RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
Explore and celebrate UU beliefs.
Unitarian Church North (UCN) and all Unitarian
Universalist (UU) children’s programs build resilience and encourage children to
connect with their own quest for purpose and meaning. Youth learn respect for
themselves and others. They experience spiritual practices and learn ways to
center themselves.
For all grade levels, our programs create peer connections and genuine
friendships. UUA’s programs nurture children’s ethics, UU identity, knowledge of
other religions, and promote social justice principles.
UU 7 Principles
Youth Version
Upcoming Programming
Nursery
UCN’s nursey is staffed weekly for the entire length of the service with one to two nursery assistants, depending on the number of toddlers.
2025/2026 School Year Programming
This year the Religious Exploration (RE) program will be offering four programs. There will be curricula for the K – 3 rd graders, the 4 th - 7 th graders, 5 th and 7 th graders, and 8 th – 10 th graders.
The Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Class is working with the UUA LEGO® ValUUes Children's Curriculum - Love is At the Center.
“This curriculum introduces participants to UU Shared Values (pluralism, interdependence, generosity, equity, justice, transformation, and love, plus kindness) through stories, discussion, and play activities. Each session includes an opening circle with an opening question and centering exercise, a story with discussion prompts, and a choice of play activities that carry out the theme of the day (including at least one simple LEGO build).”
The 3rd - 6th Grade Class is using the UUA Faithful Journeys curriculum.
Participants will explore how Unitarian Universalism translates into life choices and everyday actions. In each session, they hear historic or contemporary examples of UU faith in action. The stories model how participants can act faithfully as UUs. Children also have opportunities to share and affirm their own stories of faithful action. Faithful Journeys demonstrates that our Principles are not a dogma, but a credo that individuals can affirm with many kinds of action.
Our Whole Lives (OWL) for 5th and 6th Graders – Winter 2026
Unitarian Church North (UCN) will be offering a secular Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum to 5th, 6th and 7th graders January through March 2026. This ten-workshop curriculum is designed to help children gain the knowledge, life principles, and skills they need to understand and express their sexuality in holistic, life-enhancing ways. This comprehensive, developmentally appropriate program introduces key topics like values, body image, gender and sexual identity, peer pressure, and healthy relationships with sensitivity and inclusiveness, yet without religious doctrine or reference.
While the OWL curriculum is secular, it is not value-free. The program gives clear messages about the following key sexuality issues: self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, and justice and inclusiveness. The program recognizes and respects the diversity of participants with respect to biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status in addition to cultural and racial background. The activities and language used throughout the program have been carefully chosen to be as inclusive as possible of this human diversity.
In the 7th-10th grade Coming of Age (COA) Program, we honor the participants’ transition from childhood to young adults.
The program helps youth identify their ethical and religious selves (recognizing that some young people do not feel religious at all), so that they may make rational decisions about the kind of person they want to become. During this year-long program teens learn more about Unitarian Universalism and other spiritual and religious belief systems helping them identify and articulate their own beliefs. The program concludes with a ceremony where the youth share their personal belief with the congregation. The COA Program will be offered on the first and third Sundays of the month.
Please feel free to contact Jessy Knox, Religious Education Family Programming Coordinator. Her office hours are Wednesdays 10 AM – 3 PM and she will be present at Sunday Services to greet families and provide information. She also can be contacted at refpc@ucnorth.org.
See what RE has been up to!
Decisions at UCN are made by a vote of all the members, in keeping with our Principle #5 to respect the democratic process in conducting church business.
We start with what we call “Barn Banter,” an open discussion in our 8-sided barn church sanctuary. All have a turn to speak while the rest of us listen, and all ideas are recorded. On some topics, members may be in strong agreement. On others, not so much, and more time is needed for a consensus to develop.
In searching for a new Director of Religious Education, a Barn Banter was held to gather opinions about the future of RE at UCN. Those opinions have been transcribed, and a Committee is now meeting to consider next steps.
We take turns sharing our opinions.
We listen to each other.
We record ideas all have shared.
Coming of Age
A STUDENT PROGRAM AT UCN
As part of our youth Religious Education program, high school students may choose to participate in the year-long Coming of Age program. This program enables youth to develop their personal beliefs and deepen their Unitarian Universalist faith through study and reflection, workshops, retreats and social action/community service projects.
Each participant is paired with a mentor who helps guide his/her self-discovery over the course of the year. The program culminates in a special church service, where youth who choose to do so may share their spiritual journey with the congregation. At this point the Coming of Age youth may sign the church membership book and enjoy the voting privileges that membership confers.
