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
Aug 9 CYRE
Roots Class (K-2nd grade) w/Marie: Happy last summer Sunday school class! Thanks to our volunteer for sharing The Koala Who Could book. It was the perfect thinking-about-starting-new-things-for-fall-and-school-plans, on all our minds and hearts in the community. Best...
Aug 2 CYRE
Roots Class (k-2nd) w/Marie: Today was more animal dancing, and in thinking about animals, I decided a snail book was in order in honor of Sarah’s joining us very soon. Hearing about her pet snails has been a continued area of deep interest on the part of the...
Jul 26 C/YRE
Roots Class w/Marie: Hello from the Roots class! One of my favorite read alouds jumped off my bookshelf and into the lesson plan this week in following up to thinking together about last week's How to Solve A Problem. Sometimes... things, like our lives under this...
July 19 CRE
Aloha from the Roots class…
Jun 28 RE
Roots Class (pre-k to first grade) w/Marie: We’re welcoming grownup helper Cory to our class today. Cory is a first grade teacher and new member at Wildflower and we’re so glad to have you. Thank you for leading the children in a fun greeting this morning- bonjour and...
Jun 21 C/YRE
Roots Class (pre-k to first grade) w/Marie: We had another cozy gathering today in the Roots class, celebrating an almost birthday and a half birthday, hearing of a pet that was a little bit lost but then found. I checked in with the group more about our conversation...
May 17 RE
Roots Class (pre-k to 1st grade) w/Marie: Continuing our quarantine pace and structure, sharing joys and concerns (“rose and thorn”) has become the real centerpiece in our time together. Birthday joy, video game victories, worries about school- all big important...
RE May 10
Roots Class (pre-k to first grade) w/Marie: We're continuing our class "new normal" routine, which looks like this: We light the chalice We are Unitarian Universalists with minds that think, hearts that love, and hands that are ready to serve, and welcome and...
RE Apr 19
Roots Class (pre-k to first grade) w/Marie: We spent this rainy morning meeting each other’s cats, talking about signs of spring, and getting some more singing and dancing in for spring. I shared a story about the baby bird my friend found, and kept watch over until...
CYRE Apr 12
This week we gathered on Zoom for our C/YRE classes. Roots class (pre-k to first grade) w/Marie: Happy Easter, and thank you to the children who gathered with me this morning. I so wanted to share a nice springtime, Easter-y book this morning. Sharing stories seems...