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About Religious Education

We are a vibrant community of religious seekers of all ages, learning and growing together on the religious path. Some of our education programs are organized by age groups, and others mix different ages together. Our goal is to offer participants opportunities to learn new things, examine our own lives with honesty, and help and challenge each other to live according to our highest ideals of right relations with each other. In all of our programs, we use Unitarian Universalist principles as a guide and resource.

We encourage each person to take responsibility for their own religious life, and at the same time we are here to support and encourage one another on the journey. We recognize that parents are the primary religious educators for their children and we aim to supplement that with a faith community which can offer additional opportunities for religious growth and learning.

Over the summer, we have children of all ages come together for a story and special activities while adults are participating in the church service.

Our primary curriculum for elementary aged children has often been based on a rotation of foundational topics, which we call the pillars of our program. These are:

• World Religions
• Peace and Social Justice
• Unitarian Universalism
• Our Jewish and Christian Heritage
• The Interdependent Web of Life

What We Offer Through the Lifespan

We provide children, youth, young adults, and adults an opportunity to explore, reflect, and learn in a nurturing spiritual community. Unitarian Universalist religious education programs offer all ages, inspiring:

• Ethical growth – internalizing enduring values like justice, equity, and compassion, and gaining tools to act on them in everyday life.
• Social growth – connecting with peers and people of all ages on a deeper level. Finding acceptance among people who see beyond the superficial.
• Spiritual growth – feeling a connection with the sacred within, among, and beyond us.

Religious education programs include more than classes. On a Sunday you might find the preschoolers singing songs about kindness, the 2nd graders engaging with a story about loss and bereavement, the 5th graders talking with a Muslim couple about Islam, the 7th graders learning about responsibility in a lesson from our progressive sexuality education program, and the high-school youth raising money for the local homeless shelter. Many programs incorporate social justice activities, worship opportunities, service trips, fellowship, and fun.

Our religious educator and minister lead many of our congregations’ lifespan programs. Parents and other members of the congregation often lead them, too. Teaching can be a very fulfilling way to deepen one’s own faith.

We invite you to explore and contact our Director of Religious Education to get connected.

2024-2024 Curriculum

World Religions

Chalice Children (Preschool)

Preschoolers explore together how we live out our Unitarian Universalist values in community together. With space for curiosity, exploration, and play, the children learn and grow together.

World Religions (Kindergarten-6th Grade)

Kindergarten/1st Grade, 2nd/3rd grade and 4-6th grade classes will engage with stories and activities designed to learn, explore, question and connect while growing together.  Exploring the building blocks of some of the world’s religious traditions, children are encouraged to compare and contrast similarities and differences. At the same time they are encouraged to see how their Unitarian Universalist values, practices and faith compare to other religious traditions.  

Religious traditions include: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Indigenous Traditions, Pantheism, Paganism, Yoruba, Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Unitarian Universalism

Religious Building Blocks:

• Gods/Goddesses/Ultimate Reality
• Ethics and Environmental Wisdom
• Stories and Myths
• Symbols, Rituals and Spiritual Practices
• Holidays and Traditions

Soul Matters Crossing Paths World Religions (7th-12th Grades)

Rooted in a lens of religious pluralism we will explore various world religions to increase understanding and widen our perspectives. The approach of Crossing Paths centers Unitarian Universalist identity building through interfaith exploration and learning. We aspire to help our youth deepen their own faith as we engage with other faith traditions.

Visits to a variety of houses of worship can serve to open hearts and minds to different practices and perspectives. Group reflection on these visits can help youth make sense of their experiences as well as better articulate their own faith journeys. Increasing interfaith understanding helps to build more tolerance and acceptance as youth grow to help foster a world where diversity can flourish. 

Specialty Classes

The first Sunday of most months, we offer Specialty Class options for our Kindergarten – 6th Graders. These are special classes designed to increase connections between different groups of people. It allows different adults from our congregation to lead fun classes in the subject of their choice so they can get to know the children and vice versa.

It allows K-6th graders to interact with a wider age range of kids. It also allows kids to choose which class they wish to participate in each month as they arrive at church. Specialty class options vary widely and can include art, crafts, baking, games, yoga, music, dancing, and nature hikes. Previews can often be found on our parents Facebook group.

Intergenerational Services

About six-eight times a year, all ages are invited to remain in the commons to worship together during the Sunday service. There is still nursery care for infants and toddlers during these services. These services can help children and youth feel connected as a valuable part of the larger congregation as well as become more familiar with our Unitarian Universalist rituals, songs and messages. Children and youth are often invited to help lead aspects of these worship services as well. You can read more about these Intergenerational Services HERE.