Lay Leader: Our church family is constantly changing. People come and go. Babies are born. Children grow up. People commit themselves to one another. Loved ones and friend among us come to the end of their lives. Individuals move into our community and church life. Others leave us, moving away to...

In a worship service, the congregation presented farewell gifts to the outgoing Director of Religious Education/Exploration (DRE) before the following: MINISTER: In (season, year), this congregation and NAME entered into a formal/unspoken covenant with one another. NAME agreed to step out of her...

Please note: this ritual was preceded by the departing minister's homily, in which she looked back at the installation service and the promises they had made to each other as minister and congregation. She then continued as follows....

This ritual, for use within a worship service, calls for the voices of two lay leaders—such as the Board President and a worship associate—although a single lay leader could just as easily read both parts. Lay Leader 1: The life of our religious community is fluid, ever changing with new lives,...

New Member Covenant (new members recite in unison) We enter this faith with hope and possibility in our hearts, pledging to participate in and support the ministries of this church. We covenant to remain true to the spirit of love that flows through this church and guides us....

Responsive Reading of Dedication 2011 (based on readings from 1950 and 1964 dedications of this church adapted by Rev. Kanter)....

We draw from many wells, From oceans and rivers, From lakes and streams, From the muddy Mississippi to the roaring Rio Grande, From faraway places and from the ponds and puddles in our own backyards....

Formed in your mother’s womb, these precious hands, which have been scraped, bent, worn down, and maybe even broken, are yet perfect in the Divine’s eyes. Bless these hands, for they bring comfort to those so in need of comforting. Bless these hands, for they nurture and care for those unable to...

[Note: We have a tradition of asking each person to bring to church on Mother’s Day a single flower—colored if she is still living, white if she has died. The flowers are arranged on the spot into a bouquet and brought into the service just before the Call to Worship. With a bow to Max Coots for...

I don't know about you, but I'm a little bit skittish about holidays that seem to have originated with the greeting card people. That's not true, in fact, of Mother's Day....

The Wedding blessing is to be used with a wedding ritual of pouring water from two vessels into a common vessel, as an alternative to a unity candle....

Religious Education Director: Today, we celebrate you as you take the next step on your journey, moving from childhood to adolescence. This is a wonderful time in your life, full of hope and expectation and wonder. As you begin to explore more about who you are, you are like a kite....

We pause now on the edge of the New Year— An artificial beginning to be sure—but still a time to reflect. Like Janus, the god for whom January was named, we glance back at past joys and sorrows That what has past can guide us Toward what is yet to be. Let us reflect for a moment on some of the...

Introduction to a New Orleans Jazz Funeral Welcome to a new tradition for our church—a New Orleans-style jazz funeral for the old year. This service offers opportunities for reflection on the past year, a chance to “bury” whatever that was negative or hurtful to us in 20xx, and looks forward...