First Parish Unitarian Universalist
Canton, Massachusetts

Religious Education for Children

Welcome! We hope you will decide to come through our yellow doors for a visit on Sunday. It takes courage to step into a new place, to meet new people and to try to determine if this is the best religious home for you and your children. It is a very important decision to make and we know it is not always an easy one. We hope you will visit often and will ask lots of questions while you are here. We pride ourselves on our warm and friendly atmosphere, on our ability to open our arms and hearts to newcomers and our efforts to make everyone feel welcome.

Children and youth are a priority at First Parish Unitarian Universalist - Canton. (The term "children" hereafter refers to both children and youth.) This is reflected in their welcomed participation in the service, as well as in the commitment the congregation has shown to the Religious Education Program over the years. Children often take part in the service, acting as greeters, chalice lighters, readers, singers and performers. All of our children begin in the sanctuary each Sunday. This gives the children a chance to have some quiet family time in the pews, to share the lighting of the chalice, to blend our voices together into song and to reaffirm our covenant each Sunday. We feel this gives the children a sense of religious community with the adults in the congregation and gives them a sense of ritual and routine that they crave and that will help them to feel familiar and comfortable with the idea of worship as they grow up.

We have many goals for our children at First Parish. First and foremost, we want each and every child to feel that First Parish is a safe, welcoming, and loving home for them. This is a place where they can speak openly and freely, without judgment or ridicule. First Parish children are listened to with caring ears and open hearts. We celebrate their individuality and foster their curiosity and creativity. Secondly, we hope that the children will come to know and develop relationships with the adults in the congregation. The children should feel welcome and loved by the entire congregation, not just with those involved with the Religious Education Program. Third, we hope that the classroom experience helps the children to develop a life-long love of learning, of questioning, and of critical thinking. We have developed a program that will expose them to new and different ways of looking at their world and their experiences in it (please see “Religious Education Classes” in this handout.). The Religious Education Program emphasizes ethical and spiritual growth, exposes children to a multitude of religious practices and customs and it celebrates diversity, peaceful conflict resolution and justice for all.

We would love to talk to you more about our Religious Education Program and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to call me, email me or stop by my office. Members of the Religious Education Committee are also available to answer questions about the program. Feel free to ask the children about their experiences with the program as well—they love to share and they'll give you the real scoop!

Angela Konzal
Director of Religious Education
Phone: 781-828-0296
Email: dre.fpuu.canton@verizon.net