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 again on January 7, 2024. 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 be starting a new curriculum this winter: Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints. From their website, this is “an illustrated children’s storybook about people of diverse faiths who rocked the religious boat on behalf of love and justice”. They will start the session by learning about a new troublemaker/saint with the Middle and High School-aged Youth. Then break into their own group for hands-on activities, building community, and the playground (weather-permitting).
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 new curriculum: Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints. They will start each session by learning about a person “who rocked the religious boat on behalf of love and justice” with the Elementary-aged students. Then they will break off into their own group for discussion and community building.
You can learn more about the Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints here!
To register your child this year for RE click here and fill in the form. (If you registered in Fall 2023, there is no need to register again.)
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.