About UUCR’s Lifespan Religious Education

Grounded in religious freedom and belief in the worth and dignity of each person, infant to 100+, Unitarian Universalist Lifespan Religious Education nurtures the awakening of our minds, hearts, and souls and deepens our compassion. In a caring community of teachers and learners, we explore Unitarian Universalist identity, spiritual growth, transformative faith, justice, and love.

Beginning with loving care for our youngest members in the nursery, we encourage the growing self-identity, questioning, and expanding connections of primary age children.

In the upper elementary ages, we draw from a variety of sources to explore answers to the big questions about life and death, spirit and God, ethical decisions, and respecting the experiences of others.

Coming of age is a process of learning, growing, and relating throughout our youth program, beginning with the sixth grade Questing year. During the sixth grade year of great change—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—young people explore the themes of self, religious community, mystery, faith, and world culminating in a social justice project and coming of age ceremony.

Junior highers (7th & 8th graders) alternate exploring their Unitarian Universalist heritage and growing faith ending with a Heritage trip to Boston with learning about and visiting other religions. Every other year we offer the excellent sexuality education class, Our Whole Lives, to 7th-9th graders.

Throughout their four years in the senior high class and Youth Group, 9th-12th graders deepen their understanding and articulation of their faith, lead a worship service each year for the congregation, explore complicated issues from a Unitarian Universalist perspective, participate in a variety of social justice projects, and increasingly participate in the life of the congregation. Every other year we offer the Our Whole Lives class written for 10th-12th graders.

A beautiful aspect of Unitarian Universalist Religious Education is the commitment to lifespan learning, growing, transforming. Adults, through a variety of religious education, arts, and social justice classes, have opportunities to support each other’s spiritual growth and share their stories. We draw on many sources and perspectives to build vital, relational communities of meaning and transformation.

——Deborah Kahn, Director of Religious Education (DRE)