Religious Education This Week – Jan. 26th

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Upcoming Religious Education Classes, programs, & information for elementary & middle grades:
  • K/1/2 MORAL TALES will have their next class Sunday, 2/7/21, at 9:30.
  • Also, Game Night for K/1/2 & 3/4/5 will be Friday, 2/5, at 6 pm.  Come, join the fun as the classes get together and play some virtual games!
  • 3/4/5 CARTUUNS will have their next class Sunday, 2/14/21, at 9:30.
  • 6/7/8 MARCH will meet again Sunday, 2/7/21, at a different time than they usually do:  5 pm (due to conflict with the Super Bowl).
  • Game Night for 6/7/8 March!  If you’re in the March class, come join us for some fun virtual games on Friday, 1/29, at 7.
Winter 2021 National Middle School Conference – Saturday, February 27, 2-10 pm
Who: Middle school UU youth (11-14 years old, in grade 6-8 or equivalent) from across the US Co-hosts: Central East Region (CER) & Pacific Western Region
Middle school UU youth will come together to play, worship, and explore their UU faith. This day-long event will give our middle school youth opportunities to play games and connect in small groups, and to learn more about themselves and this amazing religion in large ones.  Come join us!
Deadline:  Registration open through February 19
Cost:  $40 per person. Sliding scale based on your assessment of your ability to pay.
Supervision:  There will be a 1:10 adult to youth ratio, if you know adult volunteers you would recommend, please reach out to Eric Bliss or Shannon Harper, emails below. Parents & DRE’s are expected to provide information about any youth with special needs including best modifications and interventions just in case.
Schedule:  Age-appropriate, multisensory, and published about a week before.  Middle schoolers should be available the hours published, and they will not be sitting the full time we ask them to be on/near screen.  We will have plenty of breaks, though they will not be the right time for every family dinner.  The day will include:
  • Social time
  • Worship
  • Community Building
  • Games
  • Small groups
Our 2 middle school summer camps were wildly popular, and we heard things like:
  • “You’ll be surprised how much community can be built over the internet. Give it a try!”
  • “It is an amazing opportunity to meet people outside of your district.”
  • “It was a wonderful event that combined UU values, inclusiveness, and personal growth with fun activities and crafts!”
  • “Even though it’s not the same as in person, it is 100% worth it. There is still that feeling of community that I miss every day. Some aspects went even better than they have in person too!”
Con-coordinators:  Eric Bliss: EBliss@uua.org and Shannon Harper: SHarper@uua.org
Questions:  Contact Amanda Radak, PWRregistrar@uua.org.

 

Upcoming Religious Education Classes & information for Senior Youth.

  • SENIOR YOUTH (grades 9-12) will meet again Sunday, 1/31/21, at noon.
  • Senior Youth Movie Night (do-over!):  Wednesday, 2/3, at 7.  Running time is 1 hr 40 mins and discussion will follow via Zoom at 8:50 pm.  We’ll be viewing the award-winning documentary, 13th. Parents and youth will receive links for the movie and discussion via email and Band.
  • Senior Youth Book Group:  We are forming an optional Senior Youth book group to read Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You:  A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning, remixed by Jason Reynolds and written with teens in mind.  We will meet at 7:30 pm, and the date will be determined based on the schedules of those who sign up.  A huge THANK YOU to Youth Advisor Mark Hyland for buying and delivering all the books!
  • UU Wellspring for Youth:  Beginning Monday, 2/1, at 7:30, we’re excited to have the opportunity to participate in piloting UU Wellspring for Youth! The class is based on the 6 UU Sources and on helping youth deepen their spirituality. The class meets for 8 consecutive weeks. We need a minimum of five youth participants for the class to go forward.  Our co-facilitators are youth advisors Aaron Tyo and Robin Ahearn, who’ve both completed yearlong classes in the adult Wellspring course. As one of only three UU Wellspring for Youth pilot classes being offered, there is no fee to the church or participants, and we get to provide feedback which will help shape the final curriculum!  If you have any questions, contact Robin at dlre@uuschenectady.org or Aaron at atyo416@yahoo.com.  Please let us know if your youth would like to participate by Monday, 1/25.
  • Senior Youth Service:  The Senior Youth will be working with the ministers on a special March service, exact date tbd. More information will follow.
ANINGER FUND:
The Aninger Fund is a trust fund created for the sole purpose of supporting leadership opportunities for the junior and senior youth of our congregation.  Some excellent opportunities are available through UUA (UU Association) and CER (Central Eastern Region) and include but are not limited to:  River Rising, General Assembly, Multicultural Leadership School (youth), and youth conferences.
The spring deadline for both individual AND group applications is May 1st, for review at the May RE Team meeting.  Applications received after the May 1st deadline will not be considered until the fall (if they are still relevant).  The fall deadline for both the individual AND group applications is November 1st, for review at the November RE Team meeting.  Applications received after the November 1stdeadline will not be considered until the spring (if they are still relevant).
Applications may be downloaded through the UUSS website. Applications should be submitted to Director of Lifespan Religious Education Robin Ahearn at dlre@uuschenectady.org.
Please remember to wear a mask, socially distance, take time outside, and wash your hands! -Robin Ahearn, Director of Lifespan Religious Education