Ministry for Children and Families

When a child is baptized at University Congregational UCC he or she received two deep blessings—one from God the Creator, and another from the church community. The congregation makes a pledge to love and protect that child, to help her grow in Christian love, to help him experience God. We live out this pledge by seeking to be inclusive of families in all our church activities.

Families and their children often join us for breakfast in the lounge before worship on Sunday mornings, where there are activities to engage kids while their parents visit. Generally, children join their families for the start of worship, often sitting together in the front pews. Shortly into the service they depart for Sunday school. The nursery, toddler and preschool classrooms are on the main floor, north of the Sanctuary. Elementary classrooms are upstairs.
If you would like your child to be a part of our Sunday School Program, please contact us!

Programming throughout the year

Programs for children and families go well beyond Sunday morning. Here’s a sampling of what we offer.

You are invited to be a Sunday Children’s Group co-leader

We decided to stop calling it Sunday “School,” and to stop asking volunteers to “Teach,” because we were so often told that people didn’t see themselves as teachers, or believe they had skills in school classrooms. We knew immediately that we needed to change how we as a congregation think about our children’s Sunday groups. (Notice Sunday group instead of “Sunday School”)

Being in a classroom with our congregation’s children is an opportunity to play, experience fellowship, and explore and deepen our own faith, and by so doing, serve as models for them. We never need to go into any children’s group believing we have all the knowledge and all the answers. Classroom leaders (not “teachers,” but “leaders”) have told me that when they delved into the class plan for the morning, they learned so much by being involved in precisely this way.

Our Safer Church Policy

We take our responsibility for the safety of our children seriously. Every adult who works with children in Church—whether as a Sunday school teacher, a child care provider or an assistant—undergoes a criminal background check. There are always at least two adults present when there are children in the room.

Learn More

Jennifer Butner, our Interim Director of Children’s Ministry, can help integrate families with children into the church community. Email ChildrensMinistry@universityucc.org, or call 206-524-2322.