Faith Development for High-Schoolers

UUCB offers a YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian Universalists) program, which combines a youth group and a religious education class for youth in grades 9-12.

The main focus of the program is to provide a safe and welcoming community for youth, where they can explore their thoughts, their opinions, and their own spirituality, while also finding their place in the church community and the larger world.

The YRUU group meets on the first and third Sunday mornings of each month during the regular church service. It also meets on the second Sunday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. (includes dinner). Other meetings are planned for special events. The YRUU group communicates about upcoming events through its own email list.

YRUU members can participate in district-wide youth conferences ("cons") a few times each year, which allows them to connect with UU youth from different cities and states.

In addition, the district organization provides opportunities for leadership development and participation in YRUU activities at the district and national levels. More information is available on the MDD YRUU site.

Along with other area UU congregations, UUCB offers a special program for ninth graders, known as the "Ninth-Grade Trip." It involves a year-long study of Native American religious traditions and culminates in a 10-day bus trip to the "Four Corners" area of the Southwest to meet Hopi and Navajo people and visit places important to their traditions. This is a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and develop a strong sense of community with other UU youth. A key fundraiser for this trip is the UUCB cake auction.

More opportunities for UU youth leadership development at the national level, along with resources for teen-related issues, are available from the Unitarian Universalist Association YRUU website.

For more information about UUCB's YRUU program, contact our YRUU advisor, as listed in the church newsletter.