Thank you -We have many people to thank for our recent multigenerational and religious education related activities: for our superb Impromptu Christmas Pageant  -Narrator, George Judy; Stage Manager, Kathy Judy; Stage Helper, Gail Acree, Costume Helpers, John Jackson, Jessica Ayala, Susan Fogleman, Beth McWilliams and friend, Gloria Bockrath, Foye Lowe, Kim and Trey Wickwire; Caesar, Rev. Steve Crump,  and all our Marys and Josephs, chariot pullers, shepherds, angels, wise-persons, and animals; for our exciting New Year activity for children - Leonore Heavey and Sue Mitchell; for our excellent MLK service Youth readers,  Aaron Bourgeois, Maia Cavell, Aida and Seynabou Diack, and Beth McWilliams; and for our terrific Circus Parade – teachers Dawn Haase-Davis, Sue Mitchell, Anna Jordan, Rachel Stahl, and our circus performers from the Blazes (Grades 2-3) class and the Sparks preschool.

Roots and Wings – We will be offering the Roots and Wings program again this year. This optional rite of passage program for children in grades 2-3 will take place outside of class time and begin this spring. It is based on a program called Age of Reason: Program of Religious Becoming written by DRE Layne Richard-Hammock. Layne writes, “Our children have age mate peers who are participating in programs in their own faith traditions, typically in the spring and often in second grade. Culturally and developmentally, this is a stage of growth and faith development, when children begin to explore religion with a new sense of awareness. Our children are affirmed in their UU faith by having this parallel experience in their own faith tradition.” More information about our program will be coming.

Happenings of note in our religious education classes: our Mysteries (grades 4-5) class has started a new curriculum. It is called In Our Hands and its purpose is to give children opportunities to explore peace, justice, and conflict resolution on many different levels – and the children shall lead us… On January 29 the Neighboring Faiths (grades 5-7) class will visit Abbot Thay Dao Quang and the Tam Bao Temple as part of class’s studies of Buddhist religion.

The New Year is also a time when we set goals for the year. Please help us do this in religious education by attending the RE Council meeting on Sunday, January 22 at 12:45 pm in Room #7 where goal-setting will be on the agenda. Contributions of snacks for the meeting will be appreciated. If you cannot make the meeting, ideas for goals can be sent ahead of time to Beth Williams at education@unitarianchurchbr.com or Shannon Cavell at shansc@cox.net.   (continued next column)

February All Community Worship – Join us on Sunday, February 12 for our Valentine’s All Community worship, and find out whether love really does “make the world go round.” All children are invited to attend with their parents. Nursery, Sundays of Surprises, and Sparks Preschool also will be open.

An already identified goal for 2012 is to have a UU summer camp at the church. We have started planning for this and in early January families will receive a survey that allows them to give input to these plans. Please help us create the summer camp that you want by responding to this survey.

Past Events

January is often a time when we look back at our accomplishments for the past year. Two such accomplishments for religious education special events occurred in December. The first was our Christmas tree decorating party, with the theme of an old-fashioned Christmas. Thank you to all who made the ornaments, trimmed the tree and brought snacks. Special thanks to the help of Sheri Glowinski, the Elsea, Cavell, Wickwire, and Kendall families, to Ila Stoltzfus for her music and to Gary Parks for providing the beautiful tree. The second event was the delightful Impromptu Christmas Pageant. Many thanks to stage director Kathy Judy, narrator George Judy, all our impromptu actors and actresses, and costume helpers John Jackson, Jessica Ayala, Beth McWilliams, Susan Fogelman, Gloria Bockrath and Foye Lowe, Kim and Trey Wickwire, and stage assistant Gail Acree. What a spectacular Christmas season in Baton Rouge!

Halloween Party – A spook-tacularly awesome time was had by all at the Halloween Party on October 30. Much appreciation to all who made it a success, with special thanks going to volunteers Allison Veitch and the rest of the Veitch-Hall family (organization, sound, set-up), the Elsea family set-up, crafts Masters), the Cavell family (set-up), the Middle Youth groups (set up and Haunted House), the Senior Youth group (set up and Improv), Kim Pagel (photographs), Marla Elsea (Mistress of Ceremonies – costume contest), Paul Taylor (Dr. Scream-o-Meter – costume contest), Kim and Trey Wickwire (Masters of games), Sally Wood (fortune-telling), Holley Haymaker (face-painting and fortune telling), Tammy Vickers (face-painting), Sheri Glowinski and Lynn Farmer (storytelling), Christine Assaf (Mistress of the Improv), Dottie Kelly and Mike Hebert (marshmallow/wiener roasters), Janette Cassano (sign-up table). We will be sending a $50 contribution to UNICEF from party and trick-or-treeters’ contributions.

Reverend Beth Williams education@unitarianchurchbr.com

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