Children's Religious Exploration

   First Parish of Sudbury invites all of our children to join together for meaningful worship and growth. We want our children to personally experience our Unitarian Universalist faith and all the wonderful ideals that it embodies.
   In our Religious Exploration program, we will share stories and activities that bring our UU faith to life. Most significantly, we will spend time together sharing worship and wonder, love and friendship, kindness and compassion, and enlightenment and growth. We will highlight the fundamental UU belief that we are all free to believe our own truths. We will celebrate a coming together that honors the unique individuality we all carry with us. It is with these affirmations that we will think about those challenging “life” questions that people of all religions wonder about - Is there a God? How did the world begin? What happens when we die? Is there any benefit to praying or meditating? How do I know what to believe? How can we make our world a better place?
   To do this, we have created and selected engaging and age-appropriate UU programs to guide our activities. To learn more about the specific activities we do with our children, please speak to our DRE and she would be happy to show you the different curricula we are using. You can also see a schedule of your child’s activities on our website.

Sign up to Volunteer in our Religious Exploration Program

Meet our Director of Religious Exploration

spiral chalice

“I am no longer afraid of storms,

for I am learning to sail my own ship.”

~ Louisa May Alcott

One component of our children’s religious education will be the opportunity to participate in small group explorations of our UU faith. These small groups will enable our children and youth to deepen their UU Faith in settings that are designed to be safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate. All groups meet on Sunday mornings unless otherwise noted.

“Breakfast Club”

This small group offers our 12 to 14-year-olds more autonomy as they begin carrying our UU principles into the world with deeper theological explorations, unique activities, and inspiring community service projects.
See schedule for our Breakfast Club

“UU Explorers”

This small group offers our 10 to 12-year-olds the freedom to travel around our world and explore how other traditions can meaningfully enhance our own UU faith. This year, we will be exploring our seven UU principles as they may be inspired by our three of our six UU sources.
See schedule for our UU Travelers

“Spirit Play”

This small group offers our children 4 to 10-years-old an exciting adventure as they explore their UU faith with Spirit Play, a program that highlights wondering, great stories, affirming structure, reality and nature, beauty and order, and engaging materials. It uses a Montessori approach and is inspired by Jerome W. Berryman’s Godly Play, a Christian program with an emphasis on the function of religious language in the moral and spiritual development of children. With inspiring stories, wondering questions, freedom to choose their own exploratory work, and community rituals, we are sure our Spirit Play children will have a wonder-filled, wonderful time!
See schedule for our Spirit Play Flames and Mysteries

“Friendship Finders”

This small group offers our 1 ½ to 4 -year-olds the chance to learn about our UU faith simply by having fun with their friends. They will be doing a unique program that includes a variety of age-appropriate and engaging activities. While their weekly themes are simplified highlights of our UU principles and values, the goal of this curriculum is simply to offer structure that empowers each child to feel comfortable and confident about coming to First Parish. With great picture books, simple songs, fun activities, and coloring pages to scribble on, our Friendship Finders will be having a fabulous time!
See schedule for our Friendship Finders

“Chalice Babies”

Chalice Babies (ages birth to 1 ½ years) are welcome to stay with a parent in the worship service or go with a parent to our nursery where the baby can play while the parents listen to the worship service. Each week, we have a babysitter ready and willing to hold a baby while the parent(s) attend the service.

Song for Something Little
by Lois Duncan (adapted)

Thank you, World, for little things –
Tiny birds with untried wings,
Fuzzy kittens, butterflies,
Baby colts with solemn eyes.
We’ll be gentle, sweet, and kind
To the little things we find,
Knowing once, when we were new,
We were very little too.

UU Families

A child’s experience at First Parish is just one aspect of his or her religious development. While every child will participate in enriching and meaningful programs here, it is at home where the spiritual development of each child will blossom. We encourage parents to support their children in all efforts to bring their religious education experience home with them. Whether it is adding a prayer to your dinner ritual, having honest conversations about your child’s religious questions, or sharing an act of kindness for a neighbor, there are many great ways to bring the UU faith into our homes and daily lives. The minister or DRE would be happy to explore this subject more with you.

Sign up to Volunteer in our Religious Exploration Program

Back to Public/ReligiousExploration page.