Our Philosophy
The Religious Exploration (RE) philosophy at First Parish is to nurture young people’s natural spirituality, curiosity and creativity, to promote a lifelong heart for loving our neighbors and cherishing the living earth.
Our staff and volunteers partner with parents in the spiritual development of your children. Our emphasis is on experiential learning and creative play, regular participation in interactive worship, and hands-on community service… all in an inclusive environment where children feel safe and loved.
Our Roots & the First Parish RE Journey
We use the word religious “exploration” (rather than “education”) because we believe spiritual development is a journey. Being curious and asking big questions is more important than rigid answers on the spiritual path.
Families in our RE program span a wide range of spiritual backgrounds, many identifying as mixed-faith, questioning, Christian universalists, humanist Unitarians, those with Jewish or Hindu heritage, some combination or none of the above! At FPL, we offer a place with open doors to embrace each family’s unique place on their spiritual journey.
We embrace a spectrum of belief, drawing on resources and teachings from our dual faith traditions, Unitarian Universalism and the United Church of Christ, as well as inspiration from a wide range of spiritual and cultural traditions, from Buddhist meditation and mindfulness to nature-based practices like Winter Solstice and Beltane/May Day!
Our understanding of religion is not about imparting dogma or doctrine but grounded in relationships. We encourage children and youth to cultivate spiritually rooted relationships:
- With God or Spirit (however they come to define the holy),
- With a supportive and loving community and
- With themselves (knowing their deepest values).
We value the scientific link between spirituality and health and acknowledge the protective factors found within positive active spiritualty among children and teens. We believe that an increased sense of meaning, purpose and resilience found within some form of spirituality can lead to lifelong thriving and better social, emotional and mental health.
Our hope is that children grow and learn about themselves and the world through the RE Program at FPL, gaining a broad exposure to inclusive religious values of universal human dignity, inclusive love, and nature-based wonder. As our Covenant and Call to Ministry reflect, we gather “in the Spirit of Jesus” and we strive to embody his vision of nonviolence, unbiased love and justice.
We long to co-create a diverse and expansive spiritual foundation for our children and welcome families’ input, backgrounds and gifts as we continue to grow and evolve.
We hope you will find yourself at home with us as we continue to dream together and grow together!