What Do Kids Do In Religious Education?
Here’s the simple answer: they hear stories, explore UU themes, make things, and get to know each other. But looking at the big picture, there’s much more to it than that!
When children come to church, we have many hopes for them. One is that they will learn “how we do church” in a Unitarian Universalist setting. This is why it’s important for children to be present for the first part of our service each week, and also for multi-generational services on a regular basis. We hope that familiarity with our UU traditions and rituals will help them feel comfortable and engaged as they grow into adulthood and make their own choices about ongoing involvement with UU circles.
But we also feel that it is important to offer children a chance to connect with their peers in age-appropriate ways, and to have a chance to learn more explicitly about Unitarian Universalism. Mindful of the developmental needs and capabilities of children at different ages, our classes offer different sorts of experiences. Our 4-6 year olds engage in Spirit Play, where teachers use carefully crafted objects to help tell stories that illustrate important themes. Some stories exemplify one of our Unitarian Universalist principles (or rainbow promises, as the kids know them), while others share wisdom from science or world religions; still others focus on UU or UUCB history. After the story, children are invited to explore those themes by working with various arts and crafts materials or trying specific activities (“works”) related to the story. Teachers encourage the children to share, to wait their turn, and to clean up after themselves; the familiarity of the class routine provides comfort and helps children feel confident. Spirit Play is based on the ideas of Maria Montessori, who developed methods based on careful observation of children and how they interact with their environment. We strive to make Spirit Play classrooms feel like the sacred spaces they are: spaces for children to begin to explore their own spiritual growth, doing the important work of making meaning for themselves.
Children ages 7 to 12 gather in Kids’ Club. The curriculum for this group changes year-by-year, but generally focuses on UU values, UU history and stories, our sources and principles, spiritual and community practices, and social justice. Kids who attend consistently through their elementary school years gain a pretty good idea of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist by the time they reach middle school; they also likely have strong bonds with their peers and with several adults in the congregation. These are all helpful for young people entering the often-challenging adolescent years. Those who stay engaged in high school have a cohort – and a safe space – to continue exploring questions about meaning and belonging, values and choices, identity and connection. Ninth and tenth graders have a chance to participate in Coming of Age, an intensive program that culminates in generating a personal Credo and an opportunity to become a member of the congregation if they choose. OWL, or Our Whole Lives, is another important part of our religious education program, but that will be the highlight of a future column.
Whether our children and youth opt to join a UU congregation as adults or not, their time in religious education will have exposed them to values and experiences that will serve them and their communities well as adults: they will have thought about UU values like justice, pluralism, democracy, and interdependence, and their commitment to these concepts; they will know that there are adults besides their family members who respect and care for them; they’ll know that they can continue to learn and grow throughout their lives, and that they can make a difference in the lives of others. These are the outcomes that we are striving for every Sunday morning in our religious education classes!
If you have questions, or would like to volunteer to help with any aspect of children and youth religious education, please be in touch. We are especially in need of youth advisors for middle and high school groups.
In community,
Stephanie Kimball
Director of Lifespan Religious Education