Youth Curriculm, 10-19-25

Announcements: 

Youth & Teen Trip to Hunter Family Farm — Today: Sunday, October 19, 2:00–5:30 PM
Join us for an afternoon of fall fun with corn mazes, ATV rides, a Jumbo Jumper, wagon rides, free warm drinks, and special gifts for all youth and teens. Families are welcome — invite your friends and enjoy this festive autumn outing together! Purchase your tickets online or at the door.

Winter Teen Camp — January 16–19, 2026 (MLK Weekend)
Registration is now open! Teens ages 13–18 can save $50 by registering before November 23. The camp will be held in Vernonia, Oregon, and offers a life-changing weekend of connection, creativity, and spiritual growth. If you’d like to sponsor a teen, you can make a donation on our website under Youth & Family.

Teen Creative Expression Contest — Submissions Due October 31, 2025
Encourage your teen to share their voice through art, writing, or photography! Selected works will be featured in Science of Mind Magazine, and winners will receive $75 toward Winter Teen Camp.

October Monthly Theme: Growing Deeper Rising Higher – The Ultimate Glow Up!
Week 3 Value: Inner Illumination
Affirmation: My spiritual practice is lit!

Curriculum Overview

This week, youth celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights — a Hindu tradition honoring the spiritual triumph of light over darkness and wisdom over ignorance. Inspired by Chitra Soundar’s Shubh Diwali!, children and teens will reflect on how light represents goodness, joy, and divine wisdom. They’ll discover that the same light shining in the lamps of Diwali also glows within each of us. Every youth will create a Light Rangoli — a colorful mandala-like design made with chalk, paper, or sand — symbolizing their unique inner radiance and the light that connects all beings.

Spiritual Lesson

There is a divine light that lives within everyone. This inner illumination — the spark of Spirit — guides us, comforts us, and helps us see the truth even in dark times. In Can We Talk to God?, Ernest Holmes reminds us that, “Our communication with God must of necessity be, and always remain, an inner light.” Just as the Diwali lamps shine to remind us of goodness and love, our hearts shine with divine intelligence and joy. When we connect with that inner glow, we radiate kindness, peace, and hope into the world. The light we celebrate on Diwali is not just outside us — it is us.

Mindfulness: “Candlelight Meditation”

Youth will be guided through a peaceful candlelight meditation designed to help them connect with the light within. Sitting in a softly lit space, each child or teen holds a small, battery-powered candle or tea light. As gentle music plays, they watch the soft, steady glow and begin to slow their breathing. With each inhale, they imagine drawing light into their hearts; with each exhale, they feel that light expanding through their whole body. The room becomes filled with a calm, golden stillness as they sense the same light connecting everyone around them. In that quiet moment, youth experience the warmth, love, and guidance of the Divine shining from within — a reminder that no matter where they go, their inner light is always with them, ready to illuminate the way.

Active Listening: Book/Music/Video

• Book (older youth): Excerpt from Can We Talk to God? by Ernest Holmes
• Music (older youth): “Brighter Than the Sun” by Colbie Caillat or “Light of Love” by Florence + The Machine
• Book (younger class): Shubh Diwali! by Chitra Soundar
• Music (younger class): “This Little Light of Mine” (upbeat version) or “Shine” by Newsboys

Creative Expression: Light Rangolis

Youth will create Light Rangolis — circular designs made from colorful chalk, sand, or cut paper — to represent their inner light. Younger children may focus on color and shape, while older youth can add affirmations or symbols of illumination, such as stars, hearts, and candles. As they create, they reflect on how their personal light can bring warmth, hope, and joy to others. The finished Rangolis become a visual reminder that when we share our light, the world grows brighter.

Lessons in Action: Sacred Ground Exploration

Younger Youth: After creating their Rangolis, invite children to name ways they can “shine their light” — sharing a toy, helping a friend, smiling at someone new. Conclude by dimming the lights and lighting (or turning on) each candle one by one, saying: “Together, we light up the world.”

Older Youth: Invite teens to reflect on moments when they’ve felt their inner light dim — times of doubt, fear, or challenge. Then discuss: “What helps you remember your light?” Please encourage them to share stories of when they felt illuminated by kindness, inspiration, or truth. Conclude with journaling or art on the theme “When I shine my light, I…”

Connecting: Circle of Light

Gather the youth in a circle around their completed Rangolis or candles. Invite each person to share one way they can bring more light into the world this week — through kindness, gratitude, or creativity.

Close together with the affirmation:

“My spiritual practice is lit — and so is my heart.”