Faith Development for Children, Youth and Families
We welcome you and your family to our congregation! We are excited to have you join us in our faith development explorations as we help each other grow into our full humanity.
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Children & Family Faith Development Sunday Mornings 11 AM
Everyone is welcome to Sunday morning Faith Development – no matter your age and no matter your family configuration.
REGISTER YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH HERE
Children 5 years-old and younger begin in our congregation’s nursery with loving care provided by paid staff and trained volunteers. Each Sunday activities are structured around the Unitarian Universalist curriculum Celebrating Me and My World. Nursery care is provided from 10:45AM to 12:15PM.
Most Sundays, Children in Kindergarten through 6th grade begin in the sanctuary for the first 25 minutes or so of Community Worship and then are sung out of the congregation to participate in their religious education learning groups.
This year, our focus for our elementary age children is on deepening our understanding and living our shared values through the lessons in the curriculum “Growing Anti-Racist UUs.” Through stories, activities, sharing and more, we will learn together in a caring community of mutual respect and trust.
The work and words of Louise Derman-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards regarding Anti-bias education for young children guide us:
- Each child will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities.
- Each child will express comfort and joy with human diversity; accurate language for human differences; and deep, caring human connections.
- Each child will increasingly recognize unfairness, have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts. Each child will demonstrate empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discrimination.
- Each child will demonstrate empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discrimination.
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Kindergarten through 2nd grade meets upstairs in Summit House Rooms 4 & 5.
3rd & 4th grade meets upstairs in Summit House rooms 6 & 7.
5th & 6th grade meets downstairs in the main church building room 2.
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Children’s Worship
Once or twice a month, instead of attending their religious education classes, Kindergarten through 6th grade children attend Children’s Worship, usually offered by Rev. Leia.
Children’s Worship includes story, song, sharing of joys and sorrows and the lighting of the Rainbow Chalice as we work to deepen our understanding of Unitarian Universalism and our shared values.
Children’s Worship is held in the church parlor and parents and other adults are welcome. Parents of K-6th grade should pick their children up from the Church Parlor on Children’s Worship days instead of their religious education classrooms.
Multigenerational Worship services are offered about once a month at 11am.
Everyone is in the sanctuary for the full hour.
The service is designed to be intentionally child/family friendly.
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Middle and High School Programming
Our Whole Lives offered Sunday Afternoons
We are pleased to offer the UUA’s comprehensive sexuality education program, Our Whole Lives, for our 7th, 8th and 9th grade youth. This class is by reservation only and runs from September through April. For more information, speak with Rev. Leia.
12:15-1:30 Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) 9th-12th grades
Our senior high youth group, YRUU, is a lively weekly gathering of our high school youth. Sunday morning sessions vary but often include an exploration of moral dilemmas and timely topics as well as fun and games. Under the guidance of trained youth advisors, a safe and nurturing space is created to allow youth to explore topics of interest and build friendships. Activities vary from week to week and focus on learning, service, worship, community-building, and leadership development. Newcomers to YRUU are always welcome. For more information about how to participate and connect, contact Rev. Leia.
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Second Hour Child Care (12:15 pm -1:30 pm)
Supervised free play on the playground is offered most Sundays for children 6th grade and younger. Parents are invited to attend the newcomer circle, linger for coffee and conversation, enjoy Adult Faith Development programming (such as the Parenting Circle or Creativity Salon.) Parent are encouraged to pack a lunch for their children. Snack foods will be provided. If your child has food allergies, please be sure to let us know. Parent are asked to sign their children into and out of childcare each week.
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Your Soulful UU Home
Our weekly Wednesday email offers easy ways to stay connected to our UU community and faith during the week. The content is directly connected to our monthly ministry theme and allows opportunities for all ages to connect and explore together. Each week includes conversation starters for mealtimes, a chalice lighting, an inspirational message, and information on upcoming Faith Development and Community Worship services. Click here to subscribe.
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How to get involved with the Children & Youth Religious Education Program:
- Volunteer as part of a teaching team
- Serve as a Class Parent
- Help with the children’s playground maintenance
- Help with and attend congregational special events
- Serve on the Children & Youth RE Committee
- Share your gift or talent with the community
The Children & Youth Religious Education Committee
The Children & Youth RE Committee meets monthly and works directly with the Minister of Faith Development to ensure a comprehensive faith development program for nursery through senior high youth. For more information or to join us, contact Rev. Leia
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Ceremonies of Child Dedication
Several times during the year, parents are invited to bring their children before the congregation to participate in a ceremony of Child Dedication. These ceremonies are usually offered on Ancestors’ Sunday (October), The Giving Tree Service (December), and again on a Sunday in May. The Ceremony of Child Dedication welcomes the child with intention into the wider circle of the congregation. Parents pledge before the congregation their commitment to caring for their child in body, mind, and spirit with loving support and acceptance. The congregation makes the following promise:
PROMISE TO ALL CHILDREN
From your earliest infancy, we give you our love so that you may grow with trust in yourself and in others.
We will recognize your worth as a person and help you strengthen your sense of belonging to the whole family of humankind.
We will respect your right to be yourself, and at the same time, help you to understand the rights of others.
We will encourage you always to seek the truth.
We will provide you with every opportunity possible to develop your own understanding of faith.
We will endeavor always to inspire you to act on your faith.
We will encourage you to strive to make the world a better, more caring, more whole place to be.
This we promise to you with all our hearts.
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Are children welcome in worship?
YES! Children are always welcome to stay with their parents/guardians in the sanctuary for worship! Naturally, some services lend themselves more easily than others to a child’s participation and understanding. There are sanctuary “activity packets” next to the sanctuary doorways that are available for anyone. Packets usually include some sort of simple paper craft activity and drawing materials. There are also finger labyrinths and child-appropriate reading materials available at these locations. Please return materials at the end of the worship service.
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Comfort Room
UPDATE AS APPROPRIATE
The Comfort Room is located near the Rugby Road entrance to the sanctuary and is designed especially for parents of infants and small children. A computer in the room provides the sound from the worship service. The room contains several large, comfortable chairs as well as a floor rug and an infant diapering station.
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11:00 AM Community Worship
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All are welcome for weekly Community Worship. Sanctuary activity packets are available near the doorways to the sanctuary. Finger labyrinths are also available to use as part of the worship experience.
Families with young children and warmly welcomed to attend worship. You are welcome in the sanctuary or in the social hall in a space created to be especially friendly to younger children. The service is livestreamed to a large monitor in the social hall so that children can play with blocks and toys while the family experiences worship together and with other families.
Please return to this page for updates on how the Unitarian Universalists of Charlottesville can be part of your family’s faith.