UU Family News
September 18, 2026
Letter from the FM Director - Gratitude in abundance!
This Saturday - 8:30 AM Hunger Walk
This Sunday - We will learn about Mabon, explore the Stone Soup story, and then make some soup together. After the service, we will taste the soup we made and share it with others during the potluck in the Fellowship Hall.
Next Sunday - We will learn about the Feast of the Archangels and bake cookies for the Get Out the Vote Community Block Party in Green Meadows.
Photo Highlights - UU Families and Kids in Action
Service Spotlight - Amy L - Sunday School volunteer
Save-the-Dates: Uniquely UU Events for kids and adults
Dear UU Family,
It was lovely seeing y'all on Sunday for the Water Communion and Family Ministry Kickoff! What a perfect start to a special season!
Are you looking for more opportunities for your family to connect and help others?
Join Rev. George and me, along with our families, this Saturday, September 19th for the 44th Annual Hunger Walk to help prevent food scarcity in our community.
Please wear your blue UUFH T-shirt if you have one. (Parents - if you or your kids want shirts, please let me know what sizes you need, and I'll see what I can do. )
On Sunday, you're invited to join us as we explore Mabon and reenact the Stone Soup folktale.
If your family has a vegetable to contribute to the soup, please bring it with you, washed, chopped, and ready to throw in on Sunday. If that feels like too much, don't worry. I'll have extra veggies available for kids to chop and throw in.
After the service, we will enjoy our "stone soup" and join a congregation-wide potluck lunch.
Please bring a dish according to where your last name falls in the alphabet:
A–H: Salad or side dish
I–P: Dessert
Q–Z: Main dish
As always, thank you for prioritizing your family's spiritual health and mental well-being. At UUFH, you are loved; your children are cherished, and our faith is love in action.
Love,
Sunday Shae
Mabon Lesson
Studying Mabon, the pagan autumn equinox, teaches kids important life lessons about gratitude, nature's cycles, and the value of preparation.
Core Morals and Themes:
- Gratitude and Thankfulness: Mabon is a harvest festival. Children learn to appreciate the food on their tables and the hard work it takes to grow it.
- The Balance of Light and Dark: Because the equinox brings equal parts day and night, kids learn about balance in nature and the passing of the seasons.
- Preparation and Hard Work: Just like animals gathering nuts for winter, children learn the value of planning and preparing for life's challenges.
- Cycles of Life and Renewal: Studying the harvest helps kids understand that endings (like the end of summer) make space for new beginnings.
Stone Soup Lessons
The primary lesson of Stone Soup is that sharing, cooperation, and community collaboration can turn individual scarcity into collective abundance.
Core Morals & Themes
- Teamwork: Everyone contributes a small, manageable piece, which results in a massive benefit for the whole group.
- Generosity vs. Hoarding: The story contrasts the villagers' initial fear and selfishness with the joy of an inclusive community feast.
- Resourcefulness: It demonstrates how creativity and communication can solve problems that seem impossible alone
Last chance to sign up for the Fall schedule.
Fabulous Food with Friends is a fun, informal way to get to know people in our UU community, one delicious meal at a time in the homes of members and friends. Sign up to host and/or attend a coordinated potluck-style meal and enjoy conversation, laughter, and fellowship. (Sign up HERE)
Any questions, contact Joff, joffmasukawa@gmail.com
Enjoy little kids? Please volunteer in our nursery!
Volunteers are always needed to care for our youngest UUs, and you do not need to have a child in the FM program to put your love into action as a nursery volunteer.
Please email Sunday at sundayshaeparker@uufhnc.org OR call her at 828-435-2655 to complete a background check and be introduced to the nursery room and routines.
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Saturday, September 19
Hunger Walk - Register to walk with the UUFH Team Here!
Sunday, September 20
Mabon Lesson & Stone Soup Activities
UU Potluck in the Fellowship Hall
Saturday, October 3
Get Out the Vote - Community Block Party
Sunday, October 4
UUFH Fall Picnic at East Flat Rock Park
Saturday, October 10
Sunday, October 18
Family Ministry Halloween Party and Haunted House
Weekend of October 23–25
Saturday, October 31
Halloween-themed Dance (ages 9+)
Saturday, November 7
House Concert featuring Janey Ryan
Saturday, November 14
Thursday, November 26
Thanksgiving Potluck
At UUFH, Family Ministry is about much more than what happens in a classroom on Sunday mornings!
Family Ministry is about creating a safe space where children and youth are able to:
- ask big questions,
- explore their spirituality,
- build friendships,
- serve our community,
- and learn what it means to put love into action.
It is also about giving parents and caregivers a community of their own, because raising good humans is important work and nobody should have to do it alone!