Children/Youth 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, DRE, 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 storyteller, 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 get to 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.

Toddler Room

This room 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 experience life through their senses, by exploring their environment, and by expressing their emotions. They are growing spiritually through their connections with people who care and share with them. This year we will be using Chalice Children. The 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 UU Sixth 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 Education time working on social justice issues. In the early winter we will be focusing on being differently abled. In the early spring we will plant a garden for the food pantry. On the social justice weeks the children and adult 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.

What do we Mean by Cooperative Young Church?

Young Church is what we call our religious exploration programs. 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 Young Church is expected to make a time contribution 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?

Classes, except preschool, are organized according to theme with each theme (or block) lasting approximately four weeks. The first block is world religions. The older children will be visiting a mosque and after their visit they will explore the similarity and the difference between Unitarian Universalism and Islam. The second Block is Lessons on Loss which focuses on what do we do when we lose something or someone we love. The children will talk about what happens when we die. The goal is to teach the children about their options of belief. Block Three is focused on the Goddess. She can be a force of nature or a personal deity. We will teach the children that our concepts of the goddess can change. The fourth Block is on Unitarian Universalist Principles. We offer these themes in three methods: worship for all grades, Traditional curriculum for preschool and grades 4–8, and Spirit Play for grades 1–3.

Worship especially for the children is done once a month in the children’s chapel. This is a time for the children to worship as a community and to participate more fully in the worship service. Children decorate the altar, and participate in an interactive service. The service is held in the basement of the Religious Education space, and because of the setting it can be interactive.

Traditional Curriculum for preschool and fourth grades is based on a lesson plan. The children start the class with a chalice lighting and a check-in, followed by a review from last week. Then a story or a discussion of a concept or idea 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 for grades 1–3 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 holiday wreaths, and went to Boston.

SR. YRUU
This group of ninth- through twelfth-graders 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 Crossroads meal, read tarot cards with the DRE, and went bowling.

Our Whole Lives (OWL)
This comprehensive sex education program, for seventh and eight grade, 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.

Coming Of Age
This is a place for all 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.

Rites of Passage (for second, third, and fourth graders)
In early 2008 the church will offer a Rites of Passage Program to children in grades 2–4. The program will meet outside of RE/church time and will help kids begin to develop their own spiritual beliefs in the context of the Seven UU Principles. We have begun to compile a list of interested children and families and chosen a curriculum. Our next step is a nuts and bolts meeting to set class dates and times and assign the tasks which will set the program in motion. We'll meet between services (10:15–11:00) in the Parsonage on Sunday, January 27th. All are welcome — the more people we have helping the quicker the work will get done! Please contact Sarah James (778-8485 or sczjames@comcast.net ) if you plan to come to the meeting, if you'd like to be involved in planning but can't make the first meeting or if you'd like more information. Also please contact Sarah if you'd like to be on a Rites of Passage mailing list or like your child to participate in the program and haven't let her know already.