Social Justice

National Observance of Children's Sabbaths
October 18-20, 2002
Children's Defense Fund

The National Observance of Children's Sabbaths is an opportunity for people of all ages and all faiths to learn about the urgent needs of children and the mandate in every faith tradition to nurture and protect children, to seek justice on behalf of those most vulnerable. This is an invitation to Unitarian Universalist Congregations to join thousands of congregations of every faith who celebrate the Children's Sabbath with their own unique traditions. What is most important is that the Children's Sabbath serve as an opportunity to:

• Learn more about the problems facing children,
• Reflect on our faith mandates to help children in need,
• Engage in outreach and advocacy activities to respond to children's needs,
• Inspire people to respond faithfully to children's needs-through prayer, direct service, and advocacy throughout the year, and
• Learn about the Movement to Leave No Child Behind.

The Children's Defense Fund publishes a Sabbath Manual every year that includes an overview of Children's Sabbath purpose, planning guide for the Sabbath, liturgical suggestions, sermon and homily help for people of all faiths from Marian Wright Edelman and others, devotional guide, Christian and Jewish educational materials, interfaith worship resources, and a sourcebook for activities and resources for the Children's Sabbath and beyond. The 2002 Children's Sabbath theme, Repairers of the Breach: Congregations Acting to Leave No Child Behind, focuses on the importance of good quality, affordable, available child care, Head Start, prekindergarten, and other early childhood development programs. The 2002 Manual is drawn from Isaiah 58: 6-12 in which the prophet tells us that when we care for the poor, hungry, homeless, and needy as God requires, we will raise up the foundations of many generations and be repairers of the breach, restorers of the streets to dwell in. Today one in five of our nation's children under three live in poverty; there is a breach that must be repaired.

To order your Children's Sabbath Repairers of the Breach: Congregations Acting to Leave No Child Behind Manual send $6.00 plus $2.00 for shipping and handling to Children's Defense Fund Publications, P.O. Box 90500, Washington, DC 20009-0500 or call 202-662-3652. You can also order online at www.childrensdefense.org. To join the Movement to Leave No Child Behind visit their Web site or write them at: The Movement to Leave No Child Behind, Children's Defense Fund, 25 E Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. To become a Congregation to Leave No Child Behind, call 1-800-CDF-1200.