April: A Call for the Religious Education Committee

Beloved community,

I’d like you to think about joining our Religious Education (RE) committee.

Yes, you.

The majority of Unitarian Universalists were not raised in this faith tradition. Many of us come to Unitarian Universalism as we prioritize certain life values over the norms of our surrounding culture. We value diversity over conformity. We celebrate rather than deny the beauty of the world around us. We feel clear that we can’t separate the principles we hold dear from the choices we make in daily living. And we seek religious grounding and community for living life a different way.

Now imagine what it is like for the children of our congregation to be raised with these values, and not just raised with these values held dear in the home, but raised in a community that strives to embody and make manifest these values in the world.

The religious education of young people is one of the primary ways we live our mission. It is one of the primary ways we change the world.

But religious education is more than just what happens on Sunday mornings during the first service. In fact, religious education is everything we do. It matters that we offer a multigenerational service each month; this is how we live that we are a spiritual community for all ages (not just adults who send children away to another room). It matters that we think of the health and well being of our youngest congregants when we plan for the future of our community. It matters that we consider the safety of children in all that we do at Chalice.

You’ll notice that one of the responsibilities of the RE committee is to “organize intergenerational social events and special activities.” The use of the word “intergenerational” is important here. Intergenerational events are meant to foster connections between the generations. We want Chalice to be a place where healthy connections between age groups are nurtured. We need a dynamic and enthusiastic RE committee to help make that happen.

Bright blessings, Sharon