Welcome to People’s Church Lifespan Religious Education Program!

We are a vibrant community of religious seekers of all ages, learning and growing together on the religious path. Some of our education programs are organized by age groups, and others mix different ages together. Our goal is to offer participants opportunities to learn new things, examine our own lives with honesty, and help and challenge each other to live according to our highest ideals of right relations with each other.

We encourage each person to take responsibility for their own religious lives while at the same time we are here to support and encourage one another on the journey. We recognize that parents are the primary religious educators for their children and we aim to supplement that with a faith community which can offer additional opportunities for religious growth and learning.

Our primary curriculum for elementary aged children is based on a four-year rotation of foundational topics, which we call the pillars of our program. These are:

• World Religions
• Peace and Social Justice
• Unitarian Universalism
• Our Jewish and Christian Heritage
• The Interdependent Web of Life

The first three are full-year themes, and the latter two are each offered for half a year. The seven Unitarian Universalist Principles are woven throughout all of these themes, in addition to our core values of freedom, reason, acceptance of diversity, loving kindness and compassion. Through modeling living in right relations with ourselves, each other and the earth, we strive to teach by example of how to live a moral and ethical life. We offer all ages the chance to gather together and ask life’s big questions and we explore the plethora of possible answers together. We strive to live meaningful lives of depth and substance, honesty and integrity. We live out our deepest values together when we work to eliminate poverty and injustice in Kalamazoo and around the world.

Sunday Mornings

10:00 – Coffee and Welcome

• All ages are invited to come together to greet and welcome each other in the foyer.

10:45 – Sunday Service

• Everyone is encouraged to join together in the Commons for worship. Childcare for babies and toddlers is available in the nursery each week from 9:30-12:30.
• After the first 15 minutes or so, all the children, youth and RE teachers leave to go to their classes.
• Kindergarten through 4th grades sing together for 10 minutes before going to their classes.
12:15
• After the Sunday service we ask all parents to pick their children up promptly from their RE classes.
• There is a child care provider in the nursery until 12:30 so parents can have a chance to socialize after church.

SPECIALTY CLASSES
The first Sunday of most months, our elementary students participate in Specialty Classes. These are multi-age classes designed to mix different ages of 1-6th graders together with various adult leaders from the congregation. Each Specialty Class Sunday the children get to choose which of the four choices of classes they wish to attend. We ask adults from the congregation to volunteer once a year or so to share something they are interested with the children. This helps create wider connections between the children and other adults than their regular RE teachers. It also provides an opportunity for adults to share their hobbies or interests with the children, while the children get to learn or experience something new and fun. The subjects of these classes vary widely from sports, crafts, model airplanes, games, cooking and baking, to dance, drama, yoga, jewelry making and music. It is definitely a favorite week among the children.

NURSERY
Our nursery is staffed by two college students from 9:30-12:30 every Sunday throughout the regular church year (September – June). Babies and toddlers are provided with a snack each week such as goldfish crackers or graham crackers with sippy cups of water. Please let us know if your child has any allergies or special needs so we can best accommodate them. There are extra diapers and extra clothes located in the changing room inside the nursery if your child has an accident while at church.

PRESCHOOL
Our preschool class meets each Sunday morning from 11:00-12:15 in room 9. These 3, 4, and 5 year olds enjoy stories, crafts, games, and fun activities together as well as free play in their Head Start equipped classroom. Our preschoolers are introduced to our UU principles and values throughout their time together.

ELEMENTARY
Kindergarten through 6th grade age children enjoy religious education classes with their peers. The curriculum rotates through a four-year pillar rotation. The subjects include World Religions, Peace and Social Justice, Unitarian Universalism, Our Jewish and Christian Heritage and the Interdependent Web of Life. The latter two are each offered half of the year. During each year, our UU principles and values of freedom, reason and tolerance are woven throughout the content. Our classes encourage a safe place for children to learn, grow, ask questions, and explore ideas of how to best live in the world. Children are an integral part of our intergenerational community of all ages. We value the energy and perspective they bring to the whole. We strive to guide and encourage them to find their own religious path and live lives of high moral character and integrity.

We also offer a variety of activities over the course of the year for this age group including church sleepovers, social justice projects, holiday celebrations and social gatherings.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
The middle school program includes 7th and 8th grades. This age group is on a two-year rotation that includes the Coming of Age program one year and “Our Whole Lives” sexuality education program the next.

Coming of Age for 7th and 8th graders
Our Coming of Age program includes several weekend retreats, adult mentors, and the opportunity to discern and articulate deepest beliefs and values. The goals for this program include:

• Assume responsibility for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
• Gain self-confidence, recognize own feelings as valid and own opinions as important.
• Expand vision of the world by encountering different views, cultures, and life experiences.
• Understand important roles in church, local, and world communities.
• Develop a personal value system.
• Recognize complete acceptance within church community

Our Whole Lives (OWL) – Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Our Whole Lives is a lifespan program that offers age-appropriate classes for Kindergarten through adults. The middle school curriculum is the cornerstone of the lifespan education program. The overall goal of Our Whole Lives is to provide positive and comprehensive information and life skills with regard to human sexuality and relationships, and to help participants apply the values of respect, responsibility and equity to their behavior.

