This time every year, we begin the process of closing out the regular religious education year. The groups that have gathered since September will not be the same when we begin again next September. The Senior High group will welcome rising freshmen, havingn said "goodbye"to this year’s seniors. The Middle School group will glimpse its oldest members across the hall in the senior high room and will make room for rising fifth graders as they get comfortable in their new digs. Some years the Religious Education Committee reconfigures the age ranges in the various groups so that no groups are too large or too small. (For the coming year, we have a bumper crop of five year olds, and we are wondering whether they will all fit in the Spirit Play group.)

This time every year, we thank our Religious Education Leaders, those who have met week after week with our young people throughout the school year. They will take a much-deserved rest from June through August. Some of them will choose to serve as leaders again next year. Some will not, so their teams will likely not be the same next September either. The Religious Education Committee Liaisons for each group are making plans for end-of-year meetings with each RE Leader Team. We will reflect on what we have done in order to deepen our work. What are the favorite memories from this year? What balls got dropped? How might we all communicate better?

On May 23, we will recognize these exceptional ORUUC Leaders in worship. I invite everyone in the congregation to join the Religious Education Committee in affirming the good work our RE Leaders have done this year and to thank them.

May 30 will be our last day of regular Religious Education classes. It will be a day to reflect together on the year, just as Leaders have done with the Religious Education Committee and me. What do we need to do more of?...less of?....instead of? What memories did we make this year? What are we looking forward to next year? I urge each family to have discussions of this sort at home as well. How has each person experienced this church year. What stands out? What do we wish we had done differently as a family? What do we hope for next year? I welcome your sharing your thoughts with me or any member of the Religious Education Committee. Our church life is what we make it. Sharing how you and your children experience ORUUC can help us figure out together how to make our ORUUCian experiences more meaningful.

June 6 marks the beginning of Summer Sundays. We will have Nursery, Preschool, and Elementary Groups each Sunday, and Middle and High School youth will attend worship instead of meeting with their groups. The three younger RE groups will be lead by friends and members of ORUUC who are not regular Religious Education Leaders. Jil Smith is our Summer Sundays Schedule Coordinator. Many of you have already received an email from me asking you to spend one or preferably two Sundays with one of our RE groups. You may contact Jil to get on the schedule. You will receive class plans in advance; your part is showing up and being present for that hour to hour and a half for which you are scheduled. Summer Sundays are a time when you can test the waters to see if serving as an RE Leader would be a way to share your talents at ORUUC. Summer Sundays are a time when you can help in RE without making a huge commitment of time and energy. Thanks to everyone who contacts Jil and who takes a turn or two this summer.

Earlier in the year, I shared my intentions to seek ordination as a Unitarian Universalist minister. One of the requirements for ministry is a unit (~400 hours) of clinical pastoral education. I will be serving as an intern chaplain at UT-Hospital, beginning May 24. My internship concludes August 6. I will be working 8am-4:30 pm M-F--visiting with patients and families, offering prayers and presence, and reflecting on my experiences in order to learn as much as I can about ministering to and with people during times of sadness and crisis. I have been advised to be tentative at this point as to how much I will work at the church this summer--to wait and see how the chaplaincy experience is for me. I plan to be at church May 30 and June 6 (unless I am on call at the hospital one of those weekends.) The Religious Education Committee members are planning to have two greeters present on those Sundays when I am not at church. And, Rainbow Camp, set for June 14-18, is in great shape. Susan Rosenbaum is taking my place as Co-Leader with Bob Grimac, and many people are planning to lend a hand that week. I predict it will be the best Rainbow Camp, ever!

ORUUC Religious Education has a healthy, vibrant life of its own, independent of my leadership and presence. All is well and all will be well. I am blessed and honored to serve as your Director of Religious Education, and I deeply appreciate your support as I work to become a minister. I promise to bring back to my work among you all of who I am when I return from my time at UT-Hospital.

In faithful and fruitful partnership,
Tandy