First Unitarian Society
Senior & Junior High Youth Groups

Senior and Junior High Mission Statement

The Mission of the Youth Programs of the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis is to create a safe, trusting, and open-minded setting where youth feel a sense of ownership and freedom to express themselves. These programs will foster community among youth and between youth and the Society as a whole.

Youth Programs will provide opportunities to learn and apply Unitarian Universalist values, explore life issues, prepare youth to be responsible members of the Society, develop self-esteem and self-respect, learn about other religions, demonstrate social responsibility, explore one's own spirituality, and have fun.

Youth in Action

"I am only one
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything.
But I can still do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the
Something that I can do."

            Edward E. Hale


We try to have our youth interested in helping the world. Like the quotation above, the youth are made to feel that they should not carry the burden of the world on their shoulders, but they can do something! To this end, we engage in cooking for the homeless, for the crisis nursery, and for bake sales that support youth selected causes. The youth gather food, baby items, and food to be given away to the needy. They participate in the Urban Immersion program where they learn about the systemic causes of poverty and do a social service project. They are welcome to help at Habitat for Humanity sites. The youth are the ones to select what they want to work on and they do it with enthusiasm and gain an insight into how they can make a difference in this world.

We also are very proactive in sexuality education for our youth. We offer a course that is a year long and taught by trained leaders called Our Whole Lives. This eighth grade course probes every aspect of growing up into a sexual being. It is a gift that we give to our youth as they struggle to understand the demands of their bodies, peer groups, and society in the area of sexuality. Church is the perfect setting for a safe, comprehensive and honest talk about sex, sexuality, faith and values.