Who Are Our Partners Around the World?

 

Lesson # 1: Partners Around the World

 

Goals:

To explore what partnership is.

To learn the history of partnerships between Unitarian Universalist churches around the world.

To prepare for learning about our partners around the world today.

 

Materials (downloading instructions):

  1. Large wall map of the world.
  2. Pushpins and string or yarn.
  3. Old “partnership” suitcase filled with supplies for this lesson. (To be left in the class for use in all lessons.)
  4. History of Partner Church Movement. MS Word file 35KB PDF file 52K
  5. Copies of “Partners Passports,” one for each participant (plus extras for those who may come to later lessons).Use “Passport for Canada” if you are a Canadian congregation PDF file 74KB. Use “Passport for United States” if you are a US congregation PDF file 75KB.
  6. Instructions for folding and cutting passports. MS Word file 202KB PDF file 135K
  7. Scissors, tape
  8. Optional:

 

As an alternative to downloading all these materials individually, you can save time by downloading a compressed file containing all materials. To do this, your computer must be capable of handling files compressed using WinZip. You have the choice of:

Introduction (10 min.)

Gather in a circle. Begin discussion by finding out what the group knows about the Partner Church Council and your partner church. “How many of you know that we have a partner church in _____________(country or region)? What do you think it means that this is our ‘partner church’?” Discuss.

Today we’re going to begin a program that will last _________weeks. We’re going to learn more about who are partners are, in __________(your partner’s country) as well as 5 other regions of the world where there are Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists congregations.

But first we’re going to spend some time thinking about what partnership means and how it came to be that UUs have partner churches around the world.

 

Partnership Games (20-30 min.)

Lots of games are played with opponents: one team playing another against another team, or one person playing against another person. Go around the circle naming some of your favorite competitive games.

Say: “Think about the game you just named: Can you think of a way to change that game so it is played with partners instead of opponents?” (For example: kickball could be played to see how high a total score the two teams could get in a certain number of innings.) How would it change the game? Would it make the game more fun? Less fun? What would be hard about it?”

Discuss what makes playing partners fun and what makes playing partners hard sometimes.

 

Depending on the size and age of your group, choose one of the following games to play. Each of these games can only be played with partners:

 

Mirror Work

Form Partners; one pretends to see himself/herself in the mirror. The follower, who is being the reflection in the mirror, should try to match exactly these movements, remembering that the leader’s right side is the follower’s left. The movements can include gestures, facial expressions and body movements. Switch roles. (Note: the leader and the follower are trying to help each other be as much the same as possible, the way a mirror would reflect exactly how you were moving.)

 

Pair Poses

Form partners: One person arranges the other in a certain stance and posture. The person in the posture then figures out a logical reason for being in a pose like that and follows through with a motion. For example, if you are crouched with your right hand extended you could pantomime petting a cat or roasting a hot dog over a campfire. Switch jobs.

 

I Need Help

Divide into partners; decide on a task that takes two people to do, such as moving a heavy piece of furniture. Take a few minutes to figure out the task and figure out how you will do it. Then pantomime performing the task for the whole group, being as precise as you can. If you use imaginary objects, make sure to establish their shapes and keep them the same throughout. Let your group guess what you are doing.

 

Blindfold Soccer  (for ages 9 and up)

Equipment: blindfolds, slightly deflated balls or foam balls, goals or cone markers.

Have the class divide into pairs. Have one of the partners put on a blindfold. Let the sighted leader try leading by attempting to verbally guide his/her partner to the opposite end of the room while kicking a ball. Change roles. Be sure to use good safety and stay close to your blindfolded partner. Rules: 1) Only the blindfolded player can make contact with the ball. The sighted member can only offer verbal directions. 2) There is to be no contact with any other players. 3) DO NOT allow high kicks. 4) Heavy boots are not allowed. 5) Limit running with the blindfolded player. Modify and make a obstacle course to follow.

 

Reflection

Discuss what it was like to play your chosen game. What made it fun? What made it hard? Some things to talk about are: what did you partner do that made it fun and easy? What did she/he do that made it hard? What responsibilities did you have to your partner? 

 

Snack and Story (10 min.)

Tell the story of the Sister Church Program in Transylvania while the kids have a snack prepared by the PCC Committee. (Read or refer to “History of Partner Church Movement.”)

 

Prepare for the next lesson(s) (15 min)

Direct the group’s attention to the map of the world. Locate the 6 different regions of the world where UU partnerships exist today: Transylvania (Romania and Hungary), Philippines, Khasi Hills (India), Czech Republic, Britain, North America. Put a pushpin in the region and a pushpin on your location in the US. (In later lessons, you will connect the pushpins with string to the place you studying that day.)

 

Ask if any of the participants already have a connection with one of these areas. As if one or more of the participants would be willing to look up the time differences between home and these places on the internet and bring in the answers next week.

 

Give each participant a Partners Passport handout. Follow instructions to fold, cut and re-fold to make into a small booklet. Take photos to stick into passports, or ask kids to bring one in for the next lesson.

 

[Note: The passports will document the owner’s “travels” to visit different Unitarian Universalist groups in other areas of the world. After visiting a country, they get a logo sticker for that country and the date stamped or written on the Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist group’s page in their passport. The passports should all be kept in the Partnership suitcase and taken out at the start of each “traveling” lesson.]