Session 16: The Gift Of Community

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Wonderful Welcome

In This Section

Introduction
From Wonderful Welcome

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead, 20th-century anthropologist and author This session introduces the intangible gift of community. It lifts up the rural, 19th-century American…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering Opening 2 Activity 1: Wonder Box 5 Activity 2: Story — A Barn-raising in the City 8 Activity 3: Barn Dance to “Sing When the Spirit Says Sing” 10 Activity 4: Our Community Playground 25 Activity 5: Welcome Celebration 5 Faith in Action: A Playground for Us…
Spiritual Preparation
From Wonderful Welcome

Think about the many communities you belong to, for example, your household, extended family, congregation, neighborhood, and workplace. Our affiliations change over the course of our lives. This ebb and flow are part of modern adult life, yet the possibility of participation and joy in community…
Welcoming and Entering
From Wonderful Welcome

Materials for Activity Penny jar, created in Session 11, The Gift of Stewardship Preparation for Activity Set the penny jar on a table near the entrance to the room. Description of Activity As you welcome arriving children, invite them to donate any coins they have brought….
Opening
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 2 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Print the opening words on newsprint, and post Description of Activity Gather participants in a circle around…
Activity 1: Wonder Box
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Wonder Box A toy barn Preparation for Activity Place the toy barn inside the Wonder Box. Description of Activity With the children still in a circle, ask them to guess what could be in this big, beautifully wrapped box. Take some guesses. Then, open…
Activity 2: Story - A Barn-raising in the City
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, A Barn-raising in the City Optional: “A Barn-raising in the City” coloring sheet, and crayons Preparation for Activity Read the story and prepare to tell it or read it aloud to the group. Optional: Print the coloring sheet and…
Activity 3: Barn Dance To "Sing When The Spirit Says Sing"
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Optional: Recorded music and appropriate music player Preparation for Activity Decide whether you or a volunteer will lead the song, “Sing When the Spirit Says Sing.” Optional: Choose a recording of upbeat, American folk dance music with a bluegras…
Activity 4: Our Community Playground
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Cardboard boxes, empty food containers, dowels, Popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, string, wooden chopsticks and other interesting items for constructing a model playground Tape, scissors and color markers Newsprint, markers and tape Toy figures to pl…
Activity 5: Welcome Celebration
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Snacks and beverages Goblet from Session 5, The Gift of Invitation Preparation for Activity Find out about food restrictions and allergies in the group before purchasing snacks and beverages….
Closing
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Wonder Box poster A piece of left-over cardboard from Activity 4, Community Playground Copies of Taking It Home for all participants Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Display the Wonder Box poster. Write the closing words on…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Wonderful Welcome

Reflect on these questions and discuss them with your co-leaders: How do we feel about today’s session? What parts of the session worked well? What can we learn from the experience of this session? What observations about leading the Wonderful Welcome program would we like to share with our…
Faith In Action: A Playground For Us All
From Wonderful Welcome

Materials for Activity Newsprint with children’s brainstorming ideas from Activity 5, Community Playground Model playground built in Activity 5 Preparation for Activity Building or renovating a playground is an ambitious, but very worthwhile project. Identify allies for initiating a community…
Alternate Activity 1: Penny Jar
From Wonderful Welcome

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Penny jar, created in Session 11, The Gift of Stewardship Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Post a blank sheet of newsprint and write “Penny Jar” at the top. Set the penny jar where all can see it. Optional: Count the pennies, or…
Alternate Activity 2: Square Dance
From Wonderful Welcome

Materials for Activity Recorded square-dance music and appropriate music player Preparation for Activity Make sure you have a large, open floor space for this activity. In square dancing, a “caller” calls out the steps of the dance. Find recorded square-dance music that includes the calls….
Taking It Home: The Gift Of Community
From Wonderful Welcome

Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead, 20th-century anthropologist and author IN TODAY’S SESSION.The children explored the intangible gift of community. They learned about the rural…
A Barn-raising In The City
From Wonderful Welcome

This story is inspired by a true story, reported in the New York Times on May 10, 1987, about a Manhattan community that joined together to build a neighborhood playground designed by local schoolchildren. The article,…
Find Out More
From Wonderful Welcome

Barn-raising See photographs of a barn-raising in Texas on the Homestead Craft and Children’s Fair website….