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Religious Exploration & Faith Development
Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation White Plains, NY
October 4, 2026
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2026-2027 Overview
For a detailed overview of the year ahead with opportunities for adults, 
youth, and children, read the September 6 RE News or visit our website.
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2 Weekly Newsletters?
We currently send two newsletters each week, the e-Communitarian, with information for the whole CUUC community, and the RE News, with information for RE families and leaders. Are you reading both newsletters? Should we streamline information? Please share your thoughts on this short survey.
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Inside & Out: A Day of Renewal, Community, and Service, 9:45am-1:00pm
Join us to care for our spiritual home and create spaces that meet our needs. Forty people have already signed up! All ages are welcome. There is a task for everyone. Come for the whole time or an hour. Every effort helps!
- Arrival & Gathering (9:45-10:00AM) - Coffee, Juice and Donuts
- Kickoff (10:00-10:15AM) - Welcome and Projects Description
- Project Grouping (10:15-10:30AM) - Sorting into project teams, meeting project leaders and getting instructions
- Work Time (10:30AM-12:15PM)
- Lunch & Connection (12:15-12:45PM) - Gratitudes AND Sandwiches, Chips, and Fruit
- Wrap-Up (12:45-1:00PM) - Final clean up of projects and lunch area
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Courage Theme Resources for Families
We are using Soul Matters Sharing Circle materials in Religious Exploration classes, Journey Groups, and worship. Each month we will share resources for families so you can explore the theme together at home. There are stories, movie suggestions, activities, conversation prompts, and more. Click here for the materials or pick up a copy on the RE Welcome table.
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Childcare
Sundays, 9:30-11:30am
Diane Keller, Hans Elsevier, and Salma Nasser welcome children every Sunday. We offer a safe, loving environment where our youngest build community and play outside when weather permits. After worship, please pick up your child(ren) from RE before attending coffee hour.
Families who remain in worship are invited to make use of the family area. Please sit near your children and help tidy up after service.
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Sun October 4th, Banned Book Sunday Book Exchange
In honor of Banned Book Week, Oct 4-10, all are invited to bring a book that changed you or challenged you. Include a note about what the book has meant to you. We will create a book altar and folks will be invited to take a book home. Please bring books that you are comfortable giving away.
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Worship
"Banned Book Sunday" ~ Rev. Danielle Lindstrom
10:00am in the Sanctuary and On Zoom
Through ritual, story, and music in worship, we explore together themes that inform our faith, challenge us to go deeper, and call us to action with love at the center. We hope you find care, support, love, and community here. Each service is a little different. The one thing that never changes: it is good to be together.
To join the Sunday Worship livestream: bit.ly/CUUC-Worship or phone in (audio only): 646-876-9923. Webinar: 761 321 991, Passcode: 468468.
Online worshipers may post your Joys and Sorrows at any time by visiting bit.ly/CUUC-Online-Joys-and-Sorrows. The site is available all week, 24/7.
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K-9th Grade Religious Exploration

K-6th grades begin in the sanctuary at 10:00am.
7th-9th grades go directly to their classroom.
Families, please let us know if your child or youth will miss class so teachers can adjust plans as needed. If your child is attending worship instead of going to class, teachers appreciate knowing so they are not waiting to begin class.
K-1st grade Our Whole Lives class meets with Kate Colson, Bryan Cherry, and Betsy Walkup. Children will be introduced to gender identity and gender roles as teachers continue expanding awareness that all bodies are special.
2nd-4th grade Soul Matters class meets with Irene Cox and Laura Sehdeva. We are exploring the theme of Courage and what it means to move beyond simply feeling brave to putting our courage into action.Courage is what helps us take the values we hold in our hearts and bring them into the way we live our lives.
5th-6th grade Soul Matters class meets with April Castoldi and Denice Tomlinson. Youth will explore the courage it can take to come out as who you are. October is LGBTQ+ History Month, which honors how community members have stood up for themselves and others to have the ability to live authentically. Having the courage to be yourself isn’t just for those who are LGBTQ+. It can take a lot of bravery to have a different opinion, to speak out when something is wrong, to admit that you don’t know something, to share a part of yourself you think others will judge, to open up about your feelings, or to be vulnerable enough to share a hope or fear. Sometimes bravery and courage are shown in big actions, but sometimes it is just being ourselves in the world.
