Celebrating Our Families, Children, and Youth

Celebrating Our Families, Children, and Youth

At East Shore, we are proud to be a community that centers love, connection, and resilience, especially in a world where youth face both unique and perennial challenges. Our faith calls us to honor each individual’s worth, to care for one another, and to work toward a future that is just, peaceful, and whole. This vision of a better world guides our children’s and youth ministry, creating a space where young people and families can grow, deepen their connections, and find support during life’s challenges.

Our ministry isn’t just about programs or activities—it’s about creating a community grounded in compassion, learning, and justice. Together, we are shaping a future where trauma does not repeat across generations, where people and the planet can heal, and where we can all work for justice and equity. Through this lens, our children and youth are empowered to explore who they are and what they can bring to the world.

We are especially proud of the adults in our congregation who have stepped into important roles as mentors, leaders, and guides. Whether helping with chalice lightings, leading religious exploration groups, organizing celebrations, or supporting service projects, these adults walk alongside our youth, providing the consistency, warmth, and encouragement they need to grow and thrive.

By nurturing these connections and fostering resilience, we are not only teaching our children and youth to live with integrity and compassion—we are also building the foundation for a future where they can be agents of change. Our collective work, from caring for our neighbors to advocating for a more just and equitable world, reflects the power of community to transform lives. v

Join Us in Building Community with Our Children and Youth!

Looking for a meaningful way to connect with our community and support the next generation? We have some fantastic opportunities to get involved! You can choose from a variety of roles that suit your interests. Check out these upcoming events and sign up directly on the sheets.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • Lighting the Chalice (All Year)
  • Childcare (Monthly)
  • Giving Tree Youth Care (November/December)
  • Winter Pageant (December 15)
  • Regional Youth Conference (January 17-19)
  • Church Auction (March 15)
  • End of Year Bridging Ceremony (June 8)

For any questions, please reach out to the Director of Religious Education at [email protected] or call 425-747-3780 x 104

by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education

Seeking Volunteers for Regional Winter Youth Con

Seeking Volunteers for Regional Winter Youth Con

Kitchen Help

Do you love cooking for large groups, supporting youth ministry, and working with youth? Winter UU Youth conference is looking for helping hands to cook to 1) coordinate the meal plan, 2) take care of grocery shopping and 3) cooks meals for the weekend con. You will be well supported by East Shore’s DRE, and will have the help of dedicated volunteers and teams of youth for meal prep and clean up. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, please contact Amanda Uluhan [email protected]

Overnight Help

Winter UU Youth conference is looking for adults 25 and over to help with overnight supervision shifts for our weekend con. Your volunteer time makes it possible for Con Youth advisors to get some sleep, and helps ensure a safe and inclusive youth con environment. Responsibilities include walking around the church site a few times during your shift, helping to maintain quiet in sleeping areas, and waking up the ESUC Staff in case of any issues. Each volunteer covers a 4-hour shift – between 12:00 am and 8:00 am. Nights requiring overnight volunteers are Friday January 17, Saturday January 18, 2025. We need eight volunteers total. You will receive clear information about rules and procedures before your shift. If this sounds like something you could help with, please contact Amanda Uluhan [email protected].

by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education

Kids Explore the Earth Through Climate Justice Revival’s TrashLab Art Project

Kids Explore the Earth Through Climate Justice Revival’s TrashLab Art Project

In a recent hands-on workshop, children participated in the Climate Justice Revival through a unique TrashLab Art Project. The project blended creativity with environmental stewardship, encouraging participants to reflect on our role in caring for the Earth.

The workshop began with an outdoor exploration around the East Shore campus, where kids collected natural items and litter, learning about the importance of protecting the planet and its beauty. They safely sought out a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. Back in the classroom, the children transformed their findings into a collaborative canvas to represent both the natural environment and human impact. By turning trash into art, they discovered how small actions can lead to positive change, fostering a sense of responsibility and deeper connection to the Earth.

The canvas is now hanging in the upstairs of the Education building. Come check it out and take a look.

by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education

Say YES! Seeking Sunday School Teachers

Say YES! Seeking Sunday School Teachers

Why Teach?

  • It’s fun!
  • Get to know people of all ages in the church.
  • Witness transformation in the lives of both the children and yourself. The children will remember your support, care, and positive influence.
  • Experience Unitarian Universalism through different lenses, deepening your connection to the church and your faith by participating in both worship and teaching.
  • Service is our prayer.

Who teaches?

People with children and people without children. People in their 20s through their 80s. Long-time church members and relative newcomers. You!

Who, me?! Yes, you!

We have one of the largest Unitarian Universalist Children, Youth, & Families programs in the Northwest – and that means we need a lot of volunteers! Our current major volunteer needs are with our Sunday morning Religious Education program. We need approximately 20 more adults to join volunteer teams to make our programming happen successfully and sustainably.

Volunteer teams consist of four adults for each grade level and service time, who will rotate through to ensure there are 2 adults in each classroom each Sunday. This averages out to every volunteer being in the classroom once or twice a month. Please thoughtfully consider whether you can support our congregation by volunteering your time, energy, and presence on a Religious Education team. We really and truly cannot do this ministry without you and other fabulous volunteers.

Current Volunteer Needs for Religious Education:

  • Little UUs room Ages 0-5: 2 needed
  • Discovery Year Kindergarten-3rd grade: 3 needed
  • Stepping Stones 4th-6th grade: 2 needed
  • YES-UU 7th-8th grade: 3 needed
  • YRUU 9th-12th: 3 needed

Important Dates

  • September 7, 9am-3pm: Annual Volunteer Training
  • September 15, 10:30am: First Day of RE

Interested?

