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Religious Education for Children & Youth

Our religious education program offers a balance of experiences and opportunities that integrate education, ritual, social outreach, philosophical discussion, and fun in a nurturing and caring environment. We offer Sunday morning meetings to children and youth aged 3 to 18. Nursery care is available for children from birth through age 4. We also sponsor a youth group and spiritual discussions for adults.

While each of us chooses to be involved in a church for any number of reasons, we believe that religious education is and should be up near the top. Our Religious Education Program helps children and youth develop a world view that will support and provide an ultimate context for their developing lives. It encourages a sense of awe and reverence and the development of the spiritual dimension of life. It helps them to develop positive values for living and offers them a grounding in Unitarian Universalism. Our approach is liberal and expansive - encouraging the deepening of the spirit and the growth of human understanding and healthy commitment.

The RE Program is an essential part of a family's church experience. Many parents first come to our church primarily seeking an open and nurturing religious education for their children. At FPUU we recognize that all of us, not just parents, are responsible for the religious education of the children and youth of the congregation. An essential element of our mission is to build a brighter future through the religious education of our young people.

The success of our program depends on the cooperative efforts of the entire congregation. Each parent is expected to volunteer in some capacity throughout the year (e.g., lead a group, help with special events, or read a story). Adults in the congregation who do not have children in the program are also encouraged to volunteer.

Regular attendance builds community and a sense of belonging. At the same time, we welcome all children and youth no matter how often they come.

Our religious tradition draws from many sources: wisdom from the world's religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, Humanist teachings, Earth-centered traditions, and the deeds and words of prophetic women and men from all cultures and all times. Our RE Program reflects these diverse sources. Children and youth learn to respect themselves and the diversity of other human beings, to consider the relevance of the teachings of many varying religious traditions, to reflect upon the wonders of the world in which we live, and to develop their own sense of spirituality.

As UU's, most of us spend our entire lives formulating our religious beliefs - it's a part of what we are all about! Since we have no creed, we don't try to give our children religion. Instead, we help them develop their own, to question and to wonder. We teach them how to think about religion, not what to think about it.

UU Principles for Children

We believe that each and every person is important.

We believe that all people should be treated fairly.

We believe that our churches are places where all people are accepted, and where we keep on learning together.

We believe that each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life.

We believe that everyone should have a vote about the things that concern her or him.

We believe in working for a peaceful, fair, and free world.

We believe in caring for our planet Earth.

RE Program Goals

We seek to offer a balanced RE program that integrates education, ritual, philosophical discussion, social outreach, and fun time.

We want to plant the seeds of wonder and discovery so that our children and youth feel free to explore, question, and discuss.

We strive to familiarize our children and youth with our Unitarian Universalist Principles in the hope that they will assimilate these elements.

We want to develop a sense of community within the RE Program.

We want our young people to develop a sense of self-worth and individuality as they find their spiritual selves.
Religious Education Program Groups:

  (click here to see this month's schedule)

This year, there will be 3 age groups meeting on Sunday mornings during the service for children in Kindergarten and older. Nursery care will also be available for children ages 5 and under. (Age groups are approximate and flexible. Children may be moved at the discretion of the Director of Religious Education. We will make every effort to meet the individual needs of each child)

Nursery:  (Infants – Age 5):  Caring and qualified child care is available each Sunday to look after infants, toddlers, and preschoolers age 4 and under.  All young children are welcome in the Nursery during the service. At the age of 3 years, if they are ready, children are invited to join the youngest Religious Education Program group. 

“Creating Home” (K-2)  Throughout the year our youngest group, for children in Kindergarten through second grade, will be using the “Creating Home” curriculum.  This program helps children develop a sense of home that is grounded in faith. Together they will explore the purpose of having a home and the functions a home serves, for us as humans and for other animals. The program speaks of home as a place of belonging and explores the roles each of us play in the homes where we live.

The program introduces the concept of a "faith home" - our congregation - which shares some characteristics with a family home. Like a family home, a faith home offers its members certain joys, protections, and responsibilities. In these sessions, children explore the deep sense of sacredness, the beauty of hospitality, and the gift of loving relationships that a home can represent. 

The sessions include stories from Unitarian Universalist and other traditions, hands-on activities to make learning accessible to individuals with various learning styles, and structured opportunities for questioning, reflecting, and self-expression. 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.

Toolbox of Faith: (Grades 3-6)  Our middle group will share and learn through discussions, games, stories, activities and hands-on experiences.  The curriculum, “Toolbox of Faith” invites participants to reflect on the qualities of our Unitarian Universalist faith, such as integrity, courage, and love, as tools they can use in living their lives and building their own faith. Each of the sessions 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).

Morning Youth:  (Grades 7-12)  This group will be using the curriculum “Amazing Grace”  to explore right and wrong and act on their new understanding.  Youth will come to recognize and depend on their Unitarian Universalist identity and resources as essential to their movement toward understanding, independence, and fulfillment of personal promise.  Through stories, activities, discussion, and more to the group will address such questions as: Why do bad things happen? What is the role of God, gods, and goddesses? Who am I? Is evil or goodness within us? Is it something we choose? What are my own ideas? How can I follow my own ideas and not somebody else's? Is "you decide for yourself" really the ultimate UU answer to these questions? 

Evening Youth Group:  (Grades 8-12)  In addition to morning meetings, the Youth Group will meet 1-2 Sunday evenings per month from 6-8 p.m.  The components of this program will include working on service projects, going on trips, games, sharing favorite music, discussions, and much more.  For the last few years the Jr. and Sr. Youth have been participating District Youth Conferences.  This fall, for the second year, they will be hosting and planning the District Fall Youth Con. 

OWL (Our Whole Lives ):  (Grades 9-12) Using a comprehensive approach, this program helps youth gain the knowledge, life principles and skills they need to express their sexuality in life-enhancing ways. Sessions will be held two Sunday evenings per week from 6-8 p.m. from late October through early May.  Participants learn to make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior.  Parents will attend an orientation and participants are expected to make a commitment to attending all sessions.


Special Events

We begin the year with an Intergenerational Water Gathering Service on Sunday, September 13. Groups begin meeting on September 20. Other special events include an Intergenerational Blessing of the Animals Service, a Chili Luncheon and Talent Show, the Annual Holiday Pageant, and Valentine Crafts. Service oriented activities include Guest At Your Table, Food Collection and Easter Basket Collection.