Religious Education
for
Children and Youth
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Join Us Every Sunday!
During the School year : 9:30AM for children up to 5th grade
11:30AM for all ages through high school youth.
During the summer : 11:30 AM only for all levels.
Sunday Morning Schedule *
First Service
9:30am - 10:30amGrades Curriculum Room Pre K Celebrating Me and My World/Chalice Children 208 K-2nd Spirit Play 126 3rd-5th Spirit Play 127
Second Service
11:30am - 12:30pmGrades Curriculum Room Pre K Celebrating Me and My World/Chalice Children 208 K-1 Pillars 126 2nd-3rd Pillars 201 4th-5th Pillars 202 6th-7th You the Creator 207 8th Coming of Age 203 9th-12th Topics chosen by participants/advisors
Time: 11:30-12:45303
* The Nursery for babies and toddlers is open during both services. Children of all ages are always welcome to stay in the sanctuary with their parents. Quiet boxes are available in the vestibule.
FAQ
What should my children wear? We generally dress very casually. Most children wear T-shirts and jeans or shorts. Others prefer to "dress up."
Where do they go first? All ages except the high school (YRUU) begin in the sanctuary. Following the song "Go Now In Peace," they are dismissed to classrooms. YRUU begins in Room 303 at 11:30.
Do I need to register them? We ask each family to register each year. If you are visiting, we ask that you fill out an RE visitor registration form found in the folder for Visiting Parents at the Greeters table.
Is there a fee for Religious Education? No, the program for children and youth is funded from the church budget. We strongly urge all families to pledge yearly in support of First Church and all its programs.
What time is RE (Religious Education) over? The 9:30 session ends at 10:45. For Grades Pre-K through 5th, the 11:30 session ends at 12:45 in the Crane Fireside Room. Middle and high school-aged youth are dismissed from their respective rooms.
Information about each week's lesson for any group can be found on the Parents' Side of the monthly newsletter insert: First UU Kids' Page. Curriculum
Celebrating Me and My World (First Semester Pre-K, ages 3-4)
When you view the world through the eyes of a preschooler, life is full of wonder and ready to be discovered. "Celebrate Me and My World" takes our 3- and 4-year-olds through this discovery by experiencing life through all their senses, exploring their environment and expressing their emotions and ideas.
"Chalice Children" (Second semester Pre-K, ages 3-4)
"Chalice Children" introduces our preschoolers to the world of Unitarian Universalism. Based on the premise that children learn best through experience, this program helps nurture spiritual growth, creativity and a sense of community through imaginative activities and rituals such as rhymes and fingerplays.
Pillars (Kindergarten - 5th Grade)
Pillars are a set of 4 rotating subjects: Unitarian Universalist Identity, Unitarian Universalist Sources of Inspiration, Peace & Social Justice, and Living the Interdependent Web of Existence.
This curriculum is divided into the Pillar units for each grade level. The Prospectus contains more complete information about the Pillars.
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Spirit Play (K-5th Grades, 9:30)
Spirit Play is a Unitarian Universalist curriculum model based on Jerome Berryman's religious adaptation of Maria Montessori's work. We follow the Pillars structure to choose the topics. The children meet in a multi-age group.
The purpose of Spirit Play is to help each child find his or her own answers to existential questions such as:
- Where did we come from?
- What are we doing here?
- What is our purpose?
- How do we choose to live our lives?
- What are our gifts?
- How do we use them?
- What happens when we die?
- Why do we die?
- Why are we lonely and sad sometimes?
Each week a story is told using props, followed by a time of wondering and then a self-selected art response. As with Montessori, the key elements are the classroom environment and the adult leaders. These elements free the children to work at their own pace on their own issues.
Younger Youth Group (Middle School, 6th-7th grades)
This energetic group meets Sunday mornings at 11:30. They start the hour at the back of the sanctuary, and then go upstairs. This year their curriculum is "You the Creator," which leads youth and leaders in exploring together the power that everyone's creativity has to shape the world .
Coming of Age (8th grade). Coming of Age is the Unitarian Universalist program that recognizes the life-passage of moving from childhood to adolescence. Working as a group, individually and with mentors, participants learn about our congregation and the UUA, and articulate their own beliefs.
Older Youth/YRUU (Sr. High, 9th-12th grades)
This group meets from 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM on Sunday mornings in Room 303. The group is led by youth and facilitated by adults. It combines the six components of a balanced youth program: Worship, Community Building, Social Action, Learning, Leadership, and Youth-Adult Relations. The curriculum for this year is "Heresy Apparent," a study of UU heritage.
YRUU stands for Young Religious Unitarian Universalists. It is a national organization of UU youth with affiliated organizations at the district and congregational levels. Join the list serve to receive news and information by email. Here in Houston we have a cluster YRUU organization called HAC-YAC, which stands for the Houston Area Cluster Youth-Adult Committee.
First Church also participates in Southwest District YRUU activities. There are five YAC sanctioned rallies each year.
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Special Events & Activities for Children & Youth
- Closing Circle - Each Sunday, the children from Preschool through 5th Grade end the 11:30 session with 10 minutes of community singing in the Fireside Room.
- Service Auction Project - Each year the children make a craft project that is contributed to the church's Service Auction.
- Group Photo - Each year we take a snap shot of our children, youth and teachers at both 9:30 and 11:30. Photos from past years are hung in Stairway "A."
- Pumpkin Carving - On the Sunday preceding Halloween, families gather in the Crane Fireside Room during both services to carve or decorate pumpkins.
