Lifespan Religious Education for Children and Youth

Regular Sunday Morning Religious Education Classes for preschool children through senior high are offered from September through May. Classes begin at 10:55 and end at 12:15. Elementary school-age children attend a brief "Upstairs Chapel"worship service each week from 10:55 – 11:15.

First Hour Children's Programs
offered September through May from 9:45 – 10:45

Toddlers and Preschoolers
Supervised Open Play is scheduled each week in the Preschool Playroom.

Kindergartners – 5th Graders
Join us in the Open Classroom for a variety of craft activities, stories, and social action projects. At times throughout the year, special multi-age programs will be offered during this time such as Choir for All ages, folk dancing, or presentations by special guests. Be sure to check Steepletalk, the First U website and the church's listserv for announcements of special events.

Social Action Projects
Social action is a cornerstone of our Unitarian Universalist faith. Each year, children work on a special project such as "Read to Feed" for Heifer Project International, "Pennies for Poems" to benefit our Partner Church, and many others. In addition, children participate in several projects which are repeated annually. Some of these are listed below. We welcome your suggestions for additions to this list.

• Trick or Treating for UNICEF
• Guest at Your Table project for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
• Stocking stuffer project for patients of Central State Hospital
• Easter baskets for the children of Tingley House.
• Each year the children designate a recipient of their children's offering fund.

Youth Groups (6th - 12th Grades)

Middle School Heartland UU District Youth Conference Announced! "Monty PyCON" will be held in Fort Wayne, IN April 20-22. Active participants of the First Unitarian Church Middle School Youth Group who have met attendance guidelines are eligible to attend this fun-filled gathering of UU youth. For more information, contact DRE Lisa Willner.

Youth Groups at First Unitarian Church focus on six primary components: Fellowship, Social Action, Worship, Youth-Adult Relations, Leadership Development, and Learning. These groups are concerned with fun and community-building as well as service to the church and the larger community. Our adult facilitators help youth acquire the skills needed to take leadership roles within the youth groups, the congregation, and the denomination.

Schedule: Following each Sunday's R.E. class, all youth are invited to stay for Youth Lunch in the Open Classroom, from 12:30 - 1:00. Lunches are provided by parents/guardians and other volunteers on a rotating schedule. Parents of participants are expected to provide occasional lunches.

The Middle School YoUUth Group for 6th - 8th graders meets (almost) every Sunday after the youth lunch, 1:00 - 2:30. YoUUth Advisors: Suzanne Meeks, Rick Rinehart, and John Scruton

Senior High R.E. Class and Youth Group are combined and will meet weekly from 10:55 - 12:15. (Except on weeks when multigenerational services are scheduled.) Approximately once each month, members will meet for extended sessions for special projects or activities. Senior High Advisors: Jay Dolen, Jon Free, Seana Golder, and Jo Ann Shumate

Youth in Grades 6 - 12 and their parents are required to read and sign the First Unitarian Youth Code of Behavior in order to participate in youth programming.

Coming of Age (7th Grade and Up)
The Coming of Age program is a rite of passage, a way of formally recognizing and celebrating our young people's passage out of childhood. It is designed for youth who are interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism and their own religious beliefs, and in becoming members of the church. Each participant in the Coming of Age program is matched with an adult mentor, who serves as a guide throughout a year of independent study and participation in quarterly meetings. The program culminates in an end of the year Coming of Age ceremony and the opportunity to sign the Membership book.

Coming of Age 2007-2008 Orientation Session March 21st, 7:00 - 8:30
This session is for current 6th and 7th graders, older youth who have not yet completed the Coming of Age program, their parents, and all interested others. Adult members of the church who may be interested in serving as future Coming of Age mentors are particularly encouraged to attend. Come learn more about the program from our DRE, Coming of Age graduates and parents, and past mentors. If you are a youth who is interested in participating in Coming of Age 07-08 and you cannot attend this important session, please contact our Director of Religious Education.

Artist in Residence
Multigenerational Programs are offered on selected Sundays, 9:45 – 10:45. Designed for participants of all ages, this program has a fourfold goal: to encourage each participant's search for truth and meaning through a variety of arts-related activities; to increase intergenerational interactions; to help integrate our upstairs R.E. programs with our downstairs Celebrations of Life; and to give families an opportunity to participate together. Participants will spend an hour on 3 or 4 consecutive weeks learning and practicing a particular artistic endeavor under the leadership of an expert leader, culminating in a performance or exhibit. Past Artist-in-Residence programs have included morris dance, dulcimer orchestra, storytelling, choir for all ages, butterfly gardening, and contra dancing. Watch Steepletalk and the First U listserv for announcements of these special programs.

By popular demand: Choir for All Ages, Spring Edition! In preparation for Easter Sunday, Music Director William Plummer and Lisa Willner will co-lead a multigenerational choir. Rehearsals are Sunday mornings, 9:45 - 10:45 in the Choir Room, on March 11, 18, 25, and April 1st. Singers of all ages, experience and ability levels are welcome! Please join us for a true intergenerational experience as we prepare special music for the Easter Celebration of Life, April 8th.

Other 2007 Artist-in-Residence Programs TBA2750