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First Church Religious Education
The First Church in Salem provides Religious Education each and
every Sunday of the church year for ages P/K through High School.
We strive to provide a broad based interfaith curriculum that introduces
our children to many stories from the Bible. Our Sunday School presents
a pageant in the Spring, as well as extra-curricula activities,
Family Fun Nights, and acting workshops. Please contact the church
for more information. In addition, child care is offered for infants
and toddlers.
We also provide Religious Education for adults, through Bible Study,
small discussion groups, and our popular Reel Spirituality programs.
In the meantime, scroll down to read the latests articles on Religious
Education from the church newsletter, The Herald.
* * * * * * *
January 2010
Our fabulously talented First Church RE Players outdid
themselves with this years Christmas Pageant! Congratulations
to all! They are a funny and talented and bunch of kids! Thanks
to Max Burbank for the all the work he puts into this event. We
truly appreciate him!
Our Christmas party was fun for all. Even Santa had a blast! We
have excellent volunteers, friend and parents who care very much
about this community and pitch in to make our big events successful.
Even snowstorms two years in a row have not stopped our special
Christmas Sunday events from going on! Heartfelt thanks to all.
Religious Education at the First Church is ready to jump into 2010!
We are looking forward to the relative peace and quiet of the winter
months. The children are enjoying looking at the Bible through a
Unitarian Universalist perspective. We all have lots of fun in class
each week. Look for our 2010 calendar in the mail.
Our growing program depends on volunteers helping out in the classrooms
each week. With six separate groups on Sunday mornings and 26 Sundays
left in the Church School year, there are many opportunities! If
you are a parent of a child in the RE program, we need you to volunteer
periodically in our classrooms. Members of the Religious Education
Committee will be recruiting and signing up classroom angels
during Fellowship throughout the winter.
All the important events that make First Churchs holiday
traditions special for our children simply would not happen without
the strong and loving support we get from the congregation. As the
Religious Education program continues to grow, we thank you for
your dedication and commitment more than ever. Thanks for all you
do for our great kids!
Happy New Year,
Deb DiGiulio,
Religious Education Director
December 2009
The miracle is this - the more we share, the
more we have.
Leonard Nimoy
Here at First Church we went all out to celebrate October. Our
annual Fall Family Fun Night was memorable with more than 70 friends
and members taking part in the fun and games. Special thanks to
our event coordinator Bob Soucy. Bobs love for both children
and Halloween were evident in his joie de vie as he hosted this
intergenerational event. Cant wait until next year Bob!
Watching our children as they march around the Meeting House on
Halloween Sunday in costume for our Halloween Parade is always such
a treat for the adults, as well as a special Halloween tradition
for the families. Our students then partied in Willson
Hall, with games, stories and crafts, even team scarecrow building!
Fun was had by all.
We will finish up the Halloween season with a tour of the Witch
House on November 1st. The children will get a tour designed for
their specific age and developmental levels. This is a wonderful
opportunity for the children of First Church to learn more about
our historic neighbor. Thanks to Church Archivist, Kristin( Kobi)
Kobialka, for doing the research to help us prepare the children
for their adventure into the past.
The mission of overseeing our growing Religious Education program
is a very important part of the ministry of the First Church. Our
Religious Education committee, chaired by Valentina Burbank, is
helping to grow our next generation of Unitarian Universalists.
The RE committee met in October to begin envisioning the future
of our RE program in this congregation. We have a wonderful and
diverse group gathered for our committee and welcome anyone who
would like to join us in preparing UUs who are ready to take on
the future! We invite all who are interested to come to our next
meeting on Wednesday, November 4th at 7PM.
Our wonderful program could not function without our volunteers,
both parents and non-parents. So far this year we have been blessed
with fabulous volunteers who are more willing than ever to teach
a class, complete a task, manage an event or offer other needed
help. This great outpouring of talented help is having a very positive
effect on the quality and quantity of our programming. We are so
thankful for the varied and wonderful gifts this community brings
to our children. If you are able, please share your special talents
with our kids, after all
the more we share, the more
we have.
See you upstairs,
Deb DiGiulio
Religious Education Director
November 2009
The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have.
Leonard Nimoy
Here at First Church we went all out to celebrate October. Our
annual Fall Family Fun Night was memorable with more than 70 friends
and members taking part in the fun and games. Special thanks to
our event coordinator Bob Soucy. Bobs love for both children
and Halloween were evident in his joie de vie as he hosted this
intergenerational event. Cant wait until next year Bob!
Watching our children as they march around the Meeting House on
Halloween Sunday in costume for our Halloween Parade is always such
a treat for the adults, as well as a special Halloween tradition
for the families. Our students then partied in Willson
Hall, with games, stories and crafts, even team scarecrow building!
Fun was had by all.
We will finish up the Halloween season with a tour of the Witch
House on November 1st. The children will get a tour designed for
their specific age and developmental levels. This is a wonderful
opportunity for the children of First Church to learn more about
our historic neighbor. Thanks to Church Archivist, Kristin( Kobi)
Kobialka, for doing the research to help us prepare the children
for their adventure into the past.
The mission of overseeing our growing Religious Education program
is a very important part of the ministry of the First Church. Our
Religious Education committee, chaired by Valentina Burbank, is
helping to grow our next generation of Unitarian Universalists.
The RE committee met in October to begin envisioning the future
of our RE program in this congregation. We have a wonderful and
diverse group gathered for our committee and welcome anyone who
would like to join us in preparing UUs who are ready to take on
the future! We invite all who are interested to come to our next
meeting on Wednesday, November 4th at 7PM.
