Beginnings is our children’s’ first deep dive into what it means to be a UU. Teachers lead a brief, guided meditation, share a “nugget” of UU History or stories of famous U or U, then lead journaling. We start out easy, with the journal prompt, “My favorite moment in life so far,” and end with the youth restating each principle in their own words, choosing one that speaks to them and explaining why. On Final Sunday, the class will share their learnings regarding what it means to be UU by taking charge of Time for All Ages.
We kick off April 13, with a day together with family units off-site, for team building and outdoor fun. This will include a parent meeting to go over the program in detail.
On Sunday, June 9, the class will lead the Time for All Ages and create “Me Tables” – displaying artifacts of their lives – pictures, stuffed animals, trophies, books, writings, artwork on a bright cloth at Coffee Hour. Their Favorite Principles Statements are presented by the Youth at a family Beginnings Celebration/Dinner at MUUF, date TBD depending on the schedule of our busy families! – But ideally the night before they present the All Ages, and bound in a booklet to be shared with the Congregation.
Grades 4-7
Sundays 9-10 am – April 14th – June 9
Parent and Student Day Retreat – April 13th
Sharring in the Serivce – June 9th
Join us for an exciting journey through the Holidays and Holi-Days, where we celebrate the rich tapestry of traditions inspired by Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Unitarian Universalist faith! In this engaging class, we’ll dive into the beauty of diverse celebrations from around the globe.
Discover the wonders of each tradition, fostering interfaith understanding and cultivating values of empathy and inclusivity. Through fun activities, interactive discussions, and meaningful reflections, your child will gain a deeper appreciation for the universal themes of love, compassion, and community found in each belief system.
Don’t miss out on this enriching experience! Register now and embark on an unforgettable journey celebrating the world’s diverse religious traditions with us!
Grades 1-3
Sundays 9-10 am
April 14th – May 19
The “Love and Help” program for all youth ages 7-11 beautifully merges the core principles of both Unitarian Universalism and scouting, fostering a rich tapestry of values and experiences. Grounded in the shared commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and respect for individual beliefs, this program offers UU youth a space to explore their spirituality while embracing the adventurous spirit and sense of community inherent in scouting. Through service projects, outdoor adventures, and educational activities, scouts not only embody the UU principles of love, justice, and compassion but also embrace the scouting ideals of leadership, outdoor stewardship, and personal growth. By participating in the “Love and Help” program, your child will not only deepen their understanding of Unitarian Universalist values but also experience the joy of camaraderie, the thrill of exploration, and the satisfaction of making a positive impact in the world.
Grades 1-5
Sundays 9-10 am
April 14th – May 19
Spirit Play – Children aged 3-7 engage in a Montessori-based curriculum based on story and ritual, play and creativity. It gives children the tools to make meaning of their lives and questions such as Who am I, Where did I come from, and What is my purpose within the container of Unitarian Universalism?
Each Sunday, 7-13-year-olds can select one of several different themed rooms that they will have the option to engage with. This allows children to select topics and modalities that are of interest to them. Children can choose a different room each week or continue in one that piques their interest. Stations are self-guided with volunteers to help facilitate. On occasion, volunteers may lead a more focused lesson based on their interests. Children interact with children of different ages and build bonds and community around shared interests. (click here for more information about the stations)
Here are some things that we are excited about with this program (click to read)
- This schedule allows us to plan a bigger curriculum (OWL, Age of Reason, etc.) around awkward breaks in the schedule while also allowing us to have a program for kids every Sunday.
- Volunteers can sign up for as many or as few Sundays as they want as the burden is spread over more people. In weeks where there is low volunteer attendance, we can still offer something because it will be simple to modify based on volunteer count.
- Kids and Families can come as their schedules permit. Because there is low prep and the learning is kid-guided, when few kids show up, the lessons are already tailored to their needs and numbers. Volunteers are also not spending lots of time creating lessons only to be discouraged when no one shows up. Kids will also not be “left out” of a sequential curriculum.
- There is something happening for children not enrolled in Special Classes. Special Classes will also not interrupt “regular classes.”
- This makes it easy to have some sort of RE offering every week.
- Keeping Sunday Mornings simple will allow the DRE and other volunteers to focus on creating other events and classes throughout the week and year.
- It’s easy to bring in a group that has requested to lead a special class (i.e. GEM and Gateways)
- Every week, even traditional “NO RE” weeks will have the same options for kids from a drop-off or “where do my kids go?” perspective.
- This system puts the learning in the hands of the children and what the volunteers are passionate about. We are not “forcing” lessons that don’t want to be taught or learned.
- Anyone can enter a “class” at any point and not feel lost.
- If we are short on volunteers, we can close rooms.
- Volunteers can easily troubleshoot problems. Not being tied to delivering lessons, allows them to tend to the emotional needs of the kids, attendance issues, and replenishing supplies.
- When a lesson isn’t being planned for a specific time period, kids can come and go at any time.
- Kids will need to be checked in and out by parents, giving them the emotional support they need during that time. Families have the option to skip it all together and drop off their children before the service or just stay in the service altogether.
- Parents will be more directly involved in pick up and drop off.
This Week
- April 28, 2024
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Beginnings of UU Spirituality
April 28, 2024 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Beginnings is our children’s’ first deep dive into what it means to be a UU. Teachers lead a brief, guided meditation, share a “nugget” of UU History or stories of famous U or U, then lead journaling. We start out easy, with the journal prompt, “My favorite moment in life so far,” and end with the youth restating each principle in their own words, choosing one that speaks to them and explaining why. On Final Sunday, the class will share their learnings regarding what it means to be UU by taking charge of Time for All Ages.
