The nursery is open from 10:45 to quarter past noon. During each Sunday Service, our nursery childcare person provides a loving and warm environment for our youngest children. Play, cuddling, and stories are part all part of the nursery care.

Parents of nursing infants and very young children frequently like to have their children with them in the sanctuary. We welcome this and assure parents that the occasional noises made by young children are rarely a distraction. Sometimes, however, children get restless and would benefit from having a room to crawl around in or practice their verbal skills. At these times, the children and the congregation would benefit from having the children in the nursery.

Children three and four years old (or five year olds who are not yet in Kindergarten) will enjoy their time of stories, music, crafts, and play.

This group will learn about themselves, friends, nature and our church. These children will attend the first 15 minutes of church for a Story for All Ages on the first and fourth Sundays of the month. This year Pre-school will be combined with the Nursery. We will separate them into two groups when the numbers and ages of our children make this split appropriate.

This group will learn about the Unitarian Universalist Pillars through age appropriate stories and activities. These children will attend the first 15 minutes of church for a Story for All Ages on the first and fourth Sundays of the month.

This group will learn about Unitarian Universalist Pillars through age appropriate stories and activities. These children will attend the first 15 minutes of church for a Story for All Ages on the first and fourth Sundays of the month.

The youth will start the year as a Philosophers’ Club, having the opportunity to grapple with the questions philosophers have discussed since the ancient Greeks. The questions will be both entertaining and informative, such as: Can something logical not make sense? Can I jump into the same river twice? What is the mind? Does God exist? Anyone who has ever wondered about questions like these is well on the way to becoming a philosopher!

Themes for the rest of the year include a Credo Group in which the youth would create their own personal belief statement, Social Justice in which the group would choose topics for study, discussion, and action.

In addition to learning about their feelings and acquiring practical skills for peaceful living, and discussing their spiritual path and beliefs, these young people will have the opportunity to attend a district conference, attend social evenings and overnights. This group also had an ongoing social justice project. This year our youth group and senior high program will be combined.

In the high school program, Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) we try to foster spiritual depth; by creating a peaceful, loving, and accepting community; by clarifying individual and universal religious values; by working for justice; and by being silly. YRUU programs and activities are based on the six basic components of Worship, Learning, Social Action, Leadership, Community Building, and Youth-Adult Relations. Here’s what some youth have said about these components:

Worship: Worship is the heart, compassion, and love we share together. An important part of many YRUU events, youth worship tends to be interactive and nontraditional, with sharing as a focus.

Learning: Discussion and experience are central to YRUU as they foster intellectual growth and mental energy, helping youth and adults alike to expand their horizons and learn.

Social Action: Youth in this denomination have passionate opinions and have been at the forefront of social action activities. YRUU-ers express and explore their values and put action behind their concerns.

Leadership: YRUU contributes greatly to the denomination by encouraging youth leadership. YRUU leadership is about reaching consensus, fostering cooperation, and making sure everyone is heard.

Youth-Adult Relations: YRUU communities where youth and adults work together have huge potential. Intergenerational environments encourage all of the other components of youth programming.

District Events:
YRUUers can also attend weekend conferences which are sponsored by the Mountain Desert District. These conferences provide an opportunity for youth from seven states to learn, play, and worship together in a safe and caring community.

Ninth Grade Trip/Hopi-Navajo Heritage Trip:
Ninth graders have the opportunity to participate in a 10-day trip to visit and explore Navajo and Hopi lands. This trip has been organized and run by Denver area UU churches for more than 30 years and is a very popular program. The trip will include visits to ruins, schools, and cultural centers. Past participants have said the trip was a very powerful experience in their lives. There is a required orientation in the fall. See the newsletter or contact the DRE, Marianne Schroeder.