Lifespan Faith Formation

Children's Sunday Morning Program: Summer 2026

This summer’s theme is Magic Summer. Each session will center the three magic S’s: Service to Others, Silence and Mindfulness, and Sunshine and Movement.

Service to Others:
Service to others pulls us out of self-concern and connects us to wider world. In the face of
helplessness and hopelessness, it invites us to experience and reaffirm our sense of agency
and empowerment.

Silence and Mindfulness:
In a busy and buzzing world, stillness helps us listen to our own voice. In a world that distracts
and seeks to control our attention, silence enables us to make our own choices and notice the
quieter gifts waiting for us to find them. We offer shorter meditations often rooted in
visualization or simple actions and movement to meet children where they are at.

Sunshine and Movement:
Summertime is a magical time of less formal learning, and of more connection to nature and
the outside.

July 5: Seed Balls
This week we focus on our 3S’s by making seed balls, taking part in a visual seed meditation,
and spending time outside.

July 12: Water Justice
This week we focus on our 3S’s by learning about water justice, taking part in a pass the cup
meditation, and running an outdoor water obstacle course.

July 19: Book Notes
This week we focus on our 3S’s by creating book notes for our library, taking part in a Keeper
of Books meditation, and a reading picnic.

July 26: Treats for the Humane Society
This week we focus on our 3S’s by putting together treat bags for the humane society, taking
part in a Lost Animal meditation, and play an animal sound game outside.

August 2: Cards of Encouragement
This week we focus on our 3S’s by writing cards of encouragement for our elders, taking part
in a Time Travel meditation, and playing red light green light.

August 9: Mother Earth
This week we focus on our 3S’s by helping beautify Mother Earth here at KUUF, taking part in
a Kindness meditation, and going on a nature walk.

August 16: Centeredness
This week we focus on our 3S’s by creating posters that remind us to stay centered, taking
part in a centering meditation, and creating laying Catch the Compliment.

August 23: Care Packages
This week we focus on our 3S’s by creating care packages to share with our houseless
community members, reading Last Stop on Market Street, and taking part in a Paper Airplane
Letter delivery activity.

August 30: No Programming Special Breakfast Service

Widening the Circle: Tuesdays this Fall

Widening the Circle: Transgender Inclusion in Congregations begins this fall!

This course is for everyone from novices on trans identity to those with decades of life experience. Rather than simply offering a “trans 101,” this class pushes participants to the next level of congregational welcome, relationship-building, and skills-building. It counters mainstream narratives about who trans people are. supports understanding of non-binary identities, and employs a deeply intersectional approach.

Location: KUUF Sanctuary
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Dates: Tuesdays September 8, 15, 22, 29, and October 6, 13, 20 and 27
Facilitators: Jude DeFata, Lucas Jackman, Trey Jackman, Linny Shaw

There must be at least five participants registered for the program to run.

Click here to sign up.

Spiritual Discernment: Soul Matters Groups

Three different Soul Matters groups are being offered this coming year: Creativity Matters, UU Writers, and Practices Matter. These groups utilize Soul Matters’ materials and follow the Soul Matters’ small group format and structure. Creativity Matters and UU Writers follow the Soul Matter’s themes.

Creativity Matters
“Explore spiritual growth through creative expression. It’s about allowing our intuition and imagination to guide us, not just our logic and reflective minds. Think of it as making room for your right brain to dance with your left brain.” -Soul Matters

While it’s called Creativity Matters, these are not “art groups”. Participants are given project-based packets, built around a monthly theme. For Creativity Matters this packet contains creative exercises for group members to work on prior to their group meeting. During the group meeting there is sharing and reflection.

IN-PERSON
Location: KUUF Admin Meeting Room
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Dates: 3rd Wednesdays, 9/16, 10/21, 11/18, 12/16, 1/20, 2/17, 3/17, 4/21, 5/19, 6/16
Facilitator: Drea Embree-Russel & Diane Stewart

ONLINE
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Dates: 3rd Tuesdays, 9/15, 10/20, 11/17, 12/15, 1/19, 2/16, 3/16, 4/20, 5/18, 6/15
Facilitator: Larisa Harris

UU Writers
“Writing is a long-loved path to personal insight, spiritual discernment and self-expression. By bringing the practice of writing to the exploration of monthly themes, the hope is to provide participants not only with another channel of self-discovery, but also with the gift of being witnessed in a new and precious way.”

