UCE Kids

Mystery Buddies Starts February 13th!

2011-01-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Mystery Buddies is an annual tradition at UCE. Each year, kids from the congregation are paired up with adults and youth who have volunteered to secretly send mail to them. No one knows who their Mystery Buddy is until we have a big party in April and all is revealed. Sign up sheets will be in the lobby next week!

Caroling for Cows...okay, probably a goat, but it sounds better that way!

2010-11-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

In the coming weeks our kids’ classes will be raising money to purchase a gift for a family through Heifer International. Heifer International provides families from around the world with the livestock and training necessary to fight poverty, promote self-reliance and achieve sustainable living. We are hoping to purchase a goat, a hardy animal that will provide nutritious milk, cheese and yogurt to a family, as well as manure for fuel and fertilization.

To achieve this goal we will be working towards raising $120.00 by caroling for cash donations. We will perform on two Sunday at coffee hour, on December 5th and 12th.

We are also planning to do some caroling in the neighbourhood surrounding the church on Saturday, December 18th. Those who wish to participate should meet us in the church foyer at 3 p.m. and make sure they are dressed for a walk outside.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to speak with class teachers before or after our regular Sunday classes. If you would like more information about Heifer International and the humanitarian work they provide, please visit their homepage at http://www.heifer.org/.

What do Unitarians believe puppet show

2010-11-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

How can Unitarian Parents Answer Theological Questions?

2010-10-06T10:25:00.001-07:00

Last month we held our first parenting group meeting to discuss this issue. The topic was essentially: what is theology, and how do we relate to it with our children as open-minded, religious liberals who do not wish to tell other people what to believe?

Theological discussions may not always seem necessary to Unitarians, but I feel that kids intuitively come up with these questions all the time. Kids ask about the "meaning" of life, or the reason we are here, daily (try counting how many times your 4-year-old asks 'why?' in the course of one evening!) Children want to know what happens to their beloved pet after they die. They are also very interested in fairness, what is right, and how and why we are suppose to behave a certain way.

I think it's also important to recognize that children do not grow up in a spiritual vacuum. A very well intentioned and diligent atheist parent may teach their child a completely rational approach to life, but that child will inevitably encounter other children who believe in a God, go to a church, and may even sometimes tell them that they will be condemned for not being a part of that faith. Many kids come up with questions about other people's theology and what relationship they ought to have to those foreign concepts.

Of course, we will never be able to dictate what a Unitarian parent should offer as a response to theological questions. We don't really do definitive answers, after all. Our group did, however, agree on a general approach.

Sharing Our Beliefs
We felt that it was important to share our own personal views and perspectives. Young children, especially, are likely to want to know what their family believes. They tend to take comfort in having a clear idea of their family's identity, and will probably adopt that viewpoint initially.

Exposing our Kids to Other Beliefs
The group also affirmed that we ought to acknowledge a wider variety of beliefs, so that children are aware that we are open to talking about the other possibilities. This is an important door to have open when it comes to assuring them that they are not going to go to hell for supporting gay rights, sleeping in on a Sunday, or if they don't worship the right "God".

Letting Them Know It's Okay to be Different
Finally, we felt that children needed to hear that we were accepting of alternatives; that we didn't need them to believe exactly what we believe, so long as their chosen path reflects kindness, compassion and honesty.

Amongst us there was an awareness that the beliefs that comfort some may not do the same for others. A parent who takes comfort in the idea that there is no stern, disciplinarian waiting to judge our lives after we die may have a child who does not take comfort in the idea that there might be no heaven. We felt that it was important that children experience the freedom to derive their own meaning from life and use their own imaginations in the creation of their personal theologies.

Thanksgiving

2010-10-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend we will take a moment to celebrate and be thankful for the community we share.

Our classes will be combined so that younger and older children can work together. I think it is important to offer children these opportunities to mentor each other.

The pathfinders will help our Chalice Children craft lovely autumn gnomes, write out a list of things they are thankful for, sing songs, and share in an abundance of healthy treats.

Hope to see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving

Storytelling Halloween, October 31st

2010-10-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Have you picked out your costume yet?

On October 31st we will be having our Halloween extravaganza! During the service there will be a parade of Halloween costumes and a story for all ages.

Following the service there will be lots of warm soup and yummy treats to eat, a meditative labyrinth walk in the sanctuary, and storytelling by some very special guests.

Don't miss our Halloween fun! And remember, the coolest adults wear Halloween costumes too.

New Course: Parents as Resident Theologians

2010-09-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

This fall the parenting group will begin the course: Parents as Resident Theologians.

This program focuses on the spiritual questions that children have, as well as our own, and how in our parenting role we can provide guidance and support as our children form their spiritual perspectives.

Any interested adults are welcome to attend. Children may join us in the classroom, where there are toys and books to explore. Please contact Kat Hutter: dre@uce.ca or (780) 454-5816, if you have any questions.

Welcome Back!

2010-09-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Childrens’ classes begin September 12th

Chalice Children, Ages 4-7

This fall we begin the program “Wonderful Welcome” that explores intangible gifts such as friendship, hospitality and fairness.

Pathfinders, ages 8-12

Our program this fall is “Windows and Mirrors”, and explores how we can respect diversity while still honoring our own perspectives.

Out with the old...but ooooh! I want to keep that!

2009-12-30T12:36:00.000-08:00

Well, in case you haven't noticed yet, we've had a flood. It certainly could have been worse (and we're all grateful to Mike for the fact that it wasn't!), but the situation has still left us with some cleaning up to do.

On my end, that means going through a mountain of craft supplies that had to be taken out of their normal resting place to dry everything out. The waters, in fact, traveled down the corridor through the RE storage area. I'm told that it's likely they passed through a box of paint supplies, as the river that flowed through the hallway was rainbow coloured.

