Young Church Survey
Spring 2002
Summary of Results

Section 1: PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

Length of time participating at FRS:

Less than a year	4
1-5 years	17
6-10 years	11
over 10 years	9

Relationship with children/youth:

Currently have children/youth in FRS Young Church program	40
Currently have children/youth who do NOT participate in YC	2
Parent of adult children	1
Not a parent	0

In what capacity have you volunteered for Young Church?

Have volunteered in some capacity, from teaching to chaperoning field trips to assisting with the pageant and helping to set up for teacher breakfasts.	39
Have not volunteered	1

Nursery:
Degree of satisfaction is high. Lucy Lockwood's coordination of the nursery received high praise, and many people noted how much the nursery has improved since she took leadership-parents are preferable to paid youth, the consistency of Lucy's presence has had great effect, and she has "transformed the nursery from an uncertain situation to a great experience." Areas of concern mentioned included the space, inconsistency/lack of clarity concerning age requirements (of children), no accountability for parents who don't show up for volunteer duty, and some parents (particularly fathers) not taking their turn.

Preschool:
Degree of satisfaction is very high, with space being the only weakness mentioned-though it was mentioned many times, quite emphatically. Particular strengths noted by the majority of respondents are the warmth and creativity of the teachers, also the consistency of having several of the same teachers all year. The curriculum was noted to be age-appropriate and creative (this year, teachers were provided with UUA curricula, but the teachers largely created their own). The emphasis on ritual is appreciated. One person suggested that perhaps this age-group is ready for more spiritual/religious emphasis.

Children, kindergarten-5th grade:
There is less consensus among respondents here than in the first two categories. Strengths cited numerous times are the sense of community and the caring of the teachers. Opinions about the curricula vary considerably. Some feel that it is good while others feel that it is either not age-appropriate (one curriculum in particular, "Stories About God", was mentioned a couple of times as being not appropriate for the kindergarten class) or that the emphasis should be different (a couple of people noted that there is not enough "UU knowledge", and a couple wish for more Judeo-Christian teachings). "The curriculum needs to be more stable yet progressive/consistent so that there aren't huge gaps of info." Space is again mentioned as a weakness--though not as emphatically as with the nursery and preschool respondents.

Youth, 6th grade and up:
Again, the sense of community was noted as a strength. Other strengths noted numerously were the OWL program and the "Life Rhythms and Soul Songs" program offered this year. The biggest weakness is lack of discipline. Behaviors in this age group are often difficult and sometimes inappropriate for a church environment, it was stated. There is a sense that the youth are allowed to act inappropriately without any consequences.

Section 3: OBJECTIVES
When a child goes through our Young Church program, what should s/he have gained?

An understanding of and appreciation for UU principles and purposes (29)
Knowledge of world religions (26)
A feeling of having been accepted, welcomed, and nurtured, that s/he will carry with her/him throughout life (23)
A foundation for ethical decision-making (22)
A sense of justice and an interest in social action (18)
A personal spiritual practice (14)
Knowledge of Hebrew-Christian scriptures (14)
A sense of wonder and appreciation for the world around us (11)
Integration in the larger church community (10)
Personal beliefs about theological issues such as death, evil, suffering, etc. (6)
Knowledge of UU history (5)
Other:
     Fun!
     Encouraged and educated about the right and responsibility of questioning
     Sense of play/exploration regarding spirituality

Section 4: YOU, YOUR CHILDREN, AND ATTITUDES ABOUT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

A. Your Preschooler
Average level of enthusiasm on a scale of 1-5 (5 being most enthusiastic): 4

What activities/aspects of Young Church does s/he particularly enjoy?
Most noted was crafts.

