A Story for All Ages
This fall OUUF Religious Education will offer 3 programs for children and youth. Our youngest program includes children from kindergarten to 3rd grade. As a Fellowship we care committed to the spiritual growth of all our members and friends, which is why we have resources available for preschool children should the situation present itself.
There are multigenerational services scheduled every month – during these services classes do not meet
For our younger friends: This year the concentration is on having the “Time for All Ages” translates into a lesson. This would allow children to process the message that the adults are hearing during the service. At times this message may not be appropriate for our youngest friends, during these weeks we are using “Spirit Of Adventure” by Kate Tweedie Covey. This curriculum uses untraditional subject matter to translate our Purposes and Principles. For example, good sportsmanship and teamwork offer important parallels to the UU way of being in the world. Sports are the first theme in the curriculum. Other themes include medicine, learning about Elizabeth Blackwell, Clara Barton and Albert Schweitzer. Food, using science to prepare food and nurturing others through the stories for Fannie Farmer and Henry Bergh. Building, offers being creative, learning about Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Chester French and Peter Cooper. Other themes include exploring, web of life, science, and holidays. There are opportunity for unique activities that include community and Fellowship members to interact with the class.
Our Middle School class will focus on “Neighboring Faiths” This curriculum explores the diversity of religions in our world. Children, advisors and parents visit other faith communities and worship with them. They experience other traditions as they are practiced in our surrounding communities. The children clarify their values and beliefs in the context of Unitarian Universalism and an increased familiarity with the world’s religions.
The youth have elected to meet on Sundays at noon at our church office, where they have a ‘Youth Room”. Lunch will be provided on rotational bases by the youth – This year the group will participate in a Coming of Age experience. “Stories at the Heart of Mystery” is an opportunity for each youth to work on a faith statement. It is centered on the theme of storytelling beginning with the Cosmos and ending with the story at the core, the story of the self. The year begins with the youth making timeline of their own lives and the process will continue all year. A “Beliefs Inventory” is core to this program and helps youth to see and underst5and the components of a belief system and the many ways t6hat people can, and do believe.
- Joanne Rahn, Director of Religious Education
