Love Surrounds Us

LOVE SURROUNDS US A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children Grades K-1 BY LYNN KERR AND CHRISTY OLSON © Copyright 2010, 2017; Unitarian Universalist Association This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at www.uua.org/re/tapestry. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS ...................................................................................................................................... 2 THE PROGRAM .................................................................................................................................................... 4 SESSION 1: LOVE SURROUNDS US ............................................................................................................... 12 SESSION 2: LOVE SURROUNDS US SHARING ............................................................................................ 23 SESSION 3: NEW FRIENDS .............................................................................................................................. 32 SESSION 4: FORGIVENESS .............................................................................................................................. 41 SESSION 5: LOVE SURROUNDS US WITHOUT BOUNDARIES................................................................. 52 SESSION 6: ACCEPTANCE ............................................................................................................................... 62 SESSION 7: LOVE SURROUNDS US IN RITUAL .......................................................................................... 71 SESSION 8: LOVE SURROUNDS US IN OUR HISTORY .............................................................................. 83 SESSION 9: LOVE SURROUNDS US IN OUR SEARCH ............................................................................... 93 SESSION 10: OUR WORDS MATTER ............................................................................................................ 102 SESSION 11: HEAR OUR VOICES ................................................................................................................. 111 SESSION 12: A PEACEFUL AND FAIR WORLD ......................................................................................... 122 SESSION 13: PEACEFUL CHOICES ............................................................................................................... 134 SESSION 14: LOVE SURROUNDS US IN NATURE..................................................................................... 146 SESSION 15: CARING FOR THE EARTH ...................................................................................................... 159 SESSION 16: OUR UU PRINCIPLES .............................................................................................................. 170 Note: If you add or delete text in this program, you may change the accuracy of the Table of Contents. The Table of Contents is an auto-generated list; if you change content and want an accurate representation of the page numbers listed in the TOC, click the table and click “Update Field.” Then, click “Update page numbers only.” Click OK. ABOUT THE AUTHORS 2 Lynn Kerr serves as part-time Consulting Minister for First Universalist Church of Lyons (Ohio), part-time Minister of Lifespan Religious Education at First Unitarian of Toledo, and a Lifespan Faith Development Consultant for the Ohio Meadville District of the UUA. A graduate of the University of Minnesota and Starr King School for the Ministry, Rev. Kerr is fellowshipped in Community Ministry and Religious Education. She has served as a grief counselor for Kaiser Permanente Hospice in San Francisco, Director of Donor Relations for the UUA in Boston, Youth and Young Adult Minister for First Parish in Concord (Massachusetts), and Executive Director of the Dana McLean Greeley Foundation for Peace and Justice. Christy Olson is an Associate in Ministry with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She has a non-stipendiary call to the St. Paul Area Synod. Christy holds a Bachelor's degree in elementary education from Westmar College and a Master's degree in theology with an emphasis in spirituality from St. Catherine University. For 35 years, she has served Presbyterian, Congregational, and Lutheran congregations in the areas of children, youth, and family. Christy lives in rural Minnesota with her husband on 30 acres of prairie. She writes and publishes curriculum and is a teacher affiliated with Luther Seminary. Currently she is working on a set of eight Bible storybooks called Whole and Holy Children. Tapestry of Faith Core Team The following UUA staff brought Tapestry to fruition: Judith A. Frediani, Curriculum Director, Tapestry Project Director Adrianne Ross, Project Manager Susan Dana Lawrence, Managing Editor Jessica York, Youth Programs Director Gail Forsyth-Vail, Adult Programs Director Pat Kahn, Children and Family Programs Director Alicia LeBlanc, Administrative and Editorial Assistant We are grateful to these former UUA staff members who contributed to the conceptualization and launch of Tapestry of Faith: Tracy L. Hurd Sarah Gibb Millspaugh Aisha Hauser Pat Hoertdoerfer Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley 3 multigenerational perspective will deepen THE PROGRAM understanding and faith. It is not a matter of thinking a great deal but of PARTICIPANTS loving a great deal, so do whatever arouses you most to love. — St. Teresa of Avila, The Interior Love Surrounds Us is designed for children in Castle (1575) kindergarten and first grade. It may be helpful to think about developmental norms for this age group. Not all At the core of our Unitarian Universalist community are children arrive at each developmental stage at the our seven Principles. The Principles encompass all the same time, but knowing what to expect overall can be ingredients of a good and faith-filled life based on quite helpful, especially to first-time leaders of programs equality, freedom, peace, acceptance, truth, care, and for five- and six-year-olds. In her book, Nurturing love. This program explores all the Principles in the Children and Youth: A Developmental Guidebook, context of Beloved Community. Tracey L. Hurd discusses developmental characteristics The program concentrates on the communities that are of young school-age children (ages five through seven). most recognizable to kindergarteners and first Five- and six-year-old children are generally able to: graders—their Beloved Communities of family/home, • Coordinate gross motor skills through sports school, neighborhood. Participants engage in activities and games that emphasize the love they feel in community. • Draw, write, and use tools with beginning skill • Think about more than one thing at a time; show Principles are introduced with opening activities and the start of logical thinking story. The processing through wonder questions is • Enjoy pretend play, but learning to distinguish extremely important to allow children to see the fantasy from reality Principles at work in the world. Rather than listing the • Show interest in facts, numbers, letters, and ways love surrounds us when we are treated equally, words participants engage in ways to identify equality by the • Learn rules, authority, and routines; may try to love shown in community. By Session 16, children will apply rules across different settings, such as be able to articulate all seven Principles. using school rules at home Sessions based on the Principles allow children to • Enjoy being correct; may apply rules too broadly articulate their faith in the world. Participants come or literally knowing they are Unitarian Universalists, and leave • Use self as a reference point knowing why, as the Principles help answer the • Learn through social interaction as well as question "Why do I belong?" through their individual actions • Make rigid and/or binary statements about GOALS gender and racial identifications This program will: • Are receptive to antiracist intervention and • Teach the seven Unitarian Universalist multicultural experiences Principles • Form first reciprocal friendships • Develop connections among love, the • Develop increased altruism Principles, and the communities of home, • Are evolving from fascination with stories of school, faith, and world wonder to a keen interest in learning and • Lift up Unitarian Universalism and the Principles performing the concrete expressions of religion in activities and stories • Start developing a sense of belonging to a faith • Teach children skills for forgiveness, love, community through the imitation of practices of sharing, acceptance, caring, and peace in a adults by whom they feel accepted loving community Hurd offers a variety of strategies that speak to these • Explore rituals that help us focus on and developmental considerations and may help shape celebrate UU Principles. sessions effectively for this age group. Some of these LEADERS include: • Provide outlets for physical activity, room for Leaders who can exemplify loving relationships with movement during quiet activities, new physical children are the core of Love Surrounds Us. Memorizing challenges in games. the seven UU Principles is a small part of this program. • Include small-motor challenges, such as Leaders need to be able to recognize the Principles in drawing, writing, painting, or using tools such story, life, and the answers of the children as they as scissors. wonder. Engaging with the Principles from a 4 • Create and sustain routines, to give children a You will know best how to provide

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