our most shining examples of RE leadership. Three cheers for Janet!
— Catherine Farmer
June, 2006
From Our DRE
Summer is almost upon us, believe it or not, and the RE Council and I have been busy planning our program for next fall. Next year, RE kids up through 5th grade will be exploring the sixth and seventh UU Principles — the “Goal of World Community with Peace, Liberty and Justice for All” and “The Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are a Part.” We also will offer, for the third year, the “Neighboring Faiths” comparative religions curriculum for 6th and 7th grades, “Coming of Age” for 8th grade and our senior high YRUU youth groups at each service.
Now we have a question for all of you: how have you engaged the UU principles lately? Could there be a better way to learn and live your UU principles than by teaching and learning with our youth and children? Presenting stories to them and listening to their efforts to interpret and understand can be a wonderful way to explore these the principles for yourself. Over the next few weeks, we will be searching for more “RE Shining Stars” to help us create a vibrant RE program next year with our children and youth. To fully staff our fabulous programs, we’re looking for more than 50 members of our congregation to volunteer to teach for one to two Sundays per month.
Think about how sad a place UUCCSM would be without our enthusiastic kids. Consider the wonderful energy there is in an intergenerational community — a model that is increasingly rare. And we need you.
Think about it. Think about teaching RE. Without teachers, interesting curriculum is of no value. Then visit the RE table in Forbes Hall during coffee hour on Sundays this month to hear about our program in more detail and let us know how you’d like to be involved. Help us bring our vision for RE to life.
Summer RE at UUCCSM
SUMMER OF SEUSS
Preschool to Kindergarten — Children in this class will be exploring a different Dr. Seuss story each week, with activities, games, crafts and snacks to match!
THE SENSES
First Grade and Up — Join us for a different “sense-sational” celebration each week: sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell, intuition and humor!
All classes will be staffed by volunteers who will sign up to lead or assist for one Sunday. Grownups, we need your help! Do you have a favorite Seuss story or a great idea for how to celebrate one of the senses or just want to join the fun? Please consider helping out for one or more Sundays this summer. Signup sheets will be available at the RE table in Forbes Hall. For more information or to sign up, contact me atCatherine@uusm.org
— Catherine Farmer
RE Star: Linda Van Ligten
I imagine that many of you have already met Linda Van Ligten, since she has volunteered in almost every capacity imaginable. She has been an RE teacher for a decade, since her own daughter, Alyssa, was in kindergarten. She has taught nearly every age level, and in the comfort and safety of her care kids always feel at home.
In the interest of helping to create a dynamic vision of RE, she has served for several years on the RE Council. Recognizing the importance of helping our youth make informed choices about how they experience their sexuality, she volunteered early on for training to become a teacher in our OWL program (“Our Whole Lives”). For the past five or six years, she has taught OWL to kindergarten/ 1st grade and 4th & 5th grade kids (she is currently teaching both in the regular RE 11 a.m. preschool class as well as the K/1 OWL class). During the first year of “Way Cool Sunday School,” when we added the Social Justice curriculum, Linda was part of the team helping our kids to envision the role they can play in understanding and helping the wider community we live in.
Linda has also put her faith in action by volunteering many holidays at Turning Point shelter. She has served as camp nurse at many de Benneville camps for kids. She is currently a member of the Nominating Committee. She even helps her husband, Greg Wood, when he needs an ushering partner. Truly the volunteer that keeps on giving, Linda Van Ligten is the consummate advocate for others, especially our youth. When a job needs doing, Linda is often the “go-to” person. For the myriad ways she gives to our children and to our community, we honor her this month as our RE Star. Linda, you rock!
— Janet Goodwin
May, 2006
From Our DRE
Spring is here, and summer is right around the bend. Is it just me or has this year gone by incredibly quickly? How can it be May already? This is always the busiest time of year for the RE program, when we’re simultaneously wrapping up the year in our classrooms, putting together our Coming of Age and RE Sunday services, recognizing the graduating high school seniors in a special Bridging Ceremony, and planning and recruiting for our summer RE programs, as well as creating the structure and vision for next year’s RE program to be kicked off in September. Whew! That’s a lot to have going on all at once, but I love being part of a church community that is so vibrant, so very active.
