Tapestry of Faith: Gather the Spirit: A Multigenerational Program about Stewardship

Implementation

The options for scheduling Gather the Spirit are many. It can be used on Sunday mornings as a multigenerational program sandwiched between larger segments of the congregation's religious education year. It can be used on Saturday afternoons or in early weekend evenings, perhaps combined with potluck meals. It can be adapted for use primarily with youngsters of mixed ages. It can be part of or central to a congregational summer program. It can be part of a weekend retreat. Consult with your religious educator and religious education committee to schedule Gather the Spirit.

Examine this program. After reading this Introduction, look at the workshops. Decide which seem most promising for the times you have available.

Decide how you want to use music. In the Opening, participants use percussion and voice to make the sounds of rain. Some workshops suggest group singing. You may wish to play instrumental music or songs with water-themed lyrics while participants work on the River Scene mural or during other quiet activities. In Workshop 8, you may wish to play folk music about water stewardship and sharing global resources, especially the music of Pete Seeger who is a focus of the workshop. Find a list of suggested music in the Before You Start section, below.

Most Unitarian Universalists wish to provide stewardship to the world, and most are concerned about the Earth and its water resources. But prospective participants will only know about Gather the Spirit if you tell them. Schedule your program when they are most likely to be free and let them know well in advance of its purposes and merits. But they need help fitting these vital causes into their schedules. Once you get their attention, many will be pleased to hear of this promising, positive use of individual and family energy.