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“We are Unitarian Universalists
People of the open mind
The loving heart
And the helping hands”
- UUCSR Children’s Affirmation
Parents who are looking for a faith community to support and affirm them in teaching their children life’s most meaningful values will find a home in our UUCSR Religious Education Program. What ever your religious background – or if you have never participated in a faith community – there is room for you and your children in our congregation.
Children are indeed our future! Here at UUCSR we provide a religious education program that nurtures and stimulates our children’s spiritual and personal growth, and teaches the principles that unify us as Unitarian Universalists. Throughout our program, children and youth are encouraged to seek their own truths, to clarify their values, and to live intentional lives inspired by those values. We help children honor the differences among us – e.g., diversity of race, ability, sexual orientation, and opinion – while celebrating our shared humanity, and we strive to foster their delight in the mysteries and miracles of the world.
During our Sunday morning 11:00 worship service, we offer structured programming for elementary, and middle school kids, as well as loving care for infants and toddlers. In addition, we have a Youth Group for youth in grades 8 to 12 on the first and third Thursday of every month from 4 – 6 pm. (More information can be found below under Youth Program.)
- Sunday Morning Schedule Mid- September through Mid- June
11:00 am to 12:15 - 1st Sunday: Children’s Chapel – all ages together
- 2nd and 3rd Sundays: Curriculum – grouped by age
- 4th Sunday: Social Justice – all ages together
- 5th Sunday: Art – all ages together
Within specific grade groups, children and youth learn about our Unitarian Universalist heritage, about the sacred sources from which we derive our faith, and about the principles that guide how we interact with the world. The classes are grouped as:
- Nursery and Preschool
- Kindergarten through 2nd Graders
- 3rd through 5th Graders
- 6th through 8th Graders
- 8th through 12th Graders
Nursery and Preschool
Our experienced nursery/preschool aides set a caring and safe atmosphere for educational play. We use the curriculum “Celebrating Me and My World” that celebrates the wondrous quality of the children themselves, and expands outward to celebrate the people and things around them.
The program provides preschoolers opportunities to grow in their sense of trust and caring, and to develop both their self –identity and sense of connectedness with all life. The morning always includes the lighting of the chalice, a story and an activity. With a range of developmental stages in the group our staff provides a flexible, loving, and child centered program.
Grade School and Middle School (Grades K – 8)
Because children are an integral part of our faith community they begin each Sunday in the sanctuary with the whole congregation. By participating in worship children get a first hand experience of our religious tradition; they sing UU songs, hear words of wisdom, and get a taste of what it means to be a part of a faith community that honors everyone. Children then go to RE class after leading the congregation in the Children’s Affirmation.
Programming for grade school and middle school children is designed to:
- open children’s’ eyes to issues of social justice and ways to be of service in the world in which they live
- learn through a community of peers and supportive adults lessons that give meaning to their every day lives
- help children develop their knowledge and identity as Unitarian Universalists
- give children an understanding and respect for all the world’s religions
Children’s Chapel
1st Sunday of each month
Children of all ages (K to 8th grade) meet together for UU ritual, song, story, and an activity related to the mornings theme. Themes are based on the seven Unitarian Universalist Principles. The program is experiential and all children have an opportunity to participate as they are so inspired. There is a particular focus on building a community among the children during Children’s Chapel and developing mutual caring for children of differing ages.
Social Justice Sunday
4th Sunday of the month
Children K – 7th grade meet together for a social justice program that will teach them about issues of social justice, and the people who are working to do something about it. Social justice work is central to Unitarian Universalism, and empowering our youngsters to find ways to work to make the world a better place is of great importance to our congregation. We have guest teachers and activists, special projects, and sometimes field trips on Justice Sunday.
Arts Sunday
5th Sunday of the Month
Our congregation has many artists who give of their time to work with the children on Arts Sunday. Our creative work has included collage murals, chalk mandalas in the courtyard, Pictures for Peace a nationwide UU children’s art and justice program. This is another all ages together Sunday.
Fall 2009 to Spring 2010 Curriculum
2nd & 3rd Sundays:
All three of our grade school/middle school age-grouped classes use
In Our Hands: A Peace and Social Justice Program
Kindergarteners through 2nd Graders
Children explore their own knowledge and feelings about the issues of peace and justice, with the concept of fairness used to define justice. Peace & justice is examined through the lens of relationships with family, & friends; in the home, school and in the congregation. They also learn about the contributions of UUs in the cause of peace and justice.
3rd through 5th Graders
Children explore their beliefs about peace and justice and share them with peers. The focus is on immediate experiences – how they perceive and treat themselves, how they interact with others, and with their environment. They engage in a variety of activities including visioning, movement and expression. They learn about and participate in peaceful conflict resolution, and they plan and carry out a peace & justice project.
Middle School - 6th through 8th Graders*
Kids explore their beliefs about what would constitute Utopia or ideal society. In doing so, they reflect on injustice (prejudice, hunger, poverty, and war) that must be precluded in an ideal world. They learn about UUs in history from Elizabeth Cady-Stanton to Linus Pauling who have made great contributions to the cause of peace and justice. The class will create social justice project together integrating what they have learned through the year.
*Youth in 8th grade are free to participate in Sunday morning programs and/or the Thursday afternoon Youth Group (see below).
YRUU: Young Religious Unitarian Universalists and the UUA’s Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
8th through 12th Graders
Youth groups provide a unique community where youth develop and deepen their faith through worship, social justice, building leadership skills, creating dialogue, and learning from one another.
UUCSR Youth Group Meets on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month from 4-6pm. In a casual setting youth explore life’s bigger questions, develop ties to UU peers, and have fun (pizza is also involved!). Youth plan and carry out a social justice project and craft a worship service for the larger congregation in the spring. With the support of Adult Youth Advisors youth are encouraged to develop leadership skills and think critically about popular culture and the issues of the day.