All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Braintree
Open Hearts - Open Minds - Open Doors

 

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Religious Education for Young and Old

May ours be a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere;
its temple, all space; its shrine, the good heart;
its creed, all truth; its ritual, works of love;
its profession of faith, divine living.
--- Theodore Parker

Religious Education Philosophy

At All Souls Church we believe that spiritual learning is a life long process. Our earliest ideas about the world are formed in the experiences that we have as very young children. Throughout the developmental stages of childhood we have many opportunities to widen and enrich our understanding. Even as adults the learning does not stop.

A religious education program helps children in their spiritual development in several ways.

-- At All Souls Church we seek to expose our children to diverse religious and cultural expressions as well as to historical perspectives on the great questions that have been asked throughout human history.

-- We seek to provide a safe and secure environment that encourages children to ask questions and to develop confidence in their ability to find answers.

-- At All Souls we strive to include our children in the whole life of the congregation so that they can see the lessons of the classroom unfold in real life.

We encourage you to be involved in the cooperative religious education program. Many of our adults have found some of the richest and most rewarding experiences at All Souls have come when they have involved themselves in the continuing development of our children.

Unitarian Universalist Association Principles

Children's Version

We believe:

= That each and every person is important
= That all people should be treated fairly and kindly
= That we should accept one another and keep on learning together
= That each person must be free to search for what is true and right in life
= That all persons should have a vote about the things that concern them
= In working for a peaceful, fair and free world
= In caring for our planet Earth, the home we share with all living things.

Young Explorer's Program

Religious Education for Children and Youth
Sunday - 10:30 - 11:45

"The essential qualities of a good church schoolteacher are a love of children, a sense of wonder about life, empathy and the ability to listen, and a willingness more to share who you are than what you know. Above all, teachers are mentors and companions of the children as they undertake their religious journeys in life."
Dr. Barry Andrews, Minister of Religious Education from Long Island, New York

The Young Explorers Program is our Sunday Morning Program for Children and Youth. Our goal is to seek, share and explore Unitarian Universalism, the religious beliefs of others and positive ways of living in community with the world around us, near and far. Much of our effort on behalf of children is to help them gain understanding of the world beyond themselves while being an important member of this caring community.

Through a variety of experiences, activities and fun time together we provide opportunity to nurture new friendships, support for our individual journeys and be part of this caring community.

This program is a cooperative one, created and provided by volunteers of all ages in the congregation. We welcome anyone who is interested in sharing their time in small or large amounts.

Sunday Morning At All Souls

Nursery/Childcare for age 0-5
Sunday morning from 10:15 to 12:00, the Nursery/Childcare room is supervised by a paid experienced care giver who will be assisted by volunteers from the congregation. This room is located below the sanctuary and will provide a fun space for youngsters to play together with easy access for parents. While we understand that very young children may be more comfortable staying close to their parents, we welcome all little ones to arrive prior to the service to allow for time to feel comfortable with the nursery and care takers.

Worship in the Sanctuary
Children begin in the sanctuary with the whole community to welcome the morning with music, opening words, chalice lighting, welcome and song as well as the "Time for All Ages" after which they typically depart the sanctuary for group activity. Occasionally throughout the year the service is an Intergenerational Worship, with elements to engage all ages.

Morning Activities for Children and Youth
Our multi-age program for older children (grades 1 and older) will allow flexibility in age-appropriate activities and opportunities. Often our learning activities allow for all ages to work together, finding and using their strengths and sharing and gaining ideas from each other.

Older children and youth often have the opportunity to lend a helping hand to youngsters, who are overjoyed to have an older child become a friend.

As activities and the size of the group require, there are times that we create two or more groups for appropriate levels of ability and discussion.

Youth Group - age 13 to 18 is in development stages.

"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you."
Robert Fulghum (1937- )

Adult Programs

Throughout the year there are a number of programs and events which offer adults the opportunity to interact and grow through provocative, interesting discussions, workshops and curriculum. These deal both with personal spiritual growth and with living as a liberal religious person in a complex world.

While many programs require no advance sign up, some do, so please check each offering. Also, many of the adult offerings are also open to interested teens or older children. Please check with the program leader if interested.

Our monthly newsletter, The Chimes, lists upcoming programs, as do the bulletin boards in the Parish Hall.

If you are interested in leading or co-leading a program, please speak to Rev. Wilson.

Line Up for the 2010-2011 Season

Staffed Nursery Care for newborns to age 5 beginning at 10:15 on Sunday morning.

For School-Aged Youth-
September 12
Intergenerational Water Communion Service - school-age kids stay for the whole service. Bring water from your summer and why it's special to you.
Homecoming celebration on front lawn, weather permitting. Potluck finger food and fun -- bring food to share and a lawn game to play!

September 19
Matt Moyer, a special guest drummer, will provide us with a spiritual rhythm and youth are invited to stay for the whole service.

September 26
Kick-off a year of exploration- Catch up with old friends, meet new friends, get to know the church building and the people that keep the church running.

Visit the All Souls blog!