Our wonderful program could not function without our volunteers,
both parents and non-parents. So far this year we have been blessed
with fabulous volunteers who are more willing than ever to teach
a class, complete a task, manage an event or offer other needed
help. This great outpouring of talented help is having a very positive
effect on the quality and quantity of our programming. We are so
thankful for the varied and wonderful gifts this community brings
to our children. If you are able, please share your special talents
with our kids, after all
the more we share, the more
we have.
October 2009
October in Salem - For those of us who live here, those three words
have many different meaning: pride in our history, fun community
events, and exciting family traditions, but also frustration with
traffic, large noisy crowds and even less parking than usual!
For our children October simply means Halloween, the second most
fun day of the year!
RE at the First Church has planned several fun and education events
for this Halloween season. On Friday October 16th we will host our
much anticipated Fall Family Fun Night from 6 to 8:00 pm. We will
have games, crafts, fun food, and even a special spooky Halloween
organ concert! This event has been growing in scope and popularity
for the last several years and we expect it to be better than ever.
Wear your costumes and come prepared for fun! You do not need to
have children to be part of the excitement!
On Sunday, October 25th we will host our annual costume parade
around the Meeting House. Please plan to have children dressed in
their costumes and ready to show-off! The entire congregation always
enjoys seeing the fun, scary and - I hate to say it- super cute
costumes on the children. Then we will be off to our First Church
Halloween party in Willson Hall.
This year we are lucky enough to be adding one more special event
to our Halloween calendar. On Sunday, November 1st. the entire RE
program will be special guests at the Witch House, or as it is also
known, the Jonathan Corwin House. The Witch House and the First
Church have connections that go back to before the Corwin family
even built the house! Our children will have a special lesson before
their visit to help familiarize them with the history of the Witch
House and its connections to our First Church history. Thanks to
our Archivist Kristen Kobialka (aka Kobi) for researching the connections
for us. See the side bar for additional historical information.
October in Salem is a vibrant and busy month. October at the First
Church is a special time for our children to grow in community with
each other, the congregation, and our Salem neighbors.
Hope to see you at our special events,
Deb DiGiulio
Religious Education Director
September 2009
Wow! September is here! As much as I hate to see the summer end
I cant help but catch the Fall excitement. A new academic
year seems to offer such promise and anticipation. Fresh books,
new clothes, new classes and teachers, September is a chance to
begin again. Religious Education at the First Church is ready for
a new year filled with all the great traditions and learning we
love as well as some fun and promising new ideas.
Religious Education will be slightly different this year as we
have changed the age groupings for our classes in order to better
accommodate all our students. We have grown from four classes to
five, plus nursery. This new grouping helps us teach age appropriate
themes and creates classes of a more manageable size. We now have
a Middle School class and our Coming of Age group has become the
High School class.
We look forward to all our favorite traditional events like Halloween
Sunday, our pageant, and Youth Sunday. These events keep all our
children and youth bonded as a community and become special childhood
memories for students and their families. In addition to these special
events we have added a short group worship element for special Sundays
during the year. This worship will be just for RE and offer spiritual
elements as well as add ritual to our RE experience here at the
First Church. We will use Willson Hall for these events which will
take place during regular RE class time. Each service will have
a chalice lighting, a story or mini sermon, hymns, and a closing
and last about 15 minutes. Parents and adults are always invited.
Please remember that our program depends on volunteers. As we grow
our need for our volunteers increases! Volunteer Sunday will be
Sunday September 20. So be sure to come and look over the many the
volunteer opportunities. With the High school and Middle school
groups we have some new and exciting volunteer spots to fill! All
RE families will receive the RE schedule, registration and volunteer
forms in the mail the first week of September.
Homecoming Sunday is September 13. We will have a special welcome
meeting in Wilson Hall for all our students during our class time
on this day. Parents are invited.
I am very excited to see everyone and expect we will have our best
year ever!
Peace,
Deb DiGiulio
Religious Education Director
June 2009
The Miracle of the Plastic Eggs: A Story of Generosity and Faith
This past Easter the First Church held our annual Easter Egg Hunt.
For most of the congregation this is a fun event of hiding and hunting
bright plastic eggs and of happy children counting their Easter
egg loot and eating it! We calculate just how many eggs we will
need for each child to have a nice full basket or bag. Having enough
eggs also puts a stop to any competition before it begins. Having
plenty of eggs shows guests and visitors that we not only welcome
them, we were planning on having them and are happy they are with
us. The right number of eggs sets each child up for success (In
the egg hunt at least). Having enough eggs, in a way, is a very
small symbol of how much we value our children.
Those of us involved in planning the egg hunt experience it in
a slightly different way. We suffer though the agonies of plastic
egg anxiety. This past Easter we calculated it would take over 700
eggs to achieve our goal of 12 eggs per child. We were stunned by
this large number. Could we ever get that many eggs? In our worry
we had Reverend Jeff announce the shocking number of needed eggs
from the pulpit, asking for donations. We sent email reminders and
made more announcements. We worried that the kids would be disappointed.
On Easter morning at 10:10 am we had 400 eggs. We were still worried.
We watched and waited as the congregation arrived. We had buckets
and bags ready at the meeting house entrance. The Coming of Age
class was recruited as counters. We were ready. The congregation
began to arrive. And they brought filled eggs with them. We held
our breath. It looked like we might make it. Yes, yes, we reached
the magic number! Over 700 filled plastic Easter eggs. Wow! But
wait, people were still arriving, and they still were bringing filled
eggs!
Oh my, did we get eggs! By 10:30 am The First Church had well over
1200 filled eggs for the childrens egg hunt. Well over. In
20 minutes we had gone from high anxiety to Oh my gosh look
at all these eggs!
