Ministries / Religious Education Promotes Learning across the Lifespan
Religious Education Promotes Learning across the Lifespan
The Religious Education program is dedicated to growing community and to cultivating wisdom, faith and ethical living. It is a lifespan program, committed to the idea that spiritual journeys are ongoing from birth until death. There is always more to learn about ourselves, the world, and the spiritual paths we travel.
The mission of FUSN’s Religious Education program is to
- value the ongoing search for truth and meaning in life;
- cultivate strong moral character;
- promote social justice;
- learn about other religions; and
- develop tolerance and respect for the different ways people express their spirituality.
New to FUSN?
Newcomers who are interested in religious education for children are welcome to drop in and visit Sunday classes. The first step is to stop in the Teacher’s Room or director’s office in the main hall for basic information. Signs in the hallways will direct you to the right classroom. For more information, contact:
Interim Director of Lifespan Religious Education: Mr. Barb Greve, Email: dlre [at] fusn [dot] org
Assistant to the IDLRE: Wendy Berenson, Email: reassist [at] fusn [dot] org
Lifespan Learning Programs
Infants and Toddlers
Infants and Toddlers Grow and Play in Community
Our staff Early Childcare Coordinator and 2-3 FUSN youth care for and play with infants and toddlers while their families attend worship services. There is no formal curriculum for these children, but they enjoy a welcoming, warm, and calm space for play and adult attention.
Preschool Through Grade 2
Preschool through Grade 2 Students Ask “Who Am I? Who Am I Connected To?”
Preschool teachers draw from three curricula - Celebrating Me and My World; We Are Many, We Are One; and Chalice Children - and include activities and stories to meet the particular interests of the children in the class. Classes and activities are designed trust and caring and to develop preschoolers’ self-identity and sense of connectedness with all of life. The underlying theme celebrates diversity and interdependency.
At Kindergarten, the curriculum is called Treasure Hunting, and it uses the theme of treasure hunting as a concrete way of involving children in the excitement of the search for the meaning of life. It addresses issues that children face daily, explores the meaning of Unitarian Universalist principles and values, and emphasizes an accepting and caring community.
Grade 3-5
Third, Fourth, and Fifth Graders Explore World Religions Through Stories
In third grade, the Stepping Stone Year curriculum shows children how religion helps people—including themselves—find answers to important life questions. Activities and stories demonstrate how a religious community can help people in their search for answers. The various units include Beginning Myths, Stories Science Tells Us, The Wonder of Birth, Adventures of Our People (American, Canadian, and English UUs), Wonderings About Death, and Making Decisions.
Grade 6-7
Sixth and Seventh Graders Focus on Unitarian Universalist Identity
In the fall semester teachers and students learn about Islam. During the spring semester the class explores Unitarian Universalist Principles and values.
Adult Religious Education
Adult Religious Education Addresses the Spirit, Heart, and Mind.
The mission of the Society’s Adult Religious Education program is to support adults in their spiritual journeys through a variety of programs and experiences that address the spirit, the heart, and the mind. In our liberal religious tradition, life-long learning is critical both to spiritual and intellectual development and to social action. Review course offerings for January 2010.
Coming of Age
Eight Grade Students Come of Age as Unitarian Universalists
The Coming of Age program engages 8th grade students in a year of personal and spiritual exploration in pursuit of the question “Who am I and what do I believe in?” There are three strands to the program—personal growth and beliefs, relationships and sexuality, and comparative religion—with an emphasis on social justice.
Youth Group
The Youth Group is comprised of high school age youth (grades 9-12) who gather weekly for worship, fun, social action, and deepening relationships. It is an ongoing group that seeks to foster spiritual depth, clarify both individual and universal religious values and create a peaceful community on Earth. A part of the Unitarian Universalist youth movement, this group welcomes all high school students in our faith community.
