WAYS TO CONNECT

MULTIGENERATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES

MULTI-GEN SERVICES

Multigenerational services (Multi-gens) are led by the Director of Religious Exploration, and are for all members of the congregation to take part in. Classes are not held when we have Multi-gens, as they are planned with the children in mind, with extra songs and movement activities. The Nursery is always provided though. Children and Youth also take part in these services, and participate by reading poetry or other special readings, performing music or skits, lighting and extinguishing the Chalice, and helping in other ways depending on the service.

We generally offer 4 Sunday morning Multi-gens, and 1 evening Christmas Eve Multi-gen each year:

The Water Communion

In August, we have our Water Communion service. This service brings closure to our summer RE programming, and prepares the children and adults for heading back out into the world: to school, work, and wherever each person’s path takes them during the week.

This is a communion specific to Unitarian Universalists, and was created by 2 UU women in the 1980’s.

The Winter Holiday Service

Our Winter Holiday service is held in mid-December, and is focused on one or more of the winter holidays from around the world. These services generally have a lot of music and have parts for all children that are interested in participating!

The Christmas Eve Service

Our Christmas Eve Service combines the reading of the Christmas Story, a secular holiday Story For All Ages, lots of holiday caroling and musicians, ending with a White Elephant gift exchange and a cookie and cider reception!

RE Sunday and Flower Communion

The RE Sunday service and the Flower Communion have been combined the past 2 years, but might be separated into 2 distinct services in the future. RE Sunday is a service that celebrates the children and youth of the RE classes, recognizes and gives thanks to the teachers and volunteers, and also includes a Bridging Ceremony for graduating seniors.

The Flower Communion is a special service that celebrates the beauty of nature, friendship and family, coming together, and sharing with one another.

This is a communion specific to Unitarian Universalists, and was first created 100 years ago!

And one more special service.

This might be a special service for a holiday or holy day like Halloween or the Spring Equinox; a UU related service about the Chalice, our UU Principles or Sources; or on something that the RE has been working on, like a social justice or environmental project.

WEEKLY RE NEWSLETTER

The Weekly RE Newsletter is sent out on Sunday afternoons, and details the events in the different classes that day, along with important information on upcoming gatherings and activities. It also offers extra activities and ideas to help continue religious exploration throughout the week, and discussion questions and prompts for families to expand on what was learned and explored in the classes that day.

THIS MONTH AT A GLANCE, THE MONTHLY UUFT NEWSLETTER

The Tapestry That Is Us

Our Soul Matters theme for April is Interdependence, which is very similar to interconnectedness, but up a notch! Understanding why and how we are all connected are the steps that comes directly after realizing that we are connected! Not just to each other, but to everything: the trees and flowers growing in our yards, to the cat sleeping in a shaft of sunlight, to our star the sun, that shines on the cat and the trees and the flowers, to the space and other fabulous things beyond our star.

Imagine a colorful tapestry, interwoven with every color (and some that haven’t been comprehended because the light waves on our earth can’t reflect it). Imagine this tapestry as huge as our universe and beautiful beyond imagination! The threads that are the stars and the nebulas and the dark matter will be longest, but perhaps not the longest of all. The threads that are each of us are quite small, especially when compared to the stars! The threads of the fruit fly are smaller still, yet number in the trillions or quadrillions or more! The length of each thread doesn’t matter, what matters is that the threads exist. Without each thread, the tapestry (our universe) would be a dreary place.

And thinking of interconnectedness and interdependence…
The UUFT Parent Group!
Are you a parent or guardian of children or youth at the UUFT? Would you like to get to know the other parents and guardians a bit better? Are you looking for connection in this weird and beautiful world? Do you need a safe and understanding place to vent the frustrations that bubble up at times? Would you simply like to offer support to our many new parents at the UUFT? If the answer to any of the above questions is a yes, you should consider joining the UUFT Parent Group! “Oh”, you’re thinking, “not another meeting”… This will be more of a fun and healing experience than a group meeting. Chocolate will be served! And childcare will be available! If you are interested, email me at erin.forstein@uuft.org, or snag me on Sunday!

Special Events in April!

Maker’s Night

Maker’s Night will be on the 3rd Friday this month, March 15th from 6-8pm at the UUFT. We had a really nice turnout last month with 13 people! I would love to welcome even more people though! Bring your favorite art or craft supplies (calling all knitters, weavers of yarn or metal, jewelry makers and more!), the current model you’re building or painting, a paper you’re working on, or even a deck of cards! Sensory materials, legos, paper, markers, glue, etc will always be available for all ages. Come and enjoy this lovely social event with friends and family!

