Programs

Worship

Worship for the children is practiced in three ways. An Intergenerational worship, in which the children stay with friends and family in the sanctuary for the whole service. Usually the Minister, DLRE (Director of Lifespan Religious Education), and the Minister of Music put together an interactive service.

At other times, the children attend the service in the sanctuary for the first 15 minutes. During this time, there may be a story, special music, or the occasional child dedication.

Our Children’s Chapel is the third form of worship and is offered the second Sunday of the month. It is held downstairs in the basement in the first room on the left. This is also for the first 15 minutes but the children set up the chancel, help with the chalice lighting and have a vote in what songs and mediation we use. Twice a year this form of worship lasts the whole hour.

Nursery Room

The Nursery is open every Sunday there is Church. When you view the world through the eyes of a young child, life is full of wonder, ready to be discovered. Children are becoming aware of themselves and their bodies, experiencing life through their senses, exploring their environment, and expressing their emotions and ideas. This year we will be using Celebrating Me and My World. This curriculum is based on the belief that preschool children gain a sense of belonging to their religious community and the Unitarian Universalist faith when they have concrete experiences with its people and places. The lessons focus on our congregation.

Social Justice

Our sixth Unitarian Universalist principle sets the goal of a world community with peace, liberty and justice for everyone. This year we will be spending two blocks of Religious Educations time working on social justice issues. In the early winter the focus will be on making quilts for children in hospitals and in the early spring the focus will be on seeds of simplicity — we will ask the question how many pairs of shoes do you really need? We will again plant a garden for the food pantry. On the social justice weeks, the children and adults guides will gather in Chapel then all the children will have a chance to learn about or work on a project for social or environmental change. Each classroom will be set up with a different activity and over the course of 4 weeks the children will participate in each room. This is Workshop Rotation.

We can learn from the children about how to be a good Unitarian Universalist

Some Parents bring their children to church because they themselves have sought a community to support a personal search for truth and meaning. Other parents seek out a church because they feel they need help in the religious education of their children. Either way, for the family with growing children, the Young Church program becomes a critical part of their involvement in the church community. We believe that the parents are the primary religious educator of their children.

Our religious education program exists to provide a structured opportunity for religious exploration in the presence of a caring community. The Exeter Unitarian Universalist Cooperative Young Church helps parents and children explore together that which gives meaning to life. Each family with children registered in the Religious Exploration Program is expected to make a time contribution to Young Church. Our primary need is teachers or youth advisors. There are many ways to contribute. You need not be an expert. All we ask is that you willingly give time and show your children that you believe in the Importance of their ongoing religious education. Chances are you will learn something yourself in the process!

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Curriculum

The goal of this program is to spark the minds and hearts of our children and youth with a vision of the person they hope to become. We will explore together our Unitarian Universalist value system and how we take those values into our everyday lives. We will discuss our diverse religious heritage and help each other to develop and articulate our own religious philosophy. We will work with a variety of materials and experiences in exploring the great religious questions:

Why am I here?
What gives my life meaning?
What is my responsibility to others with whom I share this planet?
Why was I born?
Why do we die?
Do I believe in the divine that some people call god?

We are born asking the questions-here we try to provide a safe place of exploration. We organize all our classes except preschool according to theme. We offer these themes in three methods.

Worship for all grades
Traditional curriculum for grades preschool and 1st–8th
Spirit Play for grades preschoolkindergarten.

Each theme lasts approximately four weeks and that is called a Block. The first theme is Community Building for the first few weeks we do activities to help us get to know one another. This year we are having a weaver come and help us make peace flags. In the next block we will be exploring the Jewish holidays and learning about Sabbath. The older children will be visiting a synagogue. The fourth Block is Cosmology which focuses on our place in the universe. Block five is focused on Unitarian Universalism Principles. The children will receive a workbook of their very own. The seventh Block is on world religions. Here again we will be exploring rituals of other religions. A highlight will be learning about the Chinese New Year and making a dragon.

Traditional Curriculum is based on a lesson plan. The children start the class with a chalice lighting and a check in. Following check in, there is a review from previous week's lesson, followed by a story, idea, or discussion of a concept. This leads the children and teacher to a project, game or music. This venue is a great way to promote intergenerational community. Children and teachers covenant to learn from each other and the conversations can be lively.

Spirit Play is a Montessori-based curriculum centered on a story and work time. The story presents core themes of our faith and our theology. It helps the children make meaning through wondering questions and art. They close with a chalice lighting and a check in. Classes are child centered and quiet. Mats and personal space are paramount. This is a great way to support children with learning challenges.

Jr. YRUU
Once a month the youth who are in 6th through 8th grade get together for fun, service, and food. Last year they hosted the Halloween party, made wreaths, and went to Boston.

SR. YRUU
This group meets Sunday morning at the 11:00 service. We will use the small group ministry model. They pick a topic relevant to what is going on in their lives and talk about it. In years past they made the dessert to go with the Salvation Army meal, read tarot cards with the DRE and went bowling.

Our Whole Lives (OWL)
This comprehensive sex education program is grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, addressing not only the physical aspects but the spiritual, emotional and cultural dimensions as well. Participants are given a unique opportunity to deepen their faith, develop and articulate their religious and sexual values and learn to make responsible, healthy decisions based on those values. [This year we are not offering this program.]

Coming Of Age
This is a place for High School youth to explore their Unitarian Universalist beliefs. They will start in November and meet monthly. The first activity will be a ropes course. During the year they will make death masks, visit the UUA youth office, and plan a service. [This year we are not offering this program.]