At First Church, we are deeply committed to the spiritual growth and well-being of the youngest members of our community. We strive to create an environment that is not only a space for children to learn about their UU identity, but a space where they can feel confident, excited, and supported.

What do the Children and Youth at First Church do?

Our programming for children and youth has Sunday School at its core. Each Sunday, we gather during Worship to express and explore our UU faith, and build community together. But Sunday mornings are far from the end of this exploration. Throughout the year we have special celebrations, field trips, Family Fun Nights, a Christmas pageant, and much more!

This year, we are focusing on the theme of “Caring for Others, Caring for Ourselves”. We will explore the ways in which we can support others in our communities, what we need in order to provide that support, and how we can care for ourselves in a fulfilling, sustaining way. You can view our RE brochure to learn more.

Sunday Mornings

Right now, we have three groups in Sunday Morning RE:

In Childcare, kids 0-5 hang out in our wonderful Henny Penny Preschool space. At the moment, one parent or other grownup who came with a child must stay with them. We are in the process of hiring childcare providers so that parents can drop off. You can see the job posting here.

Elementary and Middle Schoolers start out Sunday School together every week, and are then invited to check out the day’s Exploration Stations. These stations focus on different methods of engaging with our annual and daily theme, and offer adaptations for younger and older children.

Our High Schoolers are working on a long-term social justice project, starting with identifying a need in our community and then working together to educate themselves and the congregation and make a change.

Other Children’s Programs

Our 8th-12th graders are all invited to participate in a multi-church youth group that pulls from a few UU churches in the area. Friends are welcome to join in as well! The group typically meets at the UU Church of Greater Lynn (located in Swampscott) every other Sunday evening. Contact Theo if you are interested!

Our church also collaborates with the UU Church of Greater Lynn to run Our Whole Lives (OWL) programming. OWL is a comprehensive and inclusive sex education program that runs the full lifespan and includes information on bodily autonomy, consent, healthy relationships, and more. This year, we are looking to offer OWL for grades K/1 and 4/5. You can learn more about these programs and express your interest here.

If you have any questions about our program, please feel free to reach out to the Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Theo Burbank. You can send her an email at fcreligioused@gmail.com, and she will beset up a meeting by Zoom or in person.

If your child is participating in any of our children and youth programming, please fill out our Registration Form.