Coming of Age (Unitarian Universalism)

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Coming of Age (CoA, COA) is a Unitarian Universalist program in which a congregation fosters the transition of its Children into Youth. Although COA programs vary by congregation, they typically mark the individual's transition from younger Religious Education programs into a Youth group, District-level/Regional Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU), as well as National and Continental-level YRUU. Not all Youth will enter into all of the levels of programming above, though entering into at least Congregational-level YRUU (Youth group) is very common.

In most programs, a congregation's youth (usually aged 12 and above) are paired with an adult mentor who is a member of the congregation. Throughout the program, youth investigate their personal spirituality with the support of their mentor. Youth participants in the program are encouraged to develop a greater sense of what they believe. They do this through discussion, listening to guest speakers and participating in retreats and workshops. Workshops may be designed to prompt the youth, challenge their mode of thinking, or aid them in furthering their ideas. Recently, some congregations have also included a social action or social service project that the child does with the mentor, however this is very recent and not many congregations take part in this.

At the end of many COA programs youth and their mentors prepare a service in which they present "Faith Statements" or "Credo Statements" — written statements of belief and perspectives developed over the course of program. These statements vary in many ways, because there are few "guidelines" as to what youth may say. Typically, participants who do not wish to present a credo statement may communicate their findings in other ways; for example a choreographed dance or a musical piece they have written. Services vary from church to church and can involve almost anything that the participants want it to. Favorite hymns, dances, songs, and readings may be included.

The Coming of Age program is not an end to spiritual searching; it is an official recognition that the youth involved have begun to search for personal truth.