I love this quote from Einstein. I even wrote about it several years ago while serving as an educator in a Presbyterian Church. It speaks to the reason why I do Religious Education. So much of the world’s education is about memorizing facts that our children forget how to be true citizens of the world or how to live in community working towards the greater good.
The purpose of Religious Education in a Unitarian Universalist context, is to teach our children the 7 (soon to be 8) principles of the UUA so that they can make the world a better place. So how do we do this? How do we truly raise a generation of UUs that has a connection to the rational spiritual community (as the signs around the Fellowship say)? How do we give them the support to grow and bring about social, economic, and environmental justice?
Research by the Barna Group, a research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture, says that the number one reason that those who stay connected to a faith community after high school graduation were twice as likely to have a close personal friendship with an adult inside the church. This means that authentic relationships need to grow between our youth and children and our adults. This is seen in the mentorship element of our Coming of Age Program. But I believe that we need to see it beyond that.
If we want to see the growth of our Fellowship and our values, we really need an all-hands-on-deck approach to our Religious Education. I believe that RE teachers are more than glorified babysitters. But that our RE time is beginning to grow those relationships with our children and you. Whether it is volunteering once a month in the Nursery, or joining our Junior High Youth Group on their trips to Neighboring Faiths, every positive interaction that an adult has with a young person is one step to growing a more sustainable community and faith.
So here is the call to action. We need, you the adults of this Fellowship, to step up and walk with our children on this Journey.
- If your children have moved out and you are “empty nesting,” we need you.
- If you are a parent and maybe want to teach a child other than your own, we need you.
- If you are a young adult without kids yourself, we need you.
- If you can volunteer one week a month, one time a year, or every week, we need you.
We need our RE Volunteers to look like our community; folks of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. We have opportunities in mentorship, chapel, teaching, snacks, and advocacy.
If you are interested or have questions, please email Nick at dre@muuf.org.
Thank you. Einstein thanks you. Our children thank you.