What to Expect in RE

Our classrooms are separated by grade range as follows:

First Service
One RE Class for PreK-8th Graders (Main Room Downstairs)
Our Whole Lives for grades 7-9 (more details to follow, classes begin in the fall)

Second Service
PreK-3rd Grade RE (Main Room Downstairs)
4th-8th Grade Jr. Youth Group (Choir Room)
High School Youth Group (YG Room, 10:45-12:15)

What to Expect for Children on Sunday Mornings

Upon arrival at Sunnyhill, families are welcome to go to the Sanctuary together to begin worship together. Nursery-aged children (6 months through age 3) are invited to stay with their parents/guardians or to play in our nursery, which is located right next door to the Sanctuary. School-aged children should remain with parents until the “Story for All Ages” occurs towards the beginning of the service. At that time, all children are invited to the front to listen to a story before being “sung out” to their Religious Education classes. Adults should pick up their children after the service ends.

Once they arrive in their classrooms, the classes generally follow this format:

Chalice Lighting 

Joys and Sorrows

Activity or Lesson

Extinguish the Chalice

Soul Matters

This year’s overarching frame is The Practices of Our Faith. We’re using this frame to focus on how Unitarian Universalism is a lived faith that inspires us to act out our values in the world. Or to put it another way, we’re diving into our long-loved UU commitment to “deeds not creeds.” Our overarching frame is also a way for us to connect to our new UU core value of Liberating Love, with each of our monthly themes framed as a practice that helps us embody liberating love in our daily lives.
– https://www.soulmatterssharingcircle.com/themes.html
The Practice of…

September:  Invitation
October:  Deep Listening
November:  Repair
December:  Presence
January:  Story
February: Inclusion
March:  Trust
April: Joy
May:  Imagination
June:  Freedom

For a sample lesson plan, click here: Sample Lesson: The Possibility of Change