Category Archives for "Religious Exploration"

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Religious Exploration News – November 5, 2024

Posted Date: 07 November 2024 | Mary Shaw

Families, it’s already time to prepare for our Winter Solstice musical, which will be featured in our next intergenerational service on December 22nd! If your child is interested in participating, we would like you to commit to attending the following Sundays, December 1, 8, and 15, where they will learn and rehearse their parts. On […]

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Religious Exploration News – October 17, 2024

Posted Date: 15 October 2024 | Mary Shaw

Religious Exploration Program Updates: Special Service and Volunteer Recognition We are looking forward to our Intergenerational service on October 27th; there will be no RE classes that morning. We have planned some fun ways to engage our littlest congregants during the Day of Remembrance service. If your family has lost a loved one (human or […]

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Religious Explorations News – October 10, 2024

Posted Date: 11 October 2024 | Mary Shaw

Religious Explorations News We currently have 20 children and 5 youth enrolled in our weekly programming. It’s never too late to enroll your children! Please use this enrollment form before they will be joining one of our classes (Nursery-5th grade). We still need volunteers for all age groups in order to have a robust team, […]

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Religious Exploration News – October 6, 2024

Posted Date: 06 October 2024 | Mary Shaw

  We currently have twenty children and five youth enrolled in our weekly programming. It’s never too late to enroll your children! Please use this enrollment form before they join one of our classes (Nursery Through 5th grade). We still need volunteers for all age groups to have a robust team, and the most pressing […]

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New Beginnings: Our RE Program Kicks Off with Fresh Spaces and Happy Faces!

Posted Date: 19 September 2024 | Mary Shaw

Exciting news about our Religious Exploration program! Our wonderful RE Director, Leslie Harvey, got a head start on sprucing up the basement classrooms in late August. Thanks to the generous support of the FUSD board and the Utter Fund, we’ve been able to add some new furniture. We added tables and chairs in the primary […]

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Leslie Harvey

Introducing Leslie Harvey

Posted Date: 07 August 2024 | Mary Shaw

Leslie Harvey, the new Director of Family Ministry and Inclusion at the First Unitarian Society of Denver, recently shared a brief introduction about her background and passion for her new role. With 32 years of experience in elementary education, Leslie has worked with underserved and at-risk youth in various locations, including Los Angeles, Mexico, and […]

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A person pressing a button on a help me sign, seeking spiritual service.

I Am Bad at Asking for Help

Posted Date: 04 November 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

I Am Bad At Asking For HelpMaybe you are as well?  Or, if you are not bad at it, perhaps you made a conscious choice to get better at asking for help, or were taught from a young age how to ask for and receive help.  Wherever you are in the “asking for help journey”, […]

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One way out is through community scrabble tiles.

Embracing Possibilities

Posted Date: 05 August 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Embracing PossibilitiesThis will be an uncertain year.  I am certain about that much.  Our ritual ingathering service this Sunday marks the beginning of our second year to begin again in times of Covid.  Throughout the difficulties presented by virtual church, I’ve been aware of the tension between grief and hope day to day, and how […]

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A man meditating on a black and white rug at a church service.

Spiritual Practice Makes…

Posted Date: 05 August 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Spiritual Practice Makes…Let’s try an experiment.  Keep your eyes open.  Extend the index finger on each hand and hold your fingers parallel to the horizon, elbows pointed out to the sides.  Bring the fingers up to eyelevel, adjust your focus, and then bring the index fingers together until your fingertips touch.  Refocus. Practice. Do it […]

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A man meditating on a black and white rug at a church service.

Between Too Much and Not Enough

Posted Date: 01 July 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Between Too Much and Not EnoughI’ve been reminded of explorers and adventurers relying on the stars, their best equipment and knowledge to set out into the unknown with the hopes of safe passage and arrival at a new destination. Some of us are still wary of large gatherings, some of us are beyond ready to […]

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A group of friends making a heart on the beach at sunset, showing their sense of Community and Justice.

Our COVID Year

Posted Date: 03 June 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Our COVID YearWhen we began our church year in the fall of 2020, we had already adjusted to online worship.  Religious Exploration staff experimented with programmatic offerings, and overall, it was a relatively quiet year. Our youth program continued to meet online.  Both the Middle School and High School groups met regularly with their volunteer […]

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A group of friends making a heart on the beach at sunset, showing their sense of Community and Justice.

Keeping a Sense of Awe

Posted Date: 01 April 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Keeping a Sense of Awe“Children see magic because they look for it.” – Author Christopher Moore“Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun” – Journalist and Author Mignon McLaughlinThe pandemic has been a stress across generations, even for those resilient and emerging children and youth who will be forever impacted by the […]

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A crowd at a concert making a heart shape with their hands, displaying the spiritual connection among individuals.

The Warmth of Ritual

Posted Date: 04 March 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

The Warmth of RitualLast night after dinner, as I sat at the table talking over the day with Jason, my four-year-old slid quietly away from the table and headed into a room of our house that we’ve repurposed during the pandemic.  Our two boys decided to share a room, feeling comforted by someone else being […]

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A woman standing in front of a mural that represents justice.

Each and Every Day

Posted Date: 04 February 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Each and Every DayFebruary is Black History Month.  It is also the shortest month of the year.  So how do we honor black history makers, while recognizing that black history is relevant 365 days a year?  Can we make a February gesture without legitimizing the idea that black history is an aside to our shared […]

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A woman standing in front of a mural that represents justice.

