Who: All

Leader: Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw

Meets: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays beginning October 5, 2021; 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CT

Where: Zoom (Link will be sent to registrants.)

To Register: Please email Rev. Shaw, revamy@ucdsm.org to sign up by September 26.

Last year we did a whole church read of “Widening the Circle of Concern.” This year, Rev. Amy Petrie Shaw will lead an 11-12 session class based on the UUA’s “Widening the Circle of Concern” Study Guide. The study guide is available for download here: Widening the Circle of Concern Study Guide pdf or online here: https://www.uua.org/widening/guide . This thought-provoking class explores welcome and inclusion and the systemic barriers to that welcome and inclusion. Come and explore the ideas presented and offer your own ideas about what our congregation is doing well, and where we have opportunities to grow! Please sign up by emailing Rev. Amy at revamy@ucdsm.org.

This is an 11-12 session class that will continue through January 2022. There will be no class in February, but class will meet either once or twice in April to wrap up the course.

We need to have eight to ten people participating for this class to be offered so please sign up by September 26. Class will be on Zoom until we are fully back in the building.

Contact: Karen Kraemer choir@ucdsm.org

Registration opens September 1; new children may join at any time.

Who: Grades 4 – 6

When: 6:00- 7:15 p.m. CT, Staring September 29

Where: Outside as weather permits, then moves to Zoom.

Leader(s): Cale Finnegan, Kim Kurchinski

Please note: We will start meeting outside and stay outside as long as weather permits.

Youth need time to be together and to process what has changed within themselves and in the world. They will explore the surroundings of the church by learning outside and learning about the outside. We will use our Toolbox of Faith to direct this time together.

Registration opens September 1; new children may join at any time.

Who: Grades K – 3

When: 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.CT, Starting September 29

Where: Outside as weather permits, then moves to Zoom

Leader(s): Terry Meeks

Please note: We will start meeting outside and stay outside as long as weather permits.

This program helps children develop a basic understanding of church as a physical place which reflects a shared set of values and beliefs. The group will explore questions about the purpose of having a church as a place of belonging, and the functions of different church spaces. We will introduce the concept of a “faith home”—your congregation—which shares some characteristics with a family home, including both amenities and responsibilities. To understand these you must begin by understanding why the building and grounds are the way they are.

Registration OPEN (Closes on September 15)

Who: Grade 7 – 8

When: 6:00-7:30 p.m. CT, September 15 – May 25

Where: Outside, Room 107

Leader(s): Kim Gunnes, Chelsea Hayes, Ben Spadt, Holly Hanson

Specially trained volunteer facilitators help participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. The curriculum equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

OWL for 7/8 Grade will be capped at 12 participants, with priority given to First Unitarian member families. If a substantially higher number of participants is expected, other options will be explored with the Director of Faith Formation.