Coming of Age

As a person comes "of age," this new stage of life is characterized by closer examination of values and beliefs and by making choices about religious and social commitments. Our Coming of Age program celebrates this transition while guiding our young people as they embark on their journey into young adulthood. To help with this guidance, the program matches each participant with an adult mentor. Through a series of social and paired activities, the youth explore their developing religious principles, bond with members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, and connect with Unitarian Universalists denomination-wide. The Coming of Age program culminates in a Rite of Passage Ceremony at an Intergenerational Sunday Service in late May. After a year’s journey, part passage and part pilgrimage, these adolescents are prepared to share their insights and to articulate their faith.

Child Dedication

Water Communion Service

This is a symbol of spirituality and an inclusive symbol.  This ritual speaks to our connectedness to one another and to our place on this planet.  We cannot survive without water, nor flourish without tending to the spirit of community that flows around and through us all. Because we tend to travel during the summer, we schedule our Water Communion Service in early September to mark the beginning of the cooler seasons and a return to our Fellowship. Members gather a small quantity of water from wherever they go during the summer as a reminder of where they went and that they carried their UU connection there with them.  They then bring that water to the Water Communion Service to pour into a common bowl and briefly tell where the water came from and how it represents a connection to UU and the fellowship.  At the end of the service, a small amount of the commingled water—now representing the commingled lives of the Fellowship—is reserved for use on occasions such as child dedications and weddings. 

Flower Communion Service

Held in spring, the Flower Communion service was created by Norbert Capek (1870-1942), who founded the Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia. He turned to the native beauty of the countryside for elements of a communion that would be genuine. For the flower communion service, people are asked to bring a flower of their choice, either from their own gardens or from a field or roadside. The vase that contains all the flowers is a symbol of the united church fellowship. After the service, each person takes a flower from the vase other than the one that he or she brought.  The significance of the flower communion is that as no two flowers are alike, so no two people are alike, yet each has a contribution to make.  Together, the different flowers form a beautiful bouquet.  Our common bouquet would not be the same without the unique addition of each individual flower, and thus it is with our church community—it would not be the same without each and every one of us. This service is a statement of our community.  By exchanging flowers, we show our willingness to walk together in our search for truth, disregarding all that might divide us. Each person takes home a flower brought by someone else, symbolizing our shared celebration in community.  This communion of sharing is essential to a free people of a free religion. 

Animal Blessing

Chalice Camp / Peace Camp

For two weeks in June for the past three years, UUFG becomes a summer camp complete with energetic daily worship, creative arts, theatre and water play. Our camp is the UU answer to Vacation Bible School. Camp deepens a child’s sense of belonging to the interdependent web of Life of which we are all a part with daily themes such as: "It's a blessing we were born," "It matters what we do" and "We don't have to do it alone."

At UUFG our annual RE traditions and celebrations involve the whole congregation.

Service Project Sunday

Every season the youth organize a Service Project Sunday. The Religious Education program, in conjunction with our Social Justice Council, identifies needs in our community and develops activities and projects in which our children and youth can be involved as apprentices and make a difference. At UUFG we not only teach values and principles, we try very hard to make our actions match our words and beliefs. Service Project Sundays help us accomplish this goal. Projects include a garden to feed the hungry; collecting toys for hurricane evacuees; sponsoring a family in need of food, clothes, house wares and toys for the holidays; maintaining the fellowship buildings and grounds; helping with weekly hospitality and other social events; and adopting military personnel to show support for our troops.

Winter Holiday Pageant

For this late December intergenerational service parents and children share holiday memories and traditions through stories and songs. The pageant warms the soul and fills the sanctuary.

This year's pageant will be our second annual presentation of "A Christmas Carol" by Unitarian Charles Dickens. It will be held on December 13, at 11 AM in the Sanctuary.

Secret Pals

Spring brings us Secret Pals. Children and adults send notes, drawings and tiny gifts to a secret pal until, finally, after weeks of sharing, they meet at a formal luncheon. The Secret Pal Program was designed to bring people (young, old and in-between) of our congregation together to meet someone they might not otherwise meet.

Spring Egg Hunt

On Easter Sunday we celebrate Spring with an Egg Hunt. Rabbits, real and costumed, often appear to delight the young egg hunters.

Camping

Twice a year, in fall and spring, a multi-night UUFG camping trip takes place. Tenting under the stars or curling up in cabins, this is the perfect time to renew our respect for the interdependent web of all existence.