Here are the exciting programs for our youth this year:

Chalice Children (ages 3-5)

Our Chalice Children group will use the curriculum by the same name by Katie Erslev. Based upon a philosophy that a child’s spiritual development is related to direct experience, this curriculum helps young children learn what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. Using a chalice theme, children learn about their religious community, engage in sharing with others, and explore a sense of belonging. This lively curriculum includes many crafts, holiday themes, and physically engaging activities.

The Explorers (ages 6-11)

This group will move back and forth between two curriculums offered by Tirrel and Richard Kimbell, “Free to Believe” and “Bibleodeon.”

“Free to Believe” is an experiential program focusing on what it means to be Unitarian Universalist, through explorations of the UU principles, but also by examining some of the “big questions” (i.e. life, justice, ethics) through the perspective of different sources. The curriculum focuses on contextualizing these issues in real ways—for example, how do you explain your beliefs to friends who feel differently? “Free to Believe” offers a variety of activities, stories, games and discussion with which to involve the children.

“Bibleodeon” provides children with a fun, popular culture-based introduction to the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures (the name is meant to recall the Nickelodeon channel). Not only do children become familiar with a Unitarian Universalist understanding of important scriptural stories, but they explore the history of the scripture and how and why it is that people interpret it so differently.

The Explorers will move back and forth between the two curriculums to coordinate with relative holidays, seasons and, when possible, the topic of the regular Sunday morning worship.

NUUC Youth (ages 12+)

Led by one volunteer religious educator working with NUUC’s paid Youth Advisor, the Sunday morning Youth gathering will alternate between one or two Sundays a month of curriculum, one Sunday a month of just plain and pure fun, and one or two Sundays a month engaged in a special activity (attending worship, planning or leading a Children’s Chapel for the younger children, or a special social action project). There will also be the periodic opportunity to gather with the Youth Group and the Youth Advisor outside of Sunday morning for conferences, outings, and social time.

The curriculum will be UU Traditions with a Wink. This curriculum is attentive to the passage from childhood to teenage, and focuses on the lived aspect of Unitarian Universalism (our customs, worship, communities, service projects) in order to keep the program lively and help youth stay enthusiastic about their church experience.