R.E. News
Religious Exploration (R.E.) Bundle o' News
If you are interested in being added to the RE listserv or helping with these events please contact Kinsey Moritz.
We require a new registration form for all young people (age 0-18) involved in RE each year to ensure we have correct and up-to-date information for everyone.
Update for RE for week of 10/19/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to continue to explore the October theme of the month: cultivating compassion!
The PreK-Kindergarteners started the class by having a joyful dance party, then they introduced themselves and told the group something they were excited about! Afterwards, they worked together to create their class covenant and made heart magnets.
The 1st - 5th graders met together to sing a song, listen to a story about compassion, and have a discussion. Then, they split into groups based on interest. The craft group made angel wings, while the game group participated in a balloon balance challenge.
6-8th RE discussed equality vs. equity, then did a construction challenge to illustrate the concept. We also played giant Jenga!
High School Youth Group welcomed back our beloved advisor, Chris Cayer, and had a pizza lunch. Dennis McGrath visited to promote the upcoming Immigration Justice Weekend. They also discussed other upcoming events and shared their joys and concerns.
Update for RE for week of 10/12/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to begin a new theme of the month: cultivating compassion!
The PreK - K group had a great time playing an icebreaker game, had a discussion about the difference that kindness can make, and read the book “Because Amelia Smiled” by David Ezra Stein. Then, the group made smiley face stickers to share with loved ones! After class, the group enjoyed playing on the playground together.
The 1st–5th graders sang a song and reflected on how small acts of kindness can make a big difference. They also performed a skit of the fable The Lion and the Mouse, bringing its message of compassion and helping others to life. After the skit, the 1st-5th graders split into interest-based groups for engaging activities. The activity group played Compassion Dominoes, where they wrote small acts of kindness they wanted to try on dominoes, taped them on, and knocked them over—creating a powerful visual of how even tiny kind actions can create a big impact. Meanwhile, the game group headed outside for a Smile Relay, working together in a relay race to create a smiley face out of tape.
Update for RE for week of 10/05/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to wrap up the September theme of the month, belonging!
The PreK - K group played a fun game of ‘pass the pumpkin’, listened to the book “All the World” by Liz Garton Scanlon, and played a fun game to learn about the web of life. Then, the group had a great time playing on the playground!
The 1st - 5th grade group read the story “The Apple Tree’s Gift” and learned about the UU value of generosity. Then, they split into groups based on interest. Both groups headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. The activity group used leaf prints to create a chalice cloth, while the game group played the game parachute of belonging, where they learned more about their friends and practiced including everyone!
In 6-8th RE, we welcomed two new teachers joining us for this year! We also had a guest come talk about the opportunity for youth to be featured in the upcoming Art Gallery show. We played games related to interdependence and did a fun activity categorizing 20 random items.
High School Youth Group had our first Lock-In of the year, and 11 teens joined for a night of fun, food, fellowship, and lots of laughs.
Update for RE for week of 09/28/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to continue learning about September’s theme of the month, belonging! The PreK - K group re-read the book ‘The Circles All Around Us’ by Brad Montague, made a group craft that fostered community, and played a fun parachute game. The 1st - 5th grade class listened to the Indian Buddhist Wisdom Tale ‘Indra’s Net’, then split into groups based on interest. The activity group made a community tapestry, while the game group made a human knot on the playground.
6-8th grade RE recognized the Fall Equinox by sharing stories of wild animals we’ve seen this year, then going outside to collect a few leaves for a fun divination activity.
Both middle and high school youth groups had access to a big “snack buffet” and could choose to stay inside for casual chats and games or take their snacks outdoors to join in the Connections Fair activities.
All of the children and youth also enjoyed Connections Fair! It was a beautiful day, and the LocoPops were delicious!
Update for RE for week of 09/21/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth came together to continue exploring our September theme: Belonging!
In the PreK–K class, the children began by singing a song and introducing themselves. They shared thoughts on what it means to include everyone and read Circles of Belonging by Brad Montague. Inspired by the book, the class went outside to create their own circles using chalk. Afterwards, the group had a great time playing together on the playground!
The 1st–5th grade class gathered to learn about the meaning of a covenant and began brainstorming ideas for their own class covenant. Afterwards, they split into interest-based groups: the activity group decorated nametags, the craft group decorated a chalice, and the game group enjoyed a lively round of “Watch Your Back” tag on the playground.
The 6-8th grade class had a brief discussion about pluralism, signed the covenant we created the previous week, and played games for the remainder of our time.
High School Youth Group had bagels for lunch, planned for our upcoming Lock-In (Saturday, September 27th!), and spent the last part of class playing games outdoors.
Update for RE for week of 09/14/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth began their Religious Exploration (RE) classes for the new school year. We welcomed over 75 participants during the 11am hour, including many new faces.
In the PreK-K class, children played a name game, read The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates, decorated their name tags, and drew something meaningful to them. The 1st–5th grade class heard a story about pluralism before splitting into interest-based groups. One group played get-to-know-you games, another decorated a community chalice, and a third worked on name tags. The middle school group played a lighthearted game, created a group covenant, and decorated their name tags.
Both youth groups enjoyed pizza, soda, and fresh melon for lunch. The Middle School Youth Group played some “get to know you” games and discussed covenants. The High School Youth Group had a casual meeting with general check-ins and discussing plans for the coming year.
We hope you can join us this upcoming Sunday as we continue with our RE classes!
Update for RE for week of 09/07/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, our children and youth came together for the final Summer RE class! They had a blast making homemade ice cream by mixing half & half, sugar, and vanilla in a bag, then shaking it with ice for nearly seven minutes. Afterwards, they topped off their creations with favorites like Oreos, marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and fruit. It was a joyful and delicious way to wrap up a summer full of fun and learning!
We hope you’ll join us this upcoming Sunday as we kick off our RE School Year classes! We’re excited to launch our new format: PreK–K will share a class, 1st–5th grade will be grouped together, and 6th–8th grade will have their own space. We’re also resuming our children’s choir and youth groups. We can’t wait to see you there!
Update for RE for week of 08/31/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered with the entire congregation for the multigenerational service. They listened to a story about the water ritual from Rev. Jim, listened to the beautiful choir, and participated in the water ritual themselves! It was a beautiful service, and it was great to see so many young people participate.
We hope you can join us this upcoming Sunday for our final Summer RE class! Children and youth will gather together to make delicious ice cream and enjoy the beautiful weather on the playground together. And don’t forget, next Sunday (September 7th), we will be starting our school year RE classes!
Update for RE for week of 08/24/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth had a great time during the Summer RE bubble party! First, everyone gathered indoors to introduce themselves and share something they were excited about. Answers included starting school, going to the pool, trips to the beach, and upcoming birthday parties! Then, everyone headed outside to find bubbles galore. It was super fun to see everyone blow so many bubbles (and it was fun popping them, too). There was also a paper airplane station, and much fun was had in the giant sandbox. It was a great Sunday, with many new connections made!
We hope you can join us this upcoming Sunday for our annual water ritual. The service is multigenerational, so children and youth will join the entire congregation. Nursery care will be available for children 3 and under. Don’t forget to bring a jar of water to join in the ritual!
Update for RE for week of 08/17/2025
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered for another fun summer religious exploration (RE) class! They began the class by sharing their gratitudes, and learning about different types of friendship bracelets. Then, they set off to make their very own bracelet! With so many fun beads and charms, the bracelets were so creative. It was abnormally quiet as the children and youth worked meticulously on their bracelets!
We are so ecstatic for our next RE class, where we will celebrate the summer with a classic bubble party! We hope you can join us!
