This is my tenth year serving the Unitarian Universalists as an interim religious educator. I have learned a great deal during this decade and believe that the work I do is not just for a religious education program. During this decade, my work with congregations aims to guide its members and friends to a system-wide understanding of their religious education ministry. Interim work is designed to be a guide for congregations as they understand the total picture of their ministry.
One of the goals for Unitarian Universalist religious educators is to help congregations view religious education as a vital part of the entire church. We have sequestered religious education to the symbolic church basement and this process has demoralized religious education, children, youth and religious education professionals. Great strides have been made to bring religious education out of the basement and view it as a central part of the overall mission and vision of the congregation. This should be celebrated! We also should note that there is a great deal of work to do. And as we look at the system in the church and the changing role of religious education, I am inclined to take a more broader perspective. Just as we have siloed our religious education programs, have we also siloed our churches? Are we so focused on each churches internal workings taht we are missing some of the large religious global shifts occurring at the turn of the 21st century?
I believe this is true.
It is my hope that this blog will unfold some conversations on the church from a larger perspective. The challenges of each church are common in other churches and this is a hint: we should be working together. It is a time of change and this is scary and exciting.
Please join in the conversation. I believe that this blog will be rich only if others engage in the conversation with questions, ideas and challenges. I look forward to hearing from you.
One giant step for religious education, one giant leap for church ministry.Thanks for your inspirational perspective. The view must be awesome from the moon. Lily
ReplyDeleteThat means a great deal coming from such a wise woman. Thank you Lily!
ReplyDeleteI am curious why you think religious education has been sequestered to the church "basement." Do you think that is just UU thinking? I never felt that way as a church education person for 10 years.
ReplyDeleteGood question. In some ways, it is a Unitarian Universalist issue because in many of our congregations, religious education for children and youth happens at the same time as worship. But it is not just a UU issue. It is more prominant in churches where worship and religious education (including Junior Church models) happen at the same time because worship is designed as the central gathering place for the church. And whenever a group is invited to leave for whatever reason, they can lose their identity with the central community. I have been a religious educator for more than 25 years in both the United Methodist and Unitarian Universalist tradition. My experience and the experience of countless colleges have observed a second class status for religious education. There is history to this issue - I will write a blog so we can explore it further. I would love to hear more about your experience, Ellen. Keep you eye open for a near future blog and deeper conversation.
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