I have decided that this presents the perfect opportunity to explore just what we've had tucked away in there, and to donate away those things that we are unlikely to be using anytime soon. The fun thing about doing this is that ideas start to pop up in your head. Oooh, clothespin dolls! We should use those fancy, artist quality paints with the older kids! Sock puppets!

The best idea I had today, however, was about getting new ideas. This Sunday, all of the kids will be coming together for a lesson on New Years and how it is celebrated throughout the world. A common theme amongst many cultures at the time of the new year, so I'm told by Brian, our minister, is "Out with the old, in with the new".

With all of this stuff lying around in the classroom, why shouldn't the kids engage in some of this "Out with the old" stuff, and more importantly, this "Ooooh, look at that!" stuff that I'm doing? If I'm having so much fun, maybe they will too!

So this Sunday, the children will be invited to look through some of these old supplies (sneakily selected for safety reasons). They will be able to choose one item that they think should be passed on, and one that they think is very inspiring that they would like to be able to use in the New Year.

This Santa Guy

2009-11-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

With the Holiday season around the corner, I found myself researching good ole Saint Nick this week. The Pathfinders lesson for this Sunday is about the spirit of giving, and so it seemed the perfect fit, at that age level, to take a look at where this great big gift giving guy comes from, and some of the pros and cons of the image that he has today.

At any rate, I found this sermon from the Mission Peak UU Congregation on the history of the big guy from a Unitarian perspective, so I thought I'd share it with anyone who might be interested.

Enjoy:

http://www.mpuuc.org/services/JollyGenerosity.html

Parenting and the Golden Rule

2009-11-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

Our Parents' Group will meet this Sunday, November 22, at 12 pm

The topic for our parents' group this week is 'The Golden Rule' and how it relates to parenting, discipline, and teaching.

The 'do onto others' rule could relate to parenting in a numbers of ways. When we consider what we would like done onto us, parents might justify their disciplinary policies with assurance that they 'know what's best for their child'. Certainly if they were a child with omnipotent, adult-like knowledge, they would want this done onto themselves for their own good.

Yet, I have sat in many classrooms and pondered how remarkable it is that the benefit of a given lesson is so apparent to myself, and yet lost to those students who are having it imposed upon them. We may abstractly justify our actions in relation to doing onto children as appropriate from the 'theoretical adult-child who gets it' perspective, but that isn't the reality of how the child is experiencing that moment.

Does the Golden rule really mean we have the right to impose upon others what we feel is best for them? In most contexts Unitarians would vehemently deny that this is fair and appropriate. We are a collective of people who are united in our belief that it is wrong to force our personal views on others.

If this is the case, where do we draw the line when it comes to children? How do we actively consider the child's point of view and personal perspective, while still imposing the level of structure and discipline that they need?

Our Volunteers

2009-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

When I sat down to appraise how we are doing in RE this year in terms of volunteer support, I realized that we have a remarkable level of participation.

Almost all of the parents, grandparents and caregivers who have children in the program are deeply involved in volunteer work in one way or another, whether they are on the RE Committee, helping in the classroom, providing snack or volunteering elsewhere in the church.

Of course we can always use all of the support we can get. In particular, I would love to see more members of the congregation take on the teaching of lessons. We have a diverse membership with a wide variety of skills and perspectives, and the children could really benefit from guest speakers or new teachers who can bring something unique.

However, those who have children involved in the program are doing an outstanding job at taking the initiative to give back to the program and the church. We're really quite lucky here at UCE.

Do You Like to Sing?

2009-11-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

We would like to put together a children's choir for those who are interesting in performing a peace song at the rally following the World March for Peace and Nonviolence on November 21st.

We will practice our peace song in the next two weeks of Children’s Church. All children and youth who are interested in singing with our choir are welcome to join us on Saturday the 21st at the march.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kat Hutter, RE Director, at
(780) 454-5816, or dre@uce.ca

For more information about the March, see my last post!

World March for Peace and Nonviolence

2009-10-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Help build a new nonviolent global consciousness

The World March, October 2, 2009 – January 2, 2010

The World March began in Wellington, New Zealand on October 2 and will end in Punta de Vacas, Argentina on January 2, 2010. It will last 90 days and be carried out in its entirety by 100 people, with millions joining and participating along the way.

The Edmonton March, November 21st, 2009:

We will meet at Sir Wilfred Laurier Park at 12:00 pm to begin the march. Our march will end at William Hawrelak Park, where we will gather for refreshments and a rally.

Some good reasons to march:

Because eliminating wars and violence means leaving human pre-history behind and taking a giant step forward in the evolution of our species.

Because we are accompanied by the voices of the hundreds of generations that came before us who have longed and worked for peace.

Because with 10% of what is spent on arms, we can end world hunger.

Because a “world without wars” is an image that opens the future and seeks to become reality in every corner of the planet, as violence gives way to dialogue.

Find out more about the global movement: www.theworldmarch.org

2009-10-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Title photo by:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/ / CC BY 2.0

Scavenger Hunt was a big success, if I do say so myself

2009-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Participants in our Healthy Earth Scavenger Hunt braved the chilly, wet weather last Sunday to focus on the environment in our Church's neighbourhood.

Adults and kids got together to explore the different kinds of trees in the park, search for hidden pictures, and evaluate which kinds of litter they thought were the most harmful to the earth.

The best part of the event, for me, was when everyone came back inside and shared their findings. It was great to see the kids and adults sharing their knowledge, collaborating, and working together as teammates.

A big thank you to all of the participants and volunteers who helped make this event work. Also, thank you to the members of the Green Sanctuary Committee who supported the development of our hunt.