The RE Committee and I have been busy planning for the upcoming church year, and I am incredibly excited about what we have in store for WUUC! Our primary focus this year will be on family ministry. Studies have shown that the most important factor in determining whether or not grown children remain in church (or come back to church after a break in young adulthood) is their parents’ active involvement in their religious education and their commitment to church life.
Unfortunately, many parents come to Unitarian Universalist churches without the knowledge of how to include religious education as part of family life. Many parents were raised “unchurched” or quit attending church at a young age and never learned how to incorporate spiritual growth and learning into their personal lives, much less into the lives of their children. To that end, we will be starting many programs to encourage the spiritual growth within our families.
Some of these programs include:
· Opportunities for families to participate together in the Sunday morning worship service by serving as greeters and lighting the chalice.
· Take home lessons with activities to reinforce what was taught during the RE class each Sunday, and for families who couldn’t make it to church that week.
· I will lead several parent groups which will meet monthly to discuss parenting issues, questions, and offering ideas for incorporating UU Spirituality into family life. Tentatively, the list of parent groups includes: parents of High School Students, parents of upper elementary & middle
· Traveling chalice boxes which can be “checked out” from the church by children or families. Each box will include information on a different aspect of Unitarian Universalism and include activities, games, and ideas on how to integrate our faith and values into daily family life.
I will be reaching out to WUUC’s parents and guardians soon to learn more about ways in which we can support our families. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas I would love to hear from you. I hope the rest of your summer is a time of renewal, peace and fun!