Barry Salad

Trevor was able to be home in Taunton for our annual IllUUmination service.  IllUUmination is a uniquely Unitarian Universalist celebration.  Each year, during the winter, we honor and celebrate the flaming chalice - the symbol of our faith - our beliefs and ideas, and those who have put their beliefs into action for the benefit of others.

IllUUmination still has not found a permanent home on our church calendar and this year it was celebrated on the first Sunday of March. The chapel was decorated in the traditional colors of purple and silver. Rev. Tedesco gave a brief history of the flaming chalice as well as an inspiring and informative sermon. We also used the chalice lighting that I wrote and everyone got a chance to receive the flame and pass it along.

Following the service, we shared a pot-luck coffee hour. Trevor shared the popcorn that he brought back from his trip to Storm Lake, Iowa.

No sooner was coffee hour cleaned up and Trevor was getting all packed up and ready for his next trip - to Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel in Missouri. Bon voyage, Trevor. We will miss you and look forward to reading about your next great adventure.

February 4, 2007

A quick stop home to visit my friends in Taunton and I’m off again.  Next stop, Storm Lake in Iowa.

At Sunday School in Taunton, we made Peace Cranes and frogs in origami.  The cranes are hard to make!

Well, that’s all for now.  Gotta go.

February 18, 2007

Trevor attended the Storm Lake UU Services today at Buena Vista University.  The weather here is persistently snowy, but warming up nicely.

He spent a couple of days at the Vietor residence, a brief stop with two UU boys and their mom.  We noticed that he’s dressed much tidier than our resident bears, but otherwise very much like other folks around here.

Poor Trevor - his trip here was rather uneventful because everyone had the flu!  We are a fairly new congregation founded almost three years ago.  We have 18 members and a number of friends who visit regularly.  The kids were glad to have Trevor here while they were sick.  He made them feel better!  No one was allowed to handle him much though

Follen Church - January 2007

Trevor went to so many meetings and outings on his visit here.  We’ve got pictures of him at knitting group which was putting together squares for an afghan - 3 actually - to go to our caring ministry.  He came to a R.E. committee meeting and had his picture taken with the portraits of Charles and Eliza Follen who the church is named for.

Did you know that the Follens popularized Christmas trees in this country?  They brought the idea from Germany.  And here at Follen we still sell Christmas trees!

Trevor dropped by Coming of Age (there are pictures to prove it) and spent a Sunday morning asking people what their favorite church activities were.

Trevor helped out with family worship.  We told a story about honey - he liked that.  He came to a R.E. class and helped light the chalice, visited our childrens choirs and went off on a weekend retreat at Cardigan Lodge.  The Lodge is an Appalachian Mountain club property in New Hampshire and although Trevor was invited to come hiking and sledding, he said he’d rather stay inside - because ‘After all, bears hibernate in the winter’.  He had fun playing charades and singing after dinner though.  And he got to slide …er…ride home in an ice storm!

Trevor’s invitation list continues to grow.  Here is where he will be traveling next:

2007
January - Follen Church Society, Lexington, MA
February - Storm Lake Area Unitarian Universalist Association, Cherokee, IA
March - Emerson UU Chapel, Ellisville, MO
April - First Unitarian Church, Oklahoma City, OK
May - First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis, MN
July - The First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Dallas, TX

Trevor would like me to thank the 27 churches throughout the US and Canada who have already invited him to visit.  At our current schedule, that is over 2 years of travel already accounted for.  WOW!

I have already emailed the first group of churches that Trevor will be
visiting through July.

Each month, Trevor will arrive at a UU church before the 2nd Sunday of the month.  He will be able to stay through the 3rd Sunday and will then need to return home for a brief visit before heading out again on his next trip.

Trevor travels pretty light.  He currently has his autograph book for
friends to sign, his journal, photo album and prayer beads.  Hosts are
encouraged to read and write in his journal, add pictures to the album and sign the autograph book.  Please include Trevor in as many activities as possible.  He is very curious and eager to learn about UU kids and their
churches.  The kids at First Parish in Taunton would love to receive a post card while he is away.  If photos are sent via email, they will be added to this website along with a summary of journal entries.

Thanks so much in advance for everyone’s help and please feel free to visit the website with your Sunday School classes to see what Trevor is up to.

Here is his first journal entry

Happy 2007 everyone!!

I am so excited.  In a day or 2, I will be leaving on my first trip to meet new friends at Unitarian Universalist churches around North America.  First stop - Follen Church in Lexington, MA.

I was so surprised to see that I have been invited to 27 churches so far in 14 states in the US.  I’ve even been invited to Ontario, Canada.  I hope my passport is ready!!

Hey, check out my house!  The kids in Taunton, MA decorated my house for me.  Doesn’t it look great!

So…

Let me tell you a little about me.  My name is Trevor and I’m a Unitarian Universalist.  My birthday is December 27th and I’m left-handed.

I think Sunday School is wicked cool!!

I don’t talk much, but I love to meet new friends and learn new things.

I am a big proponent of acting on ideas.  You just never know where something is likely to go until you get it started.  That is how First Parish Church’s penny drive for the Southeast Asian Tsunami survivors’ started.  That idea took on a life of its own and ended up being one of the things in my life of which I am the most proud.

Trevor is another one of those ideas.  The idea is to send a stuffed animal bear to Unitarian Universalist churches around the country as a sort of pen-pal experience for the Sunday School class at First Parish Church in Taunton.  On December 27th, my wife and daughter and I went to the local Build-A-Bear Workshop and created ‘Trevor’ - a 16 inch golden brown stuffed bear with an adorable little maroon and tan outfit with matching hat and a blue backpack.  My daughter named him.

I posted my idea on an email list for Unitarian Universalist religious educators.  Within 2 days I have already received 10 requests for Trevor to visit churches from an hour up the road to across the country.  I couldn’t be happier.  Sunday, at church, I will introduce Trevor to our congregation and get the Sunday School kids involved in getting Trevor ready for his first trip.

Stay tuned on this site for regular updates on Trevor’s travels.

Now its 18 requests.