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We are a Welcoming Congregation
| THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Mission Statement for the Religious Education Committee: •
To foster friendships across the ages The Re committee is the policy making body for the concerns of religious education at the UU Church of Savannah. The RE Committee works in partnership with the Director of Religious Education to envision and implement a strong and vital Religious Education Program that supports the overall mission of our church. The Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at All Committee Night. Items to be discussed at committee meetings will be publicized prior to each All Committee Night and all members and friends of UU Church of Savannah are invited to attend. RE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
IT MATTERS WHAT WE BELIEVE Some
beliefs are like walled gardens. They encourage exclusiveness, Other beliefs are expansive and lead the way into wider and deeper sympathies. Some beliefs are like shadows, clouding children's days with fears of unknown calamities. Other beliefs are like sunshine, blessing children with the warmth of happiness. Some beliefs are divisive, separating the saved from the unsaved, friends from enemies. Other beliefs are bonds in a world community, where sincere differences beautify the pattern. Some beliefs are like blinders, shutting off the power to choose one's own direction. Other beliefs are like gateways opening wide vistas for exploration. Some beliefs weaken a person's selfhood. They blight the growth of resourcefulness. Other beliefs nurture self-confidence and ignite the feeling of personal worth. Some beliefs are rigid, like the body of death, impotent in a changing world. Other beliefs are pliable, like the young sapling, ever growing with the upward thrust of life. --
Sophia Lyon Fahs
What lifts your heart when you come to church? What do you dream for the religious education program? What do you believe our children should take with them when they graduate? These are the questions that shape our mission, vision and goals in Religious Education. When I come to church my heart is lifted by the sight of children and youth of all ages actively participating in the life of our church: worshiping, singing, learning and serving. I feel a burst of joy as I see church friends greet one another after weekdays apart. I get excited when I see youngers, olders and middle agers, greet one another by name and connect in ways that say, “I know who you are and your presence here makes this a better place!” When I dream of an ideal RE Program I see it through four interrelated lenses: WORSHIP, LEARNING, SERVICE & COMMINUTY I see children and youth as participants in worship, learning to love our traditions and keeping them alive and growing by their creativity and their wondering. I see children and youth engaged in many varied and exciting activities and experiences with a variety of members of our congregation. Activities that help them know what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist and how to say in their own words what being a Unitarian Universalist means to them. Informing experiences of other religious traditions, grounded in intellect, respect and compassion. Opportunities to learn about a variety of spiritual practices so they may pack their own spiritual tool box for life’s challenges. Times to work side by side in service, with other members of our congregation, putting their Unitarian Universalist principles into action. I hope that every child who comes through the door, feels, welcomed, valued and known. That here they find life long friendships and a strong and certain assurance of their worth and dignity and capability in the face of challenges and intolerance. In graduating, I hope they take with them meaningful memories, sustaining relationships, a mind trained to think critically and know its limitations, a heart that feels all the stirrings of compassion and helping hands to do the work that needs to be done. I welcome your involvement. The only bad question or suggestion is the one that goes unspoken. I can be reached by phone (912 -704-8935) or by email (amyfthomas143@yahoo.com), and keep office hours at the church or at home, Fridays from 9-12 and Sundays from 9:30-2:30. In
fond and faithful partnership,
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
Last fall many of us began noticing interesting changes around
the church. Eye-catching bulletin boards began attracting increasing
numbers of children and youth. The source of the change came in
the person of Amy Thomas, our new Director of Religious Education.
Amy brings great talent, skill and energy to the program.
THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM SUNDAY MORNING FORMAT The regular Religious education program for the 2007-2008 year runs from Sept 9th through May 25th. All children and youth begin in the Sanctuary at the start of our worship services and most mornings proceed to classes with their teachers after the Story for All Ages. Twice a month, children and youth Pre-K – 12, meet together in Phillippa’s Place for SERVICE SUNDAY or HOLIDAY EVENTS instead of in their regular classrooms. Sunday morning RE Programming concludes at 12:30. Parents of children in the preschool and nursery should pick up their children no later than 12:30. Parents of children in grades Pre-K-8 are invited to join their children's classes at 12:25 for Closing Circle. This is a good way to see first-hand how the class functions, and to hear a little bit about what happened in class that day. Parents who choose not to participate in the Closing Circle of their Pre-K-5th grade children should go to those classrooms by 12:30 to sign their child(ren) out. Youth 6th grade and above, based on maturity and responsibility, may have the privilege to sign themselves out and join their parents in the Fellowship Hall after class SERVICE SUNDAYS & HOLIDAY EVENTS Service Sundays and Holiday Events are times when children and youth of the church meet in mixed age groups rather than their classes, in Phillip’s Place. On Service Sunday’s we learn about Social Justice and put what we learn into action with work on projects like the Heifer Project, Guest at Your Table, and making food for a local shelter. Holiday Events are times to learn more about different cultures and special holidays, and enjoy fellowship and FUN! The DRE and teacher teams lead these events and parents and other members of the congregation are always welcome. WORSHIP Our Sundays begin with worship: a quiet time for centering our thoughts, joining in the special ritual of lighting our chalice, and celebrating with stories, music and singing. During the church year we offer special worship services for all ages, including: Ingathering/Water Communion Sunday, September 9; Winter Solstice Celebrations December 16; and RE Celebration Sunday, May 25. On these days, we have nursery only. OFFERING The children and youth of this church have partnered with the Social Justice Committee to select several charitable organizations to support over the course of the year. Children and youth are encouraged to bring their own money for the weekly church offering. This year half of the plate collection each Sunday goes to the chosen charity, and the other half goes to the church's operating budget. The children learn about the different charities during SERVICE SUNDAYS, and families have an opportunity to talk at home about those different charities and about the work of our church in the wider community. Parents, please talk at home about the power of generosity and the importance of giving. Tell your children about your own financial stewardship and encourage your children to be good financial stewards as well. Help them decide on a giving plan of their own RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES RED
GROUP - NURSERY NURSERY - Nursery care is available Sunday mornings from10:45- 12:45 year round to children ages 0-3. They can be taken to the nursery before church starts or as we sing the children and youth out. Children must be registered to attend the nursery. And need to be signed in and out by a parent or guardian for each visit. Please use the sign-in sheet to note their age and any special instructions. The UU Church of Savannah retains a salaried Childcare Specialist to staff the nursery. Linda King and Lori Werner are our Childcare Specialists.
CURRICULUM - WE ARE MANY WE ARE ONE We Are Many, We Are One is based on the philosophy that young children learn about religion through relationships. What is a person? Who am I? How am I related to others? How do I treat other people? What are my responsibilities? What kind of world do I live in? These are the religious questions that children begin to answer as they become acquainted with themselves, other people and their environment. The primary goal of this curriculum is to create an atmosphere that invites religious growth and learning. Some of the essential ingredients for this atmosphere are experiences of love and security shared within their Unitarian Universalist community and opportunities to sense the wonder of being an integral part of all life. TEACHERS: Milne Cato, Nancy Jilks, Phillippa Paddison, Martha Weaver YELLOW
GROUP -ROOM 1 CURRICULUM – UU SUPER HEROES & SUPER HEROS OF THE BIBLE UU
Super Heroes is a values-based Unitarian Universalist identity
curriculum that encourages children to explore the lives of famous
people who were Unitarians, Universalists or Unitarian Universalists.
It introduces children to the stories of Unitarians, Universalists
and Unitarian Universalists; to show how the lives of these people
confirm the principles that Unitarian Universalists strive to
promote; to demonstrate some of the traditions of both our Unitarian
Universalist faith movement and our individual congregations;
to encourage the children to live their own lives fully and to
use their own positive “super powers” to grow both
spiritually and ethically. TEACHERS:
Jessica Bridges, Lisa Johnson, Casey Burns-Thompson
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