Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland

Religious Exploration

Our children hard at work in our UUCL community garden!

Do you imagine a world in which we are at peace with ourselves and with nature? A world in which every living creature is respected? A world with justice and equity for all who are a part of the interdependent web of existence?

No matter how idealistic this vision may seem, we still have dreams for our children. As UU's, we know it is important to teach our kids about justice, love and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We know that a better future starts right now with our children.

This year (2009-2010), we will be engaging our children and youth in an exploration of our 7th UU principle. This all encompassing principle is so important because it is the answer to the question "why" (a question with which, as parents, we are so familiar). Why do we strive to follow any of the other six principles? Why do we draw our beliefs from so many sources? Why are we even here at UUCL and why does it matter that we are UU's? Because we are a part of the interdependent web and it matters what we do.

Every week our lesson plans will teach our children what it means to be a UU and how to act in accordance with our principles. They will be reminded each week that they are an important part of the web. We will engage them in activities which will teach them about other people, other creatures great and small, and even about our local ecosystems. We hope to join hands with the adults in our congregation so that we can apply what they are learning and give them the skills they need to make a difference in our community, both locally and globally.

I look forward to journeying through the web together with you and your children as we live out our UU hopes and aspirations. Together we can make a world of difference.

In Faith and Love,
Heather Curry
UUCL Director of Religious Exploration

Classes

Our classes meet on Sunday mornings from 10-10:50 in the RE Building. 

NOTE: There is no organized Religious Education during the summer months. There are supervised activities during the Sunday service after the Children's Moment. Watch the BEACON newsletter for the date that the RE classes will begin in August.

In order to keep the children safe and foster a cooperative learning environment we don't let the children leave on their own or be on the playground unsupervised.

In order to avoid distraction to class participants, children who are not participating in RE should not be at the RE building or on the playground during our class times.

If your child has special needs, please let the RE Director (Heather Curry) know. We will do our best to accommodate everyone.

Families are welcome to attend classes with your children any time. Adults and teens are also encouraged to participate in the program by teaching or being classroom helpers, supervising kids on the playground during service, and pitching in with additional activities such as field-trips and fund-raisers.

Curriculum

This year in Religious Exploration (RE) we will be exploring the 7th UU principle. We will be using lesson plans from the Unitarian Universalist Association's Tapestry of Faith curricula and the UU Ministry for the Earth's curricula. More information about Tapestry of Faith is available at the UUA web site.

Our goals for this program (as adapted from the Tapestry of Faith curricula) are to:

• Promote understanding of, and sense of responsibility for, the world's interconnectedness, and reinforce cooperation, nonviolence, and balance as necessary for our collective moral, ethical, and spiritual health
• Help participants recognize and develop their capacity to be agents for positive change in the world
• Highlight ways the small and large choices we make represent our personal faith and beliefs
• Teach participants to understand our Unitarian Universalist Principles and apply them to faithful actions in their own lives
• Foster the creation of a learning community in which everyone is respected, welcomed and honored - a community in which diversity is embraced, justice is practiced, and children learn, grow and have fun together.

The curriculum emphasizes forming community between the children and their peers and leaders, and one of the goals is for participants to understand their own responsibility for establishing safety and trust in the group. To facilitate this, we ask that parents make every effort to have the children in the classroom by 10:00 a.m. We also have a lot to do in each session and don't want anybody to miss out!

Most of our Sunday morning sessions this school year will follow the same structure. Between an opening and a closing ritual, participants will engage in up to six activities. The Opening includes a chalice lighting and the sharing of opening words. We will present a variety of activities to the children in order to accommodate different learning styles. The closing ritual will review and honor the ways in which the children worked and practiced the session concepts together.

Also, most sessions include a “Taking it Home” section. This will be provided to you by email and, as you are able, we hope that you will take advantage of this wonderful UUA resource to extend your child's Unitarian Universalist experiences.

Coordinator

• Heather Curry

Chair

• Melissa Marshall