All children and youth from first through twelfth grade are welcome to join us on Sunday mornings in our Religious Education classroom. The classroom is a safe space for our youth to explore their beliefs and truths while being guided by our seven principles and six sources. The children begin Sunday morning with their parents in the Sanctuary and then are “sung out” to their classroom.
Our Religious Exploration year runs from September through June following the same monthly themes that are being observed in the sanctuary. Our in-gathering service is our Water Communion that takes place in mid-September and is a multi-generational service. There is a multi-generational service once a month that allows all of us to be together in the sanctuary as a beloved community, and it gives the children and youth an opportunity to be a part of the service in a meaningful and mindful way. The year ends in mid-June with our multi-generational Flower Communion service.
Our monthly themes for the 2023 – 2024 year are as follows …
September – Welcome
October – Heritage
November – Generosity
December – Mystery
January – Liberating Love
February – Justice & Equity
March – Transformation
April – Interdependence
May – Pluralism
June – Renewal
We follow our Safe Congregation Policy. The Director of Religious Education and all teachers working with youth and children must have the required clearances and all children and youth in the program must be registered. Once registered, monthly emails will go out to the parent(s) and/or guardian(s) providing information on what is being taught in the classroom and about any special events that may be taking place such as seasonal festivals or field trips.
If you are interested in more information about the RE program or would like to be included in our monthly newsletter, please submit your information and we will be in touch!
Our seven principles
- first principle – the inherent worth and dignity of every person
- second principle – justice, equity and compassion in human relations
- third principle – acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
- fourth principle – a free and responsible search for truth and meaning
- fifth principle – the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
- sixth principle – the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
- seventh principle – respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part
Our six 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 people 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
