Religious Education

Lifespan Faith Development is All We Do. Unitarian Universalism is All We Teach. The Congregation is the Curriculum.

This statement offers a holistic approach to religious education where we understand that everything a congregation does is religious education and faith development – for all ages, all the time.   It is like the Sophia Fahs quote “Life becomes religious whenever we make it so.”    Because of this, I especially like to find creative ways to make worship experiences educational, and sometimes interactive, as well as reverent.

I see Lifespan Faith Development as integral to shared ministry. Covid forced a creative approach to faith development. Most of us went online, had in-person gatherings and activities outside, and found resources for people of all ages to access at home.  Creative, multi-faceted, and adaptive approaches will be needed going forward.

I envision our task as one of building a truly multi-generational community. An engaging Lifespan faith development program is vital to that effort.  Let us work together so that our congregation is one where our children grow up to be active Unitarian Universalists.    I see our partnership as one that emphasizes the fact that the minister is a minister to all ages.  I can help in this by partnering with our staff and/or volunteers and arranging to periodically work with teaching teams at various age levels so that the minister is actively engaged beyond the time for all ages.

I hope our ministry of faith formation will also emphasize UU identity as well as spiritual and intellectual offerings for adults. Recent research shows that having parents who are actively involved in continuing their own faith development and spiritual life has a greater impact on young people than attending spectacular religious education programs.

More about:

Faith Development for Adults              Faith Development for Children & Youth