Faith Formation
Faith Formation Through the Lifespan
We provide children, and people of all ages, an opportunity to explore, reflect, and learn in a nurturing spiritual community. Unitarian Universalist religious education programs seek to inspire:
- Ethical growth – internalizing enduring values like justice, equity, and compassion, and gaining tools to act on them in everyday life.
- Social growth – connecting with peers and people of all ages on a deeper level. Finding acceptance among people who see beyond the superficial.
- Spiritual growth – feeling a connection with the sacred within, among, and beyond us.
The Future of Children’s Faith Formation
It is not the 1950s anymore or for that matter the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Parents and kids are over-booked, time is structured, families are busy. The 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. We are exploring options to meet the needs of children, their families, and adults.
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, and multi-age curriculums.