Unitarian Universalism is a non-creedal belief with a spiritual center. We ground our
teachings in the Seven Principles and in the Six Sources of our inspiration. While we
do not have a creed, we do use these Principles as a guideline for living our lives.

Our church school reflects these values. We offer a three-year rotation theme for the entire church school: 1) UU Identity & Values 2) Judeo-Christian Heritage 3) World Religions. Each class explores the theme with curriculum at their own age level. Our classes also take part in social justice projects.

In addition to their regular R.E., we offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a sexuality education program, and Coming of Age for members of the Junior (7th & 8th grades) and Senior (9th-12th grades) youth groups on an every other year basis.

The end result is that our young people graduate from our program with a good understanding of our own UU beliefs as well as the beliefs of other religions.

As Gaia Brown states in her pamphlet UU Religious Education and Your Child, "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 like to think our program here exemplifies this.

Our Curriculum 2008/09
This year our overall theme is : Unitarian Universalist Identity & Values.
The curriculum at each age level will focus on our Seven Principles and the Six Sources of our Inspiration. R.E. classes go from 10:30 to 11:45.

Nursery (Infants-2 yrs)
The goal of this youngest group is to make sure they are comfortable and happy on a Sunday morning, and to know that Sunday school is a good place to be. Remember, an hour or so on a Sunday morning can seem like forever to a child who may not be used to being without mom or dad for a brief time.

Three & Four Year Olds: Chalice Children
This curriculum "is designed to help young children learn about their church and congregation…based on the belief that preschool children gain a sense of belonging to their religious community and the Unitarian Universalist faith when they have concrete experiences with its people and places."

Kindergarten & First Grade: Treasure Hunting, Take 2
Each week through games, crafts, songs, and stories, the children explore the meaning behind a Unitarian Universalist principle or value.

Second & Third Grades: Free to Believe
The first two thirds of Free to Believe uses the Unitarian Universalist principles as starting points for exploring values, beliefs, and what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. The last third of the program examines some "big questions" through the perspective of our Unitarian Universalist sources.

Fourth & Fifth Grades:Spirit of Adventure
Each session in this curriculum refers to a principle and often a source in both adults and children's language.

Sixth Grades: Traditions With A Wink
Traditions With A Wink teaches an understanding of UU faith that can replace the vague "anything I want to" statement with "We come from a long tradition of loving kindness and good works." We have powerful stories and visions of hope. It is time to share them with young teens as they begin the process of shaping their own faith.

Seventh & Eighth Grades
The curriculum for this group will be How Can I Know What to Believe combined with Living In UUVille. Both these curricula help our young people articulate their UU faith.

Youth Group (YRUU)
This is our high school group, for young people in grade 9 - 12. They meet for discussions, social activities, and service projects. The youth, under the guidance of their advisors, plan their own program. They will be examinging Building Your Own Theology, a program to help develop one's own credo.

COMING OF AGE/ COA: Any youth in 8th grade or up (or at least 13 years old) are invited to participate in the Coming of Age program (offered every other year). COA is the Unitarian Universalist milestone to honor the transition from childhood to adulthood. While growing up is a long and complicated task, this program's purpose is to provide a community of friends and structured experiences which allow the participants to explore ways in which they want to grow up. The COA program will consist of regular meetings, as well as three overnight weekends and a trip to Boston, and will culminate in a Coming of Age Service on June 14, 2009. Contact Scott Harrigan for more info.

Channing Chapel & Special R.E.
We will continue the tradition of having Special RE programming for the entire church school on the second Sunday of each month. The goal is to bring the children together on a monthly basis to learn from one another and to form friendships. This will also give the teachers a chance to attend church service once in awhile.
The children from Kindergarten through 6th grade will start with their parents in the adult service. After the children are "sung out" of the adult service, they will attend Children's Chapel, an age-appropriate worship time where Anne Hibbert will lead activities to continue the theme of the sermon topic.
Alternatively, children in grades 5-7 may wish to attend the U.U. Kids Book Club, led by Tammy Kofke & Anita Weppner. Watch for the notice!
NOTE: The "Second Sunday" does not apply to the nursery (infants - age 2), Junior Youth (grades 7 - 8), or Youth Group (grades 9 - 12). These groups will have regular classes on that day.

Religious Education - From the Top of the Stairs
For 2008-09: Interested in learning how to volunteer for Youth RE? It is actually quite nice & easy to accomplish.
We do our teaching in teams of four, with one Sunday off a month,so that nobody misses too many of Tim's sermons. Curricula are easy to follow, specific, and very "teacher-friendly". You'll have the support of your team mates, the R.E. Committee, and the DRE. Training is provided! We want you to be happy & successful and will do everything to help that happen in your volunteer experience.
This year's theme is Unitarian Universalist Identity & Values.

