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CHILD & YOUTH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
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Home > Religious Education > Child And Youth Children & Youth Religious Education FAQs
What is RE? Welcome – we are glad you are here! What IS RE!? Unitarians love their acronyms!! We Unitarian Universalists call
ourselves UUs and our religious education program is called RE! We even use acronyms
to name our staff — our Director of Religious Education is our DRE! And at this church we LOVE being known as SMUUCH!
What Time and Where Are the classes? To help children understand that they are valued members of our church community, children are encouraged to attend the first few minutes of our 10:00 or 11:30 worship service with their parents. Infants in the Nursery and Flower Garden children (ages 18 months to three years old) may be taken to their rooms before the service. About ten minutes into the service our minister or worship leader will ask the children to gather at the front of the hall for our Family Focus. The Family Focus is the time within the worship service that is specifically designed for children and youth. Sometimes a story, sometimes an activity and sometimes a child dedication or recognition, it is the part of the service that speaks directly to the youngest members of our church community. Children are excused from the worship service following the Family Focus to take part in our religious education classes. Our Director of Religious Education or our Religious Education Assistant will walk children to their classrooms. Parents are also welcome to walk with their child to the classroom and then return to the service. Back to top Who Are The RE Staff? Our Director of Religious Education, Sara Sautter, oversees our religious education program. Sara has been at SMUUCH for seven years and came to us after two years as the Director of Religious Education at First Unitarian Universalist of Church of San Antonio Texas. Sara has a bachelors degree from Boston University and is currently enrolled in a Masters program at Emporia State University. In addition, Sara has fifteen years of professional experience in community organizing for social change as a not for profit program director. Lori Lampo is our Religious Education Program Assistant and celebrates her first anniversary with SMUUCH this year. Lori is a certified Child Care Provider and is also enrolled at Emporia State University where she is working on a degree in elementary education. Our nursery and Flower Garden classes are taught by professional staff assisted by SMUUCH volunteers. Cindy Maxwell, our Nursery Attendant is a certified Montessori instructor and has also been staffing
our nursery for over two years. Susan Culey, our Flower Garden Preschool Teacher,
has over four years of service to SMUUCH as a nursery attendant,
Religious Education Assistant and now Preschool Teacher. She is currently enrolled in a bachelor's program.
Who Does the Teaching? Our Bee Hive through High School classes are taught by trained volunteers. These dedicated SMUUCH members give us their time and talents to teach your children. While lesson plans and materials are provided by staff, our dedicated volunteers prepare and teach the lesson each week.
Each teacher attends at least one of four Teacher Check-In and Orientation meetings each year where they learn about our curriculum, how our classes are run and how to create the best environment for your children. For many of our Teaching Volunteers, their time in the classroom is part of their own spiritual practice.
And What About the Nursery? Our nursery is open from 8:30–12:45 every Sunday.
Staffed by caring adults and assisted by volunteers, your baby will be lovingly cared for
while you attend the worship service or an adult class.
If you or your child would prefer to stay together,
you are welcome to bring your infant into the worship service.
However, to respect the needs of all those in attendance, we ask that if you child
becomes restless or noisy that you move to the church foyer.
The service is broadcast into the foyer where there are comfortable chairs, a small toy box,
and ample room for crawling.
What are Family Fellowship and Service is Our Prayer Sundays? Family Fellowship Sundays take place throughout the church year and provide a time when both adults and youth join together to celebrate and enjoy fellowship together. Primarily organized around holidays, these special Sundays provide a time when the whole congregation joins together to observe and enjoy a special day as a faith community. Family Fellowship Sundays help to build inclusiveness between adults and children. Most events will be held in either the classrooms or the Barn Chapel at 10:00. Service is Our Prayer Sundays provide service learning opportunities for children and youth.
From raising money for schools in Afghanistan to making sack lunches for the homeless,
children take part in social justice activities that help them learn how to live their faith.
Service is Our Prayer Sundays take place four times a year.
How Do I Enroll My Child or Youth? To enroll your child, just complete an Enrollment Form or ask your child's teacher for one.
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Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church |