Show Up in Love

Posted Date: 07 January 2021 | Erin Kenworthy

Show Up in Love“I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river, I’ve got peace like a river in my soul…” We have arrived surely into the year 2021.  It is here.  I’ve pinched myself just to be sure this is not a dream, even though recently, my sleeping dreams have been […]

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A puzzle with an image of Yellowstone Lake, showcasing the beauty of nature.

A Few Missing Pieces

Posted Date: 03 December 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

A Few Missing PiecesThree days ago, in a grasp at normal family time fun, the kids asked if we could do a 500 piece puzzle.  So the boys and dad poured it onto the kitchen table and started sorting.After an hour they abandoned it.  So I picked up where they left off… starting on the […]

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A woman in a black dress standing in front of a blackboard, embodying spiritual and service.

Waiting Is Not Easy

Posted Date: 05 November 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

Waiting Is Not EasyWaiting is not easy!  Mo Willems, a prolific children’s author, reminds us that waiting is really, really hard to do.  I bought this book about 5 weeks into the pandemic for my kids, and myself, as a reminder that the pandemic would eventually pass.  Yet here we are, still waiting for the […]

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A woman in a black dress standing in front of a blackboard, embodying spiritual and service.

Elect to Teach Our Children

Posted Date: 01 October 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

Locate Your Grace“To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness.” – Edgar Allan PoeIt’s fall.  Again.  It feels as though it’s still March in so many ways.  But, nearly seven months have come and passed.  We’ve been subjected to the many great failures of our […]

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A woman standing in a room with a hula hoop, showcasing her UU spiritual values and commitment to service.

Locate Your Grace

Posted Date: 03 September 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

Locate Your GraceDearest FUSD community, I am writing to you at an unconventional time.  It is 5:30 am and I am not a morning person.  I’m up because I’ve not really caught much sleep tonight anyway, and so it seems as good a time as any to write a bit about where we are as […]

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A woman standing in a room with a hula hoop, showcasing her UU spiritual values and commitment to service.

When Did You Last Laugh?

Posted Date: 30 July 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

Breaking Up with Social MediaOr trying to.  Maybe considering it.  Someday.Hi.  My name is Erin, and I have a problem.  I’m addicted to social media.  At first, it was the bulletin boards of AOL, then, sharing songs over a shared network.  Then it grew to having a profile on Myspace, broadcasting my love of Broadway to anyone […]

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A Spiritual neon sign with a heart on it.

Breaking Up with Social Media

Posted Date: 10 June 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

Breaking Up with Social MediaOr trying to.  Maybe considering it.  Someday.Hi.  My name is Erin, and I have a problem.  I’m addicted to social media.  At first, it was the bulletin boards of AOL, then, sharing songs over a shared network.  Then it grew to having a profile on Myspace, broadcasting my love of Broadway to anyone […]

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Family together at sunset

Building Memories…

Posted Date: 30 April 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

Building Memories…“There are places I’ll rememberAll my life, though some have changedSome forever, not for betterSome have gone, and some remainAll these places had their momentsWith lovers and friends, I still can recallSome are dead, and some are livingIn my life, I’ve loved them all”  -John Lennon 1965 The Beatles released this song in 1965, since […]

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What Will You Create?

Posted Date: 02 April 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

What Will You Create?How are you doing in this moment?  Check in with your body, go ahead. This column can wait.  What emotions are present?  Where do you feel each one in your body?  How is your heart feeling today? What do you need?  Listen to the wisdom in your body.We’ve entered unprecedented times, my friends.  […]

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Honest, Direct and Respectful

Posted Date: 02 March 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

​Honest, Direct and Respectful​by Erin Kenworthy, Director of Religious ExplorationWinter is a time for slowing down, internal renewal, rest, and reflection.  As a congregation, we’ve been engaged in re-covenanting with each other, examining what our agreements are when we are together, and participating in the process of building our covenant in this community.  I love […]

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A woman is sitting in front of a brick wall, contemplating justice.

Emotional and Social School

Posted Date: 07 February 2020 | Erin Kenworthy

“This is not school, the learning that happen here is not academic. It’s emotional and it’s social. Everything that happens in our classes is secondary and important.”-Erin Kenworthy Share0 Tweet0 Share0 To share this story, please click on the social media badges above. If you are not already logged into your account(s) you might be […]

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Welcome To Our Congregation

Posted Date: 07 February 2020 | Glenn Barrows

“We are so glad that you and your family decided to check our congregation out. Welcome to our congregation and thank you for being here.”-Erin Kenworthy Share0 Tweet0 Share0 To share this story, please click on the social media badges above. If you are not already logged into your account(s) you might be prompted to […]

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A woman is sitting in front of a brick wall, contemplating justice.

How To Join Us?

Posted Date: 07 February 2020 | Glenn Barrows

“Look online and check out our children and family section on the website. Or just come and visit us. We have plenty of folks ready to greet you.”-Erin Kenworthy Share0 Tweet0 Share0 To share this story, please click on the social media badges above. If you are not already logged into your account(s) you might […]

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A man in a Hawaiian shirt sitting in front of a brick wall at a community gathering.

I Found Love

Posted Date: 06 February 2020 | Glenn Barrows

“I found this place and I’ve been in love with it ever since.”-Eddy Carroll Share0 Tweet0 Share0 To share this story, please click on the social media badges above. If you are not already logged into your account(s) you might be prompted to login to them.  Click Social Badges To Share This Story On Your […]

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