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.

Adult Religious Education

Adult Religious Education in the local congregation offers unique opportunities for people to come together in programs designed [to help adults learn and grow religiously]. The coming together itself is of importance in building the religious community.

"To teach," says Parker Palmer in To Know As We Are Known: Education As a Spiritual Journey, "is to create a space in which the community of truth is practiced"...This community is "a rich and complex network of relationships in which we must both speak and listen, make claims on others, and make ourselves accountable."

And so may it be...

These are words of wisdom from longtime Professional Religious Educator, Betty Jo Middleton in her guide, First Steps: Planning for Adult Religious Education.

As we begin to take steps towards creating programs and opportunities for adults at all stages of life in our community, the very first step is in learning from the congregation more about what is wanted and needed. What topics interest you? What are you eager to learn about? What do you have to teach ot

hers? Who would you like to learn from? When is a good time to make space for Religious Education in your life?

Answering these questions and more is a cinch in our globally networked society! To lend your voice to the discussion, you can take our Religious Education survey by clicking here. For a few minutes of your time, you can influence our programming for the better for months and years to come. If you have questions or to share additional information, please don't hesitate to contact Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Becky Brooks here.

Keep tabs on this blog for other opportunities to be involved in Religious Education at First Unitarian, as a teacher, a student, a planner or all three!

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

http://paradoxicalcommandments.com/

Summer at First Unitarian

Summer is upon us, a time when things are done a little differently at First Unitarian. Here's a quick guide to all things Summer at church:

Worship in July and August will begin at 10 am. We'll be in the Sanctuary in July and the Parish Hall in August.

Childcare is available for all kids during the service in the downstairs RE rooms. Our usual childcare provider, Kim Wolf, will be there to supervise. We have books, board games and art supplies, though no structured activities. If your children plan to attend and would like to bring toys or a game, they should feel free as long as they are willing to share with any other children who attend. Unlike services during the regular church year, there will not be a time when children are sung to classes. Please take your children to childcare before the service instead.

If your children are not interested in attending childcare, they are certainly welcome to attend service with you. Worship services, however, are not specifically designed with children in mind and boredom may creep in. A children's corner with books and coloring pages is available in the back corner of the worship space and there are fiddle toys like pipe cleaners or busy bags available for children to use in their seats. If your children remain in the sanctuary for worship and they are not used to attending whole services, you may wish to talk to them about worship behavior. All worship participants of any age are asked to use quiet voices, to refrain from moving about the sanctuary more than necessary and to be respectful of their fellow congregants.

Keep your eyes peeled for additional summer activities and events throughout the season by reading Happenings, our email newsletter, checking the church's website: www.firstunitarian.net and this blog.

Worship will resume its usual time of 11 am starting Sept. 6

Our annual Homecoming Service and Water Communion will be on Sept. 13

Religious Education Classes for Children and Youth will resume on Sept. 21

Have a great Summer!