Taryn Strauss

Director of Religious Education

REflections

April 2009

On March 29, we will kick off our Teacher Recruitment Drive. Each year, over 75 members of our congregation commit to teach the young people in RE. I have witnessed teachers engage in a Native American ritual with youth, teach beautiful hand motions to “Spirit of Life,” direct role plays about being a UU kid, rock fussy babies to sleep, share personal experiences with the Coming of Age class, lead songs and tell animated stories. You could be one of these teachers! Here is a list of the upcoming courses you could lead:

K-1st Grade: Spiritplay Be a part of this dynamic new method of Religious Education. In “Spiritplay,” the storyteller tells ancient, evocative stories from our religious heritage. It challenges children to play with those stories and their outcomes, to ask, “I wonder…”

2nd-5th Grade: 4 Pillars Teach UU Identity, World Religions, Social Justice, and our Judeo-Christian Heritage.

6th-7th Grade: Hero’s Journey/Sacred Sisters (fall) Delve into the mysteries of pagan goddess rituals, or explore the hero archetypes of Joseph Campbell. These interactive courses encourage youth to be explorers of their inner landscape, to discover the kind of men/women they want to be.

Traditions with a Wink! Fun with UU Identity! (spring) Offer interactive activities that deepen the knowledge of our faith.

7th-8th Grade Sunday Evenings: Our Whole Lives (spring) This human sexuality class offers valuable information to our questioning youth. Training provided.

8th Grade: You the Creator Teach youth how to get in touch with their inner creator.

9th Grade: Coming of Age Be a mentor and a coach in this one-to-one quest to develop a youth’s spiritual identity.

10th-12th: Young Religious Unitarian Universalists Facilitate youth worship, participate in social action trips, and regional weekend conferences.