Children’s Faith Development Director’s Corner 9/9/20

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Notes from the Director

Dear Friends,
I look forward to connecting this week for Ingathering and Water Communion. Many thanks to Deb Fitzloff and Anika Rossow-Strasser, who have assisted me in creating some special, handmade items for our celebration. I will be present at the UUFM this Friday alongside Rita to greet you, participate in water communion, and share those items.

As I continue to keep you all in my hearts and thoughts, please know that I am just an email or a phone call away. While I am no longer holding virtual “office hours”, you can reach me on my personal phone at 507-995-7929 or by email at cfddirector@uumankato.org . Currently, I am available for daytime meetings on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I also do have availability most other weekday evenings. I will continue to do my best to serve as a resource to our community, through connecting you to one another and of course, directly. Being a light in the lives of others is as important as ever, and I hope you will stay connected.

Please consider joining our private Facebook group: UUFM Children’s Faith Development
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/1404655806251029/). This group is intended for families and congregants who are involved in Children’s Faith Development. My approval of new members’ access to the information there is what makes the group a safe space for sharing. I will be sharing our weekly stories as Facebook videos on my personal page publicly and sharing them in the group, as well as short prayers and meditations.

Link to the stories:
Our virtual Stories for All Ages are now available on the UUFM YouTube Channel. At least one new story will be available by Sunday, each week.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwWkbABO6HpDlw5Po2TdQA?view_as=subscriber

Virtual Children’s Chapel
This school year, our virtual Children’s Chapel will continue to meet two Sundays per month. We plan to meet every 2nd and 4th Sunday, with our next date falling on Sunday, September 13th. Danielle Stedman will co-facilitate the next meeting with Macey, as we celebrate our Ingathering and Water Communion. We meet over Zoom at 11:30am, and the link is made available to families via email and on our private Facebook group.

Throughout the school year, families can also expect monthly asynchronous activities in addition to our weekly stories for all ages. For this month of renewal, I will focus on encouraging families to foster an environment for spiritual growth and connection through the use of alters (aka “chalice homes”) and family covenants. If you have any thoughts about what type of activities your kids would enjoy, please don’t hesitate to share at cfddirector@uumankato.org

Youth Group:
Our Youth Group meets next Wednesday, September 16th, at 6:30-8pm, as well as Sunday, September 20th at 11:30-12:30am. During the next couple of Youth Group sessions, we will write a covenant for the new school year and explore some Soul Matters content. On Wednesdays, we will continue to play games and discuss movies.