The Keep America Beautiful Trash Collection will be on Saturday, 4/20 at 9:30 am! All of UUFT is invited to participate in an early Keep America Beautiful trash collection effort in the Shunga area located at 21st and Washburn near the skateboard park. Jebel and I will provide trash bags, and I will also bring gloves, but you are also welcome to bring your own.

The Annual RE Creek Clean Up will take place during the service on 4/21. All of the RE children and youth (minus the smallest ones that will most likely stay with Farai and a volunteer in the nursery) will gather together after the Time For All Ages and head down the block to the Shunga Creek with trash bags and gloves! I wonder what we will find this year! Please bring a change of clothes and shoes for your child and especially for your Youth as they have an OWL class afterwards.

The UUFT Passover Seder For All will take place on Friday, April 26 at 5pm and will last until approximately 7pm-ish. This interactive meal will begin with the story of Passover, and will include singing! Come and learn about Passover and enjoy some good food! Look for the Perfect Potluck sign up sheet.

The Children and Youth

As all children develop at their own rate, the ages and grades for our classes are flexible (with the exception of Middle School OWL). Perhaps a child feels more comfortable staying in the Spirit Play classroom an extra year, and that is perfectly fine, as long as materials are used as they should be. Perhaps a child is ready for an older class before they are of the age or grade listed, and that is perfectly fine too! The most important thing is that the children feel safe and comfortable in their space! The next most important thing is that they are learning about Unitarian Universalism and the world around them.

After the Time For All Ages in the sanctuary, the children parade out to their classes with their classroom leaders, following the weekly RE Lantern Carrier!

As it is Spring in Kansas, the weather is completely unpredictable. We can have shorts weather one day and then the next day brings snow! We do go outside often, so please make sure that your kiddos have a jacket or coat they can slip on, along with comfortable shoes.

Nursery (Birth through Age 3)

Our nursery is staffed by our excellent Nursery Care Provider, Farai, along with one generous volunteer each week. The nursery has seen a few new little ones this past month! It is always fun to watch the babies interact!

Spirit Play (PreK (age 4) through 2nd Grade)

TThe Spirit Play class, led by Remington Beard, shall explore the theme of Interdependence this month to parallel the main services. Lessons from both Spirit Play and the Soul Matters curriculum will be used. The children will also take part in our annual Earth Day Creek Clean Up on April 21st !

This is a good day to bring an extra set of clothing, if you have somewhere special to go after services and RE has finished. It is also a good day to send the kiddos to RE in their “grubbies”! Cute spring dresses are awesome, but won’t stay cute for long if worn for this outing.

Upper Elementary (3rd through 6th Grade)

The Upper Elementary class is working on a fun social action curriculum called Magic and UU! The month of April will be focused on animals and the environment as they work on finishing up the Animal Cruelty Horcrux and begin their work on banishing the Environmental Horcrux. They will also help with the Annual Earth Day Creek Clean Up on April 21 st .

Youth (7th through 9th Grade)

The Youth will spend the month of April working on a variety of things that revolve around world religions. Sunday, April 14th will be a special day for them, as those that choose to can meet at the Jewish Temple for a Blintze Brunch before coming back to the UUFT and joining the main service to hear Khalil “Hadi” Green speak on Sufiism. They will also help with the annual Earth Day Creek Clean Up on April 21 st .

Middle School OWL (7th through 9th Grade)

Our Whole Lives for Middle School, grades 7-9 is taking place from 12:30-2:30. Laura, Skylar, Bobbi and Chuck are facilitating this special class for our Middle School aged Youth after the regular RE class and service have finished. Please send a lunch with your Youth for them to eat between RE and OWL.

OWL will meet every Sunday in April. Because the Youth will be helping with the Creek Clean Up on April 21st , I recommend bringing a change of clothing along with an extra pair of shoes so that they are comfortable during OWL.

The RE Bake Sale!

The RE Bake Sale has been very successful! So many fabulous cooks have whipped up delicious treats and donated them so that the RE Youth and older children can trade them for small amounts of change, folding money, (and even electronic money through Breeze!) that add up to a sizable amount each month! The funds will be used to help enhance our RE program.

Volunteers Needed!

The Nursery, the Spirit Play class, the Natures Savers class, and the Youth Group all need volunteers!

If you are interested in helping out our Religious Exploration program, please contact DRE Erin erin.forstein@uuft.org for more information! You will be sent a link to a short online form to fill out for an easy background check, which is paid for out of the RE budget.