Religious Exploration for children and youth is a cooperative venture involving both children and adults in the church community. In a liberal religious tradition such as Unitarian Universalism, religious learning, spiritual growth, and faith development are viewed as a lifelong journey each person takes.

We may hold different beliefs, but we covenant to journey together as a community, using as our guide our common principles and values. Together, we strive to create an atmosphere of respect, compassion, and spiritual growth for ourselves and others. Adults often find that teaching these classes can be a fulfilling way to deepen one’s own faith.

Children and Youth programs are primarily offered during Sunday morning worship services from September through May. Often, children of nursery school age and up sit in the Sunday service with their families until the reading of a Wisdom Story, at which point the congregation sings to them as they head off to age-appropriate classrooms. There they participate in activities, books, art, music, and discussions to help them learn about themselves and their relationship to their world, including their own inner world and moral and ethical values to deal with the challenges of the exterior worlds they live in.

High school youth have participated in outings and community service. In their final year of high school, we have celebrated a Coming of Age ceremony celebrating the transition from youth to young adulthood.

One important curriculum is Our Whole Lives (OWL) which provides accurate, age-appropriate information on a wide range of topics, including relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual health, and personal safety. The program emphasizes values such as self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, and justice and inclusivity, fostering an environment of respect and open communication. By empowering individuals with knowledge and skills, OWL aims to promote healthy, responsible, and consensual relationships throughout their lives.

For more information, please contact our Director of Religious Exploration, Jamie Gargano at DRE (at) uusaratoga.org