Religious Exploration

Welcome to Religious Exploration (RE) at North Shore Unitarian Universalist Church! Our Religious Exploration Program spans a lifetime and is an exciting, warm, and welcoming place where you and your child will have experiences you never thought you could have in a church. Our Unitarian Universalist religion is focused on community and growth. It’s a journey more than a destination. It is how we live – all the time – rather than a thing we do on Sunday mornings or a set of beliefs we can recite.

If you’re interested in learning more about our RE program for your child, please contact our Director of Religious Exploration, Jessa Barthels, at dre.nsuus@gmail.com. You can also learn more about the UU RE program in general by visiting the Unitarian Universalist Association site.

Please also follow our NSUU RE Facebook page to see what our youth classes have been up to recently!

Nursery Care

During church services, children 5 and under are welcomed in our staffed nursery.

Children and Youth

All of our lessons and activities find their roots in our shared UU values. These are:

  • Equity

  • Transformation

  • Pluralism

  • Generosity

  • Justice

  • Interdependence

  • Love

Our RE classes meet each Sunday during our worship service – from August through May, following the school year calendar.  Our Sparklers class is for ages kindergarten through 9, and our Spirits class is for ages 10 through 14. We often remain together as one class for multi-age discussion and community. We begin our RE year with a “Kid Board Meeting” for our students to choose the themes they will focus on each month and assist in planning some of the lessons and activities. We take inspiration from the Soul Matters RE Curriculum.

Soul Matters is theme-based, small group UU curriculum that fosters circles of trust and deep listening. Some examples of our favorite kid-chosen themes have included:

  • Belonging

  • Courage

  • Change

  • Wonder

  • Finding Our Center

  • Love

  • Vulnerability

  • Resistance

  • Creativity

In each class, we share stories, games, art projects, discussion, and many more meaningful activities around our themes. Our RE classroom remains open over the summer (June, July) during services for crafts, board games, and community.

Teens

Our Teens participate in the weekly RE class and also have a Teen Discussion Group which meets during service the last Sunday of each month. Teens in grades 7-12 are invited to gather for a deeper discussion of each month’s theme and/or another chosen topic, participate in activities, and spend time in community.

Adults

Religious Exploration classes are set up for adults, usually in conjunction with our other UU churches in the area. Classes have included Sermon Writing workshops, New To UU classes, and Cakes for the Queen of Heaven.