2025-2026 Lifespan RE Curriculum
Cultivating Spiritual Resilience Through Mindfulness and Meditation
Preschool-6th Grade – Sitting Together: A Family-Centered Curriculum on Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhist Teachings by Sumi Loundon Kim
Based on the idea that children experience spirituality through their senses, they will build connections with others and themselves and explore mystery, awe, love, contentment and inner peace by way of hearing stories, singing together, sharing food, observing and creating visuals and art as well as moving their bodies in dance and somatic practices.
Learn more here: https://mindfulfamilies.net/
7th-8th Grades – Our Whole Lives: Lifespan Sexuality Education
The OWL program addresses topics which include: personal values; gender identity/sexual orientation/gender expression; relationships; physical sexual health and body image; decision-making and self-advocacy; consent, social media and self-care, among others. This renowned program was developed as.a partnership with the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association.
High School (9th-12th grades)
While gathering weekly for check in and connection, our youth will be engaging in a variety of mindfulness and meditation practices to gain tools for resilience by cultivating wisdom minds and compassionate hearts.
Navigating the world as a teenager can be stressful – juggling friends, family, schoolwork, and the wider culture around them is no easy task! This year, our youth will be using a curriculum that builds a place to be calm, unwind, and be yourself. Using mindfulness techniques, leaders will help teens to be in the present moment, cultivate relationships with kindness and empathy, and deal with pressure in constructive ways. They will have opportunities to notice their own stresses and worries; acknowledge, respond to, and skillfully cope with their thoughts, feelings and difficult circumstances.
Adults – Gather with a small group over this year to learn and practice mindfulness and meditation practices. Learn how to differentiate between your thoughts and what is true. Through a wide variety of guided practices and discussion, cultivate spiritual practices to help ground and center your life in your deepest held values and beliefs. Develop more spiritual resilience to better cope with difficult people, situations and times.
May we experience a meaningful year of learning, growing and connection with one another.
Blessed Be, Diane Melvin Religious Education Director
People’s Church Peace and Nature Camp
This is the first year that our summer camp was offered for two weeks. Both our June & August day camps were wonderful experiences!
A Huge thank you to our camp director, Dolores Strom and the amazing camp staff for all the time and love and energy they devoted to our children.