Religious Education – Page 50 – All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana

Children and Youth Religious Education Updates

Families — we hear you and realize how done you are with Zoom.

First, thanks to everyone who made last weekend’s Trunk or Treat celebration such a fun time for our children and everyone else.

We will continue to watch the local COVID numbers. We feel encouraged by the cooling weather and the possibility of comfortable outdoor activities.

We are not resuming regular classes for children and youth at this time because our classrooms are too small to be safe for unvaccinated children, and because we want some time to be together and nurture each other before we start recruiting people to do stuff.

We will have “busy bags” for kids sitting in the pews with their parents and our services will be welcoming to all ages.

We have already heard from one of you who wants to get back to teaching and we are so grateful for your interest in this.

If others of you are out there, email Susan Caldwell.

If the virus continues on the downward trajectory, we will probably schedule a teacher training in December 2021 and plan to start back with classes in January 2022.

Thanks to all for your patience and flexibility.

Meditation with Larry Androes (6 November 2021)

Please join us on Saturday (6 November 2021) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes.

This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching.

The group is free and open to all.

For more information, contact Larry via email or phone using (318) 272-0014.

Worship in Person Resumes This Sunday (7 November 2021)

This Sunday (7 November 2021) at 11:00 AM, All Souls will have our first in-person worship in the sanctuary since March 2020.

We are asking for your cooperation.

Masks are required of all attendees (age 4 and up) when we are indoors. Children younger than age 4 are encouraged to wear masks if they are able.

We will have masks on hand if you don’t have one.

Masks are also required when outdoors when in close proximity to people who are not in your family or “bubble.”

Social distancing will be observed to the maximum extent possible.

All adults and youth who are eligible to be vaccinated are required to be fully vaccinated to attend worship in person at this time. If you have a documented medical condition that prevents being vaccinated, you can attend without vaccination.

In order to be fully vaccinated, one must be at least two weeks past their final COVID vaccine shot (final shot is second Pfizer / Moderna shot or first Johnson & Johnson shot).

Please bring proof of vaccination — CDC vaccination card, a photo of your CDC vaccination card, or your LA Wallet app on your smartphone showing your vaccinated status. You only have to show this to us once.

At first, we will not have religious education classes or nursery care for children and youth. Our classrooms and nursery facilities are too small to be safe and our younger children are still unvaccinated. We need time to be together before we recruit and train teachers.

However, we will have “busy bag” activities for children sitting in the pews with their families. We hope to resume religious education classes in January 2022.

If you are not comfortable attending in person, we will still be offering a streaming video worship service through Facebook Live.

Please bear with us as we once again climb the learning curve for yet another new way of doing church.

Continue to watch our website and social media spaces for updates as we discover what we’ve forgotten and what we have learned with yet another way to do church.

Feel free to ask questions as we move forward with in-person worship. Susan Caldwell (Director of Lifespan Religious Education) will answer your questions or forward them to the church leaders who have the answers.

Online All-Ages Worship (31 October 2021)

Please join us on Sunday (31 October 2021) at 11:00 AM for “The Dead and Dying, The Live and Living” by Susan Caldwell (All Souls Director of Lifespan Religious Education)

Our service will be livestreamed on Facebook Live here.

Watch for our weekly email announcements for info on the next in-person worship service and other opportunities to gather in smaller groups in person. You can sign up for these announcements using this link.

Our October 2021 give-away-the-plate recipient is Together Louisiana.

We will have a virtual coffee hour after the service on Zoom.

While we are remaining physically distant, we want to know how you are doing, what you need, and what you are interested in. You can let us know using these online surveys.

And you can contribute to All Souls using this online resource.

Children and Youth Religious Education Updates

Families — we hear you and realize how done you are with Zoom.

We will continue to watch the local COVID numbers and we feel encouraged by the cooling weather and the possibility of comfortable outdoor activities.

We hope to have more news about future outdoor activities for children and youth soon like today’s Samhain Ritual and Trunk or Treat Celebration.

Follow our website, social media, and email newsletters for details about future events.

Keep the faith.

Meditation with Larry Androes (30 October 2021)

Please join us on Saturday (30 October 2021) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes.

This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching.

The group is free and open to all.

For more information, contact Larry via email or phone using (318) 272-0014.

Children and Youth Religious Education Updates

Families — we hear you and we realize how done you are with Zoom.

Please see the invitation to our all-ages Trunk or Treat celebration on Saturday (30 October 2021) from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. We look forward to getting our families together in person to safely celebrate Samhain and Halloween.

All are also invited to the Samhain ritual at 3:00 PM. You are welcome to use the time between 4 and 5 to decorate your car.

Trunk or Treat Halloween Carnival (30 October 2021)

Please join us on Saturday (30 October 2021) from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for Trunk or Treat — a DIY Halloween carnival.

Members and friends — park your cars in the church parking lot.

Decorate them as simply or elaborately as you please.

Pass out candy and / or small toys for the children who go from car to car collecting their loot.

If you want to host a game or simple craft at your car, you are welcome to do that as well.

Masks are required for everyone who is age 5 or older or enrolled in kindergarten to comply with the Louisiana state mask mandate.

We are also encouraging social distancing to the greatest extent possible for this event.

Costumes and Halloween masks cheerfully encouraged for all ages.

Let’s get back together in person safely.