I am so thrilled to be taking the reigns as your new Director of Religious Education. My first day was July 1st. Many of you have taken time to reach out to me in welcome, and I truly appreciate your support. For those of you I haven't met yet, please find me on a Sunday morning (if I don't find you first!) so that we can start getting to know one another.
Our summer program is off to a great start! Calix School of Unitarian Universalist Magic is a summer magic school for Unitarian Universalist witches and wizards ages 4-11. On Sunday mornings this summer, our children are studying such magical subjects as Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Quidditch - all while learning more about our Unitarian Universalist faith. Youth ages 12 and up are invited to join us as prefects or attend the worship service with the Muggles. This summer curriculum will continue through the end of September. I am teaching every Sunday this summer in order to better know our children, youth, and teachers.
I'm so excited for our children when I think about all of the adults in our community that are coming together to make this magical summer happen for them. It starts with our core teaching team that has carried their commitment during the regular program year into the summer. Then we add the teachers that are joining us just for the summer while on break from their other church commitments, like choir. There's the member with a green thumb helping us prepare for Herbology, the Quidditch player who can't wait to share her expertise, the parent who recruited her sons' karate sensei to help us out with Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the tarot enthusiast who will share her knowledge with us during Divination. Our own talented musicians are ready to make Music Magic happen for our kids, and members of our community are coming out of the woodwork to share their ideas and connections.
And how about you? Do you have a special gift to share with our children? I'm always open to inspiration, and if the summer program isn't the right time for you, let's start planning for the future! Rev. Sian and I are working together to harness the new energy that comes with any transition to lead our community in a visioning process for religious education at OCUUC this fall. I want to encourage everyone in our community to think of a way you could be a part of supporting our wonderful children as they grow in their UU faith.
With Gratitude,
Karen Magoon Pearson
dre@ocuuc.org