Faith Formation 2011-2012: Focus on World Religions

Grandparent Guides for Ages 0-4

Our youngest children are gently introduced to being part of a church community by a team of experienced grandparents. With stories, simple crafts and activities, peaceful music, and plenty of hugs, infants, toddlers and preschoolers build trust and learn that they are loved, the first steps in faith development.

Spirit Play for Grades K-5

Using the model of a one-room school house, children in grades K-5 will learn about world religions this year. For 3-4 weeks at a time we will focus on a different world religion, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and earth centered religions. Our structure will be based on the Spirit Play model, which was developed with Montessori principles.

Every week we will share a central story that introduces a key religious leader, teaches about a holiday, or illustrates the religious values and beliefs of the religion we are studying. After a discussion of the story, participants will be invited to explore an educationally rich room, selecting their own way of working with the concepts we have introduced. In this way, they can engage the material in the learning modality that best suits them.  Possibilities will include:

• A spiritual practices area where children can explore a Buddhism singing bowl, try out yoga poses, or meditate with a finger labyrinth
• A book corner
• A media center with relevant Youtube clips and movies
• An art exploration area
• A building area with blocks, Legos, and other building materials

The morning will end with everyone gathering together for a closing circle and the opportunity to share what they have worked on.

Neighboring Faiths for Grades 6-9

Our Jr. Youth will embark on an interfaith journey this year, learning about Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and earth centered religions. Through study and discussion, they will learn about important religious leaders in history, sacred texts, holidays, and different ways of understanding God or goddess, sin and evil, life and death. With curious and open minds, we will discuss how these beliefs and practices are similar and different from Unitarian Universalism.

A key aspect of this curriculum is visits to share worship with our interfaith neighbors, experiencing first hand a variety of worship practices and rituals. During these visits our Jr. Youth will have the opportunity to interact with people from different faith traditions, building relationships based on respect and open dialogue.

Many adults who grew up as Unitarian Universalists name participation in the predecessor of this curriculum as the most foundational and memorable aspect of their religious education.