Tuesday, December 28, 2010

January: Spiritual Seekers!

our 4th UU Principle
During the Month of January, we will focus our attention on our fourth (4th) Unitarian Universalist Principle: 
Spiritual Seekers!

The seeking and searching will begin with ->

UU board game exploring 

and






chalice finding/coloring!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Reflections on Christmas

Reflections on Christmas 

In Children's Religious Education (CRE)
we'll be reflecting (thinking back, talking about, pondering)  
on what is means to be Unitarian Universalist (UU) 
at Christmas Time.


We'll be reading some stories and then creating U(U)nique collages of our Holy Selves!







Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Each night a child is born is a holy night

Each Night a Child is Born is a Holy Night!
 Come one, come all! 
Bring your whole family! 

The Arlington Street Church's 
Christmas Eve - Family Service 
waiting for the baby Jesus
Friday, December 24th @ 5pm

-> We need your help for this service ->
Your Job Instructions:
1. If you have the book:
On the Day You Were Born please bring it! 

2. Please bring in one of your favorite stuffed animals, or if you have an animal hat, Bring it!

3. If you have a pillow that is shaped like the Moon or Stars or Earth, Bring it!

Note, there will be busy bags available for the 5pm, 7pm and 9pm services! And the Nursery will be open if you need it.



M e r r y  C h r i s t m a s !

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Lessons & Carols!

On Sunday, December 19th is the 
Lessons and Carols Service!
 
Traditional  Polish Paper cutting by: Laura Evonne Steinman
Children's Religious Education will be staying up in the Sanctuary (the big room we worship in) this Sunday to enjoy the Lessons (Stories) and Carols (Holiday songs to sing along with). We will be exploring our 3rd Unitarian Universalist Principle -spiritual growth and acceptance (December's theme principle) by worshiping with the big folks!

There will be NEW mini "Busy Bags" for you to use in your pew (place where you sit) and in the bag will be a KIDS Order of Service (the program) to follow along with, a word search for each Story told, places to draw and color in, and so much more!

Laura will be sharing a story about:

colorful sheep!
 
 

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Mitten Tree Sunday!



It's getting cold outside so, please bring in mittens, gloves, scarfs, etc for the Mitten Tree this Sunday at Arlington Street Church!

We will be "dressing" the tree with the scarfs we made and then help others at ASC as well.
In CRE, we'll read The Mitten Tree story and then create mini mittens that we will turn into cards to sell at coffee hour in the Parish Hall after the service! 

The donations collected from the cards will go the 


Then, after CRE at 1pm there is a totally fun Carol Sing that Mark the music Director will lead in the Chapel. Bring your family and friends will you for a great time!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Dec: Our 3rd UU Principle: Light, Love and inner growth!



Happy December! 
Happy Chanukah!
During the month of December, our focus is our 3rd Unitarian Universalist Principle
 Acceptance of each other & spiritual growth!
© hand in hand arts

On Sunday, our spiritual journey focuses on Chanukah, The Festival of Lights!

We’ll make some yummy latkes and have a taste of Chanukah. 

We’ll also be reminded to accept each person in life no matter what path they are on as we spruce up the Mitten Tree and create more scarves for the homeless who attend the Friday Night Supper Program at ASC.




Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A Compassionate Neighborhood!




A Compassionate Neighborhood 
starts with all of U, UU's!

This Sunday in CRE, JP and Vickie will be holding down the fort! During the beginning part of the Service the Advent Wreath will be lite by....(you will see by who!) and then everyone will head down to either:

  • Decorate a Big DECEMBER sign for the BIG Calender
    (younger kids and anyone else can help with this)

  • Cut and make fringe on Red and Green Fleece scarfs for the Mitten Tree (Dec 12th) for the people who are homeless who come to the Friday Night Supper Program
    ( Anyone can help with this)
  • Read a story about a neighborhood that changed with a little compassion and vision! ( This is for the older kids)


    Why
    are we doing all this... decorating, making scarfs, learning about neighborhoods? Come Sunday to find out!


    What makes your neighborhood cool! and what would make it even better!






Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Stone Soup - Community of Thankfulness!

   Stone Soup is what we've got !
 Sharing our Thankfulness!

This Sunday, November 21 the younger kids will be retelling the Soup Soup Story and creating some yummy vegan soup of their own!

The older kids will be having a conversation about Communities of Thankfulness after staying in the service a bit longer to hear Taan's (Laura's Partner) short talk about Transgender Day of Remembrance.

What makes you feel loved, safe and at Home in Community?


OK, back to the Stone Soup part...

Instructions: 
1. Ask yourself, what is my favorite veggie that would be super yummy in soup? Then, ask your family if you can bring that veggie to ASC on Sunday, If so....

2. Get that veggie and please cook it 1/2 way (so that it is not to hard and does not take to long to cook in the soup)

3. Bring the veggie in a sealed container to CRE on Sunday.
4. Also, please bring in a small Stone, yes that is correct! A stone that has been washed with soup and water that will also be added to the soup!
5. Bring your appetite for some yummy soup to eat after the service with your family and friends!


P.S.
The Place mats that were created last Sunday look super and will be used at the Friday Night Super Program for their big Thanksgiving Feast! Thanks for sharing your heart with this creative service!





Monday, November 8, 2010

Weaving Thankfulness & Compassion!

This Sunday, 
ALL the CRE kids will be weaving Thankfulness 
and Compassion







We will be creating paper woven place-mats for the 
Arlington Street Church Friday Night Supper Program which serves people who are homeless and hungry, creating a placemat for our own home for Thanksgiving and a HUGE woven placemat for ASC!

