On Saturday, October 1, UUCPA hosted a day-long religious education conference for Unitarian Universalist congregations in northern California. About 80 people were on our campus — Sunday school teachers, youth advisors, and paid staff — to hear Dr. Mark A. Hicks, professor of religious education at Meadville Lombard Theological School, one of our two Unitarian Universalist theological schools. Dr. Hicks showed us both how teaching can be a spiritual practice, and how race and ethnicity can inform religious education.
The next day, Dr. Hicks preached at UUCPA. Afterwards six of us from UUCPA took Dr. Hicks out to lunch. Those seven people sitting at the table had more than a quarter-century of graduate study in education between them, and several decades of actual experience as educators. As you’d expect, the wide-ranging conversation focused on education.
The most interesting point for me was that we all agreed that educating for democracy has been neglected in our country for at least fifty years. Young people have to be taught how to participate effectively
in the democratic process, and if we do not teach them this skill, our democracy will suffer. Indeed, if you’re looking for a reason why we have had so many mediocre candidates in the current presidential election cycle, you need look no farther than the widespread neglect of educating for democracy.
As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the importance of the democratic process. We help young people learn key skills that are associated with democracy: learning how to express their opinions and listen to others; learning how to speak in public; learning basic leadership skills. When they reach high school age, we encourage teens to get involved in UUCPA by signing the membership book and voting in congregational meetings; by becoming worship associates (public speaking); by joining committees (leadership skills). UUCPA fosters learning through adult mentoring, and learning by doing.
These may not be skills that will help pass a standardized test, pad a resume, or gain admittance to an Ivy League college. But if our democracy is to survive, these are critical skills for young people to learn. And a democratically-run, intergenerational community like UUCPA is the best place to learn how to do democracy.
This is one of the key reasons why you should bring your children and teens to UUCPA: so they can be part of a democratically-run organization that welcomes their participation. —See you soon
Sunday school calendar
Sun., Oct. 30:
- 9:30 a.m.: Sunday school
- 10:30 a.m.: Halloween Parade
Youth calendar
Sun., Oct. 30:
- 6:30 p.m.: SHYG
Navigators
Navigators, our bias-free scouting group, meets twice a month. Contact Ed Vail to be put on the email list.
OWL for gr. K-1 and gr. 4-6
We will offer both the gr. K-1 and the gr. 4-6 units of the OWL comprehensive sexuality education program in early 2017. For full information about the OWL program, please visit: https://uucpa-cyre.org/owl-program/.
There will be a mandatory parent meeting on Sun., Nov. 6, at 11:00 am in Room 4/5. The other dates of the courses are listed below.
This program is open to the community, as well as to UUCPA families. Feel free to invite your friends! However, please be sure to tell those families that are not currently enrolled in UUCPA’s Sunday school that both parents MUST attend the parent meeting.
Schedule for both levels, gr. K-1 and gr. 4-6:
Details of the schedule may change, so be sure to attend the parent meeting. To be included on OWL mailings, send email to owl@uucpa.org.
- Sun., Jan. 8, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Jan. 22, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Jan. 29, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Feb. 5, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Feb. 12, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Feb. 26, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Mar. 5, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Mar. 12, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Mar. 19, 11:00 a.m.
- Sun., Mar. 26, 11:00 a.m.
OWL for gr. 7-9
We will offer the gr. 7-9 unit of the OWL comprehensive sexuality education program in early 2017. For full information about the OWL program, please visit: https://uucpa-cyre.org/owl-program/.
There will be a mandatory parent meeting on Sun., Dec. 4, at 6:30 pm. The other dates of the courses are listed below.
This program is open to the community, as well as to UUCPA families. Feel free to invite your friends! However, please be sure to tell those families that are not currently enrolled in UUCPA’s Sunday school that both parents MUST attend the parent meeting.
Details of the schedule may change, so be sure to attend the parent meeting. To be included on OWL mailings, send email to owl@uucpa.org.
Schedule for OWL gr. 7-9:
- Sun., Jan. 22, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Jan. 29, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Feb. 5, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Feb. 12, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Feb. 19, no meeting
- Sun., Feb. 26, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Mar. 5, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Mar. 12, no meeting
- Sun., Mar. 19, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., Mar. 26, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., April 2, no meeting
- Sun., April 9, no meeting
- Sun., April 16, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., April 23, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., April 30, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., May 7, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
- Sun., May 14, no meeting
- Sun., May 21, 5:30-8:00 p.m.