Coming of Age a program, a celebration, a part of the path for young people in junior high or high school

What is it?
The Coming of Age program supports and celebrates young people who are coming into their own in our community.
This four-faceted approach to spiritual development and Unitarian Universalist identity marks the end of “Sunday School” and the beginning of the Youth stage of congregational life.
Your own spiritual life constantly unfolds; this church community is here to support and encourage you.

Who participates?
Young people who have completed seventh grade are invited to participate. There are also parents, mentors, peers, a minister, and a religious educator who are part of the program.
Coming of Age is a personal project - not a “class”, but a series of challenges undertaken on your own time and on your own initiative with the support of the adults in your life.

Inward Challenge
Each young person in the program, with the help of your adult mentor, will identify a personal challenge - an area of growth and personal difficulty to work on. Your mentor will encourage your progress, not judge it.

Examples: improving a school grade; managing anger better; biting your nails less; working on your family relationships; facing your fears on a ropes course.

Outward Reach
You will perform a service project to your community, whether that’s your family, school, neighborhood, or planet.
Examples: writing to your legislators to let them know what you think on a subject; making & serving cookies for blood donors; reading to little kids at a library story time; helping to lead a Clean Up - Green Up day; a project that you’re already involved in this year through scouts or school.

Church Participation
It takes a hundred or so volunteers to make the UUCUV run each year. What is your special way of contributing?
Examples: helping paint the Meeting House; participating in the book sale or a soup-a-thon; setting up and breaking down our space on a Sunday morning; folding, addressing, and stamping the newsletter. Your mentor will have a lot of suggestions!

Faith Development
By choosing a spiritual practice to participate in - such as meditation, hiking, sacred dance, writing - you can expand and deepen the ways you have available for spiritual exploration.

As an outward expression of this work, you will articulate a credo - a work-in-progress statement of your beliefs. This credo is yours alone; you will show your mentor that you’ve taken it seriously, but it is up to you whether you share it with anyone.

Meet the Minister
Our minister wants to sit down and listen to you - to hear about your journey and offer questions for thoughtful consideration. As you enter a new role in our congregation, Bruce will be less of a Storyteller to you and more like a fellow student - he loves to learn! - and this is a chance to establish your new way of communicating.

Mentors
A number of UUCUV adult members have applied to be mentors for Coming of Age participants and they have passed a screening process. You will select the mentor that seems best for you. The DRE will give your mentor any training, information, or support she or he may need.

You and your mentor can meet at UUCUV coffee hour, pot luck dinners, or any other UUCUV event where you can talk together.

Celebration
Each part of this program can be a lot of fun; it also can be hard work. Your church wants to celebrate you, your life, your hard work, and your future.

A ritual called “Coming of Age” will be held in the spring. It is up to you whether the whole congregation gets to participate, or whether the ritual is private. It is a celebration of you.

Interested or curious?
To discuss your own involvement with the Coming of Age program, please contact us at any time!