RE News
Our theme for the month of June is Pleasure. Pleasure can mean different things to different people. For one person, pleasure might be the feeling they get when they hear a beautiful string quartet. Another might find pleasure in the way the light falls just so on a flower in their garden. A third person might find pleasure in gently stroking the soft fur of a young kitten, and yet another in listening to the giggles of a classroom of children. I find all of these things pleasant, along with so many others--the flicker of the campfire late at night, summer rain, the smell of coffee. Pleasure is closely tied to contentment. A pleasant situation is one that you will be content to stay in, to savor. As I wrap up my first program year here at UUSGU, I find myself asking, “Am I content with how the year has gone? Has this been a pleasant experience for me and for the children here?” I can’t answer for them, but for me, the answer is “yes”. I am really enjoying my time here. I love telling stories to the children--I love listening to their observations about it later during RE. Are there things I wish had gone differently? Yes--and I hope to make those things happen in a better way in the next season. Are there things I hope to change? Also yes--and I plan to tell you about those over the summer. For now, I am pleased to be working on all the busy things that wrap up the program year--Flower Communion, Bridging, Summer Solstice, the Family Picnic. I hope I get to see each of the families once more before we all disperse for our slow and quiet summers.
Coming Up in June
We do still have three more weeks of activities for the children in June here at UUSGU!
June 5: First up will be Annual Meeting Sunday. The service will be shorter than usual, with no Time for All Ages, but with lots of beautiful music. The RE Committee will be providing childcare for both the service and the meeting. Weather permitting, the children will be playing and doing nature craft
s outside. We will also have snacks and juice boxes to keep small rumbling tummies happy as they wait for the business to be complete.
June 12: Flower Communion--the children will have a part in this joyful multi-gen service. I would love for the children to be greeters today, welcoming the congregants and their flowers to our meeting space. We will also be processing with the flowers, participating in the blessing, and thanking those who have helped with RE this year. Everyone should wear their most joyous and comfortable clothes for this occasion.
June 19: So many things to celebrate this Sunday! Our multi-gen service will celebrate our bridging Seniors, fathers, the Summer Solstice,and even Juneteenth. After the service we will be having a picnic at Norcross Park just down the street. We will have lawn games and a Solstice craft station for the young and young at heart. This is our last Sunday of the program year.
Over the Summer
While the children are off from school and Religious Exploration and everyone is enjoying their summer holiday, I will be planning for the next year, arranging the children’s library, and re-organizing the art supplies and the rooms. Volunteers are welcome to help with these projects. My summer office hours will still be on Tuesday and Thursday, but I will be here earlier in the day to take advantage of the coolness of the morning to do the physical stuff.
My summer office hours will be:
Tuesday: 9am-noon (working downstairs); 12:30pm-3:30 pm (meetings and planning) Thursday: 9am-noon (working on library); 1pm-4pm (meetings and planning)
I will not be holding scheduled Zoom office hours over the summer, but am willing to meet parents via Zoom upon request. Please email me at cherilyn@uusgu.org or text me at 301.873.0050 to set up a Zoom meeting.
And in the Autumn
We will definitely be needing more Religious Exploration teachers for the next program year as we move from our one-room schoolhouse model back to separate classrooms. If you love working with young people and would like to volunteer one or two Sundays a month or come and help with a special event, there will be plenty of opportunities to go around.
In addition, we will be looking for a paid childcare provider for nursery-age children. If you know of a qualified individual who might be interested in that position, please let me know.