The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own;
Not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own;
Not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth;
Not to form an outward regularity, but to touch inward springs;
Not to bind them by ineradicable prejudices to our particular sect or peculiar notions,
But to prepare them for impartial, conscientious judging of whatever subjects may be offered to their decision;
Not to burden the memory, but to quicken and strengthen the power of thought;
Not to impose religion upon them in the form of arbitrary rules, but to awaken the conscience, the moral discernment.
In a word, the great end is to awaken the soul… to excite and cherish spiritual life.
– William Ellery Channing
Everything we do together as a congregation teaches and reinforces our faith and what we value most. The welcome we strive to offer, what we center in our music and worship, the accessibility of our buildings and grounds, the ways we make decisions together, all of that and more teaches people of all ages more about who we are and what we believe than we could teach in a classroom.
While classroom and program-based learning aren’t the only or even primary ways we learn as humans, they are important in their own ways. Here at UUCSS, Religious Education Children and Youth Breakout Groups will begin on Sunday September 17, 2023. Breakout groups will be held during the service (11am-11:45am) and will include:
Children’s Worship Breakout Group for Elementary School Aged Kids:
Elementary school aged children will be invited to leave the service around 11am and go to the Fellowship House for a breakout group. They will continue last year’s Superhero Academy curriculum where they will learn about their own superpowers. They will have lots of time to be active both during the curriculum and out on the playground! They will have the opportunity to interact with the older youth group.
Youth Worship Breakout Group for Middle and High School Aged Youth:
Youth will be invited to leave the service around 11am and go to the Fellowship House for a discussion-based breakout group. They will have the opportunity to interact with the younger children.
To register your child this year for RE click here and fill in the form:
Our Assistant Minister for Spiritual Growth, Rev. Caitlin Cotter Coillberg, would be happy to talk with you about RE at UUCSS. She can be reached at amsg@uucss.org.