The Lifespan Religious Education program (RE) at Valley Unitarian Universalist Church focuses on enriching the lives of the congregation through educational and experiential activities and classes for people of every age. The program lifts up Unitarian Universalist values and enhances the community experience. The RE program is a vital force in congregational life, and everyone is encouraged to participate.

Sunday Morning

Where do the kids go?

All classes take place in the Religious Education buildings across the parking lot from the sanctuary. The nursery is open at 10:15 and the 7th/8th grade and high school classes start at 10:30 in their classrooms. All preschool through 6th graders start the morning in the sanctuary with their parents and after a brief Time for All Ages, they go through the Bridge of Love to meet their teachers outside and go to their classrooms as a group.

Where do we sign-up?

There is a Religious Education (RE) sign-in table in the back of the sanctuary each week with sign-in/sign-out sheets on clipboards for parents of all preschool through 6th grade class participants. There is a sign-in clipboard in the nursery and the 7th/8th grade and high school participants sign themselves in during their classes. What is the Time for All Ages?

The Time for All Ages is a section of the Sunday morning service where all kids are invited to the front of the church for a short message from the Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Minister, or other church member. It generally happens 15-20 minutes after the service begins.

What is the Bridge of Love?

After the Time for All Ages the congregation makes a "bridge" over each of the two aisles (think "London Bridge is Falling Down“ but we don't capture anyone!). The children move under the bridges from the front of the church to the back and then head out the back doors to meet their teachers and go to class.

When is class over?

All RE classes end at 11:45 each week. This doesn't always coincide with the end of the worship service, but works well for curriculum planning purposes. All 5th/6th, 7th/8th, and high school class participants are allowed to sign themselves out of class at 11:45. Nursery through 4th grade students must be signed-out by a parent, or by an adult or older family member (5th grade and older) designated on the RE registration forms. All children are signed-out in the RE area on the same sheets on which they are signed-in. The sign-in/sign-out sheets are with the classroom teachers after class.

How do we register?

We have a Visitor Registration Form that we ask all visiting families to complete each week for each child attending classes. These forms are available on the RE sign-in table and ask for basic information, an emergency contact, and special needs, allergies, or dietary restrictions. After three weeks of being a "visitor" (or sooner, if you'd like), we ask that each family complete a RE Registration Packet for each child attending Sunday school classes. These packets are available on the RE sign-in table and can also be found on the vuu.org website under Member Resources. The registration packet asks for more details on family and emergency information, and goes over the behavior and safety expectations of participants in our Sunday school program.

Can I attend classes with my child(ren)?

Absolutely. All classes are open for parents to sit-in.

What are classes like?

Nursery (for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers up to 3 years old)
We offer a loving and stimulating environment for the very youngest in our church family. Our nursery is staffed by two paid caregivers and gives our little ones a place to move around and play with people their size, while learning cooperation skills and having fun! Parents are welcome to stay with their children.

Preschool (for "potty trained" 3 year-olds through anyone not yet in kindergarten)
We combine Spirit Play, a Montessori-based curriculum, and traditional UU curricula to teach our young UU's about Unitarian Universalist principles, history, and liturgy through storytelling and play. We affirm the loving nature of young children and give them a rich foundation for participation in this friendly church community.

Workshop Rotation for Kindergarten - 6th grades
The workshop rotation program teaches Unitarian Universalist theology, history, and liturgy through engaging and dynamic multi-disciplinary workshops. The classes are divided by school grade level, and move through four workshops in a four-week cycle. Our workshops are intentionally created to celebrate and utilize the many different ways that human beings learn, and our goal is to reach every participant in a loving and meaningful way. Participants learn about our UU principles, the sources of our denominational theology, and practical ways to live with UU values. Classes are divided into four classes of Kindergarten/1st grade, 2nd/3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th/6th grade.

7th and 8th grades
The 7th and 8th grade class focuses on the demands and struggles that young people this age are faced with and ways they can approach their lives in a productive, responsible and meaningful way. Class discussions may involve looking at world religions, social pressure, family dynamics, and finding a personal spiritual path. During the 2007-2008 church year, the class will be using the UUA's Neighboring Faiths curriculum and learning about some of the many religions they find in their school and neighborhoods.

YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) for 9th - 12th grades
YRUU at Valley UU Church is part of a continental organization of Unitarian Universalist teens. YRUU focuses on youth empowerment and community strength through learning, social action, worship, and trusting relationships with adult members of the church community. Although our YRUU program is housed in a Sunday morning class, the possibilities for involvement reach beyond the classroom walls as youth find connections with each other both within our church community and at regional and national gatherings.

How do I find out more information?

Celeste Plumlee is the Director of Lifespan Religious Education (DLRE) and can be reached at 480-899-4249 or via email.

Valley Unitarian Universalist Church has a website at www.vuu.org with quite a bit of information about who we are, and there is a considerable amount available about Unitarian Universalism at www.uua.org. We are a deliberately open and affirming group and welcome you, your family, and all that you bring on your spiritual journey, to join all of us on ours.

Additional Offerings for Children and Youth

Our Whole Lives

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive sexuality education program that focuses on accuracy, respect, and responsibility. Classes are currently available for three age groups (1^st/2^nd, 5^th/6^th, and 7^th/8^th grades) and are led by specifically trained facilitators. These classes are offered in alternating years outside of Sunday school classes.

Coming of Age

Our Coming of Age (CoA) program is offered to 9^th and 10^th grade youth, every-other-year. Workshops, retreats, and relationships with adult mentors occur outside of Sunday school classes, and are intended to assist teen youth as they transition into adult roles with the congregation and society at large.

MUUGS

MUUGS is our social group that focuses on bringing 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade middle school students together for social activities. All gatherings, outings, weekends away, etc are in addition to Sunday school classes.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

There are several classes, programs, and opportunities for involvement through the Adult Religious Education program including:

• Covenant Groups
• The Seekers’ Series (Discussions with the minister)
• Building Your Own Theology
• Science and Religion discussion group
• Great Books discussion group
• A Course in Miracles
• T’ai Chi
• … and more

Dates, times, and locations of Adult RE offerings not listed here can be found within church announcements, newsletters, etc.  If you are interested in contributing to Adult RE, please contact Celeste in the church office. Ours is a dynamic and evolving program, and additions are always welcome!