RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

for

CHILDREN AND YOUTH

The purpose of Religious Education for children is to nurture children's spiritual and emotional growth by:

 

• promoting a sense of individual self-worth;

• encouraging ethical and empathetic thinking;

• teaching Unitarian values of community, social justice, tolerance, open-                  mindedness, understanding, co-operation and sharing;

• providing opportunities to practice these values;

• celebrating special days, events, and people; thinking about the "big questions"         that people have always asked;

• developing an appreciation for world religions and cultures and respect for             religious diversity and freedom, through stories, crafts, and music;

• learning to make our own decisions and participating in group decision-making          processes;

• learning that we are an integral part of the great web of life.

 

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We are looking forward to working with a new RE director planning an exciting year of activities, with curricula for primary (ages 5-7) and elementary (8-10) age groups, as well as the usual nursery care in our new larger nursery room. The junior youth group will be studying native spirituality this Fall, and we hope to have a junior youth OWL program, as well as a coming-of-age ceremony later in the year.

 

The youth group was involved in the prison farm protests in the summer, and they will continue to meet this year, with support and encouragement from youth advisor Emily Cummins-Woods.

 

The year begins with the Unirondack weekend on September 10th -12th, followed by the Water Ingathering Ceremony on September 19th. There will be a group activity for children at KUF on September 12th and activities or nursery care for younger children who don’t want to participate upstairs on September 19th. The curriculum will start on September 26th.

 

There is no chair for the RE committee as yet, but members include Ruth Wehlau, Mara Shaw, Gordon Darrell and Daphne Hand. Other teachers and facilitators are Jillann Rothwell, David Mathers, Anna Elmberg-Wright, Ariel Hunt-Brondwin, Astrid Trefzger and Dave Kay.

 

We hope to have our usual list of helpers to assist the teachers with crafts, preparing snacks and just listening during classes. Helpers are needed about once a month and must have a C-PIC. Please consider adding your name to our list; just ask one of the people mentioned above for more information. Call the KUF office [613-544-8777] or email <kuf@kingston.net> to leave a message.

 

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