As we begin another trip around the sun, new and exciting things are brewing in some of our classrooms. On any given week, Religious Exploration for Children and Youth has all kinds of opportunities for learning and growth, and is a place where your heart can speak. Beginning in February, your opportunities to share something that’s near and dear to your heart with our children will increase exponentially! We will be combining 1st-4th grades during the 11:15 service. As a part of that change, we will have a guest presenter most weeks who will share something they love or would love to teach to a group of eager learners. What is it in your life that brings you joy and that you’d like to share with our children? Is there a family tradition or game or story that you’d like to share as a family? How can you share your joy and love with our children in a Sunday classroom setting? Members of our multigenerational community – our whole community – can get involved as many times as they’d like over the course of the year. I would love to work together with you to bring your passion to our children!

This new classroom structure will be known as Labyrinth Learning and is modeled after classes of the same name being held for children in several other UU congregations in the Pacific Northwest. My colleagues and I are combining resources and sharing and developing ideas together to make our classrooms the best environment possible for exploration and discovery. BUUF’s weekly Labyrinth Learning classroom will be built around the monthly theme and/or that Sunday’s sermon. There will be various stations that the children can choose to participate in. Every week, there will be a “make something” station, an “ideas” station, a “move and make noise” station, and a dedicated space for quiet activities such as reading and drawing. Our guest presenters will be at one of these stations depending on what they’re sharing that week. The possibilities are endless!

Come celebrate what is great about our community and your life with our children! We look forward to spending time with you and building bonds of friendship and shared experience. May it be so.