Church
for Children
The
Church for Children strives to welcome, affirm, challenge, and support
our young people in the discovery and development of their religious
being.
While class offerings change year to year, the overall curriculum
provides
a broad program addressing the heritage of Unitarian Universalism,
world
religions, and local practice; personal life issues; social justice and
peace; the natural world; and spirituality and faith.
Organization
- - Registration
- - Statement
of Goals
Programs:
Infant-3
years - - 4
years-Kindergarten - - Grades
1-2 - - Grades
3-4 - - Grades 5-6
- - Grades 7-8
- - Senior High
Announcements:
YOU ARE NEEDED
The Church for Children is a
cooperative volunteer program
that needs the involvement of the congregation, as a whole, and, in
particular,
each parent/guardian. You are encouraged to find a way to share your
time
and talents with children and youth. In addition to Circle Leaders,
helpers
are needed for Game Days, special events, and snacks. If you have time
or a special talent to share (baking, art, storytelling, music), we
want
your participation. Please contact Kim Paquette, Director of Religious
Education, at 673-1870. uucmdre@gmail.com
.
General
Information:
ORGANIZATION
The Children's Program Committee develops programming for and
administers
the operation of the Church for Children. The committee welcomes
questions
and ideas. For more information, contact Kim Paquette, Director of
Religious
Education, at 673-1870.
[Back
to top]
REGISTRATION
To ensure safety and proper care, all children and youth participating
in church programs need to be registered. Registration forms are
available
by the Garden Door of the church, or from Kim Paquette, Director of Religious Education., or by clicking here.
[Back to top]
STATEMENT OF GOALS
To foster an attitude
of acceptance of self and
of others, a feeling of uniqueness and self-worth, and an openness to
ideas
and feelings.
To teach the history,
traditions, and ideas of
all religions, to encourage a sensitivity to them and an awareness of
their
relevance to our own religious lives.
To convey a clear
sense of the meaning and experience
of Unitarian Universalism, as well as its history.
To model and to
reinforce values of social responsibility
and democratic process in both an advocacy and an activist mode.
To provide an
experience of community, of acceptance,
love, and compassion, to be cherished.
To create an
environment for children to explore,
develop and celebrate their own spirituality and an affirmation of
life;
to provide times and places for reflection and centering.
To guide the
children's questioning and search
for meaning, including an acceptance that sometimes there are no
answers,
and to provide ongoing challenge to newness and growth; to foster a
sense
of personal responsibility, integrity, and courage of one's own
convictions.
To provide support,
assistance, and clarification,
leading toward individual empowerment in dealing with difficult life
problems
and with ethical concerns.
To develop
experiences and an environment which
encourage awe and wonder of the natural world and awareness of the
interconnections
of all of life.
[Back to top]
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS 2009-10
Below
are brief descriptions of the programs that are offered during the church year.
Our classes (often referred to as Circles) for children, kindergarten age and
younger begin at 10:30 AM. Our congregation, including children/youth in grades
1 and up—unless noted differently—usually gathers as a community in the
sanctuary during the first part of the worship. After the “Story for All Ages,”
children/youth and their Circle Leaders leave the sanctuary to begin their
programs. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend Circles at any time.
[Back to top]
LITTLE
LIGHTS (infant-3 years)
This is a place where the
youngest of our church community are supported in a safe, nurturing
environment. Caregivers provide a secure
place for play and children can begin to develop a sense of community. This Circle begins at 10:30 am.
[Back to top]
SHOOTING
STARS (4 years - Kindergarten)
Curriculum:
Spirit Play
Based on Montessori techniques, this
program allows children to experience sacred space and become a community. Through the use of stories and engaging
multiple senses, children can explore the meaning of life’s questions. Children are given real choices within the
structure of the morning. The program
develops an underlying sense of the spiritual and the mystery of life. This Circle begins at 10:30 am.
[Back to top]
Grades
1-2
Curriculum:
Peaceful Beginnings
What is peace? How can we promote peace within our world and
ourselves? Exploring peaceful living
skills and conflict resolution, children will also experience a multicultural
awareness of peace. Music, stories, and
hands-on activities aim to connect children to the concepts and symbols of
peace. Children start in the sanctuary
and are dismissed to their Circle after the Story for All
Ages.
[Back to top]
Grades
3-4
Curriculum:
Timeless Themes
Through stories from the Hebrew and
Christian Bibles children become familiar with cultural heritage and the human
issues that inspired these scriptures: the timeless themes of transcendent
power, human responsibility, love of freedom, speaking out against injustice,
respect for the beliefs of others, love of one’s neighbor, and forgiveness. Children start in the sanctuary and are
dismissed to their Circle after the Story for All Ages.
[Back to top]
Grades
5-6
Fall Curriculum: Our Whole Lives (OWL)
Participants learn about and discuss
the physical and emotional changes of puberty, while stressing the values of
love, justice, equality, and responsibility.
Participants will read, It’s
Perfectly Normal, by
Robie Harris and examine topics such as values, sexuality, communication, and
decision making. Each session includes a
“home Link”, an activity for parents and children to complete together at
home. The program promotes our religious
community as a place to ask important questions as we search for truth, meaning,
and understanding. Parental permission
is required for this program. This
Circle begins at 10:30 am.
Spring Curriculum:
Small Group Ministry
The program is based on the
curriculum, “Adapting Small Group Ministry for Children’s Religious Education,”
by Gail Forsyth-Vail. The focus is for
the youth to build an intentional community, practice being together, provide a framework for
responding to the great questions of life, create a space for each person to
feel valued and to be of service. The
group will work together on justice making (service projects) within the
community and in the larger world.
[Back to top]
Grades
7-8
Curriculum:
Our Whole Lives (OWL)
Our
Whole Lives helps
participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health
and behavior. It equips participants
with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human
development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and
society and culture. Grounded in a
holistic view of sexuality, Our
Whole Lives provides
not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to
clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual,
emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
Parental permission is required for this program. This Circle begins at 10:30
am.
[Back to top]
Young
Religious Unitarians Universalists
– YRUU (Grades 9 to 12)
Provides an opportunity for
fellowship, conversation, service, and fun for high school youth. This group meets on Sunday evenings at 6:00
pm.
[Back to top]
Unitarian
Universalist Congregation in Milford