Welcome to the Children's Religious Education Program at Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church. We have an exciting year planned for our children and youth!

Young Friends: Our nursery offers a fun environment for our youngest children (0 - 4 years old) to make new friends and play. Older nursery children (ages 3+) can also choose the next class in our series, which is a more structured class environment for children who are ready for a story-based curriculum.

Wonderers 3 - 6 year old class: We are offering the Wonderers class for all 3 - 5 year olds who would enjoy a more structured class than the play-based Young Friends option. Wonderers offers an exploration of our Unitarian Universalist faith, and introduces essential religious questions through stories and activities. The Wonderers class has a staff teacher who is there most every Sunday, alongside a rotating volunteer teacher. This allows children to have the consistency of a regular teacher and also get to know other adults in the congregation. Our Wonderers class uses a story-based curriculum.

Explorers (1st - 5th graders):  Our Explorers class will develop their Unitarian Universalist identities while exploring the Soul Matters monthly themes through story, movement, games and hands-on activities. The Explorers class will have a staff teacher who is there most every Sunday, assisted by a rotating volunteer teacher.

Seekers (6th-12th graders): Our 6th-12th grade class will focus on Unitarian Universalist identity and community building through small group discussion using our Soul Matters monthly themes and Tapestry of Faith curricula (From the Unitarian Universalist Association).This class will be led by a team of volunteer teachers.

This year is also an Our Whole Lives year. Northlake offers Our Whole Lives (OWL) classes to Northlake youth and the wider community once every 2 years. The age ranges for OWL classes are K-1st grade, 4th-5th grade, and 8th-9th grade. If we have enough interest, we will also try to offer a 10th-12th grade OWL class. On your registration form, please indicate if you may be interested in OWL for your youth. For more information about the OWL program, please see the Unitarian Universalist Association's website: https://www.uua.org/re/owl

Regular attendance makes a real difference in your child's experience. It helps your child establish friendships and provides a sense of continuity for students and teachers alike.

Donation: NUUC suggests that families donate $40 per child or $80 per family on behalf of the RE program.  When classes start in the fall, please bring a check payable to NUUC and include "RE Registration" in the memo line. (You can drop the check off in the church office or in the offering basket.) If this amount would be a hardship for your family, please donate as you are able. Donations support Northlake in general, and Northlake designates a portion of the annual budget to purchase books, materials, and supplies for the Children's Religious Education program.

Visitors: We welcome visitors to our RE program! Visitors are not asked to make a donation to the program, but we do request that you complete a visitor registration form so that we have all the information we need to best serve your family.