Next year I will have faith that the 400 eggs at 10:10am will multiply
into enough for the entire crowd by the time service begins. And
I will no longer worry on Sundae Sunday or Chocolate Sunday or any
other event the First Church puts on for its children. Nor will
I worry about volunteers or supplies or teachers or any other support
the Religious Education needs for the students. With love and generosity
this congregation always creates the best kinds of miracles, the
ones where we roll up our sleeves and work together to make it happen.
Deborah DiGiulio, RE Director
May 2009
...but trailing clouds of glory do we
come
~ William Wordsworth
Do children really need religion? They arrive with an innate religious
knowledge. They have compassion, hope, and wonder, as well as despair
and grief. They come to us with an inborn spirituality, trailing
clouds of glory into this world.
As Unitarian Universalist parents, we want to keep this inner knowledge
open and growing. We want children to stay connected to that inner
sense of wonder. We want our young ones embrace life as a gift.
We want our children to be compassionate, have integrity, and value
their world and everyone in it.
Many of us are unprepared when our children ask us about God, about
the after life, about prayer. We know how we answer these questions
will have a lasting impact on how the child views religion and even
life. As parents, we need to provide the context in which children
can develop their spiritual gifts into healthy values. A church
community and a strong Religious Education program are invaluable
in moments like this.
Religious Education helps children explore the mystery together
and provides support and structure for that exploration. We show
children how to use their mind and hearts to determine what is right.
We expose children to stories, songs, and beliefs to broaden their
understanding and develop their spirituality. Regular attendance
helps children bond with and feel comfortable in his or her religious
community.
In our Religious Education program here at The First Church, we
only see a child for one hour a week. A big portion of what a child
learns and thinks about religion and spirituality comes from the
family. Speak to your child freely about the big questions. Celebrate
your childs innate spirituality. Invest family time supporting
your commitment for your children to become adults who are still
the spiritual beings they were when they came to you, trailing
clouds of glory.
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
April 2009
The First Church Village
Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parent,
gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers. ~ Socrates (470
- 399 BC)
I guess attitudes about children havent changed as much as
we like to think they have in recent years. I suppose children have
not changed much either in the last 2,500 years.
In my professional life, as well as at home with my two teenagers,
I find great comfort in the fact that ancient Greek mothers had
daughters whose response to any question was the classic eye roll.
I picture Socrates himself listening to a litany of excuses from
a teenage boy as to why he has not done his schoolwork! At least
Socrates did not have to compete with TV, video games, texting,
and Face book. Children in the ancient world were likely part of
a tight knit community that depended upon each other for their very
survival, a group where neighbors, friends and extended family all
played a role in the upbringing and education of the child. A community
that knew each child, and had an organic participation in the growth
of the child.
While children have not changed much over the last few thousand
years, our society has. Our society is no longer built around neighborhoods;
we no longer live with or near extended family. Modern society,
with all its instantaneous electronic communication, isolates groups
across age lines more than any past society. Generational differences
today are almost as divisive as cultural or religious differences
were in the past. So how do we build a bridge to this generation
of young people? How do we keep our community together?
The answer to that is very large. I do feel strongly however that
what goes on here in the First Church on Sunday mornings is a key
piece to growing authentic community across generational lines.
Fellowship hour is a magical throwback to the ancient ideas of community.
While you may not notice it, the children are watching you. They
are watching to see how you react to them, if you are happy to see
them. They are looking for the connection, the feeling of being
a neighbor, of being a cherished member of a group. The children
want to be a part your village.
I would like to thank Socrates for reminding us that the romanticized
ideal of childhood is a pipe dream. Children are challenging, they
do things that make us crazy and even uncomfortable. But without
the children, what good is the village?
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
March 2009
Chocolate Sunday was a great success! The amount of volunteers
who step up and own an event here at the First Church is impressive.
Heartfelt thanks to our excellent volunteers who ran the Chocolate
Sunday event and to our volunteers for the Darwin Day celebration.
You are UU Super Heroes!
Our February Kids Night Out was fun for all who came. Thanks
to our volunteers and to our First Church Youth Group members who
helped with the crafts and games. If you have not yet been to a
Kids Night Out, you are missing a fun time to socialize with
other members of our church community. Remember, adults have a good
time at this event too. Not having children is never a reason to
be excluded from all the fun here at First Church. all are welcome.
An important part of growing our church community is getting to
know one another better. While Fellowship is a wonderful time to
chat, I have discovered a much better way to make friends and meet
people, volunteering. For each person whom I have gotten to know
better through volunteering in my classroom or working together
one of REs special events, I have come closer to the ideal
of beloved community. When I get to sit with the Alliance on Tuesdays
or take part in a First Church community event, I feel I am more
connected to our congregation. The best part of the First Church
is not our building or our theology, (or even our minister), but
each and every person who walks through our door.
Getting to know a person who is a stranger to you can be awkward,
but working with other members of the congregation in a volunteer
capacity is a wonderful ice breaker. You already have something
in common with other volunteers, this church! You will meet some
fun and interesting new friends. Reach out and become part of our
community, you will be glad you did.
March this year brings one of Religious Educations biggest
undertakings, Youth Sunday (March 29). Our theme this year, in case
you havent guessed, is UU Super Heroes. The history of Unitarian
Universalism is packed full of extraordinary men and women whose
lives can be inspirational for us all. The hardest part of teaching
about our heritage is choosing which extraordinary lives to share
with our students. Unitarian Universalism is part of the history
of this country and of the struggle for freedom in all its forms.
Our children and all of us can take great pride in our heritage
as Unitarian Universalists. See the side bar the Youth Sunday rehearsal
schedule. For an extensive list of UU biographies, check http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/.
