Welcome to Theodore Parker Church’s Religious Education (RE) program for children! The mission of our program is to provide our young ones with the tools, knowledge and experiences that help them develop a personal theology, a sense of social responsibility, and a joy and wonder for the sacredness and interconnectedness of all life.

TPC RE for the 2024-25 church year

We’re so looking forward to starting RE programming for the new church year in September 2024. Here’s a bit about what to expect in the coming year:

Sunday Morning RE

Children’s Chapel

Most Sundays each month, our Lifespan Religious Educator Rose and a volunteer lead Sunday Morning Children’s Chapel for elementary school-aged children (approx. ages 5-11). On these Sundays, people of all ages join together for the beginning of our worship service in the TPC sanctuary, and then after a Message for All Ages about 15 minutes into our service, Rose and an adult volunteer teacher will lead the children to a classroom space in our parish hall. In Children’s Chapel, we build community with one another, and explore and connect with our shared Unitarian Universalist values through stories, art, and games. Children’s Chapel lessons are generally aligned with the theme of the larger service, and are inspired by the Soul Matters RE curriculum. 

OWL for 4-6th graders
This year, we are planning to offer OWL (Our Whole Lives), a comprehensive and affirming sexuality education curriculum, for 4-6th graders in our congregation and beyond. This 10 session curriculum offers age-appropriate information about changing bodies, sexuality, and gender, and centers respect, relationships, and responsibility. This course will be taught on Sunday mornings at the time as Children’s Chapel, in a seperate classroom space. Registration for OWL will be seperate from regular RE registration, and will be available once the dates for the course are finalized. If your child is in this age range and you are interested in them participating in OWL and/or you want to learn more, please fill out the RE registration form above, and Rose will follow up.

Multigenerational Services

One Sunday per month our worship services are intentionally multigenerational, with no separate children’s programming. This means that children are asked to stay in the sanctuary for the entire service, and are invited to participate and engaged in our worship service.

Childcare

Childcare for nursery-aged children (4 and under) is available every week with our childcare provider in the church nursery. 

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Monthly Family Game Nights

From 6–8pm the 4th Friday evening of each month, the RE program hosts games nights for all ages in our church parish hall. These are open events, where all members and friends are welcome to join for an evening of board games, pizza, and conversation.

Youth Group for 7th-12th graders

The youth (7th through 12th graders) of our congregation gather in our church parish hall every other week for games, discussion, and connection. Our youth group also joins regional UU youth conventions, goes on an annual white water rafting trip over the summer, and seeks out other adventures and community-building opportunities throughout the year.

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If you’re new to Theodore Parker Church and would like to learn more about any of these offerings, please email Rose Gallogly, our Lifespan Religious Educator.

Read our Safe Congregation Policy.