Teaching
I believe that the job of religious education (at any age and level) is to cultivate the spark in everyone to become a life-long learner.
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The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own… Not to impose religion upon them in the form of arbitrary rules, but to awaken the conscience, the moral discernment. In a word, the great end is to awaken the soul, to excite and cherish spiritual life.
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- William Ellery Channing -
And this applies not only to the young, but to all of us. We are all teachers and all learners. We all have something to contribute, and we all have the capacity to gain wisdom from each other.
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One of my favorite aspects of ministry is teaching. From UU 101, to a class called Exploring Spiritual Practices, I love designing and teaching courses that cultivate the spark for learning and exploration in the setting of spiritual community. I also really appreciate classes as an opportunity to engage with folks for longer than Sunday mornings allow, and in a smaller setting that allows for deeper engagement with the content, and with each other.
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As a lay member and during my professional ministry, I have worked in (and out of) classrooms with children and youth of all ages:
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- I am a trained OWL facilitator for grades Kindergarten through 2nd, 4th through 6th, 7th through 9th, and 10th through 12th.
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- I love working with the Coming of Age class, where youth get to explore their evolving values and theological beliefs.
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- My time serving as "Champ Caplain" (the camp chaplain) for two summers at a weeklong UU Kids Camp in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico was an immersive experience in community building through games, crafts, hiking, group activities, meals, singing, and worship.
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I appreciate the thoughts, perspectives, and energy of the younger UUs among us! I find myself learning from them as much as I hope they will learn from me.
