Children, Youth & Family
Welcome to MVUUF Children, Youth and Family Ministry!
We are a vibrant faith community, offering Sunday morning Religious Education classes and special programs for children, youth and families. Our goal is to inspire and guide faith formation, spiritual growth and the moral and community grounding of children and youth of the Fellowship from Nursery-age through High School and their Families. We celebrate them as important members of our community. We are so happy you are here!
At every age, the foundation of Religious Education is the co-creation of a classroom community that reflects Unitarian Universalist values:
- affirming the inherent worth and dignity of each individual
- searching for truth and meaning from many sources
- encouraging each person’s free and responsible exploration of big ideas and questions
- treating one another with compassion, respect, and inclusion
- making choices that reflect our values
- harnessing our power to create a world with more love, joy, and justice
From preschool through high school, children and youth are offered age-appropriate Religious Education classes that support their spiritual development. In order to engage kids with different interests, each class has a variety of activities, including stories, singing, sharing joys and concerns, spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, games, crafts, and hands-on projects. As a community, we commit ourselves to nurturing the growth of our children and youth, and we celebrate them as important members of our church community.
Maria Bavier, CYF Ministry Director
Our multigenerational liberal religious community is blessed by the curiosity, compassion, courage, and creativity of people of all ages, from babies to elders. Your family is welcome here in this church that recognizes the richness of our variety, our interdependence, our shared longing for peace and justice, and our common foundation of love and care.
We are a vibrant faith community, offering Sunday morning Religious Education classes and special programs for children, youth and families. Together, we seek to expand hearts and minds, prepare for and mark important milestones, and explore big questions and complex topics. Above all, we honor the worth and dignity, the uniqueness and the infinite potential in each one of them. As a community, we commit ourselves to nurturing the growth of our children and youth, and we celebrate them as important members of our church community.
A special welcome if you are visiting or planning to visit MVUUF! Please feel free to attend a class with our child, bring them to the worship service with you, or drop them off in their classroom while you attend a service. We also have a table in the foyer available for children to sit at and do activities during the service. Please arrive 10 minutes early and check in at the Welcome table if you and/or your child would like to visit a class, so we can get you signed in and settled.
We hope you will find a spiritual home for your whole family here, and that the experiences we share will strengthen, comfort and inspire you all as you seek to live lives of integrity, love, service and joy!
In faith,
Maria Bavier
Children, Youth and Family Ministry Director
cyf@mnvalleyuu.org, 612-216-4224
Church Year 2022 – 2023 (September – June) During the church year, services are held at 10:30am. Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship offers programming for 6 month olds through high school during the worship services. Registration is required for returning families and requested after visiting two or three times for new families. Please fill out a new family registration form available online or at the welcome table in the foyer.
Summer 2023 (June 11 – September 3)
During the summer months, we have a worship service at 10:30 a.m., Children are invited to attend church with their parents. We have a table in the foyer available for children to sit at and do activities during the service.
Click here for calendar: CYF calendar
Maria Bavier
Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry
Maria@mnvalleyuu.org or by phone (612) 216-4224
Ways to Help Your Child Thrive
When registering, please let us know of any comments you have about how we can help your child thrive in CYF programming. Please let us know about allergies and any concerns you may have regarding your child’s participation in CYF programming. We strive to make MN Valley a welcoming place, and we work together to ensure everyone’s needs are accommodated. This is something we are happy to do for one another as we seek to build an affirming, responsive religious community that reflects our values.
We Are a Cooperative Religious Education Program
Adults, children and youth learn and grow in religious community together. We depend on one another to create a vibrant experience for all ages! Each family is asked to support the program by serving on a volunteer teaching team. (This amounts to teaching approximately 8 times per year). Training, prepared materials, and staff support are provided. Sign Up Here