- Animal Blessing Service - In this annual service for all ages, we honor animals. One of our Unitarian Universalist principles states, "We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." People, animals...all of nature are part of this web of existence. We take this Sunday to celebrate the wonderful animals in our lives.
- Christmas Eve Service - The early service on Christmas Eve is designed with children in mind. Dec. 24th.
- Easter Social Action Project - Our annual drive for paper and canned goods and Easter Parade to nearby service organizations.
- Youth Service - Each year the older youth work with our ministers to create a worship service for the congregation.
- Water Ceremony - Each year, as members and friends return from summer adventures, travel or play, they bring water to add to a communal bowl and share a story.
- Feast of All Good Children - Our annual ceremony honoring the transitions of our children and youth as they move up in school and Religious Education. We create a "great cake" from dozens of sheet cakes, jump over a fire and honor the changes we're making as we grow up.
Special Groups
- Chalice Choir (older children & youth - Kindergarten and up) - The choir meets most Sundays between services, 10:45-11:15 in the choir room. Everyone is welcome to join this group of young people who love to sing exciting, innovative music in collaboration with their director, Dema Solberg and David Collins, accompanist. If you play an instrument, you are also welcome. Contact Dema Solberg for more information.
- Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education - Comprehensive sexuality education across the lifespan based on UU values. We offer OWL for 7th-9th and 10th-12th graders on a rotational basis in conjunction with other Houston UU congregations. OWL, for 5th and 6th graders is offered yearly at First Church. To find out more about OWL for K-1st, 4th-6th, 7th-9th, 10th-12th or adult, go to www.uua.org/owl
Parent's Group - Support, education and connection for parents. Have you ever felt the need to talk with other parents as you navigated your own parenting? We are a group of thoughtful parents who meet from 7:00 - 8:30 PM on the 3rd Monday of every month. Some of the ideas that we have considered are: creating rituals for our families, teaching our children about sexuality, and simplifying our lives. Contact Sue Steinhardt at steinhardts@earthlink.net for more information. Child care is available if reservations are made at least one week in advance by emailing Childcare Coordinator, Maria Ramirez, at childcare@firstuu.org. with the age and name of children, and your name and phone number. Family Activities & Parental Education/Support
Church Retreat - Each year, we have an all-church retreat at Piney Woods camp about 3 hours north of Houston. This retreat offers opportunities for families to experience nature, go boating and be together. There are programs for children, workshops for adults and time to get to know other church members.
Philosophy of Religious Education
Mission Statement
Religious Education Committee for Children and Youth
We will provide our children with opportunities to grow spiritually, develop a sense of personal and social responsibility, and experience joy, as a central part of a loving Unitarian Universalist community.
How We Fulfill Our Mission
- Teaching about the world's religions, including our own
- Fostering social responsibility and personal growth
- Helping them to find their own spiritual paths
- Teaching them in a safe environment
- Providing activities and rituals
- Integrating our children into our church community and the greater UU fellowship
Description of Philosophy
Our religious education program for children and youth provides children ages 3 to 18 opportunities to learn about our Unitarian Universalist Identity, Sources of Inspiration and history; issues of peace and social justice; and the interdependent web of nature. They have an opportunity to put UU principles into action through service projects.
Our Director of Religious Education, Patti Withers, adds,
"I believe that the overarching goal of Unitarian Universalist Religious Education is to provide the children and youth with the ability to determine their own spiritual beliefs and discover their ethical compass. In order to help them on this quest, we provide lessons based on the wisdom of many faith traditions and a community where discussion and questioning are not only allowed, but actively encouraged."
Our Leadership
The Religious Education Committee for Children and Youth is the creative think-tank for policy and programs. It works on improving our curricula and on re-examining our annual events to make them more meaningful. It determines the policies that guide our Program. The members of our committee usually commit to a two-year cycle. This year we have Lucy Anderson, Sarah Nelson Crawford, Jean Linn, Stephen Ronczy, Adrienne Tappen (Chair) and a youth elected by the YAC.
Our Director of Religious Education (DRE) is Patti Withers (DRE@firstuu.org). She is an experienced, Master's Level Credentialed Religious Educator. The DRE oversees and coordinates the Religious Education program and our events for children and youth, working closely with the R.E. Committee. She can be contacted at the church at (713) 526-5200.
Our Childcare Coordinator is Maria Ramirez. She and other childcare personnel are available every Sunday morning from 9:15 - 12:45. She can be contacted at childcare@firstuu.org
Our Religious Education Assistant is Kate Wilson. Kate helps with all aspects of the program, with much of her time focused on overseeing supplies and curricula needs. She can be contacted at reasst@firstuu.org.
Opportunities to Get Involved
First UU Church is a volunteer organization. We try to create a place of learning and spiritual growth for people of all ages. Our religious education program for children and youth is created by the dedication of many volunteers. It is a cooperative effort and we need your involvement! We want First Church to be the best it can be.
Here are some of the possible ways you could contribute:
- Help with an event or special project - Feast of All Good Children, Pumpkin Carving, Easter Social Action Project, Services Auction Project
- Teach or substitute teach a class
- Photograph special events
- Volunteer for appreciation projects
- Work on curriculua enhancement/improvement
- Lead Closing Circle.
- Help with Youth event, project or overnight
- Work with minister, DRE and children/youth on Intergenerational Service
- Contribute a special talent such as yoga instructor or sharing a unique cultural history
- Join the Religious Education Committee
- Other, you let us know... Contact Patti Withers at (713) 526-5200 or any member of the Religious Education Committee!