Children's Fellowship Begins
September 5

“The living tradition which we share draws from many sources … Wisdom from
the worlds’ religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life.”
From the Unitarian Universalist bylaws

Unitarian Universalism teaches us that there is wisdom to be found in all the great religions of the world. The Children’s Fellowship of the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship cordially invites all children, especially those of ages 5 – 12, to join us for a weekly exploration of these religions starting September 5th, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. We will be using the children's curiosity flavored with stories, art, drama and song to introduce the many truths and faiths that richly color our earth and enrich our lives.

The lessons will use imaginary classroom members to introduce the eight largest world religions with a thematic approach that caters to different learning styles. Through show-and-tell presentations and various activities, the students will learn about the faith and traditions of each imaginary student, including the basic tenets, customs and celebrations of their faiths.

The faiths included are ordered here by the size of their membership:
1) Christianity
2) Islam
3) Hinduism
4) Buddhism
5) Traditional Chinese religions (Confucianism, Taoism)
6) Earth-centered religions
7) Sikhism
8) Judaism

The children will construct imaginary students as three-dimensional figures. Once made, these “students” will be used to introduce the religions and traditions through his or her family celebrations, art, stories, games, food and holidays. Activities that combine various learning styles will be designed for each of the lessons. Once students have been introduced to the main theme of the lesson through the introduction of the imaginary student, they will be encouraged to participate in a variety of activities which might include:

(Verbal/Linguistic and Visual/Spatial) -- Students will be encouraged to use the written word. Lesson activities will include word cards, research materials, poetry and story telling. The students will be encouraged to integrate information through pictures by using activities like story illustration and collage making.

(Bodily/Kinesthetic and Musical/Rhythmic) -- Students will be encouraged to learn using sounds and rhythms. Audio files and videos of traditional religious and cultural music will be available along with rhythm instruments for students to make their own music. In addition, they will be encouraged to learn through touch and movement, dramatics, role playing and games.

(Logical/Mathematical) -- Students will be encouraged to engage in scientific thinking. Some lessons will include measuring, charting, labeling and matching activities. Discussion questions will encourage both interpersonal and intrapersonal learning by encouraging students to explore how the tenets, or customs, of the featured religion impact our faith, as well as their own lives.

I would once again like to extend a very warm and open invitation to all children who would like to join us at the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship for a weekly exploration of these religions, every Sunday, starting September 5th, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Very truly yours,
Ray Ables, Children’s Fellowship Teacher & Director of Education

Children are welcome every Sunday from September through May at
11 a.m. during regular service.
We will explore religion and spirituality through lessons, stories, history,
games, crafts, music, dance and drama.

Youth Fellowship is led by Ray Ables.

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