Religious Education News: April 22, 2012

On Sunday, May 13, we will be celebrating Mother’s Day. This will be my first Mother’s Day without my own Mother. I find peace knowing that Mother’s Day was originally created as a day of peace by a Unitarian. The following is quoted from Rev. Stefan Jonassen in his A Canadian Unitarian Almanac and Liturgical Calendar.

Religious Education News: April 9, 2012

On Sunday, April 22nd, GPUC students will be actively celebrating Earth Day. The day will be dedicated to raising awareness of the multitude of environmental issues we face. The concept of Earth Day originated in 1970, and marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Our obligation to be involved is buttressed by the UU Seventh Principle: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part”. This year marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day. We at GPUC and other UU congregations across the country are taking action to ensure that our planet remains a viable place for all people to live now and into the future.

Here are some of activities that you can share with your children:

Religious Education News: March 26, 2012

The Religious Education Program is hosting an RE Orientation for all new parents of participating children and any GPUC member interested in teaching next year. This workshop will take place Sunday, April 29, at noon in the RE wing. The workshop will open the story of Religious Education at GPUC and help the participants understand what takes place in our RE Program.

The questions that we hope to answer are these:

  • What is religious education?

  • When does religious education take place?

Religious Education News: March 12, 2012

The GPUC Religious Education Committee is meeting on April 5 at 6:30 p.m. to review the comprehensive curriculum,   Tapestry of Faith  , for the 2012-13 church school year.

Religious Education News: February 27, 2012

Exploring world religions has been a hallmark of our Religious Education Program for many years. We are now at midyear with the 2011-1012 curriculum. Our lessons are designed to learn about faith traditions and practices of other religious groups in our community and the world. Group leaders plan lessons that expand our students' understanding and appreciation for others' belief systems, which in turn aids their growth and appreciation for their own Unitarian Universalist faith.

Religious Education News: February 13, 2012

"Sophia Fahs Religious Education Wing" reads the sign that is above the double doors as you enter the RE area for our students. Who is Sophia Fahs? Sophia Lyon Fahs was a revolutionary educator who questioned how we taught religious education. She suggested that children learn  not merely by being told what to believe, but through their interaction with the world.

Spaghetti Dinner 2012 Announced

The GPUC Juniors are sponsoring their annual Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday, February 12, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. This a fundraiser for the junior/senior fund, which will help us afford the trip to Boston in June of 2013.  The cost is $10 for adults and $7 for children 10 and under. It will be held in the Olympia Brown Fellowship Hall.  The servers for the evening will be our 14 extraordinary junior students.

The meal will include spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, dessert, coffee and tea.  Valentine flowers will also be available for purchase.

Religious Education News: January 23, 2012

Boston Trip 2013 is being planned, and the fund raising begins soon!! In the next year and half you will be seeing posters and news articles, bake sales, things to purchase, spaghetti dinner events and much more. The juniors and seniors of Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church are planning a trip to Boston to learn more about our faith and the cradle of our early heritage as a nation. Any child going into 6th grade in 2013 and all 7th through 12th graders are eligible to join the trip. At this time, we have at least 22 students who have this opportunity to go to Boston if they wish to do so.

Religious Education News: January 9, 2012

 

Happy New Year!   Janus is the Roman god of time, and January is named after him. We are to look back and look forward while being mindful of the present. As you are in the present and looking forward to the future, a valuable habit to acquire is reading. Some wonderful parent/child material can be found at the UUA website, plus you won't regret a visit to the online UUA Bookstore. Just click HERE for both. 

The following books are some of my favorites:

Religious Education News: December 19, 2011

As we end the month of December 2011, let us focus on the gifts of love and hope. I was asked by several congregants to print the Call to Worship words that were read at The Polar Express Pageant on December 11. This was written by Edward Searl, a UU Minister in Hinsdale, Illinois.

Call to Worship

If only for the season… Let us banish cynicism and welcome wonder.

If only for the season… Let us downplay our differences and discover the bonds of common origin and continuing cause.

If only for the season…Let us set aside worry and smile and laugh and sing.

If only for the season…Let us deny apathy and indifference and truly live by loving.

If only for the season…Let us subvert our envy and jealousy and be both good at giving and receiving the gifts before us.

If only for the season…this brief season of light, of life, of love, let us be wise enough to be a little foolish about candlelight, the sound of sleigh bells, about children and matters of the heart.

If only for the season!

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Thank you to everyone for all your time, love, thoughts and giving for the Religious Education Program at GPUC. For centuries, African Bushmen have greeted each other by saying, “I See You!,” and then the person approaching says, “I Am Here!” I say to you for 2012, “I See You!”  Happy Holidays.

Important Dates:

Sundays, December 25 and January 1 – No classes. The nursery will not be open on December 25, but will be open on January 1 and thereafter.

Sunday, January 8 -- Classes will begin for 2012.

Friday, January 20 -- Circle Circle Dinner -- Appetizers at 6:00 p.m., followed by a delicious lasagna dinner. This year we will feature Tim Clark, a multi-talented musician who has developed a unique, eclectic style that burns deep in the soul of all who witness his art. Tim’s program will start at 7:30 p.m. Children under 10 will be admitted free. The cost for adults and students 11 and over is $5.00.  We are asking every family to bring a salad, an appetizer or a dessert to share, which can be designated when you sign up in the church foyer.

-- Julie Artis, Director of Religious Education