Youth & Children
Welcome! Religious education is an important commitment we make to our children, ourselves, and our community. The goal of religious education at Westminster is to provide a loving, safe and nurturing community in which our children may explore their own spiritual journey. We believe that there are many paths to truth. We affirm the uniqueness of each person in his or her spiritual development and life journey.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Nursery care is provided during the 9 AM Sunday services for children through age 3.
Formal classes are provided on Sundays (mid-September to mid-June) from 9 AM to 10:15 AM for children in preK (typically age 4) through grade 8. All classes begin either in the sanctuary or in the Children's Chapel for the first 15 minutes, and then children proceed to classes divided by grade level.
PreK & Kindergarten classes focus on values and the UU Principles and Purposes.
Grades 1-6 explore Unitarian Universalist principles and purposes, the Bible and world religions, using a curriculum developed at Westminster by Judy L. Adourian. "Teaching as a Spiritual Practice" is a spiraling curriculum, consisting of two alternating years in each of three levels (grades 1&2, grades 3&4, and grades 5&6).
Grades 7&8 explore "Neighboring Faiths," learning about different faith traditions, visiting different places of worship and comparing and contrasting other faiths with Unitarian Universalism.
"Our Whole Lives" (OWL) sexuality and values education is provided, alternating years, for students in Kindergarten - grade 1, grades 4-6 and grades 7-9.
Children's Chapel experiences involve all children and youth together for a "one-room schoolhouse" with all-ages programming. On a few special Sundays the full class time is spent on such programming. More often, children and youth begin at 9 AM with a brief Children's Chapel, for group worship and a short lesson or discussion, before their grade level classes.
Coming of Age (COA) programming is offered for students in eighth grade, beginning in December. This is separate from the Sunday morning program, and includes classes on UU beliefs, practices and history and values clarification. The workshops further provide an opportunity for exploring and expressing current beliefs. The year culminates with an overnight pilgrimage to Boston to visit historic places in UU history, and a Sunday service planned and led by the youth.
Youth Group meets twice a month on the first and third Sundays. This group is for youth in grades 9-12. Activities include small group ministry, field trips, and presentation of youth worship. This group is very active at the district level, hosting and attending Senior Youth Group Conferences (CONs).
Multigenerational Services are held periodically throughout the year. These services are held in the sanctuary, and children and youth are encouraged to attend along with the adults. There are no RE classes on these days. Check the calendar for detailed scheduling information.
Non-classroom Activities are important elements of the religious education program. Regular participation in these activities promotes a sense of belonging to this community, and encourages faith in action. Activities include:
- Potlucks - Winter Holidays Party and potlucks with religious education themes
- Christmas Eve Pageant - Our Christmas Eve service at 4:30 pm includes a dramatic presentation by the young people. Sign-ups begin in November, with rehearsals in December.
- Junior Choir - Children and youth of all ages are encouraged to join our Junior Choir, which sings a variety of hymns, chants and popular songs during services or during Children's Chapel.
- Service projects - Children and youth are encouraged to participate in congregational service work (such as the Sharing Locker), as well as youth oriented service projects.
- Mystery Friends - a popular late-winter activity in which children seek to discover the identity of their "mystery friend," an adult within the congregation.
OUR PRINCIPLES & SOURCES
The rainbow, and its acronym ROYGBIV, is used in our program to teach our children and affirm the 7 Unitarian Universalist Principles:
Offer fair and kind treatment to all.
Yearn to accept others and encourage spiritual growth.
Grow by exploring ideas and values together.
Believe in our ideas and act on them.
Insist on peace, freedom and justice for all.
Value our interdependence with nature.
The Living Tradition we share draws from many sources:
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
- Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
- Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings, which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions, which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
These principles and sources of faith are the backbone of our religious community.