Class Schedules now available online

You're probably already noticed the new calendar box at the bottom of the blog here, where you will be able to click for more information about all the events we have going on in the Religious Education world of First U Baltimore.  In addition, you'll find downloadable class calendars for the fall in the column to the right under "Helpful Links"  Each class calendar includes the name of the session, the scheduled teachers and a link to that day's lesson.  Whether you need to check the info quick or print out a copy for your fridge, now you can!

Welcome, Hon Party, this Sunday

Please join in the Balm'r celebration as we welcome Rev. Lyn Oglesby with a Welcome, Hon! party.  Bring your favorite hometown dish to share, your Baltimore outfits and hairdos, your O's gear and Ravens' regalia as we welcome Lyn to her post here with us this year.  We'll be celebrating after the service this Sunday, Sept. 14 in the Pratt Parish Hall until all the food is gone!  See you there!

The 21st Century Beckons!

For the first time, we will be collecting registration information for children and youth online!  To fill out the quick and easy online form and register your children and youth for this year's Religious Education Program, simply click here.  You will also find the same link under "Helpful Links" in the right-hand column, as "Online Registration Form".

It's easy!  It's quick!  It's eco-friendly!

If you prefer the paper form, you will find a downloadable copy under "Helpful Links".  Simply fill it out and return it to Becky on any Sunday.

Thanks for your participation!

Homecoming Sunday Events, Sept. 7

Our annual Homecoming Service is nearly here!  I hope you'll join us for all of the exciting events of the day:

9:30 am: Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast, sponsored by the Board of Trustees

10:00 am: Inaugural meeting of the All-Ages Chess Club—all skill levels and ages are welcome!  We will also have cards and other board games—bring the whole family!

11:00 am: Intergenerational Homecoming Worship Service—Don't forget to bring a small amount of water from your summer travels (near or far) for our annual Water Communion as we gather for a brand new church year with our interim Minister, Rev. Lyn Oglesby.

Religious Education classes will begin the following Sunday, Sept. 14.  

See you then!

Multigenerational Music Night, Sept. 17

Join in the fun for our first ever Multigenerational Music Night!  Folks of all ages will gather at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, September 17 for a delicious lasagna dinner ($4 for adults and teens; $2 for kids) and then music making.  

All ages and abilities welcome!  Bring your kids!  Bring your parents!  Bring your friends!  And don't forget your voice, your hands, your feet and your enthusiasm!

RSVP to Becky (redirector@firstunitarian.net) by Sept. 14.  

What? Multigenerational Music Night

When? 6:00-7:30 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 17

Where? First Unitarian Church, Pratt Parish Hall

See you there!

What Is Spirit Play?

This year we will be including a brand-new class at First Unitarians for first through sixth graders.  Spirit Play is a method of Unitarian Universalist Religious Education practiced in UU churches across the continent. Based on the the educational philosophies and practices of Maria Montessori, and on Jerome Berryman's own interpretation, Godly Play, Spirit Play was developed by Unitarian Universalists to offer children a way of doing Sunday School that would better meet their spiritual and emotional needs.  Creator, Dr. Nita Penfold, travels the country training religious educators in the Spirit Play method.  Last spring seven folks from First UU enjoyed Dr. Penfold's workshop and decided to implement Spirit Play in our own community.

If you would like to learn more about Spirit Play, I hope you will join us for a Parent Orientation, Saturday, September 6, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.  Our time together will include a sample class session so that you might learn more about what your child will experience in class.  To RSVP, please contact me, Becky Brooks, at redirector@firstunitarian.net.

If you are interested in learning more about being a Spirit Play teacher, please plan to attend the Parent Orientation.  At the conclusion of the orientation at 12:30, prospective teachers will gather for lunch and then continue on until 2:00 pm, learning more about the Spirit Play method and specific issues that relate to teaching this class.

I hope you'll join us!  In the meantime, some frequently asked questions are addressed in the downloadable document on the sidebar to the right: "What is Spirit Play?".

Chess Club of First U Baltimore Meets Sept. 7!

The inaugural meeting of the multigenerational chess club of the First Unitarian Church of Baltimore will be held during the Welcome Back Pancake Breakfast on Homecoming Sunday, September 7.  Breakfast will begin at 9:30 am and we'll get started with chess games at 10:00.  Bring your own chess set or use one of the church's.  All ages and skill levels are welcome!  If you are interested in helping to keep this club going after our inaugural event, speak with Director of Religious Education, Becky Brooks, about being a chess club advisor.  The advisor must attend chess club meetings, arrange for room reservations, and get the word out about the group.  

See you September 7!