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Religious Education: Growing Your Spirit
Religious education for children and youth is a time for wonder and community. We value all people,
so we listen to each other and offer support. We value many religious expressions, so we learn the stories and celebrations of Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims
and others. We value the earth, so we work in our garden. We value justice, so we get involved in sharing food with those in need. With mentors we learn yoga, plant
trees, build birdhouses and talk about our beliefs and our hopes.
Children ages 4 and above (and younger, if desired) generally begin their morning with their parents in the Sunday Worship Service. After storytime the children go to
their specific rooms, where the program is tailored to each age group.
Children do projects, talk and tell stories together. Infants and toddlers are cared for in the
nursery by nurturing paid staff. Dress is casual and visitors are always welcome.
Teens (Grades 7-12) traditionally meet for Religious Education after the service at noon for about
an hour each week, and have other events scheduled throughout the year. We are in the process of forming a Teens class. If you are interested, please contact our
Director of Religious Education for Youth, Kimberly Thornton Scholl, at dregreenvillenc@gmail.com or (252) 355-6658.
We're always looking for interested parents and other members who are interested in sharing their
interests and talents with our children's program as a special event or on a continuing basis as a teacher. If you are interested, please join us at our next RE
committee meeting. Meetings held monthly on Sundays at noon, check the calendar to find dates.
Youth Religious Education Chair - Jennifer Thielen
(rechair@uugreenvillenc.org)
Director of Youth Religious Education - Kimberly Thornton Scholl
(dre@uugreenvillenc.org)
Current Curricula
Nursery (Birth through 4)
Nursery care, generally for children ages birth through 4, is available at 10:15 a.m. Curriculum for children in the nursery is neither formal nor religious. Instead,
children have an opportunity to develop their social and relational skills in a warm and supportive environment.
Elementary and Kindergarten: Love Will Guide Us
As Unitarian Universalists, we intentionally draw from diverse sources as we seek to discover truth and make meaning from our lives. In this program, children focus
on how to use the Unitarian Universalist Sources as a resource, with an emphasis on love.
Together, we will ask questions such as: “Where did God come from?” “What is our relationship to the earth and other creatures?” “How can we respond with love, even
in bad situations?” “What happens when you die?”
All sessions highlight love as a central aspect of Unitarian Universalism. Using the night sky and the North Star as metaphors, participants are “guided to love.”
Sessions include guided discussion, reflection, hands-on activities, and self-expression to engage participants with various learning styles. As always, we respect
that, ultimately, each child’s conception of how the universe works is uniquely his or her own.
Tweens: Jesus and His Kingdom of Equals
Our older elementary students on the cusp of adulthood, often actively defining their own ideals, will be able to learn about Jesus, the independent thinker and the
social reformer:
“He taught an alternative way of being and an alternative consciousness shaped by the relationship to Spirit and not primarily by the dominant culture.”
"Not only did he see through the exclusivity, domination and arrogance rampant in his society, but he had the sheer courage to stare them down."
Our UUCG parents will have an opportunity to study Jesus from a UU perspective during the Worship Service this year, and we’re hoping that their children’s study,
combined with their own, may inspire some thoughtful discussions.
Particularly in our culture, where the name "Jesus" is sometimes used to help justify exclusivity or prejudice, it is important to achieve real religious literacy.
Jesus and His Kingdom of Equals emphasizes "what we discern as Jesus' most consistent, underlying message: the 'good news' that all people are created equal and have
an obligation to help bring and sustain equal treatment for all.”
Quotes are from Jesus and his Kingdom of Equals, by Cheryl Gibbs Binkley and Jane Mitchell McKeel, copyright 2001 by Polebridge Press.
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Adult Religious Education happens most Weds evenings (Sept–Nov, Jan-Apr). Usually led by our minister, topics have
included: Unitarian Universalist History, Becoming a Welcoming Congregation, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, What Does the Bible Really Say and many others. Childcare
is available upon request. See The Beacon (newsletter) for upcoming opportunities.
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