Tapestry of Faith: Creating Home: A Program on Developing a Sense of Home Grounded in Faith for Grades K-1

Closing

Part of Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle
  • Lighter and extinguisher, if needed
  • Labyrinth, with participants' name stones placed on it
  • Basket for name stones
  • Optional: An index card or post-it, bold markers, and tape
  • Optional: A copy of Singing the Journey, supplement to the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Singing the Living Tradition

Preparation for Activity

  • Review Hymn 1008 in Singing the Journey, "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place." Decide whether you prefer to have the children sing or recite the chorus words to close this session. If you will need the words and/or music to lead the group, place a copy of Singing the Journey near your chalice.
  • Customize, print out, and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.
  • If you have a Word Wall, write the word "religion" with bold marker on an index card or post-it.

Description of Activity

Gather the group in a circle around the labyrinth. Relight the chalice.

Tell the group that it is now time to share a closing ritual.

Invite the children to take their stones from the labyrinth and return them to the basket. Then, ask a few volunteers to help you fold or roll the labyrinth and put it away.

If you have a Word Wall, say:

The word for our World Wall today is "religion."

Show the group the index card or post-it on which you have written "religion." Tell the children:

Muhammad had strong faith. He had strong beliefs about what our world is and what God is. His beliefs became a religion shared by many people. The religion is called Islam.

Unitarian Universalism is also a religion. It is also based on shared faith and shared beliefs. There are many, many religions in the world.

Ask the group if they know about any other religions, or know somebody who belongs to or believes in another religion besides Unitarian Universalism or Islam. Affirm correct responses.

Add the index card or post-it to the Word Wall, or ask a volunteer to do it.

Next, invite everyone to hold hands and sing just the chorus to "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place," Hymn 1008 in Singing the Journey.

If you prefer, invite the children to recite the words to the song:

When our heart is in a holy place,

When our heart is in a holy place.

We are blessed with love and amazing grace.

When our heart is in a holy place.

Say in your own words:

Unitarian Universalism is a living faith. It will change and it will grow, just like you will change and grow throughout your life. As you grow older, you will have questions about your faith and what to believe. I hope that no matter where these questions lead you, you feel you always have a home here in our congregation.

Extinguish the chalice.

Distribute the Taking It Home handout you have prepared. Remind participants to give the handout to their parents.

Thank and dismiss participants.