Ministries with Children, Youth and Families
Once home to a vibrant Sunday School and active youth groups, UCC Westerly now faces the same reality as so many other smaller churches. We do not have sufficient children and youth attending church regularly anymore and therefore, offering programming for this demographic becomes virtually impossible. New families who visit want to join programs which are already up and running. This is totally reasonable. They are searching for ways for their children to learn about Jesus, God and the Bible, and why faith matters. We do actively respond to that need. Our ministry with this demographic is very real, but more than a little unconventional. It looks very different from more traditional Sunday School and youth group programs, but it is no less valuable.
Our focus is on transforming lives of all ages by transmitting faith through intergenerational opportunities available through worship, learning, service, and fellowship. These are the four interlocking circles in the graphic pictured here.
Parents and grandparents are always the first teachers of the faith. Being with the adults who matter most to them in their lives is unquestionably the most effective way for children and youth to learn what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus. If faith is important to you, if your relationship with Jesus and God informs how you live your life each day, your children will know it. If it doesn’t, they know that too.
Worship is the heart of the church. It happens when all the members of the congregation of every age learn about the building blocks of how to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Singing, praying, hearing the word read and taught – these things form the foundation of our liturgy each week and a unique opportunity to learn from each other about how God is moving in the world and in our lives each day.
Service is how our faith is expressed in the world outside our doors. Jesus is very clear in all his teachings that what we do for the least of these in the world, we do for him. Our commitment to Missions centers on learning about other peoples and cultures, especially those folks in our own community struggling with issues like housing and food insecurity informs the opportunities to serve in response to them is central to who we understand ourselves to be.
Fellowship is vital to our life together as a faith community. It is through Fellowship that we live and laugh and love together – sometimes during worship, or service opportunities. Sometimes just through intentional gathering times.