Happy Spring,
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
February 2009
Dust off your baking pans and take out those cookbooks, Chocolate
Sunday is coming! February 8th is the day to bake your favorite
decadent chocolate treats and help the children of the First Church
Sunday School raise funds for their social justice project, The
Salem Mission. What a great reason to indulge in a special chocolate
treat for yourself too. Please help out by bringing in a special
treat to sell and buying a chocolate treat to take home. All funds
raised go directly to the Mission Food Pantry.
Our students will be celebrating Charles Darwins 200th birthday
this month. Juniors and seniors will have one Sunday dedicated to
a Darwin lesson, and then we will all celebrate Darwins 200th
birthday on February 15th during our Gathering Sunday. Any friend
or member who has special interest in Darwin or evolution is welcome
to share their expertise with the RE classes. Just let me know.
Our Spring Family Fun Night will be on Friday, February 27th. This
is a great social event for the entire First Church family. All
are invited to attend. We will play games, make some fun crafts
and hang out together. Family Fun Nights are great opportunities
to volunteer for RE. We need lots of help with crafts, games and
clean- up. See Julie Anderson to sign up to volunteer.
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
January 2009
The whirlwind months of November and December are behind us. In
terms of fundraising, volunteering, attendance, and community spirit
these last few months have surpassed our greatest expectations.
We have raised a tidy sum for the Salem Mission, had more volunteers
in our program than ever before, our attendance, including new friends
and old, is considerably greater in numbers and more regular, and
our bonds within the greater First Church Community continue to
grow stronger.
Our annual Christmas Pageant was a great success. Thanks to Max
Burbank for the all the work he puts into this event. We truly appreciate
him! Our fabulously talented First Church RE Players outdid themselves
this year! Congratulations to all!
Our social justice fundraiser on the Garden Club weekend was a big
success. We were able to raise more funds than ever before mostly
due to a huge network of baking and selling volunteers. So many
of our congregation took part in this event it became a First Church
Community event rather than an RE event! Thanks to Valentina for
the hours spent organizing the bake and ornament sales. Thanks to
our RE children for the hours spent ornament making and selling
cider. This was a great group effort to benefit the Salem Mission.
Religious Education at the First Church is ready to jump into 2009!
We are looking forward to the relative peace and quiet of the winter
months. The children are enjoying their studies of UU Identity and
we all have lots of fun in class each week. We love having volunteers
come into the classrooms to see what we do and to help out. Julie
Anderson will be working her magic on volunteer organizing this
month so please speak to her about how you can help out in RE.
All the important events that make the holiday traditions at the
First Church so special for our children simply would not happen
without the continued strong and loving support of the congregation.
As the Religious Education program continues to grow rapidly, we
will need all that love and support more than ever. Thanks for all
you do for these great kids!
Happy New Year,
Deb DiGiulio,
Religious Education Director.
December 2008
In December RE will be busy with the many activities that have
become holiday traditions here at the church. We have been busy
working on our Christmas ornaments for our annual ornament sale.
In addition to our offering the ornaments to members of the congregation
to purchase during Fellowship, the First Church is again lucky enough
to be hosting the Garden Club Christmas sale this year. Our students
will be selling cider and baked goods along with their handmade
ornaments. The proceeds go directly to our social justice project
for this year. Anyone who would like to support this event can do
so by either sending in baked goods on Saturday, December 6th and
7th or volunteering to spend an hour or two with the children during
the event. We had a nice turn out last year and had a great time
with the Garden Club members.
Our much loved annual Christmas Pageant will take place on December
21st
during the service. If you are new to the church this is a very
fun and special event for the children and the congregation. Rehearsals
are after Fellowship on Dec 7th and 14th. We accommodate every child
who wishes to participate. See Max Burbank with any questions.
Our Childrens Christmas party is December 21st. This is consistently
one of the students most loved events for the year. (Chocolate
Sunday is a close second!) We will have food, sing songs, and have
a visit from Santa, who has a small gift for each child. Please
let know if you will be attending this event, as Santa must always
be prepared!
The Christmas Season is a special time for Religious Education
students. In class we will revisit the beautiful story of Jesus
birth in age appropriate ways. Our traditions and events become
the cherished childhood memories of our children. How special that
we can all share these moments with our First Church family.
Deb DiGiulio
DRE, First Church in Salem
November 2008
As Reverend Jeff is so fond of saying No one finds themselves
in church on Sunday mornings in the 21st century by accident.
As I sit in the Meeting House on Sunday mornings surveying the faces
coming in and settling into the pews I find myself feeling a little
thrill of joy at every one who arrives. Where did this feeling come
from? Who are all these diverse people to me? Why am I so thrilled
to see someone whom I do not interact with or possibly think about
all week? Why do I seem to feel that same thrill of recognition
for each person who walks into the Meeting House?
The answer is so simple I didnt recognize it at first. We
are a family. We are connected by our shared experiences here at
the First Church. Banker, baker or bar tender, we are related. Mother,
minister, widow, child, we are a family. Like a family we care about
each other, not in spite of, but because of our differences. Like
siblings growing up, we are learning from each other in the most
basic ways. Worshipping, working, creating and celebrating together
we grow as a community. I was taken by surprise when I recognized
the strength of this bond within our wonderful congregation. We
are truly a family here.
Our children here at the First Church understand intuitively that
you and they are related. They do not question or struggle with
the whole church as a community idea. They know and
have always known that the congregation belongs to them and they
to it. The First Church is their living room, where family members
come and go as they please without fuss. It is part of the fabric
of their lives.
I hope that the members of our community also view Religious Education
in this same fashion. The Religious Education program belongs to
all of us and we all belong to the Religious Education program.
I hope we consider the moment the children are sung out of the Meeting
House as a moment of golden opportunity, a rare chance for us to
share the treasure of our experiences, our talents, our selves with
our First Church Children.
