Children’s and Youth Programming for Sunday, May 5

2U Visit + Festival of Belonging Kickoff
Friends from Second Unitarian will be joining us for a special worship service on the dignity of work, and a special kickoff in our Spirit Space room to our spring Festival of Belonging, celebrating the unique gifts each of us offers to the community and the world. 

Next Sunday, May 12:
All Ages Mother’s Day Worship with special guest Melanie DeMore.

Volunteer with young people at First U!: Foundations Training 
Saturday, June 1 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. 
Have you thought about giving some of your time to mentoring our young people growing up in the church? The first step is participating in our Foundations training. This training lays out our approach to child and youth development, what we hope to offer through our programs for young people, and ways you can be a part of it. It is required for everyone who works with children and youth here at the church in any capacity. 

Job Opportunities in Religious Education 
Apply by 5/15 to start in JuneIn addition to volunteers, our children and youth programs rely on our paid staff roles to serve as consistent “anchor” adults in our classrooms and in our young people’s lives week to week. We have several part time roles we are looking to hire for this month, spanning work with all ages from 0-18. If you or someone you know has some experience with young people and is looking to pick up some extra work Sunday mornings, please share these roles with them or send them our way! Job descriptions and more information here. 

Open Spark Youth (OSY)

Register Here!
More information and upcoming events here
The truth is always accessible to a person. It can’t be otherwise because a person’s soul is a divine spark, the truth itself.
-Leo Tolstoy (adapted)

Open Spark Youth (OSY) is a group that creates a safe and brave space for friendship, creativity, learning, and action.The group is open to all youth aged 13-18, regardless of faith, tradition, affiliation, or lack thereof. We believe that our differences make us stronger.

OSY Game Night
Friday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Hull Chapel (enter on 57th St.)
Old and New Games. Bring your Favorite. Catan, Assassin, Exploding Kittens? No cost to participate!

The First You! Care Cabinet is open! It is located in front of the church, facing Woodlawn, just north of 57th. On an ongoing basis, we’ll collect donations of new, un-opened personal care and hygiene items.

Donations are going fast – please consider bringing something to share if and when you can, and don’t hesitate to take something if you need to. We accept the following:
– soap, body wash, face wash
– feminine hygiene products (any)
– toothpaste, toothbrushes
– dental floss, mouthwash
– shampoo, conditioner
– lotion/moisturizer, chapstick/lip balm
– tissues – bottles of water
– socks
– face/body wipes, wash cloths
– band-aids
– hair ties
– other items on a case-by-case basis — feel free to contact Liz with questions or suggestions

About Religious Education at 1st U

Choosing your child’s religious education program is an important decision, just as important as choosing your own religious home.

If you are searching for an open and affirming community in which your child can grow in spirit and in love, you have found the right place!  This is not your typical Sunday School. Unitarian Universalists believe there is no single answer to religious questions.  We encourage our children and youth to discover what gives meaning to their lives through age-appropriate sessions that that recognize individual styles and needs.

Sunday morning youth programs run concurrently or directly after our worship services. We offer…

• An environment that is safe, nurturing, and fun.
• A place for children and youth to wonder, ask questions, and discover their own unique spiritual nature.
• A program that focuses on personal spiritual growth, open faith exploration, and living values in the larger world.
• A diverse and multi-age community.
• A meaningful, age-appropriate worship time in each service for children and youth.
• Exploration of themes such as Unitarian Universalist identity, world religions, Jewish and Christian heritage, social justice, and more.
• Special events that serve to bring our all-ages community together and enhance the experience of every child, youth, and adult.