Seeking Justice for Children: Putting Our Faith into Action

Observing and Celebrating Children's Sabbaths
Activities and Advocacy

The Children's Sabbath can be observed in many ways. Sometimes a celebration is simply a message for all ages or a worship service devoted to children. "The Children's Sabbath is a mix of joy and sadness, of celebration and sober commitment," notes the Children's Defense Fund. Often celebrations include a social action component. Some are curtailed such as providing more information about children via a bulletin board or collecting goods to benefit children in need. Others are more involved, such as providing a monthly speakers series highlighting local ways to work on behalf of children or an interfaith collaborative service project.

Resources for the celebration of the Children's Sabbath from the Children's Defense Fund include:

• Information packet : How congregations have celebrated Children's Sabbaths
• Putting Our Faith into Action to Seek Justice for Children: National Observance of Children's Sabbaths® Manual, Vol. 14 : This guide outlines the theological basis for Children's Sabbath observances for major religions including Unitarian Universalism and provides worship materials and activities for its implementation. Interfaith resources and follow-up activities are included as well.
• Children's Sabbaths® PowerPoint Presentation

Activities

• Writing Your Own Children's Sabbath Litany: An Activity for Children and Youth
• From the Church of the Larger Fellowship
  • Social Justice for early childhood and middle childhood
  • 10 Tips for Social Action for children
  • How Can I Help the World? A guide to creating a covenant with kids and making stewardship boxes
• UUSC
  • Guest at Your Table: A Children's Sabbath may be combined with the UUSC Guest at Your Table program
  • Guest at Your Table Materials for observances.
  • Additional materials for congregations, families, youth, and fundraising.
  • Religious Education Kits for four age groups
• Teaching Katrina: A Critical Curricula Review , from Tolerance.org
• Image in Action : How to critically look at media images of the disaster
• Social Justice Resources for Youth , from the YRUU Office of the UUA
• Selected Curricula from the UUA
  • In Our Hands, Grades 1-3: A Peace and Social Justice Program, by Samuel Goldenberg, Eleanor Hunting, and Mary Thomson.
  • In Our Hands, Grades 4-6: A Peace and Social Justice Program, by Barry Andrews and Pat Hoertdoerfer .
  • Race to Justice: A Racial Justice and Diversity Program for Junior High, by José A. Ballester y Marquez and Robin Gray.
  • Weaving the Fabric of Diversity: An Anti-bias Program for Adults, by Jacqui James and Judith A. Frediani.

Advocacy

• Action Guides, by the Children's Defense Fund Action Council. A comprehensive resource for advocating on behalf of children.
• Advocacy Resources, by the Unitarian Universalist Washington Office for Advocacy. How to effectively organize and advocate around political issues.
• Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005 (S.1716) advocate for the bipartisan act which could ensure immediate Disaster Relief Medicaid for Katrina survivors. Information from the Children's Defense Fund.
• Care's Ten Ideas to Rid the World of Poverty and Ten Ways You Can Help, reprinted by the Unitarian Universalist Washington Office for Advocacy
• Congregations to Leave No Child Behind, by Children's Defense Fund. Become a congregation that pledges commitment to children.

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