Nursery Care (10:15  - 11:30)
A warm and loving environment is provided for our very youngest children each Sunday by our caregiver, Katie Stewart, an adult hired by the Parish.  Care is available for babies and young children up through pre-school. Parents/guardians are expected to pick up their children immediately following the worship service, prior to attending coffee hour. 

Religious Education Programming for Children & Youth
What does it mean to be a "UU?"  What do UU's believe? What does it mean to be a part of a faith community? How do UUs encourage one another's search for truth and meaning? How can we help our children and youth to look both inward at themselves, and outward at the communities to which they belong? We will explore these questions all year long as we delve into our UU Identity and examine what it means to be part of a community of faith.  In all classrooms, we will consider our UU Identity through games and stories, art, music, discussions and social justice activities.  It is our hope that our children/youth will bring their Sunday morning experiences home with them to share with their families throughout the week. 

Grades: Kindergarten through 2
Our youngest grade school children gather in our Spirit Play classroom.  This "Montessori style" classroom provides our children with a solid foundation for their faith development by encouraging exploration, imagination and spiritual wondering.  Through story, wondering, and creative art responses, children make meaning of the language of our faith and life's 'big' questions.  This year we will focus on UU identity by presenting stories that focus on our Promises and Sources.

Grades 3 through 6

Children in 3rd through 6th grade will be in our Windows and Mirrors classroom. This new Tapestry of Faith program will help this group of 8- to 12 year-olds learn to be aware of themselves, aware of others and aware of how others see them. This curriculum nurtures children's ability to identify their own experiences and perspectives and to seek out, care about and respect those of others. Concepts of truth, fairness, justice, and love, coupled with respectful communication are elements of this rich curriculum. This program teaches that there are always multiple viewpoints and everyone's viewpoint matters.

Grades 7 through 9
Older children and youth in 7th through 9th grade will be having a bit of fun on Sunday mornings. This group will be using a curriculum called, Popcorn Theology. This popular program uses current and classic films to examine issues of theological and ethical importance in the lives of our young people. Through discussion and creative activities, youth will: examine how the choices we make affect our lives and the lives of others; explore how concepts such as truth and meaning are related to perspective and point of view; understand ways in which the right of conscience calls us to do what is right despite possible negative consequences; consider ways in which our UU faith can help us understand our questions, seek answers, and deal with the trials of life.

Grades 10 & 11
Coming of Age -The Senior High youth will be participating in the Coming of Age (COA) program. This rite-of-passage program is designed to encourage our youth to explore their spirituality, deepen their religious understanding and clarify their personal values and beliefs. This program enables youth to learn about their Unitarian Universalist faith through workshops, retreats, group trips and social action/ community service projects. Each participant is paired with a mentor who helps guide his self-discovery over the course of the year. The worship service that the group creates to share their expressions of faith will be a highlight of our congregation's worship year.

Our Unitarian Universalist Principles

We covenant to affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person

• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations

• Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations

• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning

• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large

• The goal of world community with peace liberty, and justice for all

• Respect for the interdependent web of which we are all a part

Our Children's "Rainbow Promises"

These promises are the children's version of  the above 7 UU Principles

• Respect all beings (red)

• Offer fair and kind treatment (orange)

• Yearn to learn (yellow)

• Grow in spirit and mind (green)

• Believe in your ideas and act on them (blue)

• Insist on peace, freedom & justice (indigo)

• Value the connections in all creation (violet)