Religious Education

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Orientation

Presenter: 
Vic Caldarola
Durations: 
Sun, 05/15/2011

Parents of youth in Grades 7-9 next year are invited to an orientation for Our Whole Lives (OWL) Outreach, the life-affirming, comprehensive sexuality education program.  This is an exploratory orientation, with no obligation to register for the program, to determine interest in the offering, and the orientation will be immediately following the second service.

Summer Sunday Program

The Summer Sunday Program builds community among children and youth through a series of fun and adventurous all-ages activities and service projects, including camp-outs, stream walks, mountain hikes, scrap book projects, edible plant walks, bicycle clinics, visits to local farms, and a service project to prepare school supplies for needy children. 

 

The Summer Sunday Program will run June 19 - September 4. The Summer Sunday activities begin at 10:30 am and are intended for children ages four and up. Extended Nursery is available 10:30 am - 11:30 am for children up to three years of age.

 

Date Activity
June 19 Helping Hands for Dad
June 25/26   Family and Youth Camp out
July 3 Edible Plant Walk
July 10 Field Games
July 17 Community Worship Service
July 24 Boating and Fishing at Black Hill Regional Park
July 31 Pancake Breakfast
August 7 Visit a Horse Farm
August 14 Community Worship Service
August 21 Scrapbooking
August 28 Oragami/Butterfly Symmetry
September 4 Trail and Stream Walk
September 11 Community Worship Service

Religious Education - Introduction and Registration

Welcome to the 2010-11 Religious Education Program!

 

Our SCUU Religious Education staff is devoted to guiding our children in a free and independent search for truth and meaning by engaging them in creative exercise in faith development.

 

We accomplish this goal through the use of a spiritually and intellectually stimulating educational program.  Carefully selected curricula explore such topics as comparative religions, Native American spirituality, conflict resolution, social justice, peace building, community, creation myths, environmental awareness, and of course the principles and values of Unitarian Universalism.

 

We seek to create a safe, secure and welcoming environment for our children and youth by staffing all classrooms/events with two adults (a teacher and an assistant), each committed to nurturing our children's natural inclination toward curiosity and wonder.

 

SCUU is a growing and dynamic spiritual community.  This year, the Religious Education Program offers four instructional classes: Explorers (preK - 1), Mavericks (grades 2 - 4), Seekers (grades 5 - 7) and Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive human sexuality class for grades 7-9, in addition to the Youth Group and Nursery.

 

If you are looking for a spiritual home for your children, consider SCUU where we celebrate love, experience transcendent mystery and explore the interconnected web of life.

 

Registration

We don't have an online process for registering (yet), but watch for the forms to available soon!

The recommended donation is $50 per child per year, with a $150 per family maximum.

Come by any Sunday and speak with us during the fellowship after service. We'll be happy to speak with you and answer your questions. You may sign up then if you like.

Contact us online via contact form or meet us on your next Sunday Services at Sugarloaf visit!

Religious Education - Curriculum

 

Children's RE

We are pleased to welcome you and your children to our Religious Education Program. The curriculum selections are based upon research on the UUA website, and feedback from UUA religious educators across the country. For those interested in learning more about the religious education materials available through the UUA, we highly recommend a visit to the UUA Religious Education website. Families and individuals will find resources to continue and extend their personal religious education.

Welcome to the new RE year!

 

Nursery

Childcare is available during both Sunday services for infants and children up to 3 years old.  The nursery staff includes an experienced adult caregiver and volunteer assistant.  Our goal is to provide a consistent and loving environment for young children while their parents attend the service.

 sharing a story
RE Offerings During the Service

Explorers (Preschool to first grade)

Nurtures children's spiritual and religious growth through ritual, sharing times, crafts, games and stories.  Themes include the worth of each person, playing cooperatively, expressing feelings, celebrating human diversity and feeling a part of the UU community. 

Mavericks (Grades 2-4)

Introduces children to the seven UU principles and explores values, beliefs and what it means to be Unitarian Universalist.  Children address familiar conflicts and learn about their class as a community.  Themes include diversity in human relationships, making peace, spirituality, as well as creation, God and death.

 

Seekers (Grades 5-7)

Children begin to explore world religions beliefs, learn about noteworthy UU men and women, begin to articulate their faith through the seven UU principles, and learn how service may promote peace and justice.

 

RE Offerings Outside of Service Times

Our Whole Lives (OWL)

A comprehensive human sexuality course for grades 7-9 which took place January - May.

 

Youth Group

Unique social experience for middle and high school youth; emphasizes fun, community, soical action, worship and leadership.

 Learning about edible wild plants

 

Religious Education - Mission and Goals

Religious Education Mission Statement

We the members and friends of SCUU welcome children and encourage their participation in our congregation.  We covenant to support them in their spiritual journeys by offering information, joyful experiences, life examples, and thoughtful discussion of the seven UU principles.  We encourage questioning of all common assumptions, learning about the earth and its many environments, and appreciation of the great diversity of peoples who live in our world.  We are committed to providing a caring, compassionate and supportive congregational environment in which to nurture children along lifelong paths of spiritual growth.  We recognize that a most critical resource in this regard is a dedicated and well-organized volunteer corps of teachers, mentors and advisors who are carefully invited into this important work, and who are inspired to welcome children into our Unitarian Universalist faith.

 

Religious Education Goals

About Unitarian Universalism

  • Affirmations and rituals
  • History and traditions
  • Diversity of religious beliefs
  • Sense of belonging at SCUU

About Many Religions

  • Earth-based religions
  • Christianity
  • Judaism
  • Islam
  • Buddhism

Acceptance of Self and Others

  • Self-affirmations
  • Diversity among people, families and relationships
  • Respect for and responsibilities to self and others

Interconnected Web of Life

  • Respect for the environment
  • Sense of connection to the web of life
  • Responsibilities as guardians of the earth

Faith Development

  • Developing an appreciation of an experience larger than self
  • Addressing fundamental questions of life and death
  • Expressions of the religious and spiritual in everyday life
  • Honoring spiritual traditions connecting us to the past

Religious Education - Programs

 

For Children, during Sunday Service
 

Children’s Chapel, Community Worship Service and Words for All Ages

SCUU offers three kinds of services: Children’s Chapel, Community Worship and Words for All Ages.

 

Children’s Chapel is a children’s worship service that will usually be held on the 1st Sunday of the month. This format allows for a full hour of religious exploration entirely separate from the adult service.  These services include traditional elements of worship, such as chalice lighting as well as joys and concerns alongside planned lessons.

 

Community Worship Services mean everyone will participate in the main worship service. Children and adults worship together during CW services, as these are designed and intended for all ages.  CW services give children the experience of seeing what adults do in worship, promote reverence and respect for worship services, and invite adults and children to celebrate the many generations of our SCUU family. To learn more about CW Services please see: http://www.uuintergenerational.org/why_intergenerational.htm#x.

Words for All Ages occurs in the early part of the regular worship service. Children attend the first part of the adult worship service and participate in a story, song or discussion, after which children and teachers withdraw to their classroom for the remainder of the RE class.

 

 

An overview of each of the RE classes currently being offered can be accessed by clicking on the Curriculum tab above. The nursery is open every Sunday for children under 3.

Kids' performance

RE Mission and Goals

Unitarian Universalist
Principles for Children

We Believe :

  1. Each person is important
  2. Be kind and fair in all you do
  3. We are free to learn together
  4. We search for what is true for ourselves
  5. Every person deserves to have a say and a vote
  6. Build a fair and peaceful world
  7. We care for all living things in our universe