Overview

One of the main goals for our developmental ministry is “Revitalizing RE.” To that end, Family Faith Development has decided to implement a new three year thematic rotation.

Main Programs

Sunday School

Sunday School is a place for our children to gather in community, practice covenant, and explore their beliefs. This year, children will be exploring their beliefs with World Religions.

Youth Program

Here are four components to our youth program: Worship Attendance, Youth Outings, Leadership Training, and Intergenerational Bonding. The program is customizable, so youth may participate as they feel called.

Children’s Chapel

Twice a month, before our children head to their Sunday School classes, our children (PreK – 6th Grade) start their morning with a short worship service designed specifically for them. The other two Sundays, our children start in the sanctuary.

Special Programs

OWL: Sexuality Education

OWL, or the Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education program, offers honest, accurate, and age-appropriate information about relationships, health, and behavior across the lifespan. This year, we will be offering OWL for Kindergarten – 1st Grade, and for 10th – 12th Grade.

Other

Additional programs are offered based on the needs and wants of our families. Examples of additional programs include Family Fun Outings, Summer Camp, Kids Night Out, Parent Discussion groups, etc If there is a program you would like to see come to First Church, please let our Director of Lifespan Faith Development know.

F.F.D. Library

We are lucky to have both a physical and virtual library. F.F.D.’s physical library can be accessed every Sunday morning.  It is located on the second floor landing.  The virtual library is powered by Epic!. To gain access to this fabulous resources, which includes hundreds of ebooks for children 0 – 13 years of age, including curated reading lists centered on our UU principles, mental health, and social justice issues, just email our Director of Lifespan Faith Development.  We hope, over the coming months, you will find this to be a helpful resource!

VIP Lounge

What is it?

he VIP Lounge (for Very Inquisitive People) is an interactive worship space located at the front of the sanctuary. Children of all ages use the manipulatives in the space to worship in developmentally appropriate ways. On any given Sunday, you may find a child dancing to music, meditating with fidgets, expressing themselves through art, or building community amongst their peers.

Why is it?

So much of worship is designed with adults in mind. At the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, that means services center on the spoken word, and minimal participation is expected. But, children learn best by doing. The VIP Lounge is a place children can ‘do.’

What if I find it distracting?

Well, to start, know that you’re not alone. It can be distracting. But, there are some things you can do to help minimize the distraction. You can: sit in the back of the sanctuary; wear a pair of our red, noise cancelling headphones; wear a pair of our black, assisted-hearing headphones; sit outside the sanctuary, and listen to the service over the speaker; or choose to attend online in the future. It can be hard to accommodate everyone’s needs in community. But, the payoff is well worth the effort.

VIP Covenant

A Covenant is a list of promises we make to each other, for how we will be together. When the VIP Lounge is in use, we covenant to…

• Share
• Use Quiet Voices
• Help Each Other
• Listen to Each Other
• Be Responsible for Your Stuff (physically and emotionally)
• Be Kind to Our Bodies and Others’

“Religious Education is all we do. Unitarian Universalism is all we teach. And the congregation is the curriculum.” – Maria Harris