FIRST UNITARIAN CONGREGATION OF OTTAWA

Step into a sunday morning


Coming of Age Youth Program at FirstU
Click here for youth (11-17) programming
meet our religious exploration team
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Eleven little kids, most of them in t-shirts, are silhouetted against a bright orange and yellow background, with their arms raised in excitement. The words
RE Programming for 4-7 Year-Olds in 2023

​Chalice Children's Curriculum began on January 15 and alternates with OWL K1 programming, which began on January 22.

Messy Church will continue through May of 2023, with some scheduling changes. If you've participated in Messy Church before, please fill out our feedback survey, available HERE.


A stack of gifts wrapped in gold paper and ribbons, appear with a brown paper gift tag that reads
Christmas Cheer - Thank You
Thank you to everyone who donated food to our family from the Youville Centre. Our mom was overwhelmed with emotion. She mentioned this was a particularly challenging year and was grateful for the support from our community. 
Click HERE to read a letter from the Youville Centre.
​
 

Join Us for MESSY CHURCH!
Parents and Grandparents with kids under eight years old are invited to
join us once a month, for a church service of our very own!
Messy Church!
In Room 4

​Please Note: Messy Church has been canceled for the month of February.

Join us for a themed UU church service that centers the youngest among us. This month, we'll hear stories and do activities that celebrate the New Year. Dress to get messy!

Messy Church Includes:
  • Breakfast at 10am
  • Live music / singalong
  • Story time
  • Craft activities​
Four little kids sit at a fold-out table, painting together. The child in the foreground has black pigtails and is wearing a blue smock over a yellow t-shirt. She is grinning at the camera.
​Please RSVP by the Thursday before each Messy Church service, using the green button below, ​as we need to count numbers for the food preparation.
Rsvp for messy church

 Our Vision: We at First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa strive to be
a welcoming and diverse multi-generational Unitarian Universalist community
that fosters the spiritual development of all ages.
​
Our Mission: Guided by the Unitarian Universalist Principles and Sources,
the RE program provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment
to learn, grow, and explore individual spirituality. 
Goals of Religious Exploration
In our ministry with children and youth, we strive to:
1. BUILD COMMUNITY: create an atmosphere where children and youth feel safe, welcome, connected, able to talk about
important things in their lives; be a place where they like to come and where they can serve,
 
2. KINDLE THE FLAME: encourage children and youth to learn more about themselves and to be continuous seekers
with a sense of wonder,
 
3. SHARE KNOWLEDGE: teach children and youth about their congregation and their religion, Unitarian Universalism,
 
4. CULTIVATE OPEN MINDS: develop an appreciation for the diversity of people and religious beliefs in the world, and
 
5. RAISE AWARENESS: help children and youth become aware of the needs of others, our connection to the Earth,
and of their power to create change.
UU Rainbow Principles

Red Respect All Beings
Orange Offer Fair and Kind Treatment
Yellow Yearn to Learn
Green Grow in Spirit and Mind
Blue Believe in Your Ideas and Act on Them
Indigo Insist on Peace, Freedom, Justice, and Antiracism
Violet Value the Connections in All Creation

The words

What to Expect on a Sunday Morning - COVID19 Version
We are happy to announce that we are doing in-person Children's Religious Exploration once more.

Sometimes, CRE happens at the nearby nature preserve or at another local venue but, most often, Children's Outdoor Religious Exploration happens close-to-home in our campus play area.

Kids arrive at 9:45am, where we do crafts, tell stories, ask questions, learn and reflect in an environment that nurtures spiritual growth.

Everyone follows the safety protocols, and we are all able to learn and have fun together.
A small child in a warm coat paints at an outdoor table. He is very focused on what he's doing.
Image posted with parental permission - 2021-10-21
A young child with very curly hair grins excitedly while brandishing a push broom at the camera. They are wearing a red shirt under a black track suit. There are orange bags of leaves with jack-o-lantern faces on them in the background.
Image posted with parental permission - 2021-10-21
What to Expect on a Sunday Morning - Non-Pandemic Version
Each Sunday we gather together to share some time learning, reflecting, asking questions, playing and getting to know each other in our religious community. We seek to provide a nurturing atmosphere safe and caring spaces where the spirit of each child and youth will blossom and grow.
Service begins at 10:00.  Everyone gathers together in Worship Hall. After welcoming and some opening words, the children are asked to gather at the front for a story.  Afterwards they are sung out by the congregation to the song With My Own Two Hands, and proceed downstairs to their room.  Parents remain in the service, or are welcome to accompany their children downstairs.  When service has ended, parents collect their children by 11:45.

