This year the Elementary Religious Education class, for kindergarten to sixth grade, is using a curriculum called Superhero Academy. On January 22nd, they learned from Spider-Man that “great power comes with great responsibility” and also that you don’t always have to try to save the whole world. Sometimes it’s important to focus on helping in your own neck of the woods, just like Peter Parker started out being everyone’s “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
With that in mind, the class turned their focus to OCUUC. We talked about the Board here at our church and how decisions get made. Then the kids brainstormed their ideas about things they would like to see improved at church and eventually turned them into a letter that we sent to the Board.
I thought you all might enjoy hearing what these kiddos, ranging in age from 5 to 11, thought about how we could make our church a better place for everyone:
- Kid-friendly drinks during Coffee Hour (apple juice, lemonade, soda) - several of the children expressed that their parents would not allow them to drink coffee, so what were they supposed to drink during Coffee Hour?
- More trash cans in the RE/Admin building - The trash can from our elementary classroom sometimes disappears, and there has been some frustration in trying to find an alternative in the building while cleaning up after crafts, etc.
- Larger, newer sink for the outside bathroom (in courtyard) - Several of the kids were surprisingly passionate about this one! Apparently, this sink is too small, and they find it difficult to use.
- Church potluck for everyone! - The kids loved the idea of having a big potluck where people that had enough food could bring some to share and people that did not have enough food could get something to eat.
- Bigger courtyard - The courtyard is their domain during coffee hour, and they wish for more room to roam!
It was great to see that even the young-est among us already have some strong opinions and passionate ideas. Big thanks go out to Mira, Kate, Jayden, Zoe, Derek, and Dominic for sharing their thoughts. The future of Unitarian Universalism is bright!
Karen Magoon Pearson is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's Director of Religious Education.