SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Components of our Church’s Spiritual Formation Ministry Program include:

• Fully child and family-friendly Sunday church services which celebrate in caring and creative ways the presence and participation of children of all ages, including a special time during Sunday Services called “Messages for the Child within us All!”

• Church school opportunities for children on Sunday mornings, using an inclusive, value-based spiritual curriculum called “A Joyful Path.” 

• Monthly Young Parents & Families Pizza Supper & Discussion Groups offering a shared meal for parents and children, followed by a facilitated support, discussion and sharing time for parents (with childcare provided on-site). 

• Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality and Spiritual Programs offered periodically for the following age-groups: Kindergarten/First Grade, Grades Four through Six, Grades Seven through Nine, and Grades Ten through Twelve. These programs are taught by church members who have been trained through the national U.C.C. Our Whole Lives Program.

• A Confirmation Program (Faith Odyssey) for Seventh and Eighth Graders, offering a two-year opportunity with the pastor(s) and mentors to explore their spirituality and values.

• Monthly Middle School and Senior Seeker (High School) opportunities for discussion/support, community service and/or other social justice activities.

• Nurture and support for children and youth on a one-to one basis, as desired.

• Annual fall intergenerational weekend church retreat in the White Mountains at the NH Conference of the U.C.C.’s outdoor ministry program site (Horton Center on Pine Mountain in Gorham, NH). All families are warmly welcome to join in this fun outdoor weekend.

• Meriden Community Camp, an outreach of the Church to the wider community through summer day camp programming in a safe, affordable, and fun environment on the grounds of the Meriden Community Camp. 

All Programs of the Meriden Congregational Church abide by the Church’s Safer Spaces Policies which seek to ensure the physical, emotional, sexual, and spiritual safety of all our children and youth.

These policies include fire safety instruction, guidelines about the physical space of the church school (open doors, visible teaching areas, two adults present with a group of children whenever possible, limiting the church school bathrooms to children and families only, etc.), and simple, but intentional, applications to be filled out by each adult who ministers with our children and youth either through church school teaching or youth group leadership. These policies will continue to evolve to ensure that our church provides as safe a place as possible for the emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual health and well-being of each member of our community. For a fuller description of these policies, please see the Policies and Procedures section of this church website. And if you have any questions about any of these policies, please feel free to speak with the church pastor(s).  We welcome your feedback and suggestions.