Childhood and Middle Years Ministry
Welcome to Theodore Parker Church’s Religious Education (RE) program for children! The mission of our program is to provide our young ones with the 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.
Visitors are always welcome in our religious education program. If you are new to TPC, feel free to visit us on Sunday morning and join in on any of our RE classes (parents are welcome as well). If you’re planning to join regularly, please fill out our RE registration form, linked below, so that we have appropriate contact and safety information.
RE for the 2026-27 Church Year
Sunday Morning Religious Education
Most weeks at Theodore Parker Church, people of all ages join together for the beginning of our worship service in the TPC sanctuary. Then, after a part of our service called the Message for All Ages (about 15-20 minutes into the service), our religious educator, Rose, and adult volunteer teachers will lead the children to a classroom space in our parish hall.
In the 2026-27 church year at Theodore Parker Church, we will have a few different types of religious education programming on Sunday mornings. All classes are led by volunteer members of our community, supported by our religious educator.
FALL 2026
In the fall, we have two age-specific classes most weeks: Chalice Circle (for kindergarten through grade 3), and UU Explorers (for grades 4-7). Both of these classes use lesson plans from Woven Faith, a theme-based curriculum that aligns with the themes of our worship services. More information about both classes below.
Occasionally, we also have an All-Ages Children’s Chapel for our whole community of children to gather together. Those registered for religious education programming have access to a calendar for the church year that includes details on what type of activities are available for children each week, as well as weekly reminder emails.
Chalice Circle (K-grade 3)
Chalice Circle is our religious education class for younger kids who are in kindergarten through 3rd grade. In Chalice Circle, we learn about Unitarian Universalist values and explore big ideas and questions through stories, arts, and games. Chalice Circle lessons are drawn from the theme-based UU curriculum resource Woven Faith.
UU Explorers (grades 4-7)
UU Explorerers is our religious education class for older kids who are in 4th through 7th grades. In UU Explorers, we seek to deepen a shared understanding of Unitarian Universalism, continue to ask and explore big questions, and build community through discussion, games, and activities. UU Explorer lessons are drawn from the theme-based UU curriculum resource Woven Faith.
All-Ages Children’s Chapel
Our All-Ages Children’s Chapel is an opportunity for the children of our congregation to build community with one another, and explore and connect with our shared values through stories, art, and games. These are ‘worship services’ in that they center what we believe is most worthy, and include ritual, story, and song — all shared in kid-centered ways and including plenty of fun! All-Ages Children’s Chapel Sundays are generally scheduled around holidays and other significant points in the year.
WINTER/SPRING 2027
Starting in January this year, we’ll be running an Our Whole Lives (OWL) class for our 4-6th graders on Sunday mornings. At that point, our 7th graders will begin meeting in a separate RE class, and focus on an interfaith learning curriculum called Crossing Paths.
OWL (4-6th grade)
Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive and affirming lifespan sexuality education curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. There are seven age-specific OWL curricula designed for the following age ranges: grades K-1, grades 4-6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12, young adults, adults, older adults.
Theodore Parker Church will be running a 4-6th grade OWL class at TPC starting in January 2027. OWL-specific registration coming soon. If you are interested learning more, please email our religious educator Rose Gallogly.
Crossing Paths (7th grade)
Crossing Paths is an interfaith learning curriculum, inspired by older UU RE curriculums such as Neighboring Faiths and Building Bridges. This curriculum is centered on learning about the wisdom and practices of many different faith traditions, alongside UU identity formation and articulation. Youth in this class will have the opportunity to visit nearby faith communities of different traditions as part of their learning.
Multigenerational Services
About one Sunday per month our worship services are intentionally multigenerational, with no separate children’s programming. This means that children are asked to stay in the sanctuary for the entire service, and are invited to participate and engage in our worship service. As with every Sunday, we have coloring sheets and other quiet activities available for children during these services.
Childcare
Childcare for nursery-aged children (4 and under) is available every week with our childcare provider in the church nursery. Our nursery is open from 10:15am–11:45am on Sundays, and includes a sign-in sheet, so that our childcare provider can be in contact with parents if needed.
Monthly Family Game Nights & Social Activities
From 6–8pm the 4th Friday evening of each month, the RE program hosts games nights for all ages in our church parish hall. These are open events, where all members and friends are welcome to join for an evening of board games, pizza, and conversation. We also have periodic social activites for familes involved in our community, including a yearly church retreat at Ferry Beach retreat center in Maine.
Junior Youth Group (grades 6-8)
The middle schoolers (6th–8th graders) of our congregation gather about once a month for games, discussion, and connection. Our Junior Youth Group enjoys playing table top role playing games themed around UU values, and going on outdoor adventures.
Senior Youth Group (grades 9-12)
The high schoolers (9th–12th graders) of our congregation gather about once a month for social outings and volunteer work. Our Youth Group also goes on an annual white water rafting trip over the summer, and seeks out other community-building opportunities throughout the year.
If you’re new to Theodore Parker Church and would like to learn more about any of these offerings, please email Rose Gallogly, our Lifespan Religious Educator.
Read our Safe Congregation Policy.