By the time you are reading this article our RE program will be up and running! Lots of preparations go into getting those groupings together and everything in its place. We are graced here at May with wonderful parents who guide our children in their religious exploration.

We had a wonderful guide training on September16th. At it, Julie Daniel and Kevin King led a great session on group dynamics and encouraging positive behavior. One might think of this as behavior management, but Kevin and Julie really approached it from how do we as leaders create a group culture where cooperation is the norm. This seems a bit different to me than simply managing behavior.

One of the opening exercises they had us do was to have each of us list a goal we had for ourselves in being a guide. I was so touched by those goals that I wanted to list them here for you:

• To foster a loving spiritual community among the kids
• To engage my child in the community.
• To cultivate a positive fun experience for the kids
• To support children in their journey in UUism through movement – find a new way to explore this
• To make connections with the children I am teaching
• To positively connect with children and to smile and laugh
• To create a comfortable atmosphere for the children
• To encourage them to think
• To provide a warm thoughtful and safe place to learn about each other
• To share ideas, explore beliefs, and have fun
• To get the kids (kindergartners and first graders) to begin to think about their values for themselves not simply repeat things other have told them
• To bring myself more fully than I now expect to forming connections with the children
• To have children enjoy learning about UUism and that the like coming on Sundays

I was reminded once again how lucky our children are to have such love and commitment present in their guides. It looks to be a great year!

Remember:

• October 18 — Regular RE programming — CROP walk downtown in the afternoon
• October 25 — Intergenerational Memory Tree service

~Jennifer Hamlin Navias
Director of Religious Education Ministries