FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What kinds of things will my child learn?

Parents seeking a religious education program are often looking for a community of shared values in which to raise their children. These values are the most important things we teach, but we also give children building blocks with which to form their own beliefs. We offer a balanced program including Unitarian Universalist identity, Jewish and Christian heritage, other world religions, and social action/justice. 

How can you teach without doctrine?
The notable nineteenth-century Unitarian minister William Ellery Channing wrote, "The great end of religious instruction is not to stamp our minds irresistibly upon the young but to stir up their own . . . to touch inward springs." We have a strong faith in the inherent spirituality of children and see it as our task to nurture, not to indoctrinate. Our respect for the children teaches them respect-for themselves, for others, and for this fragile interdependent web of which we are all a part.

What will my child learn about big religious questions?
They will learn that all big questions have many answers, and that it is their duty to search responsibly for their own answers. But we also give children a foundation on which to build their own values. You can expect your child to learn that:

1. There are as many ideas about God as there are people;
2. We hold Jesus in the tradition of the great prophets and teachers, and we learn from the example of his life;
3. Death is a mystery that is inseparable from life, and the only immortality we can know for sure is that which lives on in the hearts and minds of those whose lives we touch; therefore, how we lead our lives each day is of the utmost importance.

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Will our family be accepted?
This is probably the most crucial question many families ask, and we hope that you find the answer to be yes. Unitarian Universalist congregations are deliberate in their welcoming of all kinds of families; we feel that diversity is a treasure that enriches us all. And many of our curricula for children encourage them to see that differences in factors like race, ethnicity, abilities, sexual orientation and gender identities are part of the fullness of our world. 

What can interfaith families expect to find here?
At River of Grass, they can expect to find that they are far from alone! We are often the "right fit" for interfaith families. We honor many Jewish, Christian, and other religious holidays. A Seder might be held days before an Easter service, for instance. Both the Jewish and the Christian scriptures, along with the sacred writings and thought of many other religions, form the basis of many of our curricula. We know there is value in all of them.
  
How often should my child attend?
Children enjoy faith development programming more if they have the opportunity to make friends and know what's going on. For that reason, regular attendance is important. Of course, circumstances like shared custody can make one family's "regular" different from another's. Sports and other activities can also create conflicts with religious education. In these cases, parents must decide what their priorities are for their children.

What are my responsibilities as a parent?
Children learn values from their parents. You can help your own child learn the importance of faith development by facilitating regular attendance, showing an interest in what happens each week, and volunteering your own time to the program. Additionally, just as the entire congregation supports faith development, so your support in terms of both service and financial assistance is needed by the entire congregation. You, in fact, become a part of that congregation (although not a "member" in the formal sense) when you register your child in the faith development program.

Should My Child Attend Sunday school at all?
That's a good question. And it deserves a thoughtful answer. After all, one might argue that your child would be better off not being taught any religion so that he or she wouldn't be biased and could make a free choice as an adult. For these parents, I would like to recall the words of a Unitarian minister from the nineteenth century, Minot Judson Savage, who said,
Parents tell me continuously that they do not give their children any religious training, from the feeling that it is taking unfair advantage of the child. They say, "I propose to let my children grow up as far as possible unbiased." [But] if you do not bias [your children], the first one that [they] meet on the street, or in school, or among their companions, or in the media (my emphasis), will begin the work of biasing, of the impression of education, for this is a continuous process. Whether you will it or not, it is something over which you have no choice. It is something that will be done either wisely and well-or unwisely and ill. 
I believe Rev. Savage's words are as true today as they were more than 100 years ago. It does take a village to raise a child and we find it’s a lot easier when you have a little help from your friends!
*(taken from UUA pamphlets)
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If this sounds like the kind of religious education you want for your family and you are ready to enroll your child in our Faith Development program, you can access our registration at this link.