Thank you for being a part of our growing program. Feel free to drop us a line and let us know how you and yours are doing. We are always open to ideas and hope to be providing just what you need from a religious exploration program for children and youth and community at UUCC.

Contact Jonathan White, CYRE Chair, with questions or for clarification: rechair@uucolumbia.org or to be
included on a mailing list to know ahead of time when to plan for CYRE programming.

The RETURN of the Lock-In and Chocolate Baking!
Saturday, February 8, 6pm- Sunday, February 9
plus Sales of Baked Goods after Sunday Service
All youth ages 10+ are welcome on Saturday, February 8 to our first lock-in and chocolate baking post-covid!! This is a longtime favorite event for everyone involved and CYRE is thrilled to be able to bring this activity back for the teens doing their Boston Heritage volunteer hours at the Chocolate Auction. Bring a sweet tooth and good pillow/sleeping bag/air mattress. We will need two chaperones from 6:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m.and two chaperones from 10:30 p.m.-8:30 a.m. Please contact Nancie Shillington-Pérez at nancierrr@sbcglobal.net or 803-553-2280 to RSVP for your youth or as a chaperone.

Goodies Needed for the Return of the CHOCOLATE AUCTION in February 2025! Whether you make basic brownies or a gourmet gateau, no item is too small or too large to donate to the silent auction and the sampler plates of chocolate items.  All items will need to be in the kitchen by either Saturday the 8th between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. or Sunday the 9th starting at 9:00 a.m. so we can prepare for the sale and auction. (We will cut and plate the bake sale items.) So tie on your apron and bake with a loving spoonful! Contact Nancie Shillington-Pérez at nancierrr@sbcglobal.net (or text 803-553-2280) to donate or ask questions.

In this annual UUCC high holiday, you can expect opportunities to eat chocolate, buy chocolate, and even bid on chocolate. This very popular event will benefit the next high school youth’s trip to Boston and will take place after the service on Sunday, Feb. 9. We hope to get back to the biannual schedule that sends our youth to visit places where Unitarians first left their mark in the United States. It’s an expensive trip, so plan on investing in chocolate and the next generation of Unitarian Universalists.

What We Need to Thrive
Older youth will discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by creating their own character and letting fate (dice) decide what their person’s life is going to be like. This activity is focused on encouraging discussion of every day injustices that people face, the reality of privilege, and how people are impacted by public policies and human rights issues.

Please contact Emilia Gunning at dre@uucolumbia.org with any questions.