Fill out this form. If you are interested in joining a volunteer team in support of our young folks this year, or if you’d like more information to help make your decision, please reach out to Amanda via email at [email protected] or by phone at 425-747-3780 x 104. You will make her day!

by Amanda Alice Uluhan, Director of Religious Education

East Shore Youth Ministry: A Year in Review, 2023-2024

East Shore Youth Ministry: A Year in Review, 2023-2024

Imagine that youth programming at UU churches and beyond was a healthy forest and the pandemic, a forest fire. Youth stakeholders have shown up for the clean-up and to steward the regrowth of our forest. Working together, we continue to salvage objects like the Big Ass Chalice that travels between youth cons (short for conference) and traditions like ESUC hosting a social justice-themed youth con again; things we have gathered up from the ashen forest floor. We are ensuring that our past won’t be forgotten, but we also understand that we are creating something new from the wreckage. This was made clear in a declaration youth crafted at the beginning of the church year: they wrote, “We don’t know where we are going. We can go anywhere we want. But we can’t go back to where we came from.”

The “Big Ass Chalice” (above) has been traveling between PNW UU congregations for years, a tradition that was resurrected this year. We model our bridging chalice after this icon.

Strengthening relationships is the centerpiece of youth ministry right now; both amongst peers at East Shore, as well as between youth and adults and between peers in the larger region of UU youth programming. We are caring for an ecosystem that exists both here at ESUC and extends to nearly all UU church youth programs in the PNW and beyond. The PNW chapter of Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) serves as the seed library and community compost site for this regional effort. The connections cultivated and maintained through the LREDA network via online and in-person support provide a much-needed place for storing, fertilizing and growing quality youth programming in the region. At in-person and zoom meetings, retreats and in online forums, idea sharing, brainstorming, planning, and policy creation occur to the benefit of all. Together, we have organized new Youth Ministry Programs to create a structure for regional events and youth conferences. This shared ministry is taking root and becoming a path to sustainable programming and shared ministry. Our youth attended three youth cons this year including:

  • A fall youth con at Vancouver Unitarian Church in Vancouver, B.C., November 10 -12 with 40 youth (above);
  • A spring youth con at the Shoreline UU Church, March 3-4 with 23 youth; and
  • A late spring youth con at Quimper UU Church in Port Townsend, WA, April 21 – 23 with 35 youth. (above).

Another bright spot in youth ministry in the last year is ESUC’s growing capacity to serve youth. ESUC sent nine volunteers and staff to the UUA/LREDA collaborative youth advisor training last fall we hosted (above). The training was co-facilitated by Rev. Justin Almeida. We also gained experience serving as “adult sponsors” at ESUC youth sleepovers and youth cons. Youth continue to need strong relationships with adult members of the congregation, to be able to show up and come to church and to be welcomed with their voices, visions, their joys and concerns. East Shore is doing that and has great potential in continuing this investment.

Importantly, our Sunday morning youth programs including diverse topics such as world religions, social justice, environmental justice, cooperation, and belonging. Although we haven’t returned to our pre-pandemic numbers (who has?), we are having strong attendance for youth in grades 7–12. We implemented the use of a new Soul Matters curriculum called In the Middle with Junior High students this year, and Becoming with High School.

Our youth chose a theme of “climate change activism” for the bridging service in June (above) to share their wisdom with the congregation as we all prepare ourselves for more youth leadership. We also know that Rev. Dr. Maria Cristina, our settled minister, has a passion for supporting families and youth ministry and social justice activism. We have begun collaborating with ESUC’s Climate-Action Team to develop youth-inclusive Climate Revival. We look forward to continuing to explore ways to be in deeper, more creative partnership with our ESUC community.

In closing, relationships are at the center of our successes and we will continue to make opportunities for them to flourish through our programming, training opportunities and community engagement in the coming program year. Through support from the ESUC community, staff and our regional and national UU colleagues, we took big strides this last year. As a result, our program’s soil is becoming increasingly fertile. In the year to come, we are looking forward to nurturing our fragile seedlings into sturdier, more rooted saplings—a forest in renewal.

2024-25 RE Volunteer Recruitment

2024-25 RE Volunteer Recruitment

From kids’ to youth’ classes it takes numerous volunteers to select, plan, and implement an RE program. As a volunteer teacher you will be at the forefront of our kids’ and youths’ Religious Education. This is a great opportunity to invest in the future of Unitarian Universalism and our community at large. You will have the opportunity to lead a group toward a deeper understanding of Unitarian Universalism and help them understand what it means to be in community.

Here’s an idea of what to expect by being on an R.E. teaching team:

  • Volunteer training is Saturday, September 7 from 9:00am-3:00pm.
  • Classes are 0-5, K-3; 4-6; 7-8; and 9-12.
  • Curriculum to be provided and determined by the RE Leadership Team and DRE.
  • Volunteer two Sundays per month; Religious Education runs from 10:30am – 11:45am.
  • And you will have the full support of your teaching team, the RE Leadership Team, the RE Coordinator, and the DRE.

What are other volunteer opportunities?

The Religious Education Leadership Team is a group of volunteers that works with the Director of Religious Education to oversee all of Religious Education. This includes curriculum selection and implementation, volunteer recruitment, and safe congregations support.

Special event coordinators work for a time bound period on special events such as the Trunk or Treat, Winter Pageant, UU Buddies, the Easter Egg Hunt, Bridging, and the RE Teacher Appreciation Dinner.

Volunteers are the backbone of RE programming! Thank you for considering committing your time. Please Contact our Director of Religious Education for more information or if you are interested. [email protected]