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

Introduction

In this session, participants hear about the Change the World Kids, an action club started by children of the North Universalist Chapel Society congregation in Vermont. They learn about the club's work to rehabilitate a bird migratory channel in Costa Rica—an example of action to promote the seventh Unitarian Universalist Principle, respect for the interdependent web of life of all existence of which we are a part. Participants decorate reusable cloth bags and make posters that offer simple ways people can protect the Earth in their homes and in your congregation. We add the signpost "Protect the Earth" to the Faithful Journeys Path.

You may wish to use Alternate Activity 1, a game with a ball of yarn, to tangibly demonstrate the concept of the interdependent web of life.

Goals

This session will:

  • Strengthen Unitarian Universalist identity
  • Offer contemporary Unitarian Universalist role models as children learn about the Change the World Kids, a group that originated in the religious education program of Vermont 's North Universalist Chapel Society
  • Demonstrate how caring for the environment is one way of acting faithfully based on our seventh Principle, respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
  • Encourage and empower participants to protect the Earth.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  • Connect Unitarian Universalism with actions that affirm human responsibility to protect the interdependent web of all life of which we are a part
  • Identify with contemporary children who act in faith to help the environment
  • Engage in environmentally responsible action by creating "Make a Difference" signs to display at home and in your congregation and/or making reusable cloth bags their families can use instead of plastic bags
  • Identify actions they might take that would reflect the signpost "Protect the Earth"
  • Name ways they did or could translate their Unitarian Universalist faith and/or Principles into action.