We’ve rounded the corner into the season of hot, hazy days, back to school sales, and a growing curious energy: when UUs gather to greet one another, what will we be doing? Where will we turn our attention? How will we care for each other and build strength?

Where will children and youth, and their families, be?

What are people of ALL ages seeking from liberal religious communities?

How can communities support all people, including the next generations, in becoming the people and the communities we need to face unprecedented challenges with agility, courage, and care?

If you’re wrestling with these questions, you are not alone! This September through October, we will hold a two-session workshop for teams of people involved in RE to gather, hear about what’s working, and set intentions for the purpose, goals, and activities of your RE program in a changing, unpredictable world. You can sign up for either a series of two Thursdays or two Sundays for the RE Kickoff: Connections, Skills & Planning for Changing Times. This experience is designed for teams to attend together, so whether you’re a dynamic duo just thinking about ways to welcome children and youth into your congregation for the first time in a while, or a team with a religious professional (or several) and an RE Council, we encourage you to sign up for the same time.

We want to help equip you to show up with your curiosities, your hopes, your differing expectations of what RE or multigenerational congregational life should look like in these times, to be able to create some shared guiding stars for the coming year. Register today!

Here are some tips for getting off to a great start!

• Support your folks doing RE: show up when they have events! Ask for the stories of what’s feeling great this month. Ask what kinds of support they need most, and see what people-power you can bring to it.
• Show up to things! Get curious.
• Let the youth be voices of their own experience and leaders.

And as you prepare to kick off your RE year, you might want to think about the following:

• What moments - from the seemingly tiniest interactions to the experiments to the biggest accomplishments - do you want to remember and build on from last year?
• What shared values and commitments will keep you moving together with a common center, as you respond to new developments and decide where to put your energies during the year?
• What can you let go of doing?
• What motivates you? What motivates each of you to do RE: to develop (safe) relationships across generations; to steward and grow the spiritual gifts of the youngest people in your community; to mentor, to teach, to play?
• What does a community that values the presence of young children, older children, youth, young adults, middle-aged adults, older adults, and your elders look like? Sound like? What does it do? What does it not do?

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your UUA Primary Contact!

Questions about the event? Contact Lenore Bajare-Dukes.