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Children & Youth
Religious Exploration

We offer formal Religious Exploration classes for kids on the 1st Sunday of each month.
The program is led by our volunteer RE Program Coordinator, Leslie Brussel-Smith. 

We also offer child care for children of all ages. Our child care volunteers provide child care in the classrooms or outdoors, if the weather allows.
 

Leslie Brussel-Smith smiling.JPG

Leslie Brussel-Smith


If they prefer to, children and youth of all ages are always welcome to remain in the Sanctuary during the service and can take advantage of our children's area at the side of our Sanctuary which features story books, coloring activities, and a few quiet toys.

See our newsletter for regular updates.

To learn about the Unitarian Universalist principles and values we teach our children, as well as the sources we are inspired by, read more below.

In 2025,
Every Month is a New Year!

This year at Westside, the children are embarking on a fascinating journey around the world through our "Every Month Is A New Year" curriculum, inspired by the book of the same name by Marilyn Singer and Susan L. Roth!  We're learning that new beginnings and celebrations happen all year long, not just in January.  Join us as we explore different cultural traditions each month, discovering how people across the globe mark moments of renewal and joy. From Chinese New Year to Nowruz and beyond, we'll uncover the diverse and beautiful ways people welcome newness into their lives.

every month a new year.jpeg

2025 Schedule
First Sunday of March: Nowruz (Persian New Year) - Marking the vernal equinox and first day of Spring

First Sunday of April: Vaisakhi/Baisakhi (Hindu and Sikh New Year) - A spring harvest festival in India, celebrating new beginnings and the solar new year and Easter – Christian and Pagan roots.

First Sunday of May: Beltane (Celtic May Day) - An ancient festival celebrating the arrival of summer and the fertility of the land, marking a time of new growth and life.

First Sunday of June: Muharram – Islamic New Year and Winoy Tripantu festival - Mapuche Indigenous community of Chile and Argentina celebration of the return of the sun in the southern hemisphere.

First Sunday of July: Upet Ronpet-  The Ancient Egyptian New Year  “Opening the Year” still celebrated by some people who follow traditional Kemetic spiritual beliefs.
 
First Sunday of August: Navroze - Parsi New Year – Parsis are an ethnoreligious group of Zoroastrians who fled from Persia (Iran) to the Indian subcontinent to escape persecution. They follow a calendar that celebrates the “New Year” approximately 200 days after the Persian New Year. 

First Sunday of September: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) - A time of reflection, repentance, and new beginnings in the Jewish faith, marking the start of the High Holy Days.

First Sunday of October: Diwali/Deepavali (Hindu Festival of Lights) - Celebrating the victory of light over darkness and good over evil, often associated with new beginnings and prosperity.

First Sunday of November: Acknowledging that November has been declared Native American Heritage Month we will study Native American New Year celebrations which include honoring ancestors, nature, and the sun.

First Sunday of December: New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traditions from Puerto Rico, Spain, Mexico and Latin America.
 

Learn about the Unitarian Universalist principles and values we teach our children, as well as the sources we are inspired by, read more below.

If you'd like more information about our Religious Exploration program or would like to be contacted by our RE Coordinator, click the blue button to the right to complete our Connection Card. We'll contact you as soon as possible.

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  • Our nursery/child care is open from 10:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. and is staffed by a lead and assistant caregiver, all other children and youth join the adults for the service. Religious Exploration, when offered, will begin during the service and children/youth will be asked to go to the classroom.

  • The nursery is appropriate for children up to age 7.

  • If weather allows, we will take the children outside to our playground.

Sunday Schedule

RE info

About Children & Youth Religious Exploration at Westside

We believe that Religious Education is about spiritual exploration and growth, so we have named our program: Religious Exploration. It is a lifelong process that starts with our children. It is more than learning something new; Religious Exploration is about recognizing that what you learn can affect your attitudes and your values. How does what you are learning deepen and enhance your spiritual journey? Religious Exploration offers an opportunity to build a community, to ask questions, to explore, and to learn.

 

Our goal is to provide an environment in which our children and youth are free to discover a spiritual path that is right for them, knowing they are a welcome part of our Unitarian Universalist community here at Westside.

 

The 7 Principles We Teach Our Children

In Westside's RE Program, we simplify the 7 Principles of Unitarian Universalism into what we call "The 7 Rainbow Principles."

Our Sources of Inspiration

 

In the words of Rev. William Ellery Channing, "The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our own minds upon the young, but to stir up their own." Our curriculum reflects this sentiment by drawing inspiration from many sources, including:

 

  • Direct experience of the transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life.

  • Humanist teachings, which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against the idolatries of the mind and spirit. We embrace science and encourage our youth to use reason to understand and appreciate the world.

  • World Religions. We study many other major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Earth-based religions.

  • Words and deeds of prophetic people from our world history and society who challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love.

  • Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

  • Nature, Art, and Music. We guide our children to value these aesthetic sources to provide spiritual renewal and appreciation.

  • Philosophy and Ethics. We encourage our youth to think about the meaning of life and ethical ways to live in community and to act on social justice issues through service projects, guided by the sources listed above and the principles of UU.

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