| CLICK HERE for This Week in Lifespan Faith Development |
Youth is an exciting and sometimes challenging period in a person’s life. It is a time when independence is being asserted and this, along with competition from outside interests and challenges can lead them to become disengaged from faith or religion. In collaboration with youth and parents, the Lifespan Faith Development (LFD) staff seeks to keep youth engaged in their faith, work for justice and provide leadership opportunities for better preparation when entering the adult world.
In the 6th and 7th grades, youth are taught from curricula designed to help them be agents of positive change in the world and to examine the diverse faiths in our world.
6th-7th Grade:
CROSSING FAITHS CURRICULUM: A world religions curriculum that compares Unitarian Universalist values and religious diversity in our world through studying about and visiting other faith communities. CLICK HERE for the 2018-19 schedule.
HEEDING THE CALL CURRICULUM: Youth are encouraged to view themselves as agents of change in the world as they develop qualities crucial to justice work. Workshops on empathy, courage, abundance, joy and other qualities ask participants to recognize how these standards can be tools for justice. This program will likely be running in the 2019-20 year.
If you are new to TUCW or the LFD program or in case there may have been a scheduling change, please contact Rev. Shelly Thompson, Assistant Minister for Faith Formation.
8th-9th Grade:
Coming of Age (CoA) includes Our Whole Lives (OWL) and will be held in the Meeting House.
CLICK HERE for the 2018-19 schedule.
Coming of Age is a rite of passage that comes once in a lifetime. Youth write and present a credo statement after exploring their beliefs over the course of the year. There is a Boston UU Heritage Trip in the Spring.
OWL is grounded in a holistic view of sexuality. It not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills and understand the spiritual, emotional and social aspects of sexuality. Topics also include body image, social media/internet, bullying/bystander responsibilities and consent education.
The Required OWL Parents orientation recognizes the primary role parents and caregivers play in sexuality education for their children/youth.
10th-12th grade
Youth group meetings: Teens meet in a comfortable setting to explore and share together their questions about many topics such as life, relationships, spirituality, social justice and leadership.
The Youth programs meet in the Meeting House on Sundays at 11:00 am. If you are new to The Unitarian Church in Westport or the LFD program or in case there may have been a scheduling change, please contact Rev. Shelly Thompson, Assistant Minister for Faith Formation.
Rev. Shelly Thompson
Assistant Minister for Faith Formation
(203) 227-7205 ext. 17
You can find more about our LFD programs in Realm.
CLICK HERE to sign-in to Realm click here.
CLICK HERE for Realm – Getting Started FAQ