Our Mission

The Old Ship religious education program creates a meaningful community that values individuals and awakens their sense of wonder, reverence and self-awareness through fellowship, worship, education &; service.

In fulfillment of this mission the Religion Education Program:

• Welcomes and accepts all children and youth, and values the gifts they bring and the people they are.
• Builds community by celebrating life's journey, milestones and intergenerational connections.
• Nurtures spiritual growth and development by fostering the free and responsible search for (life) meaning and individual truth.
• Awakens through ritual, word, song, art and movement the mystery of living, the reverence for and awe of life.
• Fosters our children's Unitarian Universalist identity by teaching them about our principles and sources, heritage, and traditions.
• Promotes ecological sustainability and worldwide justice through education, service and social action.

Sunday Morning Format

All children begin Sunday morning services with their families in the Meetinghouse. After a story for all ages, they are dismissed to their classes in the Parish Hall. Grades 3 and up conclude their time together with a brief closing worship in the parlor. To promote a sense of stewardship and giving, our worship liturgy includes a separate children's collection that the children decide how to use at the end of the year.

Volunteering

Ours is a cooperative program. It needs the support of all parents to keep it rich and vital. Most parents prefer to teach or assist during one of the terms during the year. This is an important task and one for which we continually need assistance, but it is not the only way you can provide needed support. Please talk to our Director of Religious Education or any Religious Education Committee member for ideas on how you can support and contribute to our program.

Fellowship Hour

Children in grades 3 and up will be dismissed from closing worship at approximately 11:45 and will be escorted by their teachers to Fellowship Hall where they will join you for our social time. Younger children must be claimed by their responsible adults in their classrooms at the beginning of Fellowship Hour. Adults are responsible for their children's behavior and safety throughout this time. Please remind your children NEVER to play in the parking lot or on the driveway.