Children and Youth
A community who grows…
We try to nurture our children and youth with a progressive faith at every stage of life.
Children, Worship, & Wonder
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.'” (Matthew 19:14, NRSV). We deeply value the children in our congregation and take Christian education seriously. We believe that children should be nurtured and allowed to develop their own theology from an early age, as such we use a program called Children Worship & Wonder during our service. Children Worship and Wonder is a method of Christian education that strives to teach children the art of using religious language – parable, sacred story, silence, and liturgical action – to help them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives. It is based on the teaching methods developed by Maria Montessori, which include self-motivation, freedom for physical activity (no stationary desks or chairs), informal and individual instruction, and development of sensory and motor skills through the use of manipulatives to help illustrate stories. Each week a story-teller and door person who have been trained in the Montessori method provide leadership for this group.
Youth
UCC’s Youth meet on a regular basis for activities. They also participate in a Partnership Youth Group with several other churches in the San Diego area. Meetings focus on fellowship, study, deep spirituality, service, and lots of fun.
Additionally, youth take summer mission trips and many attend camps.
Some recent mission trips include traveling to the Oakland Peace Center, All Peoples’ Christian Church in Los Angeles to work with urban inner-city ministry and to help children, building homes in Appalachia and New Orleans, learning about environmental stewardship in Monterey Bay, development work in Mexicali, and working on an Indian Reservation in Yakama, Washington.