Our Religious Education volunteer program is growing by leaps and
bounds. At the same time however, the number of students we serve
each week is growing. We wish for everyone in our congregation to
have the opportunity to experience these wonderful treasures we
have among us every week, our children. By volunteering in a classroom
or for a special event, you are weaving the fabric that binds our
congregation tighter. You are saying to our children, you
are a valuable part of this community, I care about you. You
are growing beloved community and growing your faith.
If you wish to discuss the best way for you to share your talents
and you self with your First Church children, please see Julie Anderson
or myself. We will listen to your needs and answer your questions
about what volunteering for RE will be like for you. Come and have
some fun, you will be glad you did. After all, every family needs
to spend quality time together!
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director of The First Church
October
2008
Religious Education is off and running this September. We happily
welcomed back our old friends and met some new ones on Homecoming
Sunday. Our Coming of Age students, lead by Denise Granniss, had
a wonderful and moving opening ceremony. We are all proud to have
these special young people as part of our church family.
The new First Church Youth Group welcomed 12 teens at their first
meeting, with several more interested in joining. They are engaged
in the process of envisioning and building a new youth community
from the ground up. The members laughed, played games, and used
most of Wilson Hall for a giant ping-pong game!
Our first Religious Education Volunteer Sunday on September 21
was a success! Our volunteer coordinator, Julie Anderson, will be
in touch with everyone who has offered their time and talents to
our program. We love sharing the special talents of everyone in
our congregation with our youngest members. If you are unsure about
volunteering, speak with Julie Anderson or me. It really is fun!
And maybe some morning when you walk into the First Church, a child
will be waving hello to you!
World Communion Sunday is October 5th. This is our annual Sunday
school bread-baking day. Have your RE students here on time to begin
the baking in the downstairs kitchen.
Fall Family Fun night is Friday, October 24th. This is one of the
favorite events for our students, families, and all who wish to
share in some good Halloween fun. We will do crafts, play games,
and maybe have a spooky tour of the First Church! We warmly extend
this invitation to families who do not have a child in RE- Halloween
is a great time of year to have fun with kids!
Our Halloween parade will take place Sunday, October 26th. Remember
to have your child wear his or her costume to parade in front of
the entire congregation. This is a wonderful tradition for both
the children, who are so pleased to show off their costumes, as
well as the adults, who get to watch the joyful parade around the
Meetinghouse. Remember, this year, we are hosting a Hogwarts
themed Sunday. So for all you fans of Harry Potter, plan your costume
accordingly.
Happy October!
Deb DiGiulio
Religious Education Director
September 2008
Growing UUs; Children and Adults
It is true of Religious Education that the ongoing quality of the
program depends on the time and effort of the people who give of
themselves to sustain it. Without volunteers, Religious Education
at the First Church would simply not exist. This year, as we continue
to grow not only in numbers but also in our expanded goals for the
program, we need more volunteers than ever. We are adding a Coming
of Age class, several Gathering Sundays, and updated our curriculums.
We are hoping that our enthusiasm for all this change is shared
by the parents and friends of RE!
Being a Unitarian Universalist is always a journey. We learn and
change and grow as we gain new experiences and knowledge. So how
can we teach if we are still learning? This is the best part of
teaching our children about our faith, the chance to expand on our
own faith development! Sharing our personal example with our young
people of what being a UU means, speaking from the heart about the
many ways of being a UU, and showing the children that adults still
learn and change and develop ideas is fundamental to growing lifelong
UUs. Teaching our children is a great opportunity for self growth.
As we help the children learn, they can help us remember who we
are.
As many of us have come from other religious traditions, teaching
this years theme of UU identity is a great way to learn more
about our fascinating UU history. Lifelong UUs will also love being
reminded of the great women and men of our faith who influenced
so much of the history of this country.
There will be a volunteer information event Sunday, September 21st
during fellowship. Information, curriculums, and volunteer schedules
will be available. RE mostly needs assistants for our regular classroom
teachers, so you wont be alone! What an easy way to try out
volunteering with our children! We ask for only one Sunday or event
a semester, so you wont be missing our beloved minister for
weeks at a time!
Remember, it is not how much you know, but how much you are willing
to share of yourself. Volunteer for RE this year! Have fun, grow
your faith, get to know some special children, and help build a
stronger First Church community.
See you September 7th, Homecoming Sunday!
Peace,
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
June 2008
Sunday, June 22 RE Sunday
On Sunday, June 22, we will enjoy one of our longest running First
Church traditions, RE Sunday. This day the entire First Church family
celebrates our children and Youth and recognize them as an integral
part of our First Church community with the presentation of a book
and a flower. We will also hear from members of the RE Committee
about about how service to our RE program has helped them build
their faith. Be sure to contact Deb DiGiulio if your child will
not be able to attend this service.
Friday, June 27 Youth Group Party 5:00
- 8:00 p.m.
Starting this September, the First Church will be offering a Youth
Group to kids 8th grade and older. The committee will be holding
a pool party/dinner at the Chateau Schultz (Thanks, Schultzes!)
Friday June 27th, 5-8 pm for any and all interested youth.
This kick off party is not a commitment, just an opportunity to
get together for food, fun and a chance for give and take about
all the things a First Church Youth group could be and do. Invitations
will be going out soon, and we look forward to seeing you there.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Max Burbank, Deb
DiGuilio, Dave Tutko or Katherine Palmer.
Volunteers Needed!
On June 22nd the First Church will be welcoming visitors from the
Grosse Point Unitarian Church in Grosse Point Michigan. The group
consists of ten students and two adults. They will be arriving on
the Ferry at 9:45 AM and walking to the First Church. We need volunteers
to welcome them at the ferry and guide them to the First Church.
Contact Deb DiGiulio at 978.210.2060 for further information.
* * * * * * * * * *
Below please find copies
of recent Religious Education Columns from our monthly newsletter,
The Herald.
