Joyful Journey

Joyful Journey is a special program designed for third and fourth grade children. This program's goal is to provide children with a better understanding of the UU faith, to foster a sense of roots and belonging in our religious community, and to get them started thinking about who they are and what they may believe.

The Joyful Journey Program for third and fourth graders grew out of our desire at Congregational Unitarian Church to foster religious education that provides both roots and wings for our children. Our children have age mate peers who are participating in programs in their own faith traditions. Religious conversations with peers occur frequently. It is very important to children to have their own experience to share, talk about and take pride in. Culturally and developmentally, this is a stage of growth and faith development when children begin to explore religion with a new sense of awareness. Our children are affirmed in their UU faith by having this parallel experience in their own faith tradition.

Two of our goals for this program are to provide a formal rite of passage to honor our children's religious growth and to foster their sense of being embraced by our church community as young Unitarian Universalists. Offering a means for furthering the connections between home and church and nurturing the ability to live our UU beliefs as families are additional goals. As parents, your involvement in and enthusiasm about this experience can have a profound impact on your child's faith development at this ripening stage in their lives.