Religious Exploration Classes
If you were a child whose questions made the Sunday school teacher squirm, know that those questions are welcome in our church! Unitarian Universalists believe that questions, curiosity, and doubts can be useful tools to further our individual and collective spiritual growth.
In the early years, our religious education (RE) classes offer stories, rituals, and activities that provide a firm grounding of moral and ethical principles. As children mature, critical thinking, social engagement, and introspection come to the forefront of their faith journeys. All of our children’s RE curricula include elements of world religions, peace and social justice, Unitarian Universalist history and identity, and the Seven UU Principles.
All of our RE classes, except for the nursery/preschool, run from September to May. From June to August, we offer one RE class for K-8th with a variety of stories, activities, and games, as well as time outside enjoying the beautiful summer weather.
Nursery/Preschool (6 months-pre-K) – Chalice Children
Children in our nursery will play, hear stories, and begin to learn about activities which Unitarian Universalists value: sharing, listening, being kind to each other, and appreciating nature. Children will also ”light” an electric candle chalice and begin to learn about our church and faith.
Kindergarten-2nd Grade – Wonderful Welcome
The Wonderful Welcome curriculum encourages children to explore how and why we are willing to welcome others into our lives. We welcome others by sharing intangible gifts, those positive qualities which we all have inside us such as kindness, love, invitation, covenant and empathy. Each session begins with opening a “Wonder Box” that contains a symbol of one of these gifts which the session is based around. Through story, song, art, and physical activity, this program helps children learn to articulate and express a variety of intangible gifts, empowering them to share these gifts with others.
We offer an optional sexuality education program called Our Whole Lives, or “OWL,” for this age group every other year. Our next offering will be in 2021.
3rd-5th Grade – Toolbox of Faith
Toolbox of Faith invites fourth- and fifth- grade participants to reflect on the qualities of our Unitarian Universalist faith, such as integrity, courage, and love, as tools they can use in living their lives and building their own faith. Each of the 16 sessions uses a tool as a metaphor for an important quality of our faith such as reflection (symbolized by a mirror), flexibility (duct tape), and justice (a flashlight).
6th-8th – Riddle and Mystery
Each of the 16 sessions in Riddle and Mystery introduces and processes a Big Question. The first three echo Paul Gauguin’s famous triptych: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? The next ten, including Does God exist? and What happens when you die?, could be found on almost anyone’s list of basic life inquiries. The final three are increasingly Unitarian Universalist: Can we ever solve life’s mystery? How can I know what to believe? What does Unitarian Universalism mean to me?
Many sessions feature a time to shoot a broadcast of a news show for an imaginary television station, KCUU, Knowledge of the Community of Unitarian Universalists. These activities put a fun and humorous spin on the process of exploring the sessions’ Big Questions.
We offer an optional sexuality education program called Our Whole Lives, or “OWL,” for 7th-9th graders every other year. Our next offering will be in early 2020. Our Whole Lives (OWL) for helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
High School Youth Group
The youth group at Shoreline UU Church is a welcoming community for teens in any walk of life. The usual cliques and categories of middle and high school social life are absent in youth group as deep listening and sharing, community service, and sharing in unique, ridiculous, and fun experiences create an inclusive and supportive environment. Many of the youth in our church also attend the handful of opportunities each year to spend a weekend with 100+ other youth in the Pacific Northwest called youth conferences, or just “Cons” for short.
Our youth group meets about 3 Sundays a month from 6-8 p.m. If you are interested in learning more about youth group, please contact Chris Pollina, our Director of Children’s Religious Exploration.
Coming of Age is a program that is offered every other year which will explore the challenges and responsibilities of growing up through a Unitarian Universalist lens. Youth will engage in physical activities, worship, learning about our faith, journaling, discussion, and personal exploration, both in group and individual setting with the goal of helping them to define what their UU faith means to them. Coming of Age will take begin in September of 2020. If you are interested in learning more about the Coming of Age program, please contact Chris Pollina, our Director of Children’s Religious Exploration.
