Religious Education
programs start September 16 !
Creating Home: Pre K/ Kindergarten (ages 4 -6)
In Creating Home
children explore the deep sense of sacredness, the beauty of
hospitality, and the gift of loving relationships that a home can
represent. As they actively explore the concept of home, they create a
community home in their meeting space. They learn to identify their
Unitarian Universalist congregation as a home. The program introduces
children to Unitarian Universalist heritage, including rituals, songs,
and traditions of our faith, and stories about Unitarian Universalists
whose words, songs, and deeds have helped to shape the faith home that
participants share. You can view the full curriculum here.
Keepers of the Earth: Grades 1 and 2 (6 to 8 year olds)
Keepers of the Earth
is a Unitarian Universalist religious education program that comes from
a curriculum of stories and environmental activities created by local
Native American storyteller Joesph Bruchac and Michael Caduto. Keepers of the Earth
allows children to explore spirituality in the natural world. Children
will spend part of each class time outdoors (unless there is severe
weather) and should come dressed to explore outside.
Toolbox of Faith: Grades 3 and 4 (8-10 year olds)
Toolbox of Faith
invites third and fourth- grade participants to reflect on the
qualities of our Unitarian Universalist faith. Qualities such as such as
integrity, courage, and love, are tools they can use in living their
lives and building their own faith. Each session uses a tool as a
metaphor for an important quality of our faith such as reflection
(symbolized by a mirror), flexibility (duct tape), and justice (a
flashlight). You can view the full curriculum here.
Riddle and Mystery: Grade 5 and 6 (10-12 year olds)
The goal of Riddle and Mystery is to assist fifth and sixth- graders in their own search for understanding. Riddle and Mystery
aims to teach participants to accept, appreciate and celebrate mystery,
ambiguity and contradiction as part of human life and the starting
points of religion. Together with their adult leaders, the class will
create their own news studio and videotape and edit a news show. Their
time together will involve both concrete and abstract work as they
create the set, learn to use equipment, and consider the importance of
questioning thought to Unitarian Universalist faith and its value in
personal and communal life. You can view the full curriculum here.
Our Whole Lives for grades 5 and 6 : Winter of 2013.
There will be an 8-week Our Whole Lives (OWL) program offered to the
class as part of our FUSS RE vision of fostering healthy community by
teaching sexual health together with ethical values. A parent
orientation is required and there will be an information session in the
late fall/early winter.
Our Whole Lives (OWL): Grades 7 and 8 (12-14 year olds)
OWL
is a year -long healthy sexuality program offered by trained
facilitators from our FUSS community. OWL offers positive,
comprehensive, and age-appropriate sexual educational programming. This
program fosters the development of sexual health and ethical values as
it nurtures the worth and dignity of all participants. It fosters
equitable, healthy relationships through values-clarification
activities, teaching communication and decision-making skills. Children
are encouraged to value themselves and act on their values throughout
their whole lives.
This
class REQUIRES a parent orientation and signed parental consent. There
will be a schedule set by the advisors and handed out at the parent
orientation. Because of the nature of the class, drop-ins are not
allowed. There will be Sundays when OWL is not offered and the class
will engage in other activities that are welcoming to drop-ins.
Senior Youth Group: for grades 9 to 12 (14-18 year olds)
Our
youth group meets each Sunday morning beginning at 10:30 AM in the
Youth Lounge (the basement of the main building). Our youth group is
open to the youth of our congregation and their friends. Our
advisors work in collaboration with the youth; all working
toward empowering the group to be youth-led and directed. Youth group
focuses on five components: social action/justice, worship, activities
and fellowship, learning, and leadership opportunity. Members may also
participate in district and continental events, including District Youth
Conferences (Cons) and the Youth Caucus at General Assembly. Cons are
held throughout the year at various UU congregations throughout our
district. These weekend youth retreats offer opportunities for
friendship and spiritual reflection in addition to workshops, worship,
dances, shared meals and communal living.