We kick off April 13, with a day together with family units off-site, for team building and outdoor fun. This will include a parent meeting to go over the program in detail.
On Sunday, June 9, the class will lead the Time for All Ages and create “Me Tables” - displaying artifacts of their lives – pictures, stuffed animals, trophies, books, writings, artwork on a bright cloth at Coffee Hour. Their Favorite Principles Statements are presented by the Youth at a family Beginnings Celebration/Dinner at MUUF, date TBD depending on the schedule of our busy families! - But ideally the night before they present the All Ages, and bound in a booklet to be shared with the Congregation.
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Holidays and Holy-days
April 28, 2024 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Join us for an exciting journey through the Holidays and Holi-Days, where we celebrate the rich tapestry of traditions inspired by Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Unitarian Universalist faith! In this engaging class, we’ll dive into the beauty of diverse celebrations from around the globe.
Discover the wonders of each tradition, fostering interfaith understanding and cultivating values of empathy and inclusivity. Through fun activities, interactive discussions, and meaningful reflections, your child will gain a deeper appreciation for the universal themes of love, compassion, and community found in each belief system.
Don’t miss out on this enriching experience! Register now and embark on an unforgettable journey celebrating the world’s diverse religious traditions with us!
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Love and Help: a UU & Scouting Program
April 28, 2024 9:00 am - 10:00 am
The "Love and Help" program for all youth ages 7-11 beautifully merges the core principles of both Unitarian Universalism and scouting, fostering a rich tapestry of values and experiences. Grounded in the shared commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and respect for individual beliefs, this program offers UU youth a space to explore their spirituality while embracing the adventurous spirit and sense of community inherent in scouting. Through service projects, outdoor adventures, and educational activities, scouts not only embody the UU principles of love, justice, and compassion but also embrace the scouting ideals of leadership, outdoor stewardship, and personal growth. By participating in the "Love and Help" program, your child will not only deepen their understanding of Unitarian Universalist values but also experience the joy of camaraderie, the thrill of exploration, and the satisfaction of making a positive impact in the world.
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Spirit Play
April 28, 2024 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Children aged 3-7 engage in a a Montessori-based curriculum based in story and ritual, play and creativity. It gives children the tools to make meaning of their lives and questions such as Who am I, Where did I come from, and What is my purpose within the container of Unitarian Universalism?
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Faith Formation Mission Statement
We want our children and youth to be confident in their independent selves, their beliefs, and their values, and to be able to articulate them to others. Children should value different types of self-expression, whether artistic, emotional, logical, or spiritual.
We want our children and youth to love – love themselves, love their peers, love their community, and love the universe. Children should be empathetic, compassionate, open-minded, and value diversity.
We want our children and youth to have a solid backing in Unitarian Universalist (UU) history, identity, and theology, and be able to articulate them. Children should develop their own personal spirituality and beliefs, and articulate them through a personal credo statement.
We want our children and youth to find common themes in all world religions, and to understand how they relate to their UU Values. Children should respect others’ beliefs and perspectives.
We want our children and youth to be leaders who are grounded in social responsibility. Children should feel equipped to live out our principles in their daily lives through social service and social action.
We want our program to be adaptive to the individual needs of different children, and to empower our teachers to use their creativity in presenting classes. Our program should be full of excitement with active participation from the full spectrum of the Fellowship.
More Informaiton
Registration
It is important that all children are registered at the Fellowship. We are using REALM for registration in most aspects of the Fellowship (you can find REALM here). There, we ask that you update your family information. [You will also need to register your children for Sunday Morning Faith Formation. You will need to fill out the “Parental Consent Form” at the end of the registration.
We use age instead of grade to divide children. You will notice some overlapping ages. We ask that families determine where their child will fit best. Also, children can remain in the age group they are in during the year even as they have birthdays.
If you need help registering, check out this video. If you need more help, let me know.
Volunteers Needed
In order to make all of this happen, we will need lots of help. One of the joys and excitement of this program is that it is low prep and high reward. Each facilitator will need to show up a few minutes early and be present for children as they lead their own learning. If a volunteer is interested in leading a more focused lesson in one of our rooms, please consult with the DRE, but you are welcome to lead what moves you. We know that people’s lives can get busy and that there are ebbs and flows to availability. So we can work with whatever schedule works for you. While it would be wonderful for you to be available every week, we also would be happy with once a month or only 4 weeks in a given month. We are also asking all parents to facilitate at least once a month.
We will need volunteers for the Nursery, Spirit Play, and Faith Formation Stations. All volunteers submit to a background check, go through a brief training about our safety policies, and we’ll have the opportunity to be trained in CPR in first aid. If you have any questions, or if you would like to volunteer, please email Nick at nwallwork@muuf.org. Please let him know your availability. Or click here to sign up directly.
Contact the DRE
Nick Wallwork (he/him)
Director of Lifespan Religious Education
nwallwork@muuf.org
(862) 200-7577
Schedule a time to meet.
Further Reading
Children in the Sunday Service by Nick Wallwork
Faith Formation by Nick Wallwork
The Congregation is the Curriculum by Nick Wallwork
What is Education by Nick Wallwork
The Death of Sunday School by Kim Sweeny