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ORUCC Children and Youth
Welcome Back!
Fall 2025
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Welcome back! Can you believe it is almost that time of year again? We hope you had a great summer, and we are excited to kick-off the 2025-26 faith formation programming year on September 7th!
Faith Formation for all children and youth will be at 9:00 a.m. This year we will have three classrooms: Peace Circle (Pre-K to 5th grade), Echo the Story (6th-7th grade), and Teen Text (8th-12th grade). Nursery care will be available for younger children.
Our music programs for kids will resume this fall as well. Music Connections for children 2nd grade-6th grade will begin on September 7th, and our youth band, TRU Function, will begin practicing September 14th.
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Welcome Back Sunday, September 7th, will include an opportunity for a “Blessing of the Backpacks” during the start of worship. Bring your school bag to church to receive a blessing during Children’s Time!
We are also having a supply drive to bless two of our neighborhood schools, Orchard Ridge Elementary and Anana Elementary. We are collecting sanitizing wipes, boxes of tissues, and shelf-stable snacks. Please consider adding a few extra to your back-to-school shopping cart and bring these offerings along on September 7th.
Immediately after worship, we will reconnect at the All-Church Picnic, sponsored by the Ministry of Congregational Life and our Hospitality Mission Team. All are welcome!
Please fill out the Sunday School Participant Google Form for your child. This is especially important to know about your child’s dietary restrictions or food allergies, or any significant changes from last year’s participation.
Please read on for more details about all of these events. We trust that this will be another joy-filled, meaningful year. We can’t wait to see you soon!
-Pastor Kate & Julie M.
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Sunday Morning Faith Formation Classes
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Nursery (Ages 1-5) 8:30-11:30 AM
Nursery Care is available for children 6 months to 5 years old in the St. Francis room . Be sure to pop in and introduce yourself to our Nursery Care Workers, Abby and Avery!
Peace Circle (Pre-K-5th Grade) 9:00-9:50 AM:
Children PreK-5th Grade will begin in the Ruby Bridges Room at 9 am for Music with Julie. Following the music, the children will hear a story from Scripture and go deeper with themes introduced in the story engaging with multi-sensory stations. We’ll close with a focused listening exercise and prayer. Josie and Jadyn will lead the children in the experience.
New this year: At 9:50, Peace Circle children will travel together to the sanctuary. We’ll sit together as a group on the east side of the building (parking lot side). Your child is, of course, welcome to sit with you in a different area of the sanctuary. We intend to regularly encourage the children to experience the ritual of service – the opening prayers, congregational songs, and anthems. Children will either go to Music Connections or return to sit with their families after the Time for Children.
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Echo the Story (Grades 6-7) will gather in the Anne Frank Room to journey through the main stories and themes of the bible using a curriculum which invites questions and creative engagement. We’ll look deeper at the text, ask questions, journal, draw, and reflect. Throughout the year, Kristin M., Hal E., Barbara S., Becky E., and Kellie M. will guide the group.
Teen Text (Grades 8-12) will gather in the Dorothy Day room. This group will be using “Teen Text,” a progressive Christian Bible study resource that guides teens to reflect together in discussion on the lectionary scripture texts associated with each Sunday. This group will be guided by Al B., Brian L., Rayelle B., and Gretchen F. throughout the year.
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Welcome Back Sunday Worship & Picnic
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September 7th Worship Details
During the “Time for Children,” anyone who is starting the school year (kids, teachers, and anyone working in education) will be invited to come forward with their “school bags” for a special blessing to start the year.
We will also bless the collected supplies for our neighborhood schools, Orchard Ridge Elementary and Anana Elementary: sanitizing wipes, tissue boxes, and individually wrapped snacks.
Following this blessing, children in grades 2-6 are invited to the downstairs Music Room (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Room) for Music Connections (see below). Younger children are invited to stay in worship, go to the nursery, or visit the Crossroads with a caregiver. Older children are welcome to remain in worship.
At the conclusion of worship, all are invited to the Welcome Back picnic, provided by the Ministry of Congregational Life and the Hospitality Mission Team. They are looking for volunteers! Please sign up here if you are interested in helping out.
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Music Connections: Children in grades 2-6 are invited to the downstairs Music Room (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Room) for Music Connections after Children’s Time in worship. This Sunday, we’ll join together in a Drum Circle. Older youth may participate in Music Connections as a helper. If your child wishes to be a helper, please connect with Julie to chat about expectations. In agreement with our church’s Safe Sanctuary policy, two adults must be present in a room when working with children. Sign up to volunteer.
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TRU Function: Our youth band will practice from 10:00 a.m.-Noon on Sundays beginning September 14th. Once a month, on Sundays when TRU Function performs in worship, the 9:00 hour will be “Breakfast Club,” a more relaxed fellowship opportunity available for all youth while TRU Function practices for worship. TRU Function is led by Rob Martens.
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Save the Date: Upcoming Events
September 8, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Service Trip Reunion Potluck: Service Trip participants and chaperones are invited to come together for a potluck in Friendship Hall to reminisce, reflect on the trip, and help Pastor Kate start to think about Service Trip 2026!
September 14, 8:15-9:00 “Crafty Sunday” : Children of all ages are invited to craft in the William Johnson Room. All are welcome to bring a current project or start a new project using the materials we have on hand.
October 19, 11:15 a.m., Pen Pal Meet-Up: If you participated in the summer pen pal program, this is a time to meet your pen pal IN PERSON while enjoying some lemonade together after worship.
October 26: Service Trip Celebration in Worship and Info Session: We will have the opportunity to share about our experience in Kansas City this Sunday! This will also include TRU Function’s first full-band performance in worship, followed by a 2026 Service Trip Info Session at 11:15 following worship.
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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.
Back to School Prayer (to be read alongside a meal):
God of our work and our play, we thank you for time off from school and for more time with our family and friends.
We’re grateful for all the fun we’ve had, and all the fun we’ll continue to have as we see old friends make new ones, and learn of new things.
Bless us as we return to work and school, and thank you for keeping us safe.
May this food and the coming year nourish us! Amen.
Table talk: What is your favorite vacation memory? What are you most looking forward to about going back to school or work?
-From Peanut Butter and Jelly Prayers, by Julie B. Sevig
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