For up to the minute news on activities and items of interest to parents of our RE children, visit our Director of Religious Education’s blog!

Each week, the children in our community join the congregation for the beginning of our Sunday service. After collecting the food donations, the youth are “sung out” by the congregation to their Religious Education classes.

Our Sunday Classes:

Spirit Play

Pre-K – 1st Grades

SpiritPlay is a storytelling religious education program. During each class, the storyteller relates a story while presenting visual cues (small objects or pictures) to the children as a way to help them remember the story.  Following each storytelling, the children are encouraged to interpret the story through art expression or revisit past stories.  Included are legends from many different faith traditions, creative expressions of our Unitarian Universalist principles  (introduced as “promises”), and tales of our UU ancestors.

Harry and UU

Grades 2nd – 6th

Harry and UU is based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, books that immerse children in the idea that one can work to make the world better. The curriculum includes many fun wizarding activities, but the main purpose of the curriculum is social action. The class forms a chapter of Dumbledore’s Army and fights against seven Horcruxes during the year. The Horcruxes are real world social action projects. The curriculum spends about four classes on each Horcrux fight, with three classes devoted mainly to education and small projects, and one class devoted entirely to action. The goal is to produce tangible results on seven real-world problems.

Coming of Age

Grades 7th and up

In Unitarian Universalism, Coming of Age celebrates the transition from childhood to adolescence. Throughout the RE year, this group will explore theology, spirituality and history through discussion, drama, music, writing and art. This program will help youth to define their beliefs and put their faith into action. The class will then host and present a special “Coming of Age” service in the spring.

Our classes are based on UU Principles:

• We believe that each and every person is important.
• We believe that all people should be treated fairly.
• We believe that all our churches are places where all people are accepted, and where we keep learning together.
• We believe that each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life.
• We believe that everyone should have a voice about the things that concern them.
• We believe in working for a peaceful, fair and free world.
• We believe in caring for our planet Earth.

Our Mission

Through our Children’s Religious Education programming, we encourage our youth to ask questions and explore. We seek to instill in them confidence as they set out on their unique spiritual journeys. We hope to establish a lifelong dedication in our youth to the Unitarian Universalist community at large.

Our Vision

Our Children’s Religious Education Program provides weekly, age-appropriate classes covering introductions to different religions, UU history, UU identity, environmental and global issues, and social justice issues. We welcome new members to our youth program in a way that encourages them to make connections and want to return. We offer opportunities for the youth in the program to make a positive impact on our local and global community, and initiate opportunities for them to connect with other UU youth in our district.

Our Teachers

Our teachers are dedicated volunteers from the congregation who enjoy sharing with and learning from our community’s youth. Please contact the Director of Religious Education if you are interested in participating in this unique volunteering opportunity.

Children’s Religious Education Committee

The Children’s RE Committee meets with the DRE on the first Sunday of each month. The Committee consists of teachers, parents and congregation members who come together to support and assist with the RE program, provide suggestions, and address concerns.

Director of Religious Education

If you have any questions regarding the UUCSJS Children’s Religious Education Program or would like to register your child for our Children’s RE classes, please contact the Director of Religious Education, Heidi Jannsch, at 609.965.9400 or by email at sjsdre@gmail.com.

Summer session fun – Balloon Animal Day
	Each summer our RE classes take a break and kids of all ages attending with their parents on Sundays enjoy an activity or craft led by a volunteer from the congregation. Some of the activities and crafts featured have included jewelry making, pottery, cooperative games, tie-dying, and making balloon animals.
Forsythe Nature Walk
Murray Grove Retreat