Children’s and Youth Religious Education
Wildflower strives to support parents by providing a meaningful religious education program
that makes a positive difference in children’s and youth’s lives.
Ages of Children We Serve
Our children and youth religious education (CYRE) program serves babies and children through 18 years. The second Sunday of each month is a Zoom-only church service with no in-person CYRE program. The CYRE program meets on the first, third, and fourth Sundays of the month.
Children 6 weeks to 5 years of age are welcome in the Childcare room. Children in Pre-K through 1st grade attend the Roots class. Children can transition from the Childcare room to the Roots class at age 5. Children in grades 2 through 5 attend the Seedlings class. Youth in grades 6 through 12 attend the Youth Group. Infants under 6 weeks remain with their parents.
What Happens on Sunday?
Children and youth stay with their parents for the first 15 minutes of the worship service, which begins at 11:45 am. After the congregation “sings the children and youth out,” teachers lead them to their classes. The children’s program ends at about 1:00 pm, usually 15 minutes after the Worship Service ends. Children attending childcare (age 6 weeks to 5 years) do not have to begin in the service. To promote child and youth safety, two adults are present in childcare and all classes. In accordance with our Safe Church policy, all RE teachers and care providers undergo background checks.
What do we teach in Religious Education?
1st Principle: Each and every person is important.
2nd Principle: All people should be treated fairly and kindly.
3rd Principle: We accept one another and keep on learning together.
4th Principle: We are free to search for what is true and right in life.
5th Principle: All people need a voice.
6th Principle: We work for a peaceful, fair, and free world.
7th Principle: We care for the Earth and all living things.
8th Principle: We work together for diversity and against racism and oppression.
Volunteering
Our wonderful volunteers make this program possible by allowing us to adhere to our Safe Church policy of having two adults in every class. Volunteers offer their unique perspectives and experiences and are equally enriched by hearing our children and youth express their points of view. For more information related to volunteering, please click here.
The Unitarian Universalist faith doesn’t pretend to give children all the answers to the big questions. Unitarian Universalism puts its faith in people’s ability to explore the unknown together.
-Terry Stafford (UU Religous Educator)
Getting Started in Religious Education
Before your child’s first Sunday in the religious education program, please register them by filling out a Registration Form. Parents are always welcome to visit the RE and childcare classes.
Religious Education News/Blog
May 28 Classes
We ended our Spring semester this Sunday with a focus on our 7th Principle: We care for our planet Earth and all living beings on it. The Youth Group took a field trip to Mabel Davis to look for birds and forage edible plants and the Elementary-age classes explored...
Apr 16 Kids & Youth Classes
This week, our elementary-age class talked about how our UU values call us to care about all people and what that actually looks like using a book called Oh, the Things We're For, by Innosanto Nagara. Using rhyme and rhythm, the books calls us to reimagine healthcare,...
Mar 19 CYRE
In our classes this week, the Elementary group talked about school segregation and how "Separate but Equal" was both morally wrong and not at all equal. We used a variety of apples to exemplify this and then finished with an apple snack and a story. The Middle &...
Jan 29 Classes
Messages from each class are below: Roots (pre-k to 1st) & Seedlings (2nd-5th) w/Piaf: This week we talked about what we can each do when the news or events in the world feel heavy, when our hearts hurt for others who are suffering. Kids brainstormed ways that we...
Jan 22 CYRE
Roots Class (pre-k to 1st grade) w/Laura: In our lesson this week, the Roots class continued to follow the Growing Anti-racist UU’s curriculum. In Lesson 4, MY CHURCH, MY BELIEFS their attention is called to the UU church's support for the "Black Lives Matter"...
Chalice Making
This week we did a special all-ages activity and made our own gratitude chalices out of upside down flower pots. After painting them, we dried them with a blow dryer and then used Sharpies to write what we felt gratitude for. Not everyone had enough time to add all...
Sep 18 RE classes
We had a great Religious Education this week! Our Roots Class (pre-k to first grade) had a fun intro to our UU faith and added their names to our class wall with Laura. Our Seedlings (2nd to 5th grade) discussed various scientific facts about water such as the water...
Sep 4 CYRE
We had a lovely start to our new year of Religious Education! We are looking forward to growing, learning, and connecting with your young people 🙂 Messages from each class are below: Roots (pre-k to 1st) & Seedlings (2nd to 5th): We began by lighting our class...
Aug 21 CYRE
This week, we had a guest speaker who shared her experiences with homelessness with the kids and youth. It was very moving to hear her story and the kids asked insightful questions as well. Then, we assembled packets of snacks, waters, and socks and gave them to the...
July 3 CYRE
This week we had a ton of fun making collages and pronoun pins with Laura's pin maker! Some kids also chose to make other pins using images from magazines and we collaboratively worked on a mosaic-style collage of a progress pride flag.