2021-10-15

Religious Education: October 17, 2021

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Religious Education & Faith Development
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains
October 17, 2021

2021-2022 RE Theme: Community, Wholeness, Discovering Our New Normal.
Tonight & Tomorrow
8th-12th Grade Youth Group
 
Tonight! Friday 6:30pm-8:30pm
CUUC Upper Parking Lot
Cyndi, Daniel, and Raquel look forward to gathering with the youth for pizza, reconnecting, and planning activities for the October 30th Halloween Party.  There will be plenty of pizza so come even if you weren't able to RSVP.
8th-12th Grade Families, please add Raquel's new e-mail address to your contact list so you don't miss information and updates. 
Raquel Belkin, youth@cucwp.org
Take Action to Boost Voter Turnout
Letter Writing Party

Tomorrow! Saturday 10:00am-12:00pm
Fellowship Hall
Remember last year when one of our RE classes made postcards and a video to encourage people to vote?  Let's do it again!  Write letters tomorrow at CUUC.
The Democracy Matters social justice team will provide all materials for these quick, effective letters (from Vote Forward) to underserved voters in Virginia. The NY Times says the race is surprisingly close and “will influence state policy on Covid-19, taxes, education, renewable energy and more.” It’s a pandemic-responsible party with a purpose (be vaccinated; wear a mask). Please RSVP to Karen Leahy (karenleahy101@gmail.com).
Connecting in Community
Available Now: 2021 October edition of "On the Journey: Wonder"
Family Packet
Theme: Wonder

Raquel has prepared a family packet for our monthly theme, Wonder. There are discussion prompts, activities, videos and other resources we hope you will enjoy. Click here for the packet.

8th-12th Grade Youth Group

RE classes are meeting every other week through November. On the other Sundays, when the Coming of Age (COA) class is not meeting, we will have 10:00am Youth Group.  Dates are below and you can always visit the RE Overview and Schedule for the most up-to-date information.

October 17, 10:00am: 8th-9th grade COA class 
October 24, 10:00am: 8th-12th grade Youth Group
October 31, 10:00am:  8th-9th grade COA class 
November 7, 10:00am: 8th-12th grade Youth Group
November 14, 10:00am: 8th-9th grade COA class 
November 21, 10:00am: 8th-12th grade Youth Group
November 28 10:00am: 8th-12th grade Youth Group
Podcasts for Parents and Caregivers

Audra R let us know about excellent podcasts for parents and caregivers offered through the White Plains public library. You will find podcasts about parenting and caregiving, equity, diversity, inclusion, antiracism, social justice, books, health and wellness, and more.  Click here.

Helping Families Rebuild

Furniture Sharehouse is launching a Hurricane Ida Mattress Campaign to raise funds to purchase new mattresses to help affected families begin rebuilding their lives after the devastating storm. Donations will go directly towards purchasing new twin, full, and queen mattresses sets and frames. In addition, if they raise $10,000, an anonymous donor will match it with an additional $10,000! To learn more, click here.

Racial Justice Book Discussion

Book Discussion Groups: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
The Racial Justice/In the Spirit of Truth team invites you to read Caste, by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson, then join us at one of three discussion groups.
  • Sat Oct 23, 3:00pm, Facilitator: Amy Nathan
  • Sun Oct 24, 11:45am, Facilitator: Jeff Tomlinson
  • Tue Oct 26, 7:00pm, Facilitator: Kevin McGaren-Clemens
Meetings will be online in Zoom 6161. Contact: Jeff Tomlinson (jefftomlinson8@gmail.com). Email admin@cucwp.org to sign up.
Halloween Party
 
Saturday, October 30th, 1:00-3:00pm
Start thinking about your Halloween costumes and invite friends to our parking lot Halloween party at CUUC. Trick-or-Treating. Games. PlaceKeeping activities. Fun for all ages!
We invite all CUUC committees, teams, youth group, and individuals to occupy a spot along the parking lot circuit and help fill up our trick-or-treaters' bags with goodies. 
Sunday Morning 
10:00am 
1st-9th Grade Classes
10:00am Outside

Classes and childcare meet outside this Sunday during 10:00am worship. Outdoor childcare begins at 9:30am. Bring your masks and start at the RE table in the upper parking lot. Pickup for children will be at 11:15am outside, in front of the RE doors. This way, children can be outside the whole time unless they need to enter to use the restroom.
Please complete registration for those in childcare through 12th grade RE online here or print this form and bring it with you Sunday morning. 

