Youth and Family Ministries
Sigrid Farwell, Directoryouth@columbineunity.org
Overview
In honoring our youth, we offer programs for all ages, from babies through high school, with the goal of providing a safe, spiritually nourishing environment in which to celebrate the presence of God in our children’s lives. We encourage spiritual self-discovery, knowing that spirituality is within all of us, needing only a welcoming environment for its conscious emergence. Our role as educators here at Columbine is to nurture that spiritual essence in each child or youth in whatever form it emerges, while presenting Unity teachings for them to draw upon.
What We Believe
Children are whole, complete beings at all their ages and stages.
All people, child and adult, no matter their age, have equal value and deserve equal respect.
Learning is a natural, often joyful process that is unique in each of us.
As teachers, we create a safe, and loving place for our children as they explore their spirituality.
We create a structured environment for our young people in which they express themselves creatively as they work with Unity's principles.
Children's Ministry
Unitots (Infant through 3 year-olds) at 9am and 11am.
The Unitot room offers childcare at both the 9:00 and the 11:00 services for children from infant to three years. During these three years our little ones decide that Columbine is a friendly, safe, loving place.Children's Church (Pre-school through 5th grade) at 11:00am.
Shining Stars: (Preschool: 3, 4 and 5-year-olds)Unikids I: (Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades)
Unikids II: (3rd, 4th, and 5th grades)
The lessons, usually created using Unity curricula, include weekly sharing, prayer, a story tied to a Truth principle, and a creative activity that encourages the child's expression of the day's theme.
Teen Ministries
Uniteens (Grades 6-8) at 11:00am during the School Year.
Uniteens is about having fun while exploring Unity's beliefs, discovering and expressing deeper aspects of their spiritual nature, and learning more about themselves and one another.
These 6th, 7th and 8th graders meet during the school year during second service. Through informal sharing as well as structured lessons, they develop spiritually, emotionally and socially. Social activities, and service projects round out the schedule. A regional weekend retreat fosters friendships with youths from other Uniteen groups.
Youth of Unity (Grades 9-12) at 11:00am during the School Year.
The Youth of Unity, or Y.O.U., is an international organization for youths ages 14-18. The young people in this group take on much of the planning , including creating and presenting one whole Sunday service each summer.
In the spring of 2007, our Columbine group hosted the regional Spring Y.O.U. Rally; the group took on all aspects of planning and execution. Having a safe place to share, sponsors to help guide them toward adult responsibilities, and spiritual learnings and experiences, make the group important in their lives.
Oh, and they also enjoy fun social activities!
