The Our Whole Lives Course for grades 4-6, ages 9-12, is scheduled to start at East Shore Sunday, January 8, 2023.
This ten-workshop curriculum is designed to help children gain the knowledge, life principles, and skills they need to understand and express their sexuality in holistic, life-enhancing ways. Like the other Our Whole Lives programs for different age groups, this comprehensive, developmentally appropriate program introduces key topics like values, body image, gender and sexual identity, peer pressure, and healthy relationships with sensitivity and inclusiveness, yet without specifically religious doctrine or reference.
In addition to information on sex, OWL is intended to help develop emotionally healthy and responsible decision making with regards to sexuality. This curriculum is affirming of LGBTQIA+ values, and approaches sexuality and relationships with an inclusive lens toward Anti-Racism, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Oppression. This course encourages students to ask questions both during class and anonymously in a weekly question-box method. Parents are provided with opportunities for discussion as well as with Homelink resources for their own development and skill building as primary sexuality educators. Our work with OWL seeks to transform the way adults share and provide information to youth and equip them with the skills, knowledge, and resources intrinsic to healthy relationships with self and others.
If you are new to East Shore, please register at esuc.org. In the question regarding your child’s grade please also mark OWL to designate your interest in this course. For example “5th Grade – OWL:” esuc.org/learn/children-youth
If you have registered already for Religious Exploration programs, please contact Amanda Alice Uluhan verifying your student’s enrollment in the Grades 4-6 OWL course.
by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education
Drop off in the Sanctuary Foyer January-February 12
Please join in creating care packages to send to young, emerging adults who are a part of East Shore and our extended family. During our February 12th Love is Our Covenant worship, we will have a packing party to make and decorate Emerging Adult Boxes.
Please bring caring items to contribute! Handmade or small items are welcome. There will be a box in the Sanctuary Foyer labeled “HUUGS: Emerging Adult Care Packages.”
For ideas, here’s a couple things we’ve sent in the past. We typically send out 15 packages and try to make them as similar as possible. Handmade/homemade things are always appreciated, too!
a chalice – Altoid (tin) boxes needed
Snack treats
coloring book
stickers
a UU book
bookmark
a way to connect with the church
Playing cards
A stress ball
Soap
A candle
Starbucks or iTunes $5
Tea
Condoms
Comfy socks
Bath stuff
Valentine’s candy
And a card to write a note in
Do you have a young adult in your life, either already in the East Shore family, or perhaps in our extended family, that could use a little HUUG? Send us their name and address and we’ll do just that!
by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education
Our Family Ministry programs in Winter Quarter are engaging with two Our Whole Lives classes, re-establishing a High School Senior Youth Group, expanding and renovating our Little UU’s Nursery room, and establishing a new Spirit Makers faith development curriculum for elementary students. Our charge in all of these diverse and worthy programs is to model and guide the spiritual practice of holding space for the wholeness of our children and youth. We are blessed with so many families – including yours! – who bring their joys, curiosities, struggles, and creativity into our learning community. By focusing on building and nurturing a substantive partnership between East Shore staff, volunteers, and families, we feel that we can more authentically offer the mentor relationships we believe so deeply in. We envision the Unitarian Universalist East Shore community to be a lifelong spiritual home for many.
And precisely because we want to nurture the basic foundations of these hustling and bustling programs for the years to come, we would like to invite you to participate in and work more closely in this shared ministry with our Religious Education staff.
Volunteer in an event or classroom to support multigenerational, intergenerational, adult programs, or family ministries. These could include seasonal events, worship for all ages, childcare, or Sunday school programs. We love including folx who are excited to bring their unique skills and passions into our ministry.
Volunteer on a team of folx reviewing the administrative foundations of family ministry programs. These could include our volunteer handbook, our parent handbook, our safe congregation’s handbook, and our programs guide. We love including folx who have an eye for detail, safety, and inclusivity.
Volunteer on a CORE team to support Family Ministry. These Community Organizers of Religious Education are the cornerstone of a strong Family Ministry Program. We meet in a small huddle quarterly to map out our annual calendars, ask the big questions, and tend to the many threads that make up the pathways of future generations and leaders at East Shore.
by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education
Do you like to perform? Do you want to find out what it is like to be part of the Religious Education Team?
