On Stewardship

Last Sunday in Children's Chapel we talked about stewardship. I talked about what it meant to be a steward and the children offered ways in which they were stewards.

We can be stewards in big and small ways. Stewardship calls us to think locally and globally.

Globally our children have been collecting pennies in our Pennies for Peace project. We will collect pennies until our May Children's Chapel. Then we will count them and donate them. The jar for collecting pennies is in the Waters House entry. We also have it at Children's Chapel.

Locally, very local, we are looking for help painting classrooms in Waters House this Sunday. Buildings and Grounds chair Kim Schnell has been really wonderful in keeping attention on Waters House and working on fixing it up. We Need You! We will be painting Sunday between noon and 3 pm. Come at any time and stay for as long as you are able. The Religious Education Council will provide pizza. Please consider being a steward of our space.

Charter for Compassion

Charter for Compassion

Charter for Compassion

I have been working on the curriculum for our upcoming Neighboring Faiths class with our 6th and 7th graders. In the course of researching and writing I have learned about and been inspired by the Charter for Compassion. The post above contains a video with the entire charter. When I figure out how, I'll put it into the sidebar so it can stay at the top for a while (I need to make the video appear smaller) Currently at the top of the sidebar there's a longish video with Karen Armstrong who initiated the Charter with her TED prize and presented it to the World Parliament of Religions in December of 2009. It's very inspiring.

Spirit of the Christmas Tree & Schenectady Free Health Clinic

This Sunday celebrate the Spirit of the Christmas Tree with us at our Christmas Pageant. We'll celebrate Christmas with a retelling of the Nativity Story from a UU perspective. Please join us for original music and songs by Unitarian Universalist composer Joyce Poley, and a joyful celebration of the season. The service is multigenerational: youth and adults are participating together from the sound room, to the ushers, to the music, to the cast of actors.

IMPORTANTLY this is a third Sunday offering and the money you give at this service will go towards Schenectady's Free Health Clinic.

Please come, enjoy the pageant, the community, and give generously.

Religious education classes resume Sunday January 10, 2010!

Children at the Well

THIS SUNDAY at 2 PM please come to FUSS and see Children at the Well.

Children at the Well is a not- for- profit program that brings together youth from different religious traditions who work with professional storytellers to tell stories out of their religious traditions.

Every year the youth gather at a different place of worship to tell the stories they have practiced. This year is our year to host! It is a wonderful and powerful opportunity to deepen our understanding of diverse religious traditions including our own, support youth, and hear terrific stories!

Our own Alex Whisenhunt will tell a story Sunday. This is an event friendly to all ages. Please consider taking time during this often busy holiday season to enjoy a diverse religious community and celebrate the power of stories.

Homemade holidays at RE

We had a blast Sunday making advent wreaths and holiday gifts!

Homemade Holiday

Tomorrow we will have a special program for children in the PreK thru 5th grade classes.

We'll start in the preK/K room for Children's Chapel and stay there for the program. We'll use 1/2 the dining room as well.

We did this last year and it was a lot of fun! For children's chapel I'll tell the story, "An Advent Wreath Named Patience." Children will have the opportunity to make an advent wreath and a gift.

They can also choose to read, snack and engage in any of the spiritual practices they have been learning about in their classes.