Wonderful Welcome
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WONDERFUL WELCOME A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children K-1 BY AISHA HAUSER AND SUSAN LAWRENCE © Copyright 2008 Unitarian Universalist Association. This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at www.uua.org/tapestryoffaith. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 THE PROGRAM ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 SESSION 1: THE GIFT OF LOVE ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 SESSION 2: THE GIFT OF COVENANT .............................................................................................................................................. 25 SESSION 3: THE GIFT OF FORGIVENESS ......................................................................................................................................... 36 SESSION 4: THE GIFT OF KINDNESS ................................................................................................................................................ 46 SESSION 5: THE GIFT OF INVITATION ............................................................................................................................................ 55 SESSION 6: THE GIFT OF FRIENDS ................................................................................................................................................... 65 SESSION 7: THE GIFT OF HELPING................................................................................................................................................... 81 SESSION 8: THE GIFT OF FAMILIES ................................................................................................................................................. 94 SESSION 9: THE GIFT OF MUTUAL CARING ................................................................................................................................ 104 SESSION 10: THE GIFT OF PROTECTION ....................................................................................................................................... 119 SESSION 11: THE GIFT OF STEWARDSHIP .................................................................................................................................... 129 SESSION 12: THE GIFT OF ACCEPTANCE...................................................................................................................................... 138 SESSION 13: THE GIFT OF LEARNING TOGETHER ..................................................................................................................... 147 SESSION 14: THE GIFT OF SPIRIT ................................................................................................................................................... 159 SESSION 15: THE GIFT OF OURSELVES ......................................................................................................................................... 171 SESSION 16: THE GIFT OF COMMUNITY ....................................................................................................................................... 181 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. 2 ABOUT THE AUTHORS Aisha Khadr Hauser is the children and families program director for the Lifespan Faith Development staff group of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She was born in Alexandria>, Egypt, and came to the United States as a toddler. She grew up in New Jersey and holds a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College in New York City and a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in anthropology from Rutgers University. She worked as a child and family therapist at a mental health clinic before having her own two children, Leila and Luke. She is a Credentialed Associate Level religious educator who has served the Fourth Universalist Church in Manhattan and the First UU Church of Essex County, NJ. Aisha has held leadership positions on the Board of LREDA and was chair of the LREDA Integrity Team. Susan Lawrence is the managing editor of the Tapestry of Faith series published by the Lifespan Faith Development staff group of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. Susan taught high school social studies and has taught writing, video and television production, media literacy, nonprofit program evaluation and other communications-related topics to learners of all ages. Susan is also an award-winning television producer, a produced playwright, and a freelance writer. A member of First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Malden, Massachusetts, Susan is a co-founder of the congregation’s Worship and Music Committee. She also serves on the school council of her daughter Tihun’s elementary school and is co-chair of a local arts council. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With appreciation to Gaia Brown for her contributions to the initial concept of thisprogram. With gratitude to Adrianne Ross for streamlining our work with exceptional project management. To Wayne, Leila and Luke, with appreciation for your unconditional love. — A.H. To my daughter, Tihun, whose wonderful welcome never ends. — S.L. 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 THE PROGRAM GOALS The fragrance always stays in the hand that Wonderful Welcome will: gives the rose. • Expand children's understanding of their — Hada Bejar, 17th-century British poet and relationships with others, including people they playwright know, people they will meet and all life that shares our planet We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and • Create opportunities for children to identify and suffer together, always having before our eyes our practice a wide variety of welcoming behaviors; community as members of the same body. activate children's capacity to welcome many manifestations of the interconnected web of life, — John Winthrop, 17th-century governor of the including people, animals and the natural Massachusetts Bay Colony environment Welcome. Welcome in love. Welcome in • Teach children the concept of "intangible gifts," friendship.Welcome in faith. The Wonderful Welcome qualities that can be shared but cannot be seen curriculum engages and challenges leaders and children or held alike to explore how and why we are willing to welcome others into our lives. We welcome not only strangers, • Teach the importance of welcoming as an act of but family, our peers, our neighbors and even entities Unitarian Universalist faith and as an expression that are not people such as our animal friends and of our Unitarian Universalist Principles nature itself. • Develop and enrich children's sense of How do we welcome? We welcome by sharing belonging to their religious education peer intangible gifts, those positive qualities which we all community, their congregational community and have inside us such as kindness, love, invitation, the larger Unitarian Universalist faith community covenant and empathy. In this program, children learn to • Introduce practices of stewardship articulate and express a variety of intangible gifts, empowering them to share these gifts with others. • Help children create a shared atmosphere that encourages a sense of reverence, awe, The intangible gifts explored in Wonderful Welcome are gratitude and wonder. all components of welcoming itself, a core Unitarian Universalist value. This program helps children LEADERS understand and practice other values central to Unitarian Universalism such as friendship, hospitality, A leader's role is to facilitate religious growth and and fairness. It offers children safe, positive and exploration in the children while sharing their journey as intentional ways to relate to one another, the people in seekers. their families, and the world around them as they A team of two or more adults should lead Wonderful investigate how they use gifts they can't see or touch to Welcome. The Unitarian Universalist Association's Safe welcome others into their lives. Children will think about Congregations Handbook notes that programs with