Note:
Older youth and their families are invited on Friday, November 19th to come to the FNSP to put the placemats on the table and learn a bit more about the program. 

If you want to attend, Please contact Laura

 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

#1 Review, #2 Compassion

As we welcome in the month of November, we welcome in our new theme for the month-  
Our 2nd Unitarian Universalist Principle: 
Have Compassion 
for one another!
  • What is it to have compassion for another? 
  • What do you have compassion for? and how does that feel?   

    Come Sunday and Find out!
We will be reviewing October's theme - "Everyone Rocks" to help us move forward into Compassion!

Our time together will be filled with decorating a super large November Calendar for everyone at ASC to enjoy in the Parish Hall and the older kids will be hearing about  
The Golden Buddha and 
 
designing their own compassionate 
"emergency cards".

Come with open hearts 
& loving minds!






P.S. After the service join in a BIG Dust-a-thon with Queen Cheryl in the Sanctuary!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Oct 31st - Day of the Dead/Halloween Celebrations

 For the last day of October, and our month's focus on our -1st Unitarian Universalist Principle (Every body's Important) 

We will be Celebrating Remembering those who have passed away (died) in our lives.

Our time together will be filled with color and creativity along with some special treats.
For Sunday please bring with U!
1. The memorial card (see below)colored in, photos added, words, etc. -You can then add you card to the Alter in the front of the sanctuary at church.

2.
a costume if you wish ( we will be in a costume parade near the end of the worship service)

please feel free to print this card if you don't already have one, of you can make your own! be creative, I know U are!


Also, Treat or Treat for a good cause!
Trick or Treat for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) 
Collect your box in the Perkins Room on Sunday.

http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/



 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

10.24.10 - Bring a Friend Sunday

 
Come one, Come all!   
Bring a Friend Sunday at ASC!


"Friendship is not a BIG thing - 
it's a million little things"



Our topic is: Friendship -
Who are our friends?
Why are they our friends?
How did they become our friends in the first place?!
This Sunday! Intern Minister Rebecca Froom will be joining us and also church member Liz Weber who will teach us how to Sign:
Hymn # 402 "From You I Receive" in American Sign Language (ASL).

We will share our conversations about Friendship while creating Art!
After the Service, Laura Evonne Steinman - Religious Educator will be giving a mini into to UUism to kids in the Perkins Room!
Note: This Sunday we have an extra special guest- Bilal Kaleem, Executive Director of the Muslim American Society of Boston who is coming to preach in the pulpit with Rev. Kim!



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

10.17.10 -The Golden Rule "DO UNTO OTTERS"....


This Sunday, The topic is ->The Golden Rule
We will be focusing our OTTER energy onto how we  OTTER be in this world to OTTERselves and OTTER neighbors
.

We will be reading parts of the book "Do Unto Otters" by Laurie Keller
Great ready for some creative fun!


Also, the youth (older kids, you know who you are!) will be meeting and having a discussion related to Rebecca Froom's Sermon "The Radical Act of Hello".

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

10.10.10 I'm special because...

"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
 


I'm Special because....

Think of reasons why you are the way you are and why you leave a wonderful mark on this world because of U!

We'll be working on adding more details to our paper tree-body figures and getting to know what we like , why we are special and what we are good at!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Animal Blessing Sunday! 10.3.10

On Animal Blessings Sunday in CRE, the children heard a Creation Story on how the world came to be. It seemed to fit well with our 1st UU Principle and in the timing of the Jewish Holiday Simchat Torah, which finishes and begins the Torah again with the text about how the universe came to be.

Here's the story from this week.
 
Creation Story (Christian/Jewish)
1.
In the beginning there was no earth or sky or sea or animals.  And then the spirit of the universe spoke in the darkness:  “Let there be light!”  And right away there was light, scattering the darkness and showing the infinite space. “From now on, when it’s dark it will be ‘night” and when it’s light, it will be ‘day’.” The evening came and the night passed and then the light returned.  That was the first day.

2.
On the second day, God, the Spirit of the universe made the earth and over it carefully hung a vast blue sky. 

3.
The next morning God looked around and thought, “the earth needs to be a bit more organized.”  So, the Spirit of the Universe put all the water in one place and all the dry land in another.  When that was finished, God made plants to cover the land.  Dandelions and daffodils appeared.  All sorts of trees and grasses began to grow.  “It’s looking great”, said God and that was the end of the third day.

4.
On the fourth day, The Spirit of the Universe looked around and though, “the daylight still needs a bit more work and the night is just too dark.”  So, God made the sun to light the sky during the day and the moon and stars to add a bit of sparkle to the night. 

5.
The next day, God’s attention was on the waters.  “I want these waters teeming with life!”  In no time, there were millions of small fish darting through the shallow water and huge fish swimming in the ocean.  God made birds, too.  Sending them soaring through the air.  “Ahh, that IS good!, “said God.  The dusk fell over the water and the sky grew dark and that was the end of the fifth day.

6.
On the sixth day, The Spirit of the Universe added creatures to the land.  Making lions and tigers and bears, making rabbits and sheep and cows.  Adding everything from ants to zebras to the land.  But God felt like something was missing so, God, the Spirit of the Universe created a human being. 
After six days, the whole universe was completed.  On the seventh day God had a nice long rest and enjoyed looking at all that was created.


After the story, we created dog and cat treat bags for the shelter animals at the Animal Rescue League of Boston


Welcome October! Our theme this month is -> Our 1st UU Principle

During the month of October 2010
Children's Religious Education we will be focusing on
The 1st Unitarian Universalist Principle : Everyone Rocks!  

© Laura Evonne Steinman