Children's Religious Education

Religious education for Unitarian Universalist (UU) children focuses on teaching our children about the religious world and encouraging them to take their place in it. Through stories, discussions, games, art projects, and music, our children learn about our shared Unitarian Universalist values, how to distinguish right from wrong, the diversity of religious belief, and the importance of questioning and forming their own beliefs.

The children’s religious education usually takes place in classrooms within the congregational building, though many congregations also incorporate outdoor activities and field trips into their plans. Classes are led by volunteers from the congregation, and often follow an annual curriculum. Each congregation’s religious education programming is overseen by a Minister of Religious Education or lay Director of Religious Education. All adults who work with youth in our congregations are required to undergo extensive background checks and trainings, as we take the safety of our children seriously.

Many Unitarian Universalist congregations encourage children to join their parents for the first part of the weekly worship service and give them an opportunity to worship together separately from the adults. By leading and participating in their own worship services, Unitarian Universalist children learn to value their own religious experiences and to develop their own religious voices.

Our children learn a great deal outside of formal worship and classroom time. Children are given many opportunities to socialize with their peers and older children and learn to integrate their religious values with their social experiences. Since Unitarian Universalism welcomes all kinds of families, the children also learn respect for differences in race, ethnicity, abilities, and sexual orientation by learning more about the families of their classmates.