This month, though, in our children’s RE program, we’re taking a break from all the busyness and will spend the full month doing our first-ever “Arts Intensive” program. Children will be invited to explore their spirituality through the arts in a variety of different ways with lots of options to choose from each week.
From May 7 to 21 kids in our elementary classes will come together in the blue bungalow to make wonderful art together with the help of UUCCSM’s Wednesday night Covenant Group I and Judy Schonebaum, our children’s choir director. Kids will be invited to work with clay, create a canvas banner, make a wonderful collage, explore painting, or make a joyful noise together through song and rhythm. Choose one and stick with it for the month, or sample them all; the month promises to be fun for everyone!
Then, on May 28th, we’ll all work together on a very special surprise project to be unveiled at our RE Sunday service in June. What will it be? The only way to find out is to come on the 28th and take part!
A schedule for the month will be included in the Order of Service each week during the month, and will be mailed to all families with children in RE. We’re also looking for a few more people to sign up to assist for one Sunday each during the month. For more information or to volunteer, please contact me at catherine@uusm.org.
— Catherine Farmer,
Director of Religious Education
YRUU Service in April
On April 2, the members of the church high school group provided their annual service.
Course Will Help People 21 to 35 Express What they Believe as UUs
What do you do once you say you’re a UU? Talking about a non-creedal liberal religion can be difficult, but it’s worth the effort.
A four-week class will help you deepen your understanding of our faith and sharpen your ability to describe it to others. The focus of this curriculum is on practicing how and what to say in various settings when you might be called upon to declare yourself religiously or illuminate some angle on this liberal religious movement that has touched and changed so many lives for the better. Such moments are precious opportunities to shed light on your path and perhaps grow a happy awareness in someone else about the rich “living tradition” we share.
Too often in response to the question, “What do UUs believe?” we reply with the negative: “We don’t believe this. We don’t believe that.” There is much we do affirm and we need to be clear in espousing those affirmations. Many of us struggle to adequately describe our religion to others.
This course provides inspiration and resources, plus the opportunity for meaningful connection to fellow young adult UUs. We will meet for four Sunday afternoons at 4:30 p.m., from May 7 to June 4. (We will not meet on May 28.) Catherine Farmer will be facilitating. Please call her at the church office to sign up. Don’t delay — the group is limited to the first 12 who sign up.
RE Star for May: Robert Simon
This month, we honor Robert Simon as our RE star. If you have attended the winter pageant in the last several years, you have witnessed the procession of the three tiny wise men on their well-appointed camels. Now an annual attraction, the very first group of camels included Robert, in full camel regalia, gently carrying a young child “wise man” — not yet his own — on his shoulders. At that same pageant, he also read Langston Hughes’ poem about the black Wise Man.
Several years ago Robert was approached about volunteering as an OWL teacher. (OWL is the Our Whole Lives sexuality education curriculum.) He said “yes” right away and traveled to Portland, OR, for the training. Since then, Robert has taught OWL to at least eight different groups of children at all levels — kindergarten/1st grade, 5th/6th grade, and 8th/9th grade. In 2003 Robert also served as an advisor in our 8th grade Coming of Age class, helping them to craft their credos and discover their identity as UUs.
In all that he does, Robert has been an incredibly warm and nurturing presence in our children’s lives. His kind and gentle ways, his generous spirit, and his love of children have endeared him to all who know him. Congratulations, Robert.
April, 2006
From Our Director of Religious Education
What is the core message of our faith? I know that it’s a big question to ask, and one that we’re not always particularly good at answering. We UUs often seem to have a much easier time articulating what we don’t believe than what we do believe. We don’t hand you your beliefs when you walk in the door. We don’t expect you just to take our word for it. But there’s more to us than that.
I’ve been involved with a fair number of UU churches over the years, and it seems to me that those with the most successful programs are ones that have a clear sense of why they do what they do. And I’ve been impressed with the clarity of our congregation’s vision for Religious Education (RE), but I think that it’s time once again for us to say it out loud to one another.
