Religious Education for Children and Youth
As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, we commit ourselves to provide children and youth with a sense of belonging to a caring community where they feel safe and supported; to help children value themselves and others; to accept responsibility for their lives and to return to the community the same love and support they receive from it; and to offer an opportunity to explore one's own spirituality while learning to respect the diversity of religious expression.
Religious Professionals
Joanna Mongelli, Interim Director of Religious Education will serve the congregation at 15 hours from Sep 20 to Dec 24, 2009. Joanna will coordinate the volunteers each Sunday and communicate to all parents and teachers. She can be reached at joanna@philauu.org or (215) 563-3980 x 305. Click here to read her biography.
Kim Woods, Nursery Director, will work 5.5 hours every Sunday to help prepare the rooms and snacks, to welcome parents and to direct the nursery program including supervise other paid and volunteer nursery staff. She will be available after every service until 2:00 pm and on special occasions. She can be reached at kim@philauu.org or (215) 563-3980 x 305.
Rev. Nate Walker, Minister, has dedicated 8 hours a week to the RE program this fall. This will allow him to have one-on-one time with families, to work with the volunteers and staff to develop curricula related to the theme of UU Identity, to help the RE Ministry Team develop a long-term vision and to assist the Search Committee in hiring a permanent Director of Religious Education. He can be reached at (215) 701-9072 or revnate@philauu.org.
Jen Hayman, Director of Music, will lead a fall “Family Sing-In” for children and youth to join with their relatives and friends in singing various UU hymns. The “Hymns by Heart” program will encourage all members and friends to be able to sing at least a dozen songs without looking at the hymnal. She will also assist in providing musical opportunities for the children to perform at the annual Christmas Eve service. She can be reached at jen@philauu.org or (215) 563-3980 x 316.
Spring 2010 Curriculum!
Click here to read the curriculum designed by Joanna Mongelli and Rev. Nate Walker.
Revised Feb 12, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Fall 2009 Curriculum!
Theme: UU Identity!
Purpose: To expose children (PreK – 5 grade) and youth (grades 6-10) to the Unitarian Universalists principles and sources and to empower them to express their views through a model of shared ministry.
Outcomes:
- All participants will articulate their beliefs through the creation of a stole, a religious cloth worn during the Principle Parade, an intergenerational worship service to take place on November 15, 2009.
- All participants will collaborate in the creation of banners that communicate to the congregation how they understand each principle.
- Participants can choose to use an artistic medium (a sermon, a story, a song, a dance, etc…) to express themselves during the Principle Parade.
- Participants can use technology (video, photography, internet) to archive this learning process and disseminate the principles to a wider audience.
All participants will become familiarized with 10-15 hymns as the means to express their believes through music.
Schedule (Revised 10/30)
Sat 9/12 Orientation for all parents, teachers, children and youth on Saturday, September 12 from 10 am to 12 noon. Registration. (This will be followed by a lunch to honor Jansen Wendell for his four years of service to the church.)
Tue 9/5 Family Sing In. All will gather for dinner from 5 – 6 pm followed by an intergenerational time for all to sing through a number of songs in the hymnal. Led by our music director Jen Hayman, all participants will determine the top “Hymns by Heart” that all members will be able to sing without looking at the hymnal.
Unit I. Principle Parade
Week 1. Sun 9/13 Water Communion and Intergenerational worship service in sanctuary. Rev. Nate will offer kid’s homily on “shared ministry.” Registration.
Week 2. Sun 9/20 Inherent Worth – 1st Principle: “Every person is important and valuable.” Chapel service followed by stations in Griffin Hall.
Week 3. Sun 9/27 Fairness – 2nd Principle: “All people should be treated fairly.” Chapel service followed by stations in Griffin Hall.
Week 4. Sun 10/4 Acceptance – 3rd Principle: “Our church is a place where we accept one another and learn together.” Chapel service followed by stations in Griffin Hall.
Week 5. Sun 10/11 Conscience – 4th Principle: “Each person is free to search for what is true and right.” Time for All Ages in Sanctuary followed by stations in Griffin Hall.
Week 6. Sun 10/18 Democracy – 5th Principle: “All people have the right to speak out and vote on things that matter to them.” Chapel service followed by stations in Griffin Hall.
Week 7. Sun 10/25 Peace – 6th Principle: “We work for a peaceful fair and free world.” Chapel service followed by stations in Griffin Hall. 10:00 am to 10:45 am: teachers have breakfast with Rev. Nate in Parish Room to review worship script for Principle Parade.
