Family Learning & Multigenerational Enrichment (FLAME)
Transcribed Text:
A: Awakening Hearts and Minds
Opportunities centered around creating spiritually nourishing programming
Our Nursery is available during worship service for babies and toddlers up to age 3.5.
June 2026
Beloved Families of First UU Church of Richmond,
Happy Pride Month and welcome to Summer! I am so looking forward to a fun and love-filled FLAME summer season. Our Soul Matters theme for June is Flourishing Together and we will aim to do just that. We are kicking off June with our annual MultiGenerational Bridging Service on Sunday, June 7 to honor our graduating high school seniors as they move into the next chapter of their lives. Our Summer FLAME programming will again be led by members of First UU’s Small Groups. We get to spend time with our Pagan group (CUUPS), our Young Adults, and our Buddhists. We will be weaving in Pride activities and celebrations throughout June.
May these warm months be abundant in joy and play and rest for your families as we continue to do the faithful work of Unitarian Universalism in our beautiful and messy world.
Yours in faith and liberation,
Leigh Ann Luscan (she/her)
Director of Lifespan Faith Formation
Transcribed Text:
FLAME
Family Learning and Multigenerational Enrichment Volunteer Interest Form
QR code link: Google FORM
June Happenings
Offerings for Children, Youth, and Families:
- No Youth Music Ensemble Rehearsal. On Summer Break and will resume in late August. Soulful Supper will also be on break over the summer and will resume in September.
- Saturday, June 20, 4-10pm: Juneteenth Celebration at Dorey Park, organized by Henrico County Parks and Rec. This free, family-friendly event celebrates Juneteenth with live entertainment, food, and local vendors and artisans. Learn more here at the Henrico website.
- Saturday, June 20, 8-9pm: UUA General Assembly Ware Lecture. This year’s Ware Lecturer is Bishop Mariann Budde, and we will be gathering in the Great Hall to listen.
- Sunday, June 21, 10-11:15am: FLAME Activities for K-8th grades on the Lower Level. Our June Soul Matters theme is Flourishing Together. This week’s group will be led by members of First UU’s Young Adults Group. We will have activities built around Juneteenth and Father’s Day.
- Sunday, June 21, 11:30am-1pm: “The Art of Resistance: Nonviolent Movements for Just Peace,” a continuation of our work with Churches for Middle East Peace. Facilitated by Leigh Ann Luscan, we will explore Palestinian liberation work as expressed through art, education, and connection with the land.
- Sunday, June 28, 10-11:15am: FLAME Activities for K-8th grades on the Lower Level. Our June Soul Matters theme is Flourishing Together. This week’s group will be led by members of First UU’s Buddhist Meditation Group. We will have activities to learn more about being a Buddhist UU!
Bridging Service, June 7
Save the date to honor our graduating high school seniors during service on Sunday, June 7. This sweet tradition honors the transition from childhood to young adulthood. Our young people receive a blessing and walk from one side of the sanctuary with our children and youth to the welcoming arms of our young adults. This year’s graduates are Eliza Simpkins, who has been a core member of our Youth Music Ensemble for years. And Rowan Luscan, who has attended First UU since Kindergarten, served as a Youth Representative on our Board, and works in the church Nursery.
Small Group Summer with FLAME!
Our Sunday morning summer programming will begin June 14. We will have two age groups, Rising Kindergarteners-4th grade and rising 5th-8th grades. Rising PreK kids are welcome to attend with a grown-up. Members of our First UU Small Groups will be committing to spending a Sunday morning with our young UUs, sharing their faith practices and group interests. In June, we look forward to time with our Young Adults, our Buddhist Meditation group, and First UU’s CUUPS chapter (Covenant of UU Pagans). Thank you to all of our newcoming and returning summer volunteers! We will be meeting on the Lower Level unless otherwise noted. Keep an eye on Friday’s First News Weekly for updates!
Middle East Peace Conversation Series
Our First UU Board has been working with Churches for Middle East Peace to help us, as a congregation, navigate conversations around Palestine and Israel. This work stems from a call from our Committee on Shared Ministry to engage more courageously and live more fully into our Shared Values on this topic. We have had several gatherings this year, including facilitation with Destiny Magnett of CMEP, Q&A Sessions with Leigh Ann Luscan on her recent trip to the Occupied West Bank with UUs for Justice in the Middle East, and history with Dr Faedah Totah of VCU. Our next session will be Sunday, June 21 with Leigh Ann Luscan on Nonviolent Movements for Just Peace, and Sunday, August 9 with Zev Mishell, co-editor of Jewish Anti-Zionism: A Historical Anthology. Please join us prepared to learn, share perspectives, and engage in open & respectful dialogue. The covenant for the discussions will be reviewed and adjusted as needed at the start of each session. They are scheduled to begin after service in the Lower Level, so please pack a nut-free! lunch.
UUA General Assembly (Virtual!)
The 2026 UUA General Assembly will be held virtually from June 14-21 this year. The theme is Meet the Moment: Together Everywhere. The new format will be to alternate years of virtual and in-person. We will be holding space in the church Library for First UU delegates, other GA attendees, and any interested observers to participate together. You can find the schedule here. On Saturday, June 20, we will gather in the Great Hall for this year’s Ware Lecture, to be delivered by the Rt Rev Mariann Budde, who currently serves as Bishop of Washington. She gained notoriety after urging President Trump to have mercy on trans children and immigrant families at a National Cathedral prayer service.