Implementation
Part of Love Connects Us
These sessions can be used at any time of year. It is recommended they be used in sequence. The order of sessions and the order of activities within each session have been designed to help participants with diverse backgrounds and learning styles accumulate and deepen their learning in community. Because the curriculum uses three-session blocks to examine each theme, significantly changing the order of the sessions may create confusion.
The Session-at-a-Glance section presents core activities for a one-hour session. Be aware of time and the flow of the session and the program, so you can be flexible when a "teachable moment" appears or when you feel the need to tailor your plan to suit where the group is. For example, if children seem reluctant to share their thoughts in the group, you might expand the games or artistic activities, at first, and gradually increase time for sharing insights as sessions proceed. To build a sense of community that will draw children into the program, choose and tailor the activities to meet children's need for challenge, physical activity, and enjoyable moments. If the children do not want to come, there will be no opportunity for teachable moments.
When scheduling this program, leave room for your congregational traditions around holidays. Being part of the life of the congregation is as important for children as attending religious education sessions with their peers. Don't miss multigenerational services, such as Flower Communion. You may wish to schedule non-curriculum-based meetings at times such as winter holidays, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Day or Valentine's Day.
Love Connects Us, is, in essence, about the ways that we live our covenant as a faith community. Opportunities for your group to be in active relationship with the rest of your UU community are strongly supportive of this overarching theme.