February may be the shortest month of the year, but it gives us so much. Punxsutawney Phil makes his annual prediction on Groundhog Day, February 2nd (get ready for six more weeks of winter this year). Valentine’s Day is on the 14th, bringing candy hearts and an abundance of chocolate. We celebrate Black and African American History and February is also recognized as American Heart Month. This month, we have several announcements, opportunities, and updates for Religious Education as well. May your days be filled with kindness, peace, and, of course, love.

Blessings,

LaToya Bates

Director of Religious Education

Unitarian Church North

Kids, looking for something to do on a Friday night? Want to get out of the house, get time with your friends, have some fun? Come to UCN, Friday, February 17th for a Galantines Day Kids Night Out. Food and games start at 5:30pm. Let your adults know you want to come to Kids Night Out.

Parents, what would you do if the kids were out of the house for a few hours? Nap? Eat a full meal? Maybe even shower without an interruption? Sound good? Bring the kiddos to Kids Night Out at UCN. We’re kicking off Kids Night Out with a Galantines Day party. Drop off is from 5:30-6pm. We’ll feed them dinner, make crafts, play games, decorate cookies and you get to pick them up exhausted and ready for bed at 8pm.

Registration closes Feb 15th at 6pm. Click here to register. Questions? Contact RE Director, LaToya Bates at DRE@UCNorth.org.

FAQ

What does this cost?

Volunteers, snacks, and donations are appreciated, but Kids Night Out is free. Please contact LaToya at DRE@UCNorth.org if you would like to volunteer or contribute.

Do I have to be a member of UCN or do my kids need to be enrolled in RE?

Kids night out is for all families, members or not. Kids don’t need to be enrolled in RE, but if they aren’t, they’re missing out. To learn more about RE programming, visit UCNorth.org/allthingsre/ or contact our RE Director, LaToya at DRE@UCNorth.org. If you would like to learn more about UCN membership, contact Dan Lusk (262-234-94106), Membership Chair, Rosa Gomez (414-628-1051), or our minister, Reverend Tony Larsen (262-375-3890).

So, can other kids come?

All families must pre-register with the names and ages of the children that will participate. UCN is hosting Kids Night Out to help support families and children in our community. Friends, cousins, neighbors, and others are welcome. If you have a last-minute addition that didn’t pre-register prior to the registration deadline, contact LaToya at DRE@UCNorth.org.

According to Unitarian Universalist Association, “Our Whole Lives (OWL) helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, sexual health, and behavior. With a holistic holistic approach (PDF), Our Whole Lives provides accurate, developmentally appropriate information about a range of topics, including relationships, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, sexual health, and cultural influences on sexuality.” LaToya Bates and Emily Bunzel completed OWL training in January. They are certified to teach kindergarten through first grade and fourth through sixth grade. We are looking to launch OWL classes at UCN this fall. Click here to join the OWL Steering Committee to determine next steps and help implement OWL at UCN. Email DRE@UCNorth.org or visit www.uua.org/re/owl for more information.

The theme for Camp UCN is survival. Camp dates are Thursday, June 22nd from 5:30-8pm, Friday, June 23rd from 5:30-8pm and Saturday, June 24th 9am-3pm. Join us, then, for Sunday service on June 25th, at 10am. Campers will share their camp experience with the congregation. Camp is free. Registration starts soon.

In January, our K4-4th grade class had a flower ceremony. This helped us celebrate our differences and learn the role of rituals. Our little people made and exchanged tissue paper flowers which they took home as reminders of our time together. On February 5th, K4-fourth grade will learn about our UU history. On the 19th, we’ll talk about the fourth principle and the belief that each person is free to search for what is true and right in life.

Our World Religions class continues to study Christianity. Patrick Brown, former UCN Board President, was our guest speaker on January 15th. He led a discussion about the Roman Catholic faith and importance of studying World Religions.

Our class is visiting St. Monica Catholic Church in Whitefish Bay. We will gather at UCN at 9:30 AM on February 5th and then travel to St Monica’s, arriving at 10AM. The address is 5681 N Santa Monica Blvd, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217. We will attend Mass from 10:15 to 11:00AM and then stay for a tour plus Q and A for about 30 minutes. We should return to UCN at 11:45 AM. Please contact Betsy Muellenbach if you would like to join the group. (betsy.muellenbach@gmail.com).

In Feb. we're continuing our unit on spirituality, including discussions about prayer and spiritual practices, as well as the rituals of the UU faith. This Sunday our guest will be Katie Bruhy, an archeologist who will talk about her (and fellow archeologist husband Mark's) research on cultural foundations and spiritual traditions of Native peoples in relation to sacred sites. COA students are developing a personal credo and continue to explore their current values, faith identity and beliefs.