Adult Education

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Messages from Minister & Director

A Word from the Minister

Welcome to the 2010-2011 Religious Education program year. Children are an important part of this congregation and we are very pleased with the program we have put together for this year. We are glad you and your children have decided to be involved.
 
I am committed to the religious nurture of our children. You will certainly discover that this congregation is also committed to the quality religious education of its children. We have a wonderful Religious Educator, Lynn Garman, along with a dedicated Children’s Religious Education Committee, and an outstanding team of teachers. I feel confident that you will find UUCB’s religious education program to be very rewarding.
 
We are a community committed to truth and love. Our goal is so grand as to allow each child the opportunity to unfold their full humanity, to instill a love of learning and a holy curiosity. Yet our goal is also so simple as to draw out of children that which is already there, to guide and encourage them in the process of discovery. William Ellery Channing wrote that “The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own; ... Not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth.”
 
As the minister of UUCB, I am available to all the members of this community, young and old, and I welcome the chance to share some part of your religious journey with you.
 
Douglas Taylor, Minister

 

A Message from the Director of Religious Education

In all the great religious traditions, spiritual growth is understood as a journey. It is a path or a way along which each human being travels, not only in moments of ecstasy or enlightenment, but in the day-to-day struggle to come to terms with the world in which we live. For this reason, spiritual nurture, like parenting itself, is a creative process. It is a work of the imagination…We need only be willing to accompany our child as she/he takes his/her first steps along the spiritual path. We see each child…as a unique creation whose worth is infinitely greater than the sum of his or her skills and knowledge…
Jean Grasso Fitzpatrick
 
Welcome to an exciting year of religious growth and exploration at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton!
 
Every day our children go forth into a complex world where they are faced with diverse views, challenging situations, and difficult decisions . Our theme this year, Wisdom Traditions Around the World, is designed to teach our children about these diverse views, while also helping them understand their Unitarian Universalist faith, clarify their own beliefs, and empower them to take action. At the same time, we model how to be in community together, and serve one another and the world through our Faith in Action projects.
 
Our Religious Education program is designed to companion children and youth on their spiritual journey, to foster independent thinking, encourage faith development and religious identity, and nurture spirituality. Our curriculum plan provides for rotating year-long study of three themes: Unitarian Universalism, Wisdom Traditions of the World, and Ethics and Social Justice.
 
The minister, RE Committee, and I strive to create a faith com-munity for our children and youth that is welcoming, comfortable, safe, and fun while also allowing for religious exploration and spiritual nurture. I welcome your input, value your participation, and encourage you to voice your concerns as we embark upon this shared journey with your child this year.
 
Lynn Garman, Director of Religious Education