A Message from the Religious Education Council
Welcome
to First Unitarian Church’s religious education program. We
hope this guide helps answer basic questions about our church
and the RE program.
One of the
professors at Andover Newton Theological School described
three elements inherent in religious education philosophy,
they are: sharing vision; sharing mission and sharing memory.
In any attempt at religious instruction, we are communicating
and sharing our identity, through a combination of our
collective history, our understanding of what we are and what
we hope to be and do in the world. In essence, we are
communicating to others how we live our faith in the world.
William Ellery Channing, a Unitarian minister from the early
19th century, wrote, “The
great end of religious instruction, is not to stamp our minds
on the young, but to stir up their own; not to make them see
with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their
own; not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to
inspire a fervent love of truth....” The goal of religious education is to promote thought,
insight, and understanding. It is not to make us single
minded. It is to help form, inform, and engage, not only our
community’s children, but more importantly ourselves in a
living faith. Its purpose is to help us to better understand
the world in which we live and to give us the tools to make
decisions with conscience. Join us as we share how we practice our living
tradition.
Religious
Education Philosophy
Our
mission is to provide a safe, healthy learning environment
that promotes a philosophical and spiritual foundation in
Unitarian Universalism for persons of all ages.
Lifespan
Religious Education is shaped by the following beliefs:
- All
people are lovable beings of infinite worth, imbed with
powers of the soul. We are obligated to use our gifts,
talents, and potentials in the service of life.
-
We
carry on our Unitarian Universalist religious heritage and
are part of a community of faith that has value and
provides resources for living.
-
We
honor our responsibility for the care and creative
transformation of our religious heritage and community of
faith
-
We
are moral agents who can make a difference in the lives of
other people:
- challenging structures of social and political oppression
promoting the health and well-being of the planet acting
in the service of diversity, justice and compassion
-
We
recognize the need for community and affirm the importance
of families, relationships and connections between and
among the generations.
-
We
appreciate the value of spiritual practice as a means of
deepening faith and integrating beliefs and values with
everyday life.
-
Joy
and Sadness are all part of our lives: hope, mystery, joy,
healing, and personal transformation come together with
life's challenges. (UUA Tapestry of Faith)
Contact
Info:
Email:
RE Outreach: Lori Clair dre@ucdsm.org
RE Programming: Tracy Beck: REprogramming@ucdsm.org
RE Administration: Karen Kraemer: REadministration@ucdsm.org
Youth Programming: Laya Patterson: Youthprogramming@ucdsm.org.
Phone: 515-244-8603, ext. 104
Religious
Education Council
Caroline Pelley, Council Chair
Deb Elliot, Adult Learning
Harvey Harrison, RE Administration
Caesar Smith, RE Outreach
Jennifer Williams, Youth Programming
recouncil@ucdsm.org
If
you would like to offer an Adult UU Continuing Education Class or
have any suggestions, please contact Deb Elliott.
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