Religious Education: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville

03/10/2026

Taking advantage of this absolutely stunning morning to prep for our Holi celebrations this Sunday!

It’s going to be a busy one, our CUUPS group will be doing workshops after service, while others celebrate spring with color and fun!

Can’t wait to see everyone together for this gorgeous celebration!

11/02/2025

Join us for our next Social Justice Volunteer Day at Food4Kids this Saturday, November 8th, from 10:00-12:00. Children age 4 and up are welcome to volunteer, accompanied by a parent.

Volunteering there is done assembly line style and it's wonderful for all ages to work together filling the plastic bags. Volunteering is a great way to make a difference in our community. If you'd like to sign up please contact Judi Oltmans at [email protected].

Food4Kids provides food-filled backpacks to students in need at many Alachua County schools. Their mission is "...to identify chronically hungry children throughout the community and provide them with food and vital resources on a regular basis."
Food4Kids Backpack Program of North Florida - Nourishing Our Future

12/08/2024

12/02/2024

Today was lovely —we had so many friends join us for our Creative Cooks Messy Playdate! Thank you to everyone who provided such fun materials. The kids had a blast creating, playing, and making memories together.

Our CUUPs group hosted a beautiful Fireside Caretaking Ritual this morning. It was heartwarming to see folks taking time for self and community care, sharing quiet moments by the fire.

The Youth Group were fantastic elves for the Cookie Caper, helping out with packing and selling cookies. If I’m not mistaken, we sold out this year—amazing work, everyone!

We even had a surprise visit from Santa, spreading joy and excitement to all! Though he had to leave before our CommUUnity Conversations, the conversations themselves brought plenty of joy and connection to close out the day.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, participated, and made today such a success. Here’s to more days filled with joy, care, and community! ❤️🎄✨

12/01/2024

Good Morning, Friends!

It’s a chilly day for our Messy Playdate, so be sure to bundle the kids up in layers and bring something to keep their hands warm (gloves, pockets, etc.). We’ll do our best to have spare layers available, and we’re keeping activities mostly dry today. Pack a simple lunch if you can—snacks will be provided, but it’s shaping up to be a full day of fun!

For those interested, there’s a CUUPS Caretaking Ritual at the firepit at 10:00 AM. Drop the kids off and enjoy some time for yourself—whether it’s meditating, journaling, or cozying up by the fire with a warm drink.

Youth Activities:

• Youth are welcome to meet as early as 10:00 AM to help with decorating and prepping for the Cookie Caper. The more, the merrier—it’s going to be a lively and creative morning!
• After service, we’ll also have Youth Group, so plan for a full and exciting day!

Post-Service CommUUnity Conversations:
Join us in the sanctuary after service for our CommUUnity Conversations. Childcare will be available through the end of the event, so feel free to grab a snack or cookies ($5/box from the Cookie Caper!) and come back for meaningful discussion.

It’s going to be a wonderful, activity-filled day, and we can’t wait to see you all!

11/26/2024

Our CUUPs group has been doing some beautiful work! Go check out the page to follow along.

Today was truly beautiful, and it was such a joy to share food and connection with so many friends. Thank you to everyone who brought a dish—your contributions made it even more special!

Next week, we’ll gather again for a low-stress gathering focused on Caretaking—for ourselves, each other, and our community. We may hold a listening circle, and hope you will join us for a warm drink and fireside conversation.

Blessed Be!

11/26/2024

Our youth are working with our Social Justice team to gather up supplies! Please consider donating these items anytime before the 8th of December.

Message this page, or email James to ask how to donate these materials!

11/25/2024

Today Was Truly Lovely!

Our Moment for All Ages featured heartfelt poems from Vets for Peace, beautifully written by school-age kids in Alachua County. After service, the kids gathered for Snack and Story Time, where we explored Hope and how to nurture it during dark and cold times.

