14 children and 15 adults participated in our first ever secret elf holiday gift giving program. Thanks to all for making this a successful and fun event for everyone involved.

Our pre-school and kindergarten kids have been enjoying learning about the various milestones that get recognized and honored at our church: birth, weddings and memorial services. Elementary aged children did some yoga, guided meditation and made prayer beads and God images as part of our SpiritMagic classes. The Jr. Youth have been enjoying games designed to build trust and community while they have also continued to learn about Christianity.

SNEAK PREVIEW: COMING SOON TO A MAGIC SCHOOL NEAR YOU
Chalice Children: In early February the pre-school and kindergarten class will finish our unit on church as a place where we celebrate life milestones. They will then begin to focus on church as a place where we wonder about things and seek answers.

Magical UU: Our kids in grades 1-6 will participate in Questing, a series of classes related to our 4th Unitarian Universalist principle: free and responsible search for truth and meaning. They will also begin to learn about our 5th principle, which affirms the democratic process.

World Religions: Our Junior Youth will finish their unit on Christianity, visiting St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Sunday, February 4. Next up: Hinduism.

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Thank you to the following teachers and assistants: Ted, Lauren, Jennifer, Barbara, Alan, Hilary, Steve, Karen, Steve, and Leonor.

ONGOING MAGIC
The kids in the religious education program raised a total of $211.31 with the sale of homemade soaps, candles and ornaments. They proudly donated half of that money, in the amount of $105.65, to the church during the worship service on January 21. John, the church treasurer, received the money, and both he and David thanked the kids for their efforts. The remaining money will be donated to a local animal shelter.

As of the most recent count, our church has raised more than $500 for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee as part of the Guest at Your Table program. Stay tuned for the final figures in the next newsletter and on the website.

PLAYGROUP TIME CHANGE
Our Thursday morning playgroup will change its time. Starting in February we will meet from 10:00-11:30. All are invited to join us.

ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Articulating Your U.U. Faith
Ever struggled to tell someone what we believe at our church? David Johnson and Alice Anacheka-Nasemann will co-lead a 5 week curriculum, “Articulating Your UU Faith.” Participants will be given the opportunity to develop personal credo statements and will learn more about and practice articulating the shared Unitarian Universalist values and beliefs. This promises to be personally enriching, but also can help our church to grow. As we become better at articulating our identity, we will be more effective in welcoming and inviting others into our church community. Classes will take place on 5 Tuesday evenings, beginning February 13th from 7:00-8:30. Please note: we will not meet on March 6. A pizza dinner will be available for $1.50 a slice at 6:30. Childcare is provided for all who register in advance. There is a signup sheet in the parish hall or contact Alice at ReligiousEducation@UCMH.org.

HYMNAL SUPPLEMENTS FUNDRAISER: Next Sunday, Feb. 11, the children will sing a hymn for a special additional offering during our worship service. The funds raised in this collection will be used to buy and donate hymnal supplements to the very newly formed Unitarian Universalist congregation of Lowell. Our kids will then create bookplates for the supplements. This is a wonderful opportunity to help support the growth of Unitarian Universalism and to support a sister congregation. Our goal is to raise $520, enough to buy 40 hymnal supplements. Each hymnal supplement costs approximately $13. Please consider bringing some extra cash or a check to donate for this purpose. Any extra funds will be given to the Lowell congregation as an additional cash donation.

GUEST AT YOUR TABLE DONATIONS: Thanks to all who participated in collecting money for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee in their “Guest at Your Table” program. Our total donations were $542.22. This is more than double the amount of contributions in recent years.