Last Sunday we celebrated the lovely UU tradition of child dedication, and 16-month-old Sage Wamsley and 3-month-old Maple Holsinger were dedicated and blessed by the congregation. This service was intentionally multi-generational, and many children chose to stay for the whole
service, which delighted me. I realize this kind of service may be unfamiliar to some of you, and perhaps a little uncomfortable. I have been in conversation with our young families about creating a truly welcoming space for families and children, who are our lifeblood and our future as a congregation. Research has shown that when children are integrated into congregational life, they are much more likely to remain lifelong UUs. One idea from our conversation about being welcoming was to place a blanket with soft toys in the back of the room, so very young children could quietly play with their parents nearby. If you have hearing issues, I invite you to come closer to the front of the room.
service, which delighted me. I realize this kind of service may be unfamiliar to some of you, and perhaps a little uncomfortable. I have been in conversation with our young families about creating a truly welcoming space for families and children, who are our lifeblood and our future as a congregation. Research has shown that when children are integrated into congregational life, they are much more likely to remain lifelong UUs. One idea from our conversation about being welcoming was to place a blanket with soft toys in the back of the room, so very young children could quietly play with their parents nearby. If you have hearing issues, I invite you to come closer to the front of the room.
I hope that in the future children will stay for the beginning of most services before being sung to their classroom, and that we will occasionally have multi-generational services like the one last Sunday. We are definitely seeing more young families coming to TRUU, and so we are in need in classroom volunteers to help Heather. If you love children, I hope you will consider volunteering, and signing up on the big yellow sign in the back of the room, or talking with Heather. Now that sermons are recorded, you don’t have to miss the sermon when you volunteer for RE..