Mission Statement of Religious Education Program

The Religious Education program of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers is an integral and valued part of the Church. It offers programs for students from birth through high school age every Sunday morning of the year. All children and youth are welcome and are encouraged to formally enroll in an appropriate class and attend it regularly.

In the Religious Education program each student is viewed as a unique and valued person with individual needs to be recognized and met. To reflect this, a rich, experiential curriculum is provided within an environment that is open, supportive and nurturing. The intent of both the curriculum and the learning environment is to provide the essential balance between freedom and structure which is necessary for all students to select and develop their own belief systems rather than to blindly and uncritically accept the beliefs of others. The curriculum and environment also will allow religion, sex, politics, and other sensitive subjects to be discussed in ways appropriate to the age level as students engage in their personal search for truth, develop in their religious beliefs, and learn to act consistently in relation to their beliefs.

The goals of the Religious Education program focus upon the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual development of students. The major goals of the program are for each student to:

• Develop a foundation upon which to build a personal and evolving belief system;
• Gain knowledge of the beliefs and history of Unitarian Universalism as well as other world religions, with an emphasis upon Judeo-Christian heritage;
• Understand the foundations of Unitarian Universalism and be able to respond comfortably and knowledgeably to questions regarding its beliefs and practices;
• Believe in themselves as competent, well-rounded persons;
• Develop into a moral, ethical, virtuous person whose basic character is consistently reflected through his or her decisions and behavior which are, in turn, based upon his or her own values, beliefs, and personal stage of development.

Note from the Jon Braddy, Director of Religious Education

In the Church's Mission Statement, we pledge "to nurture the search for truth and meaning." This search is the primary mission of the RE program. The textbook of our 3-5 class states. "Religions help people find answers to the important questions about life. Unitarian Universalists find these answers for themselves." Throughout our curriculum, we challenge students to examine their own lives and to articulate their own beliefs. We seek to encourage and guide, but we leave the final answers about the great questions of life to our young explorers.

We adults are explorers too, and we too need to reexamine our own beliefs and principles. Learning is one of the great necessities and joys of life. This year we offered a course called Parents as Resident Theologians to the adult community. We hope to share with our children the awesome experience of stepping onto new soil.

On Sunday mornings, children attend church with their families for the first part of the service. After the For All Ages segment, children and teachers adjourn to their classes.

• Nursery, room 5. Our nursery attendant, together with a volunteer from the church, provides childcare for infants and young toddlers during the Church Service
• Pre-School, room 6. After our three and four year-olds light their special chalice with their own special words and gestures, they explore the curriculum Celebrating Me and My World.
• K-2, room 2. Our 5, 6, and 7 year-olds use the curriculum, Treasure Hunting - Take Two. This year, this class sent messages to cheer our neighbors in Port Charlotte after the hurricanes.
• 3-5, room 1. The curriculum for this class is A Stepping Stone Year. This class has had a guest karate teacher and has developed their own routine.
• Middle and High School, room 4. This year these two classes have met together to explore a Coming of Age curriculum. They are now planning a service for March 20th on the theme "Speak Out, Personal Truth."

• Way Cool Sundays - At the completion of a Curriculum Unit, we have a Way Cool Sunday, where all the children meet together for a special project or event. This year we had a Halloween Carnival and an after-Christmas card recycling project. Our next Way Cool Sunday will be March 6. We will celebrate our families through art.
• Nights to Remember --We had a gala Come as You Aren't party, complete with a Hay Ride for Halloween. The youth group is planning a masquerade party , 7:00PM, February 5. Please come!
• Mystery Friends - This is a month-long intergenerational event and a great opportunity for children and adults to find out about each other. Our fall Mystery Friends will get together one more time this spring for a reunion lunch.