We’re back! It was so wonderful to welcome back our children and youth to in-person programming on February 13th. On Sunday mornings our PreK-7th graders are back to meeting at Estancia Park and our Youth Group (8th-12th grade) are meeting in the Nursery in the RE/Admin Building. It’s been wonderful to be together as we’ve explored February’s theme of Widening the Circle.
Our younger group has explored Widening the Love We Share by learning more about refugees and our congregation’s burgeoning efforts to support them, Widening the History We Tell by learning about Black historical figures whose stories have been ignored and Black UUs who have helped form our faith, and Widening the Principles We Live By by learning more about the proposed 8th Principle.
Our Youth Group explored Widening the Love We Share with discussion and reflection on who is excluded in our society and communities, Widening the History We Tell with some thought-provoking discussion of the issue of teaching Critical Race Theory in schools and learning about some of our Black UU ancestors, and Widening the Circle of Patriotism with some thinking-through of individualism vs. communitarianism in our country, in our faith, and in our congregation.
I look forward to the experiences and discussions we will have next month as we explore our theme of Renewing Faith.
Karen Magoon Pearson is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's Director of Religious Education.