As we welcome 2022, we welcome a long-anticipated return to being together in our church building, and religious education classrooms this February. How I have missed being able to see our families together in person, in our church building exploring, learning, asking questions and forming relationships with one another. My excitement is quelled only by the need to center the safety and care for our families as we cautiously make our preparations for Religious Education (RE) to return.
As we make this transition to rebuild our Religious Education program together, we will be navigating new limitations and ways of being with one another. The Religious Education program at our church has always depended on volunteer teachers that invest their time with our children, offering themselves as faithful adult guides. When we set our intention to teach our children honestly about religion, social justice, oppression, their sexual health, while encouraging them to develop their spirituality; we make an investment in hope for our present and our future.
As we begin again, I ask for your patience, and I ask for your time. Find a way to share to come downstairs and grow with our children. Each Religious Education class at our church requires two adults to be present, come be one of those amazing adults. You can sign up here: https://bit.ly/REFUSMVolunteer
All volunteers who work with our children will need to be vaccinated and willing to have a general background check to ensure the safety of our families. The time you commit to is flexible, one Sunday or twelve, and all RE classes will be during first service at 9:00 a.m. this spring.
We still begin each RE class with, “We are the church of the open mind, …the helping hands, … the loving heart. Together we care for our earth, and work for peace and friendship in our world.” An intention worth your time, an intention that needs your nurturing.
During the month of January, I will be focusing on preparing the RE rooms, setting the schedules, crafting the lessons our volunteers will teach and rebuilding our program. Our online RE programs on Thursdays and Sundays in January will not be happening to make time for these preparations.
I look forward to seeing you downstairs making our UU intentions real!
Blessings,
Rev. Kimberlee
Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson, Minister of Religious Education