William Ellery Channing once said, “The great end in religious instruction whether in Sunday school or family is, not to stamp our mind irresistibly on the young, but to stir up their own; not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own…”
Our RE program is fully underway as of September 14 (the nursery is available every Sunday, and Pre-K begins on September 7). Our children’s lives will be packed with experiences that we intend will help them “stir up their own” minds and encourage them to “look inquiringly” at life. Our purposes are five fold:
- Nurturing the individual spirit within our loving community
- Understanding that we are part of Unitarian Universalist heritage: past, present and future
- Cultivating curiosity about, appreciation for, and engagement with all faith traditions
- Developing a lifelong practice of service
- Encouraging mindfulness and a sense of wonder
If you have not already, take a look through the RE Prospectus for details about the classes and events ahead of us. A few things of particular note: In mid-September, many of our Junior Youth will be attending a Jr. Youth Convention. This October we are focusing most of the early elementary curriculum around our 7th principle and caring for our planet. And the Holiday Pageant will be December 14; they will start the planning process early, so keep an eye open for audition and rehearsal schedules.
For Your Calendar:
Sep. 6 Start Up Saturday – Teaching Team Orientation.
Sep. 7 Homecoming, Pre-K begins
Sep. 14 Full RE Programming begins
Sep. 21 New Parent Orientation
Nov. 2 Dia De Los Muertos
You can help!
Teach – We still have several teaching team opportunities that are available to fill for both the 9 and 11 AM classes.
Register – To register your children and youth for classes, go to www.uumontclair.org/re/register/, or fill out a registration available at coffee hour. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Judith A. Stein-Farrall
Religious Education Program Coordinator