Week 
8. Sun 11/1 Stewardship – 7th Principle: “We take care of the earth, the home that we share with all living things.” Chapel service followed by stations in Griffin. 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Meet Rev. Nate on the Chancel for children and youth to choose where to hang the banners in Sanctuary.
Fri 11/6 at 4:00 pm All Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers meet with Rev. Nate in second floor shared ministry suite to do final preparation for the Principle Parade.
Sat 11/7 at 10 am All elementary schoolers meet with Rev. Nate in sanctuary to do final preparation for the Principle Parade.
Week 9. Sun 11/8 Rehearsal. Go directly to Griffin Hall to run through the entire principle parade. No chapel. At 12:30 pm all will join Rev. Nate in Sanctuary for a *final* dress rehearsal with microphones until 2:00 pm. It's important that everyone attend this day! Snacks and lunch will be provided.
Thur 11/12 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Optional musical rehearsal in Sanctuary with Jen and Choir for all children and youth performing in the Principle Parade. 6:00 - 6:30 pizza.
Week 10. Sun 11/15 World Premiere of the First Unitarian Church's Principle Parade. All arrive at 9:45 am for sound check and 11:00 am presentation in the sanctuary.
Chapel & Stations
On each of these Sundays a principle will be introduced in chapel or as part of the Time for All Ages. Parents are encouraged to bring the children and youth to the chapel and pick up their nametags. The chapel service will begin with an opening hymn, chalice lighting, offertory, joys and sorrows, a story related to the principle and subsequent discussion. The service will close with a final hymn as the children and teachers proceed to Griffin Hall where the principle will be further explored at one of four stations: stoles, banners, voices and technology.
The Stole Station will help each participant articulate their beliefs by using various symbols in the creation of a religious garment to be worn during the Principle Parade. The purpose is to empower each learner to participate in the shared ministry of the congregation.- The Banner Station will attract students of all ages to help create images and words that convey the meaning of that week’s principle.
- The Voices Station will empower students to compose sermons, to learn music and/or to create dances that express their understanding of the principles.
- The Technology Station will equip students with technological tools to archive the learning process. Participants are encouraged to move among the station.
20 Volunteers Needed per Sunday
- Three volunteers are needed for each chapel service: (1) two liturgists will alternate to officiate the worship service; (2) a song leader to select and teach two hymns; and (3) a storyteller will offer an age-appropriate story that conveys the message of the assigned principle.
- Two volunteers are needed at each station, aware that the intent is not solely to complete the said project (i.e., the creation of the stole) but to engage the learners in the necessary reflection process to achieve moral and spiritual growth.
Two teachers are needed per group (PreK-K; 1-2; 3-5; 6-7) each Sunday to assist the Interim Director of Religious Education in the station rotations, snacks and general monitoring of behavior. This will include welcoming newcomers, taking children to the bathroom, move among the stations and provide each student with one-on-one attention to explore the principle, and checking-out each child by collecting their nametag.
Unit II. Sources of our Faith (revised 10.22.09)
Week 11. Nov 22 Native American Spirituality. The morning will begin with a Time for All Ages in the sanctuary, where the “Guest at your table” program will be presented. Grades 6 – 10 stay for service. Programming available PreK-5th grades.
Week 12. Nov 29 Intergenerational Sunday. The morning will begin in sanctuary, where all will explore the Words and Deeds of four prophetic women who protested the racial discrimination on buses, including Rosa Parks. This interactive serivice will engage elementary, middle and high school students. Nursery Care and Prek-K programming avaialble.
Week 13. Dec 6 Jewish & Christian Teachings (Chanukah & Advent). The morning will begin with chapel about the meaning of Chanukah and Advent. Afterwards, all will join in the parish room to decorate the tree, the wreath, and wrapping presents. Please bring a favorite children's book to be donated to the People's Emergency Center.
Week 14. Dec 13 Direct Experience & Humanism. The morning will begin with chapel then Prek-K and elementray students will explore ways in which their direct experience informs their's beliefs in relation to humanist principles. A youth liason from the social justice ministry team will meet with students grades 6-10 to discuss their participation in the spring literacy program. Please bring a favorite children's book to be donated to the People's Emergency Center.
Week 15. Dec 20 Earth Centered traditions. Intergenerational service. All will participate in this kid-friendly solstice service in the sanctuary. Youth invited to serve as worship assocites.
Week 16. Dec 24 Family friendly Christmas Eve candle-lit service in sanctuary at 7:00 pm.
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