You are invited!
Are you a high schooler (grade 9-12) looking for a place to belong?
The UUCC youth group might just be the place for you!
Details
Who is this for?
Any high schooler in grades 9-12. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been part of a church or religious community before, if you’ve heard of Unitarian Universalism, or if you know someone at UUCC.
Our group currently has public schoolers, homeschoolers, and unschoolers. We represent many different high schools, neighborhoods, theaters, sports teams, climbing gyms, marching bands, D&D groups, and more. But we come together as YRUU to create our own unique community.
Is this an RE class?
Nope! UUCC offers Religious Education (we call it “RE” for short) classes tailored for humans in different age ranges. Classes geared toward high schoolers include Our Whole Lives (OWL) and Quest. You can be enrolled in any of those classes and participate in youth activities at UUCC. (Both OWL and Quest are being offered this year. Hooray! Contact Robin Slaw at robin@uucolumbia.net if you want to register for those classes.)
We like to think of ourselves as UUCC’s youth community – it’s not a class, not a project, not a club, not a program; it’s all the ways we care for, are connected to, and learn from each other.
Where/When do you meet?
We typically gather on Sundays after the worship service (around 11:20ish AM) until 1:30PM in the teen room on the first floor of the Owen Brown Interfaith Center. Sometimes we have snacks. Sometimes we meet outside.
What sort of activities do you do?
Our Sunday gatherings after worship are our primary community-building activity. We check in with each other, sharing what we’ve been up to, how we’ve been feeling, and what we’re thinking about. Sometimes, the conversation settles into a “serious” discussion. Other times, we play board games after check-ins.
There are a couple of big projects we’ve tackled as a group in the past, and we do a lot of that project planning during our Sunday afternoon gatherings.
Recent projects have included:
- Fundraising, planning, and learning for our summer service trip
- Planning and executing a Halloween party for neighborhood families
- Leading a UUCC worship service
- Hosting a Local Gathering of the UUA@UN Spring Seminar
None of these projects are fixed requirements for the year. We take on projects that we’re interested in, that we feel passionate about, and that challenge us.
Can I still be involved if I can’t make it to the Sunday gatherings?
Yes, of course! Even if you can’t regularly attend our Sunday gatherings, you can still be part of our youth community and participate in projects you’re interested in. Remember, youth group isn’t a class; it’s all the ways we care for, are connected to, and learn from each other – and most of that happens outside of Sundays from 11:15AM-1:30PM!
One way to stay in the loop about what’s going on is to join the UUCC youth Discord server. Send Valerie an email at valerie@uucolumbia.net to get the invite link to join the Discord server.
About YRUU
“Your unique configuration is the Universe’s expression of what it means to be alive.”
theresa soto
YRUU is the youth ministry of UUCC, serving teens grades 10-12. Our name stands for Young Religious Unitarian Universalists, and though that name technically describes who we are, it doesn’t tell you much. YRUU exists to answer the question embedded in our name: Why are you you?
In the words of theresa soto, you are you because your “unique configuration” matters. Our youth group exists because teens sometimes need to be encouraged to live their full selves in community with each other and the congregation. We strive to be a safe space that honors all of the diverse perspectives and voices that are within us, and in doing so, we celebrate each other and what it means to be human.
Together, we grow and learn—both as individuals and as a community. We do so by being intentional about our time together, listening to each other, organizing around issues that matter to us, and acting together in the community.
Join us
You don’t have to be religious, Unitarian, Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist to be part of YRUU, despite what our name says! You don’t even need to attend services at UUCC. If you are in grades 9-12 and interested in building community and engaging deeply with other people and the world, then you are welcome here.
For more information, reach out to Valerie Hsu at valerie@uucolumbia.net.
