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>Budapest Pilgrimage

Coming of Age Program
This year we will offer our Coming of Age program to 8^th and 9^th graders during the second service and we will need approximately 15-20 mentors to work with our young mentees.

This program is designed to honor our Unitarian Universalist youth’s transition to adulthood; much the same way rites of passage have been created to mark this change in cultures around the world.  It incorporates learning of adult skills and values; validating that the youth are “separating” from family during the transition; and recognizing that they will be re-integrated, or ”reborn” back into their family and community in their new status of emerging young adult.  Mentors will work with youth helping them define their spiritual beliefs and values. Mentors are the wise guides of the program. Mentors must be willing to talk with youth about their feelings and beliefs on many different issues. They should be able to share their adult life experiences honestly and listen to youth experiences non-judgmentally. Applications are being accepted now and must be filled by Oct. 1. Orientation training is set for Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 6:30-9pm. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.


Religious Education for Youth (7th-12th Grade)

The goal of First Unitarian Church’s youth program is to involve all youth in the total life of the church. The balanced program includes the major components of a strong youth program: discovery, worship, social action, and ministry within the congregation, leadership and fellowship.

Youth programs are offered as ministry to an age of change and discovery. Supportive communities and dedicated time with a caring adult can make all the difference in adolescent lives. Adults who provide healthy guidance in decision-making and constructive peer group interactions can help youth negotiate some of the choices and challenges during this stage of development.

The program serves youth in grades 7-12. Each group has three primary advisors assisted by adult leaders who, together with the youth, plan activities associated with our program.

It is important that youth feel at home here, and that they are in a safe place where they can think through their own values and beliefs in the context of supportive relationships. It is a place to talk to adults and people their own age about matters of significance without fear of rejection. And a place to build character and develop moral truths to survive in today’s world.

We are welcoming to all youth!

Winter/Spring Program, 2012

SUNDAY CURRICULUM CLASSES ARE OFFERED AT THE SECOND WORSHIP SERVICE.

11:15-12:30 p.m.
7th Grade Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Our 12- and 13-year-olds will focus on the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Community building is important for this age group and to this end a number of social events are scheduled throughout the year. 7th graders are also responsible for presenting the Day of the Dead Celebration for older children and parents.

8th and 9th Grades Coming of Age (COA)
Coming of Age is a program that explores Unitarian Universalist beliefs, history, worship and social concerns, as well as the challenges and responsibilities of growing up. Youth are encouraged to express their views about personal philosophy and theology using reflection, journaling and discussion. This age is a time when issues of “What do I believe?” and “What will I contribute to the world?” become vitally important. An adolescent is often asking probing questions as to the meaning of life, the nature of truth and what in the universe is worthy of trust and commitment. Coming of Age gives our 13– and 14-year olds a context for exploring these themes.

Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU), 10th, 11th, and12th Grades
YRUU is a balanced program for high school-age youth that provides opportunities to explore aspects of worship, Unitarian Universalism, community service, leadership and fellowship. Youth and adults jointly share responsibilities for planning, organizing and leading these elements. This year YRUU will study two of the seven Unitarian Universalist principles:
We affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
They will look at the unique elements of each of these principles and examine the broader implications in today’s society which culminates in a worship service presented on March 11, Youth Sunday.

Youth Council is an elected body within YRUU that meets monthly. Officers serve as youth representatives and work with involved adults to plan additional activities.

More detailed information about the program can be found in the Learning Community Calendar, Religious Education for Children and Youth, at the RE Table in Fuller Hall, at the information desk in Eliot Hall or from the church office.

MAJOR EVENTS

Social Activities

• YRUU Retreat at Atkinson Memorial Church, Feb. 17-18
• 8^th/9^th grade Social, Jan. 27, Mar. 16,
• 7^th grade Social, Feb. 24, May 11

Youth Council & Program Planning

• Senior High Youth Council Meetings, Sundays:  Jan. 8, Feb. 5, Apr. 1, May 6
• Senior High Youth Religious Education Planning Overnight at Menucha Retreat Center– April 20-21

Worship

• Senior High Youth Service Rehearsal:  Mar. 4, 10
• Senior High Youth Service: March 11

Parent Events

• Small Group Ministry for Parents of 8^th/9^th Graders in Coming of Age, see description on page

Special Events & Programs

• 8^th/9^th Grade – What Do I Believe? Day Retreat, Jan. 14
• YRUU Sandwich Sale, Jan. 29
• 7^th Grade Service with Friends of Trees, Mar. 3
• 8^th/9^th Grade – Vision Quest Retreat, April 13-14
• 8/9 COA Recognition and Ceremony, May 6
• Senior Recognition – May 13, 11:15 service only, Senior Handprint Ceremony
• 7^th grade bridge into 8^th/9^th, May 13
• Annual Pacific Northwest District Assembly Meeting in Anchorage, AK, May 18-20
• 9^th grade Bridging into YRUU, May 20
• Last Day of Class– June 3,

