Choosing Your Child's Religious Education Program

Choosing your child’s religious education program is an important decision, just as important as choosing your own religious home. Yet making that decision can be confusing. What should you look for? Where will your child be happy, safe, and learning how to be a loving, spiritually literate person?                                                          

At First Unitarian, we take children’s development seriously. First Unitarian offers age-appropriate classes that run during our worship services. We have a three-year thematic rotation of curricula, covering Unitarian Universalist identity, world religions and our Jewish and Christian heritage. This year we are  learning about Unitarian Universalist identity.

Babies and toddlers are cared for during services by Carolyn Sander, an experienced and trusted child care provider, along with a volunteer assistant . Parents are welcome to leave their small children or stay with them until they are comfortable being on their own. The nursery is wired so that adults can hear the service while they are with their little ones.

Our youngest class is the Preschool class.  Here, young ones are introduced to the Unitarian Universalist chalice, discover the concepts of birth and death, explore the great forces of nature and the difference between animate and inanimate things and consider how to make choices and overcome difficulties. 

The Kindergarteners through Third grade class focuses on the child’s own experience with life and death, the environment, human relationships and personal identity.  As the year unfolds, the children will gain an appreciation for UU people, buildings, rituals and celebrations.

The Fourth through Sixth grade class reinforces UU values and beliefs through art projects, games, songs, dramatizations and discussions.

Seventh through Ninth graders are invited to participate in the Coming of Age program.  In this program, youth will be paired with an adult mentor from our congregation, play games, write faith statements and design a service project and worship service.

One of the best aspects of our program is the love and energy for our young people that the teaching teams bring with them every week. As part of our commitment to the safety of every member of our community, each class and the nursery are staffed by two adults at all times. 

In addition to our regular classes, we have many special multigenerational events throughout the year that serve to enhance the experience of each child. Important yearly events include a Halloween party for all ages, Thanksgiving Seder, holiday pageant, intergenerational Kwanzaa service, Easter egg hunt, and many others.

All of us at First Unitarian hope that you will find this to be a warm and inviting place for your whole family!

For more information, contact Erica Ward, our Director of Religious Education. She can be reached online at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or at the church office, (773) 324-4100 x15.