7th-9th grade Coming of Age class meets with Gail Johnston and Alex Sehdeva. Youth continue the 'Belonging' discussions. This week, we explore how teens belong to and are shaped by their friendships. It focuses on uncovering the difference between merely fighting in and truly belonging, as well as how our lives have been uplifted by the gift of friendship.
Classes end at 11:15am. 
3rd grade and under must be picked up in the classroom by their adult.
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Fire Drill This Sunday
Congregation Fire Drill, Sun Oct 4, immediately after worship
As part of our CUUC safety protocols, we will hold a fire drill and building evacuation after worship, guided by the CUUC Fire Wardens, who will be in the sanctuary as well as the RE wing. We ask everyone to participate so we will all know what to do in the event of an actual emergency. Our safety protocols are most effective when everyone knows what to expect! Contact: Dave Morkal.
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Finding Your Path at CUUC! Sun Oct 4, 11:30am - 1:00pm, Fellowship Hall
Newer to CUUC? Join Rev. Danielle and members of our community for a deeper introduction to Unitarian Universalism, CUUC, and the many ways you can get connected. Childcare provided. Please RSVP to Rev. Danielle at minister@cuucwp.org
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Faith development and religious exploration continue over our lifetimes. We offer adults the opportunity to continue learning, growing, sharing and deepenig in supportive community.
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We need a few more RSVPs to run this adult RE class. 
If you are planning to join us, RSVP HERE.
Adult Class: Creating Theology Together
October 24, 9:00am-2:00pm at CUUC
Lunch included. Childcare available if requested by October 18
By understanding our personal theology and then moving beyond a focus on the individual search for truth and meaning, we create space for a shared theology to emerge as we continue growing together in faith. We will begin by defining theology, and exploring our personal relationship with theology and how it has evolved along our journey. Where do we come from? What do we carry? How does that impact, inform, challenge us? We will then explore how to honor our individual experiences as we journey together in covenanted community, consider our congregational theological identity, and examine what it means to practice pluralism as a value. What does it look like to allow a shared theology to emerge? How do we make space for what others bring? RSVP HERE
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Movie Night Party, Sat Oct 10, 5:00pm, Fellowship Hall
Get cozy in Fellowship Hall and watch Monsters, Inc. together, with pizza and popcorn. All ages welcome. Feel free to wear your PJs. Bring a friend! Contact: Terri Kung
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- Sat Oct 3, 10:00am-1:00pm Inside Out: A Day of Renewal, Community, and Service
- Sun Oct 4, 10:00am: K-9th Grade Classes Meet
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Sat Oct 10, 5:00pm: Movie Night, Monsters, Inc. - Friends welcome! RSVP with Terri Kung for the pizza order.
- Sun Oct 11, 10:00am: K-6th & HS have PlaceKeeping; 7th-9th COA Class Meets
- Sat Oct 17, 5:30pm: All Ages Game Night - Friends are Welcome!
- Sun Oct 18, 10:00am: K-1st & 7th-9th Classes Meet; All Others Have a Social Action Activity, Making HOPE Meal Bags
- Fri Oct 23, 6:30pm: 6th-12th Grade Youth and Parents from the White Plains, Croton, and Mt. Kisco Congregations Gather to Hear about Joint Activities this Year and Build Community
- Sat Oct 24, 9:00am: Adult Class, Creating Theology Together - Read more and RSVP here
- Sun Oct 25, 10:00am: Whole Congregation Halloween Worship
Find more dates and Zoom links on our website calendar.
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CUUC Google Groups
NEW! CUUC Dads Connect: Dads connecting, supporting each other, and enjoying social activities. Request to join here: cuuc-dads-connect@googlegroups.com
RE Families: Swap clothes, share information and invitations, and connect with other CUUC families. Request to Join here: bit.ly/CUUC-Families.
Parents of Young Adults: Parents supporting each other n the spiritual adventure of parenting young adults. Request to Join here: bit.ly/CUUC-ParentsYA.
Caring for Aging Beloveds: A space for conversation and support among those caring for beloveds who are aging. Write here: cuuc-caringagingbeloveds@googlegroups.com
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CUUC Online
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