Religious Exploration
Children's Religious Exploration (RE)
The Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation’s Religious Exploration (RE) program for children exists to:
- Provide a place where children and their families feel a sense of safety and trust in their exploration of faith, ethics, spirituality and community
- Bring the Unitarian Universalist principles and the wisdom and teachings of the world’s great religious traditions to the child’s developmental level
- Cultivate authentic relationships that facilitate growth, meaning, and creativity
We live out and give expression to this sense of purpose among ourselves and in the surrounding community by:
- Modeling our values by the way we teach and interact with the children and adults
- Providing a curriculum/projects that encourages exploration, self-expression and offers ways for children to contribute to the larger community and act in socially responsible roles
- Committing ourselves to intergenerational activities and worship
Contact: Steven Lovelace
Growth and Learning Program
Our Religious Exploration program (RE) is a rich one fostered by the talents and attention of many caring adult volunteers. We strive to teach our Unitarian Universalist Principles through modeling and through many creative activities. We explore the wisdom found in our Judeo-Christian heritage and other religious traditions and we learn about our unique Unitarian Universalist liberal religious heritage. As a parent, you are always invited to sit in on your child(ren)’s class, to talk to their teachers, the DRE, or our minister. We know that the more committed and involved parent(s) are in their child(ren)’s religious education the more it means to both the child and the parent. When children and their parents attend regularly they take the songs, the stories and the ethical and spiritual lessons home with them. They become part of family life.
Participation
Our Children’s Religious Exploration (RE) program is one in which every child, parent and many other adult members of the congregation participate. Our wonderful, rich program is the result of the efforts of many, many people. Every family is encouraged to volunteer in some way to help make the program successful and meaningful. There are many ways to volunteer, please contact the Director of Religious Education, to indicate how you would like to participate this year.
Registration
We ask that all children who attend RE on a regular basis be registered. For your convenience, links to the registration forms are available on this webpage. If your child has special needs, please note so on your registration and speak with the DRE so that we can best involve your child.
Attendance
Regular attendance in RE classes is strongly encouraged. Children develop a feeling of trust and belonging when they come every Sunday and get to know their classmates and teachers well. They also develop relationships that encourage them to flourish. We ask that you bring your child as regularly as possible. If your child is new to RE classes at Live Oak, you are invited to attend class with your child until he or she feels comfortable. Parents are always welcome in our RE classes and are encouraged to volunteer to teach or assist classes.
Sunday Worship Service
In-person: We begin our worship service each week as a community at 10:00 a.m. Children and youth sit with their parents during the first 20 minutes of the service. Following the children’s story and food offering, children and youth leave the service with their teachers and go to their classes.
Zoom: RE goes from 9:00-9:45, Service at 10:00.
Cost Of The Program
Our RE program is recognized as a priority in our congregation and classes are funded out of the church’s operating budget. Families are encouraged to support the congregation financially through their pledges in accordance with their resources.
Coming of Age is an innovative, year-long program for grades eight through High School, to reflect on their lives and see the opening into their emerging adulthood. The primary purpose of this program is to help youth discern for themselves what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist–individually and as part of the larger faith community. This is a bridge program with reflection activities, social justice projects, and rites of passage to assist youth in moving from childhood to young adulthood. The Coming of Age ceremony usually features the youth reading their statements of personal belief (credo statements) to the congregation.
Purpose:
- To encourage youth to explore what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist:
- To help youth move into the adult role of identifying and acting on personal beliefs and values;
- To recognize and publicly honor the movement of a youth from childhood to adolescence within the Unitarian Universalist tradition;
- To integrate our youth into Unitarian Universalism for the continuation of our heritage and development of personal values;
- To provide parents with support and opportunity to help in their children’s faith development;
- To provide adults in our congregation the opportunity to explore their own values and put them into practice by being instrumental in the development of our youth. For more information, contact the DRE.
Coming of Age will be offered this year beginning in September 2021. Contact Steven at dresteven@liveoakgoleta.org for more information.
Our Whole Lives
Our Whole Lives is a sexuality education curriculum that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, personal, and social aspects of sexuality.
OWL curriculum is offered for 4 grade levels; K-First; Fourth-Sixth grades, 7-9, and 10-12. The 7-9 curriculum is a companion program for Coming of Age.
For more information see the UUA website.
Contact the DRE or administrator to find out when OWL is scheduled.
The following forms must be completed for participation
Adult Religious Exploration (RE)
Adult Religious Exploration/Programs (A.R.E.) offers programs on contemplative, spiritual, philosophical and social issues. These courses, workshops, lectures, discussions, films and retreat days feature a wide range of speakers and facilitators with the shared aim of encouraging thoughtful reflection on the inner life.
A.R.E works collaboratively with other Live Oak Committees and area organizations to bring a variety of purposeful and stimulating programs to Live Oak and the larger community. We encourage involvement and suggestions from Live Oak members and friends.
