Religious Education for Children and Teens
Our goal at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston (UUCR) is to provide a safe community in which children and adults explore religious ideas and ethical values, fulfill a commitment to social justice, build healthy relationships, and celebrate the joys of life. We recognize that all people, young and old, are spiritual beings who seek to reach for, encounter, and respond to the transcendent mysteries of life. In our ministry to children and families, we support and nurture such discovery.
Opportunities for children to learn what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist (UU) and to develop their own religious identity abound in all areas of church life.
As children progress through our program over the years, they will become familiar with UU principles, sources, and history. They will also learn about world religions, particularly our Jewish and Christian connections.
Throughout our website, we hope you will find useful information about how you and your children can become part of our community. As a popular UU hymn invites, we hope you will “Enter, rejoice, and come in!”
Religious Education for Children and Teens begins on September 25, 2011 - click here to register!
Intergenerational Services
Monthly intergenerational worship services provide an opportunity for all ages to come together in celebration and communion. We explore our common heritage through sharing creative modalities such as theater, storytelling, and pageantry. These services often celebrate a universal theme, holiday, or rite of passage, such as the ingathering water service, celebrating children/child dedication, coping with the loss of a loved one, Thanksgiving, winter holidays, the golden rule, service projects, world religions/light, Easter, coming of age ceremony, and intergenerational music-making.
Children's Chapel
This year, we are experimenting with a fifteen-minute gathering at the end of the religious education (RE)hour. All grade levels join together for an experiential time of story, song, dance, drumming, ritual, games, and creative arts in order to deepen, connect, and enjoy one another.
Intergenerational Music
Youth ages eight and older are encouraged to participate in community music-making by joining both the singing and handbell choirs. These meet on Thursday evenings for practice and usually sing or ring once a month.
Sunday Morning Routines
Outside of the summer months, a typical Sunday morning has two adult services at 9:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. There are concurrent RE programs and nursery care during both services. At 9:30 a.m., we have nursery care and RE classes for preschool through middle school students (up through eighth grade). At 11:15 a.m., we have nursery care and RE classes for preschool through sixth-grade children. Our high school program meets most Sunday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the UUCR sanctuary or in the dedicated youth room on the lower level of our building.
Adult Sunday services end after one hour, but the RE program continues for an additional fifteen minutes so that parents can enjoy refreshments and fellowship. They can also opt to join in with "Children’s Chapel" downstairs for those extra fifteen minutes, or to pick up their children immediately. With the exception of the middle school students, who go directly to their classroom at 9:30 a.m., all children accompany their parent(s) to the beginning of the adult service. We have a welcoming, a call to worship and lighting of the chalice, a hymn or two, and a shared story or creative activity during our "Time For All Ages," after which we sing the children out on their way to the RE programs. Parents are welcome to accompany their children downstairs and get them settled. Parents pick up their children downstairs at Children’s Chapel at 10:45 a.m. (early service) or 12:30 p.m. (later service).
Occasionally during the year (some holiday weekends), and during the summer months of June, July, and August, we have one Sunday morning service at 10:00 a.m. Children begin upstairs in the adult service and then journey downstairs for a more informal, mixed age group program or Children’s Chapel. Parents pick up their children at 11:00 a.m. on those Sundays.
Special Events and Activities
Each year, the RE Committee, parents, and church community sponsor several intergenerational activities for fun, fellowship, and enrichment. These typically include a September Hot Dog lunch, an October Spaghetti Supper, Pancake Breakfasts, a Halloween Carnival and Haunted House, a Winter Holiday Pageant, an Easter ‘Can’ Hunt, and a Mayfest. In addition, many community events are also family friendly and childcare is often provided.
Religious Education Class Offerings for 2011 - 2012
Nursery - Staff Childcare with Parental Assistance
Infants and toddlers are cared for in a warm and loving atmosphere through the cooperative efforts of Mrs. Anjum Ghaznavi, our staff childcare worker, and occasional parent volunteers. The nursery is open for children under five years of age during the 9:30 a.m. service hour and during intergenerational worship services. During other worship services, childcare is provided for children who are about two and one-half years old and younger. A parent is asked to assist in the nursery if an unexpectedly large number of infants or toddlers need care on a particular Sunday.
Pre-K and Kindergarten - "Celebrating Me and My World" (11:15 a.m. only)
Young children experience themselves and their world with a sense of joy and wonder! Together we experience our bodies, the five senses, and our many creative ideas and abilities. We then explore our world, and the people and relationships in it that enrich us emotionally and spiritually. Simple and fun!
First through Third Grades - "Love Surrounds Us" (11:15 a.m. only)
This program explores the seven UU guiding principles in the context of a loving community of family/home, school, and neighborhood. Participants engage in activities that emphasize the love they feel in community. Meaningful social action activities augment each lesson.
Fourth through Sixth Grades - "Love Connects Us" (11:15 a.m. only)
Love Connects Us celebrates important ways Unitarian Universalists live our faith in covenanted community. Moved by love and gathered in spirit, we embrace our responsibility toward one another and the world at large. We encourage one another's search for truth and meaning. We strive to be active in peace-making and other efforts to improve our world.
Seventh and Eighth Grades - "Our Whole Lives" (9:30 a.m. only)
Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive sexuality course that aims to help students make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. Accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas are taught: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. This program helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, social, and political aspects of sexuality. Parents must sign a permission slip for their youth to enroll. A parent meeting will be held in September.
Eighth through Twelfth Grades - Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU)
This youth group program is designed to empower youth to explore and develop their own potential as religious human beings. The five components of a balanced youth group program are Worship, Social Action, Community Building, Learning, and Leadership. Youth are given the opportunity to spend time together and learn from one another, organize and participate in activities of their choosing for positive social change, and give expression to their own spirituality. The YRUU group may participate in activities here at UUCR and with other YRUU groups at district conferences and workshops.
Children’s House Montessori School
Children's House Montessori School is our long-time weekday renter downstairs. Visit us for more information about the school.
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