This Year in Religious Exploration

2026-2027 Overview

Our lifespan Religious Exploration (RE) and Faith Development curricula and activities are grounded in Centering Love, to acknowledge that our world desperately needs love and affirm that our UU values and beliefs call us to live in this way. We explore Centering Love through related monthly themes from Soul Matters in K-12th grade classes, worship, and Journey Groups (small group ministry).

We will explore Centering Love through
Beginnings (September)
Courage (October)
Healing (November)
Awe (December)
Thresholds (January)
Commitment (February)
Balance (March)
Emergence (April)
Play (May)
Horizons (June)

_{Siblings Winona and Alistair participating in worship}

My husband and I joined CUUC after not practicing the faiths that we were raised with for many years. We so appreciate the ethical and spiritual grounding that the religious education program has given our children. Serving as volunteer teacher has also been rewarding and joyful.
– Christine H.

Sunday Mornings: children and youth

Read the weekly RE newsletter for information 
about weekly classes and activities.

Childcare, 9:45-11:45am every Sunday

Childcare is available every Sunday for young children. We offer a safe, loving, and engaging environment. Children play on the outdoor playground when weather permits. Our childcare staff is composed of Diane Keller, Hans Elsevier, and Salma Nasser.

Sunday mornings, we offer Kindergarden through 12th graders a mix of classes, spiritual practice, whole congregation worship, and special programs such as PlaceKeeping, and social justice learning and action.

Classes, 10:00-11:15am

We offer classes for Kindergarten-1st grade, 2nd-4rd grade, 5th-6th grade, and 7th-9th grade. 10th-12th graders will also meet occasionally. We begin every Sunday in the sanctuary, then leave after the Wisdom Story.

The K-1st grade class have Our Whole Lives in the fall, which explores and supports parents in educating children about birth, babies, bodies and families with stories, songs and activities. The HomeLink resource, shared after each class, offers resources to continue the conversation at home. It’s an important curriculum, offering parents and children the opportunity to begin a lifetime of open communication at an early age. The OWL curriculum for children offers accurate and age-appropriate information, in a safe environment, grounded in the values of self-worth, health, responsibility and justice. Parent/caregiver orientation is required.

In the spring, the K-1st grade class returns to Hugs Hollow, a curriculum written and led by Betsy Walkup that focuses on values and social-emotional development. Through stories, activities, and puppet friends who embody various characteristics, they learn to create community together.

The 2nd-4th and 5th-6th grade classes use Soul Matters packets to explore the monthly themes. The Soul Matters Sharing Circle is a network of Unitarian Universalist congregations who follow the same monthly
themes in a web of support and connection. Companions traveling a new journey together each month. Children will be exploring the same themes their adults are exploring in Journey Groups and worship, which creates more opportunities for conversations at home.

Woven Faith is a new lifespan curriulum series from the Unitarian Universalist Association. Woven Faith both honors our past and incorporates our present and future expressions of faith. Woven Faith also integrates our most current associational learning around anti-oppression practices, supporting the cultivation of both internal and interpersonal social-emotional skills essential for sustainable justice work.

5th-6th Grade Our Whole Lives classes will be offered over five Friday evenings in the spring. The period from age nine to twelve is an exciting and potentially overwhelming time for preadolescents. Physically, it marks the onset of puberty for many. Central to the experience of most young people of these ages are the emergence and development of a concept of self and the related issues of self-esteem, competence, and independence. Our Whole Lives provides crucial affirmation for young people at all stages, as well as all sexual orientations and gender identities. Affirming and supportive community can be life saving for young people. Classes explore the following topics in age-appropriate ways: images in popular culture; body image; changes of puberty; gender; feelings and attraction; sexuality and values; reproduction and staying healthy; decisions and actions; consent and peer pressure; and healthy relationships. Commitment to the full schedule is requested to promote a safe and supportive community. Parents/caregivers are required to attend an orientation on February 7, 11:30am at CUUC. Membership in our congregation is not required. We will meet at the same time as the youth class: Fridays, 6:00-9:00pm on March 5 & 12, April 2, 9, & 16. Please hold Friday, April 23rd for a weather makeup class, if needed.

