Religious Education: Sun May 5

Spring may be taking a very long time to arrive, nonetheless Easter was celebrated with the usual joy and feeling of rejuvenation and rebirth identified with this holiday. This past Sunday, the coinciding holiday of Passover was beautifully illustrated and facilitated with the Passover seder service. Congregants had the opportunity to hear the words of the Jewish faith celebrating the triumph of spirit and body over oppression. The angel of death did indeed “pass over” with the faithful standing fast in their covenant with God, just as we honored our covenant with each other and the world as Unitarian Universalists. Traditional symbolic foods and prayers were offered during the service as a spiritual and communal exchange amongst children and families. At the conclusion of the service, there was an enhanced coffee hour and the children had the fun tradition of going to Fellowship Hall to find the hidden afikomen (piece of matzoh). Needless to say they found it in short order. The finale of this exceptional day was the spring concert, which provided not only exquisite but uplifting and reaffirming music from Adam Kent, our guest clarinetist Pascal Archer, and the CUUC Choir whose songs included a medley from West Side Story.

Well, we continue with a nonstop array of events – there is no shortage to the dedication, hard work, fun, and camaraderie at CUUC. Saturday, May 4, is the Variety Show extravaganza! The air is simply energized with the prospect of all our “undiscovered” talent waiting to perform. There is something for everybody: entertainment, socializing, music, food, and who knows... the next American Idol? On Sunday, May 5, the Environmental Practices Group will be leading our special Social Justice Sunday program for the 4–5 and 6–7 grade RE classes. The objective is to train the students to be “Recycle Rangers” by helping them acquire knowledge about recycling. The students will decide on a name for themselves, and collectively discuss what important messages they want to convey on posters for the congregation.

This Sunday is our Flower Celebration. This is a lovely, life-affirming demonstration of the friendship and caring of the congregation to themselves, their faith community, and their families and friends. Be here at the start of service to hear our Music for All Ages led by choir director Lisa N. Meyer, who will discuss "When did people begin to sing together?" Our director of faith development Perry Montrose will be here to offer a special Wonder Box Story with the help of music director Adam Kent. Remember to bring a flower!

Michele Rinaldi
RE Coordinator

Looking ahead...

RE This Sunday, May 5
Grade 8-9 OWL and Youth start in class. Other grades start in the sanctuary for Music for All Ages and Wonder Box. Bring a flower!

2019 Variety Show, Sat May 4, 5:00pm (pizza for performers at 4:30pm)
The 7th Annual Variety Show is here! This event is for EVERYONE, not just kids, so come have fun! Enjoy performance, bake sale, raffle prizes, and silent auction (see info HERE). Proceeds go to PrideWorks, supporting Westchester LGBTQ youth and their allies.

College Scholarship Awards
Each year CUUC offers two scholarships in the amount of $250 for our graduating seniors. One scholarship is given in honor of Sylvia Schnall-Pierorazio and the other Rev. Betty Baker, both former CUUC Directors of Religious Education. Please send a short essay on your contributions and leadership at CUUC, with a brief explanation of how the scholarship will be used and the names of two CUUC references to re@cucwp.org by Fri May 31.

Kids and Adults - Remember Your Special Friends Letters!
We have a month to go in our pen pal program. Our Special Friends masquerade reveal party is scheduled for 9:00am on Sun Jun 9. We will provide masquerade costumes to help with the excitement of meeting our special friends. Thanks to all participants for helping our kids and adults get to know one another better and for creating greater community at CUUC!

Faith Development Friday, Fri May 10, 6:15 Pizza & Salad, 7:00 Programs, CUUC
Come for our monthly evening of community and spiritual growth. Programs include Faith Like a River Adult RE, and Family Journey Group for parents and kids. RSVP to cuucevents@gmail.com by 12 noon Fri May 10, so we know how much pizza to order.

Healthy Youth Relationships Retreat, Sat May 11, 9:30am - 8:00pm, CUUC
The Westchester UU congregations are partnering with Center Lane to support 6th-12th grade youth in developing healthy relationships and to support parents in their role as primary educators. Discussion topics include communication, decision-making, sexual orientation, gender identity, social media, justice, responsibility, consent, and safety. The PrideWorks store will be available for fun swag! Register at tinyurl.com/CLUU2019. Each group will be capped at 20 so register now! Contact: Tracy Breneman, Mt. Kisco & Hastings DRE, at DRETracyB@gmail.com. See the flyer HERE.

More Activities for UU Youth and Families
We are planning activities to strengthening community among Westchester UU youth. Save the dates and register as indicated to ensure the events will happen! Click HERE for more information.

• Sunday, June 30: NYC Pride March, 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising (multigenerational event)
• Saturday, July 6: Bowling - By Popular Youth Request! (6th-12th grade youth)
• Saturday, August 3: Social Youth Gathering (6th-12th grade youth)

Summer programs for youth and young adults are an important way to support young Unitarian Universalists in their faith development and help them discern their life’s calling. Learn more about Thrive Youth, Summer Seminary, Meaning Makers, and other summer programs offered by the UUA office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Visit uua.org/young-adults/events.

UU Summer Camps & Retreat Centers for Children, Youth, and Families
Unitarian Universalist retreat centers offer the opportunity to connect with UUs from around the country in fun and fellowship. Whether you are looking for a place to go as a family or somewhere for your kids to experience a fun camp, there are many amazing Unitarian Universalist summer destinations:

• Ferry Beach is oceanfront in ME. ferrybeach.org
• The Mountain is atop the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC. mountaincenters.org
• The Rowe Center is in the Berkshire Mountains in MA. rowecenter.org
• Sophia Fahs RE Camp is one week in August on Shelter Island. liacuu.org/Fahs
• Star Island is a 46-acre island off the NH coast. starisland.org
• Unirondack is in the NY Adirondacks. unirondack.org
• Murray Grove is a Universalist retreat center nearby in NJ. murraygrove.org
• UUMAC Retreat is one week in July at DeSales University in PA. uumac.org
• CERSI is one week in July in Oberlin, OH. cersiuu.or
• SUUSI is a weeklong multignerational event in North Carolina. suusi.org