Theme: Youth and RE (Four-Circle Composite, sorted into similar response clusters)
Circle Participants: Robert Mohr, Donna Moore, Royce Reid, Sarah Reid, Nancy Phillip, Karolynn Flynn, Terry Siebert, Donna Mohr, Janetmarie Valiga, Prill Hinkley, Becki Maxwell, Keri and Chris Schmit, Arlene Wade, Dianah Jackson, Brian Sorenson, Porter Hall, Beth Balas, Vinnie Perrone, and Richard Wilson
Question #1: when our Religious Education program (including youth ministry) is functioning at its best, what does it look like?
We have a full complement of teachers, RE committee members, and RE Director
There will be a teacher and an assistant in every classroom
A committed, passionate youth leader is found who can develop programs and generate ideas that get the youth fired up to participate and to bring their friends.
There would be a designated, perhaps paid, youth ministry director and it would be great, but not essential, if this person were in his or her early 20’s,
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Kids bring parents to church
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There’s better PR within the church about what’s going on in the programs. Too many people without children haven’t a clue what goes on. Suggestions to improve this: Integrate the children more often in services to make them visible and an active part of what Cedars’ services are about, and create a “Photo Frame” presentation -- an ongoing and continually updated slide show presentation of children involved in RE activities -- to greet people as they come into the Island School for services.
We are more inclusive of our kids - I remember great intergenerational services at Hyla and think we could do more with kids in the service now; do we talk at them or allow them to participate and share?
As congregation, we really honor the kids and do more intergenerational activities & events – share wisdom both ways
We see and hear more youths in Sunday Services
Younger kids are included in chalice lighting, etc.
Intergenerational get-to-know-the-kids activities
More of the congregation is involved in RE and the children know people in the congregation
Non-parents interact and work with the children
Working on creating more fun events – community gatherings outside of Sunday service
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Telling kids what UU is and helping them find an internal rudder as belief system
Kids share the same values
Kids overcome society’s tendency to look down on religion
DRE gets sense of feedback that older kids are still developing (Jr. & Sr. high)
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The age spectrum of our activities should be more complete – the youth group now meets at a separate Sunday time and those kids are basically not there when the rest of us are
Other churches have their youth group on some other day of the week and expect their kids to come to church on Sunday
I know why the kids in our youth group have chosen to meet at a separate time, but it sends a message to the kids that they don’t need to come to church;
How fantastic would it be if those kids would come to church and see Rachel in her Worship Associate role? - I grew up in a Lutheran church and was pretty active; I was a shy child but the adults encouraged me to do things that I never would have done on my own, which was great
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A favorite time was with the youth group that is now in college; they were a very close-knit group that grew up together and several things worked well for them - one that worked really well was the mentoring program where a specific effort was made to connect people in the congregation with young people, and a lot more could be done with that program
I want my kids to know the older adults and remember them
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One of the goals of the parenting group is to provide good unsupervised playtime; that might sound weird, but we want them to be kids playing together, and to see them grow up together
Our kids are growing up with the kids at Cedars; it’s not just kids they know at church but kids they are growing up with, and that seemed to be the case with that group that is now in college too – they weren’t necessarily best friends but more like cousins, comfortable with each other and sharing common values (just like we adults do)
Recent bridging ceremony with 15 or so kids graduating – deep bonds between kids & deepening bonds between parents
Friendship bonds last a lifetime
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Effort is made to get more about the RE program and its core values out into the community, such as a newspaper article about the OWL program and on open invitation for other young people to attend.
The story is shared that this is a place where children learn values of honesty, diversity, compassion, spirituality, and equality in a tradition of openness rather than dogma.
Cedars sponsors forums, talks, films that deal with children, and family issues (could be about nutrition, substance abuse issues, speakers who present research about healthy families, etc.). By sponsoring these kinds of events, Cedars would most likely attract more families with children, and this would be an opportunity to grow and develop the RE and Youth programs.
The 3rd step in the OWL program is activated and taught – the application and relationship issues part of the curriculum. Again publicize an invitation to other youth in the area to join in.
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It’s working well – Keep it going
Question #2: What else would indicate a really thriving RE program at Cedars?
A full-time RE Director (DRE)
Full-time RE Director (DRE)
Youth Coordinator
A mix of age groups in leadership roles. Youth, even younger children would play a more active part in more aspects of Cedars. We make room for every voice.
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We see more families visiting and joining because of the reputation of the RE and Youth programs out in the community.
People check-out Cedars because friends or a kid’s friends are in it and they want to participate
Getting Press – newspaper interest about the achievements – generate buzz
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The children love the program and they are the ones who encourage their parents to attend services.
The Story for All Ages currently seems to be for adults much of the time – why not sit down on the floor with the children and make sure the vocabulary is appropriate?
Church represents both inspiration and fun for the children and youth.
Teenagers (and recent teenagers) wanting to come back and participate in more than a social way would indicate a really good RE program
Families take advantage of Camp Elliott in Seabeck, a UU camp that is meant to be quite wonderful. Imagine a group of Cedars’ families attending an annual long weekend stay at the camp. The bonding that will happen would certainly nurture deeper relationships and develop enthusiasm in the children for “all things Cedar.”
Kids and families go to Elliott (UU summer retreat/camp at Seabeck)
Evening gatherings with things for the kids to do and mixing the families as a counterpoint to
Sunday mornings would be good for community building
Family fun events
Have auction items for kids to bid on
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Participation by all age groups on Sunday morning so everyone sees each other every week
Older kids are here at The Island School too
Adults of all ages participating in the RE program and paying attention to the children, so kids have connection with adults other than parents – and a real sense of community
There needs to be an effort to restore or refresh a sense of community that embraces all ages – it will take more than just picnics and other activities (the Connection Dinners aren’t open to kids), it would take something like the mentoring program’s pairing up
Coming of Age and Mentoring programs
No more isolation of RE & youth from the greater community
Integrated youth at Sunday – have a space for them
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Having our own building – a home for the kids
Continuity for kids – our own sacred space & no more RE in a box
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Have children participate in social action, creating positive energy/synergy to be appealing and to draw more desire to participate
The children have active opportunity to do community service.
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Partnering with other churches – interfaith society for kids (OWL does some of this)
OWL program shares truth in an environment of trust
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