Worship and Faith Formation
Worship
We are a progressive intergenerational Christian community celebrating God’s radically inclusive love each week. Worship is both in-person and streamed on YouTube. Our services include singing, prayer, scripture reading, and a sermon. Children of all ages are welcome and included. Communion is celebrated once per month. We affirm many words and images to talk about God. To learn more about worship and to watch online, go to our worship page.
Faith Formation
Children’s Programs
Sunday Friends (Ages 0-6ish)
Sunday Friends is a special drop-in time for our youngest congregants. This sweet crew meets every Sunday morning during the main service. Children will begin their experience in the sanctuary and may choose to gather with our wonderful staff around the Pray Ground or sit with their families. After the Message for All Ages, the group will make their way to the Sunday Friends Room (formerly Garden/Nursery) for a song and story connected to the season of the church. Each week children will be offered rotating choices in multiple areas including sensory exploration, imaginative play, an artistic endeavor, and spatial building materials.
Kids Club (Ages 6ish-12ish)
Kids Club is a new program at MPUC for elementary and early middle school aged congregants. This drop-in group will meet each Sunday during the main service and periodically outside of this timeframe for special volunteer and fellowship events. Kids will start their morning in the main service and head to Kid’s Club after the Message for All Ages. A new room just for Kid's Club awaits! The former nursery is now an awesome hangout with art projects, games, Just Dance (!), a new air hockey table, and more. And when the weather cooperates, we may head outside to throw a Frisbee or kick around a soccer ball.
Our awesome staff of Ash, Isa and Aria, with instructional support from Hope Walburn and Rev. Adam Blons, will support kids in knowing that God loves them just exactly as they are and wants them to have a great time building connections with their church family as they begin their faith journeys.
Adults
The mission of the Adult Faith Formation Team is to provide opportunities for congregation members that help us explore vital questions about our faith and grow in faith as a community of believers. The team works with the Lead Minister to conceive, organize and present group programs around speakers, book discussions, movies, educational classes, new resources, etc. We strive to create a range of programs that may appeal to a broad cross-section of our congregation.
Youth Program
Youth Group
Join the oldest school-aged youth in joyful connection-building, truth-seeking, and discovery of the “really real.” We’ll share authentic conversations over meals, make meaning while doing justice and service work, and get in touch with what resonates with the spirit in each of us as we hold space to ask big questions and pursue the answers together. We warmly welcome all, regardless of membership or religious beliefs.
Youth Service Trips
An opportunity to participate in a justice-focused service learning experience and travel is a highlight of the summer for Macalester Plymouth youth. With goals of creating positive change that aligns with our shared values, experiencing new cultures, building community, deepening our spirituality, and increasing individual's senses of self, these trips are often described as life-changing. Previous locations include New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Boulder, CO.
Confirmation
Traditionally, confirmation is a time for youth to reflect on their beliefs and decide if they want to become a member of the church. We do not approach this as a time of indoctrination, but rather a time of deepening reflection on their experiences and beliefs. It culminates in a celebration of who they are no matter what they decide. Typically, confirmation is for youth entering 8th and 9th grade and is a year-long process offered every other year. Our approach emphasizes experiential learning and discussion rather than a didactic "classroom" style.
Our Whole Lives
Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a lifespan sexuality curriculum co-authored by the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Church. OWL helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, health and behavior in the context of their faith. It equips participants with accurate, age appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. It provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills and understand the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of sexuality. We typically offer Our Whole Lives for middle school and high schoolers every other year.