R.E. News
Religious Exploration (R.E.) Bundle o' News
If you are interested in being added to the RE listserv or helping with these events please contact Kinsey Moritz.
We require a new registration form for all young people (age 0-18) involved in RE each year to ensure we have correct and up-to-date information for everyone.
Update for RE for week of 10/11/2026
RENews:
This week, children and youth gathered for the first RE classes of October!
The PreK/K group started class by lighting the chalice, introducing themselves and sharing their favorite holiday (the most popular answer was Halloween!), and reading the book Giraffe’s Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae. Then, they discussed the importance of being themselves, and made a badge designed with something that makes them special. They will make badges all month long!
The 1st - 5th grade class gathered to close out their month-long exploration of the theme of Beginnings. They discussed the importance of welcoming new folks to ERUUF, then did a short walking loving kindness meditation. For the main activity, grade-level small groups gathered to discuss their hopes for the coming year of RE, then wrote notes and painted rocks to be locked away in a time capsule that we will open in the Spring. Once the time capsule was closed, they ritualistically “buried” it in a cloth.
Update for RE for week of 09/27/2026
RENews:
This week, children and youth gathered to continue the September theme of the month, Belonging.
The PreK/K group started class by playing a silly game of telephone. Then, they introduced themselves to the class and read the book I Promise by LeBron James. They wrapped up the class by creating a paper chain covenant, with each child adding a drawing of a time when they showed kindness.
The 1st - 5th graders started the class by singing a song, then introduced a discussion of our covenant (be safe and be kind) with a pinky promise. They played an active game of this-or-that, then broke into grade-level groups to discuss what the covenant looks like and adopt their talking animal for the year. At the end of the session, everyone went out to the playground for sign-out.
Crossing Paths (6-8th grade) had their “Map Day” to introduce and discuss the first faith they will be learning about: Unitarian Universalism.
High School and Middle School Youth Groups gathered for pizza, then the middle schoolers had their first meeting of the year. They played games, discussed plans for the year (including outings), and built some energy for the upcoming Lock-In!
Update for RE for week of 09/20/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to begin the September theme of the month: Beginnings! Sunday was the first RE age group classes of the 2026-2027 school year.
The PreK/K group started the class by learning a new welcoming song. Then, they introduced themselves to the class and talked about the meaning of chalices in UU faith. They also read the book A Cup of Light by Pamala Baxter, and made their own chalice out of legos!
The 1st - 5th graders started the class by singing a song and learning about the importance of names. Then, they broke into groups by grade level and introduced themselves to their peers. They also decorated their name tags with a lot of fun stickers and drawings, and played a big group game of All My Friends and Neighbors before heading to the playground for sign-out.
Crossing Paths had their orientation meeting with youth and parents/guardians. They set expectations for the Crossing Paths curriculum, and did some fun icebreaker games.
High School Youth Group gathered for pizza and a brief hang out to catch up with advisors, as most were tired from their Youth Intern shifts during RE!
Update for RE for week of 09/13/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to enjoy the final Summer RE class! Class was ice cream themed, all of the children and youth introduced themselves and shared their favorite ice cream flavors. Then, they made ice cream themselves. They mixed half and half, vanilla, and sugar together, and then shook it in a bag of ice until ice cream formed! They topped their ice cream with many different toppings, including marshmallows, gummy bears, chocolate chips, oreos, and sprinkles. It was a great way to wrap up the summer!
A special thank you to all the volunteers that stepped up to help, and all the adults that helped us clean up! We appreciate all of you so much!
Update for RE for week of 09/06/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered for the multigenerational annual Ingathering service. Children and youth enjoyed beautiful music, an interactive Time for All Ages, and ritual that marks the gathering of waters of our lives into beloved community. It was great to see so many children and youth participating!
Sunday, September 6th will be our final Summer RE class, and we will celebrate by making ice cream! September 13th will be the start of our RE year.
Please stay tuned to our weekly RE Family Emails for details on meeting times, locations, and more. If you do not receive these emails and would like to, please reach out to .
Update for RE for week of 08/30/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to celebrate the UU value of love. During class, they introduced themselves and shared their favorite place to swim! Then, they headed to the playground for water play. They got soaked playing various water games with reusable water balloons and more. The ones who preferred to stay dry enjoyed making bracelets and painting with watercolors. It was a great way to wrap up the summer, as many of our children and youth started school the following Monday!
Note that our final Summer RE meeting will be Sunday, September 6th. We will celebrate with DIY ice cream and plenty of toppings.
Update for RE for week of 08/23/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to learn about the center of UU values, love. They started the class by gathering in a circle and sharing their favorite subject in school. We have a lot of children and youth that love math! Then, they made backpack charms. There were various materials to use, some of them made pony bead charms, others used pipe cleaners, and some made macrame dolls. It was a lot of fun to make something new for the school year!e!
Update for RE for week of 08/16/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered to learn about the UU value of transformation. They started the class by introducing themselves and sharing their favorite animal. Then, they read the book Fairy Houses by Tracy Kane. Afterwards, they went to the ERUUF nature trail to make their own fairy houses! It was quite the adventurous group, and they quickly transformed the nature trail to a fairy house village!
Update for RE for week of 08/09/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered for a super fun Summer RE! They started the class by sharing their name and their favorite food, then they talked about the UU value of love. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and the children and youth were able to play with bubbles outside! They were encouraged to meet new friends, and really enjoyed making huge bubbles. Children also had the option to make watercolor paintings in the air conditioning.
Update for RE for week of 08/02/2026
RENews:
This past Sunday, children and youth gathered for a music-filled Summer RE! They started the class by introducing themselves and sharing a song that they like. Then, they discussed the connection between music and community, then learned a few songs. The songs had a lot of accompanying movement, and the lyrics were related to UU values. The children and youth enjoyed using instruments, and had a lot of fun with the parachute outside! Thank you to Pam DiLavore and Kristi Chilton for leading the RE class this week!
The children's choirs will resume on September 20th! New singers are welcome at any time! For Sunshine Kids (grades K-2), reach out to Kristi (). For Chalice Singers (grades 3-8), reach out to Pam ().
