Rev. Shawn and Kiersten Moore have been having conversations over the past two years about rebuilding the core of multigenerational community and spiritual life at VanU post-pandemic. Once a person of any age connects with the message, principles, and values of Unitarian Universalism, what compels them to put down roots and call a congregation a home? Some key elements are:
- community
- friendships
- deep connections
- a sense of belonging
With modern demands on family life it is hard to find families together here on any given Sunday. Often parents, children, and younger adults are missing each other and missing out on building peer friendships. Peer friendships contribute to belonging and also are fertile ground for deep intergenerational friendships.
We plan to experiment next fall with a shorter, intentionally all ages worship on the First Sunday of each month (October through May) followed by food and programming afterwards for adults, children, and youth to go deeper together in a variety of ways. We will continue to talk about the details of what this will look like before we move into summer, but the broad goals of this experiment are to:
- Make it easy for families to attend one Sunday a month together
- Feed bodies, hearts, and spirits
- Provide deep exploration and learning opportunities for adults, children, and youth to engage with Unitarian Universalism
- Foster intergenerational connections
- Fill up with joy and fun!
Core registered programs for children and youth will continue the rest of the month; including youth group, Crossing Paths, Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.), and Coming of Age. Worship on the second through fifth Sundays will proceed as usual and children will be supported and engaged by Lifespan staff and volunteers in Hewett Centre and the Sanctuary.
Any questions about this experiment can be directed to either Rev. Shawn, shawn[at]vanu.ca, or Kiersten, kiersten[at]vanu.ca.
Thank you for being on this journey!