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Transylvania & Budapest Pilgrimage, June 20 through July 5, 2011

I was inspired by a sermon I heard from Cecilia Kingman Miller many years ago to go to Transylvania and Hungary. I wanted to walk in the same places that our Unitarian ancestors had walked and meet the people who had maintained their faith through years of intolerance and persecution. I felt a powerful willingness to be open to a transformative experience. And because I am a religious educator I wanted to pass this along to the adults and youth with whom I work. Every three years I try to take a group of youth from our church on a pilgrimage to Transylvania and Budapest. We go to Budapest because of our Partner Church connection and we go to Transylvania because almost all of the members of our partner church came to Budapest from a village in Transylvania. In order to understand their lives and their faith we go where their faith began, in the villages.

There are many reasons to go on a pilgrimage: adventure, historical research, curiosity, or religious transformation to name a few. For me it is the connections that have been bridged that bring me back time and again. We go to make connections with others and to learn about our similarities and differences. During the course of any visit the conversation may cover topics of ethnicity, language, geography, religion, history, politics, economics or gastronomy. We talk about our aspirations, our disappointments and our daily lives. Adults may do this around a table with drinks while youth do it around a table playing a card game. We come away from the experience richer in understanding of each other and with a longing to continue the connection. These connections reaffirm our faith in the blessings of being unique as American Unitarian Universalists and Hungarian Unitarians. In matters of human spirit, tolerance and religious freedom we are very alike.

Since 2003 our congregation has been in a successful partnership with the First Unitarian Church of Budapest. We have exchanged visits between adult members with each congregation opening their homes to the other. We have hosted a group of their youth and they have hosted our youth -- three times now. We hope to host members from their church again next year.

Here then, are some of the stories from the youth who travelled with Tom Disrud and I earlier this summer to Transylvania and Budapest.

In Faith,
Dana Regan

Words Spoken in Budapest to our Partner Church, First Unitarian Budapest
Sunday, July 5, 2011

Riley Willis --
The difference between America and Hungary is most easily seen in the food and the way it is eaten. For one thing, there is lots of soup! That is something we Americans have learned to love. But, in addition, the way we each approach food is different. Meals here are slower; you eat then then you talk and then you eat some more. You aren't eating jsut to put food into your body. You are eating with people to enjoy that time together.
Throughout this trip each meal has felt more important. Eating is no longer a passive activity. Meals are so much more enjoyable here in Hungary because I have learned how to appreciate what is front of me.
By cooking for us, people have welcomed us into their homes and shared something unique with us that we couldn't get anywhere else. Sitting down to a meal with people you barely know reminds us that even though we speak different languages and come from different countries, we are alike. So even though we are in unfamiliar surroundings and don't speak the language, we still feel comfortable and welcomed as we sit down to eat with you.

Elise Wunderlich --
At home, when I am not going to church or school, I do art. I have always loved art and wherever I go the things that fascinate me the most are the pieces of art in everyday things. Every place that an artist has touched inspires me.

Therefore on this trip, the thing that has inspired me the most is the overflowing amount of beauty that has been created by artists and craftsmen. The church frescoes and painted ceilings, as well as everyday crafts such as embroidery or pottery all seem to speak for a culture that has been alive for hundreds of years. However the thing that has intrigued me the most, is the fact that the same traditional arts that people are doing to day were still as beautiful and still as meaningful at their creation.
In the United States, I have found that the main goal of American artists is to throw out the old to make way for the new. Art is constantly changing so that it is modern and fresh to the extent that each new piece of art eventually becomes meaningless. The traditional arts that I have learned about on this trip are extremely special because they are timeless and speak to a nation-wide history of culture that is hard to find anywhere else.

Amy Provost --
Before I came to Budapest one could call me an ignorant American, for I didn't know or think of anything outside of the states. It was visiting the House of Terror that brought me to a deeper understanding of this part of the world.
Earlier I had heard of communism; I had known the facts and numbers about death and torture but it all seemed fictional to me. Until I experienced the House of Terror, I wasn't able to connect the brief textbook information learned in school to reality. I now see the true reason for our pilgrimage. Dana and Tom brought us on this journey so that we could see what American news and history books hide from us. There are American people that are sheltered from the outside truth, and therefore are only aware of our country's wins and successes. Some children aren't taught about some of the mistakes our country has made in the past. It was only a couple of years ago when I barely understood the idea of communism. There are many books and movies about this dark subject, and I wasn't able to grasp the idea that it had been some people's reality -- your reality. America has focused more on the US vs. Soviet Union cold war than it's role in not assisting other Eastern bloc countries.
So we have come here to learn what has been ignored. I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity to live for a brief time in this wonderful country. Because of this trip I have learned a lot more about your history and traditions, and I would like to thank you for that.

