Religious Education
If you would like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and First Unitarian Church, Colleen Bliss and Christine Ashworth are hosting a 4 session newcomer class. We will present a little taste of Unitarian Universalist theology and history by framing it in terms of the "theology of healing disconnection".
Inspired by the classic Unitarian Universalist slogan "deeds not creeds" we present UUism as a way of journeying through the world rather than a set of beliefs to which one assents.
Class will meet via Zoom on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm October 1, 8, 15, 22. Please email to let us know if you are interested or have questions.
We look forward to getting to know you!
Mystical Spirituality will be starting soon for the season. Group is run by John Shavers (Facilitator) and Adrienne Splinter (Co-Facilitator)
Please contact John () or Adrienne () if you are interested! Information is available on the Adult Religious Education Page
Dear Members and Friends of First Unitarian Church:
A beloved hymn usually sung with great gusto has a deeper meaning for us today: “Gather the spirit, harvest the power, our separate fires will kindle one flame. Witness the mystery of this hour, our trials in this light appear all the same.”
Pandemics are not new, but Covid-19 marks the first pandemic in our lifetimes. As we are forced to release so much control of our lives, we try in new and inventive ways to gather the spirit and harvest the power. We have no clear understanding of what lies ahead of us, but our trials are not uniquely our own.
Fortunately we are embraced in a church community where care and concern are foremost. Our church has been there for us in times of crises: gathering the spirit for a memorial service; gathering the spirit after 9/11; gathering the spirit during the Tim DeChristopher trial. Today we are challenged to gather the spirit without physically rallying together. How will that work? How do we kindle one flame?
On March 16th our Board of Trustees met to discuss these questions. A loving and caring spirit permeated the meeting. The tasks ahead may appear contradictory, but they inspire us to enrich the meaning of community. Following state health guidelines means closing the church for the next eight weeks. All activities scheduled at the church are cancelled. We will tell you with a joyful heart when the building opens again. Remember that we are much more than the building. The doors may be closed but hearts remain open and our community very much alive.
Discussions and small group ministries will continue remotely. (The Board meeting was held with all members and ministers at home.) Beginning on Sunday, March 22nd, Tom, Monica, and David will conduct worship services which you can all access by going on the church website [[[during the time of the service?]]] and clicking “sermon video.” After each service, we will hold a ZOOM virtual coffee hour and talkback session to discuss the sermon and any concerns that have arisen for you personally. Please join us. We will be happy to explain how to ZOOM coffee hour.
Small group facilitators: please monitor the wellbeing of your group. Offer support, gather the spirit, and please let the ministers know of issues that warrant pastoral attention. And let’s be vigilant in tending to the needs of friends in our community.
Our Celebration Sunday Pledge Kick off was set to rock the house last Sunday, but the church was dark. Special speakers and music stir our generosity towards the church. We believe that the sterner experience of this immense global crisis will underscore the extraordinary value of and the need to sustain a church community such as ours. Please reflect on the church’s value in your life and in the greater community as a passionate, unparalleled voice for peace and justice.
We must prepare financially now for the transition to a new senior minister and we are asking for a boost in your pledge. The costs of the selection process beginning a year from now must be addressed today. As you make your pledge the immediate future of the church is more than usually in your hands. Options are many: mail in your pledge card, press the donate button on our website, or call and leave a message at the church, 801.582.8687 ext. 202. Someone from either the Board or the Pledge Committee will contact everyone who asks.
We must gather the spirit of heart and mind, demonstrating that so much more than a building defines our community. Reach out to one another. Help one another. In our digital world, love and concern have never travelled faster.
In praise of our community,
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Help! With RE beginning next week, our classrooms all still need volunteers! Follow the link below to signup. Remember, we are a co-operative program, and need family support in order to maintain safe adult/youth ratios in classrooms!
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Welcome to Summer!
What a fantastic year we had in Religious Education! With the support of our teachers, parents, and staff we studied famous UUs, explored the Bible, fought Horcruxes, visited 7 different faith communities, and dived deep into identity issues.
There are no words to describe the gratitude we all feel for our Religious Education Teachers. Our teachers are dedicated members of our First Church community. Week in and week out these incredible adults give of themselves to our youth and community. Thank you to everyone for working so hard to create a beloved religious education community.
Carrie Black, Melissa Bond, Kevin Emmerson, Kira Kilmer, Kendra Smith, Raleigh Smith
Karin Baumgartner, Cooper, Jennica Davis-Hockett, Derek Gersdorf, Kris Lander, Ian Mitchell, Jillian O'Karma, Usha Spaulding, Kristin Quinn
We would also like to acknowledge these families who went above and beyond to volunteer in our classrooms more than the suggested times(3 times per child/year). As a cooperative program, without parent involvement things classes just can’t happen! Thanks to: Chaston Family, Liu-Rusay Family, Pino Family, Finlayson-Moore Family, Duchon Family, and the Fonnesbeck-Kratzer Family.
