Religious Exploration
Religious Exploration Programing
Welcome!
Welcome to Religious Exploration (RE) at Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society (SUUS)!
Here at SUUS we are dedicated to love, faith, justice and reason. Children and youth are valued members of the SUUS community, and our program is rich in offerings for all, including Sunday morning classes, worship experiences, justice opportunities and social events.
CLICK HERE to watch the 2023-24 Year In Review
CLICK HERE to watch the 2022-23 Year in Review
To review our Soul Matters Curriculum each month, go to the Member’s Log-In page and click on
Contact the DRE or the Office if you need the password,
Religious Exploration Forms
Soul Matters Curriculum can be accessed on the Members Log-In page – click here
Contact the office or DFF, Molly Nolan if you need the password.
Religious Exploration Registration Form 2024-2025
RE Explorer and Nursery Volunteer Sign-Up Form 2024-25
Download and print: Volunteer Application for Position & Background Verification Release Form
Draft Religious Exploration Children and Youth Accommodation Policy
Religious Exploration Programming
Sunday Mornings, September – June: 10:30 – 11:45am
CHILDCARE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN EVERY SUNDAY.
We are delighted to have Grace Quilliam as our Childcare/Religious Exploration Assistant. She served in this capacity previously and is wonderful that she is able to join us again.
ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS:
Worship
Jacob’s Beach Guilford
Multigenerational Services are held monthly and children and youth are encouraged to attend along with the adults. These services are designed for all ages, and often take place near a holiday, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Check the calendar for detailed scheduling information.
Whole Congregation Worship – Each Sunday, children and youth join the first 20 minutes of the service for chalice lighting, music and a story for all ages.
Social Justice
Social Justice : Religious Exploration offers service projects and social justice activities for children, youth, families and members. Activities may include making items for people who are homeless, fundraising to support a local or international cause, food scarcity awareness/action and outreach and animal advocacy.
- Green Up/Clean Up
- Guilford Pride
- Homeless Hospitality Projects
- Side With Love
- Madison Pride
- 30 Days of Love
Social Connections
Religious Exploration offers a wide variety of inter-generational social connections. Highlights include:
- Halloween Party – People of all ages meet to connection and fun
- Holiday Caroling
- Mystery Pen Pals – Children and adults are paired anonymously, exchange letters and then participate in a reveal dinner at the conclusion.
- Game Nights
- Hikes for All Ages
- Messy Faith Together
- Movie Nights
- Ice Cream Socials
Our Whole Lives Programming:
- Our Whole Lives (OWL) is based on the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education produced by the National Guidelines Task Force, a group of leading health, education, and sexuality professionals assembled by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). For detailed information about Lifespan Sexuality Education for OWL click here.
- Our Whole Lives takes a holistic view of sexuality. It provides accurate, age appropriate information while helping people clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
- In 2024-2025, SUUS will offer Our Whole Lives for grades 4-6 beginning in January and running through April. To register your child for this class, an OWL registration form needs to be completed and parents need to meet with the Director of Religious Exploration prior to the beginning of the class. To receive the form and schedule a meeting please contact Molly Nolan, Director of Religious Exploration.
- Grades K-1
- Grades 4-6 Begins in January – April 2025
- Grades 7- 9
- Grades 10-12
Rites of Passage
Child Dedications
This faith community marks significant milestones and transitions throughout our lives with ceremonies. For children and youth, we celebrate Child Dedications (where we honor the miracle of life and our commitment to caring for infants or older children), Coming-of-Age (completion of our coming-of-age program) and Bridging (high school graduation or an equivalent life transition). Speak with Molly Nolan, Director of Religious Exploration, to learn more about these rites of passage.
Our Principles and Sources
The rainbow, and its acronym ROYGBIV, is used in our program to teach our children and affirm the 7 Unitarian Universalist Principles:
Respect the importance of all beings.
Offer fair and kind treatment to all.
Yearn to accept others and encourage spiritual growth.
Grow by exploring ideas and values together.
Believe in our ideas and act on them.
Insist on peace, freedom and justice for all.
Value our interdependence with nature.
The Living Tradition we share draws from many sources:
- Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
- Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
- Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
- Humanist teachings, which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
- Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions, which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
- These principles and sources of faith are the backbone of our religious community.
Resources for Families
The Our Whole Lives website, with information about the curricula – http://www.uua.org/re/owl/
“Tending the Flame – The Art of Unitarian Universalist Parenting” by Michelle Richards.
The UUA bookstore InSpirit has books for all ages related to children and parenting – http://www.uuabookstore.org/
Frequently Asked Questions
What do visitors do on a Sunday morning?
Visitors are always welcome! Join us for multi-platform worship every Sunday.
- On most Sundays, children will enjoy a Time for All Ages and depart the service after the offertory to meet in our RE classrooms. Check in with our Greeters in the foyer for details on the days activities.
Are there explorations every Sunday?
Explorations are held most Sundays, September through June. On certain Sundays, children remain with their families in a multigenerational worship service. These services are designed for all ages and are a great way to enjoy a worship service as a family.
What do children learn in Religious Exploration?
The goal of our Religious Exploration program is to build community within and across generations and foster the religious, spiritual, and ethical development of our children and youth.
Our explorations focus on exploring UU values and faith development. Topics include Unitarian Universalist values, history and practices, as well as world religions, justice issues, and learning about ourselves and our relationship to the world.
Explorations are also an opportunity for children to be a part of a community of people who learn and work together, as we consider big questions, take action on justice issues, support each other, and have fun.
Is There a Fee?
There is no charge for participating SUUS’s RE program. Members and friends are asked to pledge financial support to the congregation each year, at a level that is appropriate for them. These donations support all the work of the congregation.
Who are the teachers?
All of our explorations on Sunday morning are led by the Director of Religious Exploration and Volunteers. Our volunteers include adults of all ages, with and without children in the program.