Lighthouse Open House

Today was our open house, a time for our children and youth to share what they have been doing and learning in their classes this year.

Discovery Class shared some of the stories they have enjoyed from our six sources:  wonder and awe, words and deeds of prophetic men and women, wisdom from the world's religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, science and reason, and earth-centered traditions.

Treasure Hunters have enjoyed stories from different religions, created their own stories, and developed ideas about what God is.

Trail Blazers have considered big religious questions, explored how different religions answer these questions, and considered what their own answers to these questions are.

Explorers learned about different religious traditions.  Today they shared a trail mix activity, where visitors could mix together a snack representing which traditions influence their own beliefs.

The middle school youth have learned about world religions through visiting places of worship in our community.  They shared a Jeopardy-style trivia game with facts about different religious traditions, as well as some of the religious practices they have learned about.

A big thank you to all of our children, youth, and their teachers for sharing their learning with our community!

Lighthouse Chapel

The Loving Hearts team prepared birthday cards

The Loving Hearts Team hopes the children and youth with birthdays in the next few months will enjoy receiving a card from their church friends.

The Open Minds team learned about the four elements and built an altar together.

The Open Minds team matched natural items with each of the four elements.

The Helping Hands Team sorted games and toys from our childcare supply closet.

The Helping Hands team encourages you to sort through your toys, clothes, and housewares at home, and bring unneeded but still useful items to the Buy Nothing Swap on February 28.

The newly cleaned and organized toy and game cupboard!

We Covenant Together

While covenant is also important in Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, the covenant that Unitarian Universalists share is the one we make with one another, not with God. As Unitarian Universalists, we belong to a covenanted community of people and congregations who make commitments to certain agreed-upon values — our seven Unitarian Universalist Principles. In 1960, Unitarians and Universalists discussed, debated and compromised to articulate six Principles which members of both faiths could covenant together to affirm and promote as Unitarian Universalists.

It may help children understand "covenant" if we use the word interchangeably with "agreement" or "promise." In our younger classes, we refer to "promises" instead of "principles".

(adapted from Wonderful Welcome, a Tapestry of Faith program)

Here are photos of the covenants our young people have created for their classes this year. 

For more thoughts on being together in covenanted relationship, click here to read this month's post by Rev. Meg Riley of the Church of the Larger Fellowship.

If I Were a Founder

Our youth will be visiting other houses of worship, as part of their study of other religions this year. For our next session, youth were asked to imagine they were the founder of a religious group, and to consider the following questions:

If I were helping to found a religious group with others whom I like to be with, I would want us to celebrate or honor . . . .

I would want us to meet . . . .(where?)

When (day of the week, frequency?)

Two things we would do are . . .

Something we would never do is . . .

The most important thing about us would be . . .


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Because we are all co-creators of our faith, I invite you to consider these questions as well.  What is special to you about our faith, and what would you do to shape it if you could?

Introducing . . . The Trail Blazers!

Our newest class, a group of 2nd and 3rd graders, voted on a name for themselves last Sunday.  They were looking for a name that fit in with the theme of our other groups--Discovery, Treasure Hunters, and Explorers.  

And here is their new classroom--still awaiting some finishing touches, but mostly ready for the year ahead!  Welcome Trail Blazers!  

Caring for the Environment

Today we enjoyed the sunny weather by going outside to do some projects.  The preschool children drew "truffula" trees from the story The Lorax on the paved area in front of the new office, while the elementary group prepared a flower bed and planted flowers.

 Both groups worked together to decorate clay pots which will become a bird bath--something you can bid on at our church auction.

Many thanks to the children for their work on these projects to help our church and the environment.

Saving Trees

SAVING TREES

by Saphronia Young

(in honor of Dr. Seuss Summer)

Would you save a life if you could?

Have you ever thought that maybe you should?

Even if you're little, I bet you are strong!

Ivy kills trees, and I think that is wrong.

The ivy was brought here from far far away

and the people who did that weren't thinking that day!

The ivy chokes trees and doesn't care if they die

When I think about that, I almost could cry.

But although you are little I know you are smart

I know you have courage and a loving big heart

I know you will help at least one tree to survive

We can take out the ivy and let that tree thrive.

You could pull the vine away from the tree

Your partner could clip all the ivy you see

Together you can do what alone we cannot

You could save a tall tree and then...adopt!

Walk down the path seeking your tree

Find one that is smothered with English ivy

Pull the vine away from your tree's girth

Clip once at your shoulder, and again by the earth.

Give your tree a six-foot ring around

A survival ring where no ivy is found

Check it each week that you possibly could

Take care of your tree...you know that you should.

You could hug your tree and give it a name

Draw a picture of her and put in a frame

Tell your tree that she's lovely and want her to grow

Let your tree feel cared for - I think she should know.