Religious Education

Welcome! Religious education is an important commitment that we make to our children, ourselves, and our community. The goal of religious education at Westminster is to provide a loving, caring, and nurturing community in which our children may explore their own spiritual journey.

We provide classes for children in Preschool through Eighth Grade. This year, we are offering a worship-based program through which our children will explore World Religions, Jewish and Christian heritage, and Unitarian Universalist history and identity. We begin by choosing the topic for worship and then coordinate age-appropriate lessons from different curricula, hand-crafting a program that truly maximizes our time together for religious exploration.

PRESCHOOL: This class is for 3 and 4 year olds and uses a curriculum called "We are many, We are One." The children are introduced to Unitarian Universalism, learn how to play and work cooperately, express their feelings about themselves and others, and appreciate how we are all alike yet different.  We celebrate the world around us and explore different religions and cultures of the world. During our "circle time," the children create and "light" a felt chalice and have a time for sharing.

KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE: This class begins their morning with "circle time," chalice lighting, and sharing joys and concerns with their friends.  We use the curriculum "Special Times," which introduces them to the heritages out of which Unitarian Universalism has grown. They celebrate holidays and other "special times" throughout the year.

SECOND AND THIRD GRADE; FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE: These two classes meet in the children's chapel each week for a children's worship service. We light a chalice, read our seven Unitarian Universalist principles, and light a rainbow candle for each principle.  We sing a hymn, meditate or do breathing exercises with yoga, listen to a story or short presentation, share joys and concerns, and sing "Carry the Flame." Following chapel, the two classes separate to focus on lessons chosen to correspond with the theme from the chapel service

SIXTH GRADE: This class begins with "virtual" chalice lighting and opening words. These youth have been given the opportunity and responsibility of choosing the themes that will be the focus of the class. Their goal for the end of  the fall session is to create and lead a chilldren's worship service.

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE -- COMING OF AGE: This group meets Sundays at 9 am. They visit other places of worship, and discuss various faith traditions. This class will also participate in four hours of community service to Westminster, create a children's worship service, plan an overnight trip to Boston and Concord to visit historical UU sites, attend district-wide conferences, organizie social action events, and plan their Coming of Age service at the end of their year together.

The Parent's Role in Religious Education

You are the most important religious educator in your child's life! Here's what you can do:

• Volunteer as a teacher, aide, or worship assistant in the church school. You will be doing your part to make the program work and will get from it more than you ever imagined.
• Bring your children to church school. Continuity and maintaining friendships are an important aspect of children's lives. Show them that church and a spriitual life are important for everyone.
• Attend intergenerational services. Your children can experience song, prayer, and worship with you and the entire church community.
• Keep informed about what is happening in the church school. Read the Westminster Chimes newsletter for special notices, and read handouts given to the children, which explain events and schedules.

If you have any questions about the Religions Education program, please contact the Religious Education Coordinator.

Youth Group

Westminster's Youth Group gathers weekly to talk, laugh, share of themselves, and learn from one another. The group is open to all high school age youth interested in meeting new friends, joining in thoughtful conversation, and having lots of fun! Activities focus on community building and youth empowerment, and include creating youth led worships, organizing social action events, and attending district-wide conferences. Meetings are Wednesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.