And absolutely nothing in Religious Education would happen without the incomparable Lissa Lander. She is the glue that holds things in Religious Education together. Artist, teacher, and finder of things Lissa spreads joy and knowledge everywhere she goes. When you see her, give her a big high five and your thanks.
I can’t wait to see you all in the fall!
In Peace,
Director of Religious Education
Family Fun night continues through the summer! We’ll be playing outside the first Monday of each month, June 3rd, July 1st, and August 5th. Join us for dinner and outside play during these long summer nights!
Pay attention! Next year, 5th/6th and High School OWL(Our Whole Lives) will be offered. 5th/6th OWL will be held in the spring, during Religious Education classes. High School, will meet twice a month, on Sunday evenings. Please know that these classes do fill up, but priority is given to families registered and established in our Religious Education program. Questions? Email Amanda Esko at .
Want to make sure you don’t miss our Halloween Party or a Sandwich Sunday? Here is the current Religious Education calendar for the 2019-2020 church year. While things may change as the year moves on, this is a great place to start! {link to RE Calendar PDF}
SAVE THE DATE
We're about a month out from the end of the church year, which is BANANAS. The next few weeks are busy, and I wanted to take a minute to highlight a few things.
Lower School
-The last day of RE will be on May 19th. We will be having a RE talent show! This is not something, big, or stressful, but simply an opportunity to share our gifts with one another. Does your youth have a magic trick, song or dance they want to share? Be sure to come that day!
-We resume 1 service at 10 am on May 26th. Childcare will be available until RE begins again September!
-June 9th will be Intergenerational Flower Communion. Please plan on joining us, then going to the Church Picnic in Sugar House Park!
Upper School
-High School- Final payments for the Alabama Trip are due May 26th. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
- If you have a senior, Bridging will be on May 19th during the worship service. Please email Amanda at and let me know if your youth is participating. Thank you to everyone who already has emailed me!
- 6th/7th grade-Please start thinking about someone to be a mentor for your youth next year in Coming of Age. See my email sent this week for more information.
I love how busy these last few weeks are! Please reach out with any questions, concerns, or great ideas!
Director of Religious Education
Our RE teacher celebration will be on June 8th. RE teachers, look for an invite this week for dinner and an outdoor movie. Want an invite to the super cool party? We're recruiting teachers for NEXT year right now. Email Amanda at for more information!
Do you love being UU and hanging out with awesome youth? Do you have a love of creating, playing, and learning? Join us next year as one of our RE Teachers! We need teachers across the grades, from kindergarten on up. Email Amanda Esko at for more information!
This year, the Lower School youth embarked on an art journey. They created seven canvases. These canvases were a collaborative project completed by the children in our Religious Education program and their teachers. Each canvas represents one of our Seven Principles; the third canvas includes our Six Sources which give us inspiration. In addition to learning the principles and sources, our kids experimented with concepts and techniques in art with talented members of our congregation. These included photography, colored pencils, graphic design, watercolor, and crafts. In addition to being fantastic kid art, they are also a helpful learning tool when the words are set to the tune of “Do Re Mi.” We want to say thank you to the entire congregation and especially the teachers who stepped up to help us this year. Please visit the canvases on display in Little Chapel!
In Peace and Gratitude, Amanda and Lissa, RE Class of 2018-19
What a fun Easter! This year, instead of a traditional egg hunt, we discussed the fragility of our planet, in regards to eggs. It’s our job to protect our planet, and on Easter, we worked on protecting our eggs. Eggs were launched from the balcony in Little Chapel. To the delight of all involved, most of our eggs survived!
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QPR: QUESTION, PERSUADE, REFER
Please join us for a very important Family Fun Night on Monday, May 6th at 6pm. We've invited trainers from the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition to join us and lead us in their QPR training. From their website, "QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer -- 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help."
As always, we will start with dinner. This month, however, we are going to start dinner early at 6:00 pm. Unlike most months where we can be a little more flexible with dinner, dinner is going to be cleaned up and put away by 6:40, so the training can begin at 6:45. Thank you all for respecting our trainers time by arriving on time and eating promptly! Older, mature youth are encouraged to attending with a parent (7th grade and above) are welcome and encouraged to join. In order to plan for dinner, we are asking for people to register in advance. Click Here to Register Please email Amanda Esko at you have questions or have dietary restrictions.
