Unitarian Universalist Church of Greeley
Religious Education Curriculum
Nursery, Toddler, & Preschool class (6 weeks - 5 years):
The nursery opens at 10:15 am. The teacher stays until 11:45 and delivers each child to his / her parent after class. During each Sunday service, our Nursery - Preschool provides a loving and warm environment for our youngest children. Play, stories, cuddling, small and large motor skills, and language development are all a part of this classroom where children learn respect for each other as they share interactive experience. Preschoolers may join their older peers in the sanctuary for the “Story for All Ages”.
Elementary classroom (4-12 years of age):
Because this year’s classes are small, elementary students will be in one multilevel class. This class studies all 5 pillars each year: UU History and Ideas; Social Justice; Earth Stewardship; Judeo Christian Tradition; and World Religions.
We teach our children to pursue truth with an open mind and a respect for those whose beliefs differ. We encourage each child to develop his / her opinion, to be willing to share, but unwilling to force a personal belief on another human being. It is not our job to tell the child what to believe, but to give all our children the tools with which to decide for themselves. As children mature, their beliefs will adjust and grow to encompass new life experience, just as responsible adults reevaluate and revise their opinions throughout their lives.
Teenage Program:
As student progress to this level, their method of learning changes. They begin to comprehend the worship service and to make full use of Internet and library tools. We use the same basic Pillars, but, rather than a weekly class, students will alternate attendance at the adult worship service with class time, sometimes combined with the Elementary class and sometimes separately for discussions and/or the sharing of independent study.
There are also an assortment of independent teenage activities, both internal to our congregation and external, involving other UU congregations. These may encompass various events including, but not limited to video games, movies nights, and the annual 9th grade UU trip to the Hopi reservation
Mentorship Program:
All Greeley UU teenagers, whether or not they attend the Sunday morning classes, are encouraged to participate in the UUCG mentorship program. Each student, in concert with his / her parents, is invited to choose a congregational adult to serve as a mentor. This is a new program, wide open to development and an exciting opportunity to see how it will grow.
The Elementary through High School classes include the occasional field trip. We have gone to such places as the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Northern Colorado Recycling Plant. A trip is tentatively planned to visit the Stupa at the Shambala Mountain Center in late spring of 2012.
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