Second Parish in Hingham

Religious Education

Welcome to Religious Education at Second Parish. We offer your children and youth curricula that aim to raise the big questions and give your kids the context within which to learn to answer them for themselves.

We welcome all families and would like you to feel at home here. If you are new, please be sure to sign our guestbook and registration form. You can also contact the Minister of Religious Education, Rev.Kim Preveza by email MRE@secondparish.org or by calling the church.

Children start their Sunday mornings in the sanctuary at 10:00 a.m. by attending the first part of the service with the whole congregation, often for a "story for all ages." The congregation "sings them out" as they go to their classes. Nursery School is located downstairs for 6 month to Pre-School children until after coffee hour. K-12 is upstairs above Cushing Hall until 11:00 a.m. Babies can stay with a parent in the sanctuary. If your child is having a difficult time please come to the nursery to comfort them. There is a rocking chair for nursing and a changing table.

Please see class descriptions below for more information.

Our Goals

In Religious Education, we think we can help you add something to your children's lives. We want to help you give your children a grounding in a wonderful liberal religion. We have 37 Sundays from September to June (if you attend every Sunday) to help our children develop a sense of what religion is all about.

First, we would like our children to be part of an extended community where they feel welcome, are valued for the gifts they bring and the people they are. "Do unto others" is the big rule. This is a community where questioning the mysteries of life is valued. It takes time to develop a sense of belonging.

We want our children to feel part of the Unitarian Universalist tradition. We want your children to know the tenets of the church and be able to articulate what it means to be a UU. Free thinking, questioning, and personal discovery are the order of the day. We want our children to be proud that they are part of this liberal faith. It takes time to develop a sense of pride.

We want our children to know other religious faiths and to celebrate the ideas brought to the world by other cultures and religions. We want them to develop tolerance for ideas and people that are not part of their everyday life. We want them to know that they could use ideas from other faith traditions and blend them into a personal theology. This is a religion that allows for personal growth and diversity. It takes time to understand and appreciate.

We want our children to develop a social responsibility consciousness. We want them to feel they can make a difference in this world. We want them to know that there are people and causes out in the world that cry out for assistance and that they can and should reach out. It takes time to work on social responsibility projects.

We want our children to have a place to think and talk about life's issues-getting along with others, death, peace and war, sexuality, violence of one kind or another let's give them a safe forum in which to explore ideas and to get input. Children need places to think out loud and to gather ideas and feedback. Church should be one of those places. It takes time to talk and to listen.

We want our children to expand their pool of friends to children and adults that are UUs. We want them to link up with people who are humanists and value this faith, who think it is important and has meaning in their lives. We want them to listen to different ideas of spirituality and develop their own ideas and feelings about spirituality. It takes time to connect and develop ideas about spirituality.

So, come. It's only 37 hours--not even a full work week--and we have so much to do! Let's get started on the education that will be a meaningful gift for a lifetime.

Our Principles

1. We respect the importance and values of all beings
2. We are fair and kind to others
3. We yearn to learn and grow together
4. We search for what is true
5. We believe in our ideals and act upon them
6. We build a fair and peaceful world
7. We respect and care for our planet

Our Sources

The Words and Deeds of UU Women and Men
Christian and Jewish Teachings
World Religions
Spiritual Teachings from Earth-Centered Traditions

NURSERY - 6 months through 4 years

Nursery care is provided by trained teens during the length of the Sunday service. Parents are encouraged to stay with their children until they are familiar and comfortable with the caregivers. Stories, games, and toys will entertain the children.

Primary Class (K-Grade 4): Fall Term "Super Heroes"

Unitarian Universalist Super Heroes will introduce children to UUs who have lived by UU principles. They will also learn some of our UU traditions. Most important, they will learn to use their own "super powers" as they interact with the world around them and grow spiritually and ethically.

Primary Class (K-Grade 4): Spring Term "Experiences with the Web of Life "

This session is about the Unitarian Universalist Seventh Principle of respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part. Learning this principle is a deeply religious undertaking. The emphasis on values differentiates it from ecological content at weekday schools.
Goals are: to develop awareness of the web of life; to encourage children's natural sense of wonder and awe; to gain awareness of, and comfort with, change and growth; and to develop respect for all living things and to enjoy nature.

Intermediate Class (Grades 5-8): "Traditions with a Wink"

Our intermediate class will be leaning about our UU traditions such as our celebrations, the place of reason and science, the different ways UUs create community, our tradition of good works, our music and hymns, our purposes and principles, and our Judeo-Christian roots. This will be a wonderful prelude to their Junior programs and Coming of Age.
Teachers: Sean Gallagher, Pam King. Julianna Lovell, Anne McGuire

The Junior Class (Grades 9-12): "Coming of Age"

This class celebrates the transition from childhood to youth -- the time when people come of age. The curriculum uses rituals, learning, testing, and celebration. Each youth is paired with an adult mentor who is a member of the congregation. Throughout the year they explore their beliefs and develop a faith statement.
(Coming of Age Graduates from last year attend adult services)

Pottery

We are very fortunate to have a kiln on site! Each group will have a few sessions with our very talented art teacher, Allison Crowe, and will produce ceramic pieces to bring the message of their lessons alive.

Youth Group (Grades 9-12)

We are in the process of creating an exciting program for our high school youth this year. There willl be creative projects, field trips, social action projects, and visits to other houses of worship as the teen explore neighboring faiths and their own values. The teens will meet new friends from local UU churches as we join in many activities, some here and some at other churches.

Life Span Faith Development

UU's believe in the lifelong search for truth and meaning. We have a number of opportunities for adults to gather in small groups or educational class settings to continue learning, sharing and enriching each others lives with their spiritual stories.