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| Lifespan
Religious Education Carol Uebelhoer - Interim Director of Religious Education  Suzanne Meeks - Chair, Religous Education Committee/Ministry "The function of the church for both young and old is not to give us on Sundays certain kinds of experiences different from the experiences of every day. The function of the church is rather to teach us how to put religious and ethical qualities into all kinds of experiences." - Sophia Lyon Fahs From Our Director of Religious Education
"So, what do you teach?" This is the question I am most frequently asked by First U newcomers. For many, "religious education" carries with it connotations of dogma or indoctrination, concepts that are clearly at odds with our non-creedal, free church tradition. It would, perhaps, be easier to explain what we don’t teach. We don’t teach that there is a single definitive source of wisdom and moral authority, that there is a single or prescribed path to righteousness, or even that we can believe anything we want to believe. While we don’t have a creed to deliver, we do have an abundant legacy to share. Ours is a rich heritage of spiritual and intellectual seeking, questioning, and challenging simplistic answers to universal religious questions: how did we get here? Why do we die? How do we live in relation to the earth, the universe, and to one another? What gives our lives purpose and meaning? Guided by our liberal (Latin: liber, "free") religious values, we understand religious education as a process rather than a product. We recognize the inherent value of asking the questions and understand that "truth" may come in the form of many answers. Supported by five "pillars" of religious education – UU identity, Jewish and Christian heritage, other world religions, social justice, and life issues – we teach at all age levels the value of exploration and discernment while emphasizing personal responsibility for discovering one’s own beliefs. Within our religious
education community, participants of all ages are encouraged to ask their own
questions, and supported as they discover their own truths. I hope you’ll join
us!
First Unitarian Church is a Welcoming Congregation, committed to respecting the inherent worth and dignity of every person. In particular, we recognize that churches have often not been safe and affirming places for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and have resolved to take actions such as this statement to make our welcome clear. In our Religious Education program, we wish to provide a welcoming environment to all children and youth, and to their families. This involves affirming both traditional and non-traditional families in all of their variety. We also strive to use curriculum resources that help our children and youth value diversity and strengthen them to stand against prejudice and discrimination. www.firstulou.org/re/lre.html | |||||