So I ask you: if the members of our church took away just one message from their time at UUCCSM, what would you want it to be? What one thing, for you, is the most important element of our faith?
In preparing for last month’s Children’s RE Visioning meeting, I created an illustration of what this might be for each grade level of our programming, if each child could learn just one thing from her or his experience in RE (or two or three things, because I just couldn’t help it):
- Preschool — I am loved; church is a family.
- K to 2 — Church is a place where we ask questions about the world and about life, and work together to come up with answers; church is a family.
- 3 to 5 — Being UU matters; I can make the world better.
- 6 to 7 — All varieties of religious expression have value; I can search for what resonates with me.
- 8 — I am of age to claim my identity as a UU; I can think about and articulate what I believe right now (even though it will continue to develop as I learn and grow throughout life), and our church community will celebrate it with me.
- 9 to 12 — Being UU means being in authentic community; the way we live in the world and the way we treat one another matters. I have a lot to give to our faith and to the world.
If every child and youth (and adult, for that matter) in our church walked away on Sunday having learned just these things, then I’d consider our program wildly successful. I think we’re doing a great job at this already; here’s to continuing to do it ever better in the time to come.
— Catherine Farmer, Director of Religious Education
RE Star: Amelia Harati
This month’s RE star has the distinction of being our youngest honoree at the same time as being the longest-serving one (practically her entire life). Just 16 years old and in 11th grade at LACES (Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies), Amelia Harati has participated in RE from pre-school through YRUU, from being a friendly beast to completing Coming of Age and becoming a full-fledged member of the church.
Amelia’s service to RE began early when she would assist her mom, Karen Patch, during Karen’s tenure as RE chair. More recently, she has led a summer class on the Renaissance, is a facilitator at both YRUU services, and has served almost two years on the RE Council.
Amelia is willing to spend hours discussing policy, events and our shared vision for RE, a vision that is immeasurably enriched through her valuable point of view. As a council member, Amelia led part of the teacher orientation, providing unique insight into the needs and desires of our youth. She is also a stellar representative of our congregation beyond our church. She is a huge de Benneville fan and has attended numerous camps and been a counselor in training.
A self-confessed “UU geek,” Amelia has served as dean of a district conference for YRUU, attended General Assembly twice, and is on staff for YRUU at the next two GA meetings. In events large and small, Amelia can be counted upon for her helping hand, her open mind, and her loving heart. For her intense passion, joyful enthusiasm, and deep commitment, we honor Amelia as this month’s RE star. Way to go, Amelia!
Help Our Children Enjoy Art
The RE program for May plans to focus on artistic expression and creativity. If you create art or have an appreciation for art, we welcome your help and inspiration in the RE classes during May. Volunteer for one service or all of them, whatever your fancy.
Please contact Paulette Katz for further information.
Our Church's Youth Programs are Going Full Speed Ahead
Many of you saw our teens selling food after services earlier this year. They sold sandwiches and bagels in December and January, then in February had Valentine’s Day bake sale with beautiful jewelry by Jacki Paddock. (Thanks, Jacki, for your generous donation.) You may have wondered what was up.
The answer is, plenty. We have a wonderful, active program for our teens that is growing each year. On Sunday mornings our 8th graders meet for Coming of Age, where they prepare for their important May service (a Sunday not to miss). During both services, we also have YRUU (Young Religious UU) for teens in 9th through 12th grades in which they are involved with a variety of youth-led activities. These programs are supported by the Youth Activities Committee (YAC), which plans monthly fun events for the teens to get together and create community. The money raised by the food sales has helped us with these events.
We kicked off the year with a potluck, which was followed by a series of home parties on Friday nights. We also had rock climbing in January plus our big road trip to Las Vegas in February. Thirteen teens and three adults drove to Las Vegas and stayed at the UU church there. Their small YRUU program was thrilled to have us with them, and we had a blast hanging out with them and seeing the town.
Upcoming events include more home parties, the Secret Pals party in March and maybe a teen cabin at de Benneville in June. These activities are possible thanks to the support of parents and other adult members who know how important it is to have a safe community for our teens. Thank you from all of our teens.
