ORUCC July Children and Youth News

ORUCC Children and Youth

Faith Formation Update

July 2025

Dear Families,

We hope this email finds you well within the rhythm of summer. Perhaps you’ve been enjoying late nights, long days at the pool, and time with family, friends, and nature. Perhaps you are reading this while relaxing at Moon Beach with other ORUCC families. Or, perhaps your rhythm is a day-to-day adventure, and you are just focusing on the here and now.

Just as your family rhythms change in the warmer months, our children and youth programming enters a different rhythm as well. For the rest of the summer, we’ll be coming to your inbox once a month with updates. There is no 9:00 a.m. faith formation for the summer, but there are still exciting things happening for kids’ at ORUCC!

Please scroll down for a home prayer and to be kept in the know of upcoming events (including a family picnic next week at Garner Park!)

~Pastor Kate and Julie M.

Children’s Sunday

Summer Programming

There is no 9:00 a.m. faith formation or regular nursery care during the summer. Our children and youth music programs will also take a break (TRU Function and Music Connections).

However, throughout the summer there are special opportunities for children’s participation during 10:00 a.m. worship. On the 2nd and 4th Sundays, we will will have special events or “Kids in the Kitchen,” for children ages 5 years old and up (younger children my participate with a caregiver present). Kids in the Kitchen is an opportunity to hear a Bible story and have fellowship with other children and adult volunteers as the kids make a snack to share with the congregation following worship.

Throughout the summer, on the 1st and 3rd Sundays, we will have a nursery care provider available in the Crossroads to offer “supported childcare” for young ones.

July Events

July 6, Supported Childcare 9:30-11:30 in the Crossroads with Najma. This service allows parents of children ages 0-5 to socialize and engage in the service, but encourages parents to stay nearby to assist their child, as well. 

NEW! July 10 (Thursday) 5:30-7:30, Family Picnic at Garner Park Upper Shelter Come join us for an all-ages, intergenerational, family-style picnic in the park! Join members of our Youth Faith Formation Team (YFF) at Garner Park Upper Shelter on Thursday, July 10, 5:30-7:30 pm. Bring a sack dinner for your family and join others for conversation, playtime, and an icy treat. Yard games welcome!

July 13, Kids in the Kitchen with Sara and Marcia ”Kids in the Kitchen” is our yearly summer enrichment program. During worship, children ages 6 and older (ages 5 and younger must be accompanied by a caregiver) will be invited to hear a nature-themed story and make a snack to serve after worship.

July 20, Supported Childcare 9:30-11:30 in the Crossroads with Najma.

July 27, Kids in the Kitchen with Kate and another adult, TBD!

At Orchard Ridge, we are Spiritually Alive!

Youth Service Trip

June 15-21 to Kansas City

Pastor Kate, three adult chaperones (Rob, Kristen, Dan) and one “camp cook” (Gavin) accompanied 13 youth from ORUCC on a week long service and learning trip to Kansas City, MO. We learned about many different justice issues and how they come together to impact the community, such as the history of redlining in Kansas City, worker justice, food systems, and more.

The youth served at meaningful work sites (such as rolling 1200 burritos that they then served for dinner to neighbors experiencing homelessness) and grew in faith and fellowship.

We are so grateful for the support of the ORUCC community who helps make this trip possible for our youth!

Intergenerational Pen-Pals Project

If you signed up for our pen pals project this summer, be on the lookout in the mail for a letter from your partner. How are your letters going? Feel free to reach out to Julie or Kate if you need any assistance or letter-writing ideas.

Parents Together Support Group: Summer Edition Online

The “Parents Together” peer-led support group will be offered in an online/zoom format this summer. Stay tuned for a date TBD! In-person monthly gatherings will resume in September.

June 8: Bee Hotel Project

We started the summer by making “bee hotels” to encourage pollination in the Veggie Village and church grounds. During spring cleanup, the children helped to trim last year’s milkweed stalks. We used the stalks for this project by chopping them into smaller pieces and stacking them in recycled plastic plant pots. Keep an eye out for our hotels and the garden mosaic tiles the children made earlier in June around ORUCC.

Home Prayer for the Week:

You are invited to use this prayer with your family to help deepen your faith together. Times you might consider sharing this prayer include before bedtime, at mealtime, or any other regular connecting moment you share with your child(ren). Does your family have a prayer practice or a favorite prayer? If you are comfortable sharing, please EMAIL JULIE, and your family’s prayer will be featured here.

Try a “listening car ride.” a 1-3 minute car ride is more than enough for the first ride. Gradually increase the time of silence and listening.

  1. Before leaving, gather your family together and explain in a quiet voice, “This is a Listening Car Ride.” That means we are going to listen to hear if God has anything to say to us in the silence of our car ride. We won’t talk to anyone in the car – unless there is an emergency – from the time I say ‘Amen’ until we get to our destination and I say ‘Amen’ again. We might not hear anything, and that is okay. God, we thank you for this quiet car ride. Help us to listen closely to you while we are in the car. Amen.”
  2. When you arrive at your destination, or whenever your child is ready to end the silent session, say, “God, thank you for allowing us the opportunity to listen to your voice. Amen.”

-From Faithful Families, Creating Sacred Moments at Home by Traci Smith