Welcome to Theodore Parker Church’s Religious Exploration program for children! The mission of TPC’s program is to provide youth with 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.
Read our complete mission statement.
During our RE retreat in June 2011, a group of parents and teachers discussed how best to explore our Judeo-Christian heritage. A leading question arose that gave us lots of information about who we are as a community and how we can support one another in both group and individual investigation. The question was what do we want for our own and our family’s spiritual growth and how can we support that this coming year? Though the choice of words varied, overall parents and teachers wanted their children to have “Biblical literacy” and to be resiliently resourceful throughout life’s ups and downs.
This year we’ll be looking at the Bible and our Judeo-Christian heritage through the lens of creative storytelling. We will explain that some people believe these stories are fact or history – that they really happened, while others do not share this belief. We will take the perspective that no matter what, humans have always used stories to search out and explain the big questions we all share in life, and that sacred stories can hold spiritual, moral or emotional truths without being factually true. The stories of the Bible express UNIVERSAL THEMES. Their essential archetypal characters and situations wrestle with common human experiences. We’ll be encouraging students to see the connections between UU Principles and the values spoken about in the Bible. We’ll be encouraging children and families to engage in creative activities as a means in exploring each story.
One of the main “characters” in the Bible is named “God.” We invite you to look at this character as a representation of the Creative Power that moves through each of us and through the world and universe. Throughout the year, we will be doing activities that help us see ourselves as truly creative and resourceful. By seeing the creator in all of us, we hope students will feel embraced and empowered, and will know possibility throughout their entire lives.
To build intergenerational connections, Biblical stories and themes will be addressed periodically in adult worship as well as in the children’s program. We also have several larger intergenerational services that bring the TPC community together such as our celebrations of Winter and Summer Solstices. Please read below for a synopsis of the program we’ll be following and peruse our calendar for a list of activities we’re planning. To register for our program, hand in a signed copy of this form. We look forward to an exciting year of learning and growing together in intergenerational community. We hope you will join us!
In Faith and Service,
Megan Gleeson, Director of Religious Exploration