VirtUUal RE: June 7, 2020

Welcome to a new month and our new theme of compassion! With all that is going on in our country right now, it seems very appropriate to reflect on and explore this theme.  

We traditionally have a “one-room schoolhouse” approach for RE during the summer. Since we can’t meet in person, the Children and Youth Program Team and I are sending out a Summer Bucket List program that families can do at their own pace over the summer. In addition to this, we will have some occasional family game nights too. Look for updates in my weekly UCE Family Email, which will also include other resources, links, and ideas. 

Click here for the Summer Bucket List.

High school youth can connect Sunday evening at 7 pm on Zoom. Look for an email from the advisors later in the week with info on how to join. 

Rev. Eileen and I would love to see your beacon of light in our worship services! We’re looking for families to light the chalice for virtual worship. How will this work, you ask? She will arrange to meet you at UCE, and video-record your family lighting the chalice and/or saying our covenant together. Social distancing protocols will be maintained too. If you’d like to participate, email Kathy at kunderwood@ucevanston.org or Eileen at ewiviott@ucevanston.org.  

Beginning June 16, adults and families with teens are invited to a new program this summer: The Science of Well-Being. This program comes from Yale University, and it’s free!  In this 10-week course (you need not attend all, but it is highly recommended), you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a specific wellness activity into your life.  

We invite you to watch the online sessions at your convenience, and then join us Tuesday evenings at 7-8 pm on Zoom to share what we’ve learned. The online sessions usually involve short videos, plus exercises you do on your own, for a total of no more than 2 1/2 hours weekly.  

For more details, and to sign up for the video series, click here. 

To join our discussions, email Kathy Underwood at kunderwood@ucevanston.org by Saturday, June 13. 

In Faith, 

Kathy