We offer the following spaces to support families:
Worship Hall
Each Sunday a variety of quite play activities will be setup at the front of the hall.   Children can play while guardians are nearby and parents can enjoy the various UU teachings.  
Lounge
The lounge is setup each Sunday with a variety of toys and offers a live CC-TV so parents can listen to the sermon while watching children who are restless to stay in Worship Hall.   For mothers who desire more privacy while breastfeeding this space could possibly work (Parent-supervised)
​
​Following the children’s recessional:

Chalice Play Room
Qualified childcare supervisors are provided from 10:15am in this dedicated children’s area.  Based on the premise that children learn best through experience, this program helps nurture spiritual growth, creativity and a sense of community though imaginative activities. 

UU Kids Room
This space is geared for children aged eight and up. This program draws upon what it means to live the Eight UU Principles through discussion, art actives and play. Children will begin to answer important religious questions, such as: How can I live a worthwhile life? How can I make good decisions?

​NOW Room - An ‘active’ space with balls and jump ropes provided.  See the poster in NOW room on how to best utilize this space. (Parent-supervised)

Children’s Library - A quiet room for those children needing some downtime (
Parent-supervised)
Seven little kids sit together on blue cushions, listening to a Black lady in white clothes read a story. There is a wooden work table in the background.
Two fifth graders walk through a field with a younger friend. One of the older kids helps the youngest one balance along a fallen log. Everyone is dressed for late summer/early fall weather with light jackets and easily-shed layers. There is a cedar hedge in the background.

A cartoonish line drawing of an owl appears next to the words
What Am I
-by Muriel Maxfield
I KNOW:
Everything I say, everything I do is important.  What my friends say and do is important, too often though I don’t always agree with them.  Everyone has different ideas and I respect them.
I BELIEVE: All religions have something good to teach, but no one church knows all there is to know. That’s why, in our church, we always try to learn more by reading and talking and making things, and by thinking about everything that has happened since the world began.
I BELIEVE: My religion is not just going to church and saying prayers, my religion is the way I live, the good I can do, and the things I can learn.
WHAT AM I? I’M A UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST.

THAT’S WHAT I AM!

BIBLEODEON - CHILDREN’S FAITH DEVELOPMENT

A drawing of a hardcover book with a red ribbon marker, open to its centre, appears against yellow sun. The word
The Bible is perhaps the most influential book in Western civilization. Bibleodeon explores some of the Bible's most important stories in a fun  and interactive way. Designed for children 9-12, we use plays and games to
discover the story and the meaning behind these great lessons.
Children will learn the best-known Hebrew and Christian stories from the Bible and explore connections between biblical events and UU principles, between biblical ideas and their own lives.
Click HERE to open the information poster (pdf)
For more information, or to ask any questions you may have, contact
​dre@firstunitarianottawa.ca
Picture

​30 Cleary Ave   K2A 4A1   
613-725-1066
  
uuoffice@firstunitarianottawa.ca

"We acknowledge that our campus is located on traditional, unsurrendered and unceded Algonquin Anishinabeg Territory;
and that the work of reconciliation is a responsibility of our congregation, and of all Canadians.  "Our goal is to educate ourselves and all
who have ears to hear, to be of service to those who are at risk, and to advocate for justice.


Find full contact information, maps and directions HERE
Find our Sitemap HERE
  • Welcome
  • What's Happening
    • calendar
    • Congregational Focus - Climate Action >
      • Green Sanctuary Accreditation
      • AJASHKI Garden Project
      • EARTH SPEAKS FORUMS
    • Pandemic Safety Protocols
  • About Us
    • Our Ministry Team
    • About Unitarian Universalism
    • Our Campus >
      • Affordable Housing
      • Cleary Detour
    • Member Information >
      • Steps to Membership
      • Members' Page
      • Campus Planning Member Page
      • Governing Documents
      • Death Notices and Memorial Details for Members
    • Renewal
  • Worship
    • Sunday Service FAQ
    • Past Sermons
    • Children's Religious Exploration
    • Youth
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer with us
    • Embracing Diversity
    • Music
    • Lifespan Learning
    • OWL
  • Social Justice
    • Climate Action
    • Truth and Reconciliation
  • Communications
    • eUU Weekly Newsletter
    • Archives
    • Lectures and Presentations >
      • HOLTOM LECTURES
  • Contact Us
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Ceremonies and Rentals >
      • Weddings, Memorials, Child Dedications and other Rites of Passage
      • Facility Rentals
  • Make a Donation
    • Legacy Giving