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By The Reverend Christine V. Hides
Children and Families have come together in all kinds of ways in July! A group of elementary kids and parents has taken up the daily practice of gratitude journaling, meeting on Zoom occasionally to check in. Middle schoolers met online with a volunteer from Humble Design to learn more about how they are transitioning families from homelessness into lovingly furnished homes. We have been gathering weekly for Sunday school, evening Candle Time, and a lunchtime story. After August 2 our schedule will shift; please see the updated information below.
Our focus will continue to be strengthening our worshiping and learning community through the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, we are excited to announce a self-paced family VBS opportunity, CommUNITY Allies: Coming Together While Apart. The 5 themes focus on empathy, community, and social justice through hands-on activities, videos, discussions, and more.
This is a timely offering as our nation reawakens to the impacts of a different kind of pandemic, racism. Whether you choose one activity or do them all, we believe this VBS will enable families to have meaningful and important conversations about current issues facing our society. This Identity Mask activity offers a preview of the rich discussion opportunities provided through the interactive options.
There will be a rally for families participating in all or part of the activities on Sunday, August 9 at 9:30 a.m. in the backyard of the Warwick Manse. Reservations and gathering guidelines will be shared with the list of participants.
CommUNITY Allies VBS: FAQs
What is it about?
There are 5 themes: Self in Others, Justice & Mercy, Sharing the World, Connection, and Community in Action. Each theme has multiple self-paced, interactive activities.
Who can participate?
Members, friends, children, parents, and grandparents of Kenilworth Union Church. Participants are given a link to the course in our new online learning platform: CONNECT.
How long does it take?
Each of the 5 themes can be completed in about an hour. Because it is self-paced, you can spread out the activities over as many days as you like. We encourage everyone to post comments and/or photos of the activities to keep the conversation going within our church community.
How much does it cost?
There is no charge to participate, thanks to the continued generosity of the congregation which faithfully supports Children and Family Ministry through the annual stewardship campaign. All the supplies you will need are common household items. You may wish to print out the student packet pages.
What ages is it for?
The content is geared for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade along with an adult discussion partner. The crafts and stories will appeal to younger children while the videos of young activists like Greta Thunberg will appeal to older kids.
How do we participate?
All content is available on our new, easy to navigate CONNECT platform. To receive a link, please email Greta Connor.
Posted on July 25, 2020