Family Ministry Programs 2023

Family Ministry Programs 2023–2024

What a joyful summer it has been! In Family Ministry, we got to play at the park, pull out the slip ’n slide, build an epic fort, go on field trips, and just generally have a great time. Now we’re excited to turn toward the fall, get back into a routine, and re-engage with our regular programs for the 2023–2024 church year.

The information below includes descriptions of our Sunday-morning programs, as well as information about registration and volunteering in Family Ministry. For detailed schedules and other more specific information, please sign up for the Youth or Family Ministry Newsletter and keep an eye on the UUC website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Aria Curtis, Director of Family Ministry.

What to Expect on Homecoming Sunday

On September 10 we return to our two-service schedule and Rev. Jon and Rev. Beth will be back in the pulpit regularly. This is also when our regular Family Ministry programs start back up, including our small groups for elementary-age children, parent groups, and family events.

Homecoming Celebrations for Children & Youth, 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Elementary-age children and youth will be invited to gather in the Children’s Suite and Channing, respectively, to kick-off the year with games, treats, and joyful worship experiences. Everyone will get to share about some favorite adventure from the summer and get excited about the year to come.

Sprouts (younger children) will get to have their own celebrations during both the 9:30 and 11:15 services.

Registration

Each year we ask families to fill out our registration form. Filling out this form ensures that you will receive information about and invitations to programming and events for children, youth, and families throughout the year. It also helps us plan and ensure that all our safety information is up to date.

This year there are no fees associated with Family Ministry or for our religious education classes, with the exception of Coming of Age. The registration fee for Coming of Age is a sliding scale of up to $150 and helps to cover the cost of some specialized materials and events. We believe strongly that Coming of Age should be available to every youth; please use the codes noted in the registration to apply a discount as needed.

All Ages Worship Services Throughout the Year

September 17, October 8, November 19, December 17, January 21, February 11, March 17, April 21, and May 19

We believe worship is an important part of community and faith development. Once a month, usually on the 3rd Sunday of the month, our entire church community gathers for a meaningful, vibrant, and engaging multi-age worship service. These services often include stories, embodied spiritual practice and ritual, and easy-to-sing music. We will begin on September 17 with a Blessing of the Backpacks ritual.

Sprouts care is available, as usual, during All Ages worship services.

2023-2024 Family Ministry Programs

We are excited to offer a wide range of opportunities for children, youth, and families to engage in meaning-making and religious exploration. Please read below for descriptions of just some of what you can expect this fall. Other opportunities for community building and faith development this year will include things like Parent Play Dates, Elementary OWL (Our Whole Lives sexuality education program designed for younger kids), and the Antiracism Parent Group.

Sprouts Care: Sunday mornings, 9:30 and 11:15 a.m.

Quality and loving childcare provided by our CPR- and First Aid-trained Childcare Staff in our Bridges Room during both the 9:30 and 11:15 services. Young children begin to experience some of our core Unitarian Universalist rituals through snack time, stories, music, and play. Sprouts care is available for both services beginning on September 10.

Roots (K-2) and Wings (Grades 3-5): Sunday mornings, 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

We are looking for at least four more volunteers to make these programs possible: two for Roots and two for Wings. This involves a commitment of about 2 Sundays a month, plus a volunteer training in early September. Please contact Aria if you are interested in helping out.

In a series of 4-6 week modules, children will explore the dimensions of our Unitarian Universalist tradition, becoming more rooted in our faith and church community. They will experience important rituals, sing together, and learn some of the stories of our faith. While these age groups will follow the same general program plan, the details of their session plans may different slightly. Roots will meet in the Alcott Room and Wings will meet in the Bridges Room, both in the Children’s Suite. The general program plan includes:

Homecoming Sunday Celebration: September 10
Community Building with Games: September & October
Through collaborative games, children will get to know one another, have fun, and build trust.
Chalice Children: November & December
Children will continue building the foundations for religious exploration throughout the year. We’ll learn the story of our chalice, develop a covenant, get to know our faith leaders, and learn about our church building.
Superhero Academy: January
Using the adventures of our favorite superheroes, children will learn about and build skills for anti-oppression, personal responsibility, and love.
Makerspace: February
Children will get to use their imagination to build, paint, sew, and generally create! We’ll learn skills, like mending, that foster a sense of agency and care for our interdependent web.
Wizarding Academy: April & May
Inspired by religious educator Jenn Blosser’s summer camp curriculum, children will experience magic and play, reinforcing our Unitarian Universalist values.

World Religions (6th-7th Grade): Sunday mornings, 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Our young teens learn about Unitarian Universalism and about other faith traditions. Youth learn about the important theological questions explored in all faith traditions, develop their ability to see from a range of perspectives, and cultivate interfaith connection. Chaperoned field trips to visit our neighbors in faith provide a meaningful foundation for creative activities, readings, videos and discussion throughout the year.

Our Whole Lives (8th-9th Grade): Sunday mornings, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive sexuality education program designed to help participants gain the knowledge, values and skills to lead sexually healthy, responsible lives. In this OWL class, youth explore many topics, such as anatomy and physiology, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, dating, pregnancy, contraception, and sexual decision making. This program requires advance registration.

Coming of Age (9th-10th Grade): Sunday mornings, 11:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

Coming of Age is a rite of passage experience in which participants explore their personal and spiritual beliefs. At the beginning of the year, each Coming of Age teen is paired with an adult mentor from the congregation, who offers a sense of guidance and perspective. Together, mentors and mentees explore questions about god, identity, life after death, good and evil, justice-making, and personal purpose. The class works together on a service project and creates a worship service. Coming of Age culminates in a solo vigil and the development of a faith statement, which teens share with the congregation during a special service in May. Please note, Coming of Age requires prior registration and is not available for drop-in participation after October 15.

Youth Group (9th-12th Grade)

Community is vital to our youth and UUC is committed to providing them with opportunities to build strong connections by meeting them where they are at. Although Youth Group does not have a set schedule yet, we invite youth and families to sign up for the Youth Programs Newsletter to learn about upcoming events and activities for high school youth including: