Children and youth begin each Sunday by checking in at the Welcome Station in the church foyer and picking up a nametag. After the opening period of multigenerational worship, children and youth move to the religious education area for their religious education activities, concurrent with the worship service. Each RE session begins with a brief time of multi-age song and worship, after which children and youth divide to their age-based rooms. RE sessions end at noon, so parents typically have time for coffee and conversation. Our grounds offer ample green space and a playground, the site of much after-church fellowship. The CYRE fall/spring program runs September through May and includes weekly curricula, creative service projects, and worship. The summer program runs June through August and includes a wide range of innovative hands-on learning opportunities that build community.

EXPLORATION

Children and youth Sunday-morning learning is grounded in Unitarian Universalist principles and sources and guided by a yearly curriculum emphasis across all age groups. This year’s emphasis is “Side with Love,” exploring how Unitarian Universalist identity, principles, and social action are based in LOVE. Outreach projects are integrated into currcula on a regular basis. Each room uses holistic curricula from the UUA’s Tapestry of Faith series, with age specific lessons that are story-based, interactive, creative, and fun. Each week, we also relate our exploration to the wider congregation’s Soul Matters monthly worship themes, such as Covenant, Healing, Identity, Welcome, and Transformation.

Outreach Action

On a periodic rotation, children and youth spend their Sunday-morning RE time taking part in hands-on service projects for the congregation and community in partnership with church ministries such as care, social justice, hospitality, and worship.  We assemble food packs for Huntsville homeless outreach, make cookies for all-church social hour, create care cards, develop skits and songs to share in worship services, bake treats for rescued dogs, and more. Creative service projects help us put reflection into action.

WORSHIP

Each week, after attending the multigenerational part of the general worship service, children and youth meet together in our “Hall of Justice” to light the children’s chalice, speak opening words, and sing the monthly hymn. This multi-age time offers a bridge from all-ages worship to age-based RE groups. Several times a year, children and youth attend a special Children’s Chapel, which is creative, active worship designed just for them. Older youth always have opportunities to participate as worship leaders. A number of general worship services throughout the year are fully multigenerational, where children, youth, and adults worship together in the sanctuary for the entire service; other services are youth-led, where youth design and lead worship for the congregation.