Learning

What We Offer

We provide children, youth, young adults, and adults an opportunity to explore, reflect, and learn in a nurturing spiritual community. Unitarian Universalist religious education programs offer all ages, inspiring:

  • Ethical growth – internalizing enduring values like justice, equity, and compassion, and gaining tools to act on them in everyday life.
  • Social growth – connecting with peers and people of all ages on a deeper level. Finding acceptance among people who see beyond the superficial.
  • Spiritual growth – feeling a connection with the sacred within, among, and beyond us.

Our UU Values affirm that Love is central to all that we do. We help our young people make sense of the world and to reflect on the choices they make using the language of our UU Values, expressed as Rainbow UU Promises for children.

Most Sundays

Children preschool age and up are invited to join their parents in the sanctuary for the worship service.  Children who wish to participate in Religious Education (RE) classes are encouraged to begin in the sanctuary and stay through the “time for all ages” segment of the worship service.  After Time for All Ages children are sung out to go to their classes.

About once a month, we offer an All Ages Worship Service, with activities and stories to engage people of all ages.  On those Sundays, there are no RE classes, but our youngest children are welcome to join the Nursery group to play. 

RE classes are typically held from 10:45-11:45 (see the typical schedule below). The children usually begin in service and then join in the story or conversation at our “Time For All Ages” before being dismissed to classrooms. Classrooms are as follows: 

  • Room 216: Nursery Our nursery caregiver, Christina Wright, and a weekly volunteer offer a story or activity and a welcoming space for our youngest children to play and explore.  Preschoolers are welcome in this space until our preschool-kindergarten class starts up again. 
  • Room 206: Elementary This group begins with a sharing circle and then the children build community by exploring what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist through thematic topics, enjoying crafts or activities, and participating in community service projects.  Older preschoolers are also welcome to join this group if they prefer. 
  • Room 102 : 6th-12th Grade This group works together to build community through service projects, youth led services, fundraising, and deep discussion of world events. 
  • Room 214: Resource room This is a room that can be utilized by anyone at UUCTC, but it is especially helpful for families and RE volunteers. Here you will find games, puzzles, blocks, legos, instruments, curriculum resources, books, banner and world religion bags (bags of books available for check out), and more. 

We have banner bags on the following themes: Black Lives Matter, Women Have Agency Over Their Bodies, Climate Change is Real, Love is Love, No Human Being is Illegal, All Genders are Whole, Holy, and Good 

We have world religion bags on the following: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Bahai, Islam, Buddhism, Unitarian Universalism. 

 Typical schedule

  • 10:30-10:45 Begin in service for “Time for All Ages.” 
  • 10:45-11:45 Religious Education time in classrooms 
  • 11:45 parents are requested to pick up their children at their classrooms 

Special events

Here are a few of the special events that take place at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tippecanoe County throughout the year. Not all events happen each year. 

  • January - New Years Eve celebration, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Religious Education Volunteer training 
  • February - Valentine making, Black History Month 
  • March - Spring break 
  • April - Earth Day, Plant sale 
  • May - Celebration of Community, Bridging service 
  • June - Flower Communion 
  • July - Summer Fun 
  • August - Water communion, Getting to know you activities, Scavenger hunt/classroom tours, Covenanting, Religious Education Volunteer training 
  • September - Congregational Retreat 
  • October - Blessing of the Animals, Halloween party/haunted house 
  • November - Bread Communion, Soup Dinner
  • December - Lafayette Urban Ministry Jubilee Christmas, Holiday program, Procession of Giving, Art fair