Daniel Scott --
Our experiences carried particular impact in that they were so closely tied up with our pre-trip lives, and manifested themselves from the moment our plane touched down in Frankfurt for a five hour layover. As we strode through the airport concourse, the cobbled streets of Transylvania, and now the boulevards of Budapest, alongside the multifaceted and wondrous cultural differences, we perceived a small trace of America. The first intrusions were minor, the occasional song played on the radio, or a billboard featuring an American celebrity.
However, despite our variety of experiences within Hungary, these intrusions grew. Just as we were experiencing an incredibly vibrant and unique Hungarian culture, we saw glimpses of that culture being overshadowed by the products of the American entertainment industry. Though our reactions were tempered by the humor of discovering aspects of American culture so far afield, we feared what those cultural aspects could represent.
As my initial fears had prompted me to expect and hope for, further delving into Hungarian history revealed the superficiality of such conclusions. Much of the cultural heritage we explored, whih we now identify as "Hungarian", was the product of the extermal influences of the Hapsburgs, Austrians and even the Soviets. Of the Roman settlers that originally inhabited these hills, little but fallen stones remain.
Just as cultural evolution could not be viewed as wholly positive it was not without constructive effects. What we have encountered in the past week and a half was not new, though it was notable occurring on a different scale. Certainly, Hapsburg rule did not involve the blending of cultures spanning thousands of square kilometers, as modern day globalism does. However, the sense of perspective conveyed by thousands of years of Hungarian history overwhelms, in my mind, the scale of globalism. Through a condensation of human interactions, the scale of cultural changes mandates that they be conceptualized as forces of nature, as inexorable as the formation and erosion of mountains, and involving gains and losses of the same magnitude. The only action as humans may take in the face of such forces is to enjoy the mountains in their current form, to study the snapshots of earlier ages, taken in a valiant yet futile attempt to preserve past glories, and to take part in the heart-quickening imagination of the future that now lies dormant in the people who walk these Hungarian streets.

Lena Wright --
For the past three nights I have sat down with my host family and talked. Monika, my host mother, teaches English and Csaba and Nicolette know enough English to understand, if not articulate perfectly, their thoughts on any subject. I have found myself sharing profound and complex thoughts about government, politics, and socio-economic struggles, often framed by the nightly news.
While we were in Transylvania we found ourselves playing endless card games and learning rudimentary Hungarian from local teens. The Transylvanian teenagers, although seriously curious, communicated with us in a different way -- through play. This trip through Eastern Europe has illustrated clearly to me that once barriers of communication are broken down, whether through play or politics, people are able to effectively show themselves to one another, no matter what their native tongue is. I am grateful that my host family has proven to be full of knowledge and that they are so eager and willing to share that knowledge with me.

Meredith Guido --
Jo reggelt [Good morning]. I would like to thank the host families for being so hospitable to us all. to my host family; Andraz, Lilla, Christina and Anna, thank you for treating me like I am part of your family. I appreciate you doing the little things for me that add up to so much, like: making my lunch, driving me everywhere, playing foosball with me, making sure I am never hungry, and teaching me little words like egesegedre [thank you, you're welcome].
To all the host families, you have shown love for someone you didn't even know. You have acted like wonderful parents, brothers, sisters, and friends. You have shown loving hospitality, expecting nothing in return. We will always remember your generosity and hope someday to offer the same to you. Thank you all.

Words Prepared for the service at First Unitarian Church, Portland, July 17, 2011

Charlie Rajnus --
From the start of the trip, I expected Europe to be like the United States. I was off by a lot. The food was uniquely different. We had soup and bread for every meal. The breakfast was almost like a buffet, there were choices of what to eat. The food selection for every meal was a healthy variety and homemade - no junk food! I was surprised by the Palinka. The alcohol was very strong. The sights I saw were magnificent. There were amazing, historical castles, official buildings, banks, and government buildings. We went to a Mint and learned about money. These types of buildings were very strict with security. In the Parliament building I went to, I got to see the royal crown and sword. There were soldiers with swords guarding the case in which these priceless items where held. I got to go on every type of transportation, except helicopter. I got to go on a boat riding on the Danube River. The guides that we had, collectively, were very helpful. They pointed out new things that I had never even known about. When we went to the House of Terror, I learned more about the Nazi's and Jewish people, and how they where tortured and killed by the Nazi's. It was a very touching time for me. Also, I learned more about The Communist era, and how it effected the lives of the Hungarian people. I learned a few words in Hungarian, which was very helpful. The culture was very different indeed. Their music tastes were interesting; mostly Euro-pop, and gypsy music. The religion they had was slightly different. The Unitarian religion was slightly more Christian than ours. It's pretty interesting. I like the Unitarian Universalist faith because it is non-denominational and focuses on love and social justice. The people we met were friendly and generous. Also, I learned that I hate jet lag.

