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REjuvenation!
Religious Education News - March 2004
REjuvenation! ArchivesA Note from Bonnie
Did you Know…
- That it takes $500,000 a year for Eliot Chapel to exist?
- That a quarter of that income (actually 24%) goes directly to support Religious Education (about $120,000 a year)?
- That Religious Education registration fees bring in about $7,500 a year?
- That 87% of our yearly budget comes directly from pledged contributions of our members and friends ($435,000)?
- That this high percentage of pledges in the budget is a sign of a healthy church; we do not rely on the endowments from the past to function-we make it happen ourselves?!
Our current Religious Education enrollment (nursery through high school) is about 290 children and youth. That means that it takes approximately $421 per child to run our RE program.
I believe Eliot has a strong commitment to Religious Education. I certainly do, as does Joan Casey and Scott Elliott (our Religious Education Staff). Then there's all the volunteers who support the program: 9 RE Committee members, over 100 teachers a year, volunteers who work on the six RE teams (curriculum, children's worship, teacher support, family support, special events, Youth-Adult Committee), volunteers who help out with the Christmas Pageant and the Halloween Secret Pals program, sixth grade GATE partners (one adult partner for every sixth grader at Eliot), and volunteers in Children's Chapel.
No doubt, this is a big program. No doubt, our children are worth all the effort we put into this program. Thank you, all of you RE supporters out there, for your contributions financially to Eliot and in volunteering in RE.
Faithfully,
Rev. Bonnie Vegiard
March RE Calendar
| Mar 7, Sunday |
9:15 Nursery - 5th grade RE classes 10:45 Nursery - Senior High RE classes 8:30 & 10:00 Teacher Coffees (see article) Children K-5 in sanctuary first 15 minutes No Children's Chapel RE Classes as usual |
| Mar 10, Wednesday | 7:00 p.m. Family Support group meets |
| Mar 14, Sunday | Youth Sunday 9:15 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. Junior High puts on the service Children's Chapel & RE Classes as usual Children's Chapel focus: Jesus Walks on Water Led by Jeff Matthews Prelude by Kathie Price & Rich Heuermann |
| Mar 17, Wednesday | 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. GATE service project at SSDN |
| Mar 21, Sunday | Family Worship 9:15 & 10:45 Nursery & Intermediate and 10:45 6th grade, Junior High, & Senior High are in session as usual. For children PreK - 5th grade, teachers will be on hand to take children to Family Worship at 9:20 & 10:50 in Adams Hall if parents choose not to attend Family Worship with their children. (see article) 12 noon RE Committee meeting in Rm 001 |
| Mar 28, Sunday |
Children's Chapel & RE Classes as usual Children's Chapel focus: Moses & the Burning Bush Led by Reverend Bonnie Vegiard Prelude by Robin Lopate |
Mark your calendars for Summer Camp - August 2 - 6. Look for more information in the next issue of REjuvenation!
Teacher Coffees
The Teacher Support group is hosting a coffee for spring teachers on Sunday, March 7 from 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. & 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. There will be refreshments (bagels, donuts, coffee, juice) in Room 001 of the lower level, with child care available next door in Room 002.
Teaching teams are strongly encouraged to meet for curriculum planning, any concerns or problems, or just for team building. Experienced teachers & RE Committee members will be on hand as well.
We hope to see many, if not most, of our spring teachers this morning.
March 21 ~ Family Worship
On Sunday, March 21, we will have our last Family Worship of the church year with Reverend Bonnie in Adams Hall. The focus on this Sunday will be Israel in Captivity. Judy Lindquist will perform the prelude.
As before, it will run concurrently with the adult service in the sanctuary at both hours, beginning at 9:20 & 10:50 a.m. Families are encouraged to attend together, although parents who do not wish to come may drop off their children with designated teachers. Children Prek-1st grade go to room 105 (9:15 K/1st, 10:45 1st grade room) & children 2nd-5th go to room 006 (5th grade room). Children left in the care of teachers will return to the classroom after Family Worship. Parents should pick up their children immediately following the adult service. Of course, we hope most of you will come together as a family. Children in Intermediate and the nursery and youth 6th grade and up will have class as usual.
