Religious Education

Parents seeking a religious education program are often looking for a community of shared values in which to raise their children. These values are the most important things we teach, but we also give children building blocks with which to form their own beliefs. We offer a program that helps children understand our Unitarian Universalist principles and heritage, the Jewish and Christian heritage, other world religions, and social action and justice issues.

The notable nineteenth century Unitarian minister William Ellery Channing wrote: "The great end of religious education is not to stamp our minds irresistibly upon the young but to stir up their own to touch inward springs." We have a strong faith in the inherent spirituality of children, and see it as our task to nurture, not to indoctrinate. Our respect for children teaches them respect -- for themselves, for others, and for the fragile interdependent web of which we are all a part.

What will your children learn about big religious questions? They will learn that all the big questions have many answers, and that it is their duty to search responsibly for their own answers. But we also give children a foundation on which to build their own values. You can expect your child to learn that:

• there are as many ideas about God as there are people;
• we hold Jesus in the tradition of the great prophets and teachers, and we learn from the example of his life;
• death is a mystery that is inseparable from life, and the only immortality we can know for sure is that which lives on in the hearts and minds of those lives we touch; therefore, how we lead our lives each day is of the utmost importance.

Unitarian Universalist congregations are deliberate in welcoming all kinds of families; we feel that diversity is a treasure that enriches us all. Many of our curricula for children encourage them to see that differences in factors like race, ethnicity, abilities, and sexual orientation are part of the fullness of our world.

Children enjoy religious education more if they have the opportunity to make friends and know what is going on. For that reason, regular attendance is important. Of course, circumstances like shared custody can make one family's "regular" different from others.

Our religious education program is guided by the Religious Education Committee. Kay Hansen, an experienced religious educator, leads the Sunday school three to four Sundays a month. Volunteers are in charge on other Sundays. In recent years we have offered a year-round program for children.

Religious education is a lifelong endeavor. We offer a variety of programs for children, youth and adults. We welcome your inquiries as you search for a religious home for your family!