Children

Religious Education Programs

Whether your family has been engaged in East Shore for 10 years or 10 seconds, we have something to support you all during COVID-19. Come get plugged into fall programs for children and youth.

Register Now!

Register now for these upcoming events!

Children & Youth at East Shore

East Shore Unitarian Church (ESUC) offers vibrant, high-quality opportunities for children, youth, and families to connect and grow. Many of our families are multifaith, some new to UU and many still coming from faiths that didn’t quite fit. We offer an LGBTQIA+ welcoming environment where children and youth are empowered to help with their hands, love with their hearts, and think with an open mind. Our trained adult volunteers role model and guide the children and youth UU learning communities to be the best people we can be. In age-appropriate programs for babies through senior youth, we build strong relationships among participants and cultivate a feeling among our children and youth that ESUC is their home and that Unitarian Universalism is their faith. We embrace a lifelong learning approach in our curricula and cycle through key themes of world religions, spiritual practices, Unitarian Universalist histories, social and environmental justice, and human sexuality and relationships. These subjects help us to navigate the complex world with values and principles as anchors in a storm or as stars in the sky.

Upcoming Events for Families, Kids & Youth

Join us for any or all of our RE programming this year!

Children MUST be Registered.

YUUP (High School)

YUUP (High School)

Date Mar 24, 2024Time 10:30 am - 11:30 amWebsite View Events Website

YUUP High School Youth are…becoming who they want to be in the world! Young Unitarian Universalist Project is a safe and encouraging place for high school students to meet, engage with their values, and contribute to the ESUC vision and mission of an awesome and inc...

Volunteer in our Programs

We lift up our mission of building community, promoting justice, exploring spirituality, and practicing love. We need two adults in each outdoor space. How might you be a part of this vital work?

  • Two adults for each grade
  • Volunteers can be co-leaders or “seconds”
  • Grades: K-3, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
  • Background check for all volunteers who work with children, youth, and vulnerable populations. We use UUA Safety Guidelines.
  • Adults must show proof of vaccination. All will remain masked. 

Tips to Make Church Programs More Fun!

  • Attend regularly. Consistent attendance allows your child the opportunity to develop friendships, become better acquainted with the teachers, and develop continuity and increased understanding of the material. Parents who possess an attitude of cheerful expectancy about weekly church attendance have less difficulty keeping children involved. On Sundays without classes, share your worship experience with your children.
  • Dress for active participation. Our outdoor classes are creative, active places with movement, glue, paint, games, etc.
  • Familiarize yourself with the regular activities of the classes. Talk with your child and the teachers about the activities in the class. Keep informed through the newsletter, and participate in church events together.
  • Share your own religious beliefs with your children. We encourage you to learn along with your child as you take a spiritual journey together. Support and encourage your child, wherever they are on the religious journey. Recognize that your child’s religious needs may differ from your own. Many children have a need for ritual, structure, and definitive answers to difficult questions. Seek out the answers and support you need. Although you are your children’s primary religious educator, you are not alone!
  • Share some of your time and talents. Parental involvement is a key ingredient to your child’s positive experience at church and the success of our program. When you are connected and having fun, so will your child.
  • Always feel free to call on the religious education staff, teacher, minister, or Lifelong Learning committee member with your questions, comments, or concerns.

Thank you for your support, your participation is greatly appreciated!

Contact us

To connect directly with families with children and youth at East Shore,  join the Families at East Shore Unitarian Church Facebook group.

Have more questions?

Please reach out to our Director of Religious Education, Amanda Uluhan.

Safety

All of our programming with children and youth requires two, unrelated adults be present in a room. This creates a safer community with a network of accountability. We encourage you to support having two adults in the room by volunteering regularly in RE programs and events and stepping in when needed to be the second adult when others are not available.

All staff and volunteers who work with children and youth receive training to support their work; have had background checks prior to being approved; and are stationed in classes with at least one other adult.

Adults who volunteer with regularity are required to have a background check, run through our insurance, Church Mutual that contracts with Trusted Employees.

Minors, 0 through 18, must be under the direct supervision of parents/guardians or must be signed into and involved with religious education programming. Unsupervised minors in hallways, on the playground, in classrooms, or wandering around will be escorted to a classroom or to find their parent/guardian.