From Our
Director of Religious Education

Recently I attended two district workshops; one on Ministering to Children and Youth (and by extension, adults) with special needs, and the other on Adult Faith Development. Both of these workshops shared several underlying themes. The first grows out of the work done by Howard Gardener. Gardener emphasizes the fact that we all learn through various modalities, or intelligences. The most commonly used are the linguistic and the logical/mathematical, yet there are six other modalities. To interpret his understanding to church life means that we should offer experiences through multiple modalities in as many venues as is feasible to make ourselves as accessible as possible to a broad range of people. 

 

A second theme in each workshop was set forth by Maria Harris in her book, “Fashion Me a People” and talks about how the entire church, all we do, should be seen as religious education/faith development. This “learning church” concept posits that the business of the church (spiritual growth and development) can take place in any setting where people are working, serving, worshipping or coming together for any reason.

 

Both concepts are already being applied in many ways in our Religious Education Program but it was good to have our philosophy/practice confirmed. And, as with all things, there is always room to grow more!!

 

With love,

Tamara

Religious Education Calendar

Please note during the Summer Program: Children and Youth go directly to their RE groups at 10:00 a.m. Each week the nursery is open for infants and toddlers in Room 4;  and Preschoolers meet in Room 6
August 3	Creating Circles of Peace - Lesson 7 for children and youth in Kindergarten through 5th grade.  Middle and High School youth will be going into service.
August 10	Backpack Project* begins!!  Led by Colleen Maldonado and a team of volunteers, youth in Kindergarten through 12th grade will go out into the neighborhood to distribute donation bags.  * Our Annual Backpack Project is a service project in which the children and youth collect new backpacks and school supplies and then assemble filled back-to-school backpacks that are distributed to children in need.  If you have questions or wish to volunteer to participate in the Backpack Project, contact Colleen Maldonado or Naomi Yoshida. *
August 17	Backpack Project -  this week youth in Kindergarten through 12th grade will go back into the neighborhood to collect filled donation bags.
August 24	Backpack Project -  this week youth in Kindergarten through 12th grade will assemble and fill the backpacks and assist in the distribution of the backpacks to charity.
August 31	Last day of RE Summer Program. Youth in Kindergarten through 8th grade will gather for Movie Day! High School Youth attend YRUU meeting in the Lounge.

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Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach | 5450 East Atherton Street | Long Beach | California | 90815
562.597.8445