Riley Willis --
When I was preparing to go to Romania and Hungary for two weeks, I could not wait for everything I was about to experience. I knew it was going to be different than what my life was at that moment. Thinking about the unknown and unfamiliar culture I was about to dive into made me so excited. What I didn't expect was to have something fundamentally familiar become new.
When we arrived, even in my sleep deprived and delirious state, I saw immediately how different everything was, from streets and hotels, to road signs and simply ordering breakfast. Of course the language was unfamiliar -- I was expecting that. People sort of looked the same, but I have to be honest, they had better taste in pants. They are European so of course they are much cooler than me.
As different as everything was, what I learned next surprised me. Time for a little history lesson. Please don't hold me to specifics -- I journalled, but my handwriting is terrible and my memory is not up to the task. In 1568 in Hungary, Frances David, a Unitarian minister and King John Sigismond started talking about a radical new idea. They had this idea that all people had the right to religious freedom.
I always thought the idea of religious freedom was an American idea. I mean, didn't we always learn athat our founding fathers started coming here for the same concept? I never made such a clear connection that the idea had to have started BEFORE America was settled. They didn't just jump in boats, arrive on our beautiful shores and suddenly think, "Hey! This is a great place for religious freedom."
This meant something to me because I knew that as an American, religious freedom was a reason why people came to America and turned it into what it is today. It was amazing to find out that an idea that I had always associated with America had actually started hundreds of years before in Hungary. That connection to back home reminded me that although I was in a different country, some things are still the same no matter what.
I loved figuring out and making concrete connections that religious freedom started with my religion and not my country. This opened my mind to all sorts of new experiences. And even if the experiences were familiar, I looked at them with new eyes. I am so honored to have been able to make this journey with my church. Thank you so much for your support.

Daniel Scott --
It was while riding on a horse pulled cart, in the small Transylvanian village of Okland, passing by computer terminals set up in houses that would not have looked out of place in the 9th century, that I started thinking along the following lines. Though the inhabitants of villages such as Okland and Torocko had integrated the products of modern technology into their lives, traditional perspectives wre not deemed sub-par simply because of their age. The result is a balance foreign to this product of American culture.
In a sense, Okland had taken the "middle path" between modernaization and traditional ways of life, a feat which America as a whole has not been able to replicate. So, how was this accomplished?
Well, further thought suggested to me, a conundrum, which I have been struggling to express in a few sentences. While Hungary is in full possession of a rich traditional history, the modern technology that forms the other half of the balance is the necessary product of an industrialized culture such as the United States. Hungary has certainly produced some excellent scienctists, such as John Von Neumann, but none performed their groundbreaking works in small farming villages. A certain co-dependence exists between the cultures.
Fortunately for the human race there's no consensus on the correct path of societal development, and so long as frontiers remain, individuals may experience any experiemental society they prefer. However, only through travel outside of one's culture may it be revealed whether an individuals choices are truly the result of preference, or the result of a lifetime of habituation. My only hope is that Hungary is not my last such experiment, and that it may have a similar effect on future pilgrims.

Meredith Guido --
My favorite part of the trip was our first week in Transylvania. I liked it mostly because of the beautiful way of the country -- the rolling hills, the cows coming home, the horse and buggy, and the slow way of life. The slow way of life hit me while we were getting to know the teens form the Unitarian high school and church youth group in Okland. We were spending the day in the youth house and unlike the normal way I'm used to connecting with people -- being a city girl means listening to music from my I-pod, texting, going to the mall, or facebook messaging -- we played cards. the kids loved the slap card game we taught the, they liked chess, and had their own very confusing Hungarian card game. As my friend and fellow pilgrim, Elise, and one of the Transylvanian youth, Csaba, faced each other in a chess match, and teased each other about who would make the wiser move, I realized how distracting all the city things had been. Without all those distractions we were forced to get to know each other on a completely different level. I realized how relaxed I felt because of the simplicity of being there. All I had to do was sit and play cards or watch a chess game, and be in the moment, and I came to know everyone in a much more enjoyable way -- the way of the country in Transylvania. Thank you.

Program Details
September-June only

Dana Regan, Credentialed Director of Religious Education for Youth

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