First Parish Church of Groton : Religious Education

Liz Davis-Chaffin, Director of
Religious Educaion

Our Religious Education Programs

The religious education program for children and youth encourages open inquiry into the questions that life brings, respect for every individual person as well as for the community.

To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,–

One clover, and a bee,

And revery.

The revery alone will do

If bees are few.

— Emily Dickenson

Children in the religious education program need to be registered for each church year. The registration and volunteer forms for the upcoming 2018/2019 church year are available in offline format for you to print and mail or drop off at the church office. We function as a cooperative and rely on church community members to share their time, interests, talent, and ideas.

For Children

Nursery care is available for babies through preschool. Care is available each Sunday, 9:50 – 11:30 am in the East Wing nursery. Family members are welcome to drop off or stay, noting the needs of their child.
Religious Education for pre-k children through grade 6 begins with their families in the church sanctuary; children and grownups listen to a story for all ages read by the minister. The whole congregation sings our children to their RE sessions as they transition downstairs to the Vestry to meet for Circle, then depart to their meeting spaces. Parents are invited to transition with children new to the program or as needed.
Middle Matters (grades 6 – 8) is held in the Great Room at the Parish House. MM hosts a circle meeting for our junior youth. They explore themes such as social action, neighboring faiths, and our UU principles and UU sources. Through chalice lightings, discussions, and hands-on projects they explore new ideas and actions. They focus on worship elements in art, music, and ritual in preparation for a youth-led service in the spring.

For Youth

Social Action: The church community supports outreach project CityReach Boston. This is an Ecclesia Ministries interfaith program offering service-learning opportunity for youth age 14 years and up. Youth help organize items from a church-wide clothing drive, and then attend an overnight experience in Boston; youth learn from a specialized team who share what it is like being homeless, as they share personal stories. Youth participate in clothing and food distribution to individuals experiencing homelessness. Youth leaders encourage time for reflection and sharing following CityReach experience.
On Sunday mornings, 9-12^th graders are invited to stay in sanctuary for worship service or volunteer in RE during Sunday mornings. Teen helpers can be assistants in younger children‘s groups with support of parents and RE teachers.
Specialized roles in childcare and coffee hour are supported by the RE Council. Youth involvement in leadership and worship roles are encouraged and supported by Worship Committee. Individualized youth action plans are created in collaboration with the Director of Religious Education.
Bridging program for 12^th graders — The Bridging Support Team (BST) meets with senior youth (Bridgers) to support current faith development and navigating transitions. Monthly small-group discussions are held with peers and BST. Bridgers serve the lead role in Youth-led service and receive guidance in theme selection and sermon development.
Evening Activities: pizza and movie nights are held quarterly, and special projects occur throughout the year.
The Coming of Age Program (14 years and up) provides a substantive spiritual program for youth in transition from childhood to adolescence. This program runs every other year; the next edition will be in the 2017-2018 church year. Sign up in the spring of 2017.
Our Whole Lives is a values-based human sexuality program. We offer two groupings every other year, alternating with Coming of Age.
OWL is an excellent program that integrates sexuality education and values from the perspective of our Unitarian Universalist community. Youth learn about sexuality in a positive and supportive atmosphere. The program is sponsored by a collective in our region and taught by facilitators from the Groton, Harvard, Littleton, Stow/Acton, and Sudbury UU churches who have completed an official OWL training course. There is a parent orientation. Signed permission is required for participation.

For 5^th- and 6^th-graders, an 8 week session highlights Respect, Responsibility, and Relationships during Sunday morning RE. There is a parent orientation. Signed permission is required for participation. Parent small-group ministry sessions are offered.

For 7^th- to 9^th-graders, OWL sessions meet January – April.

Overview of the Our Whole Lives Program: The OWL program is written for seventh to ninth-graders and is part of an “all ages” UU curriculum concerning human sexuality education. It is important to provide our youth with accurate, timely information about sexuality and to help them strengthen their values at this important time in their lives. Contact DRE for details.

For Adults

Occasional after-service programs are held on subjects of interest to members.

Small Group Ministry at First Parish Church of Groton, and many other Unitarian Universalist churches, is about fulfilling two human hopes — for deep connection, where we can be truly known and accepted for who we are; and for spiritual exploration, time to reflect on issues of profound significance in our lives.
Workshops and other discussion groups are held throughout the year.