Again, THANK YOU to those of you who have already volunteered. And yes, we are still needing more folks to assist. This is an invitation to be a part of our important ministry to children. Please come join us -- think it over, and contact me by phone or email or in person at church.

October is a busy month. Please put the following dates on your calendar and watch for more publicity:
OCTOBER 19 - We'll have an open house after church on this day. Teachers will be in the rooms to talk to you. Curriculum will be available to look at and children's art work will be on display. The whole congregation is invited to tour the rooms (yes, even the 3rd floor) and see what our children and young people are doing..

OCTOBER 25– annual pumpkin carving and haunted house. Family fun! Enjoy supper provided by the RE committee while you carve a jack-o-lantern and visit with people. Get a Halloween thrill as you experience our Haunted House up on the third floor.

OCTOBER 26 – annual Halloween parade. Except for the nursery, we will gather in the Channing Chapel for Halloween games and activities. No regular classes, but adult volunteers are welcome. Toward the end of the service, we will parade through the sanctuary. Children can come in costume or bring one to put on here.
Please, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to talk to me. Hope to see you around church ~ Anne Hibbert

Seeking "experts" on famous UU's.
As you may be aware, the theme of our church school this year is U.U. Identity. If you cannot commit to teach one of our classes this year, you can still help by learning about a famous Unitarian Universalist and then visiting several of our classrooms throughout the year to present this person to the children, thus making life a little easier for our regular teachers. Suggestions for a famous U.U. to learn about: Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Charles Bulfinch, William Ellery Channing, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Florence Nightingale, Mary Wollstonecraft, Frank Lloyd Wright, Whitney Young. Please see me or Anne Hibbert to learn more. – Hella Jacob, R.E. Committee

2nd Sunday Interest Groups
Once a month, on our so-called "2nd Sundays," our regular teachers enjoy a day off and our younger children participate in Children's Chapel. We also have volunteers to lead a book club for grades 5 & up. We would love to offer another activity, especially for the older elementary age range. If you are willing to share your hobby or special interest with a group of children, please contact Anne or I.
Some possible ideas are: Music Jamming Session, music discussion/appreciation, crafting (crochet, knitting, painting, scrapbooking), cooking/baking (including preparing something for Coffee Hour), contemporary worship, chess, yoga, dance, etc.
This is a great way for congregation members to get involved in R.E.! Potentially there are six "2nd Sundays" (Oct 12, Nov 9, Jan 11, Feb 8, Mar 8, May 10). You could offer to do something all year (6 meetings) or fewer. – Hella Jacob, R.E. committee

UU Kids Book Club
Would you like to discuss interesting books with others? We will meet on special RE Sundays. In monthly meetings, we will explore our Unitarian Universalist values by discussing juvenile/young adult fiction books. These are the kinds of books that present us with thought-provoking issues that have no easy answers. We will look to our Seven Principles as we ask: "what should I do?" You do not have to attend every month, however all those attending are expected to have read the book(s) for that session. Start reading now - October is just around the corner!

Oct. 12 Andrew Clements: Things Not Seen (2002). Sci-Fi Mystery, 176 pages.

Nov. 9 Carl Hiaasen: Flush (2005). Ecological Mystery, 272 pages.

Jan. 11 William Nicholson: Slaves of the Mastery (2001). Fantasy, 464 pages.
This is book 2 of The Wind on Fire trilogy, but stands on its own.

Feb. 8 Lois Lowry: The Giver (1993), Gathering Blue (2000)
Mar. 8 Messenger (2004).
These books form a trilogy. We will focus on The Giver in February and Gathering Blue and Messenger in March. Science Fiction/Fantasy, 192 pages, 240 pages, 176 pages long respectively.

May 10 Jerry Spinelli: Crash (1996). Realistic Fiction, 176 pages.

The books are generally intended for readers age 10 & up, but everyone should decide in consultation with their parents if a particular book is right for them. We would be happy to provide more details to you and your parents. All of these titles are widely available through the Erie County public library system. They may also be found at your school library, or as affordable paperbacks. Facilitated by Tammy Kofke & Anita Weppner

Looking for more current information?
Our newsletter has been divided into two parts for quicker viewing. Part 1 will contain all church faith-related activities, including sermons, messages from the minister and religious instruction. Part 2 will contain all other activities of church life.