Registration Information

The registration form, and details on how to register for youth religious education, can be downloaded here.

Director of Religious Education

Joyce Palmer, M.Div. is the Director of Religious Education. Joyce most recently served as the Director of Membership and Lay Ministry at All Souls Church, DC. She completed her seminary education at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Before pursuing ministerial studies, Joyce worked with the Head Start Program as both Head Teacher and Site Supervisor. Her interest in Unitarian Universalism began several years ago with a sermon at the UU church in Rockford, IL From that moment on Joyce became actively involved with Congregations teaching youth and adult religious education, Our Whole Lives sexuality program, and serving on various committees. She most appreciates the accepting, open-minded, and inclusive spirit nurtured in UU congregations. Here at Unitarian Church North, Joyce will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the religious education program for children and youth. Currently Joyce lives in Bay View with her husband Tim and their dogs, Rudy and Kaya. Reading, dancing, solitude, and eating chocolate are among her favorite things.

Purpose of Religious Education at Unitarian Church North

Our purpose on Sunday morning is to nurture and minister to the children of our church community and to provide opportunities for our children and youth to actively engage in the process of forming religious beliefs and values. We seek to:
• Celebrate and affirm in community those ideals which have united Unitarian Universalist throughout history.
• Develop a commitment to Unitarian Universalist values which translate into action.
• Care for one another and reach into the larger world with our caring.
• Build a church family where children, youth and adults interact, nurture, and care for one another.

Religious Education Course Descriptions 2009 – 2010
September 20, 2009 – May 23, 2010

Note: We have made some changes in the grade level groupings to encourage community building across age levels, increase class sizes and vibrancy. Room changes reflect this change in grade level grouping.

Together Time – Nursery – 2 year olds (Seuss)

Young children are nurtured by consistent, loving caregivers in a warm, child-friendly environment. As interested and able, children may participate in weekly stories, music, and simple craft activities.

Chalice Children – Preschool, 3 – 4 year olds (Beatrix Potter)

Children learn about their church and congregation using stories, activities, and projects. Sessions focus on people, holidays, and rituals that create church.

Creating Home – Kindergarten - Second Grade (Barton)

This program helps children develop a sense of home that is grounded in faith. Children explore the purpose and functions of a home for people and for other animals. The program describes home as a place of belonging and introduces the concept of the congregation as a “faith home.” Like a family home, a faith home offers its members certain joys, protections and responsibilities.

Moral Tales – Third–Fifth Grade (Young)

Every day our children go forth into a complex world where they may be faced with difficult decisions and situations. Moral Tales provides children with spiritual and ethical tools to make choices and take actions that reflect their Unitarian Universalist beliefs and values. The stories in Moral Tales draw from all our UU Sources to activate and inform the children’s learning how to make moral choices.

Amazing Grace: Exploring Right and Wrong – Sixth – Eighth Grade (Thoreau House)

This program guides sixth through eighth graders through ways to determine right from wrong and act on their new understandings. Its purpose is to equip them for moving safely and productively through the middle- and high-school years, when they will be continually tugged toward both ends of the ethics continuum. Through Amazing Grace, youth come to depend on their Unitarian Universalist identity and resources as essential to their movement toward understanding, independence, and fulfillment of personal promise. Includes the game "Ethics Play" where participants explore possible choices in age appropriate, real life situations.

Exploring Our Values Through Poetry- High School Youth

This program uses poetry as the medium to explore participants’ values in the context of their UU faith. With contributions ranging from Tennyson to modern Chinese poet Shu Ting to Ishmael Reed, timeless themes such as "beauty," "love," "faith" and "surviving difficult times" are explored. Yet this is not just about sitting and reading poetry. Multiple learning styles are utilized as youth are encouraged to express themselves in art, song and Faith in Action projects. The program includes instructions to help youth sponsor a poetry slam in their congregation or community.

OWL (Our Whole Lives Sexuality)

OWL is an important opportunity for our youth and it will be offered during the church year. We will offer the complete program in a different format from year's past. Parents will meet in October and youth sessions will begin in January and end in May. This format will include some long sessions to build trust, community, and present similar topics together. Please let me know if you or your youth is interested in OWL this year.