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Young Children \\ Youth Religious Education \\ OWL \\ Adult Religious Education \\ All Ages Opportunities

Program Fee Structure

We ask that if you enroll your children or youth in our program, you either make a financial pledge to the church or pay a program fee. The fee is $300 per child/youth with a family maximum of $500 for the year.  Contact Director of Religious Education Matt Vasko to ask about a scholarship if this fee constitutes a hardship for your family. 

For more information on Our Whole Lives, check out the Unitarian Universalist Association’s OWL page here.

Click the link below to register your child for classes. If you’ve registered your child in the past and there are no updates, all we need from you is the child’s name, authorizations, emergency contact, and behavior covenant. That’s it! 

If your information has changed or if you’re registering for a section of OWL, then you have a few more sections to fill out. Thanks for your response!

Feel free to reach out to Matt Vasko for more information!

Neighborhood Church is proud of our programs and services designed just for our littlest members! We offer a childcare program whose first and most important goal is to provide a safe, warm, supportive atmosphere for both parents and children.

Our second goal is to encourage independence, creativity, and a sense of discovery and exploration in each child, inspiring them to find new ways to have fun and feel secure in new relationships.

The preschool building on our campus where our young children attend their programs is a secure facility with a gated yard which requires a code for entry.

We request that newcomers seek out a staff member to help them get settled- we’re always happy to help!

Childcare is available for all church services except Christmas Eve. Childcare may also be available for other church events and activities upon request, so check with a staff member to find out.

Our RE Assistant supervises the staff, which includes paid caregivers and occasionally youth or adult volunteers from the congregation, as they administer childcare with a warm and caring spirit.  We’re happy to offer this service and we encourage parents to visit or volunteer at any time. If you’d like to request childcare for a church event or help out with the Childcare program, please reach out to Matt Vasko.

For more details about our Childcare program, please review our YOUTH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

Youth Religious Education (K - Senior High)

There is always something for children and youth to do at Neighborhood Church! Our Youth Religious Education program runs year-round, offering a variety of classes and activities. Some weeks, we worship as a community and children and youth stay in the Sanctuary for the entirety of the service. Most weeks, children and youth in grades Kindergarten through 8th Grade start out in the Sanctuary and are sung out to their classes or other activities.

The mission of the Youth Religious Education (YRE) Program at Neighborhood Church is to:

NURTURE spiritual growth;

HELP develop personal religious beliefs;

CREATE a foundation for Unitarian Universalist identity;

FOSTER trust in community, church and humanity;

ENCOURAGE living a life that makes a difference.

We seek to create programs that make children feel welcome, included, safe, loved, and an integral part of our community.

For a detailed list of all current classes and groups for children and youth, please review our YOUTH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK.

OWL (Our Whole Lives) Sexuality Education

Our Whole Lives, or OWL, is a positive, comprehensive, age-appropriate educational program that promotes sexual health and is informed by the guidelines of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS).

Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture.

Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives not only provides facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

Once these classes begin, they are closed classes. OWL views parents as the primary sexuality educators and therefore every OWL class begins with a mandatory parent or parent/child orientation.

The K-1st grade program is eight weeks, beginning each February.

The 4th-5th grade program is 10 weeks, beginning each February.

8th Grade OWL runs every Sunday of our program year, September through May.

11th-12th Grade OWL runs every other year, for 12 weeks beginning in February of every even-numbered year.

Advance registration is required.  Contact Matt Vasko for a calendar of specific dates.

For more information, see the UUA’s Our Whole Lives information or contact Matt Vasko.

Adult Religious Education

At Neighborhood Church, we strive to provide lifelong learning opportunities which will foster your own spiritual exploration, introduce you to new people, deepen ongoing relationships, and strengthen your involvement in Neighborhood Church. We aim to provide programs that enrich, educate, and empower through classes, small groups, special events, lectures, workshops, and retreats.

Classes are added frequently and publicized in all our church communications.

Registration: We ask that you preregister for classes. Many of our offerings have a minimum or maximum number of participants. Registering will also put you on the class email list to receive updates and reminders. You may sign up on Sundays at the Religious Education table or Social Justice table for Social Justice classes.

Childcare: We are committed to providing childcare for all classes and events open to the entire congregation. To ensure safety and adequate supervision, we request that you reserve a space for your child at least one week in advance by contacting Director of Religious Education Matt Vasko.

Please reach out to Matt if you have an idea for a class or think you might be interested in leading a class!

All Ages Opportunities

At Neighborhood Church we believe that Religious Education happens across the lifespan, that Religious Education is involved in many aspects of life, and that we all have things we can learn from one another. Adults can educate children about our beliefs through formal class settings, but also by modeling the seven Unitarian Universalist Principles in how they interact with our children. Children even have education to offer to adults as their exuberance reminds us all that life is meant to be joyful and lived to its fullest.

The Religious Education Program and other programs of the church offer multigenerational opportunities throughout the year. These are meant to be chances for families to do things together and for all members of our community to come together around particular interests. They include everything from potlucks to zoo trips to game or movie nights. For a list of upcoming events, check out the church calendar!