Religious Education 

Worship

Worship for Children and Youth

Worship is a central aspect of our church life generally, and our religious education program specifically. In addition to the 1st through 12th graders starting every week in the worship service, all children and youth enjoy worship and ritual in their classrooms. Every class starts with a chalice lighting, opening words, and Joys and Concerns. And every class ends with an intentional closing. For PreK through 2nd grade, that is the Rainbow Principles Song, while for older children and youth it may be something from their curriculum or something of their own choosing.

Additionally, the 9th-12th grade youth have made it clear that they both want and need more time to practice becoming adult members of our community. It is for this reason that they will sometimes attend the entire worship service. And they will be the lay leaders for all intergenerational services, including Youth Sunday and RE Sunday. We believe that this will be a blessing not only for them, but also to the rest of our congregation.

Having our 1st through 12th graders present at the beginning of the service every week underscores the importance of them to our collective lives and demonstrates our commitment to developing in them strong identities as Unitarian Universalists. Similarly, by including worship in the more intimate setting of their individual classes, we encourage them to develop a community of trust and sharing among their peers and teachers.

Intergenerational Services

We celebrate several intergenerational services every year, including a Thanksgiving service, a service at Christmas that may be more traditional or it may be all about the solstice, and our annual Flower Communion. Children and youth are often an integral part of the service. Additionally, the RE Committee provides coloring and activity sheets relating to the themes of the services. We hope that these will provide an appropriate outlet for children’s energies, while also enhancing their experience of the service.

(Please note in the Policies and Procedures section that there is an alternative to attending the service provided for PreK through Kindergarteners.)

Our special intergenerational service is Religious Education Sunday, which is the third Sunday in May. All classes make presentations from their work during the year. It might be a song, or a reading, perhaps a book that they made, or something they built, it might be a skit, or a game in which they ask the congregation to participate. All of our volunteers are recognized and thanked. This is the culmination of our year when the children get to shine!