ABOUT BIBLE ADVENTURES

A Child's-eye View of RUCC:

Children at Robbinsdale UCC start out their “Bible adventure” with their parents in the sanctuary, with one of the provided activity bags, filled with coloring books and other activities to keep them occupied.

About 20 minutes into the service, the children gather in the front of the sanctuary for Children's Time. Children's Time is a chance for the children to interact, and hear a story or lesson from one of the adult members of the church. They rarely fail to entertain by saying or doing things that only children can. It's a time for everyone to see through the eyes of a child.

After Children's Time, the children are lead back by adult workshop leaders, and adult Shepherds, for Gathering Time. Gathering Time is a chance for the children to get together as a group before heading off to various workshops. Each month the children vote on a particular charity to support with their offerings, and a collection is taken (each child typically places 1$ into the collection plate). This is an excellent chance for children to become aware of issues impacting their local communities and the world. Examples of charities that the children have voted to support in the past are: Pakistan/Kashmir Earthquake relief, Tsunami Disaster Relief, PRISM, and the Heifer Project. The children do a group activity, such as learn a song in sign language, or make a prayer box (a box that the children decorate, containing prayers for things that the children think are important).

After children's time, the children separate into 3 groups preshoolers/pre-K/kindergarteners, 1-2nd graders, and 3th-4th-5th graders, and accompany an adult workshop leader, and an adult “shepherd” to the workshop location. Each week the children participate in a different workshop activity. The activity is the result of hours of preparation and design by the adult members of the church. Activities are designed to be fun, and let children think about and relate to selected passages from the Bible. A new passage is introduced each month. Examples of passages presented to the children in the past are: the Golden Rule, the story of the Good Samaritan, the story of Noah's Ark, and the Creation story. Workshops use arts and crafts, games, and other activities to help teach the principles embodied in the passages. Occasionally, the children will prepare lines, songs and props for holiday pageants. The Christmas pageant is a favorite of both the children and the congregation.

After the activity the children return to the Gathering Time room until the service is over. When the service is over, children meet their parents and enjoy cookies and juice. The adventure continues every Sunday!

Each unit in Bible Adventures is produced a couple of weeks prior in a gathering of our pastor and teacher, Rev. T. Michael Rock, The Bible Adventures Design Team, Teresa Bertossi, Nancy Bossert, Kris Geiger, Mike Nicholson, and Cheryl Nordquist, and the workshop leaders for that session. It is an active discussion of dreaming, planning, ideas, and a true spirit of generosity. If you are interested in being a part of this creation, please talk with a member of the Bible Adventures Ministry.

Our time with the children of the church is sacred time in sacred space and we abide by a “Safe Church” Policy in ALL our interactions with children.

YOUTH MINISTRIES AT RUCC

Youth Ministry at Robbinsdale United Church of Christ is all about growing in the faith and having loads of fun. This congregation is dedicated to providing an environment for youth that encourages them to grow in faith and build their community. We will do that by meeting together on a regular basis to worship, serve others, and play lots of games. On the way, we will support each other in the ups and downs of life and help each other understand that we are never alone.

*YEP 2 – Young, Energetic People is the name of our youth group. There are events for both Jr. High and Sr. High youth during the year. We do some things together and some separately. We join with other youth from the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ a couple of times a year, but mostly we are there to be with one another. Through regular meetings, lock-ins, retreats, and other gatherings, YEP 2 offers our youth the opportunity to be leaders in our community, and trains leaders for engagement with the world. We will culminate each year with an opportunity to travel on a Mission Trip to serve others. This youth group is Open and Affirming of all youth in regards to race, class, ability, background and sexual orientation. We will be a safe place to explore our whole selves. We are also a Just Peace youth group that lives with the challenge and method of nonviolence. If you want to know more, contact members of our Youth Coordinating Ministry.

*YEP CLUB was the name of the youth group at Robbinsdale United Church of Christ in the late sixties and early seventies. Some of those youth now have children in the youth program, and we have adopted that name to honor our history and celebrate the long time commitment to youth at RUCC.

CONFIRMATION CLASS at RUCC

Confirmation Class will be offered to 9th graders in an intensive one year program that explores: Who Am I? Who is God? Who is the church? As we endeavor to create a place that “learns how to love”, we begin with learning how to love ourselves, love God, and love our neighbor. It is the challenge of living the Gospel message of Jesus and the process by which we see ourselves as “Christians”. Each unit of this curriculum seeks to understand faith to be relational. Relational with God, with other people and with the earth. It is how we learn to be whole people. Each confirmand will participate in some way in the worship and teaching ministry of the church and will also be provided an adult mentor along the way. Confirmation Sunday is usually held in May of each year.

OUR WHOLE LIVES

An important part of our youth ministry is offering a program called, Our Whole Lives – Sexuality and our Faith (OWL). This is curriculum of the United Church of Christ and is a comprehensive program that defines sexuality education as much more than just sex. It is a ministry of wholeness, completeness and also one of justice and inclusion. The core values of the OWL program are: Self Worth, Sexual Health, Justice and Inclusivity, and Responsibility. It is gift for our young people to experience this sense of wholeness, and it is a gift for parents to engage in these discussions in a holy and sacred environment. If you want to know more, please speak with a member of the Youth Coordinating Ministry or visit www.ucc.org/owl.