Upcoming In Children and Youth Religious Education (RE)
On Sundays, children are invited to the upper level of the Fellowship Hall to attend the first part of the service with the adults. After the story portion of the service, children have the option to go downstairs for children’s programming. Teens of high school age do not attend the first part of service at this time, but instead go straight to their meeting room in the cottage on Sunday mornings.
- Friday, January 5 – Group for Caregivers of LGBTQI+ Young People
- Sunday, January 7: In-person events today may be cancelled due to an expected snowstorm.
Regular Sunday morning programs; Junior High Youth Group meets Sunday evening Please email dre@uudanbury.org for further infoormation - January 14: Community Building Day for kids and teens with a Service Activity (note: Sierra-Marie will be away)
- January 21: Regular Sunday morning programs
- January 28: Regular Sunday morning programs
Couples Raising Kids Together: Strengthen Your Relationship
Prepare-Enrich is an evidence-based program designed to increase relational satisfaction, used both for premarital/precommitted couples and for established couples. Come to our Prepare-Enrich three-workshop series on Saturday mornings 8AM-11AM, January 20th and 27th and February 3rd. We will use a version of the program for couples who are parenting together. Participants complete a relationship assessment in advance of the program, and then as a group we will be doing couples exercises that are shown to increase relationship satisfaction in areas such as: communication, finances, conflict resolution, relationship styles, affection, and parenting.
Childcare can be arranged for those who need it. There is a suggested donation of $98 to help us cover program materials and childcare, but couples are encouraged to participate whether or not that donation is doable for them. We need at least three enrolled couples to run this program. Participants do not need to be members of the congregation, so feel free to invite friends from across your networks. Please email dre@uudanbury.org to sign up no later than Friday, January 5th.
Please Help Spread the Word
We have active programs for kids and teens of all ages running throughout the school year, as well as nursery care available during Sunday Services. Please help us spread the word by sharing one of our Program Booklets (available in the foyer) or inviting families you know to join you on a Sunday. All are programs are designed to meet developmental needs. Programs running currently include but are not limited to:
- Spirit Play for PreK-Kindergarten: a Montessori-based program that accompanies children through the questions of early childhood and helps them develop a vocabulary for their religious and spiritual experiences and thoughts
- Love and Wonder in Nature (L.A.W.N.) for Primary and Middle Grades: a child-led, play-centered program designed to help children as they begin to make meaning about their experiences in the world
- Junior High Youth Group for 6th-9th Grade: A community of belonging for a diverse and ever-expanding group of kids that gathers once monthly for social activities
- Senior High Youth Group for 9th-12th Grade: A community where youth explore identity, grow in leadership skills, and make a difference in the world together
- Neighborhood Bridges for All Ages, Kids and Adults: A multigenerational opportunity to meet “neighbors” in Greater Danbury and learn a little about their faith traditions
Short-Term Volunteer Opportunity
If you would like to support our children’s ministry without a long-term commitment; if you like shopping, thrifting, or repurposing; or if you like to make things, there is a job for you! Those of you who were around when we experimented with telling Spirit Play (Montessori) stories in the service may remember the story baskets we filled with “manipulatives” or little props that helped tell each story.
We now have a group of young children who hear a Spirit Play story each week. We need people willing to gather materials and assemble our Spirit Play baskets. A typical basket includes a fleece underlay cut to specified dimensions and a small assortment of other items (example items: wooden figures, dollhouse accessories, ornaments, paperclips, magnifying glasses, strips of fabric).
You can sign up to make as few as one single basket. If you love doing it, you can sign up to make several more. Funds are available for any purchases. We can also use volunteers who don’t want to be responsible for an entire basket but would like to offer a unique skill — in particular woodworking or sewing — to help those volunteers making baskets. If you can help, please email Director of Religious Education, Sierra-Marie: dre@uudanbury.org.
Neighborhood Bridges: Resources for Learning About Sikhism
Our Neighborhood Bridges program is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about and connect with the faith communities around us. In January we will learn about Sikhism. Let’s learn together! Please join us at 6:45PM, after the Community Dinner, on Wednesday January 10th for a Sikhism 101. We are also planning a visit to a local Sikh community, so stay tuned for information. In the meantime, check out this Sikhism information sheet and resource list prepared by Randy Becker who is coordinating this month’s program.