Revitalizing UU Women's Groups

Intergenerational Activities

by Reverend Laurie Bushbaum

At First Universalist Church in Minneapolis, we are focusing on developing ways to include children and youth into the life of our church. Here is a sampling of our most successful activities:

Social Action

Several times a year we have family social justice events. These are activities to which everyone in the church is invited. They are planned carefully so that children and youth can be involved in projects that make a difference.

In the fall, through a citywide project, families may buy a coat for a needy child. We also host a scarf day, when we offer polar-fleece and simple patterns for cutting out scarves. The adults and older children generally do the cutting while the children help to make fringe or pin on the pattern. The scarves are donated to a homeless shelter.
In December, as part of our Christmas festival, Joyball Sunday, the children make “joyballs”. Joyballs are made by wrapping small treasures inside layers of red or green crepe paper strips to make balls that are filled with surprises. For many years, the tradition involved children making joyballs for their parents, siblings, or for themselves. Last year, we asked members to donate small personal items to be used in the joyballs. The donations, for residents in shelters, included: small combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, small bottles of shampoo and lotion, candy, socks, gloves, and tiny toys for children. We had anticipated some disappointment with our change of emphasis, but children and adults alike were delighted to prepare a Joyball for someone who really needed it. We made hundreds of Joyballs on that morning.
Our children take collections in their classrooms and at the beginning of each Sunday school year. They decide where their offering will go: to the local food shelf, Animal Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, or for another special project.

Welcome Home Wednesdays

Our church has had several different versions of monthly family potluck events. Usually, the monthly event has included the following:

Entering activity such as pumpkin carving or making valentines
Blessing before the meal or a short worship and/or story after dinner.
Closing song

We have recently changed our format to fit six-week blocks: one session in the fall, one during winter, and one in the spring. We are constantly revising these events to be more inviting to families with children. One recently proposed plan would utilize themes: a game night where children would bring their favorite games; another evening would include art activities for all ages; one evening might be a sing-along; another would include a social justice service project. We are a large congregation and can, therefore, call on the various committees of the church to contribute their expertise or to “sponsor” an evening.

Reverend Laurie Bushbaum is minister of youth and families at First Universalist Church in Minneapolis. She is mom to Elliot and Alice.