The 7th-9th grade class is Coming of Age, which helps youth better appreciate Unitarian Universalism, their own beliefs and values, and how these intersect. Throughout the year, youth learn about Unitarian and Universalist history, spiritual practice, justice making in our UU tradition, and gifts of our faith. They explore the ‘big’ questions by first answering many smaller questions for themselves, reflecting on areas like basic human nature, a divine presence (or not), and the possibility of an afterlife. They also have conversations that invite them to explore the various communities they belong to and the individuals who influence them, and to consider which truly support them in becoming their authentic selves. In the spring, we pair each youth with a mentor who helps them pull their thoughts together and write their belief statements, and we imagine that their beliefs will change over time, as they do for many of us.

High School Youth Group is a place where youth can explore, connect, and grow. We learn about various justice issues and engaging in social action. We also collaborate with nearby Unitarian Universalist congregations for joint youth activities.

Program sundays

Social Action Sundays remind us that Unitarian Universalism is a living faith. We are called into intentional relationship with each other in ways that honor the fullness of our humanity and breakdown obstacles that prevent some from being able to thrive, or even survive. We help our young people find their voice, and act and interact with UU values in mind. This is especially important as we live in a time when intolerance and hate are boldly visible. We respond by practicing interacting through our differences with compassion and kindness. We respond by working for justice. We respond by building beloved community that honors and celebrates the richness of diverse beliefs, identities, and experiences.Activities include making HOPE meal bags, organizing donations for Coachman, Lifting Up Westchester, 914Cares, among others. We also collaborate with neighboring UU congregations and the Interfaith Prison Partnership.

PlaceKeeping Sundays help us connect to the beautiful land that is CUUC’s outdoor sanctuary and live into our responsibility to provide a biological refuge for indigenous species of plants and animals. We celebrate the wonders of our wooded hillside and wetland in the hills of Westchester, the headwaters of the Mamaroneck River, Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. We respect the mutual sustainability of both animal life and plant life, and the interdependence of each upon the other. Our efforts to nurture our grounds (and its inhabitants) will be guided by the understanding that animals and trees/shrubs/plants can thrive and sustain themselves in a shared environment tended by our congregation. Activities include planting trees, doing the annual water study, documenting birds that live on or visit our grounds, supporting the re-wilding project, a family activity, and continuing observations about changes as we cultivate our interdependent web of existence.

Spiritual Practice offer opportunities to relax, listen to our own inner voice, connect with a broader lifeforce, cultivate deeper sense of meaning, and develop practices that can sustain us through life’s moments. Rituals connect us to our aspirations, help us facilitate healing and growth, and give structure and meaning to the human experience. They also unite our bodies and hearts in different ways of knowing, connecting with our experiences in ways that are deeply meaningful and memorable. When we engage in rituals together, they can help us move from a collection of individuals into a connected and cohesive group, reminding us that we are not alone in the world. These Sundays include attending whole congregation worship or participating in spiritual practices in RE for grounding, deepening, and resilience. Whole congregation (all ages) worship Sundays are planned to engage all ages. Young people are a vital part of our community and the way we welcome young people directly affects the way they respond to religious community, the Divine, and one another.

Parents & Caregivers as primary educators

We offer parents and caregivers resources to support you as your young person’s primary educator. And, we cultivate multigenerational community through learning, action, and social activities. Stay up to date by receiving the weekly Religious Exploration (RE) newsletter for families and RE leaders, and weekly CUUC e-Communitarian. Sign up and read past issues here.

Adults

Faith formation is the term we use for everything we do in this religious community that equips us to live our Unitarian Universalist values inside our walls and beyond. Faith formation informs, forms, and transforms each of us in a Unitarian Universalist faith that offers a vision for the head, heart, and hands. This informs how our spirit interacts with the world, and offers deepening ways to connect with our inner wisdom as we continue to grow together.

Faith development and religious exploration continue over our lifetimes. We offer adults the opportunity to learn, grow, share and deepen in supportive community. These are opportunities to be introduced to new ideas and experiences, tell your own story, deepen understanding of Unitarian Universalism and sources of our living tradition, engage with ethical and moral questions, participate in calls to faith in action as we work to build communities of love and justice, and have spiritual experiences that inspire, transform, and sustain.