—Karen Patch
March, 2006
From the Desk of the DRE
What is the children’s RE program all about, anyway? We’re now two thirds of the way through our church year; it’s time for us to start planning for the next one, and the RE Council and I have some big questions for you. How is what we’re doing working for your family? What would you like us to offer in the future? What brought you and your children to our church, and what keeps you here?
Over the past couple of years we’ve been adjusting our programs and trying new things. I’m proud of the program we’re offering. We’re asking the “big questions,” not because we think things aren’t going well. They are. But it’s important that we stay in touch with the whole congregation’s desires and dreams for our programs, and so we’re coming to you to start the conversation.
I have a particular bias as a religious professional, and it is this: all parts of our church community are at their most successful when interrelated, and the children’s RE program is not separate from the whole life of the church. RE isn’t just something we do to occupy the kids’ time so the adults can have church. I know you all know that, but I also worry that it is easy to become so caught up in the inner workings of the program that we isolate ourselves, and that our connections to the whole church become less obvious. So I’m continually looking for ways to break us out of our RE shell and invite the whole church in.
To this end the RE Council and I invite you to join us on Sunday, March 19, at 10 and 12 after each service for a visioning meeting for the children’s RE at UUCCSM. This is a counterpart to the adult programs visioning meeting held on February 21. Whether or not you’re a parent or volunteer in the RE program, we need to hear from you. What are the most important elements of our educational ministry to the youngest members of our community?
What does RE mean to us?
• RE is where we create a community for our children to explore our seven UU principles.
• RE is a supportive, loving setting where children’s authentic selves are nurtured and celebrated.
• RE is a community where our children can be safe and have fun.
• RE is_______________________.
What does RE mean to you?
Share your vision on Sunday, March 19, and help us turn the meaning into action.
— Catherine Farmer
RE Star of the Month: Bob Dietz
This month’s RE star of the month is Bob Dietz. As an RE volunteer, Bob has long been an advisor in our 11 a.m. YRUU program, where his calm and caring nature have made him a hit with our senior high youth.
In addition to the many hours he has logged in the RE program, Bob contributes to the church community in other ways. Starting several years ago as Dean Voegtlen’s able assistant, Bob carries on our tradition as head pancake flipper for the popular Dining for Dollars pancake breakfast. In his effort to remember and honor Dean (the original pancake chef), Bob calls the event “Dean and Bob’s Pancake Breakfast.” One of his innovations a few years back was to bring in an electric skillet so that kids could make their own pancakes (a rousing success).
In addition, Bob has taken on another of Dean’s signature activities by leading the dam building at our annual de Benneville Pines church weekend. Bob, like many of us, understood and appreciated Dean’s incredible gifts to the church community and especially his love of children. For all the ways that Bob quietly supports our youth and keeps traditions alive, we honor him this month. We are sure Dean would approve.
Coming-of-Agers Meet Their Mentors
This school year’s eighth-graders are getting ready to present themselves to the congregation at their springtime Coming of Age ceremony, and attended a “Meet the Mentors” brunch on Sunday, January 22.
February, 2006
February RE Star - Michele Prichard
Social justice has long been one of Michele Prichard’s passions. Remember how hard she worked on the campaign to achieve a living wage and to improve the working conditions for hotel workers? Michele has shared this deep social commitment and conscience with the RE program in a variety of ways.
Several years ago, Michele became the first social justice chair in the new Way Cool format, planning and leading monthly RE classes on social justice issues. This past fall, Michele gathered materials that taught the kids about UNICEF and why we hold a carnival each Halloween to raise money for it. This January, our social justice month, Michele designed and led sessions at both services on helping the homeless.
How many of us joined the church so that our kids could be part of a socially conscious and involved community? Well, thanks to Michele Prichard, our kids are learning what it means to help your neighbor who may be less fortunate than you. In addition to being warm, funny and sweet, Michele is an incredible listener — take a moment to see how the kids respond to her.
For all the loving kindness she exhibits, for the resources she provides and for the faith she truly puts “in action,” we honor her this month. Way to go, Michele!
