Religious Enrichment
The mission of First Parish Kingston’s Religious Enrichment (RE) program is to provide a nurturing environment for our children and youth that inspires them to explore as they develop their individual UU identity.
While we are keeping an ever-watchful eye on the evolving local COVID situation, we've happily returned to in-person RE programming. Our Sunday morning sessions are approximately one hour in length and take place concurrently with the worship service on the Beal House campus, across the street from our Meetinghouse.
Childcare is provided for children up to age 5, young children are welcome to move between the child care setting and the classroom depending on their interest & attention span.
Typical RE Programming & Curriculum
Children in Kindergarten through 6th grade participate in a “one-classroom” group exploring monthly themes from the Soul Matters curriculum which align with themes being explored by the adults in worship. Our weekly sessions also draw from the Tapestry of Faith curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).
Youth in grades 6-8 are welcome to join these RE sessions, beginning in autumn of 2022 they can also participate in sessions of In The Middle, a Soul Matters curriculum designed for teens and pre-teens. Additionally, high school youth in grades 9-12 can join a local youth group that explores monthly themes through group discussions and suggested activities and reflections.
In addition to our formal curriculum, our RE program partners with the Social Justice Committee at First Parish Kingston to participate in social justice actions throughout the year. During the 2021-2022 church year, we welcomed an local Indigenous artist to our campus to learn about local Indigenous history and install a Public Witness art installation on our lawn, assembled holiday craft kits for families of Renewal House (a domestic violence shelter in Roxbury, MA), raised money for Ukrainian refugees by making and selling Sunflower growing kits, and donated money to a local food pantry.
Learn more
For more information, email our Director of Religious Enrichment Laura Sanda at dre@kingstonuu.org.