SPIRIT PLAY (ages 4-7)

For our youngest children, ages 4 to 7, we utilize the highly respected Spirit Play program. Spirit Play is a Montessori-based curriculum that presents the core principles of Unitarian Universalism (e.g., social justice, appreciation of both sameness and difference), as well as timeless stories from the Judeo-Christian tradition and many other world religions (e.g., Islam, Buddhism, Native American, classical mythology). The method behind Spirit Play is such that a story unfolds before the children, inviting them to question and wonder what comes next and what the connections are between various elements, characters or symbols they encounter. The story is followed by a time for brief discussion and then a period for creating artwork inspired by the story or its themes. This is not a curriculum designed ostensibly to impart knowledge; rather, it is an opportunity for children to be exposed to the mystery and wonderment at the heart of religion and spirituality.

This winter, we will be focusing on the seven “promises” upon which Unitarian Universalism is built. We will begin with a story about creation (7 days) and then move into God’s promise to Noah and the rest of humanity symbolized through “the bow in the sky” (7 colors). Each of the following Sundays will address a theme that is both spiritually positive and fundamentally justice-oriented.

PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS (ages 8-10)

This class is designed for 8 to 10-year-olds to think more intentionally about the stories, myths, people and symbols that pervade our world. The emphasis, therefore, is to think more archetypically about how such stories continue speaking to us through the ages.

In this unit, our children will build a working repertoire of timeless tales from the Hebrew Scriptures that they will continue to discover in their lifelong study of literature, philosophy, art, film, science and history.

NEIGHBORING FAITHS (ages 11-13)

For our 11 to 13-year-olds, we now offer a Neighboring Faiths program at First Church. This is an opportunity for children who are seeking a more dynamic and direct experience with religious traditions that are not necessarily their own. Each month, we focus on a new tradition, dividing (roughly) each of the four weeks into the following:

Examples of “neighboring” traditions include Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, the African-American religious tradition, atheism/agnosticism.