Religious Education News

Chalice Quest Camp – We Did It! 

From June 4 through June 8, 19 campers had fun playing games, making art, crafts, music and drama – and getting very wet - at Chalice Quest Camp. Each activity was meant to challenge the campers in a new way, and was reflective of living out Unitarian Universalist values as represented by the 7 UU Principles.  At the end of the week’s quest, each camper received a miniature clay chalice made just for them in their favorite colors, with their name and representations of their favorite animals and activities. Daily highlights: Monday, campers made and baked clay figures of “the alien we would like to be our friend”; Tuesday, Music Challenge with Ila Stoltzfus and Improv Theater Challenge with Rev. Steve Crump; Wednesday, Art Challenges (campers built a utopian city of the future, and created a book that told their own personal “story”) with Allyson Cooper Russell; Thursday, Science Challenges with Kayla Bourg (campers discovered what happens when you melt crayons with a hair dryer and fill bottles with syrup and glitter); Friday, campers built a community garden with Vernon Wright, and tested their knowledge of nature with Bryan McDaniel and Jackie Hoffman. And when weather permitted there was water play with the Banzai Gushing Geyser Water slide, the Banzai Slip’n Slide, and Liquid Love Sprayers.  A hearty thank you to the aforementioned UCBR community members who shared their many talents by offering workshops, volunteer staff members Lauren Kay, Kayla Bourg, Susannah Boyle, Jordan Kay, and Marie Flowers, jack-of-all-trades paid staff members Dean Hall and Chris O’Connor, chalice makers Bailey and Neily Hall, Office Administrator Allison Veitch, and to the campers whose presence made this week a success.

Kids’ Community Garden – Now that Mr. Vern has helped us plant a vegetable garden in our backyard, we need the help of our children to take care of it. If you and your child would like to spend a little time after the second service at church on Sundays weeding, watering and eventually harvesting the garden, please contact Beth Williams at education@unitarianchurchbr.com, or look for her on Sunday.

Summer Term in Religious Education - Our summer term in the Sunday morning Religious Education program for Children and Youth begins on June 3. We are doing things a little differently this year. Instead of attending the class for the grade that was just completed, children and youth will attend the summer religious education class for the grade they will be entering at the start of the next academic year.  For example, this year’s third grader was part of our Blazes (Grades 2-3) class, so this summer the child will “rise up” to the next grade level and will attend the Mysteries (Grades 4-5) class.

Teachers: We got ‘em and We need ‘em – We have a great selection of curricula that we are using this summer. And although we have a great beginning roster of teachers, we still need more volunteers. Please consider teaching a religious education class for children and youth this summer.  The commitment isn’t long; you don’t have to be an experienced teacher; someone else does all the set up for you; you will never teach alone; you don’t have to get up early because all classes are held during the second service; you just show up and get to know some awesome children and youth. We especially need teachers in our Sparks Preschool class (paid position).  Here are some of the fabulous teachers with whom you will be teaching:

Sparks Preschool (Ages 2-4) – We Are Many, We Are One:  Anne Nowak

Flames (Grades K-1) – Spirit Play:  Tania Nyman, Laura Zuelke

Blazes (Grades 2-3) – In Our Hands / Moral Tales:  Steve Babcock, Lynn Farmer, Irene Kato

Mysteries (Grades 4-5) – Tool Box of Faith:   Kayla Bourg, Dawn Haase-Davis, Rachel Stahl

Questioners Middle Youth (Grades 6-8) – Popcorn Theology:  Cynthia Bryant, Marla Elsea, Jerry Gilbert, Wayne Parker

Seekers Sr. Youth (Grades 9-12) – You The Creator:  Christine Assaf, Bryan Costello, Leonore Heavey, Joan Hunt