Emmy's Friday Update

Greetings CYM Families & Friends!

I have a few things to share!  First, please note a change to the CYM program schedule: Sunday, March 1st will be an All Ages Sunday service, instead of a classroom day.  Classroom teachers: I will be updating the curriculum schedule to account for this. The nursery will be open as usual on this day, but all other classrooms will be closed and families are invited to attend Sunday service in its entirety together.

Next, I wanted to give more information about the upcoming Nightlight Mission than many are excited about, myself included!  This is an event I have previously communicated about with a “mark your calendars” date of Saturday, March 28th from 2pm-9pm.  (But you do not have to stay the whole time to participate.)  This event is being planned and sponsored by our sister congregation, the Unitarian Society of Hartford.  It is modeled after NYC’s successful program“Midnight Run”, and USH has done their own local Nightlight Mission before.  I am so grateful to be invited to engage with this activity!

Beginning this coming Sunday, you will see collection bins in the Lobby for donations to the Nightlight Mission.  Needed items include warm socks, gloves, boots, small fleece blankets, hand warmers, snack packs, sweaters and other good quality clothing.  The three area UU congregations are collecting items over the coming weeks, and we will bring what we’ve gathered over to USH on March 28th at 2pm.  At USH, all of the donation items will be sorted and organized by the group of volunteers gathered there.  During this timeframe folks will also be working in the kitchen, cooking up soup, sandwiches, and coffee.  Once all the work is done, we will load up into USH vans and family vehicles and caravan to an area inhabited by unhoused people in Hartford.  A Hartford police officer who specializes in working with the unhoused will accompany us there.  With his assistance we will distribute the goods directly to the unhoused people there.  They are familiar with this process, and it is always appreciated.  And that is the plan!  Families can choose to participate in whatever parts they would like, and its open to all ages.  If any older children or youth would like to attend but need an adult chaperone, I would be happy to bring them with me in my car.  Just let me know!

And now, here’s some news from the CYM Committee:

General Assembly (GA) is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), where participants gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy decisions for the Association through a democratic process. UUSE is looking for people to attend virtually or at a satellite location. The 2026 GA will be held virtually June 14th-21st.  Check out https://www.uua.org/ga for some info. Are you interested in representing UUSE at this year's General Assembly? Would you be interested in supporting a group of children of youth to attend virtually together from UUSE? Questions? Email Desiree at desiree.holian@gmail.com

Stewardship: The CYM steward, Desirée Holian-Borgnis, will be holding "office hours" on Sunday March 15th and 22th from 12-12:30 in the Garden Level Lobby to collect pledges, answer questions and help in any other way. If you have questions or need to meet at a different time please reach out to Desirée at desiree.holian@gmail.com or text 203-206-3605

And now onto this coming Sunday:

Here's What's Happening in CYM this Sunday, February 22nd:

Children’s Chapel will *NOT* be held this Sunday

Nursery: Childcare will be available in our nursery at 11 AM for children age 3 and under. 

Sunday Service: “The Generous Spirit” - Rev Josh explores the many ways we manifest generosity and why it matters that we continually cultivate generous spirits.  Kate Kimmerle purchased this service at the 2025 Goods and Services Auction.

Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek

Time For All Ages: Children and youth in grades 2-12 will attend the beginning of the Sunday service in the Sanctuary on the Main Level. The first two rows on the right are reserved for children and youth to sit together, and families are welcome to join them. After the “Time For All Ages” segment of Sunday service, children and youth will be dismissed to the Garden Level to attend further programming.

Spirit Play: “Jetpig Comes to Spirit Play” - Spirit Play children will go directly to their classroom at 11 AM for the day’s lesson, a story about new UU character “Jetpig”.  You may have seen a crocheted pig hanging around the Garden Level, wearing a rainbow jetpack!  Jetpig introduces children to the new UU values language, and a handy tool to remember them!  (JETPIG stands for: J=justice, E=equity, T=transformation, P=pluralism, I=interdependence, G=generosity)

Young UUs: "Signs of Welcome: Part 2" - Welcoming others is a sign of our Unitarian Universalist faith. In this session, the children hear a story based on a Hawaiian tale in which Pele, the goddess of fire, visits two families in disguise to teach a lesson of welcoming.  They will also start some of their own art pieces featuring signs of welcome!

Jr Youth Group: “Hoot" - Our Junior Youth will watch a film in two parts, based on Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Hoot” - a tale about a group of middle school children trying to save a burrowing owl habitat from destruction by a developer.  Junior youth are invited to wear their comfiest clothes and hunker down with popcorn and friends in the junior youth classroom this Sunday for part one of the film screening.

High School Youth Group: Meets this Sunday, February 22 in the couch room after attending TFAA in the Sanctuary. Bring your imaginations and creativity for a group vision board activity! 

Next Affirmation Meeting: Sunday, March 8th will be a full group class in the couch room from 12:30-2. Bring a lunch!  Tentative group outing scheduled for March 21st at 10am.

Next OWL Teacher Team Meeting: Sunday, March 8th at 12:45 in classroom #7!

See you Sunday!

Seasonal Happenings:

FEBRUARY

Sun, Feb 22: Annual PFLAG "Love is Love" Roller-skate at Ron-A-Roll located at 85 S Frontage Rd, in Vernon, CT. For all ages!

"Get ready for our annual LOVE IS LOVE roller skating event!

This year’s theme is K-POP DEMON HUNTERS!

We will be hosting an auction for everything from themed banners, standees and more! Get your tickets today at the QR Code and message us with any questions."

PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) is a longstanding civil rights organization and this family and kid-friendly event is always a fun and fabulous time. See the graphic at the top of this email for the QR code for more info and to buy tickets for the event.

MARCH

Sun, March 8, 2026: Interfaith Film Series: Soul

Co-presented with the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding.

Location: Wadsworth Antheneum Museum of Art at 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT

Joe Gardner, a middle school music teacher, finally gets his big break playing jazz in New York City, only to find himself unexpectedly separated from his body and transported to the realm where souls develop before birth. There, he teams up with a reluctant soul named 22 to rediscover what it means to live a full and purposeful life. Soul offers a moving reflection on creativity, destiny, and what truly makes life worth living.

Free. Museum admission not included. Registration encouraged. 1 hour, 40 minutes. Rated PG.

Sat, Mar 28: Nightlight Mission in partnership with USH (Unitarian Society of Hartford): Families with children/youth meet @ 2PM to sort clothes & prepare soup, coffee and sandwiches; @8PM distribute clothing and food to the unhoused. Be on the lookout for an announcement of an upcoming zoom call with CYM for initial talks about logistics for this event.