Some of our 2026-2027 adult offerings are listed below. Dates are published in our newsletters and on our online calendar.

Adult RE CTT — *^{Adult Class: Creating Theology Together}*

Journey Groups are theme-based monthly gatherings in which congregants can explore their deepest values and inner voices, and connect with others in a small group. 2026-2027 registration is available on our website.

Creating Theology Together is a class led by Rev. Danielle and Rev. Tracy where we focus on defining theology and considering our personal relationship with theology. We explore where we each come from, what we carry, and how that impacts, informs, or challenges us. As we continue organizing around social issues, we also explore how theology might inform our individual and collective organizing. Saturday, October 24, 9:00am-2:00pm at CUUC.

Adult ‘Coming of Age’: Exploring Your Evolving Beliefs is a class led by Rev. Danielle for adults to explore values, beliefs, and Unitarian Universalist history inspired by our youth Coming of Age program. Dates coming soon.

Navigating Life’s Transition is the topic for the January 31st worship service, followed by a workshop in which Rev. Danielle will lead us in planning our own memorial service. This is an opportunity to think about how you would like to shape that service, and a gift for your beloveds who will find peace in knowing that they are following your wishes and have fewer decisions to make on their own.

Exploring Mortality: Facing Death With Life is a series led by Rev. Tracy, based on curricula written by Unitarian Universalist Association (‘Facing Death with Life’) and UU Minister, Rev. Karen Johnston (‘Date with Death’). She will also share material from her Death Doula training that includes important documents to convey your wishes leading up to and after death, green burial options, and ways you can support your beloveds through life’s transition. The goal of this series is to facilitate a process of personal reflection, learning, and spiritual growth focused on the topic of death and dying, and embrace the possibility of living a more awake life by facing the reality of our death. These conversations will invite participants to consider dying and death as a healthy part of life, including the preparation, the moment of death, the grieving, and the living on.

When we meet at CUUC, childcare can be provided with advance request. You are welcome to attend one or all sessions. More frequent attendance will provide the benefit of deepening interpersonal connection and personal understanding. Dates coming soon.

These sessions will complement the January 31 worship service and workshop Rev. Danielle will lead on navigating life’s transition. This will include an opportunity to plan your own memorial service, which can be a gift for your beloveds who will find peace in knowing that they are following your wishes and have fewer decisions to make on their own.

Parents and Caregivers as Sexuality Educators is a program for Unitarian Universalist parents and caregivers who are their children’s primary educators and play a central role in their emotional and spiritual development. The sessions are designed to meet the needs of adults raising children of a wide age range, from elementary through high school, offering the opportunity to think more intentionally about their interactions with their young person around relationships, values, sexuality and decision-making. The series offers information and discussion around physiological aspects of sexual development, communicating about healthy relationships, understanding sexual orientation and gender identity, peer pressure, partner pressure and consent, and managing social media. By supporting youth through conversation and genuine interest in their thoughts, feelings and decision-making processes, parents and caregivers can have the most influence on their youth’s developing decision-making capacity. This program invites adults to ask themselves: How can I embody my role as my child’s primary sexuality educator in a way that expresses my UU values and faith? Adults may participate in the classes even if you do not have a young person in OWL. Membership in our congregation is not required. We will meet at the same time as the youth class: Fridays, 6:00-9:00pm on March 5 & 12, April 2, 9, & 16. Please hold Friday, April 23rd for a weather makeup class, if needed.

CUUC Committees, Groups, and Teams are a wonderful way to be involved in congregational life and practice living into our values. We support one another in this community with friendship, goodwill, and respect. By supporting each other with our time, energy, and unique gifts, we have the opportunity to learn more about each other and develop new friendships while helping to sustain our beloved community. Read more here.

Parents of Young Adults is a monthly group where parents support each other in the spiritual adventure of parenting at this stage.

Social Events for all ages

Each month, we have fun community building activities for all ages. Join us for game nights, sing-a-longs, dance parties, picnics and more! Consult our calendar for dates.

2026-2027 Overview