First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist - Our Religious Education

First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist of Northborough, Massachusetts

	Our Religious Education "Religion is...not something which children have a God-given right to receive, not something to be imparted to them by a teacher or a group. Rather it is regarded as a vital and healthy result of their own creative thoughts and feelings and experience as they respond to life in all its fullness." -Sophia Lyon Fahs, amended
WELCOME BELIEFS & WORSHIP EVENTS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION HISTORY OUR MINISTER SERMONS STAFF AND GOVERNANCE CALENDAR & PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER The Perspective FIND US MEMBERS	Mission Statement Through our religious education program, in an atmosphere of reverence, respect, and humor we strive to enhance the lives of our children by cultivating: An understanding of UU principles and how to incorporate them into our daily lives A sense of wonder towards the world and a developing inner spirituality as they explore life and its questions An understanding of the Jewish and Christian heritages An understanding and appreciation of the world's religions and spiritual traditions An appreciation for learning in community with others Overview First Parish's Sunday School is under the direction of the volunteer Religious Education Committee and a professional Director of Religious Education. Parents bring their children to the classroom where the children will remain until the parents return to Parish Hall after the adult service. Parents are always welcome to attend class with their child and everyone is invited to attend Children's Chapel for worship. Children are always welcome to enjoy juice and light snacks with the adults during the coffee hour in Parish Hall that follows each service. At First Parish, Religious Education for children strives to introduce our young people to a wide range of topics from many traditions within a UU context. As we learn about how people thought and what they did in other times and other places, we discover the values, beliefs or behaviors that we share with others. Students and teachers together explore some age appropriate spiritual practices (mindfulness, walking meditation), discuss religious topics (expressing thankfulness, dealing with death), and consider ethical questions (fairness, telling the truth). The noted Christian theologian Reinhold Neiburh wrote, "To be religious is not to feel religious, but to act religious." Students and teachers gather each week with a chalice lighting and a sharing of joys and concerns. As one might expect many sweet joys are shared. Children also express serious concerns with heart touching regularity. They are not spared the trials of the human condition and so we make a sacred space and time for them to speak of what is on their minds. Religious Education Activities Religious Education classes are held on most Sundays from September through June. The volunteer teachers are well equipped with inventive, user friendly lesson plans that offer a variety of activities for different learning styles. On the second Sunday of each month, families are invited to begin together in the adult service in the Meeting House, offering an opportunity to share worship together and to enjoy the Minister's story time with the children. The children and Religious Education teachers then proceed to the Parish Hall together. Almost monthly the Sunday School has an interactive children's chapel service with lots of things to see and touch and talk about. The children practice doing worship in our UU style, acting religiously. Adults and children talk about the day's topic. The adults do not pretend to have all the answers, they demonstrate a supportive, searching community seeking good ways to live a worthy life. Children see that some things are important enough to keep working at and that commitment matters. On Sundays that fall within holidays weekends, an alternative RE activity is held for all the children present instead of regular RE classes. Not only do we all get a change of pace, but we also have an opportunity to learn with other adults in the congregation. Intergenerational activities, presentations to the whole congregation, and social action projects also expand children's experiences and help them develop their self confidence and sense of belonging in a place where people bring their truest selves to share. Religious education at First Parish is blessed with many volunteers who understand the importance of their work, who bring their best selves to Sunday School, and who take their responsibilities seriously. But we are not solemn in these wonderful experiences with young UUs; this is joyful work! Sisters, Brothers take your time, go slowly. Listen deep inside yourself. Simple things are holy. Nursery-Aged Children Child care is offered each Sunday by our team of four well prepared and talented teenage girls. Toddlers and Preschoolers share opening exercises of Chalice lighting, song, and finger play or dance. They then rejoin the infants in the nursery, moving on to a project or play as appropriate. Parents should bring changing supplies and special food as needed. The Curriculum Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 will usually combine with grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 this fall following the Holidays and Holy Days curriculum to learn about and experience interesting new celebrations. They find out how other people share some of our UU values while building, cooking, and eating in a new style. When the day's topic warrants, the two age groups separate for age appropriate activities. Using In Our Hands, the older students will also explore social justice topics and plan projects to act on their learning. They begin by considering what justice towards themselves and their daily companions might look like and then are helped to turn their gaze outward to the larger community. Younger and older students also work together to help out around the church. They act locally while learning to think globally. For middle school students whose families request it, we create an individualized Coming of Age program or other independent study under the direction of an adult mentor. Our current small enrollment gives us the luxury of flexibility. We can and do make changes to better match the programs to the children's interests and needs as well as the teaching and leadership gifts of the adult teachers. Margaret Tabor Director of Religious Education.