Welcome Back! This Year’s Children’s RE Program

by Robin Pugh, Director of Lifespan Religious Education

Welcome back to those families that I haven’t seen this summer. Our full Religious Education (“RE”) program begins on Sunday, September 16. The RE teachers and I have planned an exciting year for UUCWC’s children. Here is what each class will be studying:

First Service (9 am – 10am)

Pk-5: All children are together in one classroom for a multi-age RE lesson taught by our Director of Religious Education, Robin Pugh and parent volunteers. The class will use a lesson from World of Wonder or URUU (described below).

Second Service (11:00 am – 12:15 pm)

Pre-school (age 3 and 4): Chalice Children encourages spiritual development by direct experiences. We nurture young children’s spiritual growth, creativity, and connection to their UU community through rhymes, games, stories and activities.

Grades 1 and 2: World of Wonder is founded on the premise that direct experience in nature is essential to children’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. This program delves deep into our Unitarian Universalist seventh Principle. It instills respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part, and appreciation of its beauty, excitement, and mystery.

Grades 3 and 4: URUU helps children develop a positive UU identity and understanding of our UU history, principles, sources, values, rituals and symbols. In addition to the regular lessons, the class will visit another UU congregation, send a UU “Flat Stanley” to other UU congregations, and have cooperative game and community service days.

Grades 5 and 6: Amazing Grace is an ethical development curriculum that enriches participant’s self-knowledge and deepens their understanding of right and wrong. The curriculum uses stories, activities, discussion, and more to help the class address such questions as: Why do bad things happen? What is the role of God, gods, and goddesses? Who am I? Is evil or goodness within us? Is it something we choose? What are my own ideas? How can I follow my own ideas and not somebody else’s? Is “you decide for yourself” really the ultimate UU answer to these questions?

In January- March, this class will have 10 sessions of OWL, the Unitarian Universalist sexuality curriculum.
A Parent orientation session will be in January 2019 before the class begins.

Grades 7 and 8: Lodestone Year is a middle school curriculum, which covers four important subjects: Death, Money, Race and Unitarian Universalism. Using discussion, meditations, skits, games and crafts, the class explores big questions and offers deep teachable moments.

Grades 9-11: Coming of Age is a Unitarian Universalist rite of passage that celebrates the transition from childhood into the teen and adult years. During the year, members of the class will explore their personal beliefs and values, learn about Unitarian Universalism and how our faith applies to everyday life, participate in service projects to UUCWC and the community, and work with a mentor to write a personal statement of current religious belief. A heritage trip to Boston will take place in April.

Grades 9-12: The Senior Youth Group meets on 1st and 3rd Sunday afternoons from 12:30 – 2:00 pm this year. The Youth Group’s purpose includes nurturing spiritual, emotional and intellectual growth, developing leadership skills, building community, increasing understanding between youth and adults, and serving the wider community. Activities include worship, learning, games, overnights, social action, field trips and youth conferences.

I’m looking forward to a great year.