Unitarian Universalist Church of Bartlesville

Religious Education

At UUCB, Religious Education for the children and youth consists of curricula that aim to raise the big questions and give kids the context within which to learn to answer them for themselves.

This year, our RE program consists of two groups:

Pre-K through 6th Grade: We will be using “Timeless Themes" curriculum - Introduces the rich biblical literature central to our UU heritage with Bible stories, creative games and activities, interspersed with special sessions to talk about “The Bible and Easter”, “The Bible and Yom Kippur”, “The Bible and Christmas” (at appropriate dates) and “The Bible and UUs”.

Grades 6/7th – 12th Curriculum is “How Others Worship”, a study of the beliefs and practices of Judaism and several mainline Christian groups in 21 sessions, supplemented with reading and discussion of Old and New Testament Bible stories.

Our Goals

In Religious Education, we think we can help you add something to your children's lives. We want to help you give your children a grounding in a wonderful liberal religion. We have 37 Sundays from August 27 to the end of May (if you attend every Sunday) to help our children develop a sense of what religion is all about.

First, we would like our children to be part of an extended community where they feel welcome, are valued for the gifts they bring and the people they are. "Do unto others" is the big rule. This is a community where questioning the mysteries of life is valued. It takes time to develop a sense of belonging.

We want our children to feel part of the Unitarian Universalist tradition. We want your children to know the tenets of the church and be able to articulate what it means to be a UU. Free thinking, questioning, and personal discovery are the order of the day. We want our children to be proud that they are part of this liberal faith. It takes time to develop a sense of pride.

We want our children to know other religious faiths and to celebrate the ideas brought to the world by other cultures and religions. We want them to develop tolerance for ideas and people that are not part of their everyday life. We want them to know that they could use ideas from other faith traditions and blend them into a personal theology. This is a religion that allows for personal growth and diversity. It takes time to understand and appreciate.

We want our children to develop a social responsibility consciousness. We want them to feel they can make a difference in this world. We want them to know that there are people and causes out in the world that cry out for assistance and that they can and should reach out. It takes time to work on social responsibility projects.

We want our children to have a place to think and talk about life's issues-getting along with others, death, peace and war, sexuality, violence of one kind or another. We want this place to be a safe forum in which to explore ideas and to get input. Children need places to think out loud and to gather ideas and feedback. Church should be one of those places. It takes time to talk and to listen.

We want our children to expand their pool of friends to children and adults that are UUs. We want them to link up with people who are humanists and value this faith, who think it is important and has meaning in their lives. We want them to listen to different ideas of spirituality and develop their own ideas and feelings about spirituality. It takes time to connect and develop ideas about spirituality.

So, come. It's only 37 hours--not even a full work week--and we have so much to do! Let's get started on the education that will be a meaningful gift for a lifetime.

Senior and Junior High Mission Statement

The Mission of the Youth Programs is to create a safe, trusting, and open-minded setting where youth feel a sense of ownership and freedom to express themselves. These programs will foster community among youth and between youth and the Society as a whole.

Youth Programs will provide opportunities to learn and apply Unitarian Universalist values, explore life issues, prepare youth to be responsible members of the Society, develop self-esteem and self-respect, learn about other religions, demonstrate social responsibility, explore one's own spirituality, and have fun.