I don’t know about you, but I think that the coming of Spring brings excitement and maybe a little bit of dread as well. I love that the days are getting longer, the sun brighter and higher in the sky. Our sugaring season is nearly over (it was a good year for tapping trees, it turns out!) and the snow’s almost gone from our yard. We can nearly see the end of the school year in sight, with no more snow days anticipated and celebrations being planned.
But…holey moley…is there ever a lot going on at Follen Church! There was a fabulous coffeehouse, put on by members of FUUY, to raise funds for their Gulf Coast trip. Thank you to all who participated! There was a terrific panel discussion, “Meet a Bisexual You May Already Know,” put on by a multi-age panel of Follenites through the support of the Welcoming Congregation Team, that was well attended and applauded by those in attendance.
Meanwhile, many details are being finalized for the service learning trip that 25 FUUY youth will take this year to New Orleans, beginning April 16th. And the Coming of Age year is nearing its culmination, with a retreat to Friendly Crossways in Harvard, MA, scheduled for April 29th and 30th, and followed, in May, by two wonderful Coming of Age celebratory services. Later in May our FUUY youth expect to be going into Boston to work with the CityReach program operated by the Common Cathedral, which ministers to Boston’s homeless and mentally ill population for a hands-on experience in living our UU values of helping one another.
And, of course, our RE classes continue, along with seasonal celebrations of Easter (two services on April 16!) and just before it, Passover. Last week, in my column, “Come Anyway,” I encouraged families to make religious education programs a priority here at church – even in the midst of the business of life. This is not only the place where music and operetta take place (great as those things are), it’s also the place where religious growth and learning occur, when we show up and join one another in classrooms and programs and multi-age activities.
Spring has sprung, all right, and the great thing is that Follen will be here in all types of weather, offering programs and learning to support each of us through all the phases of our life. I hope to see you in church!
Faithfully,
Deb
Deborah Weiner
Interim Director of Religious Education