The Our Whole Lives values are:

1. Self-worth
2. Sexual Health
3. Responsibility
4. Justice and Inclusivity

The specific objectives for the Junior High Curriculum are:

• Affirm and respect themselves as sexual persons and respect the sexuality of others.
• Increase comfort and skills for discussing and negotiating sexuality issues with peers, romantic partners and people of other generations.
• Explore, develop and articulate values, attitudes and feelings about their own sexuality and the sexuality of others.
• Identify and live according to their values.
• Increase motivation and skills for developing a just sexual morality that rejects double standards, stereotypes, biases, exploitation, dishonesty and harassment.
• Acquire knowledge and skills for developing and maintaining romantic or sexual relationships that are consensual, mutually pleasurable, non-exploitive, safe, and based on respect, mutual expectations, and caring.
• Increase knowledge and skills for avoiding unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
• Express and enjoy sexuality in healthy and responsible ways at each stage of their development.
• Assess the impact of messages from family, culture, religion, media and society on sexual thoughts, feelings, values and behaviors.

To learn more about the Our Whole Lives curriculum for the other five age group offerings, click here.

More information about the OWL program can found at http://www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/ourwhole/

7th and 8th grade youth also enjoy Sleepovers at church, Unitarian Universalist district youth conferences (CONS), and participating in our annual church camping trip at Lake Michigan.

HIGH SCHOOL - YRUU
Our 9th – 12 grade youth gather weekly for religious education class during the Sunday service. These Young Religious Unitarian Universalists also enjoy participating in district youth conferences; sleepovers at church, trips, social outings, and social justice projects.

We strive to create an ideal climate for youth to focus on the five aspects of a healthy UU youth group which include:

1. Worship
2. Leadership
3. Social Justice
4. Learning
5. Social Activities

The Ideal Youth Group Can Offer its Members:

A Sense of Community
• A place where there are no “in” groups or “out” groups
• A place where everyone feels loved and cared for
• A place where everyone develops a few intimate, caring friendships

A Sense of Trust
• A place where deep joys and sorrows can be shared
• A place where none need fear “put downs” nor judgment
• A place where everyone can be who they really are

A Climate of Enthusiasm
• A place where people are interested in what they’re doing and who they’re with
• A place where people are enthusiastic about their faith and exploring religious living

A Commitment to Learning and Growth
• A place where people want to know more about themselves, their religion, their world

A Sense of Social Responsibility
• A place where people are committed to making the world a better place, to making a difference in the world;
• A place where everyone can realize their own fights and use their creativity in positive ways
• A place where one can develop self-esteem

A Sense of Fun
• A place where people can have fun with friends
• A place to understand and experience joy

YOUNG ADULTS
People’s Church has a long history of outreach to young adults. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 is invited and welcome to participate in our young adult programs. People’s Church is the proud sponsor of the popular KUULS (Kalamazoo UU Liberal Students) CON held annually on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend each January. Since 2003, young people from around the country have gathered together for worship, workshops, fun and fellowship at this conference.

Currently, our young adults are invited to participate in gatherings held twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Mondays in the Vine neighborhood in Kalamazoo. These gatherings provide an opportunity to discuss relevant issues, build friendships in community while seeking deeper meaning in life. Reverend Cassandra Howe is coordinating this ministry; for more information contact her at cassandrahowe@gmail.com or contact Diane Melvin at re@peopleschurch.net.

Check out other UU young adults on Facebook
Or connect with other young adult UU events and groups at http://connectuu.com/

ADULTS
Click here to see the wide variety of opportunities for spiritual growth and learning for adults at People’s Church.

PEACE and NATURE CAMP
People’s Church offers a one-week day camp experience for elementary aged children each summer. This is designed to deepen their relationships with one another, immerse them in hands-on activities in nature and introduce peaceful conflict resolution activities.

Peace & Nature Camp

Religious Education Registration Forms
We request that all of the children and youth who attend our program be registered. It is of critical importance that we have current contact information for each family, and this also helps us be aware of any special needs children may have, from allergies to shyness to learning challenges.
Each fall we ask parents who have registered their children previously to check over the information provided and sign off again so our records are accurate. Because there are many opportunities for children and youth to participate in overnight activities and field trips throughout the church year, we request health insurance and emergency information on the registration form so we have that data on file.

Please make sure to note the section on which volunteer activities you are interested in helping with during the year. This success of our religious education program depends upon support by many hands. Active involvement in the program provides valuable opportunities to help while often deepening connections and fellowship with one another. Whether you help out a few hours a year or a few hours a week, your time and energy are appreciated and usually quite rewarding.

Download a pdf of the Registration Form Here