by Janet Wilson
Children in our Youth Education Program at Unity are accepted and valued just as they are. An analogy can be drawn in which a child is likened to a rose bud. The work of the rose is to unfold and share its inner beauty. The same is true for children. Our vision is to empower children to discover their inner beauty or spiritual wisdom and use it in daily living.
The curriculum we are using to facilitate our vision is Children on the Quest which is designed for ages 5 through 11. We begin our weekly class with the Prayer For Protection, share good (or sometimes sad) news, receive gifts and offerings, and proceed to the lesson. Each lesson focuses on a Unity Principle. We practice a short meditation, enjoy creative expression through activities of art, crafts, movement, song, dance, etc. We close with an affirmation and prayer.
A recent lesson presented in the pre-k through second grade class was on Spirit. The spiritual purpose and principle was to teach and demonstrate: Holy Spirit expresses within us as a movement, a sense or feeling rather than words. The Bible scripture used was “God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24. We read the book The Wind Blew beautifully written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins. As we read and enjoyed the art, we discussed the idea that just like spirit, we can see the effects of wind, although we can see neither spirit or wind. Following a short break for bagels and cream cheese, the children experienced the effects of wind through the use of a small fan and long strips of crepe paper. They had great fun twirling and watching the crepe paper move. We then had a creative art activity in which children put a small amount of tempera paint on paper and blew through the straw, watching the paint move to make a design. We closed with the affirmation, “I am open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in me,” and a prayer.
Our teaching staff is dedicated, loving, creative, and enthusiastic. We are delighted to have Kate Cusumano, Dorothy Close, and Jackie Osterkorn working with our pre-k through second grade class. Sunni Adams and Patty Marsh teach our third, fourth and fifth graders. We are constantly amazed by the children’s abilities to grasp Unity Principles, and with guidance, apply them to their daily lives. Children are a never ending source of surprise and delight. We invite you to observe or assist in our classes. You will come away refreshed and renewed.