June 2008
What
Me! Teach R.E.?
The R.E. Committee wants you
to teach! The Religious
Education Committee asks you to consider teaching next year.
We know you have a lot of questions, so we have answered some
right here!
But Im still forming my own religious
beliefs-how can I teach religion to children?
Formulating our own religious beliefs is part of being a U.U..
Since we teach our children how to think about religion, to question
and wonder, we dont need theological certainty, just open
minds and open hearts!
But I dont know how to teach!
Dont worry, well teach you! We will provide training
and support, both practical and emotional, anytime. Our curricula
are easy, and are so complete all you have to do is follow the
directions. The lessons are fun and interesting, even for adults!
But I cant do it alone!
Of course you cant, and we dont expect you to! You
will be part of a team working together with other teachers and
your RE Committee liaison to share the work and the rewards of
teaching. When it is your turn to teach, a teammate will be there
to help!
But I dont have kids in R.E.!
What better way to serve the congregation than to help our young
people grow in our faith? You may find great satisfaction watching
a child light up with understanding of new ideas or a middle school
child develop their own faith statement. And our program will
benefit from your viewpoint. A different perspective can be very
helpful to a program like ours!
Well, I suppose I could, but what will
I get out if it?
Sharing the excitement of learning and exploring new ideas with
children can be very special. We learn as much from them as they
from us. And the curriculum materials we provide give you the
opportunity to explore and clarify your own religious ideas, and
to discover the fascinating and varied heritage of our Unitarian
Universalism.
But I enjoy Jeffs sermons too
much to be upstairs!
We all enjoy Jeffs sermons. But a strong R.E. program is
a very important part of our ministry here at the First Church.
A commitment to teaching children is a way of actively living
out our U.U. faith. And, with enough dedicated volunteers, you
will still be able to attend at least half of Jeffs sermons!
Plans are also in the works to record Jeffs sermons, so
you can always listen to what you missed!
What ages will I be teaching?
We need volunteer support in all of our classrooms, we have grown
too large for the staff we currently have. We are especially excited
about the opportunity for two volunteer teams to lead the Coming
of Age program. This is a small but wonderful group of young people;
they are a pleasure to be with! Coming of Age will be a very powerful
experience for both the leaders and the students. This is a great
way to grow your faith and make lifelong connections with these
great kids!
The RE Committee is available to answer any other questions you
may have. Dont be afraid! You can do this!
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
re@firstchurchinsalem.org
May 2008
We in the RE group hope everyone enjoyed this year's Youth Sunday.
The students were able to articulate what it means to be a UU
in an active way that had meaning to the entire congregation.
The students were happy to share their knowledge of World Religions,
Sources of Our Faith and the Seven Principles with the congregation.
I would like to congratulate all the students. You are all talented
and wonderful! It is a pleasure to work with this amazing group
of young people.
Special thanks to Valentina and Max Burbank, Rev. Jeff, and Paul
Madore for their dedication to our children. Thanks to all the
parents who support this event by bringing their children to the
rehearsals. We could never have this great event for our students
without all of you pitching in!
The RE Committee has chosen a Coming of Age curriculum. We are
very excited as we begin to explore this new path of spiritual
development for our middle school students. We will be looking
for co- leaders to work with the RE Director to launch this program
in the Fall.
Sundae Sunday is on May 18th. This is consistently a favorite
day for our RE students! Please be prepared to indulge yourself
in a little ice cream and your favorite toppings- all to support
Horizons for Homeless Children. We would appreciate donations
of toppings and ice cream for this event. Please bring any donations
as soon as you are able and give them to myself or Joe Perron.
Thanks!
Happy Spring to all,
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
April 2008
We in the RE group hope everyone enjoyed this years Youth
Sunday. The students were able to articulate what it means to
be a UU in an active way that had meaning to the entire congregation.
The students were happy to share their knowledge of World Religions,
Sources of Our Faith and the Seven Principles with the congregation.
I would like to congratulate all the students. You are all talented
and wonderful! It is a pleasure to work with this amazing group
of young people.
Special thanks to Valentina and Max Burbank, Rev. Jeff, and Paul
Madore for their dedication to our children. Thanks to all the
parents who support this event by bringing their children to the
rehearsals. We could never have this great event for our students
without all of you pitching in!
The RE Committee has chosen a Coming of Age curriculum. We are
very excited as we begin to explore this new path of spiritual
development for our middle school students. We will be looking
for co- leaders to work with the RE Director to launch this program
in the Fall.
Sundae Sunday is on May 18th. This is consistently a favorite
day for our RE students! Please be prepared to indulge yourself
in a little ice cream and your favorite toppings- all to support
Horizons for Homeless Children. We would appreciate donations
of toppings and ice cream for this event. Please bring any donations
as soon as you are able and give them to myself or Joe Perron.
Thanks!
Happy Spring to all,
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
March 2008
In Religious Education we are continuing our study of major world
religions. We have begun Hinduism and are enjoying our explorations
immensely. If you catch a whiff of sandalwood incense during the
Sunday service you are not imagining it! We are creating an authentic
atmosphere to better understand Hindu beliefs and practices! We
have learned that 13.3% of the Worlds population is Hindu,
most of them living in India. Our students will gain a basic understanding
and respect for this ancient and colorful religion and the people
who practice it.
Easter is just around the corner and we are preparing for some
of our favorite First Church traditions. We will celebrate Palm
Sunday with our annual procession of the Palms and our Easter
Eggstravaganza egg decorating party on Sunday March 16th. Please
send in one dozen hard boiled eggs for each child who will participate.
We are also on the lookout for volunteers for this event. Let
me know if you wish to help .
