For the 2022–2023 church year, beginning on Homecoming Sunday (the second Sunday of September) and running through June. Face masks are currently required in the building for all except infants, for whom masking is not considered safe.
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Family Ministry at UUC includes Religious Education for children and youth on Sunday Mornings:
Child care for little ones is an option during all Sunday Services, and religious education classes for elementary-age children and older youth are offered during the 11:15 service on Sunday mornings. Children of all ages are welcome to attend Worship Services with their families in the Chapel, if preferred. With the exception of Our Whole Lives and Coming of Age, all classes listed below are open to drop in.
Please note that Our Whole Lives and Coming of Age programs are not open to drop-in after October 2nd, 2022. Visiting youth in grades 8-10 should attend World Religions or the service with their parents.
Sprouts Care: 6 months – Kindergarten
Quality and loving childcare is available to our youngest community members in our Sprouts classroom during both the 9:30 or 11:15 a.m. services. We use Jen Shattuck’s “Letters from Ellery” videos to provide a simple arc of faith development for our older Sprouts kiddos and fun ways to bring religious exploration home. Children in Sprouts also experience meaningful ritual and community building each Sunday through snack time, stories, and play. To view previous “Letters from Ellery” videos and suggestions for at-home religious exploration, please click here.
Superhero Academy: 1st-5th Grade, 11:15 service only
Using the premise of popular superheroes, like Black Panther and Teen Titans, this multi-age class explores themes of anti-oppression, personal responsibility, and love. In every lesson there is a central activity and story, tied to a monthly theme like “A Web of Responsibility” or “Be Sure to Stretch,” with lots of time for creative free-play.
World Religions: 6th – 7th Grade, 11:15 service only
In our middle school World Religions program, participants learn about other faith traditions and the religious origins of Unitarian Universalism. In this two-year program, participants learn about the historical and contemporary expressions of many faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. World Religions is offered at only the 11:15 services.
Our Whole Lives: 8th and 9th Grade, 11:15 service only
Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive sexuality education program designed to help participants gain the knowledge, values and skills to lead sexually healthy, responsible lives. We explore many topics, such as anatomy and physiology, general, sexual orientation, relationships, dating, pregnancy, contraception, and sexual decision making. OWL is offered at only the 11:15 service and is not open for drop-in after October 2nd.
Coming of Age: 9th and 10th Grade, 11:15 service only
Coming of Age is a rite of passage experience where participants explore their personal and Spiritual beliefs within a UU context. COA participants are each assigned an adult mentor from UUC. The program culminates in a solo vigil in the wilderness. By the end of the program, participants deliver a faith statement outlining their personal and spiritual beliefs during a special worship service in May. COA is offered at only the 11:15 service and is not open for drop-in after October 2nd.
Youth Programming:
Youth Group is currently not meeting on Sunday mornings. Like many churches and nonprofits are experiencing as the pandemic continues on, volunteerism and participation numbers are having a slow come back. Our younger youth RE programs like World Religions, OWL and Coming of Age are going strong, but the older youth are either actively volunteering or working in UUC childcare on Sunday mornings or are not feeling called to show up. The connections they perhaps drew them in in the past may not feel as fresh as they were before the pandemic. That being said, we know that community is still vital to our youth – they crave it! – and we are committed to providing them with opportunities to rebuild strong connections.
We invite families to sign up for the youth programs newsletter to learn about unique upcoming youth programming serving all youth grades 6 – 12 including:
- Youth activity nights at the church;
- Service opportunities in the community;
- Regional opportunities like meetups with youth at other Pacific Northwest UU congregations in the Pacific Northwest, and Youth Cons or conferences; and
- Summer camps that offer opportunities to be both campers (Camp Blue Boat near Wenatchee and The Eliot Institute at Seabeck) and camp counselors (UUC’s Chalice Camp) each summer.
Faith Crates:
We are pausing the Faith Crates program for the 2022-2023 church year, but anticipate bringing it back in the future. For more information, please contact Director of Family Ministry, Aria Curtis.
Conceived as a way for families to stay connected to church during the uncertainty of the pandemic, Faith Crates is a family faith engagement subscription service. Families who sign up for Faith Crates receive hands-on materials for exploring wonder and awe, ritual and tradition, and meaning making. Faith Crates also include prompts for family reflection, worshipful experiences, and musical connection. View Faith Crate packet examples from last year here: Family Activity Packet, Kids Packet, Parent Packet, Worship Packet.
Parent Groups:
UUC has offered a number of parent support and small group ministry groups in the past, including Parents of Preschoolers and a Parent Covenant Group. This year, the Antiracism Parent Group will meet again a couple times a month over the course of the church year, to explore ways we might build a world of liberation, free from oppression, with the children in our care. The meeting schedule and information about how to register for the Antiracism Parent Group will be available in mid-September; the group will begin meeting in late October.
Click here to listen to the UUC Families’ Collaborative playlist of UU and UU-ish hymns and songs.
Click here to learn about the programs we offered for children, youth and families from September 2020–May 2021.
Click here to see a brochure from before 2020, to learn about the programs for children and youth we typically at University Unitarian Church
Meet our Family Ministry Staff: Aria Curtis, Director of Family Ministry; Amanda Mack, Youth Ministry Coordinator; Eve Hammond, Lead Childcare Provider.