Children & Youth

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Spotlight on our RE Coordinator

The Board is delighted to spotlight our Religious Exploration Coordinator Elizabeth “Beth” Brownell. 

Beth assists in planning and implementing a Religious Exploration program under the supervision of the Board and Minister. Her 5 hour/week duties will include developing curricula, supervising nursery staff and RE volunteers, communicating with families, managing resources, and maintaining secure records in alignment with church policies and procedures.

Here is a little bit about her:

Growing up in New Hampshire, Beth was introduced to the Unitarian Universalist church by a family friend while still in elementary school.  She truly felt she had found her spiritual home.  As she grew older, she had her own children who had the opportunity to flourish in the RE program at their church in Manchester, NH.  While there, Beth helped out in the OWL program and volunteered for other events throughout the years.

When the family relocated to the Tampa Bay area in 2014, they sought out a new church.  Beth and her family have been involved with UUCT since 2014 and a member since 2018.  Her four daughters thoroughly felt empowered and welcomed in the RE program with Erin Powers, UUCT’s former DRE.

It is Beth’s goal to build a program where all children feel a sense of belonging and connection.  She loves escape rooms, nature walks, and watching New England sports teams (don’t hold it against her!) Beth is a clinical therapist for a dual diagnosis mental health and substance use treatment center by day but loves spending time with her girls and her furbabies.  She earned her undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Forensic Psychology and holds a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work.

Beth is working hard towards licensure and certifications specifically for those living with addiction.  She believes her purpose in both her daily work at the clinic and her role as RE Coordinator is to educate and empower those around her.  Beth is looking to grow and enhance the RE program with new groups as well as restoring past opportunities to create a supportive environment to build up our next generation of UUs.

You can contact her at  re@uutampa.org

2024
RE is excited to provide weekly sessions for children aged 5 to 12 years of age.
Sessions begin at 10:30 in the Multi-Purpose Building (MPB) and last until the service ends.

RE Teen Groupmeets on the 4th Sunday of each month.  RE Teen group is a safe place for individuals ages 13-19 to be educated and empowered in the Unitarian Universalist traditions of inclusiveness and compassion. Michelle Stover, a high school teacher, and Beth Brownell, a clinical therapist, and UUCT’s RE Coordinator will be leading the program.

 

WIGGLE ROOM (Right next to the Minister’s Office)

Staff are available each Sunday to watch children ages 6 months to 4 years old.

Families with infants 0-5 months are welcome to visit the Wiggle Room too. It is stocked with toys, rocking chairs, and a changing table. It is a welcoming space to quiet a restless child during service and still be able to hear the service.

 

Soulful Home:If you can’t make it to a live RE session (or even if you can) you may want to engage with the monthly theme by accessing a packet of materials at home. The packets include stories, games, discussion topics, action invitations, craft ideas, and links for further family exploration.

 

Small wooden box with a book, chalice, and altar cloth inside

For information contact Beth Brownell, RE Coordinator for Children and Youth, at  re@uutampa.org


The Role of Parents and Caretakers

Arrive on time and come to church regularly. Children develop a sense of belonging by attending regularly. They get to know their peers and we get to know them if they are here often. Follow the activities of your child’s class. Talk to your child about what is happening in class. Talk to the RE Coordinator and teachers. Talk to your child about things that matter. You are their primary religious educator. Tell your children about your beliefs and what you value. Be a good listener to your children. Let them know that their ideas and thoughts are of interest to you. Participate in intergenerational activities. Spending time with members of the congregation at dances, dinners, and gatherings other than Sunday Services helps strengthen our UU community. Share your time and ideas. Our program needs the energy and creativity of many people in order to be a success.

 

 

Our Seven Principles in Simple Language

 

Every person is important and valuable.

All people should be treated fairly.

Our churches are places where we should accept one another and learn together.

Each person should be free to search for what is true and right.

All people have the right to speak out and vote on things that matter to them.

We should help build a peaceful, fair, and free world.

We need to take care of the earth, the home we share with all living things.

 

 

Philosophy of Religious Exploration (RE)

Unitarian Universalist Religious Exploration is a lifelong process that facilitates each individual’s path of spiritual growth and promotes an understanding of how to live our principles and values. It extends beyond the classroom and is dependent upon the whole congregation’s support and participation. The goal of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa religious exploration program is to provide a safe space to explore, question, wonder, listen and reflect in a joyful, affirming environment. We envision children, youth, and adults who:

  • Know they are lovable beings of infinite worth, imbued with powers of the soul, and obligated to use their gifts, talents, and potentials in the service of life
  • Affirm that they are part of a Unitarian Universalist religious heritage and community of faith that has value and provides resources for living
  • Accept that they are responsible for the stewardship and creative transformation of their religious heritage and community of faith
  • Realize that they are moral agents, capable of making a difference in the lives of other people, challenging structures of social and political oppression, promoting the health and well-being of the planet, acting in the service of diversity, justice, and compassion
  • Recognize the need for community, affirming the importance of families, relationships, and connections between and among the generations
  • Appreciate the value of spiritual practice as a means of deepening faith and integrating beliefs and values with everyday life
  • Experience hope, joy, mystery, healing, and personal transformation in the midst of life’s challenges

 

Child Safety

At UUCT, we take children’s safety very seriously. Please click here to learn more about our congregation’s Child and Youth Protection Manual.

Stay in Touch – Stay Informed

Educating our children is everybody’s responsibility, whether or not we have children ourselves. If you are thinking of coming to UUCT for the first time, considering joining the church, or are a longtime member, we want to hear how you can help enrich our Religious Exploration program.  Please get in touch with us by:

  • Attending a Sunday service (or any other activity) and filling out a visitor information card
  • E-mailing UUCT at info@uutampa.org
  • Contacting our Religious Exploration Coordinator for Children and Youth, at  re@uutampa.org .

 

Family Resources 

– This page will be updated frequently with links to resources and connection opportunities –

 – Please share resources you think may be useful to re@uutampa.org –

Soulful Home for May

:: UUA RESOURCES ::

:: UU and UU-ALIGNED RESOURCES ::

Sparkle Stories : Gentle, loving audio stories.  They have stories for addressing anxiety!

Flamingo Rampant – Facebook Live Story Time

Queer Kid Stuff  : Adorable and informative videos

Soulful Home Packets : Email for access re@uutampa.org

Reflection Press – Awesome gender identity curriculum and books.  I have used these in our church classes.  Look at Free Stuff and For Kids! for at home resources.

:: HOME LIFE ::

Good and Cheap : Eating Well on $4 a Day

Simple and filling recipes with easy to source ingredients.  This cookbook is a FREE PDF created originally to help those utilizing food stamps and food assistance eat well on a budget.  The recipes are yummy and easy.  Good for kids and adults!

UU Minister Rev. Jack Copas’s Sunday, February 18, 2024 Sermon. Click here to watch.

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