In the early years, our religious education (RE) classes offer stories, rituals, and activities that provide a firm grounding of moral and ethical principles. As children mature, critical thinking, social engagement, and introspection come to the forefront of their faith journeys. All of our children’s RE curricula include elements of world religions, peace and social justice, Unitarian Universalist history and identity, and the Seven UU Principles.
All of our RE classes, except for the nursery/preschool, run from September to May. From June to August, we offer one RE class for K-8th with a variety of stories, activities, and games, as well as time outside enjoying the beautiful summer weather.
Nursery/Preschool (6 months-pre-K) – Chalice Children
Children in our nursery will play, hear stories, and begin to learn about activities which Unitarian Universalists value: sharing, listening, being kind to each other, and appreciating nature. Children will also ”light” an electric candle chalice and begin to learn about our church and faith.
Kindergarten-2nd Grade – Wonderful Welcome
The Wonderful Welcome curriculum encourages children to explore how and why we are willing to welcome others into our lives. We welcome others by sharing intangible gifts, those positive qualities which we all have inside us such as kindness, love, invitation, covenant and empathy. Each session begins with opening a “Wonder Box” that contains a symbol of one of these gifts which the session is based around. Through story, song, art, and physical activity, this program helps children learn to articulate and express a variety of intangible gifts, empowering them to share these gifts with others.
We offer an optional sexuality education program called Our Whole Lives, or “OWL,” for this age group every other year. Our next offering will be in 2021.
3rd-5th Grade – Toolbox of Faith
Toolbox of Faith invites fourth- and fifth- grade participants to reflect on the qualities of our Unitarian Universalist faith, such as integrity, courage, and love, as tools they can use in living their lives and building their own faith. Each of the 16 sessions uses a tool as a metaphor for an important quality of our faith such as reflection (symbolized by a mirror), flexibility (duct tape), and justice (a flashlight).
6th-8th – Riddle and Mystery
Each of the 16 sessions in Riddle and Mystery introduces and processes a Big Question. The first three echo Paul Gauguin’s famous triptych: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? The next ten, including Does God exist? and What happens when you die?, could be found on almost anyone’s list of basic life inquiries. The final three are increasingly Unitarian Universalist: Can we ever solve life’s mystery? How can I know what to believe? What does Unitarian Universalism mean to me?
Many sessions feature a time to shoot a broadcast of a news show for an imaginary television station, KCUU, Knowledge of the Community of Unitarian Universalists. These activities put a fun and humorous spin on the process of exploring the sessions’ Big Questions.
We offer an optional sexuality education program called Our Whole Lives, or “OWL,” for 7th-9th graders every other year. Our next offering will be in early 2020. Our Whole Lives (OWL) for helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
High School Youth Group
The youth group at Shoreline UU Church is a welcoming community for teens in any walk of life. The usual cliques and categories of middle and high school social life are absent in youth group as deep listening and sharing, community service, and sharing in unique, ridiculous, and fun experiences create an inclusive and supportive environment. Many of the youth in our church also attend the handful of opportunities each year to spend a weekend with 100+ other youth in the Pacific Northwest called youth conferences, or just “Cons” for short.
Our youth group meets about 3 Sundays a month from 6-8 p.m. If you are interested in learning more about youth group, please contact Chris Pollina, our Director of Children’s Religious Exploration.
Coming of Age is a program that is offered every other year which will explore the challenges and responsibilities of growing up through a Unitarian Universalist lens. Youth will engage in physical activities, worship, learning about our faith, journaling, discussion, and personal exploration, both in group and individual setting with the goal of helping them to define what their UU faith means to them. Coming of Age will take begin in September of 2020. If you are interested in learning more about the Coming of Age program, please contact Chris Pollina, our Director of Children’s Religious Exploration.