Children and Youth Religious Education (CYRE)
Children and Youth Religious Education is under the guidance of Director of Religious Education for Children and Youth, Andrea Purdy Heier.
UUCM CYRE Vision Statement:
The UUCM children and youth religious education team envisions a program that:
- Is a thriving, stimulating program integrated into church life
- Provides a loving community for children and youth in which they can feel a sense of connection and belonging
- Helps children and youth become aware of the needs of the larger community and respond through social action
- Supports families in developing meaningful family traditions and in cultivating a grounded spirituality
- Explores our rich Unitarian Universalist heritage/history and provides our children and youth with firm foundations in our UU Principles and Sources
Nursery and Toddlers
Our youngest are learners too! While these children receive safe comfort and care during the 11am worship service, they will also begin learning some early group skills and simple Unitarian Universalist rituals as they grow.
Children and Youth Classes
Children and youth are warmly welcomed to UUCM! School age children and youth regularly join the congregation for the beginning of the worship service before going to classes. Approximately once a month there is also an intentional multigenerational worship service for all ages at both 9 and 11 am, as designated on the church calendar. There are no classes those days. Children and youth are also welcome to attend summer services when classes are not in session.
In addition to Sunday morning classes, there are periodic fellowship and social justice activities for children, youth and families. Youth fellowship activities are primarily planned and implemented by individual youth and their families. Watch the church calendar, as well as for announcements and flyers on the lower level. Contact Andrea if you have an activity you would like to see happen!
During the regular CYRE program year, visiting children and youth are asked to sign-in with the CYRE Greeter on the lower level before the beginning of the worship service. After a few visits, families who wish to continue their children's involvement will be asked to register for the program, which entails volunteering and pledging as able.
Please see the annual CYRE Prospectus below for more details about our program. There are some other important documents below as well.
Important documents for Religious Education at UUCM:
- CYRE Prospectus 2011-12
- CYRE Visitor Form
- CYRE Volunteer Form 2011-12
- CYRE Registration Form 2011-12
- Youth Action Con 2011 Registration Forms
For more information on Unitarian Universalism for Children, check out KidTalk from the Church of the Larger Fellowship.