It is not the 1950s anymore, or for that matter the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Most people who come through our doors are “nones,” folks who have no tradition of regular church attendance. Parents and kids are over-booked, time is structured, families are busy. Unlike the past, there is no social pressure for regular church attendance. Church is not the only place begging for time. An open Sunday morning may be the only time family has together. Sunday School has been fading in Unitarian Universalist churches large and small for the last two decades; efforts to turn things around have been futile in large part, but the end of Sunday school is not the same as the end of faith formation.

As a congregation, our job is to support the spiritual development of children and their families through a variety of programs. Come to the Future of Faith Formation meeting at 4:00 on September 8^th to help figure out where we are going from here. The 8^th is the afternoon of our (welcome back?) and Water Communion service. The ever-accommodating Ray Gonzales will provide child supervision in the toddler/preschool room for younger kids during the meeting; youth are encouraged to participate.

Some of the ideas that are working for other congregations with just a few kids include: multi-age service projects, multi-generation worship, family worship, full faith week, and multi-age curriculums. If you can’t wait until September, check the August Unifire or the “Learning” page for links for in-depth information. Contact Jean Gonzales or Kathy Lambert if you have any question or comments before the September meeting. We hope to see you there.