Most of our Faith Development Programs for children and youth take place on Sunday mornings. Our children and youth have the opportunity to learn and grow alongside their peers as they explore themes in their “Religious Exploration” classes. UUCF is a great place for your child to learn about spirit, faith, and our world. We encourage kids to love themselves, their neighbors, and to celebrate our differences. Together we will ask questions of others and ourselves and, hopefully, spend some time in awe and wonder of the world we are a part of. Our curriculum is derived from many sources; some lessons come from story books and Unitarian Universalist Association- published curricula, while others come from the children as they interact with their peers and teachers.
Summer 2014
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry comes to UUCF for an interactive summer programs for children K-12!
Children and youth will build relationships, have fun, and learn about Unitarian Universalist Values and Principles through lessons in the Harry Potter books.
House selections
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Transfiguration
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Herbology
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Defense Against the Dark Arts
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Divination
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MULTIGENERATIONAL WORSHIP
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Care of Magical Creatures
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Potions
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Charms
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MULTIGENERATIONAL WORSHIP
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Nursery
Our Nursery is lovingly staffed every Sunday morning from 9:45am until Noon, and is also available upon request for other events. We hope you and your child will find our nursery to be a warm, friendly environment where they may find a playful introduction to Unitarian Universalism. We welcome children ages 4 and under in the nursery, and encourage older children to participate in our worship services and Religious Exploration programs each week. Please take a moment to read our Nursery guidelines for families, and feel free to contact me or a member of the Nursery Staff with any questions or concerns. View Our Nursery welcome letter here.
2014-2015 Program yearWorld Religions
Our new program year will begin on September 7th with our Multigenerational Ingathering service and picnic. Each month children, youth and adults will explore a new faith tradition, experiencing different spiritual practices, theologies and holy days.
September: Unitarian Universalism
October: Indigenous Religions
November: Hinduism
December: Judaism
January: Eastern Religions
February: Evangelical Christianity
March: Christianity
April: Islam
May: Atheism/ Agnostic/ Humanism
There will be several ways to engage in our monthly themes across the lifespan:
Religious Exploration for Children and youth: On RE Sundays, children and youth begin in the worship service, leave for classes following the moment for all ages, and then return to the sanctuary for the closing hymn. Every RE class will approach each religion with wonder and respect through age-appropriate activities, stories, and experiences. On most Sundays classes will be divided as follows:
Nursery (Birth-4)
Kindergarten-First Grade (ages 5-6)
Second-Fifth Grades (ages 7-10)
Junior High (ages 11-13)
High School (ages 14-18)
Multigenerational Worship: Once a month, we have the opportunity to have all ages worship together. These interactive services are a great way for families to worship together, and for our congregation to connect on a theme across the generations.
Children's Chapel
Occasionally, the children and youth will come together for Children's worship as a part of the Religious Exploration curriculum. All classes gather together for child-centered worship, providing the opportunity for our children and youth to learn about some of our worship traditions, explore a theme in a new way, and to offer their own touches as they help to lead one another in story, song, and spirit.
Adult RE
Beginning in September, an Adult Religious Exploration experience is offered following our second Sunday potluck. There classes are open to teens and adults and will explore the same faith tradition that our children and youth will be exploring that month. Other Adult Religious Exploration classes will also be offered throughout the year; check the Adult Programs page for more information about current offerings.
Other programs for Children and Youth:
Our Whole Lives
“Our Whole Lives” is a comprehensive Sexuality Education Program and is available for youth ages 11-14.Our leaders are certified to lead OWL by the UUA and they lead our youth with the OWL values in mind: Self Worth, Sexual Health, Responsibility, Justice and Inclusivity.
Age-appropriate OWL curriculum is also available at the following levels: grades K-1, grades 4-6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12, young adults (ages 18-35), and adults. For updates, schedules, and to get involved, visit our Our Whole Lives page.
Social Justice
As Unitarian Universalists, we strive to teach out children and youth to be good stewards of the Earth and to care for others that share our Earth home. Our youth have raised money for the Humane society, learned about tough issues facing Flint, and volunteered at the North End Soup Kitchen. We also encourage families to help us care for our on-site food pantry and teach even our youngest children the importance of our "Loving Hearts and Helping Hands."
Rites of Passage
Child Dedication
The Unitarian Universalist tradition celebrates the birth of children as well as the entry of older children into our community when their parent(s) become members. This tradition echoes the longstanding rituals of many faiths that welcome new life into the community and the world. Child dedication ceremonies are arranged to fit the needs to the family and community. If you are interested in a child dedication ceremony, please contact Rev. Deane.
Coming of Age
This
special program is designed to mark the transition from childhood to youthhood. What is a youth? A youth is someone who is not yet an adult,
but is not a child either. A youth is
someone in middle school or high school.
By participating in Coming of Age, we hope that the youth will:- Assume responsibility for
their own physical, mental and spiritual well-being;
- Gain self-confidence and
realize that their feelings are valid and that their opinions matter;
- Expand their vision of the
world by allowing them to encounter differing views, cultures, and life
experiences;
- Understand they have an
important role in their family, their church, and the larger community;
- Develop a personal value
system; and
- Realize they are
non-judgmentally accepted in our church community, and that it is a safe
place for them to be themselves.