Then join us for our annual Winter Pageant on Sunday, December 11. For the first time since 2019, our pageant will be back live and in person. This will be a multigenerational pageant, so we need your help.
This year we will be performing the play A Holiday for Everyone, written by East Shore member Sunshine Glenn and Luna Jubis. We are looking for people to help with the following roles for the pageant.
People representing:
The Winter Solstice
Christmas
Hanukkah
Kwanzaa
We also need people to help with the covenant, and other elements of worship.
You will work alongside our fabulous Religious Education volunteers and the amazing children of the East Shore RE program.
If you would like to be part of this exciting day at East Shore, please contact Amanda Alice Uluhan or LeAnne Struble.
Join us and help us celebrate and remember the magic of this season.
by LeAnne Struble, Religious Education Coordinator
Thank you to everyone who helped build the new playground. It has been used and loved by children already, and I am sure that it will continue to be loved for a long time to come. A special thank-you to the engineering team that put together the geodesic climbing dome; I am so happy that I did not have to figure that one out!
RE Is Back
We have been together outdoors during these Covid times, and this year we are looking forward to regular RE classes. Please watch for information and a link to sign your children up for RE classes. Our first class together will be on Sunday, September 18.
RE Leaders Needed
In order to have a successful RE program, we need your help. We are looking for volunteers in the RE program, and would like to build teaching teams of four for each age group. You do not need to have experience to be a great RE volunteer. We will have an RE volunteer training day on Saturday, September 10. Please reach out to amanda alice uluhan or LeAnne Struble if you have questions or if you would like to volunteer with the RE program.
Happy Jewish New Year!
Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew:רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, literally “head of the year”) is the Jewish New Year and is a two-day celebration and observation of the beginning of the Jewish new year, year 5783. This year the holiday is September 25-27.
Rosh Hashanah begins probably the most important of Judaism’s high holy days. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” and follows Rosh Hashanah during October 4-5. “Atonement” can be broken down into: “At-one-ment,” implying that when we forgive and are forgiven, we are brought back into relationship with one another.
Read the prayer below at dinner or bedtime, written by East Shore’s former Director of Religious Education, to let go of what has been done and prepare a space for something new. L’shanah tovah—to a good new year.
A Place to Forgive and to Be Forgiven
By Cathy Cartwright-Chow
For those we have hurt in any way, whether through words or deed or thoughts.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
For the excuses we have made, just to be right.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
For the blame we have placed on someone else, again and again.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
For passing up the opportunity to help because we were afraid.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
For hiding the truth from someone.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
For working beyond the anger and resentment.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
For the times I have not felt heard.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
Forgiveness is never easy, whether for yourself or someone else.
Here is a place to forgive and to be forgiven.
by amanda alice uluhan, Director or Religious Education & LeAnne Struble, RE Coordinator
The Community Mural Project got off to a big start in June. This project is the brainchild of amanda alice uluhan, Director of Religious Exploration, to brighten the learning environments in the Education Building. In collaboration with LeAnne Struble and Doug Strombom, the project took shape in early 2022. Wenda Collins was enlisted to create a beautiful ‘Northwest Nature’ design for the walls near the preschool and Dianne Upton and Celil Cakmak supported the project on the facilities end.
During the week of June 20, more than twenty eager volunteers gathered to paint the background for the mural. The next week, we were greeted by more than 40 elementary aged children and middle school youth who attended the Art In Community Summer Camp. On Monday, the children learned the process of drawing objects in their journals, sketching on the walls in chalk and then painting on the walls. On Tuesday, the children learned about PNW plants and created a flora on the mural. On Wednesday, they added the animals commonly found in the Northwest.
The experience of engaging more than 50 members of our church and community to create a beautiful, calming, and inviting space for learning at East Shore has been so fulfilling for all. You will be able to explore the mural when you next visit our campus. And we expect the future to hold more community.
Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew:רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, literally “head of the year”) is the Jewish New Year and is a two-day celebration and observation of the beginning of the Jewish new year, year 5783. This year the holiday is September 25-27.