We are collecting candy filled eggs for the annual Easter Egg
hunt on Easter Sunday, March 23rd. Please be sure to bring in
one dozen plastic candy filled eggs per child for this event.
In the past the congregation has been very generous with these
filled eggs and we greatly appreciate all donations!
Youth Sunday is April 13th this year. We truly hope every child
in our Religious Education program can participate. I am including
the rehearsal schedule here so families are able to plan ahead.
I will be sending a sign up by email so we can plan for each child
who wants to participate. Attending at least two out of the three
rehearsals is what we hope for, but we will always make exceptions!
The junior class is now enjoying their bright new room downstairs!
If you have not ventured to the basement to see this little jewel
please dont be afraid to go down and take a peek! Many heartfelt
thanks to all those who made the room possible!
Deb DiGiulio
DRE
February 2008
We are happy to be having relatively quiet Sundays in our RE
program now after the intense activities of the Holidays. We are
diving back into our studies and resuming our routines, which
is very nice for both the teachers and students. I thought this
would be a perfect time to share some of REs philosophy
on curriculum with the congregation.
In the First Church Sunday School we use a modified emergent
curriculum strategy. What this means is we set forth general guideline
topics for the year, such as UU identity, Biblical literacy or
World religions. These topics come from the UUA curriculum guidelines,
the Seven Principles and Sources of Our Faith, from Rev. Jeff,
the teachers or from the Congregation.
When we bring these topics to our classrooms, we use an organic
approach. We guide the children to the subject manner in an age
appropriate way and let their interest determine the direction
we pursue and the duration of class time spent on each topic.
We have found this approach to be successful in keeping the children
interested and engaged. We are also able to tailor specific lessons
based on the needs of our own children and the interests of our
congregation. Anyone who has questions about our curriculum is
always invited to ask Valentina or myself.
Currently we are studying World Religions in our Sunday School
classes. This topic comes from the UU Sources of our Faith: Wisdom
from the worlds religions which inspires us in our ethical
and spiritual life and from the Fourth Principle which is
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
We are greatly enjoying this unit and are always surprised by
the insights of the children! If you have experience in a religion
we would love to have you come and share with our students.
Laura Clark will be doing a slightly different unit based on
friendship and acceptance in our First Steps class. This will
be Laura Clarks last year with us as she pursues college
next year. Miss Laura has been with us for several years, starting
as a babysitter then becoming a classroom assistant and has now
led the First Steps class for two years. We have been very lucky
to have such an able young person working with us!
Happy Winter,
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
January 2008
I would like to nominate the children of the First Church for
a Tony Award for their performance in this years Christmas
Pageant! They were so enthusiastic and so darned cute! What a
special tradition for us all to have to remind us about why we
celebrate Christmas! Bravo! And thanks to Max Burbank who not
only directs but also rewrites this play every year to personalize
each childs lines. He keeps our tradition fun and fresh.
Thanks to Santa for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit
the children of the First Church for our annual Childrens
Christmas party. We had over 40 children, each of whom received
a special little gift from Santa! Just seeing the children so
excited about Santa and so pleased with the small gift he brought
each of them was enough to put me in a holiday mood! Special thanks
to members of the congregation who donated towards this event.
Our religious education program is well supported by all of you!
Our Cider and Ornament sale with the Garden Club December 1st
and 2nd was a great success. The children raised over $550 towards
their Horizons for Homeless Children project! We would not have
been so successful without the generous support of Mimi Ballou
and Joan Hannah.
We have a Family Fun Night coming up on January 25th.We invite
all members (you do not have to have a child in RE!) to join us
that evening for crafts and games. These evenings have become
social events for the adults as well as the children. Please join
us!
Finally Chocolate Sunday is coming! On February 3rd we will celebrate
Fair Trade with chocolate creations! Please get out your cookbooks
and plan to bring in
your favorite chocolate treat! (Preferably a Fair Trade item)
We will also have our First Church Fair Trade chocolate and coffee
available to purchase.
I wish you all joy, love, and contentment in the New Year.
Peace,
Deb DiGiulio
RE Director
December 2007
November has flown by and we are gearing up for the exciting
month of December! Our Sunday School students have chosen their
Social Justice project for this year. They have voted to support
Horizons for Homeless Children. Horizons for Homeless Children
is an independent, nonprofit organization providing services for
homeless children and their families in Massachusetts. ( www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
) We will be doing fundraising projects throughout the year to
raise money for this organization and will be learning about the
problems faced by homeless children and their families. We hope
to have a visit to one of their facilities in the spring. Anyone
wishing to participate in this project with us is most welcome!
Contact Deb D or Valentina.
In November The First Church was happy to host the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth
Strong for a Religious Education gathering called When Change
is in the Air, DREs and RE Committees Working Together for
Change. Several area churches ministers, Religious
Education Directors and RE committees attended. Our own RE committee
and guests learned some strategies for adapting ourselves as our
program grows. This is the first time we have hosted a Mass Bay
District Event here at the First Church. Our guests were thrilled
to see our beautiful church and we were very pleased to show it
off a bit! The Reverend Liz Strong will also be visiting our RE
Program on December16th. She is a wonderful and interesting person
so please take the opportunity to introduce yourself to her if
you can!
The children have begun the annual Guest at our Table collection
sponsored by the UUSC. This is a project geared toward the entire
congregation! Please be sure to pick up your Guest
box or envelope in the Barnard room. We hope to top last years
donation from The First Church to this worthy cause. If you would
like more information about the UUSC or the Guest
program please ask one of the students, they would love to tell
you what they know! We will collect the boxes in January.
We are now beginning the fun and exciting month of December!
