First and Second grade classroom change

We have changed our first and second grade classroom! It is now the room to the right just as you enter Waters House. This will provide more space in which to offer spirit play to our growing number of young children! We'll introduce children to the new space and the different areas of the room for the next two weeks.

We are remaking the former 1/2 classroom into a library/meeting room.

Building Bridges

Last Sunday, March 22, adults and children at the worship service made suggestions for what should go on the panel we are contributing to the April 26 combined UU worship service.

First, second and seventh graders painted under the supervision of artist Marie Hatton. We now have a beautiful panel to contribute!

We'll have it on display Sunday. See if you can find all the different elements that were suggested. There will be a list there.

Our panel is one of four. Come to our Building Bridges multigenerational service in Saratoga April 26 and see all four pieces come together!

Iraqi Children's Art Project

Many folks at FUSS have been involved in the effort to bring refugees from Iraq to Schenectady. Here's a project for our children and youth to participate in with Iraqi children and youth who have come to the Capital District as refugees.

The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy is sponsoring an Iraqi Children's Art Project March 23, 28-29. It is called, "How Will They Know Us? Creating a culture of peace." They are looking for American children between the ages of 8 - 18 to help create two murals with children from Iraq.

They will be led by artists who will help them design and create the murals. We have some FUSS youth participating. It would be wonderful if we had more. They are looking for 16 American children and youth.

Multigenerational Service Sunday

This Sunday, March 15 we have a special multigenerational service planned. We have youth dancers from a local dance school and three youth storytellers from a local program called Children at the Well

One of the storytellers is our very own Alex Whisenhunt, an eighth grader who has grown up at FUSS.

We will also have wonderful music and songs to sing together!

Help welcome refugees from Iraq to Schenectady

On Friday, March 6, help celebrate the arrival of Mustafa, Salam, and Walid at the First Unitarian Society of Schenectady with a pot luck party. Please bring a dish, dessert, or beverage to share. We will start at 6:30 pm in the dining hall. The kitchen will be available for heating food. (We need a few experienced FUSS volunteers to help with clean up afterwards.)

We will all get a chance to introduce ourselves to Mustafa, Salam, and Walid and introduce ourselves to each other. Members of the Shia Mosque are attending, as well as FUSS volunteers, and Iraqi community members. Please come if you can.. All are welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Bob Alft at 765-4386.

A large community of FUSS members have been very involved in preparations for the arrival of three men who are refugees from Iraq. It has been an interfaith partnership at work in Schenectady.

Stewardship: the joy of giving

This past Sunday's Children's Chapel was on Stewardship. If you have a child in preK - 5th grade who was there, ask them about my "stewardship bag."

We talked about how a steward is a caregiver and a helper and a person who shares. We talked about different ways we are caretakers of the earth, ourselves, each other, our church.

After our service the children made cards that we will have children and adults sign over the next two weeks and send to those in our community who are in need of our thoughts and prayers. This is how we are stewards in a caring community and practice social action with each other.

Stewardship takes place at the intersection of spirituality and ethics. We both celebrate life and accept the responsibility to love and care for the gifts of life ... As stewards we are called to invest our gifts of time, talent and treasure in our family, in our community and in our congregation and faith to which we belong.

It's a big calling. Being a Unitarian Universalist is not an easy path. It is path that demands much of us. But its rewards are great.

all church festival fun

Thanks to everyone who came out for our 7th?? Annual All Church Festival! Mindy and Alex Whisenhunt coordinated kids activities and we had new faces as well as old attend!











Was it oobleck or flubber?