January Social Justice Event
In January the religious exploration children participated in the social justice program launched this month. All the elementary classes met together to participate in a project related to homelessness. On January 15 they made lunch to sell after the services to raise money for a microwave oven to be donated to Turning Point Shelter, a transitional home for formerly homeless people, a program of the Ocean Park Community Center.
January, 2006
From the Desk of the DRE
Recently I’ve been following a very interesting discussion on a UURE e-mail list about how and why social justice is done in churches. The focus of the discussion has primarily been on the structure of social justice programs, something that we already do very well at UUCCSM. I have been continually impressed with the work of the Faith in Action Commission. I do think, though, that the discussion is relevant to how we articulate the reasons for doing social justice work to the children and youth in our religious exploration programs. One danger, according to some, is that we don’t always know why we’re doing what we do, and that sometimes churches can fall into “charity mode,” doing social action for the purpose of looking good in the community or so that we can feel good about ourselves.
So why do we do social justice in RE? To instill a sense in our children that what we do matters, that as Unitarian Universalists it’s important not only to do the thinking — deciding for ourselves what we believe and being respectful of the beliefs of others — but also the doing — taking action to put our beliefs into practice. No one else is going to save the world for us; it’s up to us to do it ourselves. In RE classes we don’t teach our children that there’s a better, happier world waiting for them after this life is over; some UUs believe that and some don’t. What we do teach is that, whatever happens next, what is most important is what we do with the world we’re living in right now. This is one thing that we UUs agree about.
To this end, the RE program is spending the month of January doing our first-ever “Social Justice Intensive” program. From January 8 to 29 kids in our elementary classes will come together to participate in a different project each week, all organized around our central theme for the month, homelessness. Our congregation has a long history of supporting community organizations, such as the Westside Food Bank, that are providing support and resources for those who are homeless or in danger of becoming so. We are excited to be partnering with Ocean Park Community Center, a network of shelters and services for low-income and homeless people in Santa Monica, for this month’s activities.
A schedule for the month will be included in the Order of Service each week, and will be mailed to all families with children in RE. We’re also looking for a few more people to sign up to assist for one Sunday during the month. For more information or to volunteer, please contact me.
— Catherine Farmer, Director of Religious Education
January RE Star: Nels Hansen
This month we honor Nels Hansen as our RE star. You might have seen him serving coffee, but three years ago Nels also began teaching the 4th and 5th graders at the 11 a.m. service. They eagerly welcomed his gentle kindness and good-natured disposition.
Last spring, Nels found out that the 6th and 7th grade group was visiting other religious services in the area as part of their curriculum. Out of personal interest, Nels decided to join these field trips, an experience that inspired him to move to the 9 a.m. service simply to have the opportunity to teach this “Neighboring Faiths” curriculum.
Why does Nels teach RE? For many of our RE teachers, it’s because they have children in the RE program and they want to “do their share” or maybe they want to be one of their own children’s teachers. Other volunteers, like Nels, have no children in RE yet have generously volunteered their time and energy for the benefit of all our kids. For his unselfish commitment to RE, his desire to expand his own knowledge along with the kids, and his amazingly cheerful countenance, we salute Nels Hansen. Way to go, Nels!
Interweave Has Picnic for 5th to 7th Grades
A joint picnic and hike for 5th through 7th graders, their families, and Interweave (our church’s group for bisexuals, gays, lesbians, and/or transgenders and friends) will occur Sunday, January 15, at 1 p.m. at Malibu’sCharmlee Wilderness Park. Charmlee Park is located at 2577 S. Encinal Canyon Road, about a 40- minute drive from church, north on PCH, and then about four miles up the canyon road. Park information is available at (310) 457-7247. This will be a bring-your-own picnic lunch. Tables are available near the parking lot, and after lunch we’ll walk to the ocean overlook, which provides an A-1 view. For those not up to the hike, it’s very pleasant just sitting at the picnic area and enjoying the view and the quiet. Also, there’s a nature center, which should be open. There is a $3 fee to park, and you need exactly $3 (unless you want to donate more) because you have to fill out a ticket envelope and put the money in an iron ranger. Please contact Kris Langabeer or Debbie Menzies with questions.
Cast of the 2005 Friendly Beasts Pageant
