What is Youth Faith Formation at First Parish Waltham?

The Goal of Faith Formation: To provide children and youth with a sense of, and connection to, their UU faith that will carry through to adulthood.

Chalice Children: Our Chalice Children group is our faith exploration program offered on Sunday Mornings during the worship service suggested for kids ages 4-8

Purpose – The purpose of Chalice Children is to teach the Values of Unitarian Universalism while helping children learn how they can live their faith every day and in all that they do.
Goal—The goal of our Chalice Children program is for kids to begin to understand how Unitarian Universalism can and should manifest in their everyday lives. It is also a time to explore faith and begin their own wonderings about faith. Fun activities like science projects, crafts, games, and discussions help kids explore our monthly themes and shared faith in a hands-on way.

Junior Youth: Our Jr. Youth group is our faith exploration program offered on Sunday mornings during the worship service suggested for youth ages 9-13.

Purpose—Jr. Youth’s purpose is to help youth begin to articulate their beliefs and ideas about faith while living those ideas and our UU values out in their everyday lives.

Goal—The Goal of our Jr. Youth program is to help youth continue to build on their understanding of how they live their faith and explore the big questions of life. Fun activities like science projects, crafts, games, and group discussion questions help youth explore and gain a firm grasp of their faith as well as what they believe in and stand for.

Youth Group: Our Youth Group programs are offered for our teens on various nights and weekends throughout the year.
Purpose – The purpose of Youth Group is to build community.
Goal – The goal of Youth Group is youth empowerment. Our youth meet to have fun and connect with peers and friends, explore their beliefs and values, develop leadership skills, engage in social justice work, volunteer with community outreach programs and service projects, and so much more. All while having fun and building relationships in a safe environment.

What will we be doing in Youth Faith Formation this year (2024-2025)?
This year, our curriculum will have a large focus on community building and the overarching theme of “The Practices of Our Faith.” We’ll be using this overarching theme to focus on how Unitarian Universalism is a lived faith that inspires us to all act, live, and love our values and principles out in the world. Or, to put it another way, we’re diving into our long-loved commitment to “deeds, not creeds.” Our overarching frame is also a way for us to connect each of our monthly themes as a practice that helps us embody and center love in our daily lives. This year’s monthly theme are:

The Practice of…
September: Invitation
October: Deep Listening
November: Repair
December: Presence
January: Story
February: Inclusion
March: Trust
April: Joy
May: Imagination
June: Freedom

Each of our Sunday morning faith formation groups will have four key pieces. They will begin in the sanctuary for the first part of worship and the Wisdom Tale.

~ The Wisdom Tale is a great way to introduce the weekly theme angle in a memorable and impactful way to the whole congregation. Additionally, oral storytelling is a particular love of April’s (our DFF), as it has been the way religious traditions have long passed down wisdom and helped people make sense of the world. Following the Wisdom Tale, the children and youth will then be released to their group spaces. Once in their spaces, each group will continue with the next three pieces.
~ The Chalice Circle serves as an opening ritual, with chalice, check-in questions, and space to welcome anyone new to the group.
~ The Wondering Questions encourage children/youth to explore the theme lens more deeply and are meant to prompt and guide children/youth to begin thinking about and understand that Unitarian Universalism is not a faith that will give them the answers, but rather the tools to ask their questions and form their own answers, beliefs, and opinions on life’s big questions, faith, and spirituality.
~ The Group Activities allow children and youth to bring their thinking to life. Each week, several body practices, activities, crafts, games, and group discussions will help kids and youth explore their practices and begin to make sense of how those practices can be applied in their lives.