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Unitarian Universalist Association

United First Parish Church
Quincy, Massachusetts
UUA Chalice

Religious Education

Welcome! We are pleased that you are interested in learning more about our Religious Education Program at United First Parish Church.We have designed our family programs and church school to achieve the following important goals:
  • to teach the seven UU principles[1] and the covenant of UFPC[2]
  • to show examples of how to embrace UU principles as a way of life;
  • to create an environment that encourages spiritual growth;
  • to promote a sense of community and social responsibility;
  • to provide a loving environment which nurtures self esteem;
  • to instill the courage to stand up for one's own morality, spirituality and social convictions;
  • and to develop a genuine appreciation for diversity.

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FAMILY LIFE AT UFPC

 

The Role of Children in our Worship Service

Children and families gather in the Sanctuary at the beginning of each worship service. After announcements and children's story time, children enrolled in Church School leave the Sanctuary to attend classes. On a few occasions throughout the year, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and our Church School celebration, there is no Church School and the service is adapted to accommodate our young worshippers.

Each service begins with a reading and the lighting of the chalice, a task performed on a voluntary basis by one of our children. The sign-up sheet is located in the Church Hall. Children who are too young to read and light the chalice alone are welcome to perform the ritual with an adult.

After service, all church members meet for social hour in the Parish Hall. This is a time for members, friends and newcomers to gather and enjoy each other's company. Children are encouraged to play cooperatively at the children's table outside the RE office.

 

Family Service Projects

Since our UU faith is based in large part upon helping others, we have many projects throughout the year designed to encourage the entire family to engage in acts of charity:

  • Guest at Your Table Project: This fundraising project supports the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, an organization that works worldwide for the economic, social, civil and political rights of all people. It begins in the Sunday before Thanksgiving and ends on the first Sunday in January.
  • Local Food Pantry Collection: Nonperishable food is collected year-round for distribution at local food pantries. Baskets are located in the Parish Hall and Sanctuary.
  • Mitten Tree Project: Each holiday season, the congregation decorates a Christmas tree with new hats, gloves, mittens and scarves that are then donated to those in need.
  • Fast Food Toys Project: Unopened toys from children's fast-food meals are collected and given to Sight & Bite, a team of doctors and dentists who perform free health examinations on kids in the poorest regions of El Salvador and who appreciate being able to give their patients a toy after their exam.
  • AIDS Walk: The RE program invites the entire congregation to join us on the first Sunday in June at the AIDS Walk in Boston and to help "Team UFPC" raise money for AIDS prevention and treatment.

     

    Lending Library

    Our lending library is located in the main floor of the Parish Hall. The library contains many quality books for children and also good books on parenting.Our library also includes a cassette tape and a videocassette collection.

     

    CHURCH SCHOOL

    The Church School relies upon and is inspired by volunteers from our church community. It provides a unique opportunity for our children and adults to make lasting connections and to share their enthusiasm and commitment to our UU faith. Any kind of participation from church members is welcome, whether it be teaching a class, assisting in the classroom or baking goodies for snack time. In consideration of children with nut allergies, all our classrooms are nut-free.

     

    Nursery
    Tender loving care will be provided for the children under the age of three in our Nursery. We provide a nurturing environment that includes free play, drawing and stories and instills young children with a sense of trust, safety and fun as they take their first steps at UFPC. Parents can drop their toddlers and infants off in the Nursery as early as 10:20 a.m. and can pick them up at the end of the worship service.

    Preschool and Kindergarten
    Our preschool and kindergarten class use the "Chalice Children" curriculum, which teaches our UU principles and encourages the children's creativity and sense of community.Lessons are taught with stories, arts and crafts and games. Parents should pick up their up at the end of the worship service.

    Elementary School
    Four components make up the Elementary School curriculum.The first component is formal lessons based on the "Superheroes" lesson plan, which focuses on Bible stories and how biblical characters of moral strength are a type of superhero that can be an inspiration for our own conduct and choices. The second component is an ongoing discussion about social justice and how our faith requires us to reach out to assist in worthy causes. We will talk about different issues happening in our world today and how we can go about addressing these issues in accordance with our beliefs and in a positive, meaningful way. The third component is "Chapel Sunday", which is always held on occasions where a month has a fifth Sunday. On these special Sundays, the children conduct their worship and sacred experience. Finally, during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, the formal Elementary School curriculum is suspended while we celebrate our own UFPC customs, including the annual Christmas Tree decoration and the Christmas Tableau. The holiday season is great fun for kids and adults alike and rich with our own traditions and rituals that reflect the joy and sacredness of the season.

    Middle School
    Our Middle School students focus on applying UU principles to their lives and to how they interpret the world at large. We encourage critical thinking and thoughtful discussion of spiritual and moral issues. One fun way we encourage these discussions is a regular game of "Worst-Case Scenario", which calls upon our students to figure out the needed life skills to respond to a variety of events. The students will also take a number of field trips this year, including visits to the Peace Abbey and the Forest Hills Cemetery. They will spend time at Father Bill's Place to assist with the homeless and work together to solve a "Quest". They will also learn about our local UU historical roots by walking the "UU Trail".

    Youth Group
    We always encourage our high school youth to attend or participate in services or to help with our community-service projects. We also invite them to act as peer leaders with the younger children and take part in our classrooms.

    A separate"coming of age" program is conducted for the Youth Group to deepen their understanding of Unitarian Universalism and to help express their own religious values.They will explore our UU Heritage, their own spiritual understandings, the meaning of social responsibility and will write a credo statement expressing their beliefs. At the end of the year, we conduct a special ceremony to acknowledge the strides they have made in developing their spiritual maturity.

    This year, our older students have the option of attending a series of O.W.L. classes (Our Whole Lives) at the UU church in Milton. These classes teach sexuality and gender issues in accordance with UU beliefs. O.W.L. is a program that exposes kids to sensitive issues that they will encounter as they get older and gives them useful information in a safe environment.

    • 1Our 7 Unitarian Principles:  1.The inherent worth and dignity of every person;  2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;  3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement of spiritual growth in our congregations;  4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; 5.   The right of conscience an the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;  7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

    2The covenant of our church was written by the congregation in 1991 and sets forth the credo of our community:  As a free fellowship of this historic church, we unite our to lift our hearts and open our minds to a larger reality; to accept, support and encourage one another, to seek the wisdom of all religions and to cherish and sustain the web of life.

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