What activities/aspects of Young Church does s/he not enjoy?
None noted

What are your primary reasons for sending him/her to Young Church?
So that my family can be a part of a larger, intergenerational community (6)
To give him/her the opportunity to participate in ritual and worship (6)
Childcare so that I can have my needs met in the worship service (3)
So that I can connect with other parents with similar values (3)
To have other caring, trustworthy adults in my child's life (2)
So that s/he can experience a child-affirming, nurturing, loving environment (2)
S/he has asked me questions about God, etc., that I cannot answer (1)
S/he has asked to come (0)
Other: to have "sense of wonder and appreciation for the world" further augmented (1)

B. Your Child (kindergarten-5th grade)
Average level of enthusiasm on a scale of 1-5 (5 being most enthusiastic): 3.3

What activities/aspects of Young Church does s/he particularly enjoy?
Cited most:
art/crafts-11 (generally k-3rd grade)
friends-7
field trips-6
stories-6
singing/choir/music-5

What activities/aspects of Young Church does s/he not enjoy?
Cited most:
Lectures/long discussions/sitting still-5
Art/crafts-2

What are your primary reasons for sending him/her to Young Church?
To give him/her the opportunity to participate in ritual and worship (23)
So that my family can be a part of a larger, intergenerational community (21)
So that s/he can experience a child-affirming, nurturing, loving environment (15)
To have other caring, trustworthy adults in my child's life (8)
Childcare so that I can have my needs met in the worship service (7)
So that I can connect with other parents with similar values (6)
S/he has asked me questions about God, etc. that I cannot answer (6)
S/he has asked to come (1)
Other:
      To have a place outside of home to encourage them to think about life… why we are here and what is important.
      In order for her to have a framework/structure for her spiritual development; I'd like her to be able to question her beliefs without loads of judgement. I'd also like her to have the comfort of a belief in God, even if she's not sure who s/he is!
      So my children can feel comfortable in a church/religious setting, and may be more likely to seek it out as adults.
      To begin their relationship to our congregation and our denomination.
      More knowledge of global religions, a UU-based network of friends, choir
      To learn about the larger world of values and ethics.
      To learn about other religions, cultures, etc.

C. Your Youth (6th grade and up)
Average level of enthusiasm on a scale of 1-5 (5 being most enthusiastic): 2.9

What activities/aspects of Young Church does s/he particularly enjoy?
Cited most:
Being with peers/community/socializing-6
Youth group-4
Field trips-4
Choir-3

What activities/aspects of Young Church does s/he not enjoy?
Cited most:
Class is boring-2

What are your primary reasons for sending him/her to Young Church?
So that my family can be a part of a larger, intergenerational community. (11)
To give him/her the opportunity to participate in ritual and worship. (9)
So that s/he can experience a child-affirming, nurturing, loving environment. (4)
So that I can connect with other parents with similar values. (4)
To have other caring, trustworthy adults in my child's life. (3)
S/he has asked to come. (2)
S/he has asked me questions about God, etc. that I cannot answer. (1)
Other:
      Learn UU
      Consider ethical perspectives. Feel part of an organization that does social welfare work. Learn healthy sexual and relationship attitudes.
      To learn about the concepts and history of the world's major religions.
      UU community. Participate in ethical and religious discussions.

Summary: Enthusiasm for Young Church appears to decrease with age when averaged out.

Children and youth enjoy the social and community aspects of Young Church, choir/singing, and field trips. Activities geared toward community building and field trips incorporated into the curriculum would be welcome to keep their interest high. Interest in craft activities seems generally to wane at around 4th grade.

Parents of all three age groups have the same top two reasons for sending their child(ren) to Young Church-to give him/her the opportunity to participate in ritual and worship, and so that the family can be part of a larger, intergenerational community. Interestingly, these areas have not been a primary focus of the Young Church program in recent years. Young Church worship happens just once a month and in-class ritual has not been emphasized. Activities to enhance the intergenerational community have not been offered. These are issues that we will want to attend to in the future.

Section 5: AN IDEAL PROGRAM
Many thoughtful, creative ideas were expressed. Parents have obviously thought a great deal about the religious education program, about what we do well and what we might do differently.

Some of the recurring themes noted were these:

• A variety of activities should be incorporated into the program, such as art, music, writing, play production, and field trips.
• More mixing of age groups and intergen activities should be offered. Participants in the program should be given a firm understanding of what it means to be a UU and a knowledge of world religions and the Bible. They should visit other churches/synagogues/places of worship.
• More social action is desired.
• Children and youth should be left with a feeling of having something to lean on in tough times.
• Topics should be covered more in-depth, and children should understand why they are studying certain things. More context should be given.