Children’s Religious Exploration

At KUUF you’ll see these themes woven through our worship services, chalice circles, Creativity Matters, Soulful Home, and children’s religious exploration.

Children's Religious Exploration: 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: Fair Trade Chocolate
This week we focus on our 3S’s by taste testing fair trade chocolates, taking part in a
chocolate meditation, and play nature connected games.

August 23: 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 30: 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.

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. 

Creativity Matters

Are you interested in spiritual exploration through creativity? Looking for a group to participate in at the Fellowship? Creativity Matters may be for you. Like a Chalice Circle, participants will gather monthly. Participants receive project-based packets built around the monthly theme. Each packet contains creative exercises for group members to work on prior to the meeting. Packets also contain inspirational material and reflection questions to get your creative juices flowing.  Unlike an artists group that explores technique and provides critiques, this group will gather together, similar to a Chalice Circle, for spiritual discernment. While artists are welcome, no experience or artistic skill is required.  Project options include such things as: collage, storytelling, scrapbooking, sketching, photography, creative writing, watercolor painting, fabric arts, sculpture, movement, music, and more. All projects are designed for everyone. At the monthly gathering group members will share their projects and insights that emerged from the exercise/project they picked.  If you are interested in participating please contact Melinda.

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.