Fall 2009 - An Interfaith Journey

Children attending the Universalist Unitarian Church of Farmington (UUCF) Religious Education program will be embarking on “An Interfaith Journey” this 2009-2010 school year.

This religious education program is open to the public and currently enrolling new students. The UUCF Interfaith Journey curriculum encompasses the Unitarian Universalism philosophy of individual worth and the power of community with a study of the World Religions that are practiced around the globe. This program compliments the mission of UUCF Religious Education of teaching youth inclusion, compassion and peace and provides the environment to live and learn in a culturally diverse community. Classes are grouped into grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 with age specific education materials for all.

Interfaith Journey classes begin Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 9:30am and 11:00am

Nursery

Loving care is provided for children 8 weeks- 3 years.

Preschool

The goal of this curriculum is simply to offer structure that empowers each child to feel comfortable and confident about coming to church. With songs, fun activities, and coloring pages to scribble on, Friendship Finders is a fabulous and unique program for 3 and 4-year-olds. The themes are simplified highlights of our UU principles, and include a variety of age-appropriate and engaging activities.

Kindergarten-5th Grade

Creation Stories from the World Religions

Workshop Rotation

Team Building / Class Covenants (September)
As we begin a new year together we will spend this first month building community and creating classroom covenants. The covenant expresses how the group wants to behave and treat each other when they are together.

Islam (October)
Muslims believe in the same basic creation story as Jews and Christian, but
there are some differences. Learn about those differences and about how Arab
culture, and life in the desert, has contributed much to the rich cultural
heritage of Islam.

Earth Based (November)

Earth-Based creation story from the Native American Iroquois Tribe...with each step that Sky Woman took, land spread outward. Turtle Island began to form and
the Earth began to grow. We give thanks to the Earth, our mother, who supports
our feet. To hear the rest of the story...join us as we discover what some
Iroquois believe to be how the earth was created.

Judeo-Christian (December)
In the beginning there was no earth or sky or sea or animals. And then God spoke in the darkness: “Let there be light!” And right away there was light, scattering the darkness and showing the infinite space. During the month of December, our elementary students will study the creation story in the Christian tradition. We will do movement activities, art and visual learning to cover all learning styles!

Buddhism (January)
Buddhists have no creation story --the present moment andconstancy of change makethe creation of the earth unessential to this faith.Through meditation, mandalas, and a bit of drama, the children can delight in their powers of focus and concentration and the impermanence of the moment.

Hinduism (February)
How do avast expanse of water, a cobra,some gods, and a lotus flower lead to the creation of the world? Our study ofa Hindu creation story shows us how.Through this story and relatedyoga,a flower exploration, and an exploration of ourselves, ourelementary children will grow in their knowledge of Hinduism and their understanding of their place on earth.

Humanism (March)
Humanists do not know how the earth was created, but they try to find out by
science and logic. Some think there was a big bang. We will learn about what
some famous scientists have observed and what they think about how the earth and
the universe began.

Greek (April)
The ancient Greek myths about creation are full of imagination, and still inspire a sense of wonder and excitement about our world. The Greeks believed everything began with a giant egg. A goddess created land when she danced on the waves of the ocean. Greek gods created the starry constellations we still see in the night sky. Please join us as we learn about these beautiful stories and experience the Greek love of life with crafts, dance, and fun.

UUism (May)
Unitarian Universalism has taken root in a wide variety of faiths and philosophies. Over the course of this year, RE students will have the opportunities to meditate on the diverse creation stories that inspire their adherents, as well as on the creation of those very stories. During this final month of the curriculum, students of all ages will share their personal creation stories and investigate the role those stories play in their lives, create the world through music and movement, and review their knowledge of world religions through games.

Middle School (6th-8th Grades)

As students move toward adulthood in the UU faith, they are called to foster a deeper understanding of local and world issues. Becoming more aware of social justice and environmental concerns, and preparing to lead a more purposeful life is a part of that journey. This year's curriculum focuses on peace and justice, and our seventh UU principal “the interdependent web of life”. "Each religion will celebrate the dignity of nature and the duty of every person to live harmoniously within the natural world. We are convinced of the inestimable value of our respective traditions and of what they can offer to re-establish ecological harmony; but, at the same time, we are humble enough to desire to learn from each other. The very richness of our diversity lends strength to our shared concern and responsibility for our Planet Earth." Father Serrini of the Franciscan Order

High School (9th-12th Grade)

Popcorn Theologytakes the concept and popularity of movie night and uses it to explore issues of theology and ethicsin popular film. While watching and discussing movie clips our youth will:

• examine how the choices we make affect our lives and the lives of others
• explore how concepts such as truth and meaning are related to perspective and point of view
• understand ways in which the right of conscience calls us to do what is right despite possible negative results
• consider ways in which faith can help us understand our questions, seek answers, and deal with trials of life
• learn about other faith traditions and their responses to important theological and ethical issues