Note to Parents
Please note our unattended children policy: All children must be supervised by an adult while at Eliot Chapel when RE classes are in session. Children must be supervised at all times in one of the following manners:
- Participate in a Religious Education class
- Under the direct supervision of their parents
- Under the direct supervision of an adult selected by their parent
Children are not allowed to wander the halls or play on the playground without being supervised in one of the previously mentioned ways. This policy was instituted for the safety of our children and to minimize unnecessary disruptions to our RE program.
Meet the RE Committee
Jeff Pack
I am a native New Yorker who came to St. Louis via Washington University & decided to stay after graduation. I met my wife Jane & settled in Wildwood with our children Jordan & Jaime. Jane & I both felt religion was an important part of raising a child, but were not comfortable with my Jewish or Jane's Catholic upbringing. After looking at multiple churches & religions we found Eliot Chapel & Unitarian Universalism. We knew we had found a home at Eliot. My most rewarding experience at Eliot has been teaching in the RE program. I've enjoyed watching the babies I cared for in the nursery grow into young children and being able to say I have had a helping hand in their UU upbringing. I challenge everyone to try teaching an RE class.
Mary Unangst
I have been a member of Eliot Chapel for ten years. I live in Des Peres with my husband Mark & daughters Samantha, 9, & Julia, 6. My interests include tennis & reading. We enjoy belonging to Eliot Chapel & have come to know many special people. Being on the RE Committee has been a great learning experience. I have taught RE at least one semester for the past 5 years. Working with children has been inspiring & teaching is a great way to get to know other members at Eliot.
Lisa (LK) Wilhelms & her husband Paul live in Glendale with their two children Bess & Owen.
Fun & Games
See if you can think of words in the following categories that begin with the letters below:
| H | E | L | P | S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example ~ Cities: | Houston | Enid | London | Paris | Seoul |
| Easter: | |||||
| Passover (Pesach): | |||||
| Spring things: | |||||
| Famous people associate with UU: |
Warning ~ This is hard! You may not think of answers for every one of these categories.
Family Support Group
Are you looking for a fun way to meet fellow Eliot families while contributing to the Chapel? The Family Support Group is looking for volunteers to help make Eliot a more welcoming and supportive environment for families. We have many projects "in the works" that require a variety of talents and time commitments. There is freedom to work on the project(s) that interest you the most!
Some exciting projects for this year and next include:
- Family retreat
- Parenting seminars/speakers
- Family potlucks
- Joy/Sorrow support
- Connecting one-on-one with new members
- Resource Guides
Our next meeting will be March 10, 7:00 p.m. at Eliot. Please contact Tracey Howe-Koch at 314-835-9275 if you have any questions or would like more information. See you there!
Possible answers to Fun & Games
Easter: Holy Week, eggs, lily, parade, Sunday. Passover: Haggadah, Egypt, lambs, plagues, Seder. Spring things: Hollyhocks, Easter, lilacs, pansies, seeds. Famous UUs: Howe (Julia Ward), Emerson (Ralph Waldo), Latimer (Lewis H.), Priestley (Joseph), Sigismund (King John). Your answers may differ.
Raising a UU Child
Our next meeting will be on Sunday, March 14th. The topic is interpreting the holidays with your kids from a UU perspective. Come discuss how to talk about Easter, and any other holidays, with your children from a UU perspective. Join us at 7 p.m. at Hilary Babcock's house (call for directions 314-918-0623).
Did You Know...
...that with your offerings to Children's Chapel during 1st Semester, we were able to donate $466.80 to South Side Day Nursery's incentive program? Their incentive program was created to motivate families in their Early Care Network to set family goals & promote responsibility & self-esteem. Parents earn points by participating in classes that focus on prenatal health, nutrition, & other family related matters. With the points they earn, parents are able to purchase items from a catalogue that offers baby supplies, first aid products, & other personal items. Your money went towards supplying the items in the catalogue. Let's see if we can earn even more this semester!
For More News...
To find out who helped at the Heart & Hand Auction, or which of our kids celebrate birthdays in March, or to find out about our new families, be sure to pick up a copy of REjuvenation! when you next visit Eliot.
This newsletter is a product of the Eliot Chapel Religious Education Department. Please direct any articles, comments, or questions to Joan Casey (Religious Education Director) at 314-821-0911 or at . An article must be submitted no later than the 20th of each month to ensure it appearing in the next issue.
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