Parents/Guardians: If you are bringing children/youth to outdoor RE and aren't quite ready yourself to be inside for worship, we invite you to bring a chair, sit outside, and stream the service on your phone or laptop, or watch on a laptop we’ll make available in the upper parking lot. 

1st-5th Grade Class, Love Will Guide Us: Norm H and Gus C are reading the story of Judith Sargent Murray to introduce the Universalist heritage of love which comes to us from our Universalist roots and lift up an early feminist writer from our faith tradition. They will explore how an emphasis on love creates an environment of acceptance and fosters cooperation, and connect with our Principle, "encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations."

6th-7th Grade Class, Amazing Grace: Exploring Right and Wrong: Laura G and Christine H are leading. This second session speaks of faith, curiosity, and more. It begins by asking youth to identify some of the wrongs they frequently encounter in their sixth and seventh-grade lives and then offers the story of Pandora's box as one explanation of how and why humans first encountered sins and other troubles. It offers faith as one antidote to evil and then introduces the seven heavenly virtues and the seven deadly sins as examples of one religion's beliefs about virtue and sin. 

8th-9th Grade Class, Coming of Age: Tracy, Raquel, and COA teachers will invite youth to consider what/who has influenced their lives so far and to understand that while we can't control many of our lives' events, we can often control our responses to the events.  In one activity, each will receive a blank puzzle and be invited to write, draw, or otherwise design each piece to represent important events and decisions that have influenced their lives.
 
All adult leaders are vaccinated. Everyone will observe pandemic safety protocols including wearing masks. Dress for a walk in the woods and wear socks with closed-toe shoes. Bug spray will be available to self-administer. To protect plants and avoid ticks, everyone will stay on groomed paths. 
Childcare

9:30-11:30am, Outdoor Playground
Diane will offer childcare for young children on our outdoor playground. Everyone wears a mask. No snacks are served. Drop off and pick up on the playground (enter through the UPPER parking lot). 
10:00am Worship
In Person & Online

“A Covenantal People” ~ Rev. Meredith Garmon
Held together neither by creed nor by a canon of particular guiding texts, we are held together — if, indeed, we are held together at all — by covenant, by the promise we make to stick by one another. Our Committee on Ministry will, this year, be exploring how covenant functions at CUUC.
We return to in-person worship in the sanctuary! We will be following Covid safety protocols, showing proof of vaccination, remaining masked, and maintaining social distance from those not in our household. We will livestream the service on our usual Zoom, so those who are not attending in person can join online or by phone. We will not yet be hosting in-person coffee hour after worship.

To attend in person, please click here to RSVP (if you haven't already). Have your mask on and proof of vaccination ready as you enter.

To watch the service online from your device, click 
https://bit.ly/CUUC-Worship, or phone in (audio only): 1-646-876-9923. Webinar: 761 321 991 · Passcode: 468468

Orders of service are e-mailed and uploaded to our website prior to each Sunday.  Revisit past services anytime at our YouTube Channel.
For the most updated information, schedules, past class summaries and Zoom links, visit the RE overview and schedule. You may also consult our CUUC website calendar, which always has Zoom links. Families participating in childcare through 12th grade RE, please submit 2021 registration (click here for the form).
Read All CUUC Announcements in the Weekly e-Communitarian Newsletter
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains  
468 Rosedale Ave · White Plains, NY 10605-5419






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