Tapestry of Faith: Faithful Journeys: A Program about Pilgrimages of Faith in Action for Grades 2-3

Closing

Activity time: 7 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Faithful Journeys Path
  • Signpost for Session 14 (Leader Resource 4) and pins, glue stick or tape
  • Copies of Session 1, Leader Resource 8, UU Principles Song, for all participants
  • Optional: Newsprint, markers and tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Print out Leader Resource 4 and cut out the signpost.
  • Optional: Write the UU Principles Song lyrics on newsprint, and post.
  • Customize, print out and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.

Description of Activity

This activity helps children get used to practicing a closing ritual as a way of affirming their belonging in the faith community.

Gather the group in a circle. Thank the children for participating and sharing their stories and ideas in this session. Tell them something you liked about the way they worked together as a community.

Point out the Faithful Journeys Path. Say, in your own words:

Our Faithful Journeys Path shows our journey to live our lives and act in ways that reflect our Unitarian Universalist beliefs and faith. The signposts direct us by reminding us about our Principles.

Today's signpost is "Honor Life." It stands for our seventh Unitarian Universalist Principle: respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. It means that we remember that all beings of the Earth, human, plant, or animal, are connected, so we need to act in ways that care for our planet, Earth, and everything that lives here with us.

Attach the signpost to the Faithful Journeys Path.

Remind the children that they will have a chance to add Faithful Footprints to the Faithful Journeys Path the next time they meet. Encourage them to try to do an action before your next session that shows respect for nature and the web of life. Take a few minutes to brainstorm some actions together. If the children have difficulty coming up with ideas, you might suggest helping their families recycle bottles and paper at home, spending time outdoors paying respectful attention to the different life forms they find in their own ecosystem, and asking parents or teachers or looking in books to learn one new thing about interconnections in their local ecosystem or another one.

Point out the words to the UU Principles Song. Tell the children it is sung to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm." Lead the children in singing the verse about the seventh Principle. Then, sing the entire song together. Explain that you will learn about all of the Principles during your time together in Faithful Journeys.

Distribute the Taking It Home handout. Thank the children, tell them you look forward to seeing them next time, and dismiss the group.