You are enthusiastically invited. The experience resumes soon and continues for a lifetime. We understand that you will have choices to make. We also know that the call is clear. You are needed. That means children, youth, and adults of all ages. You, of each and every identity, skill set and yearning. Once we embark on the path, it will twist and turn, be smooth and rocky, fun and rough, sweet and uncomfortable, always with room for growth, learning, and love.

You are invited – called, if you prefer that term – to navigate the seas of building and embracing a healthy faith community together. I know there are more than enough activities, programs, jobs, schools, and needs for unscheduled hours hankering for our participation. I believe that, amidst complicated choices, it is well worth the effort and the time to accept this invitation to our ministry with families, so that you don’t have to parent alone.

There will be upcoming communications galore to beckon you to church life. For starters, I ask that you peek at your copy of the annual congregational Resource Book, mailed recently to households. It can also be found online on our website (www.firstunitarianprov.org). Beginning in September, I will also be sending a monthly family e-message.

For now, I am happy to share this brief description of Sunday mornings for children and youth to whet your appetite for more. Sundays flow from worship in the Parish House chap-el or Meeting House into small groups of young people and volunteer teacher teams. Small Groups (aka classes) for children, youth, and adults meet to build connections and relationships. Gatherings will include time for the sharing of joys and concerns, discussion of relevant life and current issues, and a community snack, in a respectful, relaxed atmosphere. Each group has a theme or “rock” with associated goals. The curriculum is everything we do and how we do it, not simply the resources that present thematic content. Our family ministry is one that inspires collaborative learning and faith development.

This summer, I swam in the ocean, hugged friends and family, and absorbed learning from colleagues and authors. I so appreciate the Star Island LRE workshop that informs this year’s programming to better serve our congregation in our current world. I am full of energy to infuse wisdom into a family ministry where relationships are everything and where we value a message shared in Salsa, Soul and Spirit, by Juana Bordas, to create and sustain a collective community of all ages that is generous, interconnected, and based on love.

I am waiting for you…

Cathy Seggel, Director of Religious Education
401.421.7970
dre@firstunitarianprov.org