This will be my second year as RE Director here and I cant
tell you how much our special events and traditions for December
already mean to me. We will be holding our annual ornament sale
during fellowship on December 9th and 16th. The children are very
proud of the beautiful ornaments they have crafted and are looking
forward to showing off their creative talents to all of you. Our
Christmas pageant will be performed on December 23rd during regular
services followed by our childrens Christmas party. We are
gearing up in our class time to make this years events as
fun and memorable as ever. I hope these events bring as much joy
to the congregation as they do to those of us lucky enough to
work with the children directly during this special season.
For parents with children in Our RE program please be sure to
take note of the dates for our rehearsals and events this month.
I understand how busy the Holiday Season can get for all of us.
I do feel strongly that the message and feeling the children get
out of participating in our church sponsored holiday events become
meaningful Christmas memories that they will carry into adulthood.
Joy of the Season to all,
Deb DiGiulio
Director of
Religious Education
November 2007
Wow, we are through our very busy October! What a lot of fun
we have had! We baked bread together for World Communion Sunday,
with a lot of help from our friends and parents in the congregation.
We had a great time together at Family Fun Night, with about 34
children participating and a large group of adults all joining
us to socialize and help out.
We treasure our traditional costume parade to celebrate Halloween.
This years was as exciting as ever! The children really
love this tradition in our church and look forward to it every
year, and Im sure the entire congregation takes pleasure
in watching the children excitedly showing off their costumes.
We followed this event with stories, games and crafts in Wilson
Hall. Everyone had fun!
While all these special events left little time for traditional
study, the Senior class did have time to further their inquiry
into what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. We discussed
the new UU ad in Time magazine and watched the video Voices
of a Liberal Faith. (www.uua.org/visitors) We followed up
by writing in our journals.
The students are working very hard this year to understand who
we as Unitarian Universalists are, through studying our history,
our principles and Sources of our Faith, and looking at other
world religions. We hope to have some small projects this Spring
to learn more about living out our faith.
Our Junior and First Steps classes are continuing their study
of the Seven Principles. Valentina did a wonderful lesson on Johnny
Appleseed, who was a preacher, a naturalist and a very interesting
person. The children used apple slices and paint to make prints.
It was a messy hands on lesson that was thoroughly enjoyed by
all the children!
Reverend Jeff keeps us all thinking with his unique and insightful
childrens moments. These moments are thoughtfully prepared
to help the RE instructors introduce our themes for the day and
give the Congregation a hint about what we are working on in our
classes. Thank you Reverend Jeff for giving all of us something
to reflect upon!
Thanks to Beth Schultz for helping with the Childrens fellowship
table on October 14th. Valentina and I would like to express our
heartfelt thanks to all those parents and friends who are helping
our RE program by volunteering for events, cleaning up with us
or sending in supplies. We need you and appreciate all of you!
Thanks also to Joe Perron who is always ready to help out the
RE program. (and get glue out of the carpets!)
On November 12th the First Church will host an RE gathering called
When Change is in the Air, DREs and RE Committees
Working Together for Change. Led by the Rev, Dr. Elizabeth
Strong, MBD RE Program Consultant. Seven DREs their RE committees
and ministers will come together to learn about running a growing
Religious Education program. Anyone who is interesting in attending
should contact Deb DiGiulio.
Deb DiGiulio
DRE
debd01970@comcast.net
October 2007
September is here and we are off and running! We have a very
busy fall planned in our Religious Education classes. We are continuing
our explorations of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist.
The four major areas we are focusing on are; the religions of
the world, our Jewish and Christian heritage, UU heritage and
principles, and community service and the goal of ethical living.
Thanks to those who were able to attend our RE orientation. If
you were unable to be there, I will be sending home a packet with
your child. Please fill out the registration form for your family
and send it back. We will use the information to contact you for
special events or volunteer opportunities, and to keep a count
of how many students are in our Religious Education program. Filling
out this form will help us better serve the needs of your child
and of the congregation!
In addition to our studies, we have lots of special events coming
up. October 7th is World Communion Sunday and the RE classes will
be baking bread. We are doing the childrens table for Fellowship
on October 14th. Our annual Halloween party and parade is on October
28th!.
We are also hosting a Halloween craft night on Friday, October
19th, 6:30 to 8:30PM. We will need volunteers from the congregation
for all of these events. Please call or email me if you would
like to help out!
We also would like to invite all members of the First Church to
visit or volunteer in our classrooms. If you would like to read
a story or help with a craft or activity on any Sunday just contact
me ahead of time or come upstairs before Sunday service. We welcome
you all to join in the fun! You can stay for the whole class or
just a short time, its up to you.
Have a pleasant and peaceful Fall season,
Deb DiGiulio,
RE Director
September 2007
Welcome to another church year here at The First church! Were
busy getting things ready for the Sunday School. Classes begin
on Homecoming Sunday, September 9th. We will begin with a review
of what we learned last year about our identity as Unitarian Universalists.
We will be having a special meeting for parents on Sunday, September
16, which will be an orientation time for families to hear whats
planned for the Sunday School in the near and far future. It will
take place immediately after fellowship, and not last longer than
thirty minutes. Please come and join us!
A tentative list of activities and dates are below. Enjoy the
last few days of summerand well see you in September!
Sunday, September 9
Homecoming Sunday; Sunday School begins
Sunday, September
16
RE Orientation: After Fellowship
Sunday, October 7
World Communion Sunday: Sunday School bakes bread
Friday, October 19
Family Fun Night: Fall & Halloween theme, 6:00 p.m. +
Sunday, October 28
Halloween Sunday
Costume parade, during the service; party in the Sunday School
August 2007
We are working on curriculum and events for the Fall. We will
be mailing a calendar and registration form towards the end of
August.
See you for the first day of Sunday School on Homecoming Sunday,
September 9th, 2007!
Deb DiGiulio &
Valentina Burbank
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