Location: KUUF Admin Meeting Room
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Dates: 1st Wednesdays, 9/1, 10/6, 11/3, 12/1, 1/5, 2/2, 3/2, 4/6, 5/4, 6/1
Facilitator: Linny Shaw

Practices Matter
“There is a growing interest in spiritual practice. Practice Matters is designed to support this curiosity, by learning and doing. Practice Matters doesn’t just explain featured spiritual practices; it helps people experience them and the deeper invitations to which they point.”-Soul Matters

Participants are given monthly packets which provide background about the spiritual practice, tease out how the practice speaks to universal hungers, and offers options about how participants can engage the practice in their own life. Care is given to avoid cultural misappropriation. Group members pick one of the options and do it prior to their facilitated group meeting. Packets also contain reflection questions for participants to debrief their experience personally and with their groups.

Location: KUUF Admin Meeting Room
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Dates: 2nd Wednesdays, 9/9, 10/14, 11/11, 12/9, 1/13, 2/10, 3/10, 4/14, 5/12, 6/9
Facilitator: Jude DeFatta

Each group is limited to 8 participants-If more than 8 are interested a waiting list will be made until additional facilitators can be found and trained.

Click here to sign up.

Soulful Home: 3rd Sunday at 11:45 am

Soulful Home is an ongoing parent group meeting that usually meets the third Sunday of each month. Parents are invited to bring a sack lunch for themselves and for their child(ren). Children will remain up in the Matan Building for childcare while parents meet to build community and explore the Soulful Home resources. Soulful Home is a program through Soul Matters that supports families as they explore the sacred in everyday spaces by providing materials to help parents integrate Unitarian Universalism into everyday home life. 

Family Friendly Fellowship Film Night: Normally 4th Friday but May is at 6pm, May 29, 2026

This is an all ages movie night. Pack a picnic dinner, blanket and pillows and join members of the Soulful Home parenting group for an indoor picnic, pajama wearing, film viewing event. This is an all ages event and because of this we will be starting early. You are invited to socialize and eat from 5:30 to 6:00. At 6:00 movie will begin 

Note: We are trying to limit clean up following the event, that is where the picnic idea came from. Because of this we will not be setting up tables and the kitchen will be closed.

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities

Sunday Morning Program

Our children’s program is growing and we need you. If you have been involved in the Fellowship for at least a year and are interested and willing to work with our children, we need you. 

Childcare: We need helpers in childcare for those mornings when one of our childcare providers is out. Childcare is for crawlers-pre K. 

Elementary Aged Children: We have so many children attending regularly that we need a second adult in the room with our teacher. The teacher will prepare all materials and lead the activity. We just need someone to help them. If you are interested please see Melinda. We also have a need for helpers in childcare. All who work with our children are required to have a background check. 

Middle School: We have a very small group of middle schoolers but are hoping that we can soon have enough to have a middle school group that meets regularly. For this to happen, we need not only middle schoolers, but a team of adults that would be willing to work with this amazing group. 

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please talk to Melinda Hughes, Director of Religious Exploration.

Family Friendly Service

KUUF services are family friendly! Children are welcome to stay for the entire service. Most 5-12 year olds choose to go to Children's Religious Exploration (CRE) after Time for All Ages.

Time for All Ages

KUUF is a member of the Soul Matters Sharing Circle, a group of over 145 UU congregations who follow the same monthly worship themes. This year's overarching frame is The Gifts of Our Faith, focusing on ten beloved UU values and exploring their potential to shape us and in turn shape the world. This allows us to share in a Time for All Ages, often a story, that connects the theme to the sermon and to the activities the children will be doing. Following Time for All Ages most children go to Children's Religious Exploration.