This Week in CRE
Sunday, we are planting and flying!
How are we grounded in the earth? Where did the plants come from that feed us? And where did we migrate from anyway? Come be a part of this spiritual community while you get your hands dirty and your mind wondering.
Lisa Mobayed, our field education student, will join Laura today for this fun, ecojustice Sunday!
Note: The OWL (Our Whole Lives) group will be meeting today, from 1:30-3:00 in the Perkins Room. Next Sunday, Laura will be at the Leadership Service Trip training in Lynn, and Lisa will be leading CRE in a garden-filled Sunday!
CRE Visioning for 2013-2014 and Beyond!
Saturday, June 1st
Let's gather on June 1st for a Children's Religious Education (CRE) Visioning session. Come with your ideas and your strategies for how to make it all happen! If you interested in attending, please contact Laura Evonne (LES@ASCBoston.org) for more details.
Weekly Blog
A Unitarian Universalist place of exploration and wonder, creativity and spiritual centering for kids of all ages! You don't have to be a parent to appreciate and admire the art, thoughtful exercises, and inspired insights that color this creative world designed by Laura Evonne Steinman.
Visit ascreboston.blogspot.com
Children's Religious Education (CRE)
The Children's Unitarian Universalist (UU) Religious Education is a holistic program that strives to meet the spiritual needs of each child and family unit through love, safety, and guided exploration. CRE allows time for the children and youth to grow and learn together. This builds a sense of community and belonging. Based in Unitarian Universalist principles and values, yearly themes are identified and explored from a faith perspective.
Examples include:
• The 7 UU principles in daily life
• Community
• Eco- Justice
Children share in their local and our global community in many hands-on ways. We bake cookies for coffee hour. We participate in National Day of Service at Arlington Street Church. The Children created fleece scarves for the Friday Night Supper Program guests at ASC who suffer from homelessness. And throughout the year, CRE is involved in intergenerational services and special family events.
Unitarian Universalist
Principles & Sources
Principles:
• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Sources:
• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
• Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
A Typlical Sunday in CRE
We start off in the Sanctuary by lighting our flaming chalice, sharing opening words, and we usually sing a hymn. Sometimes Laura will share a story in the sanctuary before we head down to the perkins room for our sacred time together.
First, we ring a chime, sing, and center ourselves--a time for mindful reflection: joys and sorrows that we share. Then, we go into our theme/project for the day, which might be a story from our many sources, a hands-on project, or a song. At the end of our time together, we go back to the sanctuary to join everyone for the final hymn and blessing together as a whole community. After the service, everyone is welcome to have lunch in the parish hall and perkins room.
Multi-generational Learning
The CRE program at ASC is filled with children/youth of many ages. We believe that by learning and sharing our different life experiences, we are modeling what it means to be in community. For the most part, we all share, learn, and create together, but we also have dedicated spaces for the very young children and the older teens.
For the very young children, there is a nursery off the sanctuary where the service piped in. There is a rocking chair, some toys, and a changing table. Feel free to bring your child into this space if they are getting restless in the service. It's your call, our sanctuary worship space is for all!
Children 3-12 share their time together in the perkins room, and depending on the topic/project, they split up into groups related to skills, needs, and interests.
And lastly for our Teens! There is Youth Group and OWL. Our youth are active members of church life and the service. They meet about twice a month for youth group, and they will be going to a year long OWL (Our Whole Lives) program starting in January 2013. Coming of Age is a program for youth who are just about to turn teens. The OWL program is offered every couple of years. It will happen again in 2014 or 2015.
Young Adults: if you would like information about the young adult program at ASC please contact: Reese Millican through the church office, (office@ASCBoston.org).
ASC-CRE Calendar
View ASCCRE Calendar updates of events at ASC and around town.
Stories in the Sanctuary
There are many way to learn about our faith in action. Stories are one of them. Here are some stories that our Religious Educator has shared in our sanctuary on Sunday morning during our worship service.
CRE Committee / Helping Out!
The committee meets monthly and is made up of parents, friends, and those interested in the spiritual development of children. Please refer to the calendar on this website! All meetings are open, and all are welcome.
Would you like to share a bit of your time with the children and youth at Arlington Street Church? This could be a one time sing-a-long, a history lesson about the church, a conversation about a rally that is coming up, or just being another helping hand on Sunday morning.
If interested, please contact Laura Evonne Steinman LES@ASCboston.org
Resources
UnitairanUniversalist Association www.uua.org
Multifaith Calendar Learn more about religious holy days and festivals on this informative multifaith calendar.
Hatching Hopes Click here to see or hear cute video that Laura Evonne and the children did for spring!
Contact
Laura Evonne Steinman is the Director of Religious Education for Children and Families and Artist in Residence at Arlington Street Church. Laura is an artist, teacher, and spiritual seeker who believes that each and every one of us has gifts to share in this world. Please contact Laura at LES@ASCboston.org
Office Hours: remote on Tuesdays and at Arlington Street Church on Wednesdays and Sundays