The CUUPs group hosted a warm and meaningful Potluck and Foodsharing Ritual, while our Youth Group worked on exciting plans for the future. They’re thrilled to be collaborating with the Social Justice team on the Cookie Caper and collecting supplies for Grace Marketplace. Next week, stop by after service to support them by purchasing cookies from our helpful Youth Elves!

Upcoming Highlights for Next Week:

• Messy Playdate (10 AM–2 PM):
Bring your stale/expired (but safe!) pantry items to revisit the joys of holiday cooking in a mess-friendly setting. Please also bring fresh, shelf-stable items to stock our Little Pantry for those in need this season.
• CUUPs Caretaking Ritual (Before Service):
Gather by the fire circle with a warm drink and blanket for a quiet ritual focused on caretaking—for ourselves, each other, and our community.
• CommUUnity Conversation (After Service):
After the Cookie Caper, join us for the final CommUUnity Conversation of 2024! This month’s theme is Joy, and we’ll send more details mid-week.

Our congregation is alive with energy, and there’s plenty of room for everyone to bring their authentic gifts to our vibrant community. If you’re interested in joining any of these amazing groups, reach out—we’d love to help you get connected!

Thank you for sharing this journey with us! 🌟

10/28/2024

🎃✨ Today was a Blast! ✨🎃

Trick-or-Treating in service was a wonderful success! Rev. JeKaren’s story tied together the festive energy of the season with themes of gratitude and abundance, and it was so heartwarming. We had 22 children trick-or-treating and 11 youth helpers making it all happen! Huge thanks to everyone who brought and handed out candy and to those who helped organize things behind the scenes—couldn’t have done it without you!

The Youth also hosted their Haunted Youth Room after service, and it was a hit! It was their first time running something like this, and they did an amazing job keeping an eye on “scare levels” for everyone who came through. They showed such care for each other and our guests. They’re already excitedly planning a “Christmas Gone Wrong” event!

We wrapped up the day with a beautiful Samhain Ritual and a gathering of our Humanist group—such a lovely day all around.

🍁 Next Week:

• Pumpkin Destruction Messy Playdate: One of our best and messiest playdates of the year! All ages welcome.
• CommUUnity Conversations after service: Join us for meaningful discussion and connection.

Hope to see you all there! 🎃✨

(Image of the alter from the Samhain Ceremony today!)

10/13/2024

What an awesome Sunday at UUFG!

During our Moment for All Ages, The Thank You Book by Mary Lyn Ray was shared with the community, spreading a great message of gratitude. After service, Snack and Story Time in childcare featured We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, and the kids had a fun chat about friendship and learning from each other.

In RE Hour, the Middlers had a blast with a spooky No Thank You, Evil! adventure, and they can’t wait to continue next week!

Our Youth Group also had an exciting meeting with some visitors from the Young Adult group, finalizing Halloween plans—stay tuned for updates!

Finally, don’t forget that we’re updating our church directory with full-color photos this year! Make sure to get your picture taken before or after service by next Sunday.

Looking forward to another week of fun and connection!

10/06/2024

We had an amazing day today!

Our Halloween Messy Playdate was full of sensory fun—shaving cream, Ghost Mud, colored rice, and even dry ice potion-making! Despite the rain, the kids loved running and playing in it, adding to the excitement.

During service, Reverend JeKaren led a Water Communion and Question Box. It was interactive and brought us closer as we explored our connections to water and each other.

A huge thanks to everyone who helped the Pagan Group clean up the Labyrinth! Your efforts in the rain have it almost ready for the Full Moon Walk on the 18th and the Samhain Service later this month.

Lastly, our CommUUnity Conversation on Gratitude was filled with connection and warmth. We’re so grateful for the care and community shared today! 🌿✨

10/02/2024

🦇 October RE Report! 🦇

Changes to this program will be announced here as early and often as possible - If you have any questions you can message this page or contact James Chase at the email on the second page.

See you all soon!