From the American Humanist Association; used with permission.HUMANISM AND ITS ASPIRATIONS Humanist Manifesto III, a successor to the Humanist Manifesto of 1933 Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without supernaturalism, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives ...

Author Leonard Levy, in his book Blasphemy, notes that "heresy" is not a Hebrew term. In fact, there is no equivalent for it in the Pre-Christian era. Heresy, a view not consistent with the church, depends entirely on the existence of an orthodox religion. Both orthodoxy and heresy were foreign...

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Dear Parents and Caregivers, The children in the Signs of Our Faith program are learning about stewardship. Today we discussed ways to share our "time, talent, and treasure" with the people and places we love....

Pay rent or mortgage on building Pay electric bill Fix broken window Pay minister's salary Buy crayons Give to community groups helping people who are homeless Pay pianist for worship services Buy sheet music for choir Pay water bill Give to money community soup kitchen to purchase paper plates B...

Picking up trash outside the congregation Buying muffins at the congregational bake sale fundraiser Bringing muffins for a snack to share in RE Attending Signs sessions Visiting a member of the congregation who is in the hospital Helping to tell a Story for All Ages in worship Singing in the choi...

Dear Parents, When we meet on [DATE], the Signs of Our Faith group will talk about Unitarian Universalist memorial rituals and enact a ritual together. Our ritual will emphasize that after death, deceased people and pets live on in our hearts and memories and through the love they have shared....

Muslim Loved ones observe a three-day mourning period. Body is buried within 24 hours and with only a white sheet. Catholic Funerals involve three parts: vigil, mass, and burial. Sometimes, but not always, mourners view the body in an open casket. In some cultures, the vigil is called a wake and...

For so the children come And so they have been coming. Always in the same way they come— Born of the seed of man and woman. No angels herald their beginnings No prophets predict their future courses No wise men see a star to show where to find the babe that will save humankind Yet each night a...

The idea for a basket of "fidget objects" to provide children during session activities comes from Sally Patton, author, workshop leader, and advocate for children with special needs....

Objects That Symbolize Benefits to Human, Wildlife, and the Planet Small cereal box (or other food container): Trees provide food for wildlife and humans Fan: Trees cool the air Umbrella: Trees provide shade from the sun Coffee filter: Tree roots filter out pollutants from rain and runoff Aspirin...

Standing like a tree (stand straight and tall) With my roots dug down (stomp each foot into ground with the words "dug" and "down") My branches wide and open (extend arms overhead and stretched out) Come down the rain (wiggle fingers as if they are raindrops) Come down the sun (hold arms overhead...

Category: Now I Can Breathe 100. Trees block these life-giving rays to cool the air beneath their branches. (What is sunlight?) 200. One large tree provides four people with a day's worth of this essential gas, critical for life on planet Earth. (What is oxygen?) 300....

Moving as quietly as you can, sit or lie down in a comfortable position and close your eyes. (pause) Take a deep breath. (pause) Notice how your body feels. Notice how your mind feels. Take a couple of long, slow breaths, in and out, in and out, and begin to let go and relax your body and mind.

Rise Up for Trees is adapted from the activity How Many Are Standing? (p. 35 in Everyone Wins! by Josette and Sambhava Luvmour, New Society Publishers, 2007). Team Up for Trees is adapted from a cooperative camp game. Choose which game to use each time the group gathers. After the first workshop,...

One of the most important factors in a vibrant congregation is a high level of covenantal trust between the minister and the lay leaders.  When I say covenantal, I intentionally mean the promises made between the leaders and members and in service to that which is greater than the congregation...

The 12-page booklet offers questions for family activities to extend the learning of many of the Creating Home sessions, questions for family discussion, and blank spaces for children to draw pictures related to the discussion. Each sheet includes two pages of the booklet. If you have access to...

1 cup of ground cinnamon 1 cup of smooth applesauce white school glue, such as Elmer’s glue Gradually mix ground cinnamon into applesauce to achieve a dough-like consistency. The more watery the applesauce, the more cinnamon you will need. Add glue to thicken the mixture. This recipe will make...

(Once children are settled in a comfortable position, invite them to close their eyes. Read the meditation slowly, giving them time to imagine.) You are standing on a grassy hillside looking out over a large field. You see a bunny rabbit hopping in the field and there are bumblebees visiting the...

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