Programs for Children and Youth
Our Director of Religious Education
Monthly Religious Education Message
Coming of Age Program 2008-2009 Kicks Off
Children's books in the church office, in order by Title or Author
Children's and Youth's Religious Exploration
The CaYRE Committee meets regularly with the Director of Religious Education (DRE) to:
- Plan and coordinate the children's religious education programs.
- Help recruit and train teachers
- Be responsible for organizing the nursery.
- Provide support for the youth group
- Participate in the intergenerational services.
Pre-School Through Elementary
MPUUC has a three-year curricula plan: one year of Judaism and Christianity, one year of Unitarian-Universalism, and one year of World Religions. This rotation is repeated every three years, providing a broad educational experience for a student as she or he moves through the program. The 2007-8 year is dedicated to learning about Judaism and Christianity.
Classes are divided into preschool, kindergartners, 1st and 2nd grades, 3rd through 5th grades, junior high (6th through 8th grade), and senior high (9th through 12th).
Our Preschool class are using the standard Unitarian Universalist Association curriculum "Celebrating Me and My World." Because these children are too young to understand the concepts of different religions, this curriculum lays the foundation for learning about other religions later by providing opportunities for them to develop their self-identity and their sense of connectedness with all of life.
The K-2 class are using "Super Heroes - Bible People," which is a participation-based curriculum on Bible Stories, perfect for the active children in this class. Its goal is to introduce children to people from the Bible who have acted with courage and wisdom in their attempts to lead their lives fully and make the world a better place for others. This curriculum is supplemented by "Special Times," which engages the students in celebrations of Jewish and Christian holidays.
The children in third, fourth and fifth grades are using the ever-popular "The Gospel According to the Simpsons," which uses episodes of the Simpsons TV show to illustrate Biblical lessons. The 10 Simpsons lessons will be interspersed among lessons from "Timeless Themes," which teaches stories from the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible.
Do you have a youth in grades 7-9 who could benefit from experiences like ropes courses, a Faithful Fools mini-street retreat, or a nature vigil? The Pacific Central District's Coming of Age program could be just the kind of adventure and bonding with other Unitarian Universalist youth that can make a big difference at that age. Come find out more about the program on April 13, from 3:30-5:30, at the First Unitarian Church in San Jose in the downstairs classrooms, with district leader Riley McLaughlin.
This orientation is for families with youth who will be 8th -10th graders in the 2008-9 school year, and for people in the congregation interested in a deeper connection with a youth of this age as a mentor. The program is designed to help our young people explore their own spirituality, develop a deeper understanding of Unitarian Universalism, continue the lifelong process of values clarification, recognize and accept responsibility for the consequences of their decisions, explore their options for service to the church and to the community, deepen their relationships with each other and with adults in the church, come to a positive understanding of their capabilities and test themselves against their own preconceived limits.
For any questions about the Coming of Age Program email or contact Sonya Sukalsk (sonya.sukalski at comcast dot net). You can also direct questions to Sally Ahnger (sahnger at yahoo dot com). The First Unitarian Church is at 160 North Third St., San Jose. Parking is on the Street and around St. James Park.
Junior High Youth Group (7th and 8th Grades)
The Junior High Youth Advisors are Cade Murray, Monika Lee, and Lucy Rich.
During 2007-8, they are learning about Jewish and Christian denominations and visiting their places of worship, using the curriculum "Neighboring Faiths" as a guide. They are also discussing contemporary issues, such as immigration, healthcare, gender identity and racism.
The Junior High Youth group meets every other Sunday during the adult service at 10 am:
Jan 13
Jan 27
Feb 10
Feb 24
Mar 9
Mar 23 (Easter)
Mar 30 (joint meeting with Senior High?)
Apr 13 (Youth Service)
Apr 20
Apr 27 (attend District Assembly Sunday service)
May 11
May 25 (no meeting)
June 1 (volunteer appreciation intergenerational service)
Senior High Youth Group (9th to 12th Grades)
The Senior High Youth Advisors are Laurie Fiatal and Michealle Havenhill.
In addition to discussing issues that impact their lives, they are working on various social justice projects. The group also provides a program for younger children during the Easter service and develops a worship service for the congregation in the spring.
The Senior High Youth group meets every other Sunday during the adult service at 10 am:
Jan 20
Feb 3
Feb 17
Mar 2
Mar 16
Mar 23 (Easter)
Apr 6 (joint meeting with Junior High?)
Apr 13 (Youth Service)
Apr 27 (attend District Assembly Sunday service)
May 4
May 18
June 1 (volunteer appreciation intergenerational service)
Sally is always happy to discuss our curricula choices with anyone who is interested. Please contact her at dre at mpuuc dot org if you have any questions or feedback.
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