Coastal Virginia Unitarian Universalists provides a robust program of evidence based religious education.

Many of our in person Religious Education classes are based on Spirit Play. Spirit Play is a Unitarian Universalist program of religious education that evolved from a long line of Montessori-based religious education programming including Sofia Cavalletti’s Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Jerome Berryman’s Godly Play™, and Joyce Zaugg’s The Children’s Hour. It is based on story and ritual, play and creativity. Spirit Play gives children the tools to make meaning of their lives within Unitarian Universalism.  Our children’s programs focus on the eight principles and six sources.

During this time of the Covid-19 pandemic we are meeting virtually using Zoom.  The virtual Children’s Religious Education curriculum is titled Soul Matters and it began 9/13/20.  The curriculum fits nicely into the Children’s Religious Education order of service which meets every Sunday from 9:45 AM to 10:25 AM.  The Soul Matters material is organized with these connections in mind: child to child, religious education leaders to child, family member to family member and family to family.  We are excited to bring this curriculum to CVUU’s religious education program.  It is designed with virtual education in mind.  Each month has a theme. 

Each week is designed around a particular lesson on the monthly theme. The building blocks in each of these themed sections include:

“Introduce It” – Object lessons and wonder bag presentations to help leaders introduce the lesson/theme for the children.

“Tell It & Talk About It” – Stories (and some puppet scripts) to help bring the theme to life through storytelling

“Meditate on It” – Various mindfulness practices to help children engage the theme in a more reflective and quiet way.

“Explore It” – Small group activities and experiential learning designed for online experience.  Just because we can’t be together physically doesn’t mean we can’t play and create together online! 

“Take It Home” – Ideas about how to weave the theme into family and home life.

When we return back to in person religious education we will continue to use Soul Matters for the Pre-Kindergarten, fourth and fifth grades and return to Spirit Play for the kindergarten through third grades.  

Youth Religious Education News

Teens meet weekly for discussion on current teen topics. All high school students (9-12 grade) are welcome. Anyone interested in joining should contact the Youth Program Coordinator.

For Parents and Guardians

In January of 2020, CVUU formed REACH, an education group that offers emotional support and community, as well as workshops on sexual education, social justice, spiritual parenting, and other topics of interest to UU-minded families. CLICK HERE