Dear Families and Congregants,

Freedom is our watchword at UUFS in July. Participants in the Sunday Morning Children’s Program will be at liberty to play outside with wet and messy substances banned during the colder months inside. That means bubbles and sprayers and sandcastles–hooray for summer! Free expression will play a role, too, as we open our time together each week with an improv game. Also in July, we will be reviewing what we have learned since January about the new value terms in Article II of the UUA’s bylaws now that it was approved at the General Assembly in June. At July’s multigenerational worship, the children will demonstrate for the whole congregation an easy way of remembering the new seven value terms: transformation, equity, pluralism, justice, generosity, interdependence, and love.

Free outdoor play is not just for kids this summer. I am collaborating with the Director of Multigenerational Community Building at Mission Peak UU Church in Fremont to bring together folks of all ages from southern Bay UU groups. What better way to enjoy each other’s company than a relaxing Sunday afternoon or Saturday morning at the park. On Sunday, July 14, we’ll be meeting at Las Palmas park in Sunnyvale, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. A  frozen treat will keep us cool. Bring chairs, blankets, sports equipment, sand toys, even your pup! Stay and chat awhile. There’s a dog park, play equipment for younger and older children, walking paths around a lagoon, as well as tennis and pickleball nextdoor. On Saturday, August 17, we’ll be meeting at Central Park in Fremont over coffee and donuts from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Look for the Children’s Playground on Sailway Dr. Enjoy playgrounds, a dog park, and walking paths around a lake, along with the company of likeminded friends both new and old.

The message from Religious Education to everyone at UUFS this July, is, Let loose and play!