RE Activities

The Church School Year
Sunday morning Religious Education classes (ages 3–18) occur during the 11 a.m. service, except on Worship for All Ages Sundays, when the whole community joins together in the main service. Child care is offered for elementary age children during the 9:15 service, and the Nursery is open for infants to age 3 during both the 9:15 and 11:00 services.
The Religious Education program is a year-round program, divided into trimesters: September through January, February through June, and July through August. We offer grade-level classes: nursery, Preschool, K–2nd, 3rd–5th, Mid-High and High School. The children and youth attend the main service for the first 15 minutes each Sunday during the Time for All Ages before going to their classes.
There is no fee for participation in our program; however registration is required of all children. Please visit the Religious Education table on the patio for more information about our program and to pick up a registration form.

Preschool
Celebrating Me and My World—This curriculum celebrates every preschooler's wonder and amazement with themselves and the world around them. Divided into three units, the children explore themselves as special and unique beings; the physical world around them; and other people in their lives.

2007–2008 Curriculum Theme: The Six Sources of Our Living Tradition
Kindergarten–Eighth Grades:  Using various curriculum resources the children and youth will be exploring the Six Sources of Unitarian Universalism. 
Five-week units on each Source will involve the children and youth in hands-on activities and discussions leading to an understanding of the historical relevance of these Sources as well as their continued relevance today. 
During December we will take a break from the Sources and focus on some Winter Holidays.

The Sources of Our Faith

• Awesome experiences of mystery, beauty and belonging that all people feel.
• Words and actions of wise and brave people that make us want to change things that are unjust or cruel, and to offer kindness and love instead.
• Ideas from lots of different religions that help us figure out what is good and true and fair.
• Jewish and Christian teachings that encourage us to treat others the way we would like to be treated.
• Ideas of people who believe in the goodness and power of human beings, who remind us to use science, common sense, and our own brains to think things out.
• Teachings of people who celebrate nature and remind us to live in harmony with the natural seasons of life. —Betsy Hill Williams

Nursery (Rm. 1, Boag Bldg.)
Our youngest members (infant to 2-1/2 years) are lovingly cared for by our paid nursery providers. The nursery opens at 9 a.m. and remains open till 12:15 p.m. every Sunday. The Nursery facility is safe, clean, and equipped with toys, crib, changing table, and rocking chair. All parents are required to sign children in and out, and we ask that you provide bottles and extra diapers your child may need, in a bag, clearly marked with your child's name.
Parents are welcome to remain in the nursery in order to help the child become comfortable with the surroundings. We will notify a parent if the nursery provider cannot console an unhappy child.

RE Activities
Rites of Passage:
Rites of passage include Child Dedication, Coming of Age program, and Bridging Youth into Young Adults.

Intergenerational Activity Nights:
IG Activity Nights are fun, informational events where we join together for a simple supper followed by an evening of games. Once per quarter, the IG Activity Night is paired with an informational parent meeting.

Our Whole Lives (OWL):
Our Whole Lives is a series of sexuality education curricula for five age groups: grades K–1, grades 4–6, grades 7–9, grades 10–12, and adults. A curriculum for young adults is currently being field tested.
Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
Orange Coast UU Church offers OWL courses each year.

YRUU:
Young Religious Unitarian Universalists, or YRUU, is an organization of Unitarian Universalist youth aged 14–20.
Links to YRUU websites:
YRUU Activities in the Pacific Southwest District

YRUU News and information about YRUU activities around the nation

Camp opportunities for children and youth:
The Pacific Southwest District of the UUA owns beautiful Camp de Benneville Pines, a 6800-foot elevation site amidst towering pines, cedars, and oaks in the San Bernardino National Forest. Week-long summer camps and weekend camps throughout the year provide campers of all ages with rest, relaxation, recreation and lifelong memories.

All Church Weekend
Each year OCUUC has its All-Church weekend—a multigenerational, multi-congregational retreat, often sharing camp facilities and activities with other UU congregations. Please visit Camp de Benneville Pines' web page for more info about the de Benneville Pines.

Frequently Asked Questions:
What is expected of me as a parent of a child in the Religious Education Program?
Ours is a cooperative program. Its success depends on the talents and energy of many in our congregation. Parents are expected to support their child's spiritual growth by taking part in their religious education.

Each parent is expected to volunteer as a teacher or assistant in an RE classroom once you have been a part of this congregation for six months. If you feel that you cannot commit to teaching, we request that you volunteer to assist in some other way—a Volunteer Opportunity Form is available at the RE Table on the patio.

One of the most important ways that parents support their child’s religious exploration is by attending church as regularly as possible, by showing an interest by asking what happens in class or worship, and sharing their own beliefs with their child at home.

May my child stay with me in the service?
Yes, children are always welcome in the service. Below are some suggestions to for sharing the worship experience with your child/ren.

• Get settled with your child(ren) as early as possible.
• Consider sitting near the front—children who can see what is happening feel more involved.
• Review the order of service and help children understand what will be happening.
• Share the hymnal and order of service at your child's eye level. Line words with your finger for younger readers or whisper each line before it is sung. Feel free to whisper instructions to help children learn “worship etiquette.”
• During the service when children are invited to come forward please feel free to join with any young or unsure child.
• If your family has experienced a significant joy or concern, support your child(ren) if they wish to share during that portion of our service.
• Infants and toddlers are equally welcome in our service. We understand if you need to leave the service for awhile and then return.

May I attend an RE class?
Adults are always welcome in our RE Classrooms. If you would like to attend an RE class, just check in with the teacher and let them know you are visiting or observing for the day. We ask that you be respectful of the class and its activities. Visiting children are welcome to join an RE class or stay with a parent in the service. If attending class, please accompany your child to the classroom and introduce yourself and child to the teacher. After two visits we ask that you fill out an RE Registration Form. We love to see new faces in our classrooms - it means new friends to make!

What do you tell children about God?
We try to introduce ideas at a developmentally appropriate age. A lot of children do believe in God at an early age, and that's okay. If they don't, that's okay, too.

What do you say to children about Jesus?
We teach that Jesus was a Jewish teacher and prophet whose life offers many lessons to those who study it.

Worship for All Ages 2007–2008
Periodically throughout the year we join together in services that are designed to be meaningful and interesting to the whole community from our youngest to eldest members. Currently scheduled Worship for All Ages Services will be held on:
September 9—Ingathering
December 24—Christmas Eve
January 20—World Religion Day
April 20—Earth Day
May—Music Sunday

(Nursery care is offered on Worship for All Ages Sundays)