Session 1: Program Review and Discussion

Program Review

Part One: Our Worship, Our History, Our Congregational Life
Part Two: Living Unitarian Universalist Beliefs, Justice, and Interconnectedness
Part Three: Religion in Your Life, In Your Congregation, In the World Around You
Personal Project
Group Project

Discussion

What principles do Boy Scouting and Unitarian Universalism share?

How do they differ?

Do you think being a UU makes you a better scout? What kind of an impact does being active in Scouting have on your being a UU?

What does Duty to God mean in the context of being a UU?


Preparation For Next Week

Read Questions 5 through 12 of 100 Questions
Find a copy of the Order of Service for today’s service.

Fun: Top Ten Reasons to be a UU.

Session 2: Introduction to UU Worship (1-1)

Review of Work

Let’s have a close look at the Order of Service for last Sunday.
What does it tell you?
Does it change from week to week or is it always the same?

Discussion

What do the services we have here at First Parish tell you about what Unitarian Universalists believe?

Do you like the services we have here? What parts of the service to you enjoy the most? Do you like minister led services or lay let services?

If you didn’t know anything about UU’s, what questions would you ask about these services?

Preparation For Next Week

Read the Preface of The UU Pocket Guide and Our Worship by Rev. Mark Belletini. Write down anything you don’t understand.

Read Our Roots in The UU Pocket Guide.

Research a pre-twentieth century person from UU history. Prepare a brief (10 minute) presentation on this person to give to the group.

Fun: UU Bumper Sticker Design

Session 3: UU History (1-2)

Review of Work

What did Rev. Scholefield have to say in “Our Roots?” Was there anything in the reading that you didn’t understand?

Presentations of Pre-20th century Unitarians or Universalists. Ten minutes each.

Discussion

What impact did these people have on our society, religion, and the world at large?
What can we learn from history and historic people?
What makes these people different than others of their day?

Preparation For Next Week

Read “Our Ministry” in the UU Pocket Guide.
Ask our Minister what it takes to be ordained in our tradition. What kind of work does he do? Does he work all year long? Every Sunday? Ask these questions of the Directory of Religious Education, also.

Do one of the following:

1. Meet with the Treasurer of our church and find out how the church pays its salaries. Get a copy of the church budget.

2. Meet with the Chairman of the Parish Committee and find out what kind of issues will be considered at the next church meeting. Ask him how the church governs itself and how people are choosen to serve.

Make notes of the questions you asked and the answers recieved. Keep any literature or documents given to you. Present these to your mentor (Mr. Norton).

Fun:
UU Bumper Stickers


Session 4: Meeting with Lay Leader (1-3)

Review of Work

Final historic people presentations.

Discussion with Dave Packer, Chairman of the Parish Committee

Take notes on the discussion with Mr. Packer.

How is the church run?
What is your job at First Parish?
How did you get this job?
What are the big issues facing First Parish in Bedford?
Can you explain the church’s budget and where the money comes from?

Preparation For Next Week (1-3)

Read “Our Ministry” in the UU Pocket Guide.
Ask our Minister what it takes to be ordained in our tradition. What kind of work does he do? Does he work all year long? Every Sunday? Ask these questions of the Directory of Religious Education, also.


Fun:


Session 5: Introduction to Our Congregation (1-3)

Review of Work
From “Our Ministry:”

Who is our minister and what does he do at first parish?
Does Rebecca Kelley-Morgan (DRE) count as a minister? Why or why not?
What role does Mallory LaSonde have at our church? What are her duties?
What does this article say about ministerial duties?
What are the qualifications for the job of minister?

Discussion

Did you talk with John, Rebecca, or Mallory?
What did you learn from our religious professionals?
What would it be like to be a minister? Do you think you’d like to do that job?
What talents, abilities, so skills does it take to be a minister?
What other support people do we have at First Parish and what do they do?

Preparation For Next Week

Read “Our Faith” in the UU Pocket Guide.
Review the Principles and Purposes of Unitarian Universalism.
Choose one of these principles and write a one page essay on what meaning this principle has in your life.

Fun:
UU Charades: pick a UU principle and act it out silently.


Session 6: Living Unitarian Universalist Values (2-1)

Review of Work

Essay topics and discussion.
What principle did you write about?
Do you want to share what you wrote with the others?
What did you learn about yourself in writing this essay?

Discussion

Discussion of “Our Faith”.
What makes UUism different than other religions?
Let’s review the six affirmationst that Rev. Schultz makes:

  1. Creation itself is holy.
  2. Life’s gifts are available to everyone.
  3. The divine is make obvious in the simple and everyday.
  4. Human beings are responsible for this planet.
  5. The interdependent web of all existance.
  6. We love life more than death or an afterlife.

Individual Projects

A volunteer service project performed within the congregation or a social cause.
Approval by program mentor is required (write a short description or explain).
Should be six to eight hours of work in all.
Must be completed before the end of the program.
Write up your experience and report to the group.

Preparation For Next Week

Read sections 1-4,13,14 of 100 Questions.
Read “Our Work for Social Justice and Diversity”.
Create a list of possible projects for next week.

Fun:
Which famous person would you want as a minister and why? Be creative!



Session 7: Social Services (2-2)

Review of Work

Discuss possible personal projects.
Some ideas include a research project, sitting in on a particular church committee, working for a social justice project or ogranization. Attend a conference such as UU Urban Ministry, etc.

Discussion

Our Work for Social Justice and Diversity:
What is ‘Social Justice’?
What kind of history do Unitarians and Universalists have for social justice?
What major contributes have UU’s made to date?
Discuss the three issues mentioned in the essay:
Gay, Bi, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns
Racism
Ablism and Accessibility

Preparation For Next Week

Read a book on one of the world’s major religions.
Explain how the religion answers the questions listed in the program book.
Write a summary of the religion you choose, its beliefs and answers to questions.
Visit the website of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF):
http://iarf-religiousfreedoms.net

Fun:
UU Charades: act out a UU principle silently.


Session 8: World Religion (2-3)

Review of Work

Discuss progress on personal projects.
Discuss progress on World Religion research papers.
What religion have you choosen?


Discussion

As part of your research paper, you were asked to answer the following questions:

  1. Why was the world created?
  2. How should people live?
  3. Why do evil, pain, and suffering exist?
  4. What happens after we die?

Let’s discuss these questions and how they might be answered in your paper.

What does religious freedom in this country mean?
Do all countries have such freedoms? Why or why not?
What is required for religious freedom to exist?

Preparation For Next Week

Complete a summary of the religion you choose, its beliefs and answers to questions above. Be prepared to contrast this chosen religion with UUism.
Visit the website of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF):
http://iarf-religiousfreedoms.net


Session 9: World Religions, Continued (2-3)

Review of Work

Present your World Religion Summary.
Does this religion have a story of how the world was created?
Does it teach tolerance, acceptance, etc. of other people and religions?
Is there a figure which represents evil? How does it deal with pain and suffering?
How does it deal with the fact that we all die? Is it significant?


Discussion

Is Unitarian Universalism different in other parts of the world? Why is that?
Is UUism one set of held beliefs? If not, how can it be called a religion?

Preparation For Next Week

Begin work on your Spiritual Autobiography or Personal Credo.
Read pages 12 thru 14 of the Religion in Life program book.


Session 10: Your Spiritual Autobiography (3-1)

Review of Work

Presentations of Autobiographies and Credos

Discussion

How important is religion in your life?
Do you think that religion should be an intellectual persuit or an emotional one?
If you were born a UU, what influence have other faiths had on yours?
If you were not born a UU, how have your values changed since becoming one?
What are your theological values?

Preparation For Next Week

Think about who you would like to interview to better understand their UU principles and beliefs. Interview this person and report in next session.




Session 11: Inteviewing a UU Adult (3-2)

Review of Work

Present the notes you took during your interview.

Discussion

Why did you choose this person to interview?
How close is this person’s beliefs to your own?
Does it make you uncomfortable to hear beliefs different that your own?
How does hearing what others believe impact your own understanding?

Preparation For Next Week

Finish any assignments which have not been completed to date.
Hand in all papers.
Write down your observations of this program. What did you like or dislike? What would you recommend that we change or add?
Thing about how you can apply your UU principles in the world at large.


Session 9: Real Life (3-3)

Review of Work

Final presentations (if missed previously).

Discussion

How does being UU and what you have learned about UUism serve you in the wider world?
How do you believe and hope it will serve you five years from now?
What will you do to further understand our UU principles?