"Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." - Mary Oliver
Dear Families,
As the days continue to shorten and the Christmas season is upon us, we are starting our December Soul Matters theme as a congregation: wonder. It's a natural theme for this season — perhaps we are wondering about the miracle of birth and life as we think about the Christ child or the miracle of light as we anticipate the lengthening of the days. As parents and caregivers, we may be wondering about our relationship to "Santa" and the "Elf on a Shelf," to consumerism and to holiday magic, and to our own holiday memories and making new ones.
If you have access to Spotify, you can listen to the Soul Matters "Wonder" Playlist or find it here on YouTube.
Lastly, if you're wondering how you might help out with our LSE Program, please see below for many opportunities to volunteer. It takes a lot of helping hands to make our programs run smoothly.
In faith,
Rowan Van Ness, CRE, MDiv
ucm.dre@gmail.com
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Upcoming Sundays at a Glance
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12/4
Pre/K Group continues meeting in Small Classroom
Elementary Group explores the theme of "Wonder" in Children's Chapel
12/11
Pre/K Group continues meeting in Small Classroom
Elementary Group explores the theme of "Wonder" in Children's Chapel
11:30-12:30 Middle School Gathering
12/18
All Ages No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant during Worship.
All ages are welcome to come dressed as a shepherd, a wise person, or an angel to join the fun! We'll have some additional items to help those without costumes join in.
12/24
4:30PM Family Christmas Service
5:30PM A time of sharing in Christmas cheer in the vestry. Cider provided.
6:30PM Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols
12/25 & 1/1
Worship services led by Worship & Arts Team.
No LSE programs or nursery care provided.
Children are welcome in the Sanctuary or Fireplace Room with their families.
1/8
Pre/K Group moves to "Preschool Classroom," between the kitchen & vestry.
Elementary Group resumes Spiritual Exploration in the Children's Chapel.
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Our No Rehearsal Christmas Pageant
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Please join us for our annual No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant on Sunday Dec 18th. We need some helpers to make our No-Rehearsal Pageant run smoothly.
Specifically, we're seeking:
- Costume Preppers to look through our costume supply and see if any pieces need a little repair or replacement
- Costume Captains to help distribute costumes on 12/18
- Some Lead Roles (especially older youth or adults), including:
- Lead Shepherd;
- Lead Angel;
- Lead Wise Person; and
- the Star.
All roles are gender non-specific. Please let Rowan know if you can help with one of these roles.
--> We will also need MANY people to come participate as shepherds, angels, and wise people, to join in the pageant, following the direction of the leads of each role. Dress up in your own costumes if you have them, or borrow something from the costume box!
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It takes our whole community to make our Spiritual Exploration programs work. Now that we're back in the building, we could really use your help! Please consider some of the following ways to get involved. To work directly with children and youth, you need to have been involved with the congregation for at least 6 months, though there are many other ways to help out as well.
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UCM Nursery
Each Sunday, adult and youth staff care for the youngest people in our congregation, unless otherwise posted. Infants and toddlers (roughly 0-2 years old) can be dropped off at the nursery room beginning at 9:45am. Please pick up your children immediately following the service. Children are always welcome to accompany their parents and caregivers in the sanctuary or fireplace room, if you prefer.
We could use additional high school staff and adult (21+) subs for the nursery, to cover when our usual providers are not available. Would you be willing?
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Preschool/Kindergarten (Pre/K) Room!
We have been thrilled to see so many kids in this age group come to UCM, so we have *just* started a group for them! Learn more about our teaching team. Please feel welcome to accompany your child/ren to this room as they get comfortable with their new group. We are meeting in the Small Classroom across from the Children's Chapel in November and December, and moving to the downstairs "Preschool Room" in January.
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Elementary Ages - Holiday Crafts! Wonder!
The last week in November, this group will continue making crafts for the Holiday Fair coming up December 1st and 2nd. Then we will pivot to exploring December's theme of "Wonder." 1st-8th grades welcome!
We could use support in prepping materials and cleaning up after a session each week. We also are constantly looking for people to provide snack on a weekly basis. Additionally, having someone a little tech savvy to create a sign-up genius for these tasks would be oh-so-helpful!
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Middle School
We had a wonderful gathering this past Sunday, 11/20, with six middle schoolers. We brainstormed what they might be interested in doing this year. Many of them are enjoying attending the worship services but would also like a little time dedicated to themselves. We're planning to meet once a month during the service and once a month after services. They're most interested in cooking (to feed themselves and others—whether for coffee hour or for those living in shelters etc), learning more about how the congregation works (tour of the organ, lesson on floral arranging, intro to how the technology team does their stuff), volunteering around the congregation, and making a mural.
I'm hoping to find a person or two to help schedule and shepherd this self-guided, enthusiastic group. Might this interest you?
We also want to offer the popular Our Whole Lives (OWL) comprehensive sexuality education program for our 8th and 9th graders this year. Nationally, this is the most popular and in depth level of the program, supporting youth in deepening friendships with each other while learning the knowledge and skills to support healthy relationships. We have a teaching team, and having someone help coordinate the logistics (scheduling, snacks, etc.) would help get this off the ground. Is this a way you could help?
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 High School
Youth in 9th-12th grades (or equivalent) meet a couple times a month for Youth Group. They engage in community building, justice, outings, and more! Be in touch with Elizabeth Peebles and Susan Koch for more information.
We would welcome a third adult to join the High School Youth Group leadership team, if you'd like to get to know our youth!
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Office Hours
Wednesday, 12/14, 3:30-5pm
Stop by Rabble-Rouser Chocolate and Craft Co. on Main St in Montpelier to chat informally with Rowan.
Name Tags
Please stop by the vestry and have your children pick up their name tags before the service begins. Need a name tag? Stop by the LSE table and let someone know. Adult name tags can be requested at the hospitality table.
Christmas Eve Services - Seeking Brass Players
Steve Finner is looking for someone who plays trumpet, French horn, and/or trombone who has been playing at least 3 years and can read and play from the Christmas Carol section of Singing The Living Tradition. He anticipates two or three rehearsals at the church and can be reached at finnerstephen@gmail.com.
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