Join the Welcome Team!

by Karla Peterson

Are you looking for a way to strengthen your child's connection to the people at church? Talk to them about whether they would be interested in ushering. My son Owen (8) really enjoyed being an usher this last year. The adult ushers and other members all treated him well and it made him feel important and connected. He especially liked taking the collection.

As it turns out we have openings for both child and adult ushers in the fall schedule. The goal is to have enough people that you only serve once a month. If your child might be shy at first to usher alone, consider volunteering together as a two, three, or four person family.

Please contact Pat Montley for more information or to volunteer.

Kids' Survey now online!

We are always working to make the Religious Education Program for Children better, but we rarely have the chance to hear directly from kids. Though personal conversations are best, I hope families will take the opportunity to spend just a few minutes filling out our online survey.

To take the survey, simply click on this link: Kids' Survey

Younger kids may need some assistance. Please fill out one survey per child (instead of one per family).

Thank you so much for your contribution!

Are you interested in a morning playgroup for your 1-4 year old?

A chance to get out and play with other kids and other toys?

A place to meet up and network with other adults?

Right here in the city (corner of Charles & University)?

With some families from around the world?

And an ESL teacher for recently arriving parents?

With some gentle structure for the transition to school? (play/craft, circle time for singing, snack, play)

Registration is now open for the fall session of the Children of the World Co-Op playgroup. My son Owen attended for more than three years and my son Perry (2) is currently attending three mornings a week with his nanny. We all love the playgroup and the facilitator Karen.

More information and registration forms can be found on the web page: http://www.cotwcoop.org/

—Karla Peterson

Building Social Justice Coalitions Workshop, August 23

The First Unitarian Church of Baltimore is pleased to welcome Rev., Dr. Om Prakash Gilmore to the pulpit on Sunday, August 23. Rev. Gilmore serves as the Director of Racial and Social Justice with the Joseph Priestly District. He will be sharing his sermon "Creating the Beloved Community through Personal and Social Transformation" in the morning at 10:00 am in the Enoch Pratt Parish Hall. Following worship, bag lunches will be available before beginning the workshop:

Removing the Hindrances to Multi-Cultural, Relational Social Justice Coalitions

It is the hope and dream of almost every person who is aware to create a world that is kinder and more beautiful then the one that we are born in or the one that we often read about in history books. To create a better world it is necessary to be able to work in coalitions with people from different races, cultural backgrounds, ethnic groups, and sexual orientations. We find it difficult, sometimes, to work with others without offending or being offended. In this workshop we will explore the inner mechanisms that make it difficult to work with people from other cultures and backgrounds. We will examine the function of the system and how we, as individuals, have the power to override its influences to build inclusive coalitions more efficiently. We will explore the concept of relational, social justice organizing and how study, action, reflection groups can free us from recreating the very systems that we are working to dismantle.

This workshop is free of charge and open to all, no need to register in advance. Childcare is available by request. Contact Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Becky Brooks.