Our 2023-24 Religious Education Programming

Welcome to a new year of Religious Education (RE) for Children and Youth! We’ll begin the church year on September 10 with an Ingathering Multigenerational Worship service, meant to welcome the whole church family to Follen. That evening, parents of high schoolers and their teens are invited to join us at 6:30-7:30pm for an orientation to the FUUY Youth Group program in the Community Center.

The next Sunday, September 17, our Director of Religious Education, Beryl Aschenberg, and our Music Director, Chris Eastburn, will lead a Children’s Chapel service with ritual, music, and storytelling for our 1-8th Grade children to kick off the RE program. We’re excited to introduce the young people to both our music and religious education ministries for the coming year. Child care and Nursery will be available for our younger children that morning, and FUUY will begin programming that evening at 6:30pm.

Beginning on September 21, we’ll offer Nursery plus three groups of Religious Education programming on Sunday mornings. Starting at 10:30am, young people will attend the first part of the service (about 10-15 minutes) before being dismissed to their classrooms. We are especially happy to invite our teens to our worship services, or to assist in the RE program with our younger children.

Nursery – loving care for children up to about 3-4 years of age. These children will often move between the nursery the the “Chalice Kids” program next door

Chalice Kids (PreK-2^nd grades) – We’ll introduce the values of Unitarian Universalism through the joyful curriculum “Treasure Hunting.” Youngsters will hear stories, learn rituals, sing, play, and create while the treasures of our faith are celebrated. Treasure Hunting is inspired by the fun and excitement of true treasure hunts, but in this class it’s an understanding and appreciation for ourselves and our world that we search for. The youngest children in this group often travel back and forth between this room and the Nursery.

Middles Class (Grades 3-5) : Our curriculum Holidays and Holy Days is an updated version of the classic written by our pioneering Religious Educator, Barbara Marshman. Each week is a celebration of a religious or cultural holiday: Sukkot, Diwali, Ramadan, and more. Our UU values are explicitly related to the many special celebrations throughout the year.

Uppers Class (Grades 6-8): This Unitarian Universalist (UU) identity-building curriculum, Traditions with a Wink, is designed to help Middle Schoolers connect with their UU experience while having fun with their peers. Traditions covered include Principles and Purposes of our faith, Judeo-Christian culture, how UUs create services of celebration, how UUs create community, the place of science and reason in Unitarian Universalism, the UU tradition of good works with service projects, and UU music and hymns.

Youth Programming!

Follen Unitarian Universalist Youth, or “FUUY” (pronounced like “Phooey”) – The Senior High Youth Group will kick-off on Sunday, September 17 from 6:30-8:30pm. Our teens will connect (or reconnect) and have fun as they determine how their values as Unitarian Universalists fit into the way they livetheir lives. Plans are in the works for a weekend retreat in New Hampshire over Indigenous People’s Day weekend. We are also exploring options for a Social Justice Service Learning trip over spring break in April.

More information to come as our Youth Advisory Committee meets in early September. General information about the FUUY Youth Program can be found HERE.

Coming of Age (COA) Program  for 10^th Graders – Planning is still in progress. For more information about the COA program, visit the COA Information Page HERE.

Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education for 8-9th Graders – We are now accepting registrations for the Fall start up of the Our Whole Lives class, which take place on Thursdays, from 7-9:00pm beginning on October 12.  A mandatory orientation, to be held on Sunday, September 24 at 12:30pm, is required for parents of OWL participants. Please visit our Our Whole Lives information page HERE for general info and updated information about the 2023-24 plans for OWL.

Register your Children Today!

Parents – Be sure to register your children and teens NOW in order to give us time to prepare for their participation in our program!  Remember- registration is not a hard and fast commitment for weekly attendance, but rather a show intention to be involved in Follen’s RE community as you feel safe and comfortable having your child participate.

Register

We know the choices families are making right now are not easy. Thank you for continuing to engage in our community, however, you are able to right now. You’re all doing a spectacular job navigating through these challenges. Please know that Follen is here for you and yours!