What impact, if any, do you think this program will have on your life going forward? What impact, if any, do you think this program will have on your congregation going forward? SESSION 1: LOVE SURROUNDS US SESSION OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love. — Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Catholic nun and missionary This first session makes kindergartners and first graders aware of their capacity to "do small things with great love." They learn that they are each an instrument of love in the world as they get to know each other and discover the strength of the word "love" in this beloved community. Love Surrounds Us connects the love inside the Unitarian Universalist Principles with the love children can find and create in their beloved communities. Through story, activities, and relationships, children come to understand how they are uniquely fashioned to feel loved, as well as to surround others with love. GOALS This session will: Teach that we each bring love and receive love in this world Explore the word "love" as it applies to our beloved communities Experience the UU chalice as a symbol of love in relationship. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Participants will: Learn the theme song "Love Surrounds Me" Connect love to themselves and others Discover the strength of the word "love." SESSION-AT-A-GLANCE Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 10 Activity 1: Love Surrounds Us Song 10 Activity 2: Story — The Wise Sailimai, A Muslim Tale from China 20 Activity 3: The Love Bowl 15 Faith in Action: Love Notes 20 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Mapping the Community 15 Alternate Activity 2: Love Is... 15 Alternate Activity 3: Helping Hands Chart 15 SPIRITUAL PREPARATION "Love" is a word that surrounds adults in both joy and pain. Think about your journey with the word love. Write the word in both cursive and print on a piece of paper. Center your mind on places where love has caused pain in your life. Center your mind on places where love has brought joy to your life. Through all these times, love remains strong. SESSION PLAN
visit them in New York. In those days, Universalist preachers would travel to places where there were no churches and have gatherings for people interested in hearing about Universalism. One of the Stacy children, Nathaniel, grew up listening to these traveling preachers on his family's farm. Eventually, Nathaniel was old enough to decide what he wanted to do when he grew up. He was interested in Universalism but not really that excited about riding a horse all around and then standing on a tree stump to preach to small crowds. It turned out, though, that Nathaniel was really good at public speaking. A Universalist minister friend of his encouraged him to be a preacher. So in 1803, Nathaniel became a Universalist preacher. He hopped on a horse and travelled around the country, preaching to those who would invite him to their farms. After each sermon, people would pass around a hat and put money into it to pay the preacher. Sometimes the preacher and his horse were invited to stay in someone's house or barn. Sometimes Nathaniel slept outside with a blanket. Sometimes people fed the horse and the preacher and sometimes Nathaniel would find things to eat out in the wild forests. Nathaniel travelled through New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. At times, he would have to travel two hundred miles to speak to people. When he was much older, Nathaniel would remember his time travelling with his horse. He told stories about not getting enough money to feed both him and his horse, so what do you think he would do then? Sometimes he would feed the horse, and go hungry. Nathaniel wrote his stories down and tried to explain why he continued to lead such a hard life as a minister who never got to sleep at home, never got enough to eat, and had to be out in bad weather. He explained that he did it because someone had to. He felt it was so important for the Universalist ideas about love and acceptance to be spread in the new country of America, that he was willing to give up his comfort to make sure there would always be a religion called Universalism. He thought preaching Universalism was like "planting a seed" and the Universalist churches that were built were the "crops." In those long ago days, many other Universalists and Unitarians lived like Nathaniel did to spread their religion. Aren't we lucky they did—or we might not have our church today!