Last Sunday, while we recognized and thanked those congregants who volunteered as teachers of our children and youth this year, I looked out at the faces in the sanctuary. What I saw were smiles. Smiles on the faces of younger members of our community as they recognized their teachers. Smiles on faces of parents. Smiles on the faces of the teachers. And smiles on the faces of everyone else, too. Just about every face I saw was smiling.

When the teachers had gathered at the front of the Sanctuary, Cassandra said a sentence or two about what each of the classes had focused on and we showed images from each of the classes on the screens.

That was when the smiles broke out into beams of pleasure and appreciation. See the video here.

That was when the words of St. Exupery began sounding in my mind:

“Let us bring up our children. It is not the place of some official to hand to them their heritage. If others impart to our children our knowledge and ideals, they will lose all of us that is wordless and full of wonder. Let us build memories in our children, lest … they allow treasures to be lost because they have not been given the keys.”

Teaching our children what it means to live lives of integrity and joy is one of the most important parts of our ministry. Teaching our children is also one of the most gratifying experiences at First Unitarian. Religious education is central to our covenant and to our mission, but teaching can also be a source of real joy.

Many people teach year after year, and for them we are so grateful. But each year, some teachers decide to take a break for one good reason or another.

This year, I wanted to make a personal invitation to adults who haven’t taught or haven’t taught in a while to consider teaching in the next church year.

Teaching for a year is a big commitment but we are making it easier than ever:

With larger teaching teams, you don’t need to be present every Sunday. We are also planning more intergenerational Sunday’s in the sanctuary and a calendar that starts a bit later and ends a bit earlier.

With curriculum in place, experienced hands to guide you and professional staff guidance there is a great deal of support.

And you don’t have to give up worship in the sanctuary. Teachers serve during one service and most go to the sanctuary for the other.

Cassandra Scheffman has outlined more of the ways we are making the joy of teaching easier for more of us to experience.  Read her letter here.

And we are recruiting teachers differently as well.

Rather than making appeal after appeal from the pulpit, Cassandra and some of our experienced teachers will be in the Daisy Bingham room (right behind Fuller Hall) after the service this Sunday to tell you more about teaching here at First Unitarian and to begin to answer questions that you may have about whether teaching next year might be right for you.

There are openings at most age levels with experienced teachers ready to welcome you to one of the teams.

Remember all those smiling faces. They could be smiling at you next June.

Blessings,

Bill