R.E. News
May 2012
- For a listing of 2011-2012 R.E. Classes for Children and Youth, see the links in the left column.
- For information on being an R.E. teacher, R.E. Team teacher, or R.E. Facilitator, click here.
- Join me on May 23 for a UU Parenting Discussion Group.
Religious Education Book Drive
Religious education classes will be holding a book drive during the month of May for Hawthorne Hill Hawthorne Hill New Directions Shelter provides free, temporary, emergency shelter and services for homeless mothers and their children. Books should be brought to church to be collected on Sunday, May 20.
Summer Religious Education:
UU "Minute to Win It!" Encore
Beginning Sunday, June 17 - End of the Summer
Multi-age classes at both 9:30 and 11 am will be based upon the popular television show, “Minute to Win It!”
Ten challenges using household items. 60 seconds on the clock. Think you can do it? You've got a Minute to Win It! Each Sunday offers new twists, and will leave your UU children and youth saying, "Did you see that?!" Regular Sunday morning mornings rituals will also include a chalice lighting, time for joys and concerns, and an opportunity for building community with one another.
If you would like to be involved with this, please email Tracy Beck, dre@ucdsm.org
Our Whole Lives (OWL) 2012-2013
Our Whole Lives is a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive human sexuality curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. First Unitarian Church of Des Moines offers the Grades 7-8 curriculum every other year to youth in grades 7-8. (Usually opposite the year Coming of Age is offered to this age group). During the 2010-2011 year, we graduated 27 youth from the class, and while this is a celebration, we also discovered that this size of class was simply too large. To alleviate crowding, and create a better atmosphere for learning, we would like to offer class sizes of around 15 for the 2012-2013 year. To accommodate the number of youth, we will be offering two separate sections of Our Whole Lives:
Wednesday Evenings: tentatively 6:30 - 8:00 pm
OR
Saturday Evenings*: 5:00- 6:15 pm (to coincide with a new Saturday Evening Service and Spirit Play Religious Education for younger children)
* Youth who may be interested in participating in the UU Children's Theater should sign up for the Saturday OWL class, as UUCT practices will be held on Wednesday evenings.
Families need to commit to one evening. Youth cannot skip back and forth, or attend a Saturday night class if they must miss a Wednesday
night class, and vice versa. Once community has been formed within the class, it will be honored.
For planning purposes, I need to know by
Tuesday, May 1 what night your youth will be attending Our Whole Lives. Please email me at dre@ucdsm.org as soon as possible and provide the following information:
Youth Name
Grade level for 2012-2013
Day of Class Youth will attend:Names and grade levels of younger siblings (for other RE and Wednesday Night Programming purposes)
Chalice Camp Cancelled
Chalice Camp has been cancelled for this summer. Look for it again in 2013!
Coming of Age Men’s and Women’s Circles
May 20 12:15 pm
Following the Coming of Age Service on Sunday, May 20, the youth will be taking part in both a Men’s and Women’s Circle Ritual to be guided and welcomed into the church community by their parents, mentors and any church member that wishes to take part.
You, as a member or friend of the church, are invited and encouraged to take part.
Men’s Circle: 12:15-12:45 pm, Back Patio
Women’s Circle: 12:15-12:45 pm, Large Activity Room, or location to be decided
May R.E. Dates of Importance:
Wednesday, May 2
Coming of Age, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 6
Inter-generational Music Service, No R.E. Classes, 9:30 & 11:00 am
High School Youth Group, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Room 107
Wednesday, May 9
Coming of Age, 6:30 - 8:00 pm*
* Mentor Wednesday
Sunday, May 13
Religious Education Classes, 9:30 & 11:00 am
No High School Youth Group Meeting
Wednesday, May 16
Coming of Age, 6:30 - 8:00 pm*
* Mentor Wednesday
Saturday, May 19
Coming of Age Celebration Dinner, 5:30 pm
Spring Fling All-Church Dance, 8 - 11 pm
Sunday, May 20
Coming of Age Youth Service, 9:30 & 11:00 am
Religious Education Classes, K - Grade 4 only, 9:30 & 11:00 am
Preschool classes attend childcare
Grade 5 and up attend the service
Wednesday, May 23
Coming of Age - Last Day Party!