Sharing Our Gifts

       Our Children and Youth Religious Exploration (CYRE) program is actively supported by many enthusiastic volunteers.  These volunteers are essential to the delivery of meaningful Sunday morning programs that allow children and adult volunteers to engage in spiritual practices in a safe and welcoming community. Volunteers also support the delivery of intergenerational projects that contribute to our development as a Lifespan Learning church.  Here are some of the gifts these wonderful people share:

We endeavour to provide meaningful opportunities for adults in our congregation to share their gifts and to develop spiritually with our children and youth.

Children and Youth

Sunday mornings at 10:30  begin with children and youth in the sanctuary to participate with adult members in intergenerational worship.  At the end of intergenerational worship, children are sung to their classrooms where they share “glads and sads”, stories, songs and age-appropriate programs that explore UU values and the relevance of these values to the everyday experiences of children and youth.

Rainbow Room (Babies to 3 years old)

Spirit Play (3-5 years)

This eclectic program uses religious stories, myths, songs, UU history, crafts and children’s’ literature to encourage children to explore questions such as:  *Who am I?   *  Where did I come from?   *What is my purpose?   * What are my gifts?   * How do I choose to live my life?   *  What happens when I die?   * Why am I lsad sometimes?

In this classroom, children take responsibility for their environment.  They have freedom to explore their own answers to questions, within the structure of classroom routines and learning materials provided by the teachers.

 Chalice Club (6 –9 years)

The Chalice Club program uses the UUA curriculum “We Believe”, supplemented by picture books generously donated by our congregation through “The Giving Tree”.  The program encourages children to connect the principles of our faith to their lives outside of the church.  There is lots of drama, music and co-operative games.

Seven Principles  (7P) (10 years and up)

This program uses the UUA Curriculum “The Questing Year” to engage youth in activities relating to four quests:

1. Inner Quest – Looking inside to see who we are as individuals.
2. UU Quest - Discovering Unitarian Universalists and our religion.
3. Action Quest – Finding ways to help the world and people in it.
4. Mystery Quest – Searching for answers to big questions, like….why does life exist?

Coming of Age

Coming of Age (COA) signifies the transition from childhood to adulthood and engages youth in a search for spiritual meaning. Youth work with mentors and COA leaders to explore their beliefs and to develop a faith statement. Coming of Age will be offered beginning in September 2011. 

2010 OWL Programs for all age groups

Don’t miss this opportunity to sign your children up for this innovative sexuality program
 
Our Whole Lives (OWL) helps youth make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behaviour. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in the areas of human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behaviour, sexual health and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, OWL provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

Parents are a child’s most important sexuality educators, and sexuality education begins at home. Parents can be effective sexuality educators especially if they have the support and resources to help them face this challenging and rewarding responsibility. And that’s where OWL can help.

OWL programs are being offered for all age groups this year. All programs run Sundays during church time:

Grades 4-6: Runs for six sessions from Sunday, October 17-Sunday, November 21, 2010. Youth will learn about and discuss the physical and emotional changes of puberty. They will read It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris, and examine topics such as values and sexuality, communication and decision-making. Parent orientation night will be Thursday, September 23 at 7 p.m.  Registration required by September 19.

Grades 7-9: Runs for 27 sessions between the months of October 2010 and May 2011.  Presents a comprehensive approach to human sexuality, based on the values of respect, responsibility, justice and inclusivity. Helps young people apply these values to their behaviour and provides them with information and skills they can use throughout throughout life.

Note: OWL programs are open to all children—whether they be from the First Unitarian church community or the wider community. A minimum of six participants are required. Parents of children in the Grade 4-6 program are required to be on site during program delivery. Parents of youth in the Grade 7-9 program are not required to be on site but must be accessible by phone and available if required.
To register for any of the above programs, please contact Philippa Heritage at: (905) 525-1859 or pheritage@cogeco.ca.
 

Creative Spirituality

February is Creative Spirituality month, when all children three and up rotate through workshops that allow them to explore a common UU theme through a variety of creative activities such as baking, woodworking, drama, visual art and music.

Youth Group (Ages 13-18)

This relaxed group meets on Sundays at 12:00 and welcomes anyone with an open mind and an interest in having fun and sharing experiences with other youth.

In Community

with the Congregation

Families are encouraged to explore activities that bring us together as a congregation.  Some activities to look for are:

·     Intergenerational Sundays occur every Sunday.  Children and youth worship with the adults in the congregation for the first part of the service.  We also have occasional fully intergenerational services such as the festival of lights in December and the church picnic in June.

·     Mystery Friends, an intergenerational letter-writing activity culminating in a shared lunch where secret identities are revealed.

·     Village Potlucks, family-friendly events that occur on a monthly basis.

·     Music Nights, held on the last Friday of the month, when children, youth and adults make themselves seen and heard.

·     Holiday Services, including a family Christmas Eve Service and a seasonal celebration on December 13^th.

·     Children’s Walkathon, to raise money to support justice, equity and compassion in human relations locally and in other nations.

·     Workshops, potlucks and feedback sessions, sponsored on a regular basis by the CYRE